Bellona, who had put the bracelet on her wrist, looked up to express her gratitude once again.
However.
“It’s so pretty. I’m so grateful for this. How come... Huh? Where did you go?”
The old man who was clearly in front of her disappeared in an instant.
‘Did I get swept away by the crowd...’
It was at that moment that she looked around, wondering if she had been swept away by people again.
“Who are you looking for?”
When she returned, Carsis was standing behind her.
“Oh, that’s what that old man just said...”
Finally, as if everything was going well, Bellona opened her mouth to tell Karsis what had just happened...
Suddenly, a clump of black fur appeared in front of her eyes.
“This is...”
It was a teddy bear.
A teddy bear with shiny black fur.
“I thought you might like something like this.”
“...”
It's been a while since she had my coming-of-age ceremony, and she got a teddy bear.
This guy. It was clear that he was treating her like a child.
Bellona, who had completely forgotten about the old man's existence, raised her head at the unexpected appearance of the teddy bear.
“It’s not that I hate it, but...”
In fact, she actually liked it.
She's just trying to act calm to save face in front of the Emperor.
It was at that time that Bellona was hesitating, wondering what attitude to show.
“Hey! We’re going to be floating lanterns down the river soon!”
Bellona's body stopped at the word 'floating lantern'.
'Floating lantern?'
Come to think of it, people have been flocking to one place for some time now.
'Was there originally an event where lanterns were flown at the summer festival?'
Bellona, who always looked forward to the capital's summer festival, had a good idea of what was going on.
But what about lanterns?
She tilted her head as if hearing it for the first time.
But seeing the crowd heading towards the river with excited voices, it didn't seem like a lie.
‘I want to see the lanterns too...’
In fact, as much as she wanted to participate in the capital city summer festival, the place she wanted to visit was the lantern festival held only in the Minolta region.
However, the Minolta region was so far from the territory that she had vaguely thought she should go there someday.
But the lantern festival that is said to only be held there is about to start here.
For her, who had always wanted to fly a sky lantern, these were very tempting words.
That's why Bellona was groaning as if she were worried about something.
Carsis said, sensing her mind.
“I heard that the Minolta region came to support this lantern festival. So I heard that it was similar to the atmosphere of the lantern festival that could only be felt in the Minolta region...”
“...”
“Do you want to go see it together?”
And Bellona's worries did not last long.
“Wow!”
Bellona's face, which had finally arrived at the riverbank, was filled with anticipation.
“Did you know that? If you make a wish while releasing a floating lantern, it will come true.”
Carsis, who had been fiddling with the lantern, responded indifferently to her words.
“Really? I heard that if lovers fly floating lanterns together, they will never be separated again.”
“Well. I, I heard that there was something like that too...”
Anyway, we're not even lovers, so why are you saying something like that?
Bellona, who felt embarrassed for no reason, coughed in vain.
But after hearing Carsis's words and looking around, she realized that there were a lot of people who actually looked like they were lovers.
‘Why did that guy say something like that...’
It was when she was internally grumbling at the man who was spouting useless words.
A thin whistle could be heard through the crowd.
Then, as if they had been waiting, everyone simultaneously let go of the lanterns they were holding.
So, in case she was late, Bellona also hurriedly sent out a lantern and made a wish.
'Please continue to make me happy like this.'
She considered herself lucky.
Because she was born into a happy family and lived a peaceful life under the protection of her parents without anything to envy.
Although she once felt burdened by having to take responsibility for the people as the head of a family, she was very happy now.
So she prayed that these peaceful days would continue.
If the reality you are living in now is a dream, I hope you never wake up.
Did she put her hands together and pray for a while?
Bellona's eyes slowly opened as she emptied her heart of wishes.
And then she quietly looked at the face of the man next to her.
'What did that man wish for?'
Bellona suddenly wondered what the wish of the man who succeeded in rebellion and sat in the highest position in the empire was.
Was it because she was intoxicated by the exciting atmosphere of the festival? Or was it because of the time they spent together today that she unconsciously became comfortable?
Bellona opened her lips quietly, as if she had forgotten that the man next to her was the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, what did you wish for? I just wish for peace and happiness, just like now...”
Then the man's eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened.
The man's red eyes somehow resembled the light of a lantern, and Bellona found herself staring blankly into his eyes.
“I think it might be a little dangerous to call it that.”
“Huh? Ah...”
How dare I call him Your Majesty in such a crowded place? Bellona, who understood the man's meaning, quickly shut her mouth.
“Then what did you say...”
“Carsis.”
“...”
“You called me by my name that day, too.”
Carsis.
She slowly repeated his name to herself before moving her lips away.
“...What did Lord Carsis say?”
“It's a secret.”
“...”
“Wishes are meant to be fulfilled only when kept to oneself.”
He playfully arched the corners of his eyes, as if he had never intended to say anything in the first place.
Then why didn't you just say you weren't going to tell me from the beginning?
When Bellona, who had already told Carsis about her wish, opened her mouth to vent her grievance,
Thump, thump.
Suddenly, raindrops began to fall one by one from the cloudless sky.
“Huh? It’s raining...”
Then she spread her palms over her head and looked up at the falling sky.
But suddenly, the thin rain began to fall heavily, accompanied by the sound of thunder.
It was a shower.
The lanterns that were flying in the sudden downpour lost their strength and began to fall.
“The lanterns...”
Bellona, who was watching the lantern she had sent flying with great interest, fell to the ground, muttered in a vain voice.
Others also lamented the festival being ruined by the rain.
But that was only for a moment, as the rain grew stronger and the people who had been huddled together began to disperse.
It was at that moment that Bellona, who had just come to her senses, looked around to find a place to take shelter from the rain.
A warm feeling enveloped her hands.
It was Carsis's hand.
“Unfortunately, the lanterns will be later.”
And then, all of a sudden, Carsis grabbed her hand and started running somewhere.
The place Carsis took her was an empty warehouse not far from where the lanterns were launched.
Bellona, who had been exhaling from the sudden rush, looked around with curious eyes.
How on earth did you know about this place?
The warehouse, with its messy piles of stuff in the corner, looked like it had been untouched for a long time.
“Here...”
He answered, lighting a candle hanging on the wall that seemed familiar.
“You could say it was a hiding place for plotting a rebellion.”
"Ah..."
It seemed that this place was a hideout used by Carsis and his colleagues in the past.
Hearing those words, Bellona felt a strange sense of secrecy.
“A carriage will be here soon.”
“A carriage?”
“This is the carriage that was supposed to arrive just in time for the festival to end.”
“That went well.”
It seemed as if Carsis had already planned out his return route in his head.
'Then I guess I just have to wait a little bit?'
At that thought, Bellona unconsciously calmed her trembling body.
It was because her whole body, including her hair, got soaked due to the sudden rain shower.
It was while Bellona was standing in the corner, curled up to fight off the cold.
Carsis, who had been quietly staring at the sight, took off his robe and even began to take off the shirt he was wearing underneath.
“Hey, what are you doing right now...!”
Bellona's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the man's bare chest revealed without warning.
However.
“It’s so pretty. I’m so grateful for this. How come... Huh? Where did you go?”
The old man who was clearly in front of her disappeared in an instant.
‘Did I get swept away by the crowd...’
It was at that moment that she looked around, wondering if she had been swept away by people again.
“Who are you looking for?”
When she returned, Carsis was standing behind her.
“Oh, that’s what that old man just said...”
Finally, as if everything was going well, Bellona opened her mouth to tell Karsis what had just happened...
Suddenly, a clump of black fur appeared in front of her eyes.
“This is...”
It was a teddy bear.
A teddy bear with shiny black fur.
“I thought you might like something like this.”
“...”
It's been a while since she had my coming-of-age ceremony, and she got a teddy bear.
This guy. It was clear that he was treating her like a child.
Bellona, who had completely forgotten about the old man's existence, raised her head at the unexpected appearance of the teddy bear.
“It’s not that I hate it, but...”
In fact, she actually liked it.
She's just trying to act calm to save face in front of the Emperor.
It was at that time that Bellona was hesitating, wondering what attitude to show.
“Hey! We’re going to be floating lanterns down the river soon!”
Bellona's body stopped at the word 'floating lantern'.
'Floating lantern?'
Come to think of it, people have been flocking to one place for some time now.
'Was there originally an event where lanterns were flown at the summer festival?'
Bellona, who always looked forward to the capital's summer festival, had a good idea of what was going on.
But what about lanterns?
She tilted her head as if hearing it for the first time.
But seeing the crowd heading towards the river with excited voices, it didn't seem like a lie.
‘I want to see the lanterns too...’
In fact, as much as she wanted to participate in the capital city summer festival, the place she wanted to visit was the lantern festival held only in the Minolta region.
However, the Minolta region was so far from the territory that she had vaguely thought she should go there someday.
But the lantern festival that is said to only be held there is about to start here.
For her, who had always wanted to fly a sky lantern, these were very tempting words.
That's why Bellona was groaning as if she were worried about something.
Carsis said, sensing her mind.
“I heard that the Minolta region came to support this lantern festival. So I heard that it was similar to the atmosphere of the lantern festival that could only be felt in the Minolta region...”
“...”
“Do you want to go see it together?”
And Bellona's worries did not last long.
***
“Wow!”
Bellona's face, which had finally arrived at the riverbank, was filled with anticipation.
“Did you know that? If you make a wish while releasing a floating lantern, it will come true.”
Carsis, who had been fiddling with the lantern, responded indifferently to her words.
“Really? I heard that if lovers fly floating lanterns together, they will never be separated again.”
“Well. I, I heard that there was something like that too...”
Anyway, we're not even lovers, so why are you saying something like that?
Bellona, who felt embarrassed for no reason, coughed in vain.
But after hearing Carsis's words and looking around, she realized that there were a lot of people who actually looked like they were lovers.
‘Why did that guy say something like that...’
It was when she was internally grumbling at the man who was spouting useless words.
A thin whistle could be heard through the crowd.
Then, as if they had been waiting, everyone simultaneously let go of the lanterns they were holding.
So, in case she was late, Bellona also hurriedly sent out a lantern and made a wish.
'Please continue to make me happy like this.'
She considered herself lucky.
Because she was born into a happy family and lived a peaceful life under the protection of her parents without anything to envy.
Although she once felt burdened by having to take responsibility for the people as the head of a family, she was very happy now.
So she prayed that these peaceful days would continue.
If the reality you are living in now is a dream, I hope you never wake up.
Did she put her hands together and pray for a while?
Bellona's eyes slowly opened as she emptied her heart of wishes.
And then she quietly looked at the face of the man next to her.
'What did that man wish for?'
Bellona suddenly wondered what the wish of the man who succeeded in rebellion and sat in the highest position in the empire was.
Was it because she was intoxicated by the exciting atmosphere of the festival? Or was it because of the time they spent together today that she unconsciously became comfortable?
Bellona opened her lips quietly, as if she had forgotten that the man next to her was the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, what did you wish for? I just wish for peace and happiness, just like now...”
Then the man's eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened.
The man's red eyes somehow resembled the light of a lantern, and Bellona found herself staring blankly into his eyes.
“I think it might be a little dangerous to call it that.”
“Huh? Ah...”
How dare I call him Your Majesty in such a crowded place? Bellona, who understood the man's meaning, quickly shut her mouth.
“Then what did you say...”
“Carsis.”
“...”
“You called me by my name that day, too.”
Carsis.
She slowly repeated his name to herself before moving her lips away.
“...What did Lord Carsis say?”
“It's a secret.”
“...”
“Wishes are meant to be fulfilled only when kept to oneself.”
He playfully arched the corners of his eyes, as if he had never intended to say anything in the first place.
Then why didn't you just say you weren't going to tell me from the beginning?
When Bellona, who had already told Carsis about her wish, opened her mouth to vent her grievance,
Thump, thump.
Suddenly, raindrops began to fall one by one from the cloudless sky.
“Huh? It’s raining...”
Then she spread her palms over her head and looked up at the falling sky.
But suddenly, the thin rain began to fall heavily, accompanied by the sound of thunder.
It was a shower.
The lanterns that were flying in the sudden downpour lost their strength and began to fall.
“The lanterns...”
Bellona, who was watching the lantern she had sent flying with great interest, fell to the ground, muttered in a vain voice.
Others also lamented the festival being ruined by the rain.
But that was only for a moment, as the rain grew stronger and the people who had been huddled together began to disperse.
It was at that moment that Bellona, who had just come to her senses, looked around to find a place to take shelter from the rain.
A warm feeling enveloped her hands.
It was Carsis's hand.
“Unfortunately, the lanterns will be later.”
And then, all of a sudden, Carsis grabbed her hand and started running somewhere.
***
The place Carsis took her was an empty warehouse not far from where the lanterns were launched.
Bellona, who had been exhaling from the sudden rush, looked around with curious eyes.
How on earth did you know about this place?
The warehouse, with its messy piles of stuff in the corner, looked like it had been untouched for a long time.
“Here...”
He answered, lighting a candle hanging on the wall that seemed familiar.
“You could say it was a hiding place for plotting a rebellion.”
"Ah..."
It seemed that this place was a hideout used by Carsis and his colleagues in the past.
Hearing those words, Bellona felt a strange sense of secrecy.
“A carriage will be here soon.”
“A carriage?”
“This is the carriage that was supposed to arrive just in time for the festival to end.”
“That went well.”
It seemed as if Carsis had already planned out his return route in his head.
'Then I guess I just have to wait a little bit?'
At that thought, Bellona unconsciously calmed her trembling body.
It was because her whole body, including her hair, got soaked due to the sudden rain shower.
It was while Bellona was standing in the corner, curled up to fight off the cold.
Carsis, who had been quietly staring at the sight, took off his robe and even began to take off the shirt he was wearing underneath.
“Hey, what are you doing right now...!”
Bellona's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the man's bare chest revealed without warning.
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