“……Where did you send the dining table? Don’t tell me it was to Avalanche.”
“I don’t have a hobby of feeding mountain monsters, unlike stray cats.”
“Do you take care of stray cats?”
“In fact, I’m too busy eating my own food.”
Lucullui interrupted the strange conversation that was going off-track, stepping in on behalf of his master.
“My apologies, madam. We had prepared a small meal among ourselves, but we forgot to clear it to the dining room. It seems the master helped us with it.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Even though you were the one who sent it away, you speak as if it was someone else’s affair.”
“Allow me to correct myself.”
As Annecy snapped his fingers, the table that had disappeared returned to the servants’ dining room. Now that it was the truth, Annecy spoke confidently.
“As Lucullui said.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Both Annecy and Lucullui’s actions clearly indicated a master-servant relationship.
Goyo was at a loss for words but also found it amusing. It seemed like there might be a spell of shamelessness cast over Annecy’s mansion, as she once thought.
Annecy pulled out a chair for Goyo, and she sat down, with Annecy taking the seat right beside her.
On Goyo’s first day, he only pretended to keep his manners, but Annecy always sat next to her, and now his wife found this more natural.
A sip of red wine. The steak’s tender flesh released its juices from deep within. As she placed the reddish piece in her mouth, Goyo realized Annecy was watching her.
“Is it to your liking?”
“Yes. Tuberang outdid himself today. It’s delicious.”
“Glad you find it so.”
Annecy echoed Goyo’s words and then narrowed his long, slender eyes. It didn’t seem like she said anything funny, so why was he laughing?
Annecy’s smile made Goyo suddenly suspicious of the meat she had swallowed, but the meat sliding down her throat was innocent.
With a little small talk here and there and sipping wine in between, by the end of the meal, Goyo’s cheeks were slightly flushed.
“Now then, the third… or rather the second choice again.”
“Of course, the meal was one of the choices.”
Annecy pretended not to hear Goyo’s comment and asked.
“Do you prefer the mansion’s hall or the imperial palace?”
“The locations are so absurd that I have to ask—what are you planning?”
What do you think? Even with a gentle smile, there was no sense of trust.
Seeing the clear intention of not answering, Goyo decided to choose a place where she could handle whatever might happen.
“The mansion’s hall.”
“As you command.”
Annecy bowed gracefully and extended his arm. His slightly exaggerated demeanor made him look like a stage actor.
As Goyo placed her hand on his arm, the long dining table that had been in front of her vanished, revealing a wide-open space. It was the central hall of the marquis’s mansion.
A soft golden light descended from the chandelier.
The ceiling was painted the color of the night sky, with clusters of silvery stars scattered across it. Among them, the constellation of Capricorn shone brightly.
The floor was covered with blue tiles that became lighter as they rose. The material was transparent like glass, giving the illusion of standing on water.
Scattered across the tiles were red petals that glowed softly, as if enchanted by a magical device.
The once lavish but ordinary central hall had transformed into an art space themed around the night sea, a change so surprising that Goyo blinked in astonishment.
At that moment, music began to play. Thinking it was a live band, Goyo looked around, but the sound was coming from a gem embedded in the center of the chandelier.
It’s a sound artifact.
Now that she noticed, this music…
“This is the piece I heard at the royal ball.”
“You remember. Yes, it was the moment when I first met my wife.”
“The first… yes.”
As Goyo’s words trailed off, Annecy approached her and invited her to dance.
One dance, please, madam.
“You should have come before dinner, rather.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I ate more than usual. My body feels heavy, so any vigorous movement is a bit…”
“It doesn’t have to be vigorous. It doesn’t have to be perfect either. I just want to dance with you. If you’re really uncomfortable… we don’t have to dance at all.”
Seeing Annecy begin to withdraw his hand, Goyo sighed softly and took his hand.
“A slow dance is fine. It might not match the music, though.”
“There’s no need to always conform to what’s been arranged. It’s an honor.”
Annecy’s arm wrapped around Goyo’s waist, bringing them closer together. Close enough for their breaths to intertwine.
Whether the artifact could adjust the playback speed, the music slowed to almost half its pace. As they moved in response, their steps became incredibly slow.
“This is the first time I’ve danced such a slow waltz.”
“It’s a wwaaaalllttzz. Do you like it?”
“What is that? You might as well have prepared a slow dance piece.”
“I wanted to use this one. Just like when we first met.”
As Annecy’s hand gently pushed Goyo away like a wave, their hands brushed apart only to come together again. The entire process was so slow that it lacked any sense of rhythm. The playfully slow movements were amusing, and despite dancing, both of them wore smiles the entire time.
“Why did you ask me to dance back then? Even though His Majesty said he would grant you any request.”
“Do you remember locking eyes with me just before you approached the throne where His Majesty was seated?”
“I wasn’t sure, but I think so.”
“Your expression was like a mask. You had no expression, and there was no light in your eyes—you looked like a living wax figure. So…”
I wanted to break that mask.
“You could say it was an impulse.”
“The dance as well?”
“Yes. Since there was nothing to gain from making an unreasonable request in front of everyone, I had nothing else to say. Looking back, it wasn’t a bad impulse.”
With a slow, spinning movement, the full skirt fluttered gently but didn’t completely spread out. As she tried to move lightly, Goyo stumbled on the gathered skirt, and Annecy quickly supported her, pulling her close. Goyo naturally placed her hand on Annecy’s shoulder as if she had meant to do so all along.
“Do you know, Annecy? There were a few whispers about you at that time.”
“Whispers… I have a feeling I don’t want to hear them.”
Ignoring Annecy’s words, Goyo brought up the gossip.
“It was about the words you said when you asked for the first dance at the ball.”
“Yes, I did say that.”
“They said they thought you were asking His Majesty for a dance.”
“…What?”
Finding his shocked expression endearing, Goyo laughed out loud. Given the rumors swirling behind the scenes, it wasn’t surprising that someone might interpret it that way.
As Annecy watched Goyo laugh, he let out a sigh mixed with laughter.
“I’ve only ever heard political rumors about myself, but from now on, I suppose I should start collecting all sorts.”
“That’s a good idea. Oh, by the way, what happened with that last rumor?”
“I’ve filed a lawsuit for now. And…”
Just before the climax of the dance, their bodies drew even closer. With no space between them, Goyo whispered, “And?”
Annecy, watching her lips move, leaned in and gave her a brief kiss.
“It doesn’t seem that important now.”
“…I expected you to do that this time.”
“My goodness. Was this a premeditated temptation?”
“What are you talking about? It’s just that your eyes change, Annecy.”
Just before playing his trick.
Annecy paused for a moment at her words, then responded in a slightly subdued voice.
“I see.”
“Oh, the dance has ended.”
The song, which had felt like it would last forever due to its slowness, ended sooner than expected. Goyo belatedly felt the warmth on her flushed face, perhaps from the heat of the dance.
“Isn’t it time you told me why you’re doing this?”
“Unfortunately, there’s still one choice left. The last one, though.”
“Do you prefer the rose garden or Her Majesty the Empress’s secret garden?”
“You’re really pushing the boundaries now. What if I say I prefer the secret garden?”
“You still underestimate my capabilities. I’m confident we can visit unnoticed.”
There should be limits to how one wastes their talents. Goyo’s husband might be the only one who would use magic for such trivial purposes.
Ignoring her reproachful gaze, Annecy proudly boasted of his capabilities.
“And if we’re caught, there’s no need to worry. I’ll just erase their memory.”
“You make it sound so easy. I’m curious. If you can erase memories, does that mean you can read them too?”
“Yes, it’s possible. But it’s not something I attempt often, since reading unnecessary memories can be overwhelming.”
“…It’s so like you to avoid mentioning it’s illegal.”
“And it’s so like you to avoid mentioning it’s immoral.”
They both laughed as they looked at each other.
“I prefer the rose garden.”
“That’s good to hear.”
With Annecy’s words, the scene changed once again.
The garden, which they frequented often, as Goyo had once mentioned wanting to become accustomed to its splendor, was one of the most familiar places in the mansion to her.
Unlike the hall, which had been transformed entirely, the garden appeared just as she had always seen it.
The table in the center of the garden, the scent of roses carried by the wind, and the cool breeze that felt refreshing, as if it were cleansing her soul.
Perhaps it was because of the wine she had earlier, but the familiar atmosphere made Goyo feel exhilarated.
Goyo sat opposite Annecy. Unlike the wine they had with dinner, there was now white wine on the table, and the translucent lime hue in the glass felt poetic.
The night deepened. Normally, they would share a single bottle of wine, but tonight, the glasses exchanged between them felt as numerous as on their wedding night.
With the pleasant weather and the tipsiness creeping up on her, Goyo’s cheeks flushed, and her mood lifted. But just as much, she also began to feel sleepy.
Then suddenly, Annecy glanced down at his wristwatch.
“It’s almost midnight.”
“Has it already gotten that late?”
“Yes, only 30 seconds left.”
“I see.”
As Goyo sipped the wine from her glass, a gentle breeze caused her eyelashes to flutter softly. In that moment, the three clock hands converged at the same point.
“It’s midnight.”
With those words, Annecy handed something to Goyo. Unlike the lavish events of the day, what he offered was a single white rose. It was simply wrapped in blue paper with a white ribbon loosely tied around it, yet the rose emitted a vivid, pleasant fragrance. Goyo accepted the rose with a puzzled expression.
“Annecy…?”
“Happy birthday, Goyo.”
Goyo let out a small gasp at Annecy’s words. Now that he mentioned it, today was her birthday.
She had never celebrated it in any grand manner, so it had slipped her mind. Realizing this, she suddenly understood why Annecy had been dragging her around, organizing all sorts of activities.
Annecy smiled gently at her surprised face.
“Today is the day you were born. It’s a good day.”
A wave of unnamed emotions welled up within her, making it hard for Goyo to speak for a moment.
Maybe I drank too much wine. Unsure of what expression to wear, Goyo first furrowed her brow as if about to cry, then lifted the corners of her mouth as if to smile, but in the end, she simply pressed her lips together.
Even then, the surge of emotion didn’t easily subside.
Annecy quietly watched her, patiently waiting for her emotions to settle.
The cool breeze carried the scent of roses, lingering sweetly in the air. After at least five minutes had passed, Goyo finally spoke in a restrained voice.
“…Thank you, Annecy.”
Even as she spoke, Goyo wasn’t entirely sure what she was feeling or why, but she knew one thing: she felt good.
“I’m hearing a lot of new things today.”
It’s just the wine. That’s why you’re hearing these new words.
“Do you want to choose too, Annecy?”
“What do you mean?”
“Would you like to kiss or be kissed?”
Seeing the astonished look on his face, Goyo laughed.
Right, it’s not Annecy who should be choosing—it’s me. Goyo cupped his surprised face in her hands and pressed her lips to his. Even though it was just a brief peck, not enough to be called a kiss, it carried all of Goyo’s feelings.
With the image of Annecy’s reddened face, the most flushed she had ever seen, Goyo’s eyelids grew heavy with fatigue and sleepiness.
As Annecy caught her gently collapsing body, his face contorted in confusion. He didn’t know how to explain the fluttering in his chest.
It’s affection. Just a little bit of affection.
Like that for a servant hired at the mansion, or a butler I’ve known for less than a year.
Just that much…
‘Do you also want to kiss Lucullui?’
Kolabe’s words echoed strangely in his mind, but Annecy pushed them away. However, the tightly shut eyes of Annecy Bethelgius betrayed the growing feelings that could no longer be ignored.
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