Chapter 11
“—Waaah... huh...?”
The child’s cries began to fade as they noticed someone had come up in front of them.
As if trying to figure out who I was, the child lifted their tear-streaked face...
“—...”
“A-are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
Seeing me with my eyes firmly hidden behind a white lace handkerchief folded into a rectangle,
“You’re a weird person!!!”
Their honest opinion rang out.
“W-whaaat!? I-I’m not some suspicious person, I just... I was worried about you...”
“You’re scary!!!”
With that, the child sprang to their feet and ran off at incredible speed. They seemed to have a well-developed sense of self-preservation.
“……”
Well, reality is harsh. (For the second time today.)
Feeling a little sad, I refolded the handkerchief and tucked it into my pocket. Then Julius-san tapped me on the shoulder from behind.
“Huh? Where did the Gira... those women go?”
“I sent them home.”
He said it with his usual gentle expression, but I couldn’t help wondering if he’d used some kind of authority...
Anyway, I was relieved that the situation had been resolved without incident.
“I’m glad the child you spoke to seems to be doing well.”
“I-I’m embarrassed you saw that...!!”
If I’d simply comforted the child normally, that would’ve been one thing. But I’d approached them looking weird, and they’d run away from me without hesitation. There was nothing but shame in it.
Julius-san’s large hand stroked my blushing head.
“While everyone else looked the other way, you were the only one who did something for that child. That was admirable.”
“...No, I... Normally, I wouldn’t have tried to get involved, either...”
Feeling strangely embarrassed, I gripped my skirt tightly.
“But I was happy when you comforted me, Julius-san... so I thought I’d try doing the same.”
“...Riko...”
“I... I didn’t think they’d get scared and run away...!”
“Heh, that kid doesn’t know a good person when they see one.”
I let my shoulders droop dramatically, and Julius-san laughed out loud.
“By the way, why were you covering your eyes with a handkerchief?”
“Oh... I have a scary look in my eyes, and it frightens children, so I thought I’d hide them...”
Hoping he’d laugh again, I added jokingly, “Though they ended up being scared anyway.” But Julius-san didn’t laugh. Instead, he gently took my chin and tilted my face up.
The rooftops, the sky, and Julius-san’s handsome face filled my vision.
“—That’s not true. Riko, you have lovely, sharp eyes.
...Ah, I thought your eyes were black, but looking closer, they’re brown. They look even more translucent and beautiful in the light.”
As Julius-san peered into my eyes, his hair slipped down and brushed my cheek...
“W-w-w-whaaaah!!!”
(He’s close! Way too close!!)
Panicking at how close he was, I leaned back sharply.
By the time I managed to whisper, “Ah,” it was already too late. I’d lost my balance and was about to fall backward onto the cobblestones...
“—Careful...”
...Before I hit the ground, a low, husky voice reached my ears, and I was surrounded by a woody scent.
Julius-san caught me securely in his arms, and his warmth stopped my breathing for just a moment.
“Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?”
“I-I-I’m fine...!”
My face turned bright red, and I answered in choppy, robotic words.
Seeing me like that, Julius-san chuckled softly. Then he slipped an arm around my waist and began walking slowly. He was close.
“Shall we head to the shop?”
“Y-yes...”
(I’m in the pet category... I’m in the pet category, so... so... calm down, heart!)
I desperately repeated that to myself, but I couldn’t focus at all while looking at the goods in the shop. My heart kept racing until Julius-san finished paying for everything.
(There’s a theory that the number of times your heart can beat in your life is fixed... If I’m with Julius-san, am I going to die young...?)
◇
“At the shop earlier, you were staring intently at an octopus pot. Are you sure you didn’t want to buy it?”
“An octopus pot.”
It seemed that while I was distracted by Julius-san’s charm, I’d absentmindedly stared at an octopus pot instead of paying attention to the merchandise.
I had absolutely no memory of it. And I’m not interested in octopuses or pots, either.
I made up an excuse that it had just caught my eye because it was unusual. Julius-san seemed satisfied and placed the paper bag of things he’d bought at the shop in my hands.
“What’s this...?”
“A good-luck charm.”
When I opened the bag, I found a simple necklace with a small stone on it.
The stone in the pendant was probably amber—a warm, translucent orange that looked yellowish when I held it up to the light.
“It’s beautiful...”
“You don’t wear the Ashford family’s jewelry very often, after all.”
I’d been turning down the accessories almost every day, saying that while the clothes couldn’t be helped, wearing such expensive-looking jewelry was far too much for me. Apparently, he’d noticed.
He took the necklace from me and fastened it around my neck. It glimmered discreetly near my collarbone.
“Will you accept this one?”
Julius-san tilted his head and looked up at me as he said it. He was being so shamelessly cute.
He must have realized that fancy jewelry meant for nobles would make me uncomfortable, so he’d deliberately bought it at a general goods store for commoners.
I was touched by his thoughtfulness, and it made me feel all warm and fluttery.
“...Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
I thanked him with an involuntarily soft, relaxed smile. Julius-san covered his mouth with one hand and murmured something, then narrowed his honey-colored eyes and said, “You’re welcome.”
“By the way, what do you mean by a good-luck charm?”
“Oh, to keep bugs away.”
“I see. They have convenient charms like that...”
“Yeah, something like that.”
And so my first stroll around the royal capital came to a peaceful end, without any trouble.
It was only later that I realized the necklace I’d been given was the same color as Julius-san’s eyes.