Chapter 70
Reina said with a reluctant tone.
“……Isn’t it normal not to say such things out loud?”
“Is that so?”
Michael made a face as if it didn’t matter at all.
An unpredictable person.
Reina felt the need to look into Michael.
Especially since he seemed to subtly hope for her to find Jeffrey.
“What’s the reason you’re helping me?”
At Reina’s question, Michael gave a faint smile.
“I’ve become curious. About how far you can go, Miss Reina.”
“…….”
“Please take care of yourself.”
With those words, Michael escorted her and then returned to his quarters.
Throughout the way back, no conversation passed between the two.
The next day, unlike when he came, Michael used a portal to return straight to the capital.
Chapter 7. Holy Nation
After the delegation left, Reina and Kaiden headed to the Holy Nation.
It was timely since the Holy Day was not far off, providing a suitable pretext.
On Holy Day, couples wishing for children visited the Holy Nation to seek blessings.
Since Reina and Kaiden were newlyweds, their reason for visiting the Holy Nation seemed plausible.
They already knew through a secret letter that the Emperor desired a child between the two, so there was nothing to hold back.
Rather, the Emperor would welcome such initiative.
“It’s amazing. The weather became so mild as soon as we arrived in the Holy Nation.”
Reina, having unpacked at the hotel, looked out the window and exclaimed in admiration.
It was hard to believe it was weather adjacent to the north.
“That’s because it’s the land of blessings. The Holy Nation is a land protected by the gods.”
Kaiden naturally approached Reina’s side.
Then, he leaned close to her ear and whispered.
“I’ve already contacted the Papal Office. They replied that they’ll inform us of the date and place soon.”
At the low voice, Reina shrugged her shoulders. The secretly whispering voice sounded very sweet.
Moreover, every time he spoke, his lips brushed against her earlobe.
The sensation felt strangely unfamiliar, so Reina pretended to touch her ear to create some distance.
“Then we can just wait here.”
“You came all this way and plan to just stay in the lodging?”
Kaiden let out a grumpy voice and then closed the distance even more.
“Kaiden?”
“There’s a parade on Holy Day. Don’t you want to see it?”
At the coaxing words, Reina flinched. She wondered if it was right to enjoy the festival in a situation where she came to find her brother’s whereabouts.
“I’ll just stay here…….”
It was when Reina was about to refuse with a sullen face.
He grabbed her hand firmly and said.
“I get strength from seeing you smile.”
“Huh?”
“But these past few days, you’ve had a gloomy face. I want to make you smile.”
He fiddled with her hand and said softly.
“So for now, don’t think about anything and come out with me, Reina.”
Only then did Reina realize she had been overly depressed.
She hadn’t meant to make him wary of her.
When Reina couldn’t readily answer, Kaiden, taking it as refusal, added.
“Of course, if you really don’t want to, I won’t force you. What do you want to do?”
He waited for Reina’s answer with affectionate eyes.
His desire to lift her mood felt somehow grateful.
It was probably since the last conversation with Michael.
That Reina had particularly lost her smile.
Her feelings were complicated, and her mind wasn’t well organized.
Reina accepted with a much lighter expression.
“Okay. Let’s go out and play, us.”
At her permission, he grinned widely. Upon hearing the answer he’d been waiting for, he visibly brightened.
Seeing his bright smile, Reina also smiled in turn.
He wiggled the held hand and said.
“Actually, I feel good when Kaiden smiles too.”
“Then I should smile often.”
He replied playfully and interlaced their fingers.
Perhaps because they acted as a close couple in front of Michael.
Holding hands wherever they went had become a natural behavior.
Reina stared blankly at their joined hands.
As her heart started beating faster than usual, she tried to steady her breath.
And like being drawn by a magnet, she moved to where he led.
The Holy Nation was bustling with the festival.
As it was Holy Day, the streets were lined with stalls selling items inscribed with priests’ blessings.
While Reina was distracted by the curious items, Kaiden only watched her.
Perhaps because they came to the lively street, Reina seemed to have regained some energy.
Such a scene must be very new to her, who had only stayed in the palace.
At that moment, a worker carrying a stack of items was coming this way from afar.
Kaiden, noticing this, lightly pulled her toward him.
“Oops.”
Reina, who bumped her head into his chest, peeked out in surprise.
Then, seeing the worker pass by, Reina’s face turned bright red.
She felt embarrassed for getting excited like a child without watching ahead.
“You have to be careful.”
“Th-thank you.”
“You were so excited like this but resisted coming?”
Kaiden teased lightly and pulled her even closer to him.
“There are a lot of people.”
“We’re already holding hands…….”
“You almost got crushed by that stack just now.”
Kaiden replied exaggeratedly and pulled Reina even closer.
It was obviously an excuse to anyone watching, but Reina had no immunity to such things.
‘Was I too clumsy? I don’t want to annoy him.’
Thinking he found her bothersome, Reina stuck close with a tense face.
“Is this close enough?”
At her cautious question that followed, Kaiden bit his lower lip hard.
The eyes looking up at him had no other intentions unlike his.
Even that was so cute that he almost blurted out his inner thoughts.
“……Yeah. Like that.”
Kaiden replied slowly in a hoarse voice.
After that, the two walked the streets attached like one body.
The items sold in the Holy Nation’s market were mostly auspicious ones.
Among them, the most eye-catching were the colorful pouches.
Inside the pouches were blessing scrolls containing priests’ blessings.
The higher the priest’s blessing, the more expensive it was.
Health, money, love, marriage, childbirth, etc. There were various pouches wishing for blessings, making them interesting to look at.
“Wow, look at this. Do you think it really works?”
When Reina showed interest in the pouches, Kaiden said casually.
“Well. Most of the ones sold here are fake.”
“Huh?”
Surprised, Reina examined the pouches using Ritzi’s power.
As he said, no divine power was felt at all.
They were really just named blessings, but contained no real blessings.
“You’re right. They’re just ordinary pouches.”
When Reina made a sullen expression, Kaiden flinched.
He realized belatedly that he had carelessly spoken and ruined the mood.
He scratched his cheek and asked.
“Do you want one?”
Reina shook her head. Knowing they were fake, her interest waned.
“What’s the point if they’re not real anyway.”
“They sell real ones in front of the temple.”
“Really?”
Reina widened her eyes and looked at him. As her light blue pupils sparkled again, Kaiden let out a laugh.
“Everyone comes on Holy Day to receive priests’ blessings.”
“I see.”
“So just look at the ones here with your eyes. We’re going to the Great Temple soon anyway.”
Inside the Great Temple was the Papal Office.
A place where entry was restricted unless permitted.
But on Holy Day, it was open to anyone with a reservation.
Normally, reservations would be fully booked and impossible to enter, but thanks to the entry pass from Arteon, they could
easily get permission.
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By Anna 💓
