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Asil pretended not to notice him, stubbornly looking straight ahead before stealing a sideways glance.
Edenber was still looking at her.
He had not taken his eyes off her for a single moment throughout their conversation.
Asil unconsciously brushed her face.
She did so wondering if something was on her, but after confirming there was nothing, she asked, deliberately acting nonchalant.
“Why? Is there something on my face?”
“No, it’s just that the time spent looking elsewhere feels like a waste.”
“…….”
It seemed she was the only one feeling shy and embarrassed in this situation.
Feeling somewhat cranky, Asil glared fiercely at an innocent strawberry.
Then, thinking that this wasn’t like her, she grumbled for no reason.
“Still, try to look around the forest. This is your first time in this forest.”
“Even so, I took a walk around the quarters yesterday. Certainly, there were many things I’ve never seen in the Empire.”
“Right? That over there isn’t in the Empire either.”
Asil pointed to a cluster of white flowers in full bloom.
“It’s called a Star Tulip. When seen from above, the petals look like a star shape.”
“I see. I think I saw those flowers here and there around the quarters.”
“That’s because it’s a trend lately to use Star Tulips when something good happens. They’re used to decorate the venue for engagements, and woven into flower crowns for weddings—”
“Do you want to use Star Tulips too?”
“Eh?”
Asil flinched at the unexpected question.
Edenber smiled calmly.
“Because if you need them, I have to bring them to the Empire in advance.”
“……St-Star Tulips are sensitive to temperature, so they aren’t easy to grow in the Empire.”
“Still, if you need them, I must take them. I can fill all the places you will be with nothing but Star Tulips.”
Judging by the way he spoke, it seemed he truly intended to import Star Tulips in bulk.
No, they only look like wildflowers because this is inside the castle; they are rare flowers even in the forest…… I wonder if that’s possible…….
As she stood there with a dazed face, Edenber, interpreting the meaning of her expression differently, smiled bitterly.
“If you’ve had a change of heart, you don’t have to go through with the engagement.”
“N-no! I’m going to get engaged!”
She shouted in a hurry, but Edenber seemed half-doubting.
“I was just thinking that since there aren’t many Star Tulips to take to the Empire, importing them might be difficult!”
“I see.”
“It’s true!”
“I understand.”
However, he only said he understood and didn’t seem particularly convinced.
Since quite some time had passed since they promised to get engaged, an anxiety that her heart might have changed was settled on one side of his face.
Thinking about it, Edenber had indeed been expressing his feelings continuously since a while ago.
Saying she was pretty, or that time spent looking elsewhere was a waste.
But she had only been grumbling to hide her embarrassed feelings.
‘It shouldn’t be like this.’
Yes, it shouldn’t be like this.
Normally, she was a bold beastman no matter what she did.
Yet, in front of Edenber, she was becoming a timid beastman who couldn’t even say what she wanted to say.
Asil clenched both fists tight.
“Edenber, close your eyes.”
“Huh?”
Though puzzled, Edenber closed his eyes as he was told.
Asil let out a deep breath internally as she looked at him looking so defenseless.
‘I can do it.’
She had heard it from Briana once.
Back when she was still unmarried, at every decisive moment, she had grabbed Arcian by the collar—since he kept backing away instead of confessing—and kissed him, leading him straight to the wedding hall.
Though the situation was different from her mom and dad since Edenber had confessed first.
Still, if she grabbed him by the collar and kissed him like her mom did, wouldn’t her sincerity get through?……
“Can I open my eyes?”
“No!”
While she was worrying, Edenber was trying to open his eyes.
There wasn’t much time.
Anxious, Asil tried to grab Edenber’s collar. Then she hesitated, seeing the neatly tied cravat at his neck.
Edenber is currently disguised as Fear’s attendant; if I wrinkle this, won’t he get scolded by other humans?
“Asil?”
Edenber, who had his eyes closed, called out to Asil in bewilderment.
Eh, whatever. I just need to kiss him!
Asil reflexively pressed her lips against his cheek.
“……!”
Surprised by the unannounced contact, Edenber moved his body reflexively.
In the blink of an eye, her field of vision flipped.
When she regained her senses, Asil was lying on the ground, and Edenber was on top of her.
He had subdued her unconsciously due to his habits from the battlefield, but he stammered with a flushed face, not even realizing what his posture was like.
“W-what did you just do?”
Oho?
Asil, having discovered an unexpected side of him, raised and lowered her eyebrows with a mischievous expression.
Until now, she thought she was the only one embarrassed, but it seemed Edenber could get embarrassed too.
“A peck on the cheek.”
“…….”
“I kissed you like this, mwah.”
When she even used her hands to show him with exaggeration, Edenber’s face turned even redder.
The gazes of the two entwined in the air.
For some reason, her heart felt ticklish, but Asil stared at him stubbornly.
Edenber spoke in a whisper.
“You close your eyes too.”
“Why?”
“Hurry.”
She felt like she knew what he was going to do. It was because his gaze kept going toward her lips.
Both of Asil’s cheeks flushed. However, she closed her eyes, trying to act calm.
She felt the dazzling sunlight gradually diminish and the shadow cast over her entire body grow deeper.
In sync with that, the sound of Asil’s heartbeat quickened.
Thump, thump.
She swallowed hard at the thought that Edenber might hear her heartbeat.
Her hair fluttered in a hot breath.
It was the moment something warm and soft was about to touch her lips.
“Roaaaarrr!”
With a rough cry, someone pounced on Edenber.
The defenseless Edenber was sent flying just like that.
A startled Asil jumped up.
“Edenber?!”
The culprit was the lion beastman and Asil’s childhood friend, Leon.
Leon, who was firmly mistaken, stood with his back to Asil in his lion form and growled.
“What do you think you’re doing, human!”
“Leon, what on earth are you doing?”
Irritation soared at being interrupted at a crucial moment. Why on earth did he appear here?
Asil glared fiercely at Leon.
Flustered by that unexpected reaction, Leon stammered.
“Uh, uh?”
He looked at Asil once, then at Edenber, who was picking himself up a distance away.
Then, realizing belatedly that something was wrong, he tucked his tail.
“Weren’t you being attacked?”
“No.”
“Then……”
Just then, Edenber approached.
Leon instinctively glanced at him.
Gold hair and violet eyes. The sharp-looking atmosphere closely resembled the boast of ‘Edenber’ that Asil had been going around calling the human she liked once in a while.
“Edenber……?”
Leon muttered unknowingly.
Edenber seemed surprised that a beastman he was meeting for the first time knew his name, but soon nodded in acknowledgement.
Only then did Leon realize what Asil and Edenber had been doing, and his mouth fell open.
Then he suddenly grit his teeth and ran away, letting out a bizarre scream, ‘Roaaaaarrr!’
It was too fast to see clearly, but she thought she caught a glimpse of tears pooling in the corners of Leon’s eyes.
“Why is he crying?”
Asil, who didn’t know Leon’s feelings, muttered in bewilderment.
At this, Edenber was about to speak, when Leon ran back with a brave roar.
“Roaaaarrr!”
As if he had never cried, there wasn’t a trace of moisture around his eyes.
Standing with his back to Asil once more, Leon shouted at Edenber.
“I challenge you to a duel, human! Let’s fight fairly for the position of Asil’s first husband!”
“Don’t be mean to Edenber.”
Asil, thinking he was simply picking a fight as a joke just as he had always done to her, pointed it out.
“Edenber is a guest who came as part of the imperial delegation.”
“Even so, he’s going to perform the ‘Courtship Dance,’ isn’t he? I have to find out if he’s a human worthy of courting you.”
“He’s not going to perform the Courtship Dance, though?”
“Huh?”
This time, Leon looked bewildered.
It was an expression that said such a thing made no sense.
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