Chapter 45

“What are you here for? You don’t know that custom?”

“What custom?”

“If the groom comes within 100 steps of the bride in these three days, the groom will suffer because of the bride later.”

As I trembled at the end, he looked at me with his blue-violet eyes and laughed.

“You’ve become an Aktoum citizen.”

I spoke very seriously to him, who was lightly passing it on.

“It’s said you could die.”

“I won’t die.”

“You think death depends on your will…? No matter how much you don’t want to die, you can’t do as you please.”

“You speak as if you’ve died before, my Queen.”

“…….”

I stopped, shutting my mouth. Was it obvious that I had actually died?

Anyway, it was nice to meet him, but it reminded me of the myth and made me feel complicated.

‘What would you do if it truly happened?’

I had been an active believer in tarot cards and fortune-telling since a long time ago.

It was very awkward.

“…How did you know I was here?”

“I asked the maid, and she said you were going to the Imperial Library.”

“Is that why you waited here while wearing this invisible cloak?”

“Yes.”

It was kind of cute to imagine that.

Because it didn’t match at all.

“…Anyway, you shouldn’t be here, Rixus.”

I murmured with concern and fiddled with his invisibility cloak.

I knew there was such a thing, but I had no idea that Rixus could use it.

Rixus spoke with eyes that looked like he was about to laugh quietly.

“After all, you’re from Spinel, so you don’t have to follow the customs of Aktoum.”

“……”

He was just doing as he pleased…… Didn’t he actively take care of ‘the first night of the engagement’, which was a custom of Aktoum?

For some reason, the longer I thought about it, the more injustice I felt.

I felt sorry for him who waited for me here alone, but I purposely said,

“Anyway, I was just going to pick up a book and leave. I’m going to stay for a little while and go.”

It was a strange thing.

His eyes were normally cool and sharp, but sometimes when he looked at me like this…… It was so tender that it touched my heart.

“Where is it?”

His large hand caressed my cheek.

“I’ll look at you properly. Even for a moment.”

At that low whisper, I looked straight up at him and showed my face.

And in that moment I realized.

…Ah, that was why there was such a custom.

It was not a long time, and it was not that I couldn’t see him at all as I would be able to see from 100 steps away… 

Still, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see him this close for the next few days, I felt that this moment was so precious and delicate.

“I can’t see anything because it’ll be a waste.”

Embarrassed by his words, I turned my head slightly.

Then Rixus brought his handsome face in front of my eyes and looked at me with a smile.

It felt like my face was getting redder.

Liar. He said it was a waste.

“But why didn’t you tell me?”

“What, Candy.”

“We shouldn’t see each other for three days. You didn’t tell me, so the maid told me… What if I went to see you?”

If other people saw that I approached first, wouldn’t it be possible for them to gossip about our ruined marriage luck?

He should have told me in advance.

However, the answer from Rixus was quite surprising.

“You never came to see me. Not even once.”

It was a fact that even I didn’t know, so I was shocked inside.

“If you had come to me first…”

His fingers touched my cheek, and gently smoothened my skin.

“I would never block that step.”

It sounded kind of sad. My heart tickled, so I suppressed that feeling right away.

“…It’s said that if we meet, we’ll be distressed in the future.”

“I don’t care.”

His low tone fell softly in my ear like cream.

“Because you’re not the one in pain.”

Rixus kept smiling softly.

While my heart kept pounding.

I pretended not to know anything about his heart, yet I wanted to believe it as it was.

Rixus, who came to see me for a mere moment, saying that he could bear the suffering.

He, who had been waiting for me since his childhood.

It was really hard to push.

In the meantime, a strange and fuzzy atmosphere spread in the air that surrounded us.

Rixus’s gaze reached my lips before I knew it.

His lips didn’t even touch, but my heart was tingling.

I was worried about the fact that I had opened my lips without realizing it, and I couldn’t even look into the purplish-blue eyes of Rixus, who was staring at me casually.

‘Is it okay?’

‘It should be fine…? It’s not the first time we’ve kissed each other anyway.’

And I felt sorry to push him away here.

‘Let’s be a little more honest.’

I didn’t want to push him away.

Slowly, I lowered my eyelids, feeling Rixus getting closer.

“Then why were you angry?”

“!”

I widened my eyes. Wasn’t it a kissing atmosphere…?

…I guess it wasn’t?

I coughed a little and dropped my hand.

“Yesterday when I asked about lunch.”

“…Oh, that.”

He must have wondered why I was angry.

He didn’t miss out even on my little reaction.

“If such a dangerous and evil being appeared, I would have to kill it… Whoever it is.”

I hesitated to answer, remembering the reason that I couldn’t quite explain to him.

“That…”

Just then, a familiar voice came in like an arrow from afar.

“Your Majesty, you have visited the Imperial Library again.”

“?!”

Rixus’ and my eyes met for a moment, both bewildered eyes.

I finished judging the situation in 0.1 seconds and tightly covered him again with the invisibility cloak.

Then, like lightning, I pulled out a random book and pretended to read it.

The imperial librarian, who had arrived narrowly, saw me alone and smiled kindly.

“You love reading so much, I can imagine the depth of Your Majesty’s wisdom.”

“Of course.”

I acknowledged it with my usual cold and cool expression.

It was a little embarrassing, but I thought it was an opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding last time.

So, I proudly held up the book and explained it.

“I have always thought that in order to engage in diplomacy, one must first know the country.”

“You are right, Your Majesty.”

“So I am very interested in foreign cultures.”

The gray-haired old man smiled.

I wasn’t the type to explain my brilliance to others, but this time I had to do it a bit.

“I often read books like this in order to become a good monarch.”

With my eyelids lowered, I flipped through the book.

Then I was startled.

‘…What book is this?’

‘Isn’t it too naughty?!’

Phut! I closed the cover with a sound.

“It’s a misunderstanding. This is…”

It was then. I felt something heavy and muscular pressing down on my body.

Thanks to this, I was pushed to the bookshelf and ended up holding the Kamasutra book with both arms, tightly embracing it.

It was Rixus’ work.

“Shall I bring the book to Your Majesty’s bedroom…?”

“No. This was taken out by mistake.”

It was a misunderstanding! It was a misunderstanding!

I looked at the librarian with a flushed face.

I felt a vibration from the body of Rixus, who was pressing onto me.

He was smiling.

‘Don’t leave me alone, Rixus.’

I bit my lips tightly.

The imperial librarian smiled kindly with an expression of ‘You have a very consistent taste in reading, Your Majesty.’

His very kind laugh made me even more embarrassed.

“The fact that the Crown Prince and Your Majesty are getting along with each other is something we should rejoice in as your people.”

“…….”

The imperial librarian leaned over and whispered kindly to me.

“I won’t tell anyone, Your Majesty.”

Then he left with a happy smile.

I stared blankly at the place where he disappeared from.

“Pfft.”

Then, there was a sound of laughter in the air.

It was Rixus’ voice.

“……”

I bit the part of his body that was still holding me down, what I thought to be the collarbone.

At that moment, Rixus was startled and took off his invisibility cloak.

I said, staring at his handsome face.

“You ruined it! What will my image be now!”

He responded with a calm smile.

“How about it? Maybe once in a while.”

“…….”

He was actually checking on me.…? However, I would never confess that I got caught looking for something similar last time.

With a blushing face, I slammed the book back into the shelf lightning-quick, blaming him.

“Is it fun? I was in trouble because of you, such bad taste.”

But it was then. His expression changed strangely, and a smile spread.

Those cool eyes were as warm as the spring sun.

I could tell just by looking at him.

It was the expression a man would make when he was in love. He mumbled, as if talking to himself.

“Why are you so cute?”

I should rant about ‘what was so cute’, and ‘such nonsensical remarks.’ Or I should kick him away and leave.

But I stood there as if somehow tied up.

My heart tickled. The spot where his eyes touched was stinging.

“…I’m going to get going, you should leave secretly later too.”

As I was about to take a step, his arms wrapped loosely around my waist.

Thud–

At his pushing motion, my back touched the bookshelf and it rumbled heavily.

Still, my back didn’t hurt. Because he covered me with his big hands and protected me from pain.

The places where he touched were tingling. Rixus said with deepened eyes.

“You have to finish what you were doing.”

……What did I do?

“What?”

He smiled and whispered at my question.

“Kiss.”

Ame: Amidst all the customs and traditions and whatnot, I’m just waiting for the shit to hit the fan :snickers: