Every finely dressed person bowed all in unison with respect towards the king.

The king didn’t make eye contact with anyone and slowly walked forward. There was not one item to block the way from the entrance to his throne. His noble footsteps made their way. Etutu may not have been a person, but the sound of his master’s footsteps was faint. His walk was not slow and so he arrived at his throne quickly. Then the king sat in his seat casually. Only then did the king receive his subjects’ greeting.

Even in these small actions, they could all sense the kind of king he was. When this thought suddenly formed in her mind, Ashite smiled faintly.

The king announced the opening of the banquet with a calm voice. It was a comparatively shorter speech than previous ones.

“Enjoy the banquet I have set before you in celebration of Monvixo.”

He immediately proposed a toast. A servant handed the king a glass. Again, as if everyone had agreed upon it, they all lifted their glass. Ashite lifted the glass that was in front of her, too. A chambermaid who was nearby immediately poured her some wine. When the king casually waved his hand, the orchestra switched the song that they were playing to something softer and slower.

After taking a sip of the slightly bitter wine, Ashite swallowed it slowly. According to Lucia, the moment the king ended his speech, they would move onto the gift-giving event. Until then, it was courtesy to stay in one’s seat, and after that, they could dance, talk, and drink freely amongst themselves. Remembering her words, Ashite followed the path of the wall and stepped toward the platform. There was no particular reason for her to do so other than to have a glance at the gifts.

Ashite stared at the red cloak. From the edge of the crowd, they all stood up holding gifts and presented them humbly to the king. Among the many presents lying on top the thick carpet, the first present the king picked up was something gold engraved with a design. It was hard to see because he was so far away. Wanting to see what it was, Ashite stepped closer.

“Duke Moncheta.”

The Duke stepped toward the foot of the platform. He stopped in his place as the king looked down at him. Then he bowed.

“Your Highness. I have brought this from Longan.”

Lu Havre received his greeting lightly. Then he unwrapped the gift.

“Oh!” Ashite exclaimed. She was surprised by her outburst but truthfully, there was no reason for her to hide her surprise; there were fewer people who were not surprised by the Duke’s gift than those who were.

It was impossible to describe the color of the object. All the gems which glittered from swallowed sunlight could not compare to this one. Opal. Even amongst Pretoria, it was the most prized treasure. It attracted the attention of everyone at once. Based on its intricate design, the opal must have been brought in from across the seas and created by JoJang with the request from Bergamo. No one could even imagine how much such an item would cost. Similar presents continued to be presented. All the other nobilities knew that this country’s king was not lacking in anything and so, the gifts they had decided to bring were not for function but were anything expensive, rare, historically significant, or gems worthy of a king. There were specially made sculptures, Uratorium luxury items, and decor for the palace. There was also clothing fit for a king. When his servant opened the gifts up, elegant silks shimmered. With a polite smile, the king received the greeting of each of his subjects genuinely. The spacious platform continued to be stacked with gifts.

Ashite had never seen so many gems and luxurious decorative pieces in one spot before. She was just barely able to keep in the sigh that was on the edge of escaping her mouth. Had she said that she had become so accustomed to expensive and luxurious things that it didn’t faze her? But this was far beyond what she had ever witnessed before. It was surreal. She wished she had prepared a more luxurious gift.

“Wow.”

“It is a Charlotte.”

She had heard that word before, but where had she heard it? Ashite searched her memory for it. The king lifted it up. He opened it. It was a handkerchief. The Charlotte was made by only a few select craftsmen and only a couple of such rare pieces were made each year. It was a sought after item made from the best materials which prided itself on its high price tag and recognition.

Oh, no. Ashite swallowed. Even though a handkerchief was a common and simple item, it was difficult to pinpoint the price of it and she had thought it was something she could give the king without much thought. She had thought it was possible that the Uratorium handkerchief could be among one of the presents, but it looks like someone actually did bring it.

Ashite lifted her glass. Only a few drops were left. <> Practically unconscious of it, Ashite pressed down on her cheeks. They were a bit hot. She wanted to get some air. Ashite removed her gaze from the platform. When would the gift presenting ceremony end? She wanted to hurry up and leave. Even though she thought that she shouldn’t be thinking that, like a small child, she couldn’t help it.

But she had to stay in her seat. She swallowed her sigh again. Ashite examined the dining table with a slightly ill expression. There was wine there. It was new. She poured a glass. Then she drank several glasses. She drank it slowly, savoring its taste.

It was not a small amount. The gift presenting ceremony ended as Ashite finished a whole bottle of wine by herself. The king probably didn’t examine each gift he received in detail.

It was a bit chaotic. Ashite put down her glass on the table and went out to a nearby balcony. She closed the door and opened the curtains. To clear her mind, this bit of cold air was perfect.

Ashite leaned on the balustrade with a relaxed mood. The darkening dusk rose up with the wind. Ashite slowly breathed in the night air. It was refreshing. Then she calmly exhaled. It was a sigh that swept in a sweet scent.

Who had decided to not worry about what other people thought? Who had lived like that? She couldn’t help laughing. It was not a hearty laugh, but one that looked to fade all too soon.

<> It was something she had decided to do after succumbing to her greed. But after comparing her gift to those she saw, she lost the little confidence she had been able to muster. She couldn’t even be sure that he would politely smile at her humble gesture to amuse her. No, even wanting such a thing was greed. Her thoughts bounced about like the light of a lighthouse which blinked on and off in the darkness.

Ashite stood up straight. Someone was knocking at the door. She knew who was knocking. The rhythmic speed, the feeling it invoked within her, the proper sound.

Starting from some time ago, every time she was locked away, there was someone who came knocking, as if he had always been doing it.

That exact person.

<>

<>

“Ashite.”

<>

“Ashite?”

<>

Ashite headed toward the door to the balcony as if entranced by the knocking. In the cool night breeze, her hair fluttered lightly behind her. Ashite slowly pushed back the curtains.

The very first thing that Ashite saw was his red eyes. More striking than the banquet decorations or the luxurious light of the chandelier was his face. It was turned away from the light and so his dark face looked shadowed.

Ashite’s lips twitched. The best thing to say now was to invite him in. It was when she was about to do this.

Lu Havre had already planned to go to Ashite once the gift presenting ceremony — the time he was forced to keep his seat — had passed. There was no grand reason behind it. He had just thought that he had wanted to do that. Even as he sat at his throne, looking for her was definitely an easy thing for him.

Among the many people standing under the balustrade, she was a woman who could not lose her shining aura. She was like a blooming purple petaled flower. The dress she was wearing caught the light and the ivory color shimmered softly. Even within the ivory dress, he could see the silhouette of her delicate frame and her ceramic-like skin. And so, he could find her that much more easily.

He had thought that she was drinking a lot of wine. He had seen the end of her dress disappear through the balcony doorway and so Lu Havre had followed her down to the balustrade. He walked slowly and calmly, unlike his quickening heartbeat.

Was there perhaps something wrong? But there was nothing that came to mind. There were not a lot of people that had spoken to her, and Yeref had been next to her so no one could speak to her without permission. Then, if there was nothing wrong, why did he come here to this balcony right after the gift presenting ceremony, as if he couldn’t stand staying there another extra minute?

There was no time to logically think about the situation. Lu Havre stood right in front of the door that lead into the balcony she had walked in to. Then he knocked. He had called her name twice when she pushed back the curtains. Lu Havre waited then waited some more. Finally, he saw the smiling face of the lovely woman.

She did not look well when he saw her through the clear window, so he didn’t wait any longer.

Lu Havre opened the door. After he closed the door, closed the curtains, then turned back around, Ashite was already a few steps away from him and standing near the balustrade.

“Ashite.”

“Yes. Your Highness.”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No.”

That habit of denying. He couldn’t know for certain what was the problem, but he could sense the times when Ashite was feeling anxious or in a bad mood. Lu Havre took a step forward. His stride was long so the distance between them shrank dramatically. To examine her face in detail, he leaned down to see her.

The sweet and bitter scent came sweeping in. Lu Havre blinked his eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was the scent of flowers coming from her long hair, her natural scent, or the scent of the wine he had just drunk. He only knew that, for just a second, he felt a spark.

“…I only came out to get some fresh air, Your Majesty.”

Their faces were very close. The man was not the only one who was nervous. Ashite spoke calmly in comparison. She took another step back so that he couldn’t hear her beating heart. Then, as if proving that what she was saying was the truth, she leaned on the balustrade. The wind was cold but her cheeks were hot and her mind was hazy.

“Hmm,” Lu Havre mumbled under his breath.

“I see.”

Slightly bending down, the man spoke to her with a strange smile on his face. His head was tilted a bit to the side as he spoke slowly. In the dim light, the deep, gentle voice filtered through her purple hair and made Ashite’s heart skip a beat. The passionate electricity trickled down from her head and spread throughout her body.

Ashite blinked several times. <>

But Ashite suddenly realized one very important thing.

“Oh.”

“Hmm?” Lu Havre took one step forward to come closer. Ashite gulped reflexively. But she had nothing to say. It was a bit late, but it needed to be said.

“Your Majesty. I wish you a very happy birthday.”

Ashite opened her mouth as she stared adamantly at Lu Havre. His golden eyes sparkled. Her red cheeks blushed even more. His pink lips twitched. As if nervous, they were pursed together. Even so, she continued to smile more and more brightly.

Lu Havre didn’t say anything, but it was only words that he didn’t say.

When he realized what was happening, he was already kissing Ashite while hugging her frail shoulder. He was sweeping his fingers through her hair which was sprinkled with flower petals. It was a soft kiss like that of a night breeze. Time seemed to pass slowly. The spark from the scent he had smelled earlier became stronger.

After embracing the woman’s scent to his heart’s desire, Lu Havre slowly removed his lips. He whispered to Ashite, who still had her eyes closed. “Thank you. I’m happy.” Of all the emotions that he felt at the moment, he chose to say the ones he felt most strongly.

“Ashite.”

After repeating her name two more times, Lu Havre took a step back.

Then he stood right in front of her and leaned back on to the balustrade. Lu Havre stared at the side of Ashite’s face. That red face. The faintly fluttering lashes, red lips, her white moonlight-like neck, soft shoulders. Lu Havre’s feelings grew wilder.