Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Meanwhile, in the dark, something was observing the scene… silently and out of sight.

Under the moonlight, a bird with silvery feathers looked on, eyes twinkling like diamonds.

[Phew, that was a close call.] Ash flew away from his hiding place.

Nishir and Ashuna frequently checked to see if anyone was eavesdropping, flinching whenever they heard a sound. Unfortunately for them, their observer was determined to remain hidden.

[But they’re still nervous…]

Meanwhile, in the dark, something was observing the scene… silently and out of sight.

He couldn’t just relax, watching those troublemakers. Whenever they were disciplined and sent to reflect, a new incident occurred not long after.

But the reason Ash was looking at them, who used to be the scoundrels of heaven—no, elite paladins—was to see how Olivia’s ability was affecting them too.

What he had done to Ashuna that morning was a calculated move to check the extent of the power of Epure’s restoration.

In addition, how quickly were the spinning cogwheels aligning? There were forces setting things into motion behind the scenes.

Ash gazed at the sky, at the large, luminous moon.

[Time is already…]

It started the day Olivia escaped from the viscount’s mansion and arrived at the Kravant estate, and now the moon was growing rounder by the night.

[It’s going to start soon.]

The break Ash promised Olivia was about to come to an end.

The fourth day of our honeymoon dawned. The sky was a clear blue and the sun bright, sea waves sparkling from outside the carriage window.

And across me was a man who popped out of a painting, looking unrealistically beautiful in the excellent lighting.

I glanced at Lennox and he met my eyes.

“…!”

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“M-me?” I stumbled through my answer.

His jewel-toned eyes warmed gently. “Is it because I caught you trying to peek?”

“No…!”

“Don’t lie.”

“Well, it’s not like that!”

Lennox, clearly unconvinced, smiled a little wider. “You can stare at me as much as you want. I’m your husband, after all.” The slightest flash of teeth appeared from between his lips.

I looked away, feeling my cheeks and earlobes burn.

At that moment, Ash flew onto my lap. [Olivia, don’t be so easily reeled in. You have to play hard to get.]

Again, it’s not like that.

[What do you mean, it’s not? Lennox has you wrapped around his finger.]

Just because you’re little doesn’t mean I won’t defend myself.

I flicked his forehead lightly.

[I’m being serious! You have to start now so you don’t have an even harder time later.]

I have it all under control.

I shook my head in disbelief that I was being coached by a bird.

Fortunately, the conversation ended there thanks to our arrival at the crowded main street. It was hectic and noisy, but that energy and the uniquely cheerful atmosphere were exciting.

We were dressed in casual clothes to hide our identities and wander the streets.

“It’s like I’m at a festival.”

“Especially at this time of the year, this tourist attraction becomes busiest.”

Just walking down the street felt refreshing, made even better by the warmth of spring. I skipped lightly, caught up in the bustling crowd.

At the center of the square, a fountain danced. The stream of water was not as large as the one at the palace, but it was pleasant and beautiful.

“Shall we take a break?” He sat on a bench with a good view of the rest of the surroundings.

Thanks to the beautiful trees around us, the area had sufficient natural shade.

I went to a nearby cart and bought two glasses of apple juice from a boy selling snacks. I held one out to Lennox. “Here you go. The highlight of traveling is always street food.”

He accepted it with a small frown, asking very seriously, “Can I drink this?”

“Are you worried you might get poisoned?”

“Poison is fine, but… how sanitary is this?”

’Hey, normally poison is the bigger problem.’

Lennox put the cup to his mouth wordlessly as I stared at him in amusement. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. His eyebrows shot up slightly.

“See? It’s nice when you drink it, right?”

“It’s not bad.”

That was a pretty generous assessment for one such as him.

I watched him sipping apple juice with delight.

[That was a good call. Do stuff like that from now on,] Ash’s voice crept into my head. [Men have to be tamed right from the beginning.]

You’re talking about that again?

[Remember what I’m saying. You always have to be the boss in a relationship.]

Oh, so you don’t want to drink juice, do you?

Ash’s beak closed with a hum, his head moving from one side to another.

Finally, there was peace.

’This is happiness.’

Sitting side by side, the three of us drinking apple juice, I savored the relaxing moment.

When the cup was nearly finished, Ash spoke again, [What are they doing over there?]

I turned my head to look, seeing a moving throng.

They must be performing something.

Upon a closer look, there was a tent and a table, and then a large box wrapped in cloth.

“Wow! It’s a puppet show!” The children were the first to recognize what it was when the cloth was pulled off.

Parents who failed to distract their children settled down near the tent one after another.

“Lennox, let’s go look!” I grabbed him by the hand.

As if his fingers had been waiting for it, his hand interlocked with mine easily.

We went and stood right behind the people sitting on the ground for a good view.

[It would have been hard to watch if we were a little farther,] Ash chirped from my shoulder.

The area was packed with people, but there was a pocket of space right where we were, seemingly because Lennox was exuding aloof hostility.

As the crowd had gathered quickly, the host appeared shortly.

“Thank you for your patience. Our show starts now!” He took off his hat, bowed, and disappeared, after which the narration immediately followed.

“Once upon a time, there lived a lovely little rabbit in a peaceful village.”

Everyone was enthralled immediately.

“She was called Snowflake, for her pure white fur.”

A rabbit puppet popped up cutely, much to the delight of the children.

“So cute!”

“One day, a group of gray wolves appeared in the village.”

This time, the wolf puppet had a muscular body and sharp eyes.

“The village herbivores were terrified and they tried to run away. The leader of the pack, however, said this.”

A curious child raised his hand to ask what it was.

The wolf’s mouth moved and a low voice came out, “We will stay on the outskirts and then leave. We will not destroy your territory, as we come in peace.”

“The villagers were still incredulous, but they soon found out that they kept their word, even at their own expense.”

“But they’ll get hungry eventually,” said the snowy rabbit puppet to herself. “I should put some vegetables and grain in a basket and sneak it into their camp.”

“But within a short period of time, she was caught by the wolf.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh my!”

It was the first meeting between the two main characters. After that, there were more scenes of the gray wolf and the rabbit spending time together. When she foraged for herbs, the wolf followed along and helped her carry them back.

“The wolf fell in love without even realizing it, and he didn’t even want to admit the truth. They were so different. He was large while she was tiny, strong while she didn’t even have fangs… Such a fragile, innocent creature did not suit someone like him, and yet, incomprehensibly, he couldn’t stop his eyes from following the rabbit. Her innocent eyes and moonlit fur were all so very pretty. His lips moved on their own to smile, and his heart thumped quickly.”

“Wolves and rabbits cannot be together. That’s ridiculous.”

“That was how the wolf deceived himself. But every time he saw Snowflake, his chest hurt very, very much. In the end, he made up his mind to leave the village forever.”