CH 83

Then came New Year's Eve.

Mariabelle came to the watchtower at the main gate of the imperial palace with Renato, and the sight she saw took her breath away.

Below them, people with lit lanterns were gathered in the plaza of the Imperial City, their lights flickering and swaying.

Mariabelle let out an involuntary sigh of admiration, and Renato, standing next to her, nodded his head in satisfaction.

Then he lit the lantern that Mariabelle was holding.

An orange rose blossomed softly.

Mariabelle chose a rose that holds a special place in her memory.

The encounter at the flower festival changed her fate. That is why the rose, the national flower of the Galleria Empire, has become a special flower for Mariabelle as well.

Renato held a lantern based on the empire's coat of arms, with a lion holding a rose instead of a sword.

Renato told her with a serious face that it represented his feelings for Mariabelle, and Mariabelle was very embarrassed, but more than that, she felt her heart filled with contentment.

The lit lantern slowly swelled.

"I think it's time," Renato said, and raised the lantern to the sky.

The lantern floated softly in the sky.

The orange light clearly reflected Renato's handsome face.

As the lantern slowly rose into the sky, the people of the imperial city also took their hands off their lanterns in unison.

Softly, softly, many orange lights went up into the sky.

It was as if the people's prayers were really going to the gods.

"Look Belle, let go of yours too."

Mariabelle, who had been so taken by the sight that she forgot to let go of the lantern, hurriedly let go of the lantern.

Then, as if by magic, the orange roses floated into the sky.

In the starry night sky, many roses were blooming.

Among the roses, Mariabelle's rose and Renato's lion and rose mingled.

Yet somehow, she still recognized the lantern she made.

The lanterns made by Mariabelle and Renato were like two people looking up at each other on the ground, snuggled up to each other, coloring the night.

Countless roses danced in the windless night sky.

Soon, orange roses rose high into the sky and decorated the sky in place of stars.

It was such a fantastic sight that Mariabelle forgot to breathe and was mesmerized.

She had heard that the Lantern Festival in the Gallerian Empire was very impressive, but words could not express how moved she was when she saw it in person.

The impression she felt in her heart was something she had never understood when she had learned about it in class.

"How beautiful..."

"Oh, it's really beautiful."

When Mariabelle shifted her gaze at the deeply emotional voice, there was not a lantern floating in the sky, but the figure of Renato staring at Mariabelle.

His deep sea-colored eyes, reflecting the pale orange light, spoke of his feelings for Mariabelle.

The joy of being loved by the one she loved made Mariabelle shiver slightly.

"Belle, are you cold?"

Renato, who misunderstood her, hurriedly took off the coat he was wearing and draped it over Mariabelle's shoulders.

Even though the Gallerian Empire is located in the south and is warm, the season is winter, and it is a little chilly even if you were dressed warmly.

"I can't. Renato-sama will catch a cold. The imperial capital is warmer than the kingdom, so I'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

Saying this, Mariabelle tried to give the coat back, but Renato shook his head.

"I'm used to camping out. I don't mind this cold."

"But..."

"But I'll do it this way."

Renato received the coat and, without buttoning it, hugged Mariabelle from behind and wrapped her in the coat he was wearing.

"Renato-sama!"

Mariabelle's body temperature rose quickly as she panicked.

Renato whispered in her ear with a chuckle.

"It's alright. It's dark and everyone is looking up at the sky and not paying attention to us."

"I wonder if it's... so..."

Mariabelle was about to be convinced that this was the case when she heard a coughing sound.

"Please be modest so as not to bring bad publicity to Mariabelle-sama!"

It was Carlo who scolded in disgust.

Mariabelle blushed even more.

"That's fine. I usually treat you with moderation."

"Well, I'll tolerate you for today at least, but no more than that."

"I understand without being told"

Something soft touched Mariabelle's ear, who was still red and curled up, and pulled away.

Perhaps, the feeling she just felt was...

"Oh, brother. May we come in too?"

As Mariabelle froze, she heard a leisurely voice.

It was Renato's younger brothers, Rinaldo and Angelo.

"You're late."

"Listen to me, Brother Renato. Brother Rinaldo said he couldn't make a satisfactory lantern until this hour!"

"I am sorry, Angelo, but thanks to you, we were able to make such a wonderful lantern."

He proudly held out a lantern in the shape of a cat.

It had an oval-shaped body with cat ears and a tail, and its body was painted with brown and black spots.

Perhaps the lantern was based on the tortoiseshell cat that Mariabelle gave to Rinaldo.

"...Does it fly?"

Angelo, not Rinaldo, answered Renato, who tilted his head.

"It does fly, according to my calculations. It took a lot of work to balance it."

"If it were just a lantern, but with ears and a tail, it would not balance and float in the sky properly."

When Rinaldo cried out that he really wanted to make the cat lantern fly, Angelo designed it so that it could fly.

"I'll light it now."

Rinaldo lit the lantern.

The slightly round cat lantern glowed a pale orange.

Rinaldo gently released the lantern.

Softly, the orange tortoiseshell cat floated in the sky.

Then it soared high into the sky as if chasing a rose blooming in the night sky.

The cat lantern, which was the first one Mariabelle had ever seen, drew cheers from the crowd.

And so, the imperial capital was about to welcome the new year.