CH 72

At last, they sat side-by-side in the cafe. Princess Iana got a bitter coffee and Citrina ordered a hot strawberry drink.

“You like them.”

“What?”

“That’s love.”

‘But I haven’t said a word yet.’

Citrina spoke quietly, dumbfounded.

“…I do love strawberries.”

“What? You already have nicknames?”

No, this didn’t make sense.

Citrina held the mug of strawberry tea in her hands. Steam rose and touched her cheeks.

Iana cleared her throat.

“-cough- Really -cough- That was a slip of the tongue. I was too hasty. I’ve been cheerful these days.”

“You’ve been cheerful about something? What is it?”

“I’ve been so happy to see you lately.”

Apparently, Princess Iana’s thought process was not something a normal person could follow.

What a unique character.

“Me too, Your Highness. And didn’t you ask me earlier about our relationship?”

“Yeah! What’s the relationship between you two?”

They had just been talking about Desian a minute ago.

All of a sudden, Citrina thought it was odd. The princess seemed unusually interested in Desian. Then she remembered.

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‘She invited Desian and me to the opera a the same time.’

She felt a little strange.

“We’ve known each other since childhood.”

Citrina left it at that for now.

“…at the opera, you seemed like more than friends….”

That sounded tacky,

but Iana didn’t continue with that thought.

Her initial expression was one of bewilderment, but it was quickly replaced with Citrina’s usual calm expression.

How did she manage her facial expressions so well?

Iana was deeply impressed.

But it was Citrina’s next sentence that blew Iana away.

“Yes. We are more than friends.”

Citrina smiled. It was a phrase that could be interpreted ambiguously.

Nevertheless, Citrina’s ‘more than friends’ could be interpreted as a ‘crush’.

She was being vague because she didn’t have a clear idea what sort of person Princess Iana was.

And Princess Iana’s expression was strange when she heard Citrina’s words.

…what was that look like?

Princess Iana seemed to want to quickly fix her expression. She replied awkwardly.

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“You mean you like him. Ha, ha, ha.”

“Your Highness, that expression……..”

Citrina asked slowly, not daring to be rude.

“What’s wrong with my expression? is it too distorted? Ha, ha.”

Princess Iana giggled awkwardly, her hand clenching the teacup in front of her.

No, not awkwardly…she was smiling from ear to ear.

“We should have a festival at the princess’s palace today.”

“…What?”

So suddenly?

Right here and now?

“Ah, ah, no. I’m just blabbering.”

Seeing her sparkling eyes and blushing cheeks, Citrina didn’t think she was just blabbering.

“Is that so, Your Highness.”

However, Citrina gently agreed.

There was a reason she was so kind to Citrina. a reason she kept repeatedly bringing him up, and a reason her eyes sparkled when heard Citrina and Desian were childhood friends.

“At first, I thought you were a bit fond of Desian.”

A blush bloomed on Princess Iana’s cheeks.

Whether she knew Citrina’s thoughts or not, Iana began insisting again.

“Anyway, true love is supposed to saturate everything. Think about it some more, Citrina.”

“Um…yes, Your Highness.”

Somehow…it seemed she was becoming entangled,

She was going to talk with the princess about jewels, as this was a chance she might never have again.

Citrina kept her mouth busy by drinking strawberry tea.

It was odd, Citrina thought with a sharp sense. Princess Iana seemed to have a grasp on things from beginning to end.

“Be sure to read 〈The Spiritist’s Diary〉 later, as it’s a fateful book.”

Citrina laughed, thinking she really should take the time to read it on a less busy day.

‘Oh, that’s weird.’

Maybe it was because she was in the company of Princess Iana, who enjoyed stories of love and destiny or maybe it was just that Citrina was feeling out of sorts right now.

Why did keep feeling things for Desian Pietro, the one who had the potential to kill her as the villain in the original novel and her kind childhood friend?

Why did it feel so weird to face someone who was interested in Desian?

Unable to control her expression, Citrina pretended to take a sip of her drink.

Iana looked at her and smiled meaningfully.

Being conscious of a part of her mind she had never been aware of until now felt a bit like magic. But somehow Citrina couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was going through puberty again.

Like the warm, strawberry-scented tea that lingered in the back of her throat, perhaps her heart was racing.

****

A day passed.

She kept busy, pushing away the confusion that occupied her mind.

Everyone agreed to take it easy until Gemma came back, so she’d given Lita and Adilac the day off. Both were fast asleep in their rooms in the townhouse.

“I wonder when he’ll get here.”

When would Desian come over?

But it didn’t go as Citrina expected. It wasn’t Desian, but Aaron who knocked on the atelier door.

“Citrina, I’m here!”

“Aaron, going on?”

“I’m running an errand!”

Dressed in his black uniform, Aaron was cheerful and loving as he showed her the pendant in his hand.

That pendant must contain Gemma. Why had Desian taken Gemma?

And why did he need to look at Gemma?

“Are you more excited to see Gemma than me?”

“You whine so cutely. I’m happiest to see you. It’s been so long. Come in.”

She kept smiling since Aaron was so cute.

Citrina led Aaron over to a small sofa in the back of the workshop. They sat side-by-side and began to make small talk.

“Aaron, I’ve been to the duke’s a few times and haven’t seen you there, so I’ve been curious. What’s been happening?”

“I was at the imperial palace getting ready to be knighted. But, Citrina, I heard you are going to receive a noble title, so I rushed over!”

He seemed thinner than the last time she had seen him. It sounded like he had rushed over here and taken time out of his busy day to see her.

Citrina smiled at Aaron. Aaron’s bright smile was always soothing.

‘They’ve become dear to me, both of them.’

But there was a bit of a difference. Desian and Aaron both had similar appearances and were sweet to her.

But why was it that Aaron was just cute, while Desian gave her a pleasant yet confusing feeling?

At that moment, the pendant in Aaron’s hand glowed. Aaron hurriedly handed it to Citrina, who stretched out one hand and accepted it carefully.

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– Citrina, Citrina!

Emerging from Desian’s challenge, Gemma returned with strong wings, a tattered mind, and even stronger magic.

Half-formed in Citrina’s palm, Gemma spoke gravely.

-I’ve become very strong.

-That’s amazing.

-There’s just one problem.

-A problem?

Citrina looked at the stern, serious Gemma with worry in her eyes.

Gemma whispered.

-I think I’m going to go bald.

-You can’t go bald.

Citrina used her other hand to comb over Gemma’s precious hair.

But Gemma’s hair fell out. Citrina cried out in astonishment.

-Gemma! What’s wrong with your hair?

-I got stress-induced hair loss over the past three days. I thought it was a human disease! My hair is more precious than wild ginseng! [T.L. Note: High-quality ginseng is a top-quality product in Korea.]

Gemma’s eyes welled up with tears. Looking at the spirit, Aaron spoke.

“She’s become an advanced spirit.”

“…What?”

“Desian must have trained her.”

Aaron didn’t know the whole story but he continued with an apologetic look on his face.

“Three days, and she escaped the Door of Deterioration. I think you should be nice to her.”

Citrina didn’t know exactly what the Door of Deterioration was, but from the context, it sounded like it was a sort of gate that intermediate spirits needed to pass through in order to become advanced spirits.

Gemma went through it in three days.

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-He’s a monster, a monster! He’s not human!

Suddenly, Gemma began to cry. The spirit’s gemstone powder fell from her larger wings.

Citrina couldn’t help but laugh at this ridiculous situation.

-Congratulations on becoming an advanced spirit, Gemma. Shall we have a party tomorrow to celebrate?

-I don’t have enough energy to even throw a party! Ack, my body.

“Maybe Gemma should go to bed, right?”

“Yeah. I think she should.”

Aaron didn’t understand Gemma’s words, but he seemed to know that the little spirit was angry.

-Tell people all around town that I’ve become an advanced spirit! Then I’ll be famous. That way, I won’t be upset!

-Alright. Get some more sleep. You’re tired.

-Oof, I get it…

Gemma made a pained noise and rubbed her eyes. The pendant shimmered and glowed, and Gemma ducked into it.

Citrina took the pendant in her hand and carefully placed it around her neck.

‘It feels like I have a safe place now that Gemma is back.’

Clasping the pendant once, Citrina thought about the near future.

She would have to write a report and give it to the information guild letting them know that Gemma had become an advanced spirit. She’d also need to draw a caricature of Gemma and put it in promotional images.

Seeing that Citrina had finished putting on the pendant, Aaron carefully called out to her.

“Citrina.”

“…Yeah?”

“I also have something I want to tell you.”

Aaron sounded excited and nervous as he said it.

“…I’m putting my life on the line with this.”

Aaron thought that it could not be helped if Desian hated what he had to say.

Was he going to wind up like the hairless Gemma?

His body trembled. Still, it was something he had been dreaming of for a long time. This was something he definitely wanted to say.

“Your life on the line?”

Citrina asked in a questioning voice. Aaron whispered in a low voice.

“There’s something I’d like to formally ask of you. I’ll send you a letter later. So…my letter, don’t refuse it. And don’t forget it. Promise me.”

“Yes, alright. It’s a promise.”

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Looking at Aaron’s innocent face, she couldn’t refuse to make a promise.

Citrina nodded silently.

“Absolutely.”

As he spoke, Aaron smiled timidly.

Maybe it was since Gemma came back. No, it was Aaron’s smile. No, actually, it was before that.

Ever since she met with Princess Iana yesterday, her heart had felt a bit mushy.

Everything was going smoothly So then why was she feeling so confused at the back of her mind?

Was it her mixed feelings about Desian, or was it a feeling of foreboding, like something was about to happen?

So, Aaron left with those meaningful words.