Chapter 17: Keep Him Close

One day, as the lingering remnants of the spring festival completely faded and my emotions settled back into place since I hadn’t seen Mikeron’s face, I returned to the mansion after stopping by the library to find an invitation waiting for me.

The moment I saw the invitation stamped with the Imperial seal, I thought it was from Raihar de Avelonia, but upon checking, it turned out to be from the Third Prince, Casion.

It contained a request for me to absolutely attend his upcoming birthday banquet.

As it was the birthday banquet of the noble Third Prince, I was certain I had never received an invitation to it before my regression, so why did I receive one this time?

Did they think it was alright to invite me because I hadn’t caused any notable trouble recently?

Whatever the reason, I would have preferred not to receive it in the first place.

Because unless there was a grand reason, it was difficult to decline an invitation officially sent by the Imperial Family.

There was no way Mikeron Leilight and Ran Ilay wouldn’t be invited to the Third Prince’s birthday banquet.

Just imagining facing those two—who were uncomfortable to be around for entirely different reasons—in the same place brought a deep sigh to my lips.

Even though there was still time left before the day of the banquet, my mouth felt bone dry.

***

Unable to just sit idly by until the birthday banquet, I stopped by an old bookstore rumored to have had every book in the world pass through its doors at least once.

Though I hadn’t been able to fish out any decent information from the library, I thought I might actually find the clues I was looking for in a place like this.

Stepping into the bookstore, the stifling yet strangely addictive scent of dry paper stimulated the tip of my nose.

I wandered around various corners of the bookstore, trying my best not to draw anyone’s attention.

There were some books I had already seen in the library, but there were also several that I hadn’t.

While I was looking around with an armful of books I hadn’t read, a book with a cover so glossy I wondered what on earth had been applied to it caught my eye.

Curious as to what kind of book it was, I carefully pulled it out, and found it to be a somewhat thick fairy tale book.

Opening it with one hand and scanning only the very beginning, a story unfolded about a boy named Bright who set off on an adventure to defeat an evil existence.

Thinking I already knew the ending without even reading further, I was about to put the book back on the shelf when the blonde boy drawn on the cover caught my eye.

The blue-eyed boy smiling bravely while raising his sword high bore a resemblance to someone I knew.

Staring quietly at the cover, I ultimately gathered that fairy tale book along with the others.

After browsing the bookstore a bit more, I finished paying and stepped outside, only to find it was already dark, even though I didn’t feel like I had been inside for very long.

While walking and thinking that I should return before it grew any darker, I spotted a crowd of people clinging to a man clad in a white robe on the opposite side of the only bridge.

Since I absolutely had to cross this bridge to get to the other side, I waited for them to pass first.

Acting as if they had no reservations whatsoever, they clung to the man and crossed from the end of the bridge to right in front of me.

Seeing the bridge suddenly clear out, I had just taken a step to head across when I sensed a cool and refreshing air emanating from the man standing in the center of the group.

Stiffening at the familiar atmosphere, I raised my head and locked eyes with a pair of violet eyes that seemed to contain the night sky.

The person standing before me was indeed Raihar de Avelonia, just as expected.

He addressed me in a soft voice.

“Count.”

Raihar waved his hand lightly with a bright smile.

Staring blankly, I blinked before quickly bowing to greet him.

“I greet the Second Prince.”

The moment I offered my greetings, the people who had been clinging and chattering beside Raihar flinched upon seeing my eyes and subtly hid behind his back.

“What brings you here? Ah, did you come out to buy books?”

Raihar asked, looking at the books I held under my arm.

“Yes. And Your Highness…”

I stole a glance at the people hiding behind Raihar.

Judging by their attire, they didn’t seem to be nobles, yet they didn’t look like attendants or escorts either, considering they clung closely to Raihar’s side without keeping any distance.

There were tall people, short people, delicate ones, and sturdy ones—all kinds of individuals gathered together.

Unable to take my eyes off them because I wondered what on earth this combination was, Raihar laughed aloud, perhaps finding my reaction amusing.

“Don’t stare so hard. You’re going to drill a hole through them.”

“Who are those people?”

When I asked with a slightly dazed feeling, Raihar smiled slyly and whispered in my ear.

As a response I had never once imagined returned, heat suddenly rushed to my face.

“All… all of those people?”

“Yeah. Well, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be allowed, is there? I didn’t peg you for it, but you are surprisingly innocent, Count.”

Of course, with his status as a prince, there was nothing that wouldn’t be permitted, but…

While I was flustered, not knowing what to say, my eyes met with one of them who was looking in my direction.

His golden eyes, contrasting with the darkening sky, stood out particularly.

The moment he locked eyes with me, he bowed his head and quickly averted his gaze.

A strange sensation washed over me, so I stared at them thoroughly once more.

I wondered why I felt this way.

And then I realized: every single one of them possessed golden eyes.

I felt slightly unsettled, having discovered a preference of Raihar’s that I had no desire to know.

“Meeting like this must be fate, so shall we chat for a bit? It feels a shame to just send you on your way.”

I expressed my agreement without thinking long.

Not only was it difficult to decline Raihar’s proposal, but there was also no telling when I might see him again.

If I let him go like this, I felt as if I would regret declining and be unable to sleep tonight.

Raihar lightly gestured to the people beside him, telling them they could head back for today.

They whimpered in disappointment, but ultimately trudged away.

Before my regression, he had carried a closed-off feeling, as if erecting walls in all directions—had he always been a person who exuded such a light atmosphere?

While I stared blankly at him, Raihar smiled at me.

“Shall we go then, Count?”

Seeing his smiling face made a corner of my heart feel heavy for some reason.

I replied and nodded my head.

I walked along the darkening streets with Raihar.

Compared to the bright streets at midday, the evening streets were far quieter, bringing a peaceful feeling.

Walking beneath the evening sky with him without the worry of being hunted made me feel strangely emotional.

As I briefly raised my gaze to the sky, Raihar spoke first.

“You seem to have a great interest in books. What books are they?”

“They are books related to magic.”

I lifted one of the books I held and showed it to Raihar.

He stared intently at the book in my hand.

“Are you perhaps interested in magic?”

I asked because Raihar seemed to show interest in the book.

But Raihar shook his head.

“No, I am not a mage, so I have little interest. I cannot even use magic, so what use would knowing about it be?”

Raihar replied indifferently.

Because I had never witnessed him using magic, I had expected him to be a non-mage, and indeed he wasn’t.

A non-mage despite being a member of the Imperial Family.

Although I was technically a mage, due to my insignificant amount of mana, I could barely cast any magic, so I felt a sense of kinship.

“I see.”

The flow of conversation cut off with that.

Once silence fell, a sense of awkwardness ensued.

‘What should I say next?’

While mulling it over, that cool and refreshing air brushed the tip of my nose once more.

“Your Highness, do you perhaps wear perfume?”

“Perfume? I don’t wear any, why?”

Raihar brought his arm to his nose.

Looking closely, it felt slightly different from a fragrance.

However, whenever I was near Raihar, I strangely sensed a refreshing and clean air.

Not the damp and muddy feeling of a rainy day, but as if clean droplets of water were floating around.

Because it was difficult to put into words, I dismissed it as nothing, and Raihar stared at me with a peculiar look before asking.

“Come to think of it, did you also receive Lionel’s invitation?”

The very invitation I had no desire to receive.

Recalling the invitation stamped with the Imperial seal, I replied reluctantly.

“Yes. Though I do not know why it was sent to me…”

“Is that so? Then we shall be able to meet again soon.”

Raihar smiled casually as he looked at me.

In that moment, I felt the illusion of time briefly stopping, and for some reason, my throat went dry.

Raihar was a person who had never made a single remark even after seeing my eyes from our very first meeting.

He hadn’t even stared at them.

Even though he hadn’t poured his heart out or displayed any notable affection toward me, I liked those emotionless eyes.

“Yes, we shall see each other again.”

He was alive right here before me.

‘Since he is alive, I will be able to see him in the future as well.’

And Raihar… Raihar, at least, would be on my side.

Though we hadn’t spent a long time together, I clenched my fists tightly, recalling the pre-regression Raihar who had stayed by my side without a single trace of dislike.

***

After parting with Leviat, Raihar strolled through the dark night streets alone.

The starlight floating in the night sky was beautiful, and the gentle sound of the river flowing was comfortable to listen to.

Immersed in the quiet night, Raihar silently thought of Leviat.

Leviat Kinesis did not seem to be a madman as the rumors claimed, but he was still a suspicious man.

Though it was suspicious enough that he had suddenly grabbed and stopped him upon their first meeting while looking on the verge of tears, conversing with him made it glaringly obvious that he was hiding something.

Just what was he hiding, and why had he approached?

At first, Raihar had wondered if he was a lackey of the Third Prince, but the crimson eyes looking at him carried a deep tenderness.

His eyes looked as if they were gazing at someone precious, which weighed heavily on Raihar’s mind.

“If I don’t know, my only option is to keep him close and investigate.”

Raihar let out a deep sigh.

The corners of his mouth ached from forcing smiles repeatedly

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