Translator: Nox

Chapter 40

==================================================

His response carried deeper feeling than any previous one to those repeated inquiries, paired with a smile so enchanting that Rina lost track of her own words briefly.

Their gazes locked, hers flickering shyly before darting aside.

Edwin caught that timid retreat in her violet stare and pondered his recent declaration.

His own eyes trembled far more fiercely than hers had.

Just moments earlier, Rina had recalled posing that question to Everette.

Such queries about tastes often drew pauses from him, nothing unusual there.

Yet when their eyes connected and he uttered his simple affirmation about liking them, every other thought dissolved away.

That lone phrase lingered, echoing relentlessly in her thoughts.

She marveled silently at how a mere fondness for blossoms could stir such excitement.

Rina turned from his gaze without meaning to.

She warned herself against imagining what her heart desired most.

After all, his words concerned roses alone.

Still, the enchanting fantasy gripped her tightly, resisting any rush of logic.

She hoped desperately that Everette remained deaf to the frantic rhythm of her pulse.

As she faced away, drawing steadying breaths in secret, he picked up on the odd tension and rushed to continue.

They fumbled through praises for the flowers in turn, each stumbling over the next compliment.

“Plus their scent lingers so sweetly.”

Rina stole a sidelong peek at him.

Everette appeared flustered too, cheeks flushed, eyes drifting aimlessly.

A prickly quiet settled over them both.

She racked her brain for words to shatter it, but nothing clever surfaced.

He, never swift with banter, wrestled with the same silence.

They parted lips soundlessly for what felt like ages, avoiding direct glances.

Finally, Everette summoned resolve and addressed her softly.

Yet the words escaped him the instant they reached his tongue.

This reserved fellow had pushed past discomfort only to stumble short.

Prolonged quiet threatened to turn excruciating.

Rina knew she had to act.

She resolved to conclude their encounter lightly, sparing him further strain.

And rescuing her composure in the bargain.

“Time for me to return—night’s closing in.”

She invented a flimsy reason about patrols sweeping the empty zone beyond offices, prompting his brief, wistful exhale.

Everette gazed blankly ahead in quiet resignation before offering his palm.

Rina sensed a quiet triumph within as she laid her hand in his.

Knights possessed sharp vision in gloom, guiding him deftly past encroaching thorny tendrils along the trail.

His mouth stayed shut, brow furrowed in contemplation, expression subdued.

Silence marked their path homeward.

Exhaustion from a restless night left only the final portion of her farewell genuine amid scant sleep before daybreak.

With partial honesty in her words, she stepped inside, sensing discord in the air.

Why the huddled murmurs so early?

The vibe unsettled her from the start.

As she scanned for clues, Connie drew near, having arrived ahead and grasped the swirling gossip.

Rina formed the query without sound.

Connie deciphered it, hooked elbows, and nodded toward the exit.

Once distant from prying ears, her friend broke silence.

Connie brushed off judgments lightly these days, especially post-Donovan drama, though her vigilant sweeps heightened Rina’s nerves.

A nudge to the ribs accompanied Rina’s urging question.

Satisfied at last of solitude, Connie murmured low.

“The union isn’t linking Belot’s princess to the Emperor at all.”

Rina had suspected as much.

Everette’s aversion to the princess wouldn’t surface openly if she wed his sovereign.

Loyalty demanded restraint, regardless of sentiment.

Whispers had faded lately too.

True pairings bred endless chatter by now.

Connie faltered at the mild response, rubbing her face sheepishly.

“You doubted it too, then. She and the Emperor never fit right anyway.”

Rina had clung to hope once, only to abandon it.

No point dissecting that now.

Sight unseen, matches stayed beyond judgment.

“Why drag this outdoors? Surely safe inside—what’s the real twist?”

Such chatter fueled breaks back there without issue.

“Hardly. I’d not haul you out for trivia.”

Her delivery sparked intrigue as she spun the tale like a dramatic peak.

“The alliance pairs her with some Imperial lord. Names? Irrelevant—glossing over.”

Connie held back deliberately.

“Here’s the crux…”

Her mischief endured, stretching the suspense.

Rina nearly snapped in frustration.

Her friend relented at last.

“A few days back, amid Belot marriage talks at council, lords seized the chance to prod the Emperor’s own prospects.”

Merriment drained from Connie’s features, underscoring gravity.

Rina hung on every breath.

“Till the Emperor snapped…”

The whisper thinned further.

Tension knotted Rina’s chest, silently pressing onward.

Connie scanned once more, then bent in close.

“Word is, he vowed death to any who persisted, blade in hand. Guards swarmed the hall. Chaos reigned thick.”

She pulled away briskly, leaving Rina questioning the secrecy’s need.

The tale echoed back in stunned repetition, cut short by caution.

Imperial code forbade slights to crown absent witnesses.

A hushed query drew Connie’s firm nod.

“A few lords dragged away limp.”

Rina’s mind flashed to council halls and royal unions.

Visions surged unbidden.