267 – Cicada's Song #4
When Mirna frowned, my hands had already skillfully woven the flower stems into a small circle.
"This is a present for Mirna-nim."
"It's just a ring made of flowers. I'm not one of those kids running around. You gave Narmi earrings, but I got a plain flower ring?"
"But this way, it won't be ordinary."
I infused the wildflower ring with magic, coating it with my mana. This transformed it into something far from ordinary.
「Half-Fairy's Wildflower Ring: Slightly boosts the wearer's luck…!」
Success! Although the effect was much less impressive than I had hoped, Mirna's eyes widened as she looked at it.
"This is enchantment magic? I heard that it's a skill that magic craftsmen have to practice hard to master. When did you learn this?"
"I picked it up by watching Emperor Kasim."
"People say it takes ten years of apprenticeship to master this."
Was it really that impressive?
"I knew Sir Theo was talented, but I've never seen anyone succeed in enchantment magic without any special techniques."
"So, will you accept my ring?"
I gently placed the ring on Mirna's ring finger. A magical ring made from natural materials.
Though it looked simple and ordinary, Mirna seemed quite pleased with the ring I gave her, despite her earlier grumbling.
"I never thought you had such a skill. But now that I think about it, I don't know much about Sir Theo."
"Is that so? I thought you knew me quite well…"
"I don't know what kind of life you've lived, or what you like. Sir Theo doesn't really talk about himself…."
She was right. I rarely talk about myself.
If I were to say, "I liked making noises into the fan as a child," the listener would naturally wonder, "What's a fan?"
I didn't want to highlight the fact that I was not from this world. Besides that, I generally wasn't the type to chatter about myself.
"What type of women do you like, Sir Theo?"
"I…, someone like Lady Mirna—."
"Leave out the flattery about liking women like me."
However, I found this question awkward. What kind of women did I like? Weren't all men the same? Pretty, cute, and someone who liked only me…
So I vaguely mumbled, ignoring the itchy feeling at the back of my head.
"I don't think that's important between Mirna-nim and me right now."
But Mirna's attitude was quite firm.
"It is important now. Knowing what kind of woman you like will help me take a bigger share of your heart."
"It's kind of embarrassing…"
It made my heart flutter. Was it the first time someone tried to cater to me? The women around me generally had strong personalities.
Of course, Mirna was no exception. That was why I was completely caught off guard by such words.
As I struggled to respond, Mirna spoke in a pouty tone.
"Do you like naked women?"
"Mirna-nim, I told you that was the dungeon's activation phrase."
The night view of Monarch City was beautiful.
The magic streetlights that I had ordered to be installed throughout the city shone splendidly.
As a result, crime and accident rates had decreased, and the hillside offered a beautiful night view, so it was one of my more popular projects.
"Sir Theo, yesterday and today have been more enjoyable than I expected."
Mirna, gazing at the night view from the high hill, spoke lightly. I decided to respond in kind.
"I enjoyed it as well."
"Huu, starting tomorrow, it'll be busy again. There's the cleanup of the Bellhawk family issue, and I also need to review Queen Tarantera's martial festival. It's quite a headache." ṜＡɴоβĘ𝙨
Mirna was a busy woman.
However, I didn't dis busy aspect of Mirna. After all, who else could shine as brightly as someone who was passionate about their work?
"Then, Sir Theo, I'm going to head to my room in the palace. Can you escort me to the end?"
Mirna extended her hand like a noble lady. Actually, 'like a noble lady' was an odd analogy since she truly was one.
I gently accepted her outstretched hand. Escorting a lady by the hand was something I was used to.
But Mirna went beyond merely placing her hand in mine, intertwining her fingers as lovers do.
"Don't say anything. It's embarrassing for me too…!"
I could vividly feel the soft, ungloved touch of her small hand. Was a woman's hand always this tender?
Neither Mirna nor I spoke. We simply relied on the warmth from each other's hands in the hot, sultry summer night.
For us, who had done far more remarkable things, walking hand in hand shouldn't have been a big deal. Yet, my heart was pounding unusually fast.
Was Mirna feeling the same way? She started to fuss, covering her face with the fan in hand.
"… It feels like everyone is staring at us!"
"Maybe it's because you're fanning yourself so vigorously, Mirna-nim."
"They must think we're shameless, ungodly lovers…! Oh my, I can't believe I'm doing something so embarrassing in front of everyone…"
Despite her chatter, we didn't let go of each other's hands. Ignoring the sweat seeping from our palms, we held on even tighter.
As if we didn't want to be separated.
As if we wanted to savor this moment a little longer.
It was only when we finally stood before the thick walls of the castle that our fingertips reluctantly parted, as if they were missing something.
"Then, have a good night, Sir Theo. I'll go in and wash up, and change."
"Good night to you too, Lady Mirna."
"Are you planning to meet with Lady Lioness tomorrow?"
Mirna hesitated for a moment at my response before finally voicing a question that seemed to have been on her mind all day.
As I paused, she quickly added, almost as if to explain herself.
"It's not out of jealousy or anything. The letter you received… it feels ominous somehow. Or rather, I should say it gives me a bad feeling…"
When Mirna said that, it didn't feel like someone else's story…
"Then, may I ask Mirna-nim for a favor?"