AME 39

CH:39

“Young Master, the tailor is waiting for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. They said your ceremonial outfit is ready, and it would be good for you to try it on.”

Kaon, having just finished a meeting, followed the maid. To be honest, even though he was told the outfit was ready, he felt nothing in particular. He simply assumed that Deborah must have done a fine job, as always.

The maid led Kaon to a fitting room prepared separately. As he stepped inside, a large full-length mirror and several ceremonial outfits greeted him.

Thinking about trying them on one by one gave him a headache, but Kaon obediently went along, considering the effort that went into making them.

“If there’s anything uncomfortable, please let me know, Young Master.”

“No, nothing. Tell Deborah she did a wonderful job.”

After changing into the last outfit, Kaon briefly shared his thoughts with the tailor’s assistant who was waiting nearby.

In fact, the outfits Deborah had brought were all impeccable. They were comfortable enough to move in, looked luxurious, and weren’t overly flashy—just perfect in every way.

“Very well, then. Please wait a moment.”

The assistant said that the final inspection would be done by the tailor herself and stepped out. Not long after, Deborah came in holding a pin cushion.

“Young Master, is there any part you’re dissatisfied with? If you tell me now, I can make adjustments before your departure.”

“This is more than enough. It’s comfortable and stylish—there’s nothing more I could ask for.”

“Thank you for the high praise.”

Deborah placed a hand over her chest and politely expressed her gratitude, then whispered something to her assistant. The assistant immediately stepped out. Deborah then looked up at Kaon and spoke respectfully.

“If there are no issues with the attire, it’s time to match the pair.”

The pair? Kaon blinked, not understanding what she meant. Then he heard footsteps from outside. His gaze instinctively followed the sound as the door opened and the assistant returned.

And behind her—

“I’ve brought the young lady.”

Alesia entered, wearing a dress.

For a moment—a very brief moment—time seemed to freeze for Kaon. It happened the instant he saw Alesia standing before him. It was something like an irresistible force that stole his soul before he even had a chance to resist.

Alesia was wearing a pale sky-blue dress. Tiny floral patterns embroidered in a deeper blue covered the fabric, and the wide sleeves hung down like wings, making it look like something a fairy would wear.

And yet, Alesia shone even brighter than a fairy. Her pure white hair was left naturally down as usual, and though she wore no makeup, she was beautiful—more than ever.

“Young Miss! I think Kaon has fallen for you!”

“Lily, don’t tease Kaon.”

Only then did Kaon come to his senses, snapped out of it by Alesia’s gentle scolding. He also realized that he had been staring at her, completely frozen.

“Could you both stand together, please?”

“Kaon, come here.”

“…Okay.”

Normally, Kaon would have silently scoffed at how Alesia’s tone softened just because they were in front of others. But this time, he didn’t even have the mental room to be sarcastic. His arms and legs felt like they were moving on their own as he awkwardly walked over.

“That ceremonial suit looks really good on you, Kaon.”

Once he stood beside her, Alesia gave him a bright smile and complimented him. Kaon kept a stiff expression, avoiding her gaze and merely nodded with his chin. He was afraid that if he looked at her again, he wouldn’t be able to look away.

Being a descendant of Ferdinand had always been a source of pride for him, but it also came with the cursed tendency to be overly swayed by appearances. And Alesia, undeniably, was exactly his type.

He’d already been deceived and toyed with—he couldn’t afford to lose his heart again. Kaon resolved not to look at Alesia again until they left the fitting room.

“Deborah really has amazing hands.”

“It’s thanks to how well the two of you wear the outfits.”

As Kaon gave a lukewarm response, Alesia shifted her attention to Deborah. The pleasant back-and-forth between the two of them went unheard by Kaon as he forcibly diverted his attention.

“Hmm. I think this dress and the navy suit would be good for the first day’s banquet. Since the second day is more important, something flashier…”

“Oh, then for the hair—”

Deborah and the maid continued discussing eagerly, but none of it registered in Kaon’s ears. He was too busy trying to control his eyes, which kept drifting toward Alesia despite himself.

Kaon awoke in the early dawn, when the world was still tinted with a bluish hue. The moment he came to, he cautiously lifted the blanket with trembling hands—then immediately dropped it again.

“Damn it.”

Holding his head in both hands, Kaon cursed repeatedly under his breath. Trying to explain the situation felt like a world where only curses remained and all other words had disappeared.

He got up right away and headed to the bathroom, flinging off his clothes and pouring cold water over his head. The icy shock finally made him feel somewhat alive.

After finishing his bath, Kaon didn’t return to bed but wandered silently around his room. The memory of the dream that had just surfaced made him shudder.

“What the hell kind of dream was that…?”

Last night, Alesia had suddenly appeared in his dream. Dressed exactly as she had been the previous day, she haunted him throughout the night. Or maybe it was him who haunted her… Either way—

“Damn it!”

He shook his head violently, trying to erase the memory, but it was no use. Worried that he might wake Alesia, he quietly thrashed about before finally throwing on some clothes and stepping outside. He needed to cool his head with some fresh air.

Carefully closing the door behind him, Kaon quickly descended the stairs.

“Yeah, I’ll go see Koda.”

He only decided on his destination after stepping outside the castle. Seeing something cute might help soothe his nerves.

Nodding to himself for the brilliant idea, Kaon took the longer route toward the rear gate, hoping the extra exertion would do him good.

As he walked down the road opposite the castle, facing the back gate, he flinched at a familiar voice. The one person he least wanted to encounter was standing ahead.

Thankfully, Alesia had her back to him and was looking toward the gate, so she hadn’t noticed him yet.

What is with today? Biting the inside of his cheek, Kaon slowly turned around. He could probably return to his room without getting caught.

“Stop right there!”

A soft yet commanding voice halted him in his tracks. Kaon shut his eyes tightly. They were quite far apart and she was facing away—how had she noticed?

“Don’t come any closer. Stay there.”

…He hadn’t even moved yet.

But the next words confused him. She was telling someone to stop, even though he hadn’t turned around. Curious, Kaon quietly peeked around a pillar—and saw Alesia reaching her hand out toward something.

Peering more carefully, he saw a small dog wagging its tail behind her petite figure.

“…Koda.”

Kaon sighed. In his panic, he’d completely forgotten that the back gate led to Koda’s little house. He’d come to see the dog—just as Alesia apparently had.

Did she come here to see Koda too?

He vaguely remembered hearing that Alesia avoided this area during her running training. And yet here she was, at dawn, visiting Koda. It was hard to believe.

Could it be that she was lying about being afraid of dogs?

Just as this thought chilled him—

“Hello.”

Alesia spoke. Her soft voice was sweet, like in the old days, but it also trembled slightly.

“Good to see you again, Koda.”

As she said the name, Koda wagged its tail even harder and jumped a little. Alarmed by the reaction, Alesia quickly waved her hand.

“No, don’t come over. I’m still scared.”

Again. Still.

The meaning of those two words was clear. This wasn’t Alesia’s first time visiting Koda. That fact startled Kaon.

One thing he was sure of: Alesia was genuinely afraid of dogs. Even from a distance, her body stiffened in tension whenever Koda made the slightest movement.

So why? Kaon still couldn’t understand. She was clearly terrified of even a small puppy—yet she came anyway?

“Who names a dog ‘Tail’? That’s so lazy. Rude, right?”

Kaon’s eyebrow twitched at her muttering. What was wrong with that name? When Koda had still been a stray, it had wagged its tail so fiercely whenever it saw him that he named it for that reason. It was adorable.

She’s got no taste, Kaon thought, grumbling internally.

“Is that why you keep wagging your tail? Because your name means tail?”

Still afraid it might approach her if she said the name properly, Alesia kept calling it indirectly while continuing to talk.

“Don’t you hate me? I never let you come near me.”

Does she really think the dog understands all this?

Kaon couldn’t help but smile. Watching her crouch awkwardly, resting her arms on her knees, reaching out and then pulling her hand back—he found it oddly endearing.

“I hope I can hold you someday. I’m still scared now, but…”

Her softly murmured words carried a hint of regret. She was afraid, but she clearly found Koda adorable. Kaon felt proud. Of course Koda was cute.

“You won’t bite me, right? I’ll come say hi every day, so please don’t bite me.”

Kaon, grinning unconsciously, froze at those words. So that’s why she was so afraid—she’d been bitten before.

Suddenly, Kaon felt ashamed and sorry. He had seen her so frightened that day and still doubted her—it wasn’t something he could feel proud of.

“Ko… no, don’t come closer. Be good. Do you want this? I brought sausage just for you.”

Alesia continued playing with Koda for a long time after that. Even though she never got close, even from afar, she did her best. Kaon quietly watched her for a long, long while.