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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“There are a lot of people here, aren’t there?”
“Well, it’s the weekend.”
Coincidentally, today was Sunday, the end of the week.
That was why I had the time to meet Miragen, and it was also a simple explanation for the crowds.
It wouldn’t be bad to come out like this occasionally.
While I couldn’t walk around openly due to the possibility of being recognized, there was no need to completely hide my face with so many people around.
Besides, even if we were seen together, it would only lead to brief gossip.
This wasn’t the first time we had been seen together and Miragen didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with the situation either.
Personally, I thought it would be better if my identity was revealed.
With apologies to Miragen, but I had become quite conscious of how others perceived me since becoming Duke.
I wondered how our outing would be interpreted, and what the consequences would be.
But one thing was certain, I was meeting Miragen with ulterior motives.
My mind had been preoccupied with various thoughts lately, and I wanted to clear my head.
While spending time with Adriana had been helpful, I couldn’t shake Miragen’s request for me to visit the Imperial Palace.
“Isn’t this the first time we’ve come out like this? I don’t recall doing so before.”
“That’s right. We haven’t had many opportunities to be together.”
“But why did you come out with me? There’s nothing much for us to see, is there?”
She wasn’t wrong.
There wasn’t much for us to do outside together.
We had decided to come out simply to escape the palace walls.
I knew that, yet I still came.
I smiled faintly and quickened my pace.
It wasn’t that there was nothing to see.
There were many things to see.
It would be even better if we could leave the capital and head towards my territory.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be possible.
“Do you have any recommendations? I haven’t had the chance to visit the areas around the capital.”
I knew the area quite well, but I deliberately asked Miragen.
There were a few notable places around here, and I planned to follow her suggestions.
Miragen stared at me for a moment, then shrugged and looked around.
“Well, there’s not much for us to see at this hour.”
“Then it would be fine to visit Adriana.”
“No. She’s probably busy.”
Her firm response made me chuckle.
How would Miragen know if Adriana was busy?
She was the one who had claimed to be free today and had sought me out.
It seemed she wanted to be alone with me, so I nodded, listening to her intently.
“That’s right. She must be busy.”
“She’s the Saint, you know. We can’t even imagine how busy she is when we’re not around.”
“Indeed.”
After staring at me for a moment, as if judging my nonchalant response, Miragen sighed deeply and shook her head.
It seemed she didn’t have anywhere specific in mind.
There wasn’t much for us to do in the capital.
Or rather, there weren’t many places where our identities wouldn’t be a problem.
Most of the places were meant for couples, so she was probably self-conscious about that.
Then it was my turn to lead her.
“Then follow me. I know a suitable place to spend some time.”
“…We didn’t come out just to kill time.”
“Don’t worry too much. I didn’t come out with that intention either.”
“Alright. I’ll look forward to it. Should I call you Duke Robert now?”
I hesitated for a moment at the title.
It didn’t make sense for us to address each other by name considering our current statuses.
But I had already called her by her name once.
Did it really matter?
I shook my head and told her there was no need for formalities.
“Then I’ll call you Princess Miragen.”
Miragen smiled wryly at my suggestion.
She didn’t seem to like the title “Princess.”
It was probably because she was always dissatisfied with her precarious position.
It seemed she was upset because I wasn’t addressing her by her name this time.
She was acting like a child.
Come to think of it, Miragen was older than me, wasn’t she?
She was one year older, just like Adriana.
Adriana and Miragen were the same age.
It was somewhat amusing that there was no one younger than me around.
Well, anyone younger would be committing a crime, wouldn’t they?
They all seemed like children to me.
It was probably because I had lived so long.
If I converted all my lives into years, wouldn’t I be about 300 years old?
As I walked, lost in thought, Miragen, who had been staring at me, spoke.
“What are you thinking about that makes you smile like that while looking at me?”
“Well, are you curious about the reason?”
“I won’t forgive you if you’re laughing at me. You suddenly visited me today, and now this. You’re just trying to tease me, aren’t you?”
I just wanted to see her flustered.
Thinking about the reason, I couldn’t deny that I wanted to tease her a little.
But I couldn’t say that out loud, so I thought for a moment and then added softly.
“I was looking at you because you’re cute.”
“…Who? Me?”
“Yes. You act like a child.”
I wasn’t sure how she would interpret those words, but Miragen reacted exactly as I expected.
She blushed crimson, her lips pressed together in a futile attempt to hide her embarrassment.
She let out an exasperated sigh and ran her hand through her hair, staring at me intently.
It was as if she was asking if I was being serious.
In a way, I was.
Half of it was my desire to tease her, and the other half was what I was truly thinking.
She was more childish than cute, but it wasn’t a lie.
“Don’t say things like that to just anyone. I was really surprised. You came here to tease me, didn’t you? That’s right, isn’t it?”
“It depends on your interpretation. I meant what I said. It seems you didn’t like it.”
“…Regardless of whether I liked it or not, it’s normal to be surprised when you hear something like that out of the blue… right?”
Miragen’s ears turned red as she trailed off.
That was why I couldn’t stop teasing her.
As in the past, Miragen was probably the only person I could comfortably tease.
Even though she held the highest status among Adele, Adriana, and herself.
I was walking with Miragen in a district on the outskirts of the capital.
It was an area with deliberately created green spaces.
The flowers were in full bloom now that spring had arrived.
Simply walking among them brought a sense of peace.
Miragen seemed to feel the same, and as they walked, the blush on her cheeks gradually faded.
“It’s not bad. I thought it would be boring to just walk around.”
“It’s because we have each other. It would be boring to come alone.”
“Have you been here alone before?”
“…Well, yes.”
When was it?
Lost in thought, I suddenly remembered when Miragen died.
It was during my thirty-fifth life.
After she died, I had wandered aimlessly, eventually finding myself on this very path.
I didn’t know what I was thinking at the time.
Perhaps I was searching for a place to die.
I eventually died and regressed, but the memory of that day was still vivid.
It was only natural.
I had watched helplessly as a woman who had never died before perished so senselessly.
That was why I couldn’t easily approach her.
I was afraid that if we became close, she would die again.
That if I got closer, it would happen again.
“Wait a moment.”
Leaving a puzzled Miragen behind, I approached a street vendor in the middle of the path.
The reason I came here again was simple.
It was my way of preparing myself mentally and hoping that it wouldn’t happen again.
Among the items the street vendor was selling, a small hairpin caught my eye.
It wasn’t particularly expensive, but Miragen had once commented on how pretty it was.
I had tried to find it for her, but ultimately failed to buy it before I died watching her.
So I had tried to forget about it, but by some coincidence, this street vendor was selling the same hairpin.
Buying this held a significant meaning for me.
It was the same item from my thirty-fifth life.
I stared at the hairpin for a moment before approaching Miragen.
“What is that? You suddenly left me and bought that. Why did you buy-”
Thud.
My hand was faster than her words.
Her long, unkempt hair was difficult to manage, but with the hairpin in place, it was neatly arranged.
I couldn’t give it to her in my previous life.
But this time, I did.
Whatever the outcome, I was prepared to accept it.
“…Did you buy this for me?”
I smiled faintly at Miragen, who asked with a surprised expression.
It was a small gift, and the meaning I attached to it was far too grand, but it was my first gift to her.
The thirty-fifth Robert was gone.
The things I was overcoming in this life were the unfortunate events that had repeated in the past.
I had prevented Miragen from dying, and I had warned Adele about the Crown Prince.
I hadn’t met the Saint in my previous life, but this time, we had become friends.
So, there was no reason for Miragen to die anymore.
“It’s a gift. I have a lot to be grateful for.”
“You were just angry with me earlier… Well, thank you anyway. Does it suit me?”
Miragen seemed to like the hairpin, fiddling with it in her hair.
She had said it was pretty in my previous life, so I assumed she would like it.
I bought it with that in mind.
When I confirmed it, she smiled faintly to herself and, with a determined expression, took my hand.
“Alright. I can’t just keep receiving, can I?”
“Are we going to the Imperial Palace now?”
“You can look forward to it. I told you I had something prepared for you, didn’t I? I think it’s time to show you.”
With those words, Miragen walked forward, holding my hand without a hint of embarrassment.
People stared at us, but neither of us felt ashamed.
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but their gazes made me chuckle.
I had received such looks countless times before.
When we were lovers.
She wouldn’t remember, but it was true.
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