A Kiss in the Celestial Garden

“Huh?”

Purple hair and a pretty face. Among kids her age, she had an exceptionally cute look—the kind you’d want to pinch—but it wasn’t a face I recognized.

“Uh, well…”

“What? Who are you?”

Who are you? Taken aback, I took a step back. I was told Elizabeth Luxteal was definitely here.

“I’m Llewellyn Edwill. Um, I heard Elizabeth Luxteal was here, so I came to find her.”

At my words, the girl tilted her head with an expression that asked what on earth I was talking about.

“I am Elizabeth Luxteal. Do you know me?”

“What?”

A bell rang in my head. Purple hair. Luxteal. Ten years old. Naturally, I had assumed the Cici I knew was Elizabeth Luxteal. But this girl I’d never seen before was claiming the name. Judging by the reaction of the woman behind her, she didn’t seem to be lying. Then… then who exactly was the Cici I had been looking for?

“Oh, well. I’m looking for Cici. She has purple hair like you and is around the same age. I even sent letters to the Luxteal estate.”

“Cici?”

Elizabeth Luxteal thought deeply for a moment, then covered her mouth with a gasp. Her blue eyes darted around.

If Elizabeth wasn’t Cici, then who was she? I wondered if she had a sister, but Erkel would have told me. If not that, was she an illegitimate child of the family? But there was no way an illegitimate child could receive an invitation to the Imperial Palace.

“Ah, um. I see. You were looking for… Cici.”

“I’m sorry. Since your name is Elizabeth, I naturally assumed it was a nickname for that.”

“No, it’s fine. My nickname is Cici. But the one you’re looking for is also Cici. We used to call each other Cici as a joke, and I guess it just stuck.”

Fortunately, Elizabeth seemed to know her. I asked if Cici was attending the banquet, but Elizabeth looked troubled and hesitated to answer.

“Uh… she should have come. I mean, she might be here, but then again, she might not. Um. You see…”

“Is it that she isn’t allowed to enter the banquet?”

Perhaps she was a daughter born of a concubine. If she were a child born outside the official marriage, she wouldn’t have been invited. That wouldn’t explain our previous meeting at the palace, but it was the only thing that came to mind. However, Elizabeth quickly denied it when I asked about her status.

“No! It’s not that. It’s not that, but…”

Elizabeth, looking like she was about to cry, glanced at the woman behind her. The woman seemed to have realized something I hadn’t; she was now looking down at Elizabeth with her arms crossed and a stern expression. Elizabeth, glancing between the woman and me while weighing her words, suddenly raised her voice—loud enough to be heard outside.

“That! The Cici you’re looking for! I think she’ll be a little late! She doesn’t really like crowded places! Um… even if she comes, wouldn’t she slip away to the garden? She at least likes flowers and trees. The Imperial gardens are beautiful, after all!”

“Is that so? Thanks. But why are you suddenly shouting?”

“Oh, um! My throat felt tight. Usually, this is the time I’d be practicing my singing.”

“This late in the evening?”

“The mansions in Robenus have excellent soundproofing.”

Though I felt a lingering sense of unease, I thanked her and left the terrace. Behind the curtains, I could hear the faint sound of the two bickering, though I couldn’t make out the words.

“Where are you going, Llewellyn?”

“Oh, just to the garden for a moment.”

I ran into Aiden, who grabbed onto me with a worried face. I gave him some moderate comfort as he clung to me, terrified of the banquet where the Crown Prince, the Princess, and the younger Princes were about to appear.

“I think… I think the Princess will arrive soon.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be back quickly. If you’re that nervous, why don’t you have a little wine?”

“My… my mother told me I have to be careful today.”

“It’s not like you’re drinking to get drunk. Just one glass of warmed wine will help you relax a bit.”

“Do… do you think so?”

“Of course. Elliot’s been drinking wine too.”

Mentioning Elliot made Aiden’s face brighten slightly. Leaving behind his past of being afraid of Elliot, Aiden had come to rely on him a lot after they became friends. He seemed to harbor a sort of admiration for Elliot, who was such a contrast to his own indecisive self.

“Yeah, I should do that. Th-thanks, Llewellyn…”

I gave his shoulder a quick pat and hurried out of the hall. As he said, time was running out.

It was my first time staying at the Imperial Palace so late that the surroundings had turned dark. The garden, revealed under lanterns suspended by magic, gave a completely different impression than it did during the day. There were plants everywhere that emitted their own light—the famous Celestial Flowerbeds, known even to someone like me who had no interest in botany. To plant them on such a massive scale just for decoration… this truly was the Imperial Palace.

I wandered through the garden in a daze, feeling as if I had fallen into a world of fantasy. The need to return quickly had long since slipped my mind. And then, against that fairytale backdrop, Cici appeared.

“Llewellyn.”

Cici, wearing a sky-blue dress, was breathless as if she had run here. Her hair was still loose without any ornaments, and she wore no notable jewelry, but none of that mattered. Under the magical lights, Cici was beautiful enough.

“Oh, you… today. You look very pretty.”

“…Thank you.”

I hadn’t expected an answer, but Cici replied in a voice louder than before. Feeling a sudden wave of shyness, I couldn’t meet her eyes and looked down.

“I went looking for Elizabeth because I thought she was you. I came out to the garden just in case, and I’m glad I found you.”

“El—Cici is my… relative.”

So she didn’t actually hate speaking. Judging by her voice, which was slightly higher than usual, Cici seemed a bit excited. I thought she would be waiting quietly in the garden, but it seemed she had run toward me the moment she spotted me.

I hesitated, unable to choose my words easily. I used to not understand why Aiden stammered whenever he was nervous, but I felt like that was exactly what would happen if I opened my mouth right now.

“Well… actually. I was looking for you because I have something I want to give you.”

I was relieved that my hand didn’t shake as I held out the box. Cici’s eyes widened as she unwrapped it.

“This is…”

“It’s a gift. Actually… I have something to apologize to you for—no, I mean… um. It’s not just that, but you came to mind. Yeah.”

Cici’s lips trembled slightly before she whispered, “Thank you.” Fortunately, she seemed to like the necklace. The gemstone sparkled, reflecting the blue light.

“Shall I… put it on for you?”

For some reason, my throat felt tight. When I reached out to Cici, who was quietly holding the necklace, she nodded obediently and placed it in my hand. My hands shook as I moved behind her to brush her hair aside; I only hoped she didn’t notice. The thin chain of the necklace settled against her white neck.

“It suits you well.”

“Yeah…”

“Now, um. Shall we head back? We’re going to be late.”

It was time to return to the glittering battlefield. As I turned away first, unable to meet her gaze, Cici grabbed my sleeve. Before I could process it, her face drew close and then pulled away just as quickly.

I was so flustered I couldn’t think straight. I mean, uh. A kiss… uh. It wasn’t like I lacked experience in romance, and it wasn’t the first time I’d received an affectionate peck since becoming Llewellyn. Helena had just kissed me on the cheek a moment ago. So this was… just a gesture of thanks.

Cici sent me back first, saying she would enter with her party. I walked back into the hall, nodding like an idiot. I was still half out of it by the time a more sober Elliot and Abel came to look after me.

“What happened to make you look so spaced out?”

“Llewellyn, I’m telling you again, if you met a weirdo, you have to tell me right away.”

“No. It’s fine. Nothing happened.”

Elliot, who had returned to his tidy self in the meantime, didn’t seem to believe my answer, but he didn’t press further. The bustling noise came to a sudden halt at the announcement that the 3rd Prince was entering. I would have been in big trouble if I were any later. I quickly shook the events of the garden from my mind. It was time to focus.

“Better than I thought…”

Elliot and I shared a silent look of agreement. Better than I thought.

He didn’t have reddish-gold hair, but rather a radiant blonde said to resemble his mother. The eleven-year-old 3rd Prince maintained a surprisingly composed attitude despite the burdensome situation of having everyone’s eyes on him.

Looking closely, I could see he didn’t have the leeway to smile, and his shoulders were stiff, but considering his age, it was adorable. In fact, it was because he still had those traces of vulnerability that he was worth approaching. If the 3rd Prince were a perfect human like the Crown Prince, there would be no “cooperation”—I wouldn’t have been able to sleep for fear of when he might betray me.

Rikion, the 3rd Prince, was born to Ariel, who had entered the palace as a bridesmaid to the Empress. Since the Empress ultimately failed to bear a prince and the 1st Prince—who bore the proof of the Imperial bloodline—received the title of Crown Prince, the influence of the Empress and Ariel naturally waned. I didn’t know how deep the friendship between Ariel and the Empress was, but I doubted the loyalty between the 3rd Prince and the Empress was as strong.

The Empress was born as the precious daughter of Suenil—one of only three Ducal houses in the Empire—and was educated to be Empress before she could even walk. With her high-and-mighty pride, it must have been unbearable that her own child couldn’t inherit the throne and that her own bridesmaid had borne a prince. They might have cooperated because they had common enemies in Annette and the Crown Prince, but there were surely cracks to be found.