Preparing for a Guest

Ensi spent today lying on the couch like an idler once again.

After everything that happened yesterday, he had vowed to rest thoroughly today.

Despite his resolution, the mansion was somewhat noisy, but remembering that the cause of the commotion was the favor he had asked of Luke and Donovan last night, he couldn’t bring himself to complain.

Lying in the darkened space behind the drawn curtains, Ensi habitually bit down on his pipe.

He had been in the same position for hours, so the spirit, having returned to his side after a long time, was busy exploring the scattered strands of his golden hair.

To be resting peacefully while everyone else moved busily.

Whenever he felt the stark reality of being isolated from others, a subtle sense of decadence would wash over him.

Feeling exactly that way now, Ensi blinked his unfocused, hazy eyes and savored the lethargy and silence filling the room.

“Mmm……”

However, that time did not last long.

Sensing the irritating vibration of an artifact, Ensi let out a low groan and sat up.

Simultaneously, the hair that had spilled onto the floor brushed against the couch.

The spirit puffed out its cheeks in dissatisfaction as its silken playground vanished, then quickly hopped onto Ensi’s shoulder.

“It seems we have another guest today.”

Who could it be this time?

It likely wasn’t anyone from the merchant group; they wouldn’t send a messenger to give word first.

He supposed he should be relieved it wasn’t work-related.

Whatever it was, the guest was still an uninvited one, so their presence was not particularly welcome.

Ensi clicked his tongue lightly and stepped onto the floor.

He drew back the thick curtains and headed toward the terrace instead of the door.

“I have rested well for the past three days.”

He thought he could rest longer since few people in the capital would seek him out, but the timing was poor with the appointment ceremony approaching.

Ensi leaned against the terrace railing and tried to guess the visitor’s identity.

Pulling up the robe that had slipped from his shoulder, he put the pipe back in his mouth.

With summer approaching, light clothing wasn’t as cold as before, but it was still difficult to get by without Sun Herb.

Exhaling deeply, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the main gate.

‘Did they come on horseback?’

Beside a solitary horse stood a servant holding the reins.

The guest might have already moved inside.

As he scanned the area, a familiar color caught his eye.

A dark, reddish-black hair so deep it could be mistaken for black in the night.

“……Ah.”

Realizing the identity of the uninvited guest, Ensi instinctively pulled back from the railing.

His face, filled with clear embarrassment, looked around before he swept his hair back.

Since he hadn’t brushed it once since waking up, his hair tangled in his fingers.

Ensi’s expression distorted as he looked at the messy, clumped strands.

Extricating his hand from his hair, Ensi went back inside, adjusting his disheveled robe.

The spirit hopped off his shoulder at his hurried movements.

A small handbell lay face down on the table next to the couch.

Ensi stepped quickly toward it and rang the bell.

Tinkle, tinkle. At the clear but urgent sound, the waiting servants appeared inside the curtain.

“Prepare me for a formal appearance. And you, go to Noah and tell him to guide the guest to the room.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Though he had given orders not to block the guest regardless of where he went or what he did, Agniele wasn’t the type to roam freely around Ensi’s mansion.

He could have told him to wait in the drawing room, but Ensi didn’t feel like doing that.

Under Ensi’s direction, the servants moved busily.

They prepared suitable clothing, accessories, and grooming tools with practiced efficiency, taking care to keep their footsteps silent.

Seeing himself being tidied up with every blink, it seemed it wouldn’t take long to achieve a proper appearance.

“Emma?”

At the sound of a knock, Ensi tensed, thinking the guest had already arrived, but he relaxed upon seeing Emma through the gap in the door, though he tilted his head in question.

Why would someone so busy managing the mansion come all the way here?

Considering the hall that was ruined last night needed fixing, she should have more work than usual.

“I heard you were dressing formally, so I came to lend a hand for the first time in a while. Am I interrupting?”

“Hardly.”

A playful note was tucked into her question as she asked with a faint smile.

Her words held a subtle confidence that Ensi wouldn’t refuse.

Perhaps according to her expectations, Ensi let out a chuckle, welcomed her, and lowered his eyes again as if to let her do as she pleased.

Having smoothly gained permission, Emma took a comb from a servant.

Taking her familiar place behind Ensi, she applied fragrant oil to his hair and combed it down smoothly.

Under her careful and devoted touch, the tangled and unruly hair regained its calm.

‘How should I tie it?’

Emma smiled pleasantly at the silky texture of the hair in her hands and checked the hairpins held by the servants.

However, none of the items in sight satisfied her.

Since all the pins the servants held were purely functional without any elegance, she couldn’t help but frown.

“Not these. Go find the hairpin the young master wore when he returned.”

“But that wouldn’t match the accessories the young master is wearing now.”

“Since you know that, you should bring an entirely new set.”

As Emma looked at the servant with reproach in her eyes, the servant realized their mistake, bowed in apology, and hurried off.

“I can only apologize for the lack of preparation, Young Master.”

“It can’t be helped, as the mansion was empty without a master for a while.”

“You are too generous…… And the guest is currently touring the garden under Noah’s guidance, so do not worry too much.”

‘I took the liberty because it seemed you needed time.’

Emma added that, but Ensi let it pass without blame.

It would have been a laughable sight to greet him in the room while looking improper.

He acknowledged that her handling of the situation was correct and gave a bitter smile.

“I almost acted foolishly.”

“Nonsense. You would have found the right path in the end, Young Master.”

Ensi closed his eyes slightly at Emma’s whispered words of comfort.

Having seen Ensi welcome guests two days in a row, Emma’s touch became even more meticulous.

“This hairpin would be best, wouldn’t it?”

After examining the items the servant brought, Emma chose one without hesitation and showed it to Ensi.

Wondering how Emma knew what he was secretly concerned about, Ensi let out a hollow laugh upon seeing that the pin she held was the one he had received as a gift from Agniele.

“Do as you wish.”

“Yes, I shall.”

Emma smiled warmly even at Ensi’s somewhat blunt response.

The blue flower, delicately cradled by slender leaves, was painfully beautiful.

Even if it bore the vivid greenery and elegance that her young master usually avoided.

Since when did he hate the color of greenery?

Right, had he avoided it since he was confirmed as an Omega?

Ever since the color of the earrings worn to clearly signify one’s secondary gender was restricted to green, her young master had thrown away every single accessory made with a similar color.

Though he fully accepted his gender now, the shock at the time seemed to have been immense.

Of course, Ensi tried not to show it after the day he impulsively threw away the jewelry, but Emma and Noah, who had watched him since he was an infant, couldn’t help but know.

“Young Master.”

Recalling those times and the past, she gathered Ensi’s hair and tied it high, whispering softly.

“Mmm?”

Ensi, who had his eyes closed while taking in the familiar, cozy scent from behind him, made a slightly raspy sound.

After a light cough to clear his throat, he asked “Why?” again.

“Please follow your heart. The Young Lady—no, the Madam—would surely have said the same.”

“……I am here now because I am following my heart.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

When Ensi grumbled that he seemed to be hearing similar things a lot lately, Emma burst into laughter.

After adjusting the pin so the blue flower was clearly visible, Emma noticed the perfume a servant was holding.

After a moment of thought, she decided to leave the choice to Ensi.

“Which perfume would you like?”

“No perfume.”

“Understood.”

It would be more perfect if he used perfume as Emma suggested, but then he would look too different from his days at the academy.

While there, he hadn’t kept servants nearby and only did the bare minimum of grooming.

The situation was different now, so using perfume wouldn’t be strange.

However, Ensi didn’t want to transparently reveal that he had dressed up with such care, so he stood up.

“Then I shall send a servant.”

“No. I will go.”

“Then shall I dismiss everyone else?”

Ensi’s eyebrows twitched at the somewhat mischievous question.

Despite the sun being high and feeling intense rather than warm, Ensi let out a deep sigh as he draped a long cloak over his shoulders.

“……Follow me at a distance.”

“Yes, I shall do so.”

It was an obedient answer, but it was tinged with laughter she couldn’t hide.

Ensi was about to sigh again, but thinking of Agniele who must have been waiting a long time, he decided to head to the garden first.

Since Noah was guiding him through the garden, there was only one place to go.