An Artificial Vitality

Time flowed ruthlessly, and the appointment ceremony quickly drew near.

During that time, Ensi’s health seemed to improve, yet it did not improve, causing only the insides of Agniele, who guarded his side, to burn up.

He had to attend the appointment ceremony and even the banquet that followed, but knowing that with Ensi’s current body condition, it was beyond burdensome to the point where it would be a miracle if he didn’t collapse.

When Agniele reached the point of thinking that he would rather time stand still, the morning of the day of the appointment ceremony finally dawned.

“Do not worry too much.”

Ensi, who ended up departing one step ahead after receiving the call of the one who would shoulder the position of the Crown Prince, consoled Agniele with a gentle voice.

“It would be good if I could guard your side…….”

“It is only for a brief moment. The Crown Prince will also be busy, so the audience will not be long.”

“Even if it is for a brief moment, I dislike having to send you alone.”

At the voice that sounded as if he were throwing a tantrum, Ensi burst into a clear laugh.

Since he had not received divine power beyond his limit today because he had to go out for a long time, his mind was clear.

Although his body temperature was low, perhaps because he was not in a daze, his breath came easier.

Most of all, he liked best that his mind was distinct enough to notice that Agniele’s lips reflected beyond the mirror were somehow pouting.

Whenever he accepted divine power beyond his limit, the leeway to look around his surroundings would also disappear.

Perhaps because he held his hands together unconsciously because his fingertips were chilly, the servant offered thick gloves that did not suit the season.

Glancing at the gloves that entered his vision, Ensi, instead of wearing them, raised his arm and briefly dismissed those who were clinging to him.

“Iel.”

At Ensi’s call, Agniele’s head turned naturally.

When their gazes met through the mirror, Ensi curved his eyes roundly.

There were no added words, but that alone was enough.

Agniele also dismissed the servant attached to him and approached Ensi.

At the doll that was getting closer little by little, Ensi turned his body and put his back to the mirror.

He opened his arms toward the one who was gazing solely at him.

Familiar with digging into that embrace, Agniele buried his face in the nape of Ensi’s neck and rubbed his cheek.

Even this simple action was something Ensi used to do frequently to Agniele, so Ensi laughed softly.

Rejoicing in his own traces discovered within Agniele’s brief display of affection, Ensi stroked the hair that had not been touched yet.

No matter how much Ensi was departing first, it was the same for Agniele that he also had to attend the appointment ceremony, so he too was in the middle of dressing up.

It meant that even though he knew disheveling neatly dressed clothes was also a form of fun, he had to endure it right now.

“Then shall we move together?”

The lips painted with rouge to conceal the bloodless face moved slowly.

The breath touching his ear brought about a subtle stimulation.

Enduring with effort the faint goosebumps that rose on his lower back, Agniele feigned composure.

“Is that alright nonetheless?”

“Where is the reason it wouldn’t be. If you only wait for me when I have the audience, it is a matter I would welcome.”

As long as Ensi said it was good, there was no reason for Agniele to hesitate.

As he whispered that he would do so right away, Ensi, who burst into a brief laugh, bit the defenselessly exposed helix of his ear without causing pain.

“Then I must finish my preparations quickly.”

It’s about time to depart soon.

Contrary to spitting out words of urging, Ensi did not loosen the arms hugging Agniele.

Agniele stood up after lingering for a long time in a situation where he had to shake Ensi off and stand up.

When the two barely separated, the servants whose minds became urgent attached themselves quickly.

Rather than Ensi, who had already entered the finishing stage, the personnel attached to Agniele were more numerous.

Watching Agniele, who accepted the touch silently even while being harassed by many, Ensi laughed once more, turned his body, and sat facing the mirror.

The touch of reapplying the rouge-spread lips, neatly smoothing out the wrinkled formal uniform, and preening the hair that hadn’t been touched yet followed.

Waiting with half-closed eyes for the tedious time to end, Ensi opened his eyes at Emma’s whisper that it was all done.

On the complexion that used to be completely pale, an artificially granted vitality hovered right now.

Examining his appearance while peering into the mirror, Ensi tilted his head upon discovering his hair, which was simply tied up modestly.

Simply tying the hair up seems like it would be somewhat plain…….

“Do you not like the hairstyle?”

“A little.”

Emma, who was helping with the finishing touches, caught Ensi’s dilemma.

Since there was no reason for Ensi to speak a falsehood, he readily nodded his head, and Emma, who seemed to ponder for a moment, divided the gathered hair into two strands and braided them.

Emma embedded clear pearls and blue jewels carved into small flowers between the moderately loosely braided hair, and decorated vines spreading around a blue flower so that the string holding the hair together as one could not be seen.

“The weight is not burdensome, right?”

It was a natural thing that the more one’s body condition was not good, the more cumbersome decoration approached more uncomfortably.

Therefore, she had tried to end it simply, but rather than such things, the master’s intention was more important.

Choosing and decorating only things that were as light as possible in weight but looked heavy when seen with the eyes, she asked carefully.

“This much is fine.”

If it really becomes hard to endure, he can just take out the jewels stuck in the braided hair later.

Fingering the deep green earrings that occupied his earlobes, Ensi draped a cloak over his shoulders.

Wearing gloves to conceal his cold hands as well, when he turned back, Agniele, who had his hair neatly slicked back, was visible.

“Oh dear.”

As his forehead was revealed clearly, his features became even more distinct.

That is to say, it meant he became that much more handsome.

Even when he went around modestly, a beautiful person boasted a beauty that made one not want to put him outside when he decorated himself intentionally.

Ensi, who did not conceal his displeased inkling, stared piercingly at Agniele with crossed arms.

It was a gaze so intense that Agniele, who had his eyes closed, could not possibly not know.

Lifting his eyelids, Agniele tilted his chin slightly.

Meeting eyes with the golden eyes, Ensi swept the roof of his mouth with his tongue.

While he held his lips smeared with cosmetics together and bit down hard with his teeth, Agniele opened his mouth first.

“Pretty.”

The word that flowed out was merely one word, but it was enough to put the needless spite to rest.

The eyes looking solely at him were somehow hazy.

Just like a person who was bewitched.

Ensi, whose heart softened easily, cocked his head while not concealing his pleasant feelings, and the braided hair scattered into two strands swayed.

The finely embedded jewels sparkled while scattering clusters of light.

Ensi tore his eyes away from Agniele, pressing down heavily on the impulse to kiss him right away.

“How much time is left?”

“You must depart shortly.”

When he asked the remaining time, the touches of those helping Agniele’s adornment became busier.

Every time he blinked, Agniele’s attire was quickly put in order.

Unlike Ensi who wore a cloak, Agniele finished his adornment by donning thin clothes to match the season.

When the servant’s hand withdrew completely, he stood up, occupied the space next to Ensi as if it were natural, and wrapped his arm around his waist.

“Your feeling?”

“It’s the best it’s been recently. More than that, we haven’t even stepped out of the room yet. The worry is too early.”

Since he had shown only a sick appearance continuously in the past days, it was understandable that he acted fussily.

It could be considered annoying, but it meant that Agniele’s attention was concentrated on him to that extent, so he wondered if it wasn’t rather a matter to be welcomed.

Putting his hand on Agniele’s arm wrapped around his waist, Ensi smiled with his eyes.

“It’s because it’s your matter.”

The reason a nervous feeling arose, as if watching a child who had just started taking its first steps, must be because Agniele loved Ensi that much.

Because Agniele expressed it without hiding it, Ensi leaned his body slightly and leaned against the other’s shoulder.

“If so, you must not fall away from my side today, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Except for the time when Ensi would have the audience with the Crown Prince, there would be no matter to fall away either.

Making a hasty assertion inwardly, Agniele nodded his head quietly.

Thud.

Ensi laid down the jewel box hard intentionally to express his presence.

The opponent, who was holding documents in his hand even though the appointment ceremony was just around the corner, let out a chuckle at that somewhat rebellious attitude.

“Impertinent, just as I heard.”

“You praise me so, I hardly know what to do with myself.”

“And shameless, just as I heard.”

Letting out a snort, Ensi crossed his legs and buried his body against the backrest.

Even though he was clearly wearing gloves, his hands were cold, causing his nerves to be sharply on edge.

It was bearable outside because the summer sun was strong, but since the office was a space meant for the Crown Prince, the air inside was chilly.

There was no helping the displeasure that arose from an environment that did not suit him.

“Why on earth does Lady Natalia cherish you so?”

It wasn’t just a year or two that her taste had been peculiar, but why did she cherish someone with such a thick skin and no cuteness at all.

Setting down the documents, the Crown Prince rested his chin on his hand and stared intently at the sofa where Ensi sat.

“Are you not going to check the jewels?”

“I can tell from your confident attitude alone that not a single scratch has been made.”

The Crown Prince let Ensi’s stubborn behavior of only staring straight ahead slide without a word.

In the first place, although Ensi appeared to act recklessly, he knew the clear line the Crown Prince had drawn, so he simply acted unreservedly within the limit of not crossing that line.

“We are going to see each other often in the future, so are you going to keep acting so blunt?”

He really is as beautiful as I heard.

The numerous jewels decorating his hair reflected the light, shining brilliantly.

If handled poorly, one could easily be overwhelmed by the jewels and look ridiculous, but in the end, what captured the gaze was not such accessories, but that very beauty.

“The one Your Highness will see often is not me, but the master of Ravian.”

“That master of Ravian does not follow you.”

“Even if that is the case, there is no way I will intervene in Ravian.”

Did Lady Natalia cherish him because she loved beautiful things.

This made a fair amount of sense.

Since he had grown up encountering only beautiful things since childhood and naturally possessed a high aesthetic sense, the opponent was beautiful enough to evoke admiration even in his own eyes.

“What matters is that you can intervene whenever you make up your mind.”

The Crown Prince let out a relaxed laugh even while spinning such trivial thoughts.