* * *
Dazzling sunlight poured down from head to toe. Instead of frowning at the light pressing down on him, Hesia, with the light above him, narrowed his eyes as he took me in.
As if to say that I was shining too brightly.
When I involuntarily paused at his gaze, Hesia carefully took my hand. I slowly blinked, feeling the warmth spreading from where we touched, and lowered my eyes.
A pair of white hands, clinging to me with a hint of desperation, filled my vision.
A closed-off, lavish palace, like an illustration from a fairy tale, built on land near the desert. The one and only prince who lived there.
The Hesia people knew was that kind of person, but when he stood before me, he often seemed small compared to such titles.
The beautiful prince, acknowledged by everyone in this land, became an insignificant boy in front of me.
A boy so desperate to have me that he was preoccupied with throwing everything away just to hold onto me.
He could have held onto everything with both hands and still held me.
Yet, Hesia always discarded all that was given to him and held onto only me.
…In a way that made it impossible to refuse.
It would be a lie to say the thought, ‘is he doing this because he knows I can’t refuse him if he acts like this?’ didn’t cross my mind.
However, no such intent was visible in his desperate gaze.
I unconsciously lifted my free hand and placed it on Hesia’s face.
Hesia leaned into my touch as if it were the most natural thing.
The series of movements—bending at the waist to meet my height—was so effortless.
Despite his noble status, he was too high to bend his back just to lean his face against my hand.
But Hesia acted as if he would willingly humble himself just to lock eyes with me or feel my touch.
After rubbing his cheek against my palm a couple of times, Hesia slowly straightened his waist.
It was amusing to see him look regretful, even though he was the one who pulled his head away first.
I let out an involuntary chuckle, took his hand, and slowly began to walk.
“Sia, now that we’re out, let’s go everywhere you mentioned. The shops in the alley, the places you thought I’d like, the pretty flower shop, and the street vendors selling delicious food.”
I whispered, recalling the words Hesia had excitedly listed before we came out.
Hesia’s cheeks flushed slightly at my words.
“Yeah! I’ll show you everything. It’s definitely going to be fun.”
I quietly watched his face, which looked like a child who had received a surprise gift, and hummed a tune.
Feeling the pressure in our clasped hands, I followed Hesia’s lead.
We crossed the vibrant street and entered an alley.
We then wandered through the relatively quiet alleys.
It seemed he often came out, as Hesia showed me around various places with confident, unrestrained steps.
‘This is pretty, they only sell this here, this is what’s trendy nowadays…’
Hesia chattered away in front of a stall selling small trinkets.
Words continuously flowed from his small lips as if they would never tire.
I watched him, finding it fascinating, and glanced at the stall.
Though a bit crude because they were used by commoners, there were quite a few pretty and colorful items, suggesting a wealthy country.
I nodded along to Hesia’s words and scanned the accessories displayed on the stall.
Then, I accidentally spotted a pair of earrings with a gemstone similar to Hesia’s hair color.
Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be one of the more expensive items on the stall.
I stared at the quite decent earrings for a while, then gently stroked Hesia’s jaw.
“Sia, wait a moment. Shopkeeper. May I see those earrings with the pink gemstone over there?”
“Oh, of course. Absolutely. You can even try them on. Would you like to put them on?”
The merchant, who was fanning herself gently despite being in the shade because of the heat, smiled and spoke.
I briefly looked at her kind smile, took the earrings she offered, and held them up.
Then, I held Hesia’s head, which was peeking at me, and put the earring on his ear.
If he had been wearing his usual extravagant clothes, the earring wouldn’t have been noticeable.
But because he wore something modest to go out, the earring stood out quite well.
I quietly observed the glittering earring beneath his deeply pulled-down robe.
The earring, which brought to mind the hair hidden by the robe, swayed with Hesia’s movements.
At the sudden action, he stopped breathing with a small hup, and the earring also froze in place.
I let out a light laugh at the sight, raised my hand, and gently touched the earring.
Tapping the long-dangling earring playfully, I asked the merchant.
“How much is this?”
“Two gold coins. The pink gemstone, you see, is rare, so the price is a bit high.”
Two gold coins was expensive for a single pair of earrings.
However, having no reason to hesitate about money, I readily bought the earrings.
I gave a casual nod to the merchant who thanked me and looked at Hesia.
Normally, he would have been prattling on, but he had been strangely quiet ever since I put the earring on him.
Wondering if something was wrong, I led him further into the alley and slightly lifted his robe.
Hesia, who had been bowing his head as if he didn’t want to show his face, quickly raised his hands as soon as I lifted the robe.
I watched his two large hands cover his small face and arched an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like the earrings?”
Saying I would take them off if that was the case, I reached out my hand, but Hesia swiftly pulled his head back.
It wasn’t that he disliked the earrings.
So, wondering why he was acting like this, I watched him intently.
After covering his face for a long time, Hesia slowly lowered his hands.
Then, a face that was unbelievably flushed greeted me.
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh mixed with an exclamation, wondering how a person’s face could be this red.
As I watched his face redden even more, Hesia cautiously touched the earring.
Hesia, looking utterly at a loss, like a child who received a gift he had yearned for even in his dreams, bowed his head again.
Still, the hand touching the earring remained in place.
“It’s a gift from you, Vivi. How could… how could I not like it…”
Hesia spoke, his face flushed up to his forehead like a child, saying that if it was from me, he would like anything.
I blinked at his feverish face and let out an inane laugh.
Hesia, who was staring at me with a face so red it looked ready to burst, stammeringly reached out and grasped the hem of my clothes.
“Speaking of which, Vivi, don’t you… don’t you need guidance? You used a lot of your ability… I’m good at guidance. Really good just for Vivi. I’ll do a good job. Can’t you, can’t you accept guidance?”
It was a question so cunning that there was nothing I could say, as his intention was too clear.
Staring at the desire filling his young face, I finally nodded my head.
Hesia was momentarily flustered, then cautiously lowered his head and pressed his lips to my forehead.
His eyes, which had been nervously flickering like a lost child, quickly calmed down when they met mine.
I watched his slightly widened eyes slowly close, and I also closed mine, following him.
The lips that had touched my forehead slowly moved down.
The bridge of my nose, the tip of my nose, and finally, my lips.
It was a kiss where I could feel his trembling breath completely.
I inwardly smiled a little at the chaste kiss, which was merely a touching of lips, and then parted mine.
When I parted my lips, Hesia momentarily hesitated, then called my name in a small, muffled groan.
“Vivisian, you…”
“You said you’d guide me. You should do it properly.”
I knew he was secretly giving me guidance every night.
At my playfully whispered words, Hesia paused, then sighed a laugh and swallowed my lips.
Truly, it was a cautious and earnest kiss.
Feeling his trembling breath, I squinted my eyes.
The man, who couldn’t even bring himself to hold me, only letting out short, Siaky breaths through my lips while clenching his fists tightly, was pathetic.
It was so Sia-like of him to look at me with eyes full of desire, yet become utterly helpless when given the chance.
I rolled my eyes and looked at his fists, which were white from clenching so hard.
Then, I gently wrapped my hand around Hesia’s fist, unfolded it, and lightly tickled his palm.
And, unbelievably, at that simple act, Hesia seemed to lose all the strength in his body.
He collapsed onto the ground in the middle of our kiss.
I burst out laughing in disbelief, then crouched down on the ground next to Hesia, who was sliding down.
My eyes naturally crinkled from finding it both absurd and cute that he couldn’t even meet my gaze properly.
“Are you embarrassed?”
When I asked in a voice full of laughter, Hesia, who was sitting dazedly on the ground, buried his head in his knees and exclaimed.
“…You drive me crazy whenever you do this!”
Getting angry when he was embarrassed hadn’t changed from before.
Finding it amusing, I chuckled and plopped down next to him.
* * *
