* * *
‘If I did that, I’d be executed on the spot for trying to poison him.’
I took another sip of my hot chocolate.
The rich, warm chocolate flavor spread in my mouth—it wasn’t bad.
‘Playing in the snow with Raizen and then sitting in front of the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate together…’
Dragging him outside had been a completely impulsive decision.
Maybe my mind had started to match my body, treated like a child after ending up in one.
But now that I had done it, it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
No… it was actually nice.
Playing in the snow with him made me realize—or perhaps remember—something I had forgotten.
I liked the snow.
And at least once, I had wanted to play in it without a care in the world.
After growing up to a certain point, I had to suppress those feelings, telling myself it wasn’t appropriate for my age.
Yet, before I knew it, those emotions had burst free.
Though, I never would’ve guessed I’d end up choosing Raizen as my playmate.
At that moment, Raizen called my name in a low voice.
“Sei.”
“Hm?”
He wasn’t looking at me but at his hot chocolate as he spoke.
“Do you want to go to Latheon Street with me sometime next week?”
Latheon Street… That was the famous shopping district in the Pantheon territory where I had gone to buy Raizen’s birthday present.
‘But why would he ask me to go there with him? Why?’
Was it one of the Duke and Duchess’s birthdays soon?
If not, I couldn’t think of any reason Raizen would make such a suggestion.
‘Still, it’s not a bad offer.’
Honestly, I had no real reason to refuse.
Raizen obviously knew my schedule, and it would be strange for Sean—who admired and followed him so much—to reject an invitation to go out together.
“Yeah! Sounds great!”
I smiled brighter than usual.
∗ ∗ ∗
Our outing was scheduled sooner than I expected.
The snow that had blanketed the world quickly melted, and the Duke and Duchess gave their permission for us to go.
Though, I was sure they agreed under the condition that we take a large security detail with us—just like when I went out to buy Raizen’s birthday present.
And then, the day finally arrived.
‘The weather’s still cold. The sunlight is the best it’s been in days. And the streets…’
Lively.
I wasn’t sure how long we had been riding in the carriage, but as soon as we arrived and stepped out, the scenery of Latheon Street greeted me.
Since we were at the entrance to the shopping district, it felt closer to a marketplace.
Stalls lined the streets, filling the air with the rich scent of grilled meat and freshly baked bread.
And…
People, bundled up in thick winter clothing, bustled about with different expressions on their faces.
Some browsed stalls with careful eyes, while others were practically dragged along by excited children.
‘Living, breathing people, working hard to get by.’
I had never thought much about the Pantheon territory before. In the novel, it was barely even mentioned.
Yet, here it was—filled with people going about their lives.
I had been to Latheon Street a few times before to buy Raizen’s birthday gifts.
But back then, I only got out of the carriage in front of the store that Mila had already picked out for me.
I’d bought a pocket watch and returned immediately—never once taking in my surroundings.
“This is your first time properly seeing Latheon Street, isn’t it?”
Raizen’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I nodded instinctively.
“Yeah. It is.”
He let out a short chuckle.
“I thought so.”
‘He thought so?’
I gave him a questioning look, and he elaborated.
“No matter how many guards you have, it’s still too dangerous for you to go out alone.”
“……”
“Our enemies are always lurking nearby.”
His words sent a chill down my spine.
Maybe because I knew he wasn’t joking. It wasn’t an exaggeration.
I must’ve looked more serious than I realized, because Raizen suddenly placed his hand on my head and awkwardly ruffled my hair—twice.
Honestly, calling it a “ruffle” was a stretch.
It was more of a clumsy, mechanical gesture. But because it was so unexpected, my thoughts momentarily froze.
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
There are moments that feel oddly timed.
When, for some reason, the sun shines a little brighter that day.
When that light hits someone’s face just right.
And when, at that exact moment, that person does something they normally wouldn’t—saying something unexpectedly warm.
Just like now.
Raizen smiled slightly and lowered his hand from my head.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek, then let out a cheerful laugh.
“Thanks, hyung!”
I just hoped he didn’t notice the slight tremor in my voice.
∗ ∗ ∗
After slowly exploring the streets, Raizen led me to an adjacent block.
Despite being just one block over, the atmosphere changed completely.
The market stalls had nearly disappeared, replaced by grand, elegant storefronts.
‘This part feels more like a luxury district.’
This was also the area I had visited when I came to buy Raizen’s gift.
‘So they call both sections Latheon Street?’
That was unexpected.
Normally, wealthy people liked to keep their spaces separate.
I didn’t know much about how commerce had developed in the Pantheon Duchy, but the layout was surprisingly unique.
“Sei.”
Hearing my name, I turned my head and saw Raizen standing a short distance away.
I had been lost in thought while walking and must have slowed down.
Quickly, I hurried to his side.
“Do you want to hold hands even here?”
I couldn’t tell if he was scolding me for spacing out and nearly getting lost or just joking.
His usual deadpan expression made it impossible to tell.
‘Probably the former, right?’
I definitely didn’t want to hold his hand while walking outside.
I wasn’t a little kid!
“A… Absolutely not!”
I answered with firm sincerity, but Raizen slightly furrowed one eyebrow and asked again.
“Really?”
‘What? Why?’
What was I supposed to do?
There was no way he actually wanted to hold hands outside, either!
I suddenly felt annoyed.
On impulse, I grabbed his hand first and grinned mischievously.
“Hehe. Hyung, so you actually wanted to hold hands with me, huh?”
‘You don’t like this, do you? It’s uncomfortable, right?’
I expected him to pull away—maybe not forcefully, but at least subtly.
But…
“……?”
Raizen didn’t let go.
Without any change in expression, he simply started walking, still holding my hand.
He only released me after stepping into a boutique.
“Welcome, Young Master!”
The woman, presumably the shop owner, greeted Raizen and me with a sparkle in her eyes.
Raizen gestured toward me.
“I’d like to look at some clothes for my younger brother.”
Younger brother.
I never expected those words to come from Raizen’s mouth.
‘Today is full of surprises.’
“Of course! Please wait a moment while I fetch our catalog!”
At her signal, the staff swiftly moved.
“This way, please.”
We were led into a fitting room, and the moment I sat down, several catalogs were placed before me.
Raizen picked one up and handed it to me.
“Choose a design you like.”
‘So… we weren’t shopping for the Duke and Duchess’s gifts?’
“We came here… to buy clothes for me?”
“Yes.”
“But… I already have a lot of clothes…”
Didn’t the Duchess personally summon tailors to the ducal estate and have them make an endless supply of clothes?
Even if I wore a different outfit every day, I probably wouldn’t get through them all before winter ended.
“That was bought by my parents.”
“And this… is something Hyung is buying for me…?”
“Yeah.”
‘Wait, where would you even get money from?’
That was pure Korean logic slipping out unconsciously.
I took a deep breath, calming myself.
‘Right, he’s the sole heir of the ducal family.’
Even I receive a considerable allowance, so Raizen must be getting an astronomical amount.
‘But still, isn’t that different from being able to buy as many clothes as he wants for someone else?’
At that moment, a possibility flashed through my mind.
The shadowy mastermind from the novel, Raizen Pantheon, always seemed suspiciously wealthy.
That couldn’t just be from the ducal family’s fortune.
Then…
‘Could this guy secretly be running a business under a different name?’
It was a plausible thought, but there was no mention of it in ‘Raizen: Bonus Chapter’.
That story focused on why he inevitably became the mastermind in the first place.
‘Well, either way, it’s not my problem.’
It wasn’t my money, after all.
What I was really curious about was why he wanted to buy me clothes in the first place.
Unlike his usual affectionate words and gestures, this was actual money being spent—an expression of goodwill that felt different.
‘Goodwill? Or is he trying to win me over?’
One thought led to another, and before I knew it, I wasn’t even paying attention to the catalog in front of me.
Then, there was a knock at the door.
When I turned, I saw an employee standing there, looking somewhat troubled.
“I apologize, young master. The Odil family has also come to visit, and upon learning of your presence, they have requested to greet you.”
A sheen of sweat had formed on the employee’s forehead.
‘Well… Raizen is practically the prince of this duchy.’
To this employee, it must have felt like they were interrupting royalty during his personal shopping time.
The Odil family members had probably pressured them into delivering the message.
‘But then, why not send one of their own attendants instead of troubling the staff?’
Just as Raizen and I had brought along Mila when we went out, nobles never traveled alone.
Yet, rather than sending one of their own servants, they’d chosen to burden an unrelated employee.
‘What did this poor employee do to deserve this?’
From a modern Korean perspective, their behavior was completely incomprehensible.
* * *
