* * *
Goosebumps ran down my spine, making even the fine hairs on my arms stand on end.
On reflex, I tried to put some distance between us, twisting my body to escape—but the crowd crushed any chance of success.
Raizen let go of my hand, only to grab my shoulder instead and pull me even closer.
From an outsider’s perspective, it must have looked like we were practically embracing.
‘Forget the parade, I just want to leave…’
But I had already said we would stay, so taking it back now felt ridiculous.
Besides, I doubted Raizen, who clearly enjoyed putting me in difficult situations, would let me go so easily.
‘He already memorized the parade route—there was no way we weren’t coming.’
Even if I hadn’t reacted to the announcement, I had a strong feeling we would’ve ended up here anyway.
‘Well… to be honest, I did kind of want to see the parade.’
“Let’s go.”
At Raizen’s words, I followed as if in a trance.
The crowd only seemed to be growing, not thinning.
But strangely, whenever I moved with him, we kept finding ways to push forward.
‘Do we really have to walk like this? Holding hands would be enough…’
With my current lack of strength and stamina, I’d probably get swept away in this crowd.
But still, this was a bit…
‘Ugh, this is driving me crazy.’
In the end, I had no choice but to keep moving just like this.
“……”
I could feel Raizen behind me—his body pressed against my back, his breath occasionally brushing through my hair and against my ear, the way this position made it feel like I was being protected.
‘What the hell is this?’
I just couldn’t figure him out.
The way he kept staring at me every time something happened, the way he kept asking about my emotions—not knowing if it was out of genuine curiosity or something else.
He kept throwing me off balance.
And when I thought about it, the answer was always the same.
Raizen hadn’t changed all that much.
He still tested me with his questions, still did things that seemed gentle on the surface but ultimately left me flustered.
The bloodlust from our first meeting was gone, but his fundamental nature remained the same.
Like how my approval rating with him had improved significantly—but still hadn’t climbed out of the negatives.
‘But honestly, that’s already something.’
My original goal was just to avoid being killed by Raizen.
So I should be feeling good about this, but for some reason, it just made me more frustrated.
Screw it.
‘I need to work out.’
I really couldn’t keep going like this in such a weak body.
That was the only conclusion I could come to as I silently followed along.
- “Huff… ha…”
It felt like an eternity had passed.
Finally, we found a spot and caught our breath.
I had just followed Raizen’s lead, but it turned out to be a great location.
All I had to do was lift my head slightly to get a clear view of the parade.
“The parade procession will be arriving soon! Please maintain order, everyone!”
Voices rang out from what seemed to be safety personnel stationed along the route.
Since this was a long-standing event, the organizers were clearly experienced in handling it.
At their instructions, the crowd adjusted to create safer distances.
As I took a step forward, I glanced at Raizen beside me.
Seeing his face looking as composed as ever made me feel slightly annoyed.
“Waaaah!”
Cheers suddenly erupted from my left.
I craned my neck to look and saw the parade approaching in the distance.
“…Oh.”
The parade floats were decorated with lilies and soft golden lights.
There were no visible speakers, yet upbeat yet pleasant music flowed from somewhere on the floats.
People stood atop them, dressed in a variety of outfits, dancing to a set rhythm.
Firework-like effects burst and disappeared above them, adding to the spectacle.
“Look, there’s a bunny too!”
A child’s excited voice came from nearby.
That’s when I finally took a closer look at the performers.
Some wore uniforms, others casual clothes—but among them were those in animal masks, like rabbits and deer.
‘Ah… I hate that I immediately know what that represents.’
They were the animals mentioned in the scriptures as being blessed by Sinoa, the god of this world.
Lilies, the sacred animals—everything was designed to reflect the empire’s belief that their unique traits were divine blessings from Sinoa.
Still, I couldn’t help but glance at Raizen.
‘That expression… like it’s nothing.’
Even now, his face remained unchanged.
Having observed his expressions long enough, I could confidently say—he wasn’t suppressing any discomfort.
He just didn’t care.
‘He’s changed.’
It was different from what was described in ‘Raizen: Bonus Chapter’.
The Raizen from the novel had been obsessed with the idea of Sinoa and divine power.
He had believed in the god’s existence so much that, when he discovered the truth—that the god was a lie—he tried to destroy the world.
‘Not that his curse is gone… and he could still become the villain for another reason, but…’
Even so, one thing was certain—Raizen had changed.
“Wow! That noona just smiled at me!”
“Mom, can you buy me a bunny plushie too?”
“Come on, pray for unnie. Pray that she’ll always be happy in the future. You can do that, right?”
“Yeah! I can do it!”
The parade procession approached from straight ahead.
People danced, hopeful melodies filled the air, and voices whispered prayers for someone else’s happiness.
Thump. Thump.
My heart pounded fiercely.
Was I just swept up in the atmosphere, or was it the thrill of knowing I had changed something?
It felt like a dream.
Slowly, my gaze turned toward Raizen.
He stood there with his usual indifferent expression, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
I didn’t know why I did it.
I gently tugged at Raizen’s hand.
His crimson eyes shifted lazily from the parade to me.
The moment our eyes met, I snapped back to my senses.
‘Shit, what the hell am I doing?’
I had called his attention, so I should at least say something, but my lips refused to move.
Congratulating him felt premature since the manifestation ceremony hadn’t even happened yet.
Saying “It’s okay” sounded too much like pity.
Should I just say, “Let’s be happy”?
‘No…’
That wasn’t something I could say.
‘Just keep your mouth shut.’
No matter what, he was still highly likely to grow into a major antagonist.
There was no need to say something careless and trigger something unnecessary.
Instead, I pulled out something I had hidden in my inner pocket and placed it in Raizen’s hand.
‘I originally planned to wrap it up properly before giving it to him.’
The rough texture of the disposable pouch left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The problem was that I had to sneak it back to the townhouse without Raizen noticing, so I had kept the packaging simple.
I also had to finish everything while he was away for a moment.
“It’s a lucky stone. Check it when you get home.”
A lucky stone.
It was the most commonly mentioned item in Shailot Village.
Despite the name, it wasn’t really a stone—it was more like an ornament resembling a marble or gemstone.
The sizes varied, but the basic structure was the same: a semi-spherical shape with different colors and embedded decorations.
I bought one simply because I saw them being sold at the store where I was shopping for a gift for the former Marquess of Krebeta. That was all.
With all the noise around us, I wasn’t sure if Raizen even heard me.
But I wasn’t about to say it again louder.
Feeling a little awkward, I just smiled.
Raizen stared at me blankly for a moment before—
“…!”
He smiled.
His eyes crinkled slightly, and behind him, bursts of colorful fireworks bloomed and faded.
The street quieted after the parade passed.
Some people followed the procession, while others reflected on the event and left with their families.
Raizen and I remained in the now sparsely populated street.
Before we knew it, the sun had set, and night had arrived.
Soon, the main festival for the manifestation ceremony would begin in the central plaza, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the energy to enjoy it.
Raizen didn’t seem particularly interested either.
“Sey, should we go now?”
As if waiting for the words, I nodded.
Raizen glanced behind us and nodded toward someone—probably signaling the escort knights in hiding to prepare the carriage.
‘During manifestation week, even nobles can’t have excessive escorts.’
Since the ceremony was a festival meant for all citizens of the empire, the law restricted anything that could create a sense of division.
Of course, this law was only enacted because, in past years, nobles had repeatedly overstepped their bounds with commoners.
‘Arthur Sothes is surprisingly modern for a noble, given how much he’s explained all this to me.’
Maybe it was because he was a noble bastard.
Then again, not all noble bastards viewed the world that way.
Some went to great lengths to become the perfect noble, completely disregarding the lives of commoners.
I was lost in thought when—
“Nanny, did you seriously drag me out here thinking this shit would be fun?”
A voice, rough and cracked as if from puberty, cut through the air.
“Fucking hell, what’s so fun about rubbing shoulders with these filthy commoners—”
“My lord, please mind your words!”
I instinctively turned my head at the sheer absurdity of the statement.
And damn it, just my luck.
“…What the hell?”
Our eyes met.
* * *
