* * *
The person who had nearly shredded the fabric in frustration and stormed out earlier had vanished.
Now, only someone impatiently urging the attendants to hurry up and drape the next fabric remained.
It was such an amusing transformation that, despite herself, Lilith quickly continued her work.
If she made Hesia choose the design as well, he might truly explode, so she decided to get some help from Vivisian in narrowing down the options.
“With this many choices left, Your Grace should be able to pick one now… By the way, your taste is truly exceptional. Every selection suits you perfectly.”
Vivisian’s picks were remarkable.
They weren’t necessarily the latest trends, but they all suited Hesia astonishingly well.
Lilith had a feeling this wasn’t just natural talent—he must have been trained in fashion at some point.
So this was the Grand Prince’s mysterious consort.
The rumors weren’t entirely off, she thought to herself.
Vivisian simply smiled, as if amused by her musings.
Even her assistants, bustling behind her, paused momentarily at the sound of his gentle laughter.
Lilith found herself staring at the young heir’s lover, entranced.
His face remained completely hidden behind the black veil, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine how beautiful he must be.
Not in a conventional, superficial way—but in the way someone with a laugh like that simply had to be beautiful.
“Is something wrong?”
His voice was light, elegant.
Snapping back to reality, Lilith shook her head quickly.
“Um… Will you be attending the banquet?”
“Hmm? Me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Vivisian froze mid-sip of tea.
Before he could answer, Hesia, who had just freed himself from a heap of fabric, spoke for him.
“Ian doesn’t attend banquets.”
“What? Why?”
“He doesn’t like crowds.”
Lilith nodded in understanding but couldn’t quite hide her disappointment.
Noticing the slight change in her expression, Vivisian tilted his head, the movement causing his black veil to rustle softly.
For a brief moment, the pale skin of his neck, marked by faint scars, peeked through before disappearing again.
“Hmm, seems like you want something. Go ahead and ask—if it’s within reason, I’ll consider it.”
Encouraged by his gentle tone, Lilith hesitated before speaking.
“Well, um… since you helped today…”
She was obviously referring to how Vivisian had soothed Hesia’s tantrum earlier.
Vivisian let out a quiet chuckle, his voice vibrating pleasantly.
“And?”
“I happen to have a fabric that would suit you perfectly. I’d love to make something for you… Would you accept it?”
Vivisian blinked, as if she had just said something completely unexpected.
Before he could react, Hesia chimed in instead.
Though he disliked the hassle of having clothes made, he knew Lilith’s skill better than anyone.
When she spoke like this, it meant she’d been struck by inspiration—and inspired pieces of hers were always breathtaking.
“I like it! If it turns out well, I’ll even reward you. Make his outfit before mine.”
“That’s not right, Hesia. Your banquet is coming up—you should get your clothes first.”
Lost in thought, Vivisian only came back to his senses at Hesia’s last words, letting out a faint chuckle as he murmured to himself.
Then, lifting his gaze, he met Lilith’s eyes.
Through the veil of dark fabric, Lilith thought he saw jewel-like blue irises.
“That would be a great help to me. But clothes aren’t something that can be made easily, are they? It feels wrong to just accept them without giving anything in return, so I’ll send something through Hesia. I don’t have much, but I am still the prince’s consort. You can expect a reward.”
At his playful words, Hesia grumbled something under his breath.
Vivisian, accustomed to such complaints, simply laughed, while Lilith, as if under a spell, gave a small nod.
It was already impressive enough that Vivisian could handle the ever-unflinching Hesia so effortlessly.
What was even more remarkable was that, despite having a powerful figure backing him, he carried none of the usual arrogance or rudeness.
The more people have, the kinder they should be, yet most do the opposite.
Working as a tailor, Lilith had seen such people countless times.
So it was only natural that he found himself drawn to those who spoke kindly and smiled easily.
With that thought in mind, he clenched his sleeve, resolving to make an exquisitely beautiful outfit and a matching veil.
As Lilith and his assistants left the room, only two people remained in the now-empty space.
Even before they had left, Hesia had shown no intention of stepping away from Vivisian’s side.
Now, he was practically attached to him, as if they were a single entity.
But Vivisian, long used to such behavior, did not complain, carrying the burden named Hesia without issue.
With so many people coming and going, along with countless fabrics being exchanged, the air had grown slightly stuffy.
Opening the window to let in some fresh air, Vivisian half-heartedly responded to Hesia’s grumbling.
Not expecting much of a reaction in return, Hesia was satisfied even with the indifferent reply.
Finally, after announcing his grand ambition of staying by Vivisian’s side all day because he had had a hard time, Hesia quieted down.
Vivisian let him play with his hair while he leaned an elbow on the sofa’s armrest, eyes closed, steadying his breath.
That was when a hand quietly reached over and lifted the veil covering his face.
As the fabric, which had been filtering the light, was removed, sunlight touched his eyelids.
“…Hesia.”
Vivisian called out to him in the same tone one would use to scold a cat caught sneaking a snack.
Hesia flinched at the call but did not lower the veil.
“There’s no one else coming in.”
His muttered excuse sounded more like a justification.
Vivisian sighed lightly, as if conceding, and soon let his half-opened eyes drift shut again.
“Are you really tired? Do you want to sleep? Should we go to the bedroom? Or is your body feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor? Hm? Ian?”
A single small movement prompted a flood of questions.
Familiar with this, Vivisian didn’t panic, handling it as he always did.
He simply shook his head to indicate that he was fine and then rested his head against Hesia’s shoulder.
“There were just… a lot of people around. That’s all. I’m just a little tired, so don’t worry too much.”
Hesia twirled a lock of Vivisian’s jet-black hair around his fingers, glancing at him with concern.
Furrowing his brows as if contemplating something, he suddenly spoke.
“Next time, I’ll be the only one there. You should rest somewhere quiet.”
“If you do that, you’ll just get sulky and complain about how boring it is. Don’t bother Lilith.”
“I don’t bother him! And if we’re being precise, I was the one being tormented! That wasn’t just fitting clothes; it was practically playing dress-up. Do you know how many fabrics I had to try on? And this isn’t even the end of it! I have to keep doing this for days!”
Muttering and pouting his lips, Hesia had an endless supply of complaints.
Vivisian let the words pass in one ear and out the other, his lips curling into a faint smile.
“You always have so much to say.”
“Well, you don’t talk much, so I have to talk more. And I hold back a lot, you know! I try not to bother you too much…”
How much more would he talk if he weren’t holding back?
The thought nearly made Vivisian flinch in horror. He wrinkled his nose slightly.
“Maybe it’s because you’re still young. You’re hard to handle.”
This must be why people say raising kids is no easy task.
Letting out a small sigh, he muttered the words aloud, prompting an immediate reaction from Hesia.
“I’m not a kid.”
He had no objections to being called difficult, but he took issue with being called young.
Vivisian opened his eyes slightly, wondering what kind of logic that was.
The bright, sunlit room felt as though it was overflowing with Hesia’s voice.
“You’re only young when it suits you, but normally, you insist you’re not.”
“Well, people always say what benefits them the most. It’s not just me.”
“Shameless cat.”
“I’m not a cat!”
“Sure, little kitten. Now let me rest for a bit. Try to be quiet.”
“I’m not a kitten.”
Perhaps because Vivisian had declared he was going to rest, Hesia’s protests came in a slightly softer voice.
Yet, at the same time, he subtly adjusted his posture to make it more comfortable for Vivisian, carefully pushing back the strands of hair that had fallen forward.
Watching the sunlight spill across the floor, Vivisian blinked lazily before closing his eyes, smiling faintly at the gentle touch.
“I’m waking you up for dinner.”
Hesia issued the warning like a threat. Vivisian murmured something along the lines of “Do as you like” before slowly drifting into a nap.
Maybe it was because he had been listening to Hesia chatter like a child until just before he dozed off.
That night, he dreamed of Sia for the first time in a long while.
A young, boyish voice called out to him too vividly.
“Vivi, Vivi!”
He found himself staring at the faceless child who kept chattering away.
Only when someone gently shook his shoulder did he finally surface from his deep sleep.
* * *
