EIYTMA Chapter 19

Ezekiel had hardly been able to sleep since coming here. And it was all because of one girl.  

 

Iris Querluxia.  

 

  

 

‘You mustn’t cross that bridge! It’ll collapse!’  

 

‘I don’t need money. It’s not like I did it for that.’  

 

‘Be honest. You’re not a squire, are you?’  

 

‘Try it. It’s delicious.’  

 

‘You can squeeze it this tightly and still let go.’  

 

  

 

He could swear—every moment with her was vivid and fresh.  

 

Ezekiel had never met anyone who entered his heart so suddenly. She was neither noble, exceptionally beautiful, nor possessed a particularly alluring scent.  

 

And yet, Ezekiel was helplessly drawn to her.  

 

He didn’t want to admit it. This brief summer granted to him—a time that had always been serene, with a clear path ahead—had been disrupted by this girl, sending ripples through his heart.  

 

He kept telling himself that these ripples were nothing. That, just as adults fondly recalled their foolish youth, this too would be nothing more than one of those trivial, tiresome affairs.  

 

He was no stranger to the warning: do not let fleeting emotions lead to mistakes. As the emperor’s son, it was a lesson deeply ingrained in him.  

 

And yet, despite everything, this unfamiliar feeling was too welcome.  

 

“Iris. I don’t… want to be the kind of man who steals a kiss without permission.”  

 

“……”  

 

Her lips parted several times, but all that escaped was a faint breath.  

 

He was impatient.  

 

The boy prayed earnestly to the god she believed in.  

 

Udahl, god of storms and thunder.  

 

The god of storms and thunder was also the god of truth. Just as Irud, god of earth and cycles, brought abundance, the aftermath of storms and thunder revealed what was true.  

 

So, what truth would be revealed after this storm he was experiencing?  

 

The boy was not ignorant of what would follow the moment he kissed her. From birth, he had been consecrated to the gods, forbidden from holding another in his heart.  

 

And yet, even knowing this, the boy thought:  

 

God, grant me her.  

 

If you do, I will offer anything.  

 

The boy had already accepted the upheaval in his heart. Even though nothing had happened yet, his heart had already reached its conclusion.  

 

How much time had passed?  

 

The girl, still looking downward, blinked several times before finally answering in a voice so faint it was barely audible.  

 

“I… don’t dislike it.”  

 

And in the next moment—  

 

Iris’s eyes gently fluttered shut.  

 

The boy’s heart swelled.  

 

Was it his eyelids trembling? Or his lips?  

 

Ezekiel had always had many things that mattered to him—his father, the imperial family, his conduct, his duties…  

 

But right now, none of those things mattered.  

 

The only thing that mattered was that she had allowed him.  

 

“……”  

 

Her shallow, uneven breaths brushed against his nose and philtrum.  

 

Just a little closer.  

 

But she was too precious for him to simply claim with a kiss, and his longing was too desperate to remain in this fleeting moment.  

 

Carrying that turmoil in his heart, Ezekiel slowly closed his eyes.  

 

And then—  

 

“Oh my!”  

 

A presence was felt.  

 

“….!”  

 

The boy and the girl opened their eyes at the exact same moment.  

 

In each of their gazes was pure shock.  

 

But the world did not wait for them.  

 

“Who’s there?”  

 

A voice, thick with drowsiness.  

 

The one peeking into the kitchen was Madame Babin, awakened in the night on her way to the restroom.  

 

She had seen the glow of candlelight leaking from the kitchen and came to check who was inside.  

 

For a moment, Madame Babin stood there with her mouth slightly open, unable to make sense of the scene before her.  

 

It was understandable.  

 

“Why is the honey wine jar open?”  

 

The kitchen was a mess.  

 

No one was there, yet two candles had melted down, still burning. The honey wine jar was left open, with a wooden ladle abandoned beside it.  

 

Madame Babin clicked her tongue.  

 

She had a pretty good idea of what had happened.  

 

“My lady, how careless you are…”  

 

It seemed the young lady Querluxia, whom she served, had been skimming the sediment from the honey wine and got distracted, forgetting all about it.  

 

“But even so! Do you know how expensive candles are, leaving two burning like this? This house wouldn’t function without me, really…”  

 

Muttering to herself, Madame Babin closed the honey wine jar and set the ladle aside. Then, with a puff of breath, she blew out both candles.  

 

“Oh dear, I need to hurry… I must’ve had too much water…”  

 

Her voice faded down the hallway, evidently in a rush to the restroom.  

 

For a long while afterward, the kitchen remained silent.  

 

Then—  

 

Huu…  

 

Behind the kitchen, behind the large hearth, simultaneous sighs of relief escaped them only after what felt like an eternity.  

 

“…….”  

 

“……Do you think she’s gone?”  

 

The boy and girl, who had been hiding in the darkness to avoid Madame Babin, cautiously crawled out after a long moment. In their haste to hide from the approaching footsteps, their bodies had become completely entangled.  

 

Naturally, the awkwardness that hung between them was indescribable. Fearing that Madame Babin might pass by again, they dared not light a candle and instead sat in the darkness for a while, catching their breath. Neither spoke a word.  

 

Then.  

 

Pfft—someone let out a suppressed laugh.  

 

A stifled chuckle, somewhere between laughter and tears, rippled through the air, mingled with gasping breaths.  

 

“Ah… that scared me…”  

 

“Sorry, I’m sorry. But I was just as startled…”  

 

“No, of course, you were! I—I thought for sure we were caught.”  

 

In that fleeting moment when they had hidden from Madame Babin, a thousand thoughts had raced through their minds.  

 

The issue of reputation, the question of just how much scolding they would get from the talkative Madame Babin…  

 

But now that the danger had passed, all those worries seemed meaningless.  

 

As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they could see each other clearly—both of them laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.  

 

Ezekiel and Iris were both dumbfounded, feeling an odd mix of absurdity and excitement, unable to stop their laughter.  

 

If only they had been able to calmly sort out their emotions and express them to each other.  

 

But they were still teenagers, unskilled at handling emotions, too clumsy to know what to do. And so, the only thing they could offer each other was tear-streaked laughter.  

 

But that was enough.  

 

Ezekiel smiled and held out his hand.  

 

“Shall we go back?”  

 

Iris, her cheeks flushed, took his hand.  

 

“Yes.”  

 

Side by side, they quietly made their way back to the guest room without so much as a single candlelight to guide them. A conversation might have been natural, but neither dared to speak after what had just happened.  

 

And just before parting, they lightly clasped hands once more.  

 

“Good night.”  

 

“……You too, Your Highness.”  

 

The simple exchange of goodnights was unbearably sweet.  

 

Ezekiel once again struggled to sleep that night, but this time, it wasn’t agonizing.  

 

Unbeknownst to him, Étienne had seen them disappear down the hallway.  

 

***  

 

As Étienne’s cold subsided, the rain also began to let up.  

 

The river was still swollen, but after days of gloom, the bright sunshine was enough to lift people’s spirits.  

 

“Let’s go on a picnic! Please?”  

 

The moment Étienne recovered, Felicia relentlessly pestered him. Étienne tried to avoid her multiple times, but in the end, he couldn’t resist her persistence.  

 

In return, he dragged along Ezekiel, Iris, and even Henri. Iris wore the dress she had received from Felicia, and Henri was absolutely thrilled.  

 

“You look so pretty, sister!”  

 

The five of them went for their outing to a forest not far from Querluxia’s estate. They couldn’t go much farther anyway—Felicia’s arm had yet to fully heal.  

 

Felicia’s maids laid out a sturdy carpet on the grass. And the first one to lie down on it was the dog from Querluxia’s estate.  

 

“Her name is Pepe. She’s going to have puppies soon!”  

 

Seeing the noble lady’s dog be the first to sprawl out on the luxurious carpet, Henri looked sheepish and quickly added that the dog was pregnant, as if that excused it.  

 

Felicia looked displeased but ordered her maids to bring an extra cushion for Pepe. The grand cushion was placed down, and Pepe tried to curl up lazily, only to roll over due to her swollen belly. Ezekiel chuckled and gently lifted her onto the cushion.  

 

“This honey mead is delicious, Ezekiel.”  

 

Étienne took a sip of the honey mead Iris had brought and gave a thumbs-up. Felicia also took a few sips and smiled. “Not bad.” The atmosphere was peaceful.  

 

Until someone asked that question.  

 

“When are we leaving?”