OPDPS 145

Aeryl let his hair down and layered a knit vest over a shirt that revealed his slender figure. Instead of a thick crocheted scarf, he wore a fur-lined scarf trimmed with leather that left his face unobstructed.

In contrast, the Grand Duke hid his face with a hood. His outfit was not his usual stately and luxurious attire, but a plain tunic and thick cotton trousers—something an ordinary young man might wear. The dark brown and gray tones weren’t particularly vibrant, but compared to his usual black clothes, they looked notably lighter.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

The two of them stepped out of the main building, a little awkward. It was clear from their appearance that they’d both dressed with more care than usual because it was a date, and realizing the other had done the same made them feel all the more shy.

But by the time they reached the village on horseback, the awkwardness had eased. Above all, the festive noise and lively atmosphere began to sweep them up.

“There are so many people. It feels like even more than yesterday.”

“It’s the second day. There’ll be just as many tomorrow, I bet.”

“Wow.”

They handed over their horses and joined the flow of laughter-filled people. Even though they were on the town outskirts, there were already several bands performing on the street.

“Wow.”

“There are performances everywhere. Stalls selling goods, games, food…”

“Where do you want to go first?”

“Hmm. I’ve only ever patrolled festivals—I’ve never actually taken part in one.”

“Same here. I really don’t know.”

Just like the Grand Duke, Aeryl had no idea what to do. You had to have experienced a festival like this before to even have a clue.

“Then… want to just wander and follow our instincts?”

Aeryl reached out his hand to the Grand Duke.

“Alright.”

He took his hand.

The two of them strolled through the crowd, exploring different aspects of the festival. They admired the uniquely decorated buildings, paused to listen to a street musician’s string performance, and continued on. As they passed a stand selling handmade crafts and entered a new area, something caught Aeryl’s eye.

There was a tent with a line of people and the sounds of cheers—“Wow!” and “Ooh!”

“What’s that?”

“Looks like a prize game. You throw axes at that wall, and depending on how you hit, you get a reward.”

“Can I try?”

“Go ahead.”

Excited, Aeryl pulled the Grand Duke into the line. It was long, but it moved quickly, and soon it was his turn.

“Here are your axes.”

The man in charge handed him five hand axes, briefly glanced at the Grand Duke, and quickly looked away before stepping back.

“So I just throw them? Oh, that monster—I’ve seen that one during the Great Purge.”

The monster painted on the target wall was familiar, which gave Aeryl a good feeling. He threw the first axe randomly, but it didn’t even graze the monster and clattered uselessly to the floor. He refocused and threw the second one, but it veered far off the mark.

“This isn’t as easy as it looks.”

“It’s your stance. You’ve got to do it like this.”

The Grand Duke demonstrated the proper way to throw an axe. Aeryl tried to mimic him, but his posture was awkward.

“No, like this.”

He stepped behind him and gently took his wrists to correct his form.

“Yeah, like that. Get the angle right… Now throw!”

Following his instructions, Aeryl threw the third axe. The moment it left his hand, it felt completely different from the first two—thunk! It struck the monster’s shoulder dead on.

“Wow! I hit it!”

Delighted, Aeryl high-fived the Grand Duke.

“Quick, throw the rest!”

Thanks to the Grand Duke helping him from behind, the fourth and fifth axes also hit the target. As a prize, he received a small black dog ornament.

“It looks like you.”

Aeryl smiled, clearly pleased, and the Grand Duke smiled in satisfaction at the sight.

But nearby, a man who had been watching muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“What the hell? He practically threw it for him. Isn’t that cheating? If that’s allowed, I’d have thrown for my girlfriend too!”

The entire area fell into silence. Several people turned toward the man with wide eyes.

“W-what? What are you all staring at?”

Flustered, he started getting defensive, but one of his friends rushed over and clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Shut up. You don’t even have a girlfriend. Sorry, everyone! Carry on, enjoy the festival.”

The man’s friend dragged him away into the crowd, leaving only the silence behind.

“W-would you like to try again?”

The booth operator awkwardly offered, but Aeryl declined, and the two moved on.

‘Judging by that reaction… we’ve been found out. Totally found out.’

He hadn’t noticed at first because he was so excited, but after that moment at the prize booth, he was sure. The streets were packed with festival-goers and performers, yet not once had he or the Grand Duke been jostled or bumped. Everyone instinctively avoided getting too close.

‘Of course they did…’

Aeryl looked at the Grand Duke. Even though he had pulled his hood over to cover part of his face, it was impossible not to recognize a man with that build and that atmosphere. The idea of trying to keep their relationship a secret was, from the start, impossible.

Still, it seemed like people were trying hard to pretend they didn’t notice, perhaps because they understood he was attempting to hide his face.

For instance, when they lined up to buy bread baked in round molds, the people ahead of them were fidgeting like puppies desperate for a bathroom break, but they stubbornly held their place in line. If they had stepped aside to let others go first, it would have been obvious they recognized the Grand Duke.

“How many would you like?”

“One, please.”

“Certainly, your grace… Uh, thank you for your purchase!”

The baker, with trembling hands, accepted the money from Aeryl, who appeared much more at ease than the Grand Duke, and handed her the bread.

‘You’re doing your best.’

Aeryl quietly comforted the baker in his mind and quickly grabbed the Grand Duke’s hand to move on. The two of them slipped down a quiet side street, and Aeryl split the bread in half to give to the Grand Duke.

“Wasn’t it obvious just now?”

The Grand Duke asked, sounding uncomfortable.

“What do you mean?”

“That people noticed who I am, but you tried to pretend otherwise.”

“You noticed?”

“Of course, you were looking around with such an uncomfortable expression, how could anyone not notice?”

“Ahaha.”

Aeryl burst out laughing. So the Grand Duke had figured it out! He had wondered if he hadn’t noticed since he’d been so quiet, but apparently, he had.

“If you’re going to act, you should do it properly. It just makes things more awkward.”

“Still, thank you. You’re letting me enjoy the festival too.”

When the Grand Duke grumbled, Aeryl reassured him by placing the half of the bread in his mouth. He chewed with a sour expression and nodded.

“True.”

“This bread is delicious. Is that nuts inside? And the sweetness?”

“Yep, nuts. Probably dried fruits too… It’s fine for me, but I was worried it might make you uncomfortable… There’ll probably be rumors.”

The Grand Duke raised the hand he was holding his hand with.

“Because we’re actually a couple.”

“Even more than that… I’ll make sure of it.”

The Grand Duke couldn’t bring himself to mention that rumors were already circulating in the Grand Duke’s castle that Aeryl might become the future Grand Duchess. They had only just started dating, and bringing up marriage or the role of Grand Duchess felt like too much pressure on Aeryl. Already, people were working hard to make him the future Grand Duchess, and if he heard that, it would be an absurd situation.

“More than that…”

Aeryl muttered softly. The Grand Duke immediately regretted bringing it up. This wasn’t the time or place for such a conversation. He had been so eager to understand Aeryl’s feelings that he unintentionally probed.

“No, I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s fine if you don’t answer. This is probably still too much for you.”

The Grand Duke, unusually for him, rambled on, trailing off in awkwardness.

“It’s not that… It’s just sudden.”

Aeryl found himself unable to answer easily. The idea of being the Grand Duke’s lover and perhaps more than that was something he had secretly hoped for. But would he be accepted as the Grand Duchess once they found out who he really was?

The Emperor would certainly use him as an excuse to meddle with the Grand Duke’s family. He’d likely try to control the Grand Duke as his son-in-law.

And even if rumors spread that he was the Grand Duke’s fiancée, would that really be okay? What would happen once his true identity was discovered?

“Right, I guess you’re right. Don’t think about it too much. As for rumors… we’ll be fine as long as we’re careful.”

The Grand Duke said, trying to hide his disappointment. Aeryl couldn’t respond.

‘It’d be better if the snow just came and trapped us. At least then, I could say what I want.’

His heart was weighed down by guilt, and he felt heavy inside.

“Forget this talk. It’s a waste not to enjoy what we have. This is our first festival together.”

The Grand Duke tried to lighten the mood.

“That’s true! We haven’t even seen half of it yet, it would be a shame to miss out! We’ve already had something to eat, let’s explore more!”

Aeryl responded cheerfully, lifting his spirits. After all, this was their first festival together, and they couldn’t let it be ruined by bad moods!

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The two of them left the alleyway and headed back into the bustling streets of the festival. The lively sounds and the laughter of the crowd quickly lifted their spirits.

“Look, there’s a performance over there! Is that a circus?”