“It would be best for the lady to wear a cat mask. It’s convenient and has pretty decorations.”

Olentia nodded her head. She had never attended a masquerade before, so it seemed like it would be her first time wearing a mask.

Would wearing a mask help her understand what kind of person Dimidius was better?

Suddenly having a silly thought, Olentia absently chewed on her innocent lips.

The carriage, which had been rattling loudly, had already entered a street full of people. With Dimidius’s escort, Olentia stepped onto the ground. An exclamation of admiration escaped from her mouth.

“Wow!”

Everyone walking on the street was wearing a mask. Who would have thought she would get to see such a rare sight. Olentia went to a store selling masks and quickly bought a suitable cat mask. She couldn’t be the only one showing her bare face.

As Olentia put on the mask with cat ears, Dimidius burst into laughter.

“Haha! It suits you well, Lady.”

It seemed to be the first time he had let out such a refreshing laugh. The excitement in his voice was clearly evident. Olentia looked up at Dimidius with a surprised face for a moment. Since she was wearing a mask, Dimidius wouldn’t know what kind of expression she had.

‘If I say that he looks extremely happy, will His Grace also get angry at me like I did to Podion?’

Olentia found it absurd that she kept having silly thoughts. She couldn’t understand why she was curious about such things.

She spoke as she linked arms with Dimidius.

“I don’t want to get lost. There are so many people.”

“Yes. Hold on tight.”

And so, Dimidius led Olentia around the streets. The streets were selling foods and accessories that were popular in the north, and interestingly, there were many workshops where people could make their own accessories. In a place where the sound of people’s laughter was coming from warmly, there was a street full of pretty cafes.

Seeing Olentia’s eyes wandering here and there, Dimidius said,

“The reason there are many workshops is because the people of the Belial territory like to make and use things themselves. I know it was a trend for couples to make rings or necklaces for each other.”

Olentia kept getting curious.

“Really? I’ve only purchased from jewelers, but I’ve never tried making them myself, so I’m curious.”

Then Dimidius led her to a workshop with an open door and said,

“Then let’s experience it directly.”

“Ah, no! Why would we do something that couples do?”

Olentia was very bothered by what he had said. He had said that couples make rings or necklaces for each other, so it seemed strange to enter the workshop now. Her relationship with Dimidius was just a contractual one.

After Olentia objected, Dimidius headed to a restaurant without a word.

Sitting at a terrace seat on the second floor, Olentia finally caught her breath. There were so many people that she ended up walking as if she was being swept away by waves.

Olentia briefly looked at Dimidius, who was skillfully ordering food, and then turned her gaze away. She felt like it would be awkward if their eyes met.

After a while, Dimidius’s voice was heard.

“I simply ordered salmon galette and butter and lemon crepe.”

Olentia meekly nodded her head.

“They are famous foods in the north. I’m looking forward to eating them in their place of origin.”

“They will probably be delicious. It will be much better than going to a workshop together to make accessories when we’re not even lovers.”

‘What? Is he being sarcastic?’

Olentia coughed in confusion for a moment and then stared into Dimidius’s red eyes. She seemed to be trying hard to at least look into his eyes since she could never read his expression. She also felt pathetic about herself doing that.

‘Let’s just stop!’

Olentia drank cider and waited for the food. Since it was an apple-made alcohol, the sweetness was very nice.

By the time the silence became awkward, the food arrived. Olentia tasted the salmon galette and opened her eyes wide. The doneness of the batter was just right, and it was really delicious when eaten with the topped salmon.

Seeing Olentia eating satisfactorily, Dimidius said,

“I know this place is quite famous. I’m glad it seems to suit your taste.”

“Yes! It’s so delicious, isn’t it?”

Olentia quickly finished the galette and cut the dessert, butter and lemon crepe. The refreshing and sweet smell was nice.

But Dimidius’s mood seemed to have sunk unlike a little while ago, so she was really bothered. He definitely looked nice when he was excited. It seemed to be because she refused his suggestion to go to the workshop.

As she ate the crepe in pieces, she asked him,

“What shall we do next?”

Then Dimidius drank cider and said,

“There will probably be many small theaters performing plays near here. How about watching that?”

A play, it seemed like a very good idea. Olentia agreed right away.

“Yes, I’d love to!”

And so, Olentia and Dimidius had a satisfying meal and left the restaurant. On the way, there were many small theaters as Dimidius said, and he spontaneously chose any place and went inside.

After buying tickets and sitting in their seats, the lights turned on and the play started right away.

Everyone held their breath and looked at the stage.

At that moment, a middle-aged male actor and a young male actor appeared. The two looked so alike that they could be mistaken for father and son.

The middle-aged male actor patted the young male actor’s shoulder and said,

“Dimidius. Your grades are excellent this time as well. Your father is proud of you. I can’t even sleep because I’m looking forward to you developing the Belial territory.”

Olentia looked at Dimidius next to her with surprised eyes. The name of the character didn’t seem to be Dimidius for no reason. Could it be a play about him?

Olentia kept watching. It was uncomfortable to hear people’s breathing because it was a small theater, but it was still bearable.

“Thank you, Father. My goal is to become an excellent duke and lord like you in the future.”

The young male actor looked at the middle-aged male actor with eyes full of respect.

It seemed to be the story of Dimidius and the former duke, James Belial. It seemed that Dimidius and James Belial had a pretty good image within the Belial territory. To think that there was even a play like this.

Moreover, in the play, the two men seemed to have a very good relationship. She thought it would be really heartwarming if they were such a father and son.

But suddenly, Dimidius abruptly stood up from his seat. Since it was a small theater, when he stood up, the people around him uttered voices full of annoyance.

“Hey! I can’t see!”

“Please sit down! What are you doing?”

Dimidius moved to the back and left the theater. Olentia, who was dumbfounded and flustered, quickly followed him. She couldn’t understand why he was acting like that.

Coming out of the theater, she saw Dimidius hitting his chest with his clenched fist in the alley.

Olentia carefully approached him and asked,

“What’s wrong? Why are you doing that?”

But Dimidius kept hitting his chest as if he was feeling sick and said,

“The inside of the theater was too suffocating. I couldn’t stand it.”

Dimidius’s voice was trembling a little. Whatever it was, he seemed to be in a lot of agony. He was hitting his chest so hard that it seemed like he would get bruises.

Olentia raised her hand and stroked his broad shoulders and back. It seemed best to wait for him to calm down now.

‘Why is he suddenly saying the inside of the theater is suffocating? He was fine until the play started….’

Olentia grabbed Dimidius’s hand, who couldn’t easily calm down. She was in the mood to even give him holy power if she could.

“Are you okay? You didn’t go berserk, right?”

At Olentia’s question, Dimidius held her hand tightly and said,

“No. But holding the lady’s hand seems to make me feel a bit better.”

It wasn’t just a joke, as Dimidius began to breathe evenly. Olentia let Dimidius hold her hand for a long time. She was just happy to be able to help.

Before they knew it, dusk had fallen and it was a dark night.

Holding Dimidius’s hand, Olentia came to the lake park. The surface of the wide lake was full of lanterns that people had floated. The lanterns containing orange light were very cute and unique.

Olentia approached a merchant selling lanterns and bought two lanterns and a fountain pen.

“How about we write our wishes and float the lanterns?”

At Olentia’s words, Dimidius nodded in agreement.

“Alright. What kind of wish will you write?”

“Hey! That’s a secret. Let’s each write and not look.”

Olentia carefully wrote her wish with the fountain pen while sitting on a bench. Her wish was simple and clear.

‘I want to stop having prophetic dreams.’

Although she could change the unhappy future that would come by having prophetic dreams, she thought it would be better for her mental health not to see them. It only made her head complicated for nothing.

She was curious about the wish written on Dimidius’s lantern, but Olentia held back. She was the one who suggested not looking at each other’s.

Olentia and Dimidius floated the lanterns together. The lanterns floating on the water moved vigorously along the waves. They looked the same as the lanterns floated by other people, so it seemed like they would lose sight of them soon, but it didn’t matter anyway. In any case, she thought it would be nice if the gods or whoever granted the wish since they wrote and sent it.

Olentia asked Dimidius, who was sitting still and looking at the lake,

“Will the wish come true?”

Then Dimidius said in a rather earnest voice,

“I hope it comes true.”

“It must have been quite an earnest wish.”

At Olentia’s question, Dimidius was silent as if thinking for a moment.

After a while, he looked straight at Olentia and said,

“Well. It seems like a wish that will never come true, but seeing that there is a feeling of hoping against hope, I think people are truly cunning.”