Escalion looked down at Belladonna’s finger pointing at him and opened his mouth.

“If you’re asking about my wish… I really don’t have much. I’d like to have one or two more good horses next year, and it would be nice if a lot of delicious meat from other countries came in through the newly renovated port. That’s about it?”

Escalion shrugged as he answered.

Wow, that’s really simple.

Belladonna shook her head as if she had had unnecessary expectations.

Then I’ll keep mine as simple as possible too…

“Ah, one more thing. I hope no unnecessary wars break out. His Majesty the Emperor shouldn’t need me again.”

Escalion looked at her with quite a serious expression.

“Now that I have a wife, I should value my life. I can’t carelessly go to the battlefield and make my wife a widow overnight. Right?”

Escalion’s soft golden gaze fell upon her.

Belladonna stared up at him blankly, forgetting even to nod.

Their intense gazes intertwined.

Every time this happens… I’m not sure what this feeling is.

“Well then, hurry and write it down.”

Escalion gestured with his chin towards the sky lantern she was holding.

Ah…

I was supposed to be writing my wish.

Belatedly coming to her senses, Belladonna also lowered her gaze to the sky lantern she was holding.

‘So… my wish is…’

Belladonna brought the tip of the pen to the side of the sky lantern and began to ponder again.

“Write down whatever’s in your head right now. The more deeply you think about it, the harder it becomes to decide. Let’s hurry and write it so we can release it.”

At that moment, the first thing that came to her mind was… amusingly, that she didn’t want to return to where the Pope was.

‘Hah…’

The three months later that she always uttered like a mantra.

It was obvious that after those three months passed, she would have to return to Astanya as the Pope’s only daughter and live as an eternal saint.

Then I would lose my freedom again and be stuck in the confessional, listening to people’s heavy stories…

‘I don’t want that…’

Belladonna quietly exhaled.

She wished for those three months to pass quickly so that her uncomfortable and apologetic relationship with Escalion would end, yet at the same time, she hoped those three months would never pass.

‘Even I think it’s a truly contradictory feeling…’

She glanced up at Escalion standing beside her.

He had his head raised, looking at the sky lanterns that other people were releasing into the sky, densely covered with their wishes.

Seeing his indifferent profile, Belladonna made up her mind and lowered her head to move her hand busily.

‘Tap tap.’

Finally, after writing her wish, she tapped Escalion to call him.

“Are you done?”

Escalion raised his hand to call the young merchant again as he took the sky lantern from her.

The young merchant, noticing his call, came running with a match to light it.

Meanwhile, after reading the writing on the side of the sky lantern he had received, he frowned.

“What’s this?”

That’s my wish!

Belladonna turned her gaze away, feeling unnecessarily embarrassed.

“Shall I light it and release it into the sky now?”

The young merchant who had approached asked.

Escalion nodded reluctantly as he handed the sky lantern to the child.

The young merchant skillfully lit the wick at the bottom of the sky lantern, then held both ends of the lantern with his small hands, adjusting to the wind direction this way and that, before releasing it into the sky at the right moment.

The pale blue sky lantern floated up and began to fly towards the sky.

“It seems the Saint doesn’t listen to others’ wishes carelessly.”

Escalion, standing beside her looking up at the sky lantern rising into the sky, muttered grumpily.

“To think you’d steal my wish and write it down so boldly.”

Well, it just happened to overlap, that’s all…

Belladonna ignored his words and gazed at the sky lantern getting farther and farther away.

The words she had written down were also moving away with the lantern.

[May peace settle upon the whole world. And may there be no sad and regrettable farewells.] [This is the timeline separator]

After releasing the sky lantern, Belladonna continued to enjoy the end-of-year festival with Escalion.

They stopped briefly on the street to listen to the music played by musicians, and ate various snacks besides the warm fish-shaped pastries.

They also took seats in the open-air theater at the right time to watch a play about the goddess Eliezer, and picked out cute gifts for Cindy and Wolf.

‘This is fun…!’

Belladonna followed Escalion around with a happy smile constantly on her face.

Hehe…

“Excuse me! Beautiful lady over there! For just 20 blancs, I’ll draw your portrait!”

At that moment, a young artist with a large easel in front of him waved at Belladonna and Escalion.

A portrait?

As Belladonna slowed her steps with interest, Escalion followed her gaze.

“I’m very fast-handed! It won’t take long at all!”

“Do you want to get it drawn?”

Escalion asked, pointing at the artist.

Belladonna shook her head firmly.

She had never had a portrait of herself in her life.

In her previous life, she couldn’t even imagine having an expensive portrait that cost as much as a week’s worth of living expenses, and during the past year living as a saint, there hadn’t really been an opportunity to have a portrait drawn.

Of course, even now she didn’t particularly want one.

‘Come to think of it, there wasn’t a single portrait of Escalion in that huge castle…’

It was perhaps a very faint sense of responsibility.

A very faint sense of responsibility stemming from the mindset that she should play the role of the lady of the house, even if only for three months.

Belladonna raised her hand and pointed at Escalion.

You get your portrait drawn!

“You want me to have my portrait drawn?”

Nod nod.

Belladonna raised both hands to draw a large square to represent a portrait frame, then made a gesture of hanging it on the wall.

Looking down at her actions intently, he opened his mouth.

“You want me to hang it in my castle?”

Nod nod! Your perception has improved!

After pondering for a moment, Escalion led Belladonna towards the artist.

‘I guess even you feel that it’s a bit odd not to have the lord’s face hanging anywhere in that huge castle?’

Belladonna felt immediately elated as she followed him.

Escalion stood across from the artist’s easel and addressed him.

“A portrait of me and my wife. How long will it take?”

Huh? Me too?

Belladonna, who had been sneaking towards the back of the artist intending to watch him draw Escalion’s portrait in real-time, stopped in her tracks.

“An hour will be enough! But since it’s for two people, you’ll need to pay 40 blancs.”

“The amount doesn’t matter, just draw it as quickly as possible.”

After finishing his words, he grabbed Belladonna’s wrist and pulled her across to the other side of the easel.

Wh-why me? I don’t want to!

“But what should we do? I only have one chair prepared… I’ll draw the husband first, so could the wife please wait a moment? I’ll draw you separately and then naturally combine the two of you on one canvas…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

He sat down on the only chair and pulled Belladonna onto his lap.

What is this! Let me down!

Belladonna struggled, stomping her feet in surprise, but she couldn’t overcome Escalion’s strength.

“I-Is this alright?”

“If you keep squirming like that, won’t it be extremely difficult for the artist to draw?”

Ugh… How unfair…

Belladonna stopped resisting while keeping an eye on the artist.

As she relaxed, Escalion smiled with satisfaction and tightened his grip on her waist.

“Then I’ll begin!”

“If you get bored sitting, lean on me.”

That won’t happen.

Belladonna shook her head with an indifferent expression.

The artist across the easel carefully examined Escalion and Belladonna’s faces, then began to move his brush as if possessed.

“…”

Belladonna tensed up nervously and couldn’t even blink.

Can I move a little? I should have had my portrait drawn before to know…

But as she held her breath quietly, she suddenly became aware of his body pressed against hers.

The firm, thick thighs she was sitting on. The back of his hand slightly wrapped around her waist and the prominent veins rising above it. And the sharp jawline visible in front of her eyes, and…

‘…The unique masculine scent from his warm breath.’

As she became aware of everything, her heart started beating faster foolishly.

Why, why is this so uncomfortable and awkward?

“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

Startled by the sudden low voice, Belladonna trembled all over as if having a seizure.

“What’s wrong with you.”

Ah, this is embarrassing…

She quickly shook her head and fixed her gaze on the artist who was focused on the canvas.

Ahem…

An hour later, which felt like half a day, the artist’s passionate brush strokes finally came to a complete stop.

He turned the easel, now filled with dense colors, towards them with a proud smile.

“Well, what do you think!”

Wow…

Belladonna unconsciously opened her mouth as she looked at the painting.

‘This quality is good enough to hang in the castle hallway, isn’t it?’

On the artist’s canvas, Escalion and Belladonna’s figures were quite impressively depicted.

It was a painting that well captured Escalion’s characteristic confident gaze and Belladonna’s calm demeanor.

Moreover, the sensible artist had even replaced their worn everyday clothes with luxurious attire.

Thank you for not drawing the rabbit-shaped earmuffs I was wearing…

“My wife seems to like it. Keep the change.”

Escalion replied, raising the corners of his mouth after observing Belladonna’s reaction.

He flicked a gold coin he had taken out of his pocket towards the artist.

The artist, who deftly caught the gold coin with both hands, widened his eyes and bowed deeply to them.

“Th-Thank you!”

As Escalion rose from his seat and gestured, someone slipped out from the crowd behind them and approached the painting the artist had completed.

Wh-what? Since when had they been following us?

Startled, Belladonna turned to look at the servant who had appeared out of nowhere.

He silently took the painting and tucked it firmly under his arm, then turned indifferently.

At that moment, before the man who had taken the painting disappeared back into the crowd, he approached Escalion and whispered something in a low voice.

Escalion’s brow furrowed instantly upon hearing the servant’s words.

“Haa…”

He exhaled an irritated sigh and turned to look at Belladonna with a troubled expression.