The desserts were much sweeter than I had expected. If it weren’t for the drink we shared, we probably couldn’t have finished them. After returning the plates and forks, we resumed our sightseeing. “Oh.” As we walked down the street, we stopped in front of a cookie shop. On top of heart-shaped bread were writings and drawings in various colors of cream. The most significant and elaborately decorated bread caught our eyes. “Why are our names written there?” “Ha, haha…” It was slightly embarrassing. Below, a small sign explained the large heart-shaped bread: [Congratulations on the marriage of His Highness the Crown Prince, wishing eternal happiness and boundless glory.] “Is our marriage this important?”
“Ah, looking here, it seems like couples come and decorate their names. It’s like a kind of sample, showing off that they can do something like this!” “Why are they making something like that with our names?” “Well, it’s because Nathaniel will become the next emperor and rule the empire.” Nathaniel looked at the decorations for a while and nodded. “Shall we go see something else now?” “Won’t we buy that?” “Hmm…” That seemed too sweet too. Extremely sweet food was enough from earlier. “Let’s see something else.” In response to my firm expression, Nathaniel hesitated and stepped back as if his momentum was suppressed. Seizing the opportunity, we quickly held hands and escaped from the front of the store.

The goal was a small temple visible in the distance.

Nathaniel, led by Jaina, looked around Hiera.

Except for briefly leaving the imperial palace right after the wedding, it was his first time experiencing the daily lives of ordinary people.

In the courtyard of the arrived temple, there were a few small stalls.

Various dragon-shaped souvenirs were displayed on small shelves.

“What’s that?” “Ah, um!” Jaina, surprised, whispered with a slight smile. “In the empire, dragons are almost like gods. So, everyone buys these hoping to ward off misfortune for the whole year.” “I don’t have the ability to ward off misfortune or anything like that.” “Um… it’s a kind of charm.”
Jaina was surprised and then whispered with a slight smile, “In the empire, dragons are almost like gods. So, everyone buys these hoping to ward off misfortune for the whole year.” “I don’t have the ability to ward off misfortune or anything like that.” “Um… it’s a kind of charm.”

Nathaniel, in front of me, saw a child passing by holding a dragon-shaped wooden doll in their arms.

The child’s face was full of happiness.

“The temple is small, but inside, there is a very important relic… Nathaniel?”

“Ah, um… sorry.”

At Jaina’s call, he tore his gaze away from the child. Then, he took her hand and opened the temple door.

“They’ve decorated inside too.”

Unlike the grand and imposing temples in the capital, the interior was modest.

Columns made of marble were adorned with colorful lights, and white ribbons were tied here and there.

“They say even the temple is very enthusiastic about this festival.”

The affection of Hiera people was felt throughout the temple.

Nathaniel slowly observed the exhibits inside the temple.

There were rough dragon sculptures and statues of adults who had wielded great power in the past.

They didn’t seem to have tremendous artistic value.

However, Nathaniel felt a strange emotion as he looked around.

“It’s here. The relic I mentioned is here.”

Jaina grabbed Nathaniel’s hand and led him to one side.
A place where the colored light passing through the stained glass on the ceiling falls.

There, an old and rusty sword was placed.

“What’s this?”

“Well, I’ve only heard about it…,” Jaina, who was reading the guide with her body bent, suddenly shuddered.

“A sword that sealed a rampaging dragon in the past. It took a whopping five hundred years for the blood on the blade to dry.”

Nathaniel casually read the explanation. Jaina, shocked, turned pale.

“Oh, no. This is…”

“I should be more careful in the future.”

“I didn’t know I was like this, and there’s such a peculiar artifact!”

Her face was now turning red as if it would burst this time. Nathaniel couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Okay, sorry. I didn’t mean to tease, but it’s just too cute.”

Nathaniel tapped her head lightly. Finally, whether it was genuine or not, Jaina sighed with a breath.

“Wandering around crowded places must be tiring, right? Let’s stop here.”

Nathaniel looked down at Jaina.

Just a few days ago, she was grumbling about how bothersome it was to come on a trip and decide what to do.

It was undoubtedly an attempt to deliberately reduce the schedule because of him.

Nathaniel held Jaina’s smooth hand.

“Let’s see a bit more.”

“What?”

“Since you’ve been inside the room for a few days, let’s make up for that time and explore more.”

Although she pretended not to care, there was undoubtedly a joyful expression on her face.
Jaina nodded and tightened her grip on the held hand.

The two watched a play performed by children in the temple and bought souvenirs.