The picture received about an hour later was to Natasha’s liking.

As it was a quickly completed picture, rough lines and brushstrokes were noticeable. Although the finishing was relatively untidy, Natasha still liked it regardless.

Natasha hugged the picture tightly as if it were a precious treasure and conveyed her thanks to the artist.

“Wow, thank you!”

“Haha, does the young lady like it?”

“Yes, I really like it. I’ll have to frame it and keep it for a long time.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I hope your lover likes it too.”

A moment later, Natasha and the artist’s gazes turned simultaneously towards Sieghart. In contrast to the excited woman’s reaction, the man’s side was indifferent, making it even more contrasting.

Sieghart was looking at the picture in Natasha’s hand with an expressionless face.

Realizing that this was not a very good sign, Natasha hurriedly took her lover and left.

When they were far enough away from the artist that their conversation couldn’t be heard, Natasha casually asked.

“You don’t like the picture?”

“You look too strange in it.”

Sieghart answered promptly, as if he had been waiting for those words.

It wasn’t that he disliked it because he didn’t look good, but because Natasha didn’t look good.

“Really? I can’t tell…”

She actually liked how she looked in the picture.

As an amateur work, the woman in the picture would be different from the real person. But it wasn’t a work of such low quality that it could be called strange.

As Natasha tilted her head in incomprehension, this time he acted as if he was frustrated. Unable to hold back, Sieghart blurted out one more thing.

“You’re much more beautiful.”

“…”

“To begin with, a mere picture could never be prettier than my wife.”

Could such embarrassing words really have come from Sieghart’s mouth?

Natasha, who had been listening blankly, was surprised. She couldn’t believe that such romantic words, which should only come out between lovers, had come from his mouth.

It wasn’t that she disliked it at all. The man’s compliment kept echoing in her mind, gently tickling her heart.

Try as she might to suppress it, the corners of her mouth rose on their own. Natasha, who had been smiling brightly without realizing it, hurriedly curled her lips inward to hide them.

Looking at the gentle man who seemed to be striding with his tall stature while keeping pace with her, Natasha realized anew.

She felt foolish for not even thinking there would be a change in their relationship even after they had kissed deeply.

But now she knew.

That we have now become lovers.

Well, just as Sieghart had done, Natasha didn’t act crudely either. So she didn’t suddenly ask in a cliché manner, ‘Are we lovers now?’

Instead, she proposed that they should do things that only lovers would do.

In fact, these were things that married couples would do. After all, the act of exchanging rings is only promised between engaged couples or married couples.

Anyway, Natasha put cute rings on her ring finger and Sieghart’s pinky finger.

“I just realized we had lost our rings.”

Well, to be precise, it would be correct to say that Natasha had abandoned not only her husband but also her ring alone while she was away from Sieghart.

However, there was no need to mention such details, so Natasha kept her words to a minimum.

“Anyway, I wanted to get a new one because of that. How about it, for a change of mood?”

What Natasha got were toy rings that children often wear.

Perhaps because her fingers were thin, fortunately the children’s ring fit snugly on her ring finger.

…Sieghart couldn’t even fit the ring on his pinky finger, so he had to dangle it on the upper part.

But cute was cute.

“Isn’t it cute?”

Natasha asked, pretending not to be curious about the other’s reaction.

This time too, Sieghart showed an indifferent expression. It was a signal that he wasn’t very pleased.

Although she had secretly hoped, the man’s reaction was so bland that she lost steam. Natasha, deeply disappointed, pouted.

Sieghart, having his own excuses, muttered indifferently.

“…If it’s to replace that, I should give you something better.”

He seemed to be reproaching her for choosing such a childish thing for a new ring.

“That’s for later. I want to do this now. It’s romantic, isn’t it?”

Natasha stretched her palm up towards the sky and smiled. The sea glass sparkling under the sunlight was as beautiful as if compared to a jewel.

Sieghart glanced once at her, who seemed noticeably happy, and once at the surrounding children who were happy to receive rings like her.

“Is this your taste?”

It was a question as if asking if she enjoyed children’s play house.

Of course, he wouldn’t have had any intention of sneering. He was probably just curious if Natasha really liked such things.

She pondered the answer for a moment before finally confessing the truth.

“I just… wanted you to enjoy it. Because the you of your childhood probably never experienced the things that children innocently enjoyed. Even if it feels childish now, I want you to experience it at least once.”

Sieghart, who had walked a harsh past, probably didn’t experience alone the ordinary things that most children would have experienced.

What was ordinary for others would be new for that man, and that fact pained Natasha’s heart.

In fact, that’s why she acted more actively today. Let’s try this, let’s try that, eagerly leading the man.

Because Natasha knew.

How sweet and sour candied fruit skewers are. And how soft and fantastic cotton candy is.

How amazing soap bubbles are, and how fun pinwheels are.

How lovely the toy rings that children share unknowingly are.

“…And I wanted you to know that through me.”

When she faced Sieghart a moment later, he was drawing a subtle face. Natasha, who had seen the man’s secret side before, vaguely knew what it meant.

He looked like he was about to cry.

“…Natasha.”

Knowing what he would say next, she suddenly hugged him.

“It’s okay, let’s not worry about such things. We’ve lost too much to worry about such details.”

“…”

“We agreed to make a new start from today, didn’t we, Sieghart.”

She repeatedly stroked the other’s back, gradually calming the sudden wave of emotions.

“So let’s enjoy today happily. Today is the most painful day, but it’s also the happiest day, isn’t it?”

The gentle voice subdued the sudden storm.

Clearly, at first Natasha was hugging the other, but at some point, it was the opposite, she was being hugged. Moreover, the other naturally pulled her in tightly.

The languid heartbeat transmitted through the firm chest. The sound that quietly spread seemed faster than usual.

When the sound became calm, the woman quietly looked up at Sieghart.

Sieghart’s beautiful face was fully reflected in her clear eyes. As naturally as the laws of the world, Natasha was also densely reflected in his eyes.

The quiet heartbeat seemed to race again.

It was when the two pairs of red eyes overlapped for a long time, as if an intense exploration was about to begin. Feeling a strange atmosphere, Natasha hurriedly covered the man’s mouth.

“…No, no. We’re outside!”

Only at times like this are you quick-witted.

Sieghart, slightly frowning his eyebrows, seemed to say so.

…That was close.

Natasha, letting out a sigh of relief, muttered inwardly.

The festival ended faster than expected. It was because the news of the Emperor’s death was delivered to the empire.

People murmured about what was happening on this auspicious day. The empire, which should have been the most bustling of the year, became the gloomiest of the year instead.

“He died well!”

A drunk man appeared in front of the two people watching the festival being withdrawn and caused a disturbance.

“It may have looked splendid on the outside, but wasn’t he the most incompetent emperor in history! Tsk tsk, it would have been right to pass it on to the next person quickly…”

“Oh my, has the old man gone senile! Be careful with your words in this situation!”

The owner who was closing his skewer shop in a disappointed face slapped the old man’s back in shock.

“What incompetent emperor! Everything that exists today is all thanks to the efforts of the late Emperor!”

“You’re going to milk that one achievement for ten years! Speaking bluntly, what benefit does territorial expansion bring to commoners like us! Wasn’t it him who made life even harder!”

Unable to handle the old man shouting at the top of his lungs, the owner hurriedly pulled his cart.

Saying that he avoids filth because it’s dirty, the owner who was leaving the place discovered the two people standing blankly on the roadside and urged them.

“You two should go home quickly too! It will surely be a turbulent day.”

Natasha and Sieghart could only smile awkwardly.

The two people, tired from looking around the quiet village, sat by the fountain. Natasha naturally rested her head on the man’s shoulder and looked at the red-tinged sky.

Sieghart said he would leave his seat for a moment and disappeared down the opposite road.

There’s no way he suddenly had something to do. Natasha, suspicious of his sudden departure, tried to guess the reason why he left.

‘…Did his shoulder hurt?’

No way.

Trying hard to ignore the narrowed-down candidate, she looked around.

Children who were unaware of the empire’s situation were playing comfortably. Whatever was so fun, beautiful smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces.

And when some time had passed.

The children who were playing with soap bubbles bought from the festival suddenly ran away and surrounded one person. Occasionally, shy screams from the girls spread out.

“Wow!”

“I wonder who he’s going to give it to!”

“Is it a confession?”

A man who suddenly became the protagonist of the village stopped in front of Natasha with a crowd in tow.

A beautiful smile also bloomed on the woman’s face when she saw the large bouquet in his hand.