For beasts, the mouth existed to eat food and make sounds.

I do not know why humans defined the act of rubbing, licking, and sucking each other’s lips as an expression of affection.

I could not understand why so many humans described this act, which was not even related to reproduction, as sweet.

At least, that was the case until I first kissed her.

“Litania. Open your mouth.”

As hot breath brushed the tip of her soft lips, she parted her pink lips to let me in.

Even with just a light touch, the sensation of the mucous membrane softening and warming up was incredibly vivid and intense.

She panted slightly as if she was short of breath from the heated contact.

Tightly embracing Litania’s staggering waist, Orbis inhaled her breath. The sweet scent spread thickly as her excited sighs and broken nasals dispersed.

Ah. Is this what they call mouth-watering?

Her closed eyelids lifted, and dazed pink eyes turned towards Orbis.

He suddenly felt ravenous.

“Litania, just a little more.”

“You said only once…”

“We haven’t finished once yet.”

Before she could point out his unreasonableness, their lips overlapped again.

The sound of her small heart pounding seemed to cross over their touching chests and ignite his own heart.

He no longer felt the cold of the winter night.

Orbis lightly licked her flushed cheek and buried his face in her neck, letting out a deep sigh.

Litania squirmed.

He thought she would push him away, telling him to stop now, but unexpectedly, she wrapped her arms around his back and gently caressed his broad back. Her slender fingers were entangled in his shimmering long golden hair.

“You know, Orbis. When I first kissed you… my heart was pounding and I was very excited.”

“What about now?”

“Now… hmm. It was quite thrilling.”

She answered in a slightly trembling voice and rubbed her forehead against his shoulder. Steam seemed to escape through her disheveled bangs.

“Can we do it one more time?”

“No.”

Because we promised only once.

Litania answered like that and pushed Orbis away with a coy face. Since he was holding her waist to prevent her from falling off the railing, the distance between them did not widen much even then.

From a close distance where their breath could touch the tip of their noses, their eyes filled with heat turned towards each other.

“Orbis. Your lips are red.”

“So are yours.”

“Haha. It’s nice not to need makeup.”

Litania laughed awkwardly and slightly stuck out her butt to come down from the railing. Orbis held her waist to support her so she wouldn’t misstep.

She came down to the floor lightly and looked at Orbis.

When she was sitting on the railing, their eye levels matched, but now she had to look up to the point where her neck hurt to meet his gaze.

“Hmm. Height is about this much.”

Litania rubbed the back of Orbis’ hand that was wrapped around her waist with her palm. Realizing that his wrist was thicker than it looked and couldn’t be grasped with one hand, she seemed a little surprised and opened her mouth, blinking her eyes.

“Your hands are big, your arms are long… well, it’s natural since you’re tall, right?”

“Litania. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to remember you too.”

Orbis’ eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

“I don’t have a good memory like Orbis, and I don’t have a particular talent for drawing… so I have no choice but to remember with my body.”

The days in Yongseong were like a dream. So Litania couldn’t recall the past as vividly as Orbis.

That’s why she could easily deny it all as an illusion.

“Do you regret meeting me?”

“Well… I don’t like assumptions like if this had happened, if that had happened. What’s important is the present, the reality.”

“Then, right now, what do you think of me?”

“You said Orbis is my friend, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you became my knight.”

“Yes.”

“That’s it.”

The distance where they could treat each other without getting hurt.

The distance where they could get closer, captivated by desperate longing, without rushing to the edge of a cliff again.

The safest and most perfect distance to end their love beautifully.

They must not stray from this interval.

Otherwise, they would let go of themselves that they had barely protected.

“We have to part ways here, Orbis.”

Litania smiled at Orbis.

With the most beautiful face, just like the day he sent her away.

* * *

“Princess Litania!”

As they reached the border of the Duchy of Difamo, Bain and the knights who spotted her from across the border called out to Litania.

Litania waved at them.

“Bain, did you wait long?”

“No. Your Highness arrived on the scheduled date. We just came out early in a hurry.”

Despite his words, their noses were red and snow was piled up on their shoulders. Maybe she should have pushed the date back a bit in case they came out early. Litania let out a small sigh.

“Litania.”

Orbis, who had accompanied her to the border, stood alone at a distance from the knights.

To maintain the safest and most perfect distance for them.

“Your Highness, please step back.”

Bain, who still had lingering wariness towards Orbis, kept his hand on the hilt of his sword and stared at the dragon with sharp eyes. The other knights standing behind the princess were the same.

To them who had witnessed the beautiful Yongseong turning into a scene of chaos in an instant, the dragon was an ominous being, and it was not a memory that disappeared just because he had brought the princess back safely once.

“It’s okay, Bain.”

“But…”

“I said it’s okay. I clearly stated it.”

Litania, after scanning the tense expressions of the knights, greeted Orbis in a deliberately bright voice.

“Orbis. Thank you for protecting me while I was attending the conference.”

“I just enjoyed the trip.”

Officially, he had gone as the Emperor’s messenger, but privately, it was a trip for just the two of them.

A belated honeymoon and a farewell trip.

‘Now that the trip is over, there’s no reason to be together anymore.’

The month passed like a dream.

When they faced each other, it was a vivid reality, but why did it become a blurry memory when it became the past?

“I had a good time too, Orbis.”

Unlike the painful forced separation, this time it wasn’t so distressing. Rather, there were more exciting and good memories.

If she had these memories, she would surely be able to endure well in the future.

“Orbis. If you ever need my help, feel free to call me.”

“…”

Isn’t it usually the opposite?

What would a dragon need a princess’s help for? The knights’ eyes widened.

“We’re friends. We should help each other.”

“…I see. I will keep that in mind.”

Orbis bowed politely to Litania. She also bowed in response.

Whoosh. The wind blew and dug up the snow on the ground. Litania’s long hair and the knights’ capes fluttered.

“Pr-Princess Litania!”

“It’s okay.”

Orbis’ figure disappeared and an intense light shot up towards the sky. The dragon, as if swimming, flew north through the frigid winter sky.

Litania, trying to draw the attention of the dumbfounded knights, clapped her hands and asked Bain, the commander.

“We should go back now. Did you bring Lapis? Bain.”

* * *

Litania, who arrived at the imperial palace, dismissed the chief lady-in-waiting who was going to prepare her bedroom and headed to the Emperor’s office.

“I’m back, Your Majesty.”

“…Litania!”

Emperor Ferus, who was sitting with a gloomy face, jumped up from his seat. As soon as he saw her face, he made a strange expression as if he had seen a ghost, then frowned.

‘Oops.’

Litania belatedly recalled that she had not knocked. It was a mistake to just enter because the office door was open from the beginning.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your work.”

“No… no. Come in.”

Ferus quickly averted his gaze and gestured slightly to Litania.

Litania felt a little dumbfounded by the gesture that was more like calling a puppy than a retainer.

‘I don’t expect to be treated as a princess anyway, but what’s with just gesturing without even looking at my face?’

Litania sat on the sofa opposite the office desk with a sullen expression.

Ferus, who got up from his seat, also approached with a slightly awkward gait and sat across from her.

“You look fine.”

“…”

Did he perhaps hold a grudge for defying his orders and going as an envoy out of spite, wishing for her to return injured?

Litania answered with the most composed expression possible, pressing down on her twitching lips.

“Because Orbis… the dragon was with me. I returned safely without getting hurt anywhere.”

“That guy.”

Ferus was about to spit out a curse with a murderous face, but quickly shut his mouth and roughly rubbed his face.

“Does that guy still have lingering feelings for you?”

“Your Majesty. Isn’t it in order to ask about the results when I have finished the conference and returned as an envoy?”

“…Th-that’s right. Did the conference go well?”

“Yes. Sermo, Rumor, and Difamo all pledged to withdraw the troops stationed at the borders.”

“…”

“And as compensation for trying to kidnap and kill me, the items sent from the three countries will arrive at the imperial palace soon. I hope it will help the capital’s people get through the winter.”

“That’s your share.”

“It’s my share, so it’s my freedom to use it however I want. So, as a princess, I want to use it for the country.”

“You, really…”

Ferus let out an astounded sigh and asked in a slightly softened voice.

“As a princess, do you intend to stay by my side… in the imperial palace from now on?”