To get straight to the point, the night service Mereum mentioned was not that kind of service.

If you ask what that service is, I have no words to explain!

Feeling a bit embarrassed about the misunderstanding, I moved as energetically as possible.

The problem was that I didn’t seem to be particularly helpful.

‘I’m just walking around on the deck, not doing much.’

Over there, a clown was juggling potatoes. Behind him, a shop was selling baked whole potatoes with dill butter, giving off an indescribably fragrant and savory aroma.

When I stared blankly at it, Mereum silently paid.

“Eat.”

“Is it okay to buy me something like this?”

“……”

“…sir?”

Ah, using honorifics is difficult.

Still, the fact that I had deceived Mereum was thrilling.

I put a buttery potato in my mouth and chewed.

It wasn’t too hot, so it was good to eat with my cheeks puffed out.

‘Ah, this is how street food should be. Among human inventions, the best food culture is this street food.’

Why would street vendors suddenly appear on the Empress’s cruise?

It’s all because of my taste.

The food in the Imperial Palace was fancy and delicious, but lightly seasoned.

It’s all because of this damn fragile body.

I would collapse at the slightest thing and have to eat patient meals, or else eat low-salt, low-sugar meals, so I really missed this kind of stimulating food.

I prefer this kind of food to fancy stuff.

But it’s not like I could hide my identity as the Empress and sneak out to buy it.

‘Ah, it’s been a long time since I revealed my true self, not ‘Empress Leonarda’.’

I was losing my original self, but coming here makes me feel like I’m slowly finding it again.

Plus, the food was so delicious.

The salty skin of the baked potato is indeed a delicacy. Infused with the fragrance of dill and seasoned with just the right amount of salt, it kept going into my mouth with a savory taste.

“Ahem.”

As I was eating like that, I belatedly became conscious of Mereum. It’s definitely not that I only took my eyes off the potato because he cleared his throat.

“Do you want to eat this… sir?”

Since I didn’t mind giving it to Mereum, I stabbed the biggest and plumpest potato left in the bowl with a wooden skewer and held it out.

Then Mereum, who had been covering his mouth and turning his head away, looked at me for a long time with his eyes crinkled.

Drip.

Impatient butter runs down the side of my hand.

For a moment, his golden pupils narrowed and he shot a sharp glance in that direction.

“Hand.”

“My hand?”

“Excuse me.”

“!!!”

Mereum, bending his waist loosely, licked the butter pooled near my wrist bone.

It happened so suddenly that I froze stiff, unable to hide my bewilderment as I watched him slightly stick out his tongue.

“…This is enough for me.”

“Ah… yes. But the potato tastes better.”

Was Mereum originally… that kind of person?

Slightly shocked, I popped the potato into my mouth and chewed vigorously. It seemed like the only way to calm down.

‘Think of something else. Think of something else.’

My wrist feels hot.

It’s like witnessing a huge black tiger revealing its true nature after trying hard to believe it was just a cat.

“What does that taste like?”

“That?”

At that moment, Mereum pointed to a street vendor.

There was a charcoal grill there, with lobsters and scallops being grilled with all their might.

“Heiya!”

Eventually, the chef showcased his skills by sprinkling salt, pepper, and cheese with both hands.

And then he poured wine in a swirl, which immediately caused the fire to flare up, capturing people’s attention.

Watching it blankly, I almost drooled and quickly wiped my mouth.

“Two.”

“Yay!”

Mereum silently bought me grilled lobster with cheese again.

But no matter how long I waited, Mereum didn’t give me the grilled lobster.

I had even held out my hand, thinking it was obviously for me!

“Don’t look at me like that. I was planning to give it to you after it cooled down because it’s hot.”

Somehow noticing my protesting gaze, Mereum made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse. Then he lifted the food high enough that I couldn’t reach it.

“…It’ll cool down faster if I put it up high.”

“I can eat it well even if it’s hot.”

“You’ll burn your mouth.”

I’m not sure if he’s being kind or brusque.

Mereum’s face was expressionless by now.

As I was looking around at the festival street I had artificially created next to him, I suddenly became puzzled.

‘Wait, why am I walking so naturally with Mereum like this?’

When I came to my senses, the goal of looking at the faces of concubine candidates and choosing one I liked had already flown away somewhere.

Scratching my cheek, I naturally accepted the lobster tail meat that Mereum had separated for me and pondered what to do.

Should I reveal my identity here with a “Ta-da, it’s me!”?

“A moment.”

But then, Mereum gently stopped me.

In fact, there had been a presence following me since the potato butter grill shop. I was wondering when Mereum would notice it, and it’s admirable.

‘It seems he already knew. He came this way to find a suitable place to deal with it?’

The lobster cheese grill street vendor was relatively in a corner, near a dark space where wooden boxes filled with charcoal were stacked.

Here, we could counterattack and dispose of the assassin without anyone knowing.

But can I eat Mereum’s portion too?

Having reflexively taken his share as well, I furtively glanced at him.

I can see the energy of water rippling around Mereum.

Until now, the power of the Spirit King had only served to cool down the yang energy he possessed. Because too strong a power had dwelled in his young body, it had to be suppressed with the energy of water.

But now that he has grown up, his body has finally become strong enough to contain the power of the sun.

Therefore, the Spirit King no longer needed to just suppress the yang energy.

‘Ah, it hit the mark.’

As Mereum exhaled, he moved water particles too small to be seen.

The death throes of the assassin who had been following were drowned out by the voices of laughter and chatter.

Mereum signaled to the guards positioned in every corner to remove the corpse somewhere over there.

It was such a clean disposal that I didn’t even need to say a word or step in.

‘He’s all grown up.’

Unable to resist my gluttony, I was munching on Mereum’s portion as well when I quietly disposed of the trash in a nearby garbage can.

It was then.

‘What’s this?’

As if that assassin had been merely a smoke screen, an evil energy snarled fiercely, baring its fangs, making my spine stiffen in an instant.

It was my brother’s energy, which should not be felt here.

Though it wasn’t particularly surprising, Mereum almost lost his mind.

Leonarda’s unique cinnamon sugar scent.

He was greatly disturbed because that scent, which he considered very special, was coming from some trash.

‘Why is she imprinting her scent?’

Isn’t it wild animals that mark their territory with their pheromones?

No matter how you look at it, it seems Leonarda ‘deliberately’ imprinted it… Was this kind of unsavory thing her taste?

Dark emotions stirred up a storm in his inner world.

No matter how hard he tried to swallow it, jealousy leaked out with every breath he exhaled.

“Is it okay to buy me something like this?”

“……”

“…sir?”

Even in the midst of this, Leonarda was seriously cute.

He was angry that she had imprinted her scent on such trash, but seeing her struggle with unfamiliar honorifics made the corners of his mouth twitch.

‘Hah, how could I be angry with you?’

Walking with Leonarda on the deck decorated like a festival street somewhat eased his tight chest.

Time spent together, just the two of them.

Time with only the two of them.

Isn’t that what he desperately wanted?

This precious moment might not come again. So he couldn’t keep feeling bad.

Leonarda doesn’t try to give him her moments.

Even now, she’s only with him because she believes she’s perfectly hidden her identity.

‘Didn’t they say the name of this ship is A Midsummer Night’s Dream?’

It truly is.

A dream I want to forcibly hold onto if I could.

But in the end, I’ll have to wake up.

Because summer isn’t eternal, and neither are dreams.

Mereum looked down at Leonarda, who was walking enthusiastically without hiding her excitement, and covered his mouth.

Where did her usual dignified appearance go, how could she be so cute?

Seeing this side of her for the first time made his heart beat too fast.

Fast enough that he might be caught if he carelessly handed over food.

“Don’t look at me like that. I was planning to give it to you after it cooled down because it’s hot.”

Her red eyes, looking at him with betrayed eyes, reflected the light of the lamps and sparkled enchantingly.

It’s lovely how she has the confidence and arrogance to think she won’t be caught even though she’s not wearing a mask.

She had the confidence to deceive the world, and the arrogance to believe the world would gladly be deceived.

And the world calls this innocence.

She alone didn’t know.

“……”

Mereum unconsciously opened his mouth and then closed it.

His chest tightens.

Should he complain that he doesn’t like other men knowing this side of her? If he acts spoiled as always, pressing his cheeks against her soft hands, would she put an end to this ridiculous circus?

What should I do to make you accept me? You.

‘You don’t know how much I wanted to tear apart those dog-like bastards laughing by your side at every party…’

It’s not just empty words.

In the desert, it was common to skin rivals.