Hershis was waiting for Riz in the courtyard of the sponsor’s residence. The subtle light of lanterns cast a gentle glow on his profile as he leaned against the marble railing, enjoying the charm of the night. When Riz approached, he turned his face, and his eyes, with softly curved features, were bathed in the yellow light.

“What’s all this?”

Entering the courtyard, Riz’s face expressed surprise. Along the edges of the floor, candles were arranged at regular intervals. What she thought was light from a single lantern turned out to be the combined light of dozens of candles.

As Riz looked around in admiration, Hershis whispered affectionately, “Trying to set the mood.”

“The mood?”

“Come to think of it, we’ve never tried to create an atmosphere outdoors like this. It’s always been in your room, the dining hall, or the banquet hall.”

“…Is that so?”

It seemed vaguely true. However, Riz, who didn’t actively seek out new things and believed that the place wasn’t crucial as long as she was with someone she liked, hadn’t paid much attention.

Hershis tapped her on the side.

As Riz quietly approached, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. The warmth of their bodies touching felt surprisingly refreshing, even in the midst of the summer heat.

“Like it?”

Hershis looked at the candles.

“Yes. It’s atmospheric and nice.”

“Should I do this more often?”

Riz silently shook her head.

“No. If events happen too frequently, the impact will be lessened. Events should have a certain rarity.”

Hershis chuckled at her words.

The two shared body warmth for a while, gazing up at the night sky.

The stars were scattered like grains of rice. Suddenly, Riz raised her hand, mimicking the act of drawing lines between the stars.

“What are you doing?”

Hershis asked.

“Looking for constellations. I wondered if there were any constellations I knew.”

“And? Did you find any?”

Riz lowered her hand.

“No.”

Hershis asked again, “What constellation were you trying to find?”

“Scorpius.”

Hershis grabbed Riz’s finger and raised it again. Then, he slowly began connecting the stars in the night sky.

“Wow!”

As the constellation Scorpius was completed with the star forming the stinger, Riz exclaimed, “It really exists. Why didn’t I know?”

“Well, you’ve always lived without looking at the night sky much. You, always went to bed early.”

Hershis said it matter-of-factly.

‘Right.’

For her, who had always gone to bed early and slept through until morning, the night sky had been nothing more than a scenery occasionally looked at when it felt uplifting.

Suddenly, a question arose.

How long had he been watching the night sky to immediately find a constellation? Since childhood? He might not have known.
Every minute and every second of his early years were spent on alert against the salvos, and during the long sleepless nights, what else could he have done besides observing constellations?

Suddenly, a feeling pricked his heart.

He wanted to say something nice to her. An appropriate phrase came to mind.

“Watching the night sky together like this reminds me of the proposal you made to me. That day was truly touching.”

Looking at Hershis with a gently smiling face, Riz continued, “You told me that you would be a better husband than a good emperor.”

“I remember.”

“Then, do you remember how I responded?”

“Of course. You said both would be fine.”

Despite it happening not long ago, Riz felt that the incident was very distant.

Perhaps too much had happened in the meantime.

Swiftly regaining control of the fleeting emotions while reminiscing about the memories, Riz jokingly said, “You should step up. I’ll always make sure if that promise is kept.”

“…”

Although she meant it as a joke, he responded with a serious expression.

‘Why did he suddenly become like this? Did my words make him uncomfortable?’

“Riz.”

Just as she began to wonder, Hershis pulled his arm away from her and, looking into her eyes with a serious expression, said, “I will be both a good husband and a good emperor.”

For a moment, Riz, who had been tense, burst into laughter.

‘What am I saying again?’

“Also, a good father.”

“…”

Slowly, the smile faded from Riz’s face.

Her eyes were filled with bewilderment, and her lips kept faltering, unsure of how to respond.

Finally, summoning the words she had to say, Riz spoke slowly and deliberately.

“Uh… Father?”

“…”

“Now… did you just call yourself… a father?”

It was a tone that hoped you would correct her, saying you misheard. However, Hershis had no intention of denying what was correct.

“Yes.”

“…”

“You said you would be a good father to the child I am holding right now.”

Riz covered her mouth with both hands. Her pupils emitted a purplish glow, radiating a light of astonishment.

“You… knew about it?”

Hershis closed and opened his eyes deeply, conveying the meaning that it was true.

“When… and how?”

“A while ago. By chance.”

It was a vague answer, but it was also the best answer.