LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 230
Chapter 230
“Shushu, you’ll be wearing a uniform.”
“Right. What’s the dress code?”
With excited steps—though I thought I was trying to calm down, I could still see the flapping tail in my vision—Leo, having arrived at his palace, swung my door open without hesitation. His attitude was as shameless as if he were entering his own room.
“Light green.”
Thud
After closing the door, Leo’s light green irises sparkled as he grinned widely.
“Aren’t you a bit too excited?”
“I finally got a dance partner! Considering it’s my first time, cut me some slack.”
I poked fun at Leo, who looked like a little kid, and he replied nonchalantly. I blinked in disbelief.
“……First time? You’ve never danced before?”
Dancing with a partner at a banquet was a tradition across the entire continent.
Leo, of all people, was the king, not just some old geezer but a young man in his prime. It was clear he had to dance on behalf of everyone at big banquets.
“Why would I dance when you’re not there?”
As I tried to rationalize his exaggeration, Leo tilted his head with a clueless expression, not knowing what was wrong.
‘This guy really has lived life his own way.’
The bulldozer-like ‘My Way’ lifestyle of Leo was astonishing the more I learned about him. I let out a deep sigh as I gazed at him in wonder.
‘Having gotten a royal palace as my residence in life, experiencing my first dance wouldn’t be so bad… though I’ll probably have to endure tales of being an exceptional femme fatale who captured the king in just one day… I hope this rumor doesn’t spread to the Empire…
If it does, the flood of messages might just explode my communication magic tool. I decided to turn off all but the one for work-related messages for a while.
“Do whatever you want.”
I surrendered completely and waved my hand at Leo, who was waiting expectantly for my clothes.
Yes, as long as he was happy.
As soon as the words left my mouth, Leo practically ran to my closet, intent on picking out clothes for me.
Though I’d prepared well enough not to get scolded for dressing haphazardly, he scrutinized the uniforms as carefully as a blacksmith selecting steel for swords.
“Getting clothing service from the king—I’ve made it in life. What an honor.”
“If you know, then stop loafing around and just sit over there and relax.”
“Okay, okay.”
I replied lazily, sprawling out on the sofa with my legs draped over the armrest.
Leo, still focused on the uniforms, called for a servant to bring tea, but since I didn’t want to broadcast him serving clothes, I flatly refused.
“Come here.”
Maybe I was looking for cat ears in the wallpaper; Leo called me over. I jumped up and stood before him in an instant.
“This one is somewhat similar to what I’ll wear today.”
What he held was a silvery uniform that shimmered brilliantly.
“You’ll wear this for the banquet, right?”
“Well, I don’t mind… but didn’t you say the dress code is light green?”
I twirled the uniform around, but there wasn’t a hint of light green in sight.
Should I even pick up some leaves and stick them in my hair? Just as I pondered, Leo detached a golden brooch shaped like a lion from his uniform’s lapel and flashed a wide grin.
“Do you know what color my aura is?”
“Of course, it’s…”
Swish.
A powerful mana gathered right in front of me, instinctively drawing my nerves towards it.
“Light green.”
Snap.
From the gaps of Leo’s fingers holding the brooch, light green aura burst forth like electricity.
I realized immediately what Leo had done.
Though the aura is formless, its presence is incredibly strong, meaning that when poured with a certain amount without the intent to destroy the object, the object absorbs the color of the aura.
The reason my dagger blade has turned completely black when I’ve been working with Mir is because of this.
“Tada! Now the dress code will be met.”
Leo spread his hands as if demonstrating magic and offered me the brooch. The golden brooch was now vividly tinged light green.
He attached it to the lapel of the uniform he had chosen, then held the uniform up to my body and wore a satisfied expression.
“You’ll radiate my aura.”
Since the aura poured out enough to color it, it was only natural for the aura owner’s energy to spread around like a territorial marking. I chuckled at the feeling of Leo’s distinctive energy.
If his aura felt unpleasant, I would have immediately pushed it away with my own. However, finding him adorable as he satisfied himself by color-coordinating with a brooch made me decide to let it be.
“Alright. Is this fine?”
“No. Where do you think you’re slipping away in the middle? You need to take my first dance too.”
I rolled my eyes for a moment, getting lost in thought.
For nobles, the first dance carries great significance. Just like a debutante partner creating rumors in the Empire, Atara would be no different.
‘Isn’t this a bit like taking away my first kiss? Not that I think of El as having taken my first dance… but no, she did take it.’
As my stream of consciousness conjured up an embarrassing memory, I quickly hoped my face wasn’t turning red.
“Is it okay for your first dance partner to be me?”
I tilted my chin up to meet Leo’s gaze. He gazed back with those gem-like light green eyes, tilting his head.
“Who else would I give it to? You’re the only choice.”
He returned my words with an expression as if asking why I questioned something so obvious.
“……Is it alright if I can’t give you my first dance?”
It’s a negotiation with an imbalance. If I were Leo, I would feel it was unfair.
Hearing my question, Leo burst out laughing freely.
“It’s fine. This is my first dance with you, isn’t it?”
His blind gaze remained unwavering.
Suddenly, I realized that his gaze always followed me.
‘Can I repay that blind devotion?’
As my mind became chaotic with the thought, Leo continued, as if blocking out the noise.
“I want your first, best, and only. But if not, I don’t mind. I’ll gladly accept whatever you give me, even if it’s a bitter pill to swallow.”
Drawing my hand, Leo pressed his lips onto my palm. My rough, calloused hand must have felt coarse against his soft lips, but he didn’t pull away.
In those persistent eyes, I found something familiar.
“I’m craving you.”
Longing.
I had seen this feeling so many times. It always stirred my heart. But among all the longings I’d witnessed, Leo’s was unique.
“Do you remember? I was an omnivorous kid. I didn’t care whether it was alive or rotten; I just swallowed anything that came into my mouth. Even after becoming king, I’m still the same. I want to devour anything related to you.”
With a wet sound, something soft scraped against my hand like nails on rough sandpaper, filling my palm with a wet, squishy sensation.
The hairs on my neck stood on end.
It was a primal act, his sparkling eyes looking down, resembling a predator sampling its prey.
“So whether it’s your second dance or my tenth confession of love, or even the thirtieth kiss, I want it from you.”
He slowly turned his head, fixing his gaze on me.
Ah, his longing was fundamentally different.
“I’ll digest it myself.”
He seemed willing to swallow whatever I offered him, even if it was poison. He would greedily devour just a shriveled bone piece while sharing the juicy bits with others.
His greed spared nothing.
Soon after, a light-hearted Leo left, but I remained dumbfounded until the maids arrived to help prepare for the banquet.
I swirled my fingertips through the bathwater, faintly smelling the oil. My sense of smell was sensitive, and I always felt uncomfortable with overly strong scents, so I only added a tiny amount to my bathwater.
With a sigh, I leaned back as I stirred the water.
I thought of Leo as my first friend I made and a refuge from his immature self that he had yet to shed. Thus, I gave in to his childish possessiveness and obsession.
‘Whatever you want…
But no matter how I thought of it, it felt like there was something larger than myself. I thought I knew Leo well, just after Leisha, or maybe just as well, but now I couldn’t understand him.
His dark pupils resembled a black hole, and the circle bordering his iris looked like the Ouroboros, filled with deep, endless greed.
Staring into his eyes made me feel oddly uneasy.
‘Only 30 minutes until the banquet starts.’
The time alone to think felt too long. After deep reflection, I snapped back to reality and stepped out of the bathtub.
Since I was moving for the war and didn’t want to drag along Duke’s mansion’s attendants for my convenience, I left them all behind. Therefore, the ones serving me here were all maids from the Atara Royal Palace.
Not only were they unfamiliar, but after hearing that there were spies in Atara, I felt uneasy having them close and simply asked for them to prepare my bathwater.
Quickly drying off, I put on the uniform. Since I aimed for minimal grooming, it didn’t take long. After tying my hair into a single bun, I looked at myself in the mirror.
‘This should be good enough.’
It was just decent enough to pass. It would have looked better had the maids touched it up, but I had no regrets since my guiding principle was just not to get scolded.
Knock, Knock.
“It’s me. Can I come in?”
Just as I completed all my preparations, I felt the presence of the protagonist who had been swirling in my mind outside the door.
“Come in.”
I accepted curiously.
If Leo and I were formal partners, it would be natural for him to come for me, but since our promise was merely on a personal dance partner level, I couldn’t guess why Leo would come to find me just before the most hectic banquet.
“What’s going on?”
“I figured you wouldn’t have been served, so I was right?”
Leo strode across my room confidently. His sudden visit was sharp but accurate. I, who didn’t care much for being served even in the Duke’s manor, nodded hesitantly.
“That’s right. Is there a problem?”
“The dress code for the official banquets in Atara is very particular. I almost dropped out of learning it once. If you had received service, the maids would have dressed you properly… but you need my help, right?”
With a mischievous smile, Leo stood before me. I couldn’t help but admire him once more.
His white curls were perfectly styled, and the silver uniform, seemingly made from fairy silk, shimmered in various colors as it caught the light, fitting him perfectly. His god-like face sparkled as if dusted with stardust.
I stared intently at the light green brooch pinned to his jacket lapel.
With only the silver uniform, it might seem coincidental, but wearing the same light green brooch as if it were coordinated made it hard to dismiss.
“I’ve changed my mind. Would you rather switch to a sloppy white shirt or something ragged like a tunic? This is only for when it’s just the two of us.”
“Did you hit your frontal lobe on the way here?”
When I was observing him, I felt a lingering gaze on me as if he was watching me intently. I shrugged off the following words as idle chatter.
Thud.
“……I—”
“Then, how does one wear it Atara-style?”
I lightly tapped Leo’s forehead with my knuckles, snapping him out of his stupor, and raised my chin. Once he blinked a few times, he relaxed and reached for my white shirt.
“The first button of the shirt should stay buttoned, the second should be undone. The shirt should be neat but have a slight wrinkle, and all the sleeve buttons should be undone.”
Leo’s big hand gently brushed over me.
Dressing was almost as intricate as summoning a demon; there were so many little details. However, I didn’t mind that Leo quietly adjusted my attire without complaints.
“The epaulet shouldn’t hang below the armpit, and there shouldn’t be anything in the trouser pockets. The trousers need to fit perfectly, and the hem should be folded just a little.”
Checking over my whole outfit, he knelt on one knee and grabbed my ankle. There was something paradoxical about him, bowing to me while dressed handsomely in a uniform.
“No one would dare speak against how you’re dressed, but I still hope you look perfect. Unapproachable by anyone.”
As Leo looked up at me, pulling the corners of his lips upwards, I unconsciously clenched my gloved fingers tightly.
“Your Majesty, where are you?!”
Just as I was about to say something, I heard a noise from outside the door. Even just before the banquet, someone was anxiously searching for the king. Leo’s face immediately wrinkled with discontent as he sighed and stood up.
“……I’ll see you in a bit.”
Instead of going out the door, Leo hopped into the window frame. His room was directly above mine, so he must have intended to head up. When he opened the window, a refreshing evening breeze rushed in.
“Wait!”
TTTT-
Before Leo left, he called out to me.
“Wait for me. I’ll come asking you for a dance.”
His green cloak billowed and fluttered with the black-red curtains of my room, and his white hair danced around him, creating a mystical backdrop of a beautiful evening sky as he smiled brilliantly.
It was a scene I would never forget.