Chapter 85: A Handful of a Person
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: A Handful of a Person
The apricot-colored dress she had commissioned in Couter not long ago was beautiful, but it had one major flaw: it was incredibly heavy.
He wouldn’t just not show up, would he?
Meisel desperately fanned the dying embers of her hope.
There was still plenty of time before the Eve Festival ended. If she gave up and went home now, only for him to appear later, she would never forgive herself.
Wiping the sweat from her brow beneath her hood, Meisel whipped around to glare at the maid following behind her.
“Can’t you walk any faster?”
The maid, who had slowed down to look at a stall in the neighboring shop, scurried to catch up.
“Where is your head? Do you think I brought you here to go shopping?”
“I’m sorry, my lady.”
“Go buy me a cold juice or something!”
Meisel pointed toward a juice shop where a long line had formed. Without a word of complaint, the maid ran to the very end of the queue.
It’ll take half the day just to get one glass of juice.
Meisel muttered a curse under her breath, her irritation mounting. It twisted her gut to see everyone else looking so happy while she was miserable.
Here I am, suffering like this just to find someone who might not even come.
She was busy glaring at passing couples from beneath the shadow of her hood when someone suddenly spoke to her.
“My lady, I have a beautiful necklace for you.”
A mysterious merchant, also draped in a hood, thrust a hand forward, cradling a necklace.
“What? I’m not buying.”
Since her fine clothes were hidden, it seemed even common peddlers thought they could approach her. Despite her clear display of displeasure, the man didn’t flinch. He spoke in a smooth, gentle voice.
“It contains a lucky magic stone that will help you achieve your heart’s desire. It is a rare piece, the only one of its kind in the world.”
As if a cheap necklace like this could do that.
Even though she knew it was a blatant sales pitch, Meisel’s eyes flickered toward the necklace. Beneath a common decorative chain, a small magic stone emitted a soft, yellow glow—surprisingly elegant for a fake.
It looks more convincing than I expected, but still...
It wasn't as if she could actually wear something like that in public. Just as she was about to wave him away, the merchant suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
“Let go of me!”
Meisel tried to pull away in a panic, but as her eyes met the merchant’s, her hand slowly dropped.
His hood shifted upward, revealing eyes that were lemon-colored, just like hers. No, they were a much more vivid yellow... or perhaps orange? The area around his pupils had a strange reddish tint that looked like bloodshot veins one moment and shimmering gold the next.
Now that she looked at him, the man’s aura was incredibly peculiar.
Though she found him highly suspicious, Meisel asked as if possessed, “Why should I trust a peddler’s wares?”
The man’s yellow eyes crinkled slightly, and a strange chuckle escaped him.
“I am no merchant, my lady. If I must be labeled, you could call me a shaman.”
“A shaman? You mean a fortune teller?”
The word 'shaman' had long since vanished from the Empire. While a few tribes were said to remain in the Boundary Mountains, most were dismissed as frauds who read stars or used silver tongues to swindle people out of their pocket change.
At Meisel’s contemptuous tone, the man’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second before relaxing again.
“You may think of me however you wish. A shaman is also one who sees into the future.”
“So, are you saying this actually works?”
She instinctively reached out to touch the magic stone, but the man pulled the necklace back.
“Shamanism is only completed through belief.”
He peered deep into Meisel’s eyes.
“If you keep this with a truly desperate heart, it will become a source of immense power. But the moment you doubt it, it will be nothing more than a common pebble.”
“But why give this to me, of all people...?”
The pupils within those yellow eyes slowly elongated into vertical slits.
“Your desperate heart led me here. Is there not a man whose heart you must win?”
A mist slowly filled Meisel’s lemon-colored eyes before drifting away.
“How did you know that?”
“My god sees through all things.”
“God?”
“What is your choice?” the man asked, brushing past her question with one of his own. “If you want the necklace, say ‘I want it.’”
An opportunity like this will not come twice.
Blinking vacantly, Meisel whispered, “I want it.”
“Very well.”
With a thin smile, the man reached out and draped the necklace around Meisel’s neck, tucking it inside her hood.
“A special gift for a beautiful lady.”
His tone had shifted back to that of a common merchant.
In the distance, her maid called out to her frantically, holding the juice. Meisel glanced toward the maid for a split second, and when she turned back, the man was gone. He had vanished into thin air.
Meisel gasped.
“My lady! Are you alright?” the maid asked, rushing to her side. “I thought I saw a strange man standing next to you...”
Feeling a sense of unreality, Meisel fumbled at her throat. The necklace the man had placed there was real. It wasn't a dream.
But why do I feel so dazed?
The eeriness lasted only a moment before a strange heat began to radiate through her body.
“My lady, are you sure you’re okay? Your face is so red... maybe you’ve been standing in the sun too long,” the maid fretted. “Perhaps we should go to a cafe...!”
Meisel snatched the juice from the maid and gulped it down.
I’ve come all this way. I’m not leaving until I see the Grand Duke.
Along with the sweet juice, a surge of motivation flooded her entire being.
*
The highlight of the Eve Festival was undoubtedly Enolius’s musical fountain show.
As the small clock tower next to the management office struck the hour, elegant music began to play, and long plumes of water started to dance, illuminated by brilliant, multicolored lights.
The crowd gasped in unison every few seconds.
Even to my eyes, it was a magnificent sight. Even Tiern, who claimed to loathe mages, pouted and admitted, “Well, I suppose it’s worth a look.”
Even the shopkeepers have come out to watch.
Since the crowd had gathered near the lakeshore, the shopping district was relatively deserted.
“Are you cold?” Loik asked, stepping into the wind to shield me.
“No, it’s perfect.”
Droplets of water carried by the breeze from the lake reached the terrace, pleasantly misting my cheeks.
Beneath his sharp brow, Loik’s clear black eyes wavered slightly as he studied my face. He seemed worried that I might be in a bad mood. His bangs, which usually covered his forehead neatly, had been ruffled by the wind.
“Lean down for a second.”
Without a hint of hesitation, Loik leaned toward me. I carefully smoothed his messy hair with my hand.
Loik was still wearing his robe and gloves. He likely knew better than anyone that a mere pair of gloves wouldn't stop his curse. Yet, he had bundled himself up and come all this way for my sake, just in case.
This man... why does he go this far for someone like me?
His tenderness made my eyes sting with sudden emotion. I reached up and pulled the hood of his robe firmly over his well-groomed black hair.
“Annette?”
As I tugged on the hood with both hands, Loik’s face was drawn close to mine.
“Loik, let’s go down there.”
“What? Now? But...”
“It’s okay. Just trust me.”
Though he looked flustered, Loik followed as I pulled him by the edge of his sleeve. The others standing in the room watched in shock as he allowed himself to be led away so easily.
I held up a hand to stop Tiern as he tried to follow.
“Just the two of us will go.”
A large entourage would only draw unwanted attention. Tiern scowled as if the idea was preposterous, but after locking eyes with Loik, he went quiet and stayed behind.
As we stepped out of the management office, the knights stationed at the entrance flinched and prepared to follow, but they too stopped at a sharp glance from Loik.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on the lake. The path through the quiet shopping district was brightly lit, as if a road had been cleared specifically for us. We crept along behind the cheering crowds.
“While the fountain show is on, there won’t be many people around. It’ll be safe to look around for a bit.”
I had walked several paces while holding his sleeve when Loik suddenly stopped in his tracks.
I looked back to find him staring at me intently. The yellow glow of the shops that had cast sharp shadows across his face was suddenly washed over by the white light of the fountain, bleaching the darkness away.
Loik’s expression was unreadable. He seemed a bit breathless, perhaps even a little anxious.
“What is it? Is it too uncomfortable after all?”
Loik’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
Had I made a mistake? I had only wanted him to feel the freedom of walking through a street filled with the energy of strangers, just for a moment.
— “I have never been fond of being touched by others.”
His past words suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Should we just go back?”
Maybe I had been inconsiderate. Just as I was about to let go of his robe, feeling a bit embarrassed, he spoke.
“No.”
Loik suddenly caught my wrist. He pulled off one of his gloves and wrapped his hand completely around mine.
“We might lose each other in the dark, so it’s best we hold hands.”
“O-oh, should we?”
I wanted to ask why he had to take his glove off just to hold my hand, but...
Speaking in a calm, steady voice, Loik took the lead, gently pulling me along.