The Face Behind the Necklace
The moment the necklace came off, the person before my eyes was someone else entirely.
The man who had been so painfully ordinary that it was his only defining trait was gone without a trace.
His black hair with its subtle blue sheen reminded me of a gentle dawn goddess, while his golden eyes carried the solemn dignity of a sun god. The combination was so breathtakingly beautiful that I found myself savoring it for a long moment.
Every small detail of the revealed face overflowed with aristocratic grace and nobility that no commoner could ever possess.
Anyone who saw him would instinctively know this man was no ordinary person.
His lips were full of refinement, his nose elegant and beautiful.
But it was his eyes—those eyes held absolute power.
The intense golden irises, impossible to compare to the moon, were undoubtedly closer to sunlight. They were the ancient pride of the Elan imperial family.
His deep, dark pupils were like the abyss—yet somehow sweet.
It was not a face that could ever blend naturally among ordinary people.
Now I understood why he never took that necklace off, not even for a moment.
Such striking beauty was rare even among nobles.
It was a fierce attractiveness that seemed to declare to the world that superior genes could never be hidden.
He stood out far too much.
“Oh my god.”
“Why… are you making that face?”
Ash looked embarrassed, but how could I possibly stay calm?
To think I would lose in terms of looks!
I’d been pretty confident in myself, but maybe I really couldn’t compare to imperial beauty genes.
If this guy grew his hair out, he’d probably be prettier than me.
I went from shock to admiration, felt a bit of jealousy, and eventually reached out with a possessive urge toward that pretty face.
“You grew up well, huh?”
“Ahem… Should I say thank you?”
“But it’s different from what I imagined?”
“You imagined my face?”
“I was curious about your real face. While looking at the magic on that necklace… I imagined it sometimes. I wondered how that boy from back then had grown up… So this is what you look like, Ash. Your real face.”
I smiled and met his eyes.
I freely ran my hands all over Ash’s face. Wow, his skin really was nice.
Maybe he’d grown used to it, because Ash only slightly avoided my gaze instead of flinching like before.
I get it now! I’m totally into faces.
Well, seeing a beautiful woman makes me feel good, so why would a handsome man be any different?
If I were a dragon with a hobby of collecting pretty things, I’d definitely want to put Ash in my cage.
Hiding beauty like this was practically a handicap.
If he walked around with his face revealed, ten times as many people—men and women alike—would flock to him as companions.
“What a waste. It would be nice if you could show it… Recruiting companions would be so much easier.”
“Not everyone thinks like you do.”
“Really? So you absolutely can’t take the necklace off?”
“Originally… because someone might recognize the imperial face.”
“Would there even be someone like that on the street? It would be an incredibly low chance. Well, I get that you’re hiding your identity thoroughly.”
Looking at Ash’s real face, for some reason, my mood improved tremendously.
I liked this light, unburdened moment without any lies. Being able to say everything I wanted was definitely enjoyable.
One of the reasons I’d wanted to see his face was this.
Because I could be with Jeanie Crowell and Ephiros.
“I heard rumors about you in Dmitry… They even reached my ears, despite how far I am from high society. They said the Second Prince of Elan’s beauty was extraordinary.”
How long had it been since I smiled like this the entire time?
Still grinning, I poked the tip of Ash’s nose.
His face without the magic felt both unfamiliar and familiar, which made it strangely fascinating.
Another reason I felt good was because I was secretly happy that Ash had gone along with my stubbornness.
It meant he trusted someone as willful as me that much. I knew exactly how big a risk this was for him.
“It’s embarrassing… It’s not to that extent…”
“The Marquis of Veilant said that about you, right? That your beauty is so noble even the gods would be jealous, and if you were to die young… it would be because the gods couldn’t stand it.”
“……”
“I know what that really means. The ‘god’ refers to the First Prince, and it means he’ll kill you someday.”
In the fiercely swirling wind, every word seemed to get carried away, making it easy to spill what was in my heart.
Ash listened, looked at me, and I poured out every single thing I’d wanted to say when I met him.
“I followed you to the founding party because I wanted to see you. I had to be pretty stubborn that time too.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine if you know.”
“……”
“I got kidnapped by a dragon while I was there to see you, but that wasn’t your fault, so I’ll forgive you. I’ll let it slide because you’re handsome.”
I straightened up, shrugged my shoulders, and nearly toppled backward in the wind. In that instant, Ash hurriedly wrapped his arms around my waist.
He held on desperately, looking back and forth between the dizzying drop below and me with startled eyes.
I was acting carefree since Undain would catch me if I fell, but it seemed to make him anxious.
In the end, Ash grabbed my forearm and began to speak.
“…I only found out very late that you were the one who had been kidnapped.”
His extremely low voice told me he wished all of this would just flow away and disappear.
This conversation too—once we went down, it would have to be as if it never happened.
“It might not be true… but I thought maybe… you came because you wanted to see me. And when I realized that, I started crying.”
“Wow, you cry a lot, huh? Well, men can cry too.”
“…I was in awe of your spirit of sacrifice.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Though from what I’ve seen, it seems your intentions were different from the rumors. Given your personality… you would never…”
“That’s right. I just ended up saving you because that’s how it happened.”
I couldn’t exactly take back his emotion, so what now?
I stroked Ash’s hair once, then sat beside him again. I drew my knees up, rested my chin on them, and looked down at the fields that had already become morning.
What else had I wanted to say? Oh, right. That.
“I sent you a letter. I wonder if it ever reached you… How was it?”
“I received it. I just couldn’t reply.”
“Why?”
“Because His Imperial Majesty the Emperor did not permit it.”
Do all imperial princes call their father ‘His Imperial Majesty the Emperor’?
While pondering that unimportant question, I watched Ash put the necklace back on. He must have felt uneasy without it.
“To me… you were like my first real friend. I never had any friends before. I was always alone in the forest and in the palace. Whenever a letter from you arrived, His Majesty would show it to me and say that if I wanted to read it properly, I should focus on my lessons.”
“That’s so petty, seriously.”
Ash, now back to his plain brown hair and ordinary face, simply smiled silently even at my complaint that could easily get me executed.
“The surveillance became even stricter to prevent me from running away again… and your letters soon stopped coming… That’s how it was. What could we have done?”
“That’s just how kids are.”
“I sometimes regret never being able to send a single reply.”
“I was annoyed that they wouldn’t let me do something so trivial.”
We held completely opposite grudges over the same memories.
“After I grew older, I was finally allowed to send letters… but I thought you must have forgotten me by then. I had forgotten a little too. Though I would still think of you whenever I saw someone with golden hair.”
“There are a lot of blondes, aren’t there?”
Ash avoided my eyes as if I’d hit a sore spot.
The way he looked off into the distance and changed the subject was honestly kind of cute.
Come to think of it, this guy would be the perfect husband material, wouldn’t he?
He’s kind, comes from a good family, he’s rich, and he’s completely whipped for me… Huh. Not bad at all.
“Ahem. I have something I want to ask too. Why are you following us?”
“You’re asking because you don’t know?”
“There’s no way you want to become a guardian… You already carry far greater honors.”
“Because I’m bored.”
If the top of the castle wall had been just a little wider, I would have lain down on my side.
Sitting was starting to feel bothersome. The rushing wind had made my ears feel stuffy, so I was busy digging in my ear.
“…I… see.”
“If I went back to Dmitry now, it’s obvious they’d pester me to play the role of Saint that doesn’t even suit my fate. And I’m not about to go live in some cave as a hermit. Besides, if not now, when would I get to watch the Path of the Trial and go on an adventure with a prince?”
“You really… have a free spirit. I can see that now.”
Go ahead and envy me all you want.
Living however you please is a skill too.
Even being born into an outstanding family can mean having no freedom. A perfect example was sitting right next to me.
“We should head down now. Lox might be looking for us.”
“I suppose so.”
“Oh, right!”
The moment I stood up to go down, I remembered something I’d forgotten.
I’d meant to give it to him when we were alone, but Lox’s surveillance had been so strict that I hadn’t had the chance until now.
“Ash, here. This is for you.”
It had been sitting in my money pouch the whole time, so the container had a few scratches, but what mattered was the contents.
Ash took the medicine bottle I held out with a puzzled look.
When he opened it, his eyes showed clear disbelief.
“You’re giving this to me…”
“I picked it up on the way.”
Giving it felt embarrassingly awkward, so I threw out a random joke, then immediately stopped because it sounded stupid.
“I bought it back in the last city, but I didn’t know when I’d be able to give it to you. Lox is always by your side. I waited for a moment when we’d be alone, and here we are.”
“…What kind of medicine is it?”
“They say it’s good for old wounds. Look.”
By now, Ash didn’t even react when I suddenly grabbed his hand. He simply let me have it.
It felt like taming a gentle beast, which secretly made me feel quite pleased.
“The scar on your palm is basically a scar now, right? It still seems to hurt sometimes… Maybe this will help it get better. It’s nothing amazing, but I believe it’s better than nothing.”
“Thank you.”
“Wrong.”
“…Thank you, Jeanie.”
Was it a decent gift after all?
When I saw Ash’s quiet smile, I felt proud that I’d done well in giving it to him.
I think I understand just a little of the joy of giving gifts.
“Ash.”
I had to say this before we went down. The feeling that I was saying it far too late made it impossible to smile.
“Your hand is my mistake. It’s my fault.”
I was still holding Ash’s hand, gently tracing the scar inside it.