A Warm Touch
Raphaelo Kedrey narrowed his eyes as he felt Cayena’s body trembling faintly in his arms.
What is this?
Just then, Cayena lifted her head at an angle and their eyes met. Her face was deathly pale, twisted with fear.
The strangely sweet mood that had filled him vanished in an instant. The moment their gazes locked, the terror on Cayena’s face transformed dramatically. It was as if she had suddenly found her strongest ally in him—an almost delusional shift in expression.
“……Raphaelo.”
His own name sounded oddly unfamiliar coming from her lips. Was it because she had only called him Lord Kedrey lately?
Cayena straightened herself. Raphaelo supported her as she rose. She still looked somewhat disoriented. She continued clutching his arm without seeming to realize it. And Raphaelo himself failed to notice that he felt no discomfort at the contact.
Vera’s face burned with fury as she snapped at Henverton Gillian.
“What is the meaning of this rudeness!”
The escort knights who had been waiting at a distance arrived at that exact moment.
“What happened?”
“Pull that man back immediately. He dared attempt to harm Her Highness the Princess!”
Because they knew Henverton was a noble’s son, they had not been overly vigilant—nearly a fatal mistake. They seized him at once and dragged him away.
“What are you doing? I merely offered to escort her! This is outrageous!”
Henverton shouted, his eyes blazing.
“I have never seen such ungentlemanly escorting in my life! How dare you swing your hand at her in a threatening manner!”
Vera glared at him with utter contempt, as though she might slap him across the face at any second.
Henverton’s rage-filled expression melted away in an instant.
“This is a misunderstanding. I saw that Her Highness was alone with only her maid and no guards, so I offered my protection out of goodwill. It is true that I was tense and my hand moved stiffly, but I had no ill intentions whatsoever.”
It was a plausible excuse, so the escort knights exchanged bewildered glances. Raphaelo, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally spoke.
“Henverton Gillian.”
Henverton’s gaze shifted to him. For a brief moment, his eyes lingered on Cayena’s hand where it rested on Raphaelo’s arm.
“I also witnessed the scene from behind. You claim you had no impure motives, yet your conduct showed a clear lack of consideration for the lady.”
“……Lord Kedrey. I am not saying I did nothing wrong. Of course I regret my mistake.”
Henverton put on a disgustingly repentant expression. Cayena remembered how he acted like a perfect gentleman outside but turned into an abuser the moment he returned home. He was a master of lies.
“……It seems I’ve been rather on edge lately because of everything that’s been happening.”
She lifted her arm slightly—the one still wrapped in gauze. It was a deliberate gesture meant to remind them that she was the princess who had once been attacked with a scalding pie, making it natural for her to be startled by sudden movements.
“I will believe that Lord Gillian offered his escort with good intentions. Still, how could an imperial princess possibly walk around without any guards?”
“It was my oversight, Your Highness. I am deeply sorry.”
The head of the escort immediately bowed his head in apology.
Cayena shook her head.
“No, it is not your fault. A true gentleman would rarely approach a lady who is quietly accompanied only by her maid, so I imagine you were also puzzled.”
She pretended to forgive the guards while subtly pointing out Henverton’s rudeness.
“The young lord must have been startled as well, so let us leave it at that and return to your duties.”
Though Henverton maintained a smile, his eyes held a chilling intensity as he stared fixedly at Cayena and offered a formal bow.
“Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness. I will be sure to greet you properly next time with all due courtesy.”
Once Henverton had left, Cayena felt warmth slowly returning to her ice-cold fingertips.
“I seem to keep burdening you, my lord.”
She spoke to Raphaelo with an apologetic expression. Her tone had returned to its usual calm and composed state. Yet her hand still gripped his arm tightly.
He took her hand in his.
“……!”
Only then did Cayena realize she was still holding onto him. She tried to pull away at once.
“It weighs on me that a vassal of my household has caused Your Highness such distress.”
Her blue eyes lifted to meet his once more.
Raphaelo felt strangely unsettled.
“Allow me to escort you to your carriage.”
And then he realized it—the warmth of her hand against his brought him no discomfort at all.
Cayena’s complexion remained deathly pale. Only now was warmth gradually returning to her hands. The trembling in her body had also begun to subside.
Is there some other reason she fears Henverton Gillian so much?
She was desperately pretending that nothing was wrong, though the effort was painfully obvious.
Perhaps that was why. Raphaelo felt he could not simply leave her like this. He decided he would see her safely to her carriage.
Cayena knew she could not walk properly on her own. Rather than stubbornly insisting otherwise, she gratefully accepted his kindness.
“Then I shall trouble you to do so.”
Vera and the escort knights followed a few steps behind them.
Cayena slowly felt her reason returning. Her mind had grown considerably calmer, and although the memory of Henverton’s gleaming eyes still left her uneasy, the raw terror had faded. She glanced down at their joined hands. It seemed to be thanks to Raphaelo.
I don’t know why I felt so relieved the moment I saw his face earlier.
It was the same now. The only thing that had changed from before was Raphaelo’s presence. That alone made the entire space feel perfectly safe.
In fact, the nobles who had swarmed the Imperial Library to see Cayena no longer dared approach. Clear disappointment was written across their faces.
They said her interest in Raphaelo had cooled, but that’s obviously not true!
These were people who had come hoping they might become her consort—or at the very least, gain some small favor from the connection. Yet here she was, walking intimately with Raphaelo. No matter how highly they thought of themselves, no noble could compete with Raphaelo Kedrey.
Now that I think about it, what is Raphaelo doing here?
She looked at him curiously, wondering why he had appeared so suddenly.
“By the way, what brings you to the library, Lord Kedrey?”
She had returned to using his formal title. He concluded that her reason had fully returned and answered.
“I had business at the Imperial Academy.”
Since the academy stood right beside the library, that much made sense. But had he really come all the way here alone?
“While I was working, I heard that Your Highness was here, so I came to see you.”
“……”
His characteristically blunt way of speaking—straightforward to the point of inviting misunderstanding—had not changed. Cayena let out a small, slightly exasperated laugh and added an explanation to prevent any misconceptions.
“It’s true there have been many things about me lately that would pique curiosity. Is there something in particular you wished to ask?”
Raphaelo glanced sideways at Cayena’s cheeks, which had regained much of their color.
“Today does not seem like the right time.”
Cayena blinked, surprised that he would be concerned about her condition. Then she smiled with genuine gratitude. It was a bright, refreshing smile that seemed at odds with the gloomy weather.
Raphaelo’s gaze refused to leave her. He suddenly felt the urge to sigh.
At that moment, raindrops began to patter down from the sky. Cayena looked at Raphaelo, who had not brought a single attendant with him.
“With rain like this, how do you plan to return? Did you bring a carriage?”
“No. The distance was short, so I walked.”
Raphaelo spoke as if getting a little wet was of no concern.
Cayena frowned slightly.
“Spring is a time when one easily catches a cold. You must be careful.”
She called over a servant.
“Go borrow an umbrella from the library.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Her carriage had already arrived. While the servant went to fetch the umbrella, they could not leave yet, so they stood quietly and waited.
I should probably let go of his hand now…
Cayena looked down at their still-joined hands with a troubled expression. Raphaelo, ever the gentleman, held her hand firmly so she could walk comfortably step by step. She was grateful for his help, but she did not want to make him uncomfortable any longer.
“I am truly grateful for your help today, my lord.”
Cayena naturally withdrew the hand that had been accepting his escort.
Raphaelo once again sensed her deliberately creating distance. He could not understand why she kept doing so. She behaved as though physical contact made her uneasy. It was almost as if she suffered from the same condition he did. That was strange.
No, she could not possibly be uncomfortable with touch. Had she not accepted Rezef’s escort without issue? And earlier, when she was distraught, she had reached for him first.
She seems to be considering me.
It was as though she knew how much he disliked being touched by others.
……That’s overthinking it.
There was no way. Even his long-time aide might have vaguely noticed, but he had never once spoken of his flaw aloud. There was no chance she could know something his own parents did not.
Just then, the servant returned with an umbrella. Cayena stepped back from Raphaelo with a look of relief.
“Then I shall see you again soon.”
Raphaelo watched with a strange expression as Cayena climbed into her carriage, much like a character fleeing before a spell could break.