“Even if you weren’t a mighty Grand Duke… I’d still like you just the same.”
At those words, Cedric’s face flushed crimson.
For a moment, he stood frozen in place like a statue, then finally muttered in a low voice, half-grumbling.
“Madam, your words have too much destructive force.”
“Destructive force?”
Cedric chuckled softly and adjusted Iris’s slightly tilted rabbit mask.
“It means… I’m utterly smitten with you.”
Iris’s heart raced in sync with Cedric’s.
Embarrassed, the two walked on in silence, their hands naturally clasped together.
They didn’t need to speak. The warmth shared through their joined hands was enough to convey what words could not.
Iris liked the feeling so much, she closed her eyes and let her steps slow, savoring the moment.
From a distance, the joyful noise of festivalgoers celebrating the Spirit Blessing Festival echoed.
Here and now, it felt as if neither Iris nor Cedric had any ties to the original tale. As though they were simply two souls walking side by side.
Cedric was the first to break the silence.
“To be honest, this is the first time in a long while I’ve come to a Spirit Festival.”
“You’ve been busy with matters in the Northern Territories,” Iris replied.
“Not only that… I simply had no one to attend with.”
Cedric looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Frankly, it feels like a distant past.”
“Is that so?”
“But I still remember holding my parents’ hands as we came out to the festival.”
His voice was tinged with nostalgia—haunted by a time he could no longer return to.
“They were both so well-known that we had to disguise ourselves carefully. If we didn’t, people would recognize them, and chaos would follow.”
His parents, the former Crown Prince and Princess, were once beloved across the Empire.
“There were times when commotions broke out?” Iris asked.
“Plenty. My mother once lost her mask while dragging me through the crowd.”
Cedric let out a light laugh, tinged with old fondness.
“The moment the crowd realized the Crown Prince’s family was mingling in the festival, the entire district went into an uproar.”
“Oh my…”
Having once managed the festival in Lilliana’s place, Iris could easily picture the scene.
Likely, even more people would have rushed over to catch a glimpse of the royal family, plunging everything into greater chaos.
“Father stepped in and settled things, but after that, our disguises became much more elaborate.”
“I see.”
“Looking back, I don’t understand why I used to be so reluctant to go out with them.”
“Ah…”
“It was only a little more time I could’ve spent with them.”
The end to that memory was tragic.
The former Crown Prince and Princess had met a cruel, untimely death.
Iris gently tightened her grip on Cedric’s hand, hoping it might offer him some comfort.
In the distance, the silhouette of the Lilac Manor came into view.
“Funny how the good moments always seem to pass the fastest. I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten already.”
“Ah… Maybe that’s why,” Iris said, smiling brightly as if something had just occurred to her.
“When I’m with you, time always flies by.”
“You…”
How could someone say something that disarming with such an innocent face?
Cedric’s face burned again, and he spoke with a voice just a bit late, soft and full of affection.
“I feel the same. Every moment with you feels too short.”
With the upcoming Hunting Rite tomorrow, Iris knew she needed to rest early.
Lying alone in her chambers, apart from Cedric, her thoughts turned once more to the Sacred Sword's earlier reaction.
The tome revealed no new chapter or prophecy…
Perhaps because she had not seen the silver-haired man clearly.
Silver hair…
She sifted through her memories, recalling all the renowned cultivators and nobles of the capital’s social sphere known for their silver locks.
Yet, all those men had appeared at the Sacred Ascension Banquet—if the sword had meant any of them, it would have reacted then.
Which means… that person must not have attended yesterday’s gathering.
Was he then not of noble blood?
If he’s not a noble, tracking him down will be far more difficult.
But the Sacred Sword’s response had been undeniable—it was a sign that the man was linked to its awakening.
Iris, moved by a flicker of intuition, withdrew the tome from within the sword itself.
It’s good I checked…
New inscriptions shimmered into being across the page:
[Seal of the Sacred Sword.]
[Hunting Rite.]
Unlike the previous messages that had appeared in the form of full passages or verses, this was more like a prompt—short and ambiguous.
What could this mean…?
The only connection Iris could draw was between the silver-haired man and the upcoming Hunting Rite.
She flipped through the original chronicle again, but found no silver-haired man recorded among the cast of fated figures.
Now I have another reason to attend the Hunting Rite…
Satisfied with her deductions, Iris returned the book to the sword and began preparing for bed.
Rustle—
Just as she was about to climb under the blanket, a faint noise came from beyond the window.
A sound?
Come to think of it, hadn't she heard something similar in her half-sleep last night?
She’d assumed then it was merely the wind, her nerves stirred by the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and the duel on the horizon.
There’d been no presence afterward, so she’d dismissed it.
But tonight was different.
Though the presence had now faded, she could tell—it was a person.
A single intruder…?
Too few for an assassination. A spy, perhaps?
Iris instinctively reached for her sword, resting within arm’s reach, and raised her guard as she crept toward the nearest window.
She also ensured that the bell to summon Margaret was close at hand in case of unforeseen danger.
If they’re close, I’ll strike the vital points at once…
Her eyes gleamed with resolve. With a swift motion, she threw open the window.
A sharp rustling, then—
Something flickered just beyond her reach.
But instead of attacking, Iris lowered her guard and spoke:
“…My lord?”
“…So I’ve been found out already?”
Cedric sat perched on the windowsill, looking somewhat regretful.
“I suppose you’re not asleep yet.”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Iris gestured at him awkwardly.
“Wearing that… and loitering outside?”
Cedric’s attire was clearly indoor sleepwear—not something crafted for wandering about the night air.
After a brief pause, Cedric gave a nonchalant shrug and replied,
“Once in a while, a man just wants to feel the night breeze in his sleepwear.”
“At this hour?”
“It’s the hour that makes it so enticing.”
He turned, stepping lightly back onto the tree as though he intended to climb again.
Moonlight spilled over his back, casting his long shadow across the room.
A faint smile touched his lips.
“Don’t worry. Go back to sleep.”
Ordinarily, Iris would have let him go and shut the window behind him.
But not tonight.
“No. Something’s off.”
She reached out and held him back.
“If you really thought this was as delightful as you claim… you’d have invited me to join you.”
Sure, maybe he just wasn’t in the mood to share it with her tonight. That was possible.
Iris understood that.
And yet…
Those were the eyes of someone… lonely.
She had already seen it—Cedric’s expression hidden beneath shadow, the false smile on his lips.
No matter how he tried to conceal it, she couldn’t unsee it.
“What’s wrong?”
Her fingers clutched his robe a little more tightly.
“Can I not listen, if you need someone to hear it?”
Cedric’s gaze faltered, his usually composed aura shaken.
Yet he turned away again and muttered,
“It’s fine. No need to trouble yourself over it, My Lady.”
“…That’s not true.”
Iris suddenly understood why Cedric had always gotten angry or stepped forward for her sake in the past.
So this is what it feels like…
And in that moment, she realized why Cedric’s expression tonight felt so familiar.
Chapter 68