TNDOBM 21

Chapter 21

“W-Well, actually, I wanted to commemorate us coming to the festival together.”

“Ah, I see… ”

It was such a tear-jerking reason that it made her forget her earlier fear—that he might have discovered her peculiar walls of defense after the sweaty handkerchief.

If she had known he would be this happy just from attending the festival together, she would have come sooner.

*’He probably didn’t even have any acquaintances to enjoy the festival with.’*

Perhaps he had been ostracized in the capital because of those ominous rumors.

With a face like that, regardless of whether he was the Master of the Magic Tower or not, people would flock to him like moths to a flame.

As expected, that robe was the problem.

“This won’t do!”

“Pardon? A-After all, was it unpleasant? Did it creep you out? D-Did it make you want to kill me?”

“Pardon? No! That’s not it…!”

Cecilia, who had been watching him with pity, soon made up her mind.

She would buy him a proper souvenir!

Even if it wasn’t the white flower she had planned, she could still win his favor with a souvenir.

“I’ll buy you something proper to commemorate this, not that trash!”

“I’m perfectly fine with this, though…”

Cecilia neatly ignored his faint protest, which was barely audible.

As she swiftly scanned the long row of temporary stalls, she spotted a display stand glittering with shiny things not far away.

Upon closer look, it was a shop selling handmade crafts adorned with jewels.

“Welcome, welcome! You two must be lovers, right?”

The friendly shopkeeper made a fortunate misunderstanding.

*’I’ll buy it here.’*

It was absolutely not because she was pleased by the woman’s misconception.

When Cecilia neither denied nor confirmed it, the woman seemed to take it as confirmation that they were lovers.

She began rattling off a list of items usually recommended to couples.

“If you don’t have anything specific in mind, this brooch would be perfect! The jewel is made from a single split gemstone, so if lovers wear one each, they say you’ll stay together until your hair turns white!”

What the woman held out was a bird-shaped brooch. A jewel was set in the bird’s eye, but it looked quite cheap and tacky.

“If you don’t like this, here, we also have rings and bracelets!”

At her lukewarm reaction, the woman quickly introduced other products, but they were all fakes that were embarrassing to even call jewels.

*’If they’d at least used low-quality gems, I might have considered it.’*

Perhaps it was because she had been wearing only high-end items all this time. She wasn’t quite satisfied with giving something like this to him.

And the price was a rip-off too.

*’This place won’t do.’*

Despite the woman pouring out sweet words—claiming she’d give a discount, saying the man looked very dependable so it would suit him well—Cecilia stubbornly walked away.

To be honest, she was slightly swayed by the comment about it suiting him well, but…

*’Still, it’s the first gift I’m giving to Lien, so I should pick something a bit more proper!’*

With firm resolve, Cecilia resumed scouring the area and headed toward the stall across the way.

Its main customers seemed to be children, as small kids were gathered around her waist height.

A shopkeeper with a warm impression took a fluffy puppy plushie from the shelf and handed it to a child.

“Here you go! Take good care of your new friend.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

Each child hugged their small plushie tightly and walked away with incredibly happy faces.

*’Plushies, huh.’*

It was certainly one of the items that made it into the Top 5 Worst Gifts, but she liked that the recipient would frequently be reminded of the giver, in proportion to how cumbersome it was.

Following the children, Cecilia stood confidently before the shopkeeper and quickly scanned the display stand.

“I’ll take that one.”

What caught her heart was a large, black rabbit plushie placed in the farthest corner of the stand.

Its eyes were even purple, reminding her of someone—she liked it instantly.

“You mean this black plushie?”

“Yes, that rabbit plushie.”

“Well, it’s true that this one has been hard to sell… but to be honest, it’s not really a color that children like. If you’re giving it as a gift, wouldn’t this one be better?”

The shopkeeper, who seemed to have a conscience, recommended the white puppy plushies displayed in the center.

They were fluffy and looked like they’d feel as nice to touch as when she petted Charles.

But Cecilia firmly shook her head.

“That’s fine. It’s a gift for this person.”

“…Pardon?”

The shopkeeper’s gaze fixed on the man who was visibly robust at a single glance.

After looking back and forth between the rabbit plushie and Lien several times, the shopkeeper finally hesitantly placed the plushie in his arms.

“T-Take good, care of your new friend…”

“…Yes.”

When a voice lower than that of an average man came back in reply, the shopkeeper had a small seizure.

Whether or not he knew he had inflicted great shock and terror upon someone, Cecilia looked at Lien, who was clutching the large plushie tightly, with great satisfaction.

The combination of a handsome man and a plushie. It was a scenery even better than she had expected.

Of course, that was merely her personal opinion.

A large man draped in a black robe carrying a plushie naturally drew glances from people passing by.

*’Was it too self-indulgent a gift?’*

Lien hadn’t said a single word since receiving the gift.

It was supposed to be a gift for him—she should have at least asked for his opinion.

Briefly chiding herself, Cecilia drew closer to him.

She intended to comfort him by offering to buy him another souvenir right away.

But the moment she saw his face, hidden beneath the robe, Cecilia tightly sealed her lips.

His long eyelashes fluttered softly, and faint creases formed on the bridge of his nose, smooth as porcelain. His purple eyes, resembling the plushie’s, grew even deeper, and his red lips twitched slightly.

“…I’m happy.”

The words he barely managed to say were just those four syllables, but his eyes, his lips, his very breath all contained an indescribable joy.

And that was far more intense and greater in magnitude than she had anticipated…

Cecilia was taken aback rather than satisfied.

Perhaps it was because Lien’s appearance reminded her exactly of a young child receiving a gift for the very first time.

Suppressing the urge to run right back to the stall, sweep up all the plushies, and shove them into his arms, Cecilia spoke as nonchalantly as she could.

“I got you a new friend so you won’t be lonely while I’m gone, so you have to visit it often and hug it, okay?”

“…While you’re gone?”

Lien, who had been obediently nodding at her cute request, asked back blankly.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t told him yet that she would soon be dragged off to the temple—no, enlistment.

“You saw the article about me helping with this relief festival ceremony, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I read it a few days ago.”

“So I won’t be able to see you for a while. I have to stay at the temple for about ten days, preparing for the ceremony and all that. I probably won’t be able to hold classes during that time either.”

“…I see.”

He blinked his large eyes and murmured glumly.

She had thought he would certainly be the only one sad about this brief separation, but it seemed he too was a bit disappointed by the sudden news.

Well, he had come down to this remote place without any friends or family, and if even his only acquaintance disappeared, he would surely be bored.

Hmm, after a small hum, Cecilia soon had a good idea.

“They say the relief festival ceremony itself, held at the grand temple, is worth seeing, not just the festival. If you’re okay with it, come watch.”

“Yes, I will definitely come to see you.”

She had suggested he come to see the ‘ceremony,’ but with a bright smile curving his eyes, he answered that he would come to see ‘her.’

A heavy fastball straight to the chest made her heart thud heavily.

Just as her breath grew shallow, flustered by the dizzying sensation—

“Ugh!”

An unexpected shout from not too far away drew both their gazes in one direction.

A man walking unsteadily from across the way seemed to have been bumped into by a group of children running around excitedly.

The man, who had tumbled ungracefully onto the square floor, began groaning.

And he did so while glancing toward Cecilia, not the children who had bumped into him.

“Ugh, I’m dying…”

*’That doesn’t sound like something an adult who collided with children less than half his weight would say.’*

The children, startled by their own hidden strength, had run away, the man kept looking this way for some reason, and Lien just stood still, merely looking down at the man.

In the end, Cecilia, hailing from a country of Eastern etiquette, reluctantly approached the man.

“Excuse me, are you all right?”

“Hoo, my back—no, I think my leg is broken…”

“Pardon?”

*’If your leg were broken, you’d be screaming right now, not talking like that.’*

Cecilia swallowed the just retort that had risen to the tip of her throat.

Up close, the man’s condition was shockingly haggard.

His under-eyes were dark, as if he hadn’t slept in a week, and his tightly tied red hair was dry and brittle.

Add to that his wrinkled clothes and worn-out shoes, and he looked perfectly like a complete wreck.

“Can you get up?”

“No, sorry, but could you help me to my carriage? I got separated from my attendant because of the crowd, and I have a chronic illness…”

“Oh dear.”

To be unable to move after being bumped by small children. With a face like that, it was truly a pity.

Only then feeling a faint stir of sympathy, Cecilia reached out her hand to him.

“Here, grab hold and get up.”

But just before their hands touched, a large hand suddenly cut in and somewhat roughly pulled the man to his feet.

“I will help this person.”

Lien, who had been keeping his distance as if shy, took the man’s arm without hesitation.

“Sir, is your carriage close?”

“Pardon? Yes. It’s right nearby.”

“So he says. I’ll take him there quickly and come back. Would you wait here for a moment?”

“Sure. Take your time.”

When she gave her somewhat reluctant permission, Lien disappeared, practically dragging the man along.

Cecilia watched the backs of the two men as they grew distant, then clicked her tongue softly.

“Magicians really are all terrible liars.”