Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

A warm finger brushed against my cheek before its heat quickly disappeared.

“But you’re sick…”

It was his body that was hurting because he was exerting more energy than he had.

“No one would cut their own skin to avoid a danger that might or not happen…”

I tried my best not to make it obvious but my breathing was becoming increasingly erratic. How did I not notice till now?

His remorseful appearance now was just like the one in the original novel. He was too weak to be someone on my side of the fence. His personality was completely different and yet why was he the same as he was described in the novel?

Was Castor, the Crown Prince, the reason why he did all this? Even with his condition?

“If you’re talking about a blessing… Hernan gave you one too.”

“Didn’t you say that it was better to receive more?”

Plants grew out from the tips of his fingers. When I looked closely, they were of a bright green colour like sprouts.

“Blessings are the basic minimum.”

In the dark, a circle that glowed with a refreshingly green light appeared around me.

“A wind that templars earnestly pray for.”

The light moved as if it was alive, patting me, and its threads wrapped around my wrist. The moment I reached out and touched it instinctively, the light disappeared and something familiar took its place.

“Ah… a bracelet?”

It looked like the one I lost but with a larger jewel.

“Don’t lose it again.”

Could he overexert himself like this?

“I won’t die from this.”

Amor noticed my expression and prevented me from saying anything sharply.

“Come here.”

He stretched out his delicate fingers which were neither long nor had any flesh hanging from his bones and touched me. He beckoned me to come closer.

“It’s alright. I’m not using up my strength. It doesn’t matter if it hurts. Because I’m used to it.”

I caught his cool smile. Uh. Uh… In just a moment, he got closer and I could only blink.

“So, don’t make it harder for me to protect what I had already sought to protect.”

Amor’s pale face that reflected the pale green light was also submerged in shadows.

“… Why?”

“Because it’s terrible; I’m sick and tired of losing things.”

In the stillness that embraced me, he murmured slowly. Amor’s scent was soft and gentle.

“That’s why… don’t die.”

I suddenly had a thought. It would be nice if this soft scent could smooth his edges out too.

I thought I knew Amor. I pitied him and thought I understood him based off a few pages in the <Light of Rusbella>.

At that moment, his sunken eyes held a depth that I could not even imagine.

“I understand. Losing things. I know how it feels to lose things.”

It was a sad story. We both lived our lives to the fullest but we were still unhappy. I just wanted to survive and Amor lived day by day through his antidote. I could see no future but one where I would have to work hard to live with misfortune.

“We worked hard to live but we’ve lost so much. Both brother and I.”

I carefully caressed his cheek.

“Right? There was nothing we could do but to work hard.”

His delicate features twisted, fell apart and twisted again like a jigsaw puzzle.

“I promise you. You won’t lose me, brother.”

I should protect what I have left. I should not lose anymore.

“Brother, promise me too.”

“What?”

We. So that no one else would be sad anymore.

“I’m going to live until I’m 100 years old. I’m going to live a long life and actually live till I die.”

What was the average life expectancy of the lives in this world? I hoped I could live until 70 even if it was not the average.

“I’ve lost so much in the 20 years here so I have to get happier than this.”

Amor burst into a smile with a pale but innocent expression.

“I’m not joking. I’ll get healthier first. That’s how I can get out of here fast. I will leave this stuffy palace.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Walking on the streets along the capital, watching festivals and sightseeing around the night market.”

I spoke as if I was sure.

“What a burdensome promise…”

Amor slowly laid his eyes on me and made eye contact.

“I’ll try.”

I wanted him to take me more seriously but his expression was so dull.

“I’m being serious.”

“Alright.”

It was Amor who spoke lightly.

“I’m saying I’m serious though?”

I really meant what I was saying so I was hoping he wouldn’t look at me like someone didn’t want to buy the insurance I was selling.

“Alright. I understand.”

“Hm, also, brother.”

I spoke as I wrapped the shawl tighter around my body.

“Stop touching my lips. You keep startling me.”

I turned my head around and grumbled. Then, as if I could not bear it anymore, I shook my head before side-eyeing him as if to say he couldn’t read between the lines.

“Your lips?”

“That’s right. My lips.”

After blinking a couple of times, there Amor was with a rough expression. Why was he looking at me like that? He looked like a cat that could not understand what he did wrong.

I was grimacing and trying to respond but I quickly raised my head at a sudden passing thought.

‘Hold on.’

Until just now, I was merely imagining him leaving the palace but instead of just thinking about its possibility, we can make it a reality.

“Brother. Brother, you can’t leave here because of your illness, right?’

“Right.”

“That’s what’s officially being told.”

I was the type to have lots of thoughts before making plans and putting them into practise. To put it simply, I was not the type to suddenly gather the power of the universe at times of crisis and resolve my problems.

“Everyone thinks you’re going to die.”

Throughout my life, I remember lamenting about how I was not really that smart especially after dying and living again dozens of times.

If I had turned my head a little, I would have thought of it faster but I was slow so I took a long time to turn around and find to continue.

“In other words, there’s no one who knows the real reason why you’re stuck here because everyone thinks that you’re sick…”

However, it was a little different now. Even though I was tired, something came to mind.

My brain, which felt like it had been dormant till now, was finally working.

Only the Emperor and a select few know that Amor was being trapped here.

How do people view the 4th Prince? They only know that he was a weak prince that had to stay in the palace because he was sick. It was the Emperor’s idea so that no one would know about Amor’s powers.

Being too young to have the means to protect himself, he remained trapped in the palace.

But, what about this?

Secrets are no longer secrets if too many know.

“Brother! I just had an amazing idea.”

What if the prince rapidly grows in power?

“Do you want to come with me?”

“To where?”

Amor bent one knee and stared at me.

“A nice place. A very nice place.”

As a result, Amor’s beautiful expression crumpled.

“What are you trying to do now?”

Amor stretched out a hand.

“Come here. I can’t see your face from here.”

When I did not move closer, Amor raised his eyebrows. He looked displeased.

“Ack. Wait.”

In the end, I was grabbed by his vines that dragged me in front of him.

“What do you have to say?”

I smiled at him while he wondered what I was up to. I acted like a knight as I held his hand and pretended to kiss it.

“The 4th Branch of the Empire, will you be my patronus in the Founding Festival?”

He looked incredulous as if he had no idea what I was proposing.

***

To start, I had been coldly dumped by Amor.

“The pain from being dumped by Lord Ray hasn’t even healed yet…”

I was refused again.

“At this point, I should be wondering if there’s anything wrong with me.”

I was not a jaw-dropping beauty like Rebecca but my looks were not that bad so what was I lacking to be dumped like that? Be it in my previous life or this current one, I was not very popular.

“It’s time for you to get ready. Mistress.”

Rebecca returned this morning. During this time apart, my beautiful lady-in-waiting seemed to have gotten prettier.

“… Do you mean the Founding Festival?”

Because of her unexpected visit, I had been lazing about my study comfortably in my pyjamas and got caught.

“You’re correct but your current appearance…”

I was wearing an item Rebecca would not be proud of. It might have looked like it was a tablecloth that had been roughly sewn with wool but it was actually my shawl and that shocked Rebecca.

Rebecca had stiffened at the sight of it as if it was a giant beetle.

The disaster that ensued was well…

“Mistress! How can you treat your face like this? What did you do? Another mess I would have to clean up… There have yet to be days where I’m not upset.”

“Uh….”

“Are you listening? It’s obvious how the situation has been without me around.”

After dozing off like a sick chicken, I was surprised by her raising her voice and raised my head.

“Have you decided on a patronus… No, I don’t even want to hear it.”

“What? Why? Why why?”

“Since you’re so excited, tell me. Tell me if you’ve decided on one.”

I recalled the letter Rebecca sent during her leave. There were a couple… I hadn’t counted. Anyway, there were quite a few.

If the colour of the envelope she had sent was red, I could have felt like I was being interrogated with a light shining on my face. Though the situation I was in now was similar enough.

“I don’t think there’s any difference in teaching you, mistress, and raising a dog.”

“Are you cursing me?’

“I’m praising you.”

“… Praise?”

“I’m praising you because, unlike a dog, you at least understand what I’m saying.”

She looked down at me gracefully before raising her eyebrows. If I had any excuse, she was signalling me to tell her now.

“Firstly, finding you a patronus is not the only important thing we have to deal with so let’s move on. Have you heard about the story of the [Land of the Sun]?”

“The Land of the Sun?”

“Yes. The stage where you will be performing on, mistress.”

At my gesture, she sat in front of me.

“We’re running out of time. From now on, we’ll be focusing on the stage decorations.”

If she was talking about the stage, was she referring to the one I saw with Hernan? It did catch my eye. It had been made out of marble and reflected silver light because the stage had not been completely white. It seemed to have a sacred glow.

The spacious stage which occupied the top of the square was a performance hall built for the Lord of the Gods to descend upon this land. It was a space built solely to worship the Lord.

“As you know, mistress, the [Primo Salvatio] is both a service for worship and a ritual. It’s not just a dance but holds an important meaning to the people.”

“Yes. I know.”

“The sky and the earth. The stage symbolised the origin of which all the beings are born from. In other words, the dance is an exhibit of history.”

Rebecca sighed quietly.

“Of course, now its sacred image has declined and it’s more known for its entertainment purposes. However, the dancer who represents the divine spirit of the gods, can still be said to be valuable.”

“The dancer. You mean me, right?”

“Yes. Hence, that’s why the past princesses have set up their stages with the help of templars. The performance is in honour of the Lord of the Gods so a templar must be present.”

“So since the princesses of the past did it with templars, are you trying to say, I should make one with a templar as well?”

“Yes.”

Rebecca replied in a cool and serene tone before nodding her head.

T/N:

Oops sorry finals are coming soon so I haven’t had the time to update because I was busy studying. But I’ve had some chappies stored already so the next few releases will be scheduled releases so I might forget to make dc updates so apologies to those who gets notified through disc. It’ll only be for the next few weeks!

To make up for missing last week and the week before that (??) double updates every day for this week yay!