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The ornate decorations on flowing dresses became simpler, and formal wear noticeably thinned. When the fabric of clothes changed, fashion trends followed suit.

Fashion changes were especially prominent among women, and today\'s Elphisia was a prime example.

"E-Elphisia...!?"

"What? Why the dumbfounded look?"

"No, it\'s just, well..."

Harte, who had just stepped into the mansion, found his eyes wandering, unable to settle. His face flushed red as if overcome by the heat, his lips parted slightly and quivering.

"What on earth... is that shameless outfit...!!!"

"Sh-shameless?!"

This time, it was Elphisia\'s face that crumpled.

It was understandable, given that she\'d been met with such a disparaging comment the moment they locked eyes. Even someone less proud than Elphisia would have felt insulted in this situation.

However, in Harte\'s defense, there was certainly something about Elphisia\'s attire that warranted a guilty verdict.

\'How can such a provocative outfit even exist?\'

The long skirt hem was embroidered with diamond-shaped vents.

The milky skin of her thighs gleamed beyond the clinging skirt hem, and a beauty mark, as if lightly dotted by a brush, was alluringly eye-catching.

Good heavens, why was a single mole on that porcelain skin so heart-stirring? He couldn\'t fathom it.

"E-Elphisia... As a duchess of the Empire, how can you expose your skin so carelessly...?"

"Huh? Expose my skin? Me? Where exactly..."

For a moment, Elphisia thought part of her dress had torn due to Harte\'s honest reaction. But upon closer inspection, she noticed Harte\'s violet eyes darting towards her side.

\'Don\'t tell me... because of the small slit on the side of my thigh?\'

At most, it was a tiny side slit. So Elphisia assumed she must have misjudged. However, when she caught Harte instinctively glancing again, she became certain.

"Ha, haha..."

"Ugh..."

She couldn\'t understand why his face was so red over something so trivial. Could it be that the Holy Maiden always adhered to stuffy attire? Perhaps Harte had never had the chance to see a woman\'s skin before.

But thinking about it, this too was contradictory.

"Hey, you."

"Yes... Elphisia."

"Why are you so flustered? You must\'ve seen outfits like this often at banquets."

National events were held even in summer. So Harte should have seen women in revealing outfits before.

Contrary to Elphisia\'s assumption, Harte responded in a small voice.

"... I haven\'t seen them."

"What?"

"How could I... How could I let my eyes wander while on duty...? Even if I saw them, I wouldn\'t have paid attention."

"..."

Elphisia\'s heart thumped.

This Harte, who looked as if he might burst into tears if prodded, was unfamiliar. And Elphisia found she didn\'t dislike his unfamiliar side. Rather, she felt a desire to see more of it.

Was it possessiveness? Or perhaps sadism? Either way, she wanted to disturb and distort Harte\'s humble and sincere heart.

"Hmm."

Elphisia twisted the corner of her mouth askew.

"So you\'re saying you\'re not working right now?"

"N-no, that\'s not it...! Elphisia."

"I suppose you\'re just here for fun, letting your eyes wander elsewhere."

Click, click.

With each step of her heels stamping the floor, the distance between them narrowed. Though Harte occasionally took a step back, Elphisia walking straight ahead was faster.

Harte froze stiffly only after being cornered with nowhere left to retreat.

She spoke when the scent of rose perfume she\'d applied that morning became distinct.

"I must be quite pretty. You seem utterly helpless."

"Y-you\'re right. Elphisia is pretty. Incredibly pretty..."

"Ugh."

For a moment, Elphisia was at a loss for words.

She\'d often been praised for her beauty before. Moreover, just looking in a mirror made her beauty level clear. But why did Harte\'s honest expression sound so different...?

It was a puzzling phenomenon.

Then a question popped into Elphisia\'s mind.

It was half in jest, but it might turn out to be no joke at all.

"... Harte."

"Yes?"

After a brief hesitation, Elphisia shook it off.

"Between the Holy Maiden and me... who\'s prettier?"

"That\'s... something I can\'t say."

"Are you saying the Holy Maiden is prettier than me?"

"..."

"...... Well, would you look at that?"

She actually knew.

Regardless of being more beautiful than young ladies, her skin was different from those in their 20s.

... It had changed.

From the start, the Holy Maiden\'s flawless skin without even basic makeup was unfairly good. Even Harte\'s skin was much better than hers. It was as plump as a newborn\'s.

\'I\'ve never felt inferior to anyone in looks before...\'

Elphisia couldn\'t have known.

That those with baptismal names maintain their skin in optimal condition because impurities don\'t cling to them...

\'This is mortifying.\'

Her head cooled down.

Regaining her senses, she felt she might die of shame.

Following her nauseating self-praise, she\'d asked such a childish question about who was prettier. The weight of the embarrassing history she\'d just created felt crushing on her shoulders.

"Damn it."

"Elphisia!"

As Elphisia retreated with a flushed face, Harte immediately followed.

"Are you angry because I answered poorly? But I didn\'t want to compare others\' appearances. I\'m sorry."

"You say you\'re sorry, but you\'ve said everything you wanted to say. How absurd."

"... I\'m not sure what to do in these situations. I just do what I believe is right."

"I know. You\'re right. I was wrong. So there\'s no need to apologize."

Elphisia had finished organizing her thoughts, separate from her disappointment.

She was well aware that Harte was like a newborn chick just out of its shell.

She\'d experienced his pure side enough to dislike it. Therefore, Elphisia could understand everything Harte said.

However, Harte seemed to have perceived that she had closed her heart in anger.

"...... Elphisia...!!!"

It was then that Harte made an unusual suggestion.

"Would you like to go outside together?"

---

---

The reason for suggesting an outing was simple.

He hoped that leaving the stuffy mansion and feeling the street breeze would improve Elphisia\'s mood.

Harte glanced at Elphisia\'s profile. Observing her expressionless face, devoid of any emotion, made him feel extremely apologetic. He couldn\'t gauge what to say to make Elphisia happy.

"Um, Elphisia."

"Speak."

"I didn\'t force you out when you didn\'t want to come, did I?"

"Not particularly. It doesn\'t matter whether I\'m inside or outside."

In truth, she was happy.

Regardless of the circumstances, Harte had suggested it for her sake. With him being so devoted to her mood, how could she feel bad? With Harte by her side, she felt as if she were an emperor.

"Thank you for saying that. You really are kind, Elphisia."

"Don\'t be silly. \'Kind\' is the description furthest from me."

"Come on, no way. Just look at how gently you treat me. It shows your exceptional character."

"... What?"

"I\'m not oblivious. I know I don\'t serve you satisfactorily. But you don\'t scold me harshly and patiently wait for me, right?"

"No, that\'s not..."

What\'s wrong is wrong, no matter what.

Elphisia hadn\'t spared Harte from scolding whenever he made mistakes. Yet Harte always grinned and skillfully brushed it off.

In other words, Harte\'s head was a flower garden, unable to perceive scolding as scolding.

"So sometimes I have wicked thoughts."

"Wicked thoughts? You...?"

"... Yes. I\'m ashamed to harbor such feelings, but..."

It was unbelievable.

Harte, the embodiment of a pure white canvas, having wicked thoughts?

Elphisia was convinced it would be more realistic for compassion to bloom in each of her spinal nerves.

"I..."

Then the pure white saint softly confessed his true feelings.

"I used to think I should treat everyone equally. Because that\'s justice. But lately, I\'ve been strange."

Harte\'s violet eyes reflected the past.

"Do you remember the Emperor\'s birthday celebration? Actually, I shouldn\'t have saved Helio then. Right? Because if I treat people equally, I\'d have to perform miracles for everyone who comes to me from now on."

"Is there a reason you can\'t?"

"Yes, that would be improper. It goes against the Sovereign God\'s will. And yet... selfishly, I\'ve come to want to be someone special."

Everyone\'s the same.

It\'s common for people to strive to become special to others.

Like power and honor, people naturally become engrossed in being special. Therefore, Harte\'s desire is human.

Just as she was judging this, Elphisia had to admit her prediction had gone terribly wrong.

"...... I want Elphisia to be especially kind to me alone."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Despite believing it\'s right to treat everyone equally... I want to be Elphisia\'s special person."

"..."

"It\'s foolish, isn\'t it? I can\'t even properly keep my own words..."

As Harte self-deprecated beside her, Elphisia walked on, endlessly matching his pace.

She didn\'t answer hastily. No, it would be more accurate to say she couldn\'t answer.

Her mind had turned as white as a winter forest, making thought impossible.

\'What is this guy... saying...? Right now...?\'

The time spent in self-questioning was honestly a waste.

Though indirectly conveyed, the intention was crystal clear.

Thump, thump!

Her heart beat violently.

It wasn\'t as if she\'d never been confessed to before, but this sensation of lukewarm water filling her chest was a first.

Elphisia raised her hands to her collarbone as if to gather this mysterious feeling. Then, in the most composed voice she could muster, she asked Harte.

"... Harte."

"Yes, Elphisia."

After a brief silence, she blinked her long eyelashes and asked.

"Do you want to be my lover?"

"... Hm?"

"Huh?"

"..."

"..."

It felt as if the surrounding noise had disappeared.

Harte with question marks floating above his head. And Elphisia, blinking her eyes, unable to keep up with the situation change.

They exchanged brief communication once more.

"Pardon?"

"Huh?"

"..."

"..."

In their world where time seemed to have stopped, Harte was the first to regain his senses.

"That... Can it be like that?"