Gwen sat atop the giant bird, her pretty face flushed bright red.
So it turned out… she had misunderstood.
Viktor said he was going to take her somewhere.
At first, Gwen had thought… No, she had never thought that!
As a righteous knight, Gwen absolutely refused to admit that her mind could ever produce any filthy thoughts.
That was absolutely impossible.
After dinner ended, white whirlwinds gathered beneath Viktor's feet.
Then, just like that, an enormous and astonishing white giant bird was released by him.
She had seen this bird before, in the Northern Territory, in her own home.
At that time, in front of countless knights, she had stood before Viktor and openly declared her support for him.
Even if it meant becoming enemies with all the Northern knights.
And now, at this very moment, she was sitting on this very giant bird, high in the sky, beneath the moonlight.
The wind seemed to grow unrestrained, howling and dancing wildly.
Though it wasn't especially violent, it still sent Gwen's white formal dress flapping crazily.
She pressed down hard on the white hat atop her head, afraid it would be blown away and vanish into the endless night.
One hand also held down her skirt so it wouldn't be lifted by the strong wind.
Her appearance looked a little ridiculous, and her flushed cheeks became even more awkward.
But the scenery around her was extraordinarily beautiful.
In the silent sky, silver stars shimmered like they were hung upon a curtain.
The mysterious night sky seemed to be telling stories, drawing the heart toward it.
The giant bird swept through the clouds, like a shooting star crossing the Milky Way, streaking toward the horizon.
She was suspended in the air, looking down at the land below.
Beneath her lay the vast and prosperous royal capital.
Under the night sky, it was brightly lit.
Within the dreamy scenery, there was an exceptionally graceful glow.
As if it were the world's second field of luminous stars.
Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets. At some point, the black suit he had been wearing had been replaced by a trench coat.
The constantly howling gale whipped his black coat again and again, making rustling sounds.
It fluttered in the air, as though it had turned into a long, slender tail feather.
Suddenly, Viktor's voice slowly sounded beside Gwen's ear.
"How does it feel?"
"It's very beautiful."
Gwen held her hat, her eyes filled with the hazy starlight reflected within them.
A long-lost feeling seemed to slowly calm down from her previous irritation and panic.
She didn't know why.
Perhaps it was the scenery around her that made her naturally quiet down and feel it.
Or perhaps it was because the person who made her feel at ease, was right beside her.
Gwen lifted her head and looked at Viktor again, staring at his back.
Her gaze also carried a hint of gentleness.
She parted her lips and asked the question she had wanted to find the answer to from the very beginning.
"Why… are you so good to me?"
Whether it was at the inn by the volcano, or the first time she returned to the palace and faced everyone's doubts.
Even back in the Northern Territory, in her own home.
Viktor had always taken meticulous care of her.
He would step in front of her at the first moment to protect her.
Even when the justice she followed was on the verge of collapse, it was Viktor's appearance that made her belief even firmer.
He was like a brilliant star.
When Gwen was just one step away from falling into darkness, he brought her the light of salvation.
"First of all, you just said something pointless."
At that moment, Viktor turned around and calmly looked at Gwen.
"Why can't I be good to you?"
Gwen froze for a moment. Looking at Viktor, there was a bit more confusion she couldn't quite understand in her eyes.
Viktor sighed and finally shook his head helplessly.
"Remember this."
"I have always been your fiancé."
The words slowly fell, as though he were talking about something utterly trivial.
But his calm and gentle tone kept echoing in Gwen's ears.
It made her unconsciously sit up straight.
Her eyes widened like bells, her cheeks burning hot as she stared blankly at Viktor.
Her heart thumped wildly.
Even though it was such a cool night.
She felt as though her body was constantly heating up…
Her body trembled slightly. Even she herself couldn't clearly explain what kind of emotion this was.
Suddenly, Viktor raised his hand toward the sky.
In front of him, a clock made entirely of flames appeared between the two of them.
One long hand and one short hand slowly moved.
Around the clock, several golden spells encircled it, and in the center there seemed to be a golden scale constantly swaying.
Each time the hands passed a Roman numeral, that numeral would blur, eventually turning into a red beam of light that sank into the clouds.
The hands slowly moved upward, ticking forward.
"Almost time."
A flat voice sounded, and the giant bird beneath Viktor suddenly let out a sharp cry.
That piercing sound tore through the sky, instantly traveling through the air and spreading across the entire royal capital.
The sound wasn't loud, but it brought a bit of movement to the otherwise quiet city.
Those residents who hadn't yet gone to rest all poked their heads out, curiously searching for the source of the sound.
At this moment, Vega's eyes emitted a faint blue glow, linking her to Viktor.
Almost at the instant magical power surged, countless formations lit up beneath Viktor's feet.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Complex and innumerable magic circles began flashing and overlapping nonstop. Even the clouds were used as a canvas, gradually being dyed with color.
Dense magical power continuously overflowed from around the formations, sweeping outward like waves.
The strange-colored magic gradually spread across the streets of the entire capital. The brightly lit city was slowly shrouded in layers of oddly colored gauze.
Around Viktor's body, heavy magical power was constantly being released.
Patterns surged forth, as if a painter's pigments had all been knocked over at once.
"Watch carefully. Don't blink."
The voice sounded beside Gwen's ear, making her involuntarily look toward the magic formations.
Then...
From the enormous formations, an extremely brilliant light burst forth.
The massive ring array rapidly expanded, as if gathering scattered magic from the land below.
In an instant, vibrations traveled through the air.
Countless streams of magic turned into fireworks, dragging fiery trails as they tore through space.
Amid layers of distortion, those magical fireworks twisted and curved as they shot into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, strange-colored light ignited the heavens and scattered outward.
It turned into countless points of light that dimmed even the stars, as tens of thousands of dazzling blossoms fully bloomed at this moment.
All the residents of the royal capital saw this beautiful scene, as if an even more dreamlike field of stars had appeared right before them.
Many children poked their heads out, pointing at the sky and shouting to their mothers, "Mom! Look! Fireworks!"
Liya, who had been busy in her study all day, stretched lazily in the darkness and walked to the window. Looking up through the glass, her eyes reflected the beautiful light.
Henny was diligently scribbling in her notebook. Outside, the bright flames seemed to set the entire night sky ablaze.
She lifted her head, set down her pen, and looked toward the high sky.
Aurelian, inside her bedchamber in the palace, was boredly flipping through the Monster Encyclopedia Viktor had given her.
Soon, sensing an extremely terrifying fluctuation of magical power, she couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Fireworks flickered in her eyes, colors flowing within them.
"So beautiful…"
Endless flames turned into fireworks, blooming nonstop in the sky with tails of all kinds of strange colors.
Cocotte yawned in the garden when suddenly she snapped wide awake, eyes bulging as she looked up.
"Holy shit, war magic?!"
'No, who the hell is this extravagant, using damn war magic as fireworks?!'
———
At this moment, everyone in the royal capital witnessed this astonishing scene.
The fireworks lasted for a long time, exploding continuously in the sky.
Gwen, being the closest, could feel the warmth that came from the magic.
Light rippled in her eyes.
The corners of her eyes seemed to grow a bit moist.
Was it emotion?
She wasn't sure.
The fireworks didn't stop, continuing for several full moments.
Until, just before they finally vanished, the sky fell silent.
A small yet brilliant stream of magic slowly rose into the night sky, as if gradually merging with the moon.
The instant it came to a halt in midair, that vast yet gentle light seemed to spread throughout the entire world.
Beside Viktor, the three hands of the flaming clock slowly moved.
At last, they all stopped at the very top of the clock.
Symbolizing the arrival of twelve o'clock.
Symbolizing the end of an entire day.
Symbolizing a new beginning.
"Happy birthday."
As the fireworks gradually faded into the night, Viktor's voice sounded beside Gwen's ear.
Gwen still held her head high, as if she hadn't had enough, her gaze fixed on the stars in the sky.
The fireworks seemed to have dispersed, yet also seemed not to have.
It felt like something had been tucked away deep in her heart.
Suddenly, she took a deep breath, as if she had made some kind of decision.
"Viktor."
"When you're teaching the princess, do you have to stay by her side the whole time?"
Viktor nodded and replied calmly, "To ensure the princess's safety, staying by her side is necessary."
"…I understand."
She lowered her head, as if explaining.
"The day His Majesty summoned me, he asked whether I could become Her Highness's swordsmanship instructor."
"He gave me a few days to make a decision."
Viktor listened quietly and saw Gwen look toward him.
When he saw her face, he suddenly froze slightly.
Her expression was like ice melting away.
Like the rising morning sun, she revealed a bright smile that was utterly captivating.
"After being a knight for so long, suddenly becoming a teacher seems like something quite new."
"I think I want to give it a try."
As the sound of the wind brushed past his ears, Viktor snapped back to his senses.
He looked at Gwen and gave a soft hum.
"Is that so."
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"As for being a teacher, I'm quite experienced."
"How about we practice?"
Gwen stared at him dreamily and laughed happily.
"Sure."
"I won't go easy on you."
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/XenosX
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰