Two days later.
At the Prisce family's estate, specifically in Eliana's bedroom, Cassius is sitting beside her at a wooden study desk. The two of them sit quite close together.
Everything inside Eliana's room feels luxurious and carefully maintained. From the bookshelves and furniture set to the small decorative ornaments placed on the shelves, everything makes it clear that this is the room of a noble young lady.
"First of all, you'll need to write who the letter is addressed to" Eli says as she pulls a blank sheet of paper in front of Cassius.
"Then comes whatever you want to write"
She places a pen on the table and slides it toward him.
"Here, give it a try"
"Okay"
He takes the pen. Before writing, another question comes to mind.
"Should I call you Eliana or Eli in the letter?"
"I don't really care that much"
"This is just practice so you can get used to it"
"You can write it however you want"
Cassius nods.
"Then I'll write it the way I like"
With that, he lowers his head toward the paper and begins writing.
Before long, the only sound in the room is the scratching of the pen across the page.
Eliana sits beside him and watches.
Her gaze settles on Cassius's face. He is concentrating hard, his brows slightly furrowed. Every now and then, he pauses for a few seconds to think about what to write next.
Seeing that expression, Eliana unconsciously smiles.
For some reason, she finds it incredibly enjoyable to watch Cassius seriously focus on something.
She reaches out and gently grabs his cheek.
"Huh?"
Cassius startles and turns toward her, only to find Eliana smiling at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing"
"You just look cute"
A faint blush appears on Cassius's cheeks.
"I'm trying to write"
"I'm not stopping you"
Cassius stares at her for a few seconds before deciding to turn back to the paper.
After a while, Eliana begins resting her head on his shoulder.
They are already sitting close together, and now the distance between them becomes even smaller. But Cassius has grown used to Eliana leaning on him, so he doesn't react much anymore.
'So cute' Eliana thinks to herself.
Her eyes never leave Cassius's face.
Not so long after
"I'm done" Cassius puts the pen down.
"Let me see"
She takes the paper and starts reading.
[ Dear Eli,
Today I'm learning how to write letters.
If this were a real letter, you'd probably already be at the academy.
I think I'll miss you a lot.
But I'll try to get really good at writing letters so I can send them to you often.
I hope you're eating properly and not studying too much.
If anything fun happens, make sure to tell me about it.
Cassi ]
"Is it okay?"
Cassius asks.
"Eli?"
The very next second
Eliana suddenly jumps to her feet.
Then she launches herself straight at Cassius.
"I love you so much!"
She throws her arms around his neck and shakes him back and forth.
"C-Calm down first!"
Cassius quickly catches her, hugging her back almost instinctively. His arms wrap around her waist to keep her from falling.
"I like you a lot too"
Cassius says softly, his cheeks slightly red.
Eliana stares at him for a few seconds before leaning closer.
Chu.
Chu.
Chu.
Several quick kisses land on his cheeks.
Cassius instantly freezes.
His face turns completely red, and his voice becomes noticeably flustered.
Eliana sees his reaction and laughs.
"How am I supposed to handle being away from you when you're this cute?" she says while gently squeezing his cheek.
Eventually, she lets him go.
"Now, back to letter writing"
She returns to her seat and speaks with a smile.
Cassius quickly sits up straight again.
"After you finish writing whatever you want, you can give it to my father."
"Or you can ask a servant to deliver it for you"
As she speaks, Eliana pulls out several fresh sheets of paper.
"It'll probably take one or two days for your letter to reach me"
"About the same amount of time for my letters to reach you"
Cassius nods.
"That's not very long"
"Exactly" Eliana smiles.
"So don't forget to write to me"
"I won't"
Hearing that answer, Eliana nods in satisfaction.
"After I leave, you can come to my room whenever you want"
"You can use my things as much as you like"
"I don't mind"
"Then I'll definitely stop by"
Eliana looks at him for a moment before suddenly calling out,
"Cassi"
"Huh?"
"Now that we're done with everything..."
she says as she stands up.
"Let's go outside and have some fun"
"Let's enjoy the last bit of time together before I leave"
With that, she grabs Cassius's hand and pulls him to his feet.
"You're always so sudden."
"Are you coming or not?"
"I am"
"Then stop complaining"
Eliana pulls him away from the chair.
—
"Eli, where are we going?"
Cassius and Eliana are currently walking hand in hand through the town near the Prisce family's territory. Both of them are wearing cloaks to hide their striking appearances. Even so, that doesn't stop Cassius from looking around with obvious fascination. He keeps glancing at the shops along the street, the small stalls, and the crowds of people passing by.
Hearing his question, Eliana turns to him and asks instead
"What about you, Cassi? Is there anything you want to do?"
"I'm fine with anything"
"As long as I get to be with you"
The moment she hears that, Eliana immediately turns her face away to hide her smile. A few moments later, she reaches up and gently ruffles Cassius's hair beneath his hood.
"I really like hearing that"
"But right now, I honestly don't know what to do"
"It would be nice if you could suggest something"
Cassius places a hand on his chin and thinks.
"I remember you telling me that you found a really nice stargazing spot during one of your outings, right?"
"Hm?"
"How about we go there?"
Eliana pauses for a moment before quickly remembering.
"Ah, I remember that place"
"If that's the plan, then we should eat first and wait until it's closer to evening."
"That sounds pretty good"
"Right?"
"I'm getting a little hungry too"
"I figured"
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing"
Cassius gives her a suspicious look while Eliana simply smiles.
The two continue holding hands and walking for a while before stopping in front of a small café by the roadside.
The place isn't very crowded. Several tables are arranged beside the windows, offering a view of the street outside.
After entering, Eliana chooses a table near the window and pulls Cassius down into the seat beside her. Even though there are still empty seats across from them, she has absolutely no intention of sitting far away from him.
A waitress quickly approaches and hands them a menu.
Cassius takes it first.
After lowering his hood, he studies the menu carefully.
"I'll have this ice cream" He points at one of the items "And um... a glass of strawberry milk too"
"Of course"
The waitress smiles and writes down the order before accepting the menu back from him.
"Your turn, Eli"
Eliana takes the menu.
However, before looking down, she glances at the waitress standing nearby.
The woman immediately avoids her gaze.
A faint blush appears on her cheeks.
Eliana narrows her eyes.
"I'll have the strawberry cake and a cup of tea"
After confirming the order, the waitress quickly leaves.
Cassius doesn't notice anything unusual.
He's watching the people outside the window when he hears Eliana muttering beside him.
"Why are you blushing...?"
"Huh?"
"Eliana?"
"He's still just a child"
"And you're an adult"
Cassius blinks.
"What are you talking about, Eli?"
Eliana looks at his confused face and sighs.
Then she reaches over and pinches his cheek.
"Ow!"
Cassius immediately grabs his cheek.
"W-Why did you pinch me?"
"I genuinely don't know if I should leave you alone in a place like this"
"Huh?"
"Tell me something, Cassi"
Eliana rests her chin on her hand and looks at him.
"Would you end up getting involved with someone else when I'm not around?"
"No, of course not"
Cassius answers almost immediately.
"Really?"
"Really"
"Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Still no if they sweet-talk you?"
"No"
"What if they buy delicious food for you?"
"Still no"
"What if they buy expensive gifts for you?"
"Even more no"
"Seriously?"
"Absolutely"
Cassius crosses his arms.
"Do you really think I'm the kind of person who'd like someone just because they spoil me?"
Eliana looks at him for a few seconds before answering honestly.
"Yeah"
Cassius goes completely silent.
"Eli!"
He immediately reaches over and grabs her waist, making her jump.
"You have to trust me."
Cassius looks directly into her eyes.
"Why would I like someone else when I already have you?"
"Aren't you already the most perfect person?"
"Huh?"
"You're incredibly beautiful"
A faint blush appears on Eliana's face.
"You're super rich"
"..."
"You can buy me anything I want"
"..."
"And you care about me a lot"
Cassius nods as though he has just reached a perfectly logical conclusion.
"So I don't see any reason to like anyone else"
Eliana stares at him for several seconds before laughing.
"Hehe"
"I see that you do recognize that fact"
She reaches over and pats his head with obvious satisfaction.
At that moment, the waitress returns with their orders.
She places each dish on the table and smiles.
"If you need anything else, just let me know. Enjoy your meal"
This time, her gaze unconsciously lingers on Cassius for a moment longer.
"Thank you"
Cassius replies cheerfully.
After the waitress leaves, the two begin enjoying their food.
Cassius eats his ice cream while Eliana cuts her cake into small pieces. Every now and then, they exchange bites so the other can try them.
"Hey, Eli"
"Huh?"
"I've noticed something strange since earlier" Cassius looks out the window
"Out on the street"
"What is it?"
"I feel like everyone seems more gloomy than usual today."
Eliana follows his gaze.
A few people are standing at the end of the street talking.
Some are reading newspapers.
Others are discussing something with uneasy expressions.
"Ah, I noticed that too"
"Do you know why?"
"It might be because of the rumors about a war"
"A war?"
"Yeah"
Eliana nods.
"Between our continent and Elvoria"
"The continent of the elves?"
"Yeah"
"I heard Father mention that there are some disputes between them over an island in the sea"
She gently stirs her tea.
"I don't know the exact reason"
"But the army has been spreading propaganda to recruit more soldiers"
She thought for a while, then said
"But you don't need to worry too much about it"
"What do you mean?"
Eliana rests her chin on her hand and looks at him.
"Because even if a war really breaks out, there isn't anywhere safer than this place"
"Huh?"
"The enemy might enter the continent"
"They might attack the capital"
"They might even conquer a lot of other territories"
Eliana speaks with complete certainty.
"But no one will want to provoke the northern region"
"The place where we live"
"Why?"
"Because Duchess Eclipse has already declared her protection over this region a long time ago"