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“I’d like to say again that I’m delighted to have you here with me today.”

Surprisingly, a formal expression of gratitude came out of his mouth. Those words were meant for Aymon, whereas Aymon only listened to the emperor’s greeting unconcerned. The emperor continued.

“Today, right now on this hearty reunion, I would be delighted to make a big announcement.”

A big announcement? The nobles began to stick their necks out. The emperor turned his gaze to Belinda and smiled at her.

“Congratulations on your upcoming engagement, Belinda. May you be always happy with the Shinsu.”

Gasp! With bated breaths, the nobles opened their eyes wide. Everyone turned their heads toward Belinda in unison.

All eyes were on her, but Belinda answered quite calmly.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

A hushed, elegant answer came from her.

But in reality, Belinda’s heart was in turmoil.

‘Engagement? Me?….Me?!’

If it weren’t for the hellish table manners lesson she went through, she would’ve leaped out of her seat immediately with eyes wide open in shock.

She had never been so grateful for learning table manners. At least, she was able to conceal that she was a half-blood princess with dignified manners.

Aymon casually lifted his glass. Sitting next to the emperor, Lart lifted his glass as well. Quickly followed by the nobles who also lifted their own, all at once.

Aymon’s breath brushed against Belinda’s ear.

“Breedee. Lift your glass.”

“…..Huh?”

Though she acted all composed, in reality, it was very overwhelming for her. As everyone was waiting for her next move, she was too distracted by the news to lift her glass.

Aymon motioned toward the glass, with his eyes.

“Humans raise a toast together to celebrate happy days, is what you taught me.”

Belinda belatedly raised her glass with vacant eyes, but her gesture was still more graceful than anybody else at the table.

Soon, starting from the emperor and empress, everyone clinked glasses to the upcoming engagement.

“Congratulations, princess!”

“May your future bring lots of happiness, cheers!”

Belinda was swept by a congratulatory speeches’ inundation. She smiled and nodded calmly through it. Turning her head, she whispered through her grinding teeth with lips still clamped together.

“Aymon. Are you….getting engaged?”

With me?

Aymon replied as if the answer was obvious.

“Yeah.”

Why are you asking for such an obvious thing? His calm, and curt, answer sounded like a nagging to her.

Belinda froze, still holding her glass up. Even her elegant smile turned stiff. But soon, she lowered her gaze and burst into laughter.

‘What is this….’

As the confusion and bewilderment heightened, her mind went blank. Only an unintelligible murmur escaped her lips.

Watching her intently, Aymon tilted his head.

“We kissed earlier, too.”

His hushed voice seeped into her. Belinda self-consciously nodded.

Yeah. We did. We totally did. We almost got in an accident.

“Are you playing with me, Breedee?”

“…….”

Playing with you? It was so absurd that it rendered her speechless. However, Aymon began to aggressively urge her to answer.

“You said it before. Humans don’t do such things with just anyone.”

“…….”

“There should be only one mate, and if you meet many partners behind one’s back, that’ll make you a playboy, a cheater, and a debauchee.”

“I did say that…”

At the urging that felt as fluid as flowing water, Belinda replied vacantly. Just like luring an innocent sheep, Aymon slowly drove her into a corner.

“We have no choice but to get married to avoid turning into a playboy, a cheater, and a debauchee.”

“That’s right…”

While fumbling with the answer, a soft kiss landed on her lips and then moved away. Surprised, she withdrew just as quickly as soldiers would act under a military attack.

All it took was a very light kiss to get her lips burning, and the sensation spread through her body as if a fireball had flown past her. No, it really wasn’t just her lips. Her ears had turned red too, becoming visible to the eye.

While caressing Belinda’s cheek, Aymon’s eyes crinkled up as he smiled.

“Then there’s no reason for you to be so surprised. We’ve been doing what a married couple normally does.”

Belinda nodded compliantly. Indeed, they even shared a deep kiss earlier.

At that moment, Shanti’s laughter was heard from afar. It wasn’t clear what she talked about with people, but her laugh was certainly loud. That laughter brought Belinda back to reality.

Belinda pinched Aymon’s waist under the table. Of course, her fingers were barely able to pinch his hard flesh.

“Still! You should’ve told me beforehand! I was so surprised!”

The scolding came very late.

“I told you already. You said yes when I proposed.”

“What? When did I do that?”

Belinda almost jumped from her seat. No matter how much she thought about it, Aymon never proposed to her.

Each time spent with Aymon had been a blessing that basked her in complete happiness and joy.

As she stared at Aymon innocently, Aymon sulked, and disappointment was clearly visible on his face.

“Don’t you remember?”

“What?”

“I keep asking you to only love me, and you said you’d love me forever.”

As if to express his disappointment, he looked down and muttered under his breath.

“You said you’d take care of me for the rest of my life. Did you not mean it?”

“…….”

The Shinsu who had been confident and proud until recently was now turned into a cat again. Looking at Aymon who seemed to drop his invisible ears, a smile and a reassuring sigh escaped Belinda’s lips.

Oh my. What should I do with this lovely cat?

That night. The night when the two held their private ball at the guest palace. His desperate plea to take care of him until the end sounded like a threat rather than a proposal.

Completely unaware of that, she laughed it off, saying ‘My cat wants me to spoil him’. He jumped out of joy because she accepted his proposal, which she was unaware of.

No wonder he couldn’t sleep that night; groaning and tossing restlessly for a long time. If she had known that, she would’ve rejoiced with him and stroked his hair all night, but she was cruelly sleeping alone.

As Aymon began to feel genuinely disappointed, Belinda reached out to him. After interlocking her fingers with his, she added strength to her grip. Aymon slowly looked up.

“Congratulations on your engagement, Aymon. Congratulation on your upcoming marriage, too.”

“….Breedee….”

Only then did Aymon’s expression loosen up.

The marriage was already decided, but it sounded fresh when Belinda herself confirmed it.

As he slowly closed his eyes, the ends of Aymon’s eyes slant upwards beautifully, and he smiled gently. It was a radiant and pure smile akin to that of a blooming flower bud under the spring sun.

It wasn’t even the first time she saw it, but Belinda’s heart was pounding all of sudden. In an effort to cover the sudden blush on her cheeks, Belinda bowed her head.

Aymon reached out and grabbed her hand ever so tightly. He dug his fingers through hers and interlocked his fingers with hers tight. When their warmth mingled, only then did she breathe a long sigh of relief.

A gust of wind from nowhere sends a flurry of flower petals swirling through the air. Belinda rubbed her flushed cheeks. Amid the warm and relaxing wind, the grip on her hand was perfectly reliable.

As if telling her that this very figure would always hold her anytime, everywhere.

***

“Hm, I feel good.”

Belinda opened the window wide and was greeted by the night air.

After the ball, the Shinsu returned to the forest in packs. The nobles came all the way to the forest border to see them off and bowed to them as they disappeared into the dark forest.

It was such an eventful day. Peace had arrived between humans and the Shinsu that allowing them to coexist together.

“….I guess I’m really getting married.”

Her marriage had been confirmed.

Kyaaa! Belinda screamed joyfully and jumped around before throwing herself on the bed.

Of course, she was puzzled by the unexpected news, but she was happy. She had always been looking forward to this moment, so it felt more like a dream to her.

“I don’t know anymore! Oh my gosh! I’m so happy!”

Belinda, who was kicking the air as she lay down, buried her face on the pillow and closed her eyes.

“I’m so happy, really….”

She exerted herself so much today, which caused her to quickly fall asleep. Soon, her rough breathing found its regular pace.

How long has it been? Seems like I’m dozing off or dreaming briefly.

When her consciousness was on the brink of fading away, an affectionate warmth came by. As the drowsiness slowly took over her, someone’s subdued voice rang in her ears.

“Breedee.”

Belinda pushed her drowsiness away and slowly open up her eyes. Affectionate eyes were seen through her blurred vision.

Pretty eyes that shone brightly under the moonlight- it was Aymon. He carefully swept Belinda’s hair.

“Hmm… this must be a dream.”

Belinda mumbled to herself. Obviously, Aymon returned to the forest. Why would he be in front of her now?

“Dream? Absolutely not. We still have a lot to do tonight.”

The touch of caressing her hair was particularly gentle. She laid down in a daze, blinking rapidly, but the hand that was stroking her hair came down and caressed her eyes slowly.

The touch was odd.

Perhaps because her senses were only fixated on Aymon now, but his calm and slow touch was enough to influence her. Whenever his fingertips brushed her eyelashes and cheeks, the soft hair on her nape shot up.

“Aymon. Didn’t you say you’d have a meeting with the Shinsu today…?”

“I went and came here.”

The gaze that fell on Belinda was gentle. He stroked her with infinite care just like dealing with fragile stuff, then lowered his face to kiss her cheek.

Along with a soft kiss, a low breath tickled her ear.

“Breedee. Humans have to get married first before spending the night, so I’ve always waited.”

The drowsiness that almost took over her gradually subsided. Her shoulders shrunk by the ticklish sensation of soft breath, and the kiss slowly fell off her cheek.

Aymon kissed the tip of her chin and breathed a slow whisper that sounded like a monologue.

“It’s practically the same thing, isn’t it? We’ve announced it in front of everyone. Right?”

The arms wrapped around her waist, pulled her gently in his embrace, leaving no gap between them.