Chapter 48
I pulled at my hair a few more times, but it wasn’t working. I decided this wouldn’t do and called Eunice.
“Uni, do you have scissors?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
Eunice, who always carried a small sewing kit just in case, started searching through her bag.
But Lionel stopped her.
“I’ll untangle it. Please stay still.”
With his long eyelashes lowered, Lionel carefully began freeing my hair from his button.
His fingers were so long and beautiful that even the phrase “delicate hands” felt insufficient. Every time his fingers brushed through my hair, I could feel each strand being gently loosened.
Watching him touch my hair from so close made me feel a little embarrassed.
I could feel his slow breath. Maybe because he had been moving around earlier, I could sense warmth from his body even though we weren’t exactly pressed together.
‘No wonder he’s the male lead of a novel. He even smells nice.’
Even at this close distance, his scent wasn’t overwhelming. It was deep and calm.
I still preferred sweet, fruity perfumes. But this man—even in small details—felt mature.
‘If you count my past life, my mental age should be much higher though.’
As I watched him silently focus on untangling my hair, I felt awkward and muttered,
“We could just cut it…”
“If it were my hair, I would.”
Did that mean he wouldn’t cut someone else’s hair carelessly? Or that he wouldn’t cut mine because it was mine?
I suddenly became curious.
“If another lady’s hair got caught in your button like this, would you untangle it for her too?”
“No.”
“…Why?”
Don’t tell me… do you like me? Already?
“Because that won’t happen.”
“Huh? How can you be so sure?”
What if someone deliberately ran into his arms? It wouldn’t be easy to avoid.
“It’s done.”
“Already? …Wow, you really got it all out.”
Once hair gets properly tangled, it’s not easy to fix. I felt truly grateful for the care he took with each strand and thanked him sincerely.
Just then, a strong gust of wind blew and sent my hair flying.
‘No! It’ll get tangled again!’
I quickly grabbed my hair and stepped back. Luckily, it didn’t tangle again.
While I was sighing in relief, Lionel, who had been looking toward where the wind was coming from, turned to me.
“The wind is strong today. It would be better to tie your hair.”
“You’re right.”
Hmm… but I don’t have a hair tie.
As I searched the small pocket sewn into my dress, Lionel asked,
“Do you have a hair tie?”
“No. I don’t.”
I was about to say Eunice probably had one, but Lionel took my hand.
“Let’s go over there.”
“What?”
He led me to the bench at the edge of the training ground—the one I had noticed earlier.
After sitting me down, he pulled down the cravat decorating his collar and stepped behind me.
“Look forward.”
“Forward? Why?”
Without thinking much, I looked ahead—and froze.
There were dozens of eyes staring at us.
‘You want me to look at that?’
Not just Eunice, my maid. There were Lionel’s aides, attendants from the Second Prince’s palace, apprentice knights who had been swinging wooden swords, and even other priests and holy knights in the temple.
When our eyes met, they quickly looked away in surprise—but they kept glancing back.
Curiosity, shock, surprise, interest. Their mixed emotions made me feel like a monkey in a zoo.
And I soon realized why.
Lionel, standing behind me, had gathered all my hair in one hand.
“You’re tying my hair? Do you have a hair tie?”
“……”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Whether he heard me or not, Lionel kept quietly gathering my hair together.
If his touch hadn’t been so gentle and careful, I would have jumped up immediately.
‘Of course, it’s clumsier than when Uni does it…’
Well, that was obvious. When would His Highness the Prince ever have tied someone else’s hair?
“It’s done.”
“Thank you!”
Lionel had simply tied my hair at the nape of my neck. I didn’t even need a mirror to know—it was just gathered together so it wouldn’t blow in the wind.
Still, I reached back to touch it, and my fingers felt a piece of fabric acting as a tie.
‘What? This fabric feels expensive.’
Wait… didn’t he loosen his cravat earlier? Did he use his cravat to tie my hair?
‘…What? He’s kinder than he looks.’
If he had a younger sister, he would’ve been a great big brother. Or maybe he’d be the kind of father who dotes on his daughter.
‘A daughter, huh… If she looked half like me and half like Lionel, she’d be so cute.’
I was imagining a child who resembled both of us when suddenly I heard his voice beside me.
“Lili.”
“Huh? …Me?”
Startled, I looked up at him. His gaze was fixed directly on me.
I glanced around, wondering if there was a bluebird floating somewhere, then asked,
“Did you just call me?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you calling me that?”
He looked confused by my question.
“Did you not give me permission?”
“I did—but!”
Worried others might overhear, I stood on tiptoe and whispered into his ear,
“Didn’t you mean you’d call the bluebird ‘Lili’?”
“No.”
So he meant he would call me by my childhood nickname?
“Why though…? Then what do you call the bluebird?”
“I was curious about that. What is the bluebird’s name?”
“I haven’t given it one.”
“Then give it one now.”
I hadn’t thought about naming the bluebird…
‘Do I have to name it? Well, I did create it.’
If I was basically its parent, I suddenly felt a strong sense of duty to give it a pretty, meaningful, easy-to-say cute name.
‘What should I call it?’
As I struggled to think, one of the apprentice holy knights who had been glancing our way approached hesitantly.
“Um… Your Highness. As you ordered, we’ve finished a hundred downward strikes.”
“Ah.”
Right. Lionel had been correcting the apprentices’ stances earlier.
I was just taking up his time.
“Let’s go.”
“Then, Rio, I—”
I was about to say I’d wait until he was done, but Lionel held out his hand to me.
‘Huh?’
I blinked in confusion, then realized.
‘Is he escorting me?’
I thought I could just wait on the bench, but since he was offering his hand like a proper fiancé, I gently placed my hand over his.
But suddenly, Lionel intertwined our fingers tightly.
“Ah—?”
It wasn’t just me who was shocked. The apprentice who came to call him was shocked. The other apprentices waiting were shocked. Eunice was shocked. Everyone was shocked.
All the small background noise and murmurs stopped. Silence fell over the area.
Whether Lionel noticed or not, he lightly pulled my hand toward himself and nodded at the apprentice in front of him.
“Aren’t you going?”
“Ah! Yes! We’re going—of course!”
The startled apprentice hurried back to the training ground, glancing back at us—at our interlocked hands.
I followed Lionel, walking beside him.
The magic flowing through our joined hands made me feel good for a moment, but then I leaned closer and whispered,
“Rio, am I disturbing you?”
“For now, I don’t need to use my hands, so it’s fine.”
“No, but everyone seems distracted…”
Thankfully, he didn’t say, “Is that a problem?”
Instead, he slowly looked over the line of apprentice knights.
“Are you distracted?”