𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟔
“Lou, how could I possibly wear a fox mask……?”
He grumbled, but when I pulled him by the hand, he obediently sat in the chair.
I placed the fox mask on the table and tidied his hair.
The touch of his silver hair, smooth and silky against my fingertips, was soft.
I stroked his hair for a long time, soothing him.
“Let’s try it on. You’ll be the most handsome fox at the festival, guaranteed.”
Callisto asked coldly, without even looking at me.
“So, you’re saying it’s okay to waste my face on a trivial fox mask?”
Did he hear what I said to Ernst earlier?
‘He’s jealous like a child.’
It was such an uncharacteristic behavior for him that I burst out laughing.
“No, of course not.”
I coaxed and persuaded him until I finally managed to put the mask on him.
Callisto’s blue eyes were visible through the slits of the fox mask.
No mask, no matter how elaborate, could conceal who this man was.
“How could a fox mask possibly hide you?”
I whispered, using the excuse of soothing him to convey my sincerity.
I thought he would avert his gaze by now, but no.
The blue eyes hidden behind the mask stared at me intently, as if he had forgotten to even blink.
As a result, it was I who became embarrassed.
Flustered, I tried to turn to Phoebe, but he grabbed my wrist.
“Then, will you throw candy at me?”
It was said that the candy thrown during the New Year’s festival held a meaning of courtship.
‘But when I read the diary, it felt like it was just talk, and everyone just enjoyed the game of throwing candy.’
I hesitated for a moment, and Callisto took the fox mask off again.
“Or will you only throw it to the Crown Prince, whose beauty is too precious to be wasted on a mask?”
It was only after seeing the subtle twitch of his lips that I realized Callisto was joking.
So, I bent down and whispered in his ear.
“I’ll throw the most to Cal.”
He immediately replied.
“You better keep that promise.”
The sunset was already setting outside the window.
A reddish glow lingered around the silver hair of the man looking up at me languidly.
‘A man like this could never be hidden by a mask.’
I was convinced once again, but Phoebe urged us on.
“Then we need to prepare your hair and attire to match the mask! Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us.”
Ernst gave me a slight nod and left the room first.
Following him, Callisto also rose leisurely.
“See you later.”
I smiled, seeing the white fox mask in his hand.
“Yes. See you later.”
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
On the night of the festival, the royal flags of Flavi and the Brentania Empire mingled and fluttered under the roof of the Edessa Hotel.
—Bang! Bang!
As the magical fireworks, which must have cost the royal family a fortune, embroidered the sky, we also left the hotel and slipped into the street festival.
“Let’s go, Phoebe.”
I held Phoebe’s hand and happily walked down the alleyway filled with the sweet smell of candy.
White candy rained down like drizzle in every narrow alleyway, and the air was filled with boisterous laughter.
We were soon covered in a fine dusting of powdered sugar.
“Oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard, candy got in my mouth.”
As I was giggling with Phoebe while chewing on the candy, a gloved hand suddenly touched under my chin.
“Huh?”
Callisto said ominously.
“How do you know who threw it and you’re going to swallow it? Spit it out.”
Spit it out into his gloved hand?
Flustered, I looked up, and his blue eyes shone coldly through the slits of the fox mask that had come close.
“Ah.”
He said.
“Ah……?”
As soon as I blankly repeated him, his long fingers plucked the candy from my tongue.
I stared in disbelief as Callisto nonchalantly popped the candy into his own mouth.
“Cal, you can eat candy that you don’t know who threw?”
I finally regained my senses and shouted, and he blinked his cool eyes.
But because of the thick layer of powdered sugar, his silver eyelashes looked adorably full, slightly diminishing the authoritative aura he usually exuded.
“There was nowhere appropriate to throw it away.”
Callisto said bluntly, even with that expression.
He stood on the candy that was scattered like sand on the ground, yet his posture remained perfectly straight.
Ernst and his secretary, who had left earlier to find a good spot, waved at us from a few steps ahead.
“Here!”
It seemed they had given a whole box of candy to a house at the intersection and borrowed their balcony.
We stood side by side on the balcony, throwing handfuls of candy to everyone passing by.
Phoebe, who had been giggling, suddenly asked.
“By the way, Your Highness, did you know the candy that His Highness Lurik sent is really delicious?”
“Really?”
Before I could even reach out, two pieces of candy lined up in front of my lips simultaneously.
I had no choice but to open my lips slightly.
Ernst quickly popped one candy into my mouth.
As I was about to close my lips, wondering about Callisto’s reaction, he slipped the second candy into my mouth.
“Cal……”
I mumbled discontentedly with a candy in each cheek, and Callisto said.
“Just reminding you, in case you forgot, it’s courtship candy.”
He’s using the candy my brother sent to make his case.
I chuckled, and Ernst, for once, agreed.
“Mine too.”
Then Phoebe chimed in.
“Then mine too!”
And then she poured the whole basket of candy over the two men’s heads.
Phoebe ran away, giggling.
“Phoebe Nillo, you……!”
Ernst ran after her first to catch her.
A smile naturally spread across my face as I watched them.
“Are you tired? Would you like to sit down?”
I hadn’t even realized I was tired until I heard that question.
Callisto didn’t wait for my answer and swiftly grabbed my waist, seating me on a nearby tea table.
Actually, my legs were heavy, but I answered cheerfully.
“Not at all. It’s been a while since I’ve laughed like this.”
My gaze was still fixed on Phoebe, who was running around.
Callisto leaned against the railing next to me.
As befitting a festival, the brightly lit streetlights glowed yellow, and fireworks still occasionally exploded in the sky.
He was still handsome, even with his black cloak covered in white smudges and the fox mask that women usually wore.
‘Maybe next year at the Candy Festival, it’ll be trendy for men to wear fox masks.’
Callisto suddenly spoke.
“In Babenberg, there’s an Ice Festival on the first full moon of the year. It’s been my wish since I was twelve to invite you there.”
“……Since you were twelve?”
I wondered if it was a question that ‘Louise’ shouldn’t ask and felt a pang of regret, but he didn’t seem to find it strange.
Callisto let out a small, sigh-like laugh.
“Since then, my dream has been that big. Even though I only saw you once, and even though my life was destined to be a knight wandering the borders.”
I knew all about Louise’s first semester through her diary.
Back then, Callisto only showed off his wealth while acting like a senior, and their relationship was rather lukewarm.
‘No wonder the two in the diary seemed so distant compared to their relationship in the letters.’
It seemed Callisto had hidden his feelings for a long time.
Probably because he had no right to the succession.
‘What if Cal isn’t the baby’s father?’
A sudden worry crept into my mind.
I couldn’t deny the fact that my heart was most easily swayed in front of Callisto.
But what if the father was someone else?
‘Could I still choose someone else on my own then?’
If I couldn’t, and just chose the baby’s father, what about this man’s long-held feelings?
‘And I didn’t even know, and I broke my promise to visit Babenberg Castle during the last monastery trip.’
The thought made me feel suffocated, and I blurted out,
“I want to go too, to the Ice Festival.”
Callisto’s gaze wavered behind the mask.
It was as if I had never seen him this flustered before.
Even so, Callisto immediately shook his head.
“Don’t push yourself, Lou. There’s plenty of time.”
He was probably doing it for my sake.
I also insisted for his sake.
“I just, want to go. I read in a book that traveling is good for the baby too.”
This time, he couldn’t refuse right away.
I could almost see his face, agonizing behind the mask.
After a long while, Callisto replied.
“……Let’s ask the doctor and decide.”
Then he slowly added.
“Even if we don’t get permission……, thank you for saying that. I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
I shrugged nonchalantly.
“I’m not saying I’ll go for Cal, I just think it would be fun.”
Even if he wasn’t the baby’s father, if it was such a long-held wish, I could grant him at least one.
Callisto deserved that much, as he had always said, even as a senior.
‘Of course, it’s the same for all three of them.’
Thinking about that, I remembered the real Louise, who had given all three of them a chance.
‘I really didn’t want to understand……’
Would it have been easier if one of them had been lacking, or flawed……?
But these men were all perfect and devoted, making me feel incredibly guilty just imagining choosing one of them.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- How to Deal with Your Cringey Otaku Classmate (Without Turning into a Weeaboo Yourself)
- Is Your Cat Plotting Your Demise (While You’re Face Down, Drunk)?
- The Unmentionable Truth About Anime Waifus: Why They’re All So Smooth
- Kakashi and Obito: Bro-mance or True Love? Unraveling the Mystery of Naruto’s Most Epic Duo
- When You Realize You’re Too Old for Anime: A Midlife Crisis in 2D
Advanced Chapters
✨KOFI-PATREON
🛖HOME
𝐀𝐖𝐄𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐔 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘
💎ᴠɪᴘ – 𝙀𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 (𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨) Free Ch1-100 (Password – AWEBSTORIES-FREE100CH)
Translation-(COMPLETED) – Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥《⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐》!!
Leave a Reply