"Ian!"
Holding the hem of her dress lightly to prevent it from catching on her feet, Tiel hurried down the spiral staircase and threw herself into Ian Dross's arms.
Ian, as if accustomed to such greetings, caught her and embraced her. The lace at the hem of her dress fluttered like white butterflies.
"Tiel, I told you not to run."
Ian admonished her, frowning slightly. However, he showed no intention of letting her go.
Tiel, now grown up, had to tilt her chin up to look at Ian, much like she did with Karsus, as Ian had grown tall enough to match Karsus in height.
Looking up to meet his eyes, Tiel saw the handsome face of the man frowning slightly at her.
Ian Dross, now well into adulthood, was often mentioned alongside Ferdie and Ludian as one of Crassion's "Three Great Beauties," though his popularity was somewhat less due to his engagement.
But Tiel never thought Ian was any less handsome than her two brothers.
Ferdie and Ludian might throw a fit if they heard, but Tiel sometimes thought Ian was even more handsome than the two of them...
"I ran because I wanted to see you. Didn't you want to see me?"
Tiel examined Ian's face for a long while before playfully wrapping her arms around his waist and then letting go.
Though they had not held an official engagement ceremony, they had lived as each other's betrothed for a long time, so there was no embarrassment in their embrace, almost as if they were already married.
Ian looked down at Tiel helplessly and leaned in slightly as he continued.
"I missed you terribly, Tiel Asterian. Isn't that why I came all the way here? Do you think I just wander around Asterian for no reason?"
Tiel shook her head quickly. Ian was the Crown Prince of Crassion, the only male heir to the throne after the current emperor. There was no way he could be leisurely!
With a touch of joy, Tiel blushed, took Ian's hand, and led him out to the garden.
As Tiel and Ian stepped out into the garden, the servants of the Asterian estate expertly prepared the prettiest table with a tablecloth and a vase, arranging a comfortable spot for them to sit and talk.
Plonk!
At that moment, a white homing pigeon, a gift from Ian when Tiel turned twelve, flew in from afar and landed on Tiel's shoulder.
"Let's sit here!"
Tiel pointed to the table and turned around to face Ian. The brooch pinned to her chest sparkled incessantly. It was also a gift from Ian.
Thanks to it, Tiel, a snow leopard who was sensitive to heat, could stay comfortably cool while residing in the Asterian estate...
"I wouldn't refuse."
Ian replied with a light smile.
He sat down at the table positioned in the center of the garden. Tiel sat directly opposite him. The maids brought out two cups of tea, sugar cubes, and freshly baked cookies for them.
"So, may I ask now?"
"What?"
"You didn't come just because you missed me, did you? Has something happened?"
Tiel's round eyes were fixed on Ian. Ian sipped his unsweetened black tea with his eyes slightly narrowed.
"I really came because I missed you, and also to ask what you'd like for a birthday gift."
"A lie..."
"Doubting the word of a Crown Prince?"
"I'm the Crown Prince's fiancée… Please tell me, has something else happened?"
Tiel pressed urgently.
Ian sipped his tea silently before lifting his eyelids to look at the girl sitting in front of him.
Tiel's thin lips were firmly closed. Ian knew well the expression she wore; Tiel was being stubborn with him now.
"Nothing's wrong, everything you know is up to date. Jae has still not been found, and His Majesty is…"
"Not that!"
Tiel cut him off. Ian looked at his fiancée without annoyance.
The girl, with half of her beautiful white hair braided up, was looking at him sharply.
"I'm not curious about that!"
Tiel looked at Ian.
Years ago, when Tiel was twelve, someone had infiltrated Ian's subspace.
Since then, Ian's ability had become noticeably unstable, despite Tiel and Ian being bonded companions.
Perhaps it was because their bond was only half-formed. But that wasn't what mattered now.
What mattered was that Ian's ability had become very unstable since then.
Just as Tiel had calmed the abilities of Ferdie, Ludian, and Ian when they were on the verge of rampage as children, she had tried to soothe him, but it wasn't easy.
There had been a few occasions when she had managed to calm him just before an outburst, but despite Tiel's continuous efforts, Ian's ability refused to stabilize.
As a result, he was always living as if walking a tightrope. Tiel, despite how much she had grown, was saddened that she couldn't help Ian with this.
"I was asking if something more happened with your ability."
"Hmm."
Ian exhaled shortly.
Ultimately, Ian couldn't hide anything about his condition from Tiel.
Since Tiel was bonded with him, she shared the burden of his ability.
Therefore, it wasn't right to keep his condition from Tiel. However, Ian felt a reluctance to speak about his condition to Tiel.
'Does it bother me that Tiel worries about me?'
No, that wasn't it. Ian liked that Tiel cared about him. So what was the problem? Ian's eyes narrowed.
'Is it that I hate worrying Tiel?'
Tiel's concern was welcome. But he disliked causing her worry. What a contradictory feeling!
Yet, his fiancée, whether or not she understood Ian's heart, narrowed her eyes to the sharpest point and pressed him.
"Ian!"
"Alright, alright. Recently, no one has infiltrated the subspace, but… some rooms in the subspace have disappeared."
"Rooms disappeared?"
Tiel widened her eyes in disbelief.
Ian's subspace, as Tiel well knew, was like a large mansion. A grand and large mansion, yet a mansion where the lights were never on.
And now rooms were disappearing? Tiel looked at Ian incredulously with wide eyes.
"Exactly, some rooms in the subspace have disappeared. Normally, my subspace changes frequently, so I didn't pay much attention, but lately…"
"Lately?"
"Lately, doors won't open, or I can't move within the subspace. But I swear, I didn't come today to talk about this, I really wanted to ask about your gift…"
"You should have told me about this sooner…!"
"Tiel, are you listening to me?"
Tiel frowned and nodded.
Certainly, even if she had known earlier, it wasn't a problem Tiel could solve.
However, knowing that there was another problem with Ian's ability made her unable to look at him properly because she was so upset.
"..."
"...Tiel?"
Ian leaned over, looking at her. Tiel sipped her tea and discreetly covered her face with the teacup.
"Are you upset because I didn't tell you sooner?"
"I'm not upset!"
"Then why are you making that face?"
"I'm upset because there's a problem with you, Ian, and I can't solve it, even though I'm your companion…"
"Companion doesn't mean you can solve everything, Tiel."
Ian set down his teacup and walked around the table to stand behind Tiel.
As Tiel reached out her hand, Ian caught her small hand from over her shoulder and looked down at her.
Tiel lifted her chin to look up at Ian. A shadow fell over her pale cheeks.
"And you've already been a great help to me."
"..."
"From the moment I met you until now, always. So there's no need to be anxious or sad, Tiel…"
A breeze blew softly.
Ian's tender, warm voice scattered on the wind.