I Start with a Bad Hand!

“Because your god resides in the earth, while our god resides in the sky.”

Living in a society where gods predominantly resided in the sky, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that statement. The deity of this world was Hades, and it was natural for them to accept that the god lived underground? Even if it was a god?

‘But then, why does the Sereti god live in the sky?’

Seeing my perplexed expression and my lack of response, Fernandez glanced at me curiously before answering nonchalantly,

“What? You didn’t know? Your god and our god govern different domains.”

You shoot well, but I guess you didn’t study much. His tone was slightly mocking.

“…So, what happens if you go beyond the domain of Hades?”

“What do you think? Your priests wouldn’t be able to use their divine powers at all. That’s why your empire’s Second Prince places holy relics near the borders. What, you really didn’t know?”

Fernandez seemed more knowledgeable about Thomple than I was, and he looked at me with a puzzled expression. A god whose power weakens as you move away from the empire’s center and has a localized influence?

‘Is the god of this world like WiFi?’

The further you get from the router, the weaker the signal, and using a hotspot to share data within a limited area. Such power… 

‘What is this world, really…?’

Given that Hades is said to exist underground, maybe it’s more like fiber optic cables. As I pondered the role of gods in this world, a topic I had never really thought about before, I was snapped back to reality by a light whistle. Fernandez had stepped away from the wall and taken a step closer to me.

And then, it happened. With a light pecking sound, Fernandez gave me a kiss on the cheek and quickly stepped back.

What… What just happened?

“…What the…?”

“I’m off. Thanks for making this year a bit more fun.”

He didn’t directly kiss my cheek, but the sound and proximity left my Confucian values in shock. As I held my cheek and stared, Fernandez waved with a smile that suggested he thought I was overreacting.

“See you next year. Keep in touch before then.”

The expression of astonishment on my face slowly changed to one of dawning realization. Next year.

“Enjoy the rest of the ball, Dietrich Degoph.”

Fernandez left with a short farewell, and even after he had completely disappeared, I stood there for a while, thinking. The startling kiss and everything else faded away, leaving me with just one thought.

Irene, Agnes, and even Fernandez—they all casually talk about promises for the future, and each time, it makes me pause. I’m not thinking about the future right now.

‘…Will I even be here next year?’

Will Dietrich’s body hold up until then? The exact timing of Dietrich’s last moments isn’t clear in the book. However, considering that there’s no mention of the friendly match or the ball in the last blank space….

‘Perhaps around this time next year, this body might….’

With that thought, I found myself standing still for a long time. Agnes and Irene approached me several times to ask me to dance, and the music changed multiple times, until the finale was announced.

The music reached its climax. As the brass section grew louder, I started to move. I was planning to walk along the edge, avoiding the people dancing in the center of the ballroom.

Pop. Pop-pop.

As the orchestral music softly resonated in the hall, I heard small, simultaneous popping sounds. These tiny noises tickled my ears, though I couldn’t identify their source even when I looked around. Unconsciously, I paused, turning my head to locate the origin of the sound.

“Uh….”

Something tickled my shoulder. When I looked down, there was something small, white, and round on my shoulder.

‘…Snow?’

But as I reached out to touch it, I realized it wasn’t snow.

Flowers….

Then, instinctively, I looked up. Something white and glowing was gently falling from the ceiling. Very slowly. A soft flower bud settled lightly on my outstretched hand before bursting open with a gentle pop.

Tiny petals fluttered in the chandelier’s light. In the still air, a shower of flowers fell. The dazzling sight made everyone stop dancing, and gasps of awe filled the room.

I continued to stare at the flower resting on my palm. It was so light. The sensation tickled. The light was so vibrant. Absorbed by the falling petals, the background music of the orchestra seemed to slow down slightly. Everything felt like it was passing by very slowly.

‘How strange.’

I seemed to be entranced by this floral light. Despite my unresolved circumstances and the mountain of problems I needed to solve, the gentle touch of the petals eased my worries. It was a strange feeling.

‘Making a fool out of me. Just because you’re raining down on me, it doesn’t mean my life will change.’

Like a sudden summer shower or early winter snow, the petals falling on the autumn ball’s night made me stop in my tracks. Feeling irritated, I flicked the petals in my palm. They were just small, powerless petals.

I turned away from the ballroom’s entrance. Only one person could do something like this, and even for that person, making so many petals burst simultaneously was…

‘Why can’t I see him? He’s not someone who could hide without being noticed.’

I found Icarus with a pale face near the terrace at the corner of the ballroom, close to where I had been standing for so long.

“…I wondered why you weren’t visible. Why are you hiding here?”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

Despite his words, he was sitting in the dark, leaning against a shadowed column in the terrace’s corner. He gestured for me to come closer with a weak movement, unfamiliar enough to make me move.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

…The flowers.

At my question, he managed a silent smile, lifting trembling lips on his pale face. Even as I approached, he seemed too out of breath to speak. He then slowly reached out and removed the mask Klaus had lent me.

Wheezing, his soft breaths overshadowed the noisy ballroom sounds beyond the terrace.

Sorry. After a long silence, his hoarse voice quietly broke the silence.

“You know how troublesome this ability is.”

If I don’t want to collapse miserably after using it, I need to put in quite a bit of effort. He blinked his fading eyes and spoke in a slow voice.

“…Why?”

He met my gaze at my question.

“As far as I know, decorating the ballroom isn’t the prince’s responsibility.”

“….”

He still leaned against the column on the terrace. The light spilling from inside highlighted his pale complexion. Cold sweat glistened on his forehead.

He remained silent. Unable to bear the silence, I instinctively offered him a handkerchief. He finally spoke as I did.

“Well. Even on a good day, some people always have a grim look….”

His voice cracked, and he stopped talking, looking at the handkerchief I offered as if he couldn’t believe it. His pale cheeks and the tips of his ears slowly started to turn a faint shade of red.

As I took a step closer, perplexed by his reaction, he suddenly stopped, and I was about to offer an explanation.

“Cold sweat….”

“They say that if two people who become partners at the preliminary knight’s oath ball exchange flowers and handkerchiefs at the formal knighting ceremony, they will be happy together for a long time, for life.”

Oh.

I finally understood why he had stopped talking and was staring at me.

In that moment, I met Icarus’s eyes. When I tried to withdraw the hand I had extended, he quickly grasped it.

I silently stared at our joined hands. Icarus’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he began to speak.

“…You don’t believe in such things.”

His voice was calm, contrary to his anxious gesture. It was as if he was seeking my agreement. His fingertips felt cold through our intertwined hands.

“Right?”

When I didn’t respond, he asked again in a hurried tone. Despite his words, he took the handkerchief I offered with a firm grip. His gaze, his touch, and his voice—it felt like I had awoken from a spell, and I took a step back.

What had felt light and casual with Irene and Agnes now felt much heavier. This wasn’t just an interaction between friends anymore.

I now knew what I needed to say.

“Your Highness.”

Icarus looked at me when I called him softly. I met his gaze without flinching. A cool breeze gently brushed between us.

“I’m not very perceptive and often can’t distinguish between human kindness and something more.”

I paused to clear my throat and continued,

“I appreciate your kindness towards me. But beyond that, I can’t afford any misunderstandings…”

At that moment, he straightened from the shadowed column he had been leaning against. And quietly, he began to speak, about to say something he shouldn’t and I wasn’t supposed to hear.