Without realizing it, my hands gripped the railing so tightly it made my knuckles white. The last time I saw the emperor was before I lost consciousness when I told him exactly what I felt without holding back. While the distance separating us was too wide for me to see his face properly, the fact that I would be seeing him again is making me anxious. The trumpet blared once again to signal the emperor's entrance and there he was, standing under the towering arch of the main gate, unaccompanied in all his glory as he stepped foot in the big square.

Just as I thought. I can't see his face clearly from where I stood.

The emperor was dressed in a gold-trimmed, white ceremonial suit and a white cape was draped over him. Everyone's attention was drawn to him like magnets, his presence captivating and powerful and it's like the rest of the world was bowing under his feet. The way he carried himself spoke of confidence and grace that all everyone could do was stare as he walked up the steps. Entranced at the sight of the emperor heading towards the main hall, I unconsciously wished that I could see him more clearly.

I quickly brushed the thought off my head, internally reprimanding myself for thinking such things. But I couldn't deny there was a small part of me that wanted to know what the emperor was feeling, and I wondered how both of us would react the next time we saw each other.

Wait, scratch that, I shouldn't be thinking about this! Pull yourself together, Iona!

I shook my head and directed my attention back to the ceremony. Lavis noticed I couldn't keep myself still. He asked in a concerned voice, "Is there something wrong? Are you alright?"

"No, it's nothing."

I looked around our surroundings. Our spots granted us an excellent view of the ceremony and I could see the rites commencing steadily.

The main ceremony was held at the ritual hall and it will resume shortly after in front of the main hall for public viewing. I was told the ceremony would take about a couple of hours and I could only assume it would be nothing but repeated rituals prompted by formal customs, and honestly, it was something I'm not really interested in seeing.

My mom even berated me countless times every time I yawned audibly during the ancestral rites we practiced back in my previous life.

With that said, I have no intentions of sneaking up inside the private chambers of the ritual hall just so I could take a peek at the main ceremony. Doing so would only land me in a risky situation.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked Lavis.

He glanced at the watch he was holding and replied, "It's past noon." Waking up so early in the morning for a walk with Lavis sure made me a little bit tired and hungry. It's been quite a while since I last went outdoors that I felt like I was a fish out of water wanting to go home.

"How about we head back, High Priest?"

Lavis took a step closer to me, "But the ritual just began. His Majesty will not be returning today so there's no need to worry. He will be spending the entire day here since he will be attending the banquet later after the ritual."

"I'm just tired, that's all. Thank you for worrying about me, High Priest. You are too kind." I threw him a small smile.

He studied my face for a short while and a slight grin tugged his lips as he chuckled, his deep blue eyes crinkling at the sides. "Do you not like it?" He asked in a soft, gentle voice.

He took another step towards me. Our close proximity instantly made me so flustered that I hastily turned my face away from him. "No, it's not that I don't like it. I'm just worried that I may be causing you some trouble by sneaking inside the ritual hall."

He flashed me a playful smile and took a step back, "It's no trouble at all. There's nothing to worry about."

Wah... what was that just now? I shook my head, embarrassed for a moment because I felt tempted(really?) by him. No way, that can't be true.

"But if you are uncomfortable to go to the ritual hall, we may leave."

He said, putting a hood over my head. I hardened, surprised by a sudden and gentle touch. 'Good smell. Oops! Not this!'

"Oh, yes! T-thank you." I stammered. Why is it suddenly so hot? I guess it's really summertime. I turned my head and fanned myself with both of my hands.

"How about I bring you to another garden after lunch? You seem to be fond of gardens."

At his suggestion, a bright smile was instant on my face. I didn't have much reason to smile recently but now it's the complete opposite. "Thank you, High Priest!"

Lavis kept his gaze at me, deep blue eyes watching me softly as he let out a sheepish laugh. "So, there's something I've been thinking about. Perhaps you could call me something else other than High Priest?"

The randomness of his question caught me off guard. Was the High Priest suggesting I call him by his name? Considering I am just the emperor's doll?

I have no idea what he's on about or what his intentions were, but hearing such a request from the High Priest himself was somehow comforting. Among all the male characters, Lavis was known to be kind and that he had a gentle way with words, which was the reason why he was regarded as someone flirtatious. That was only for the heroine, though. He supported her in his own subtle way by sweet-talking, but in the end, he ended up really liking her.

I did not respond right away and after a short pause, I asked, "Would that be alright? Doing so may warrant disapproval from others."

"I'm the one who insists on it. What people may think of it is none of our concern." He responded as a matter of factly. I did not expect him to be this strong-willed.

Clearing my throat, I decided to give it a shot. "Lavis."

He closed his eyes and a small smile slowly formed on his lips. He seemed pleased at the mere act of me calling his name.

"Just as I expected. My name sounds nice coming from your mouth. Thank you for calling me, Iona." His gaze was still intent on my face and I felt my face burning from the attention. I tore my gaze off him, internally wishing that he would warn me before he acts like this.

This is why male sub-characters are dangerous. I mentally shook my head.

***