Gabriel felt a tremor run through the hand he was holding when his lips touched it. The joints bent and the tips of Alice’s fingers pressed against the inside of his fingers. He could feel her fingernails through her glove. They chained him down, scraped at his skin.

For a moment, his shoulder-blades tingled. The spots where Alice’s fingers had dug in previously were tingling, calling to him. When he raised his gaze, he saw fire. Her eyes, as cold and calm as always in public, were burning with a flame only he could see.

He could feel it in his lungs. The fire she breathed into him back then, it still lurked within his flesh and bones, it had scrubbed them free of everything else. And now, as if to respond to that gaze, it was starting to roar back to life. A familiar taste spread on his tongue, awoken by the flames. Vanilla and lemon, with just a small aftertaste of blood.

A part of him expected Alice to plug him up again and fill him with more fire… or perhaps that part desired it. But it seemed as if she was going to hold herself back this time. Her grip on his fingers loosened as he straightened his back, but she didn’t let go of him.

She raised his hand in much the same manner as he had hers and lowered her head, her lips landing on his knuckles as she looked at him with upturned eyes.

"My Knight. Gabriel. I’ve been waiting for you."

Fire. It washed over his fingers with each word, each breath that spilt from her mouth. He could feel it race up his hand, scarring his arm as it raced for his neck. She branded him with fire only they could see, but still, each word left marks for all to see.

Alice looked up as she spoke. She could see Gabriel. Cold. Calm. Collected. Normally, this would be the time he would be sizing up the hall and the nobles in it. But right now, he was only looking at her. And in his eyes she saw things only she understood.

Yeah, no one else here could read him like she could. No one here could understand him like she did. She lowered her head slightly again, placing her lips back on his knuckles.

Everyone was looking at them. Of course they were, they were two of the main characters in this investiture. And the aura Gabriel brought with him when he entered… It was impossible for the people in the hall to not look at his every step.

He’d done that for her.

"My knight."

Her lips touched his knuckles again.

The knight who orchestrated things in the background. The knight who stayed hidden so that his work for her wouldn’t be impeded. The broken boy who stretched out a hand to another broken girl. He’d stopped in front of her, willingly drawing the attention of everyone.

He’d done that for her.

"Gabriel."

Her lips touched his knuckles again.

He’d lowered his head. He’d taken her hand and held it close. He’d placed his lips on her fingers of his own volition, of his own desire.

He’d done that for her.

"I waited for you."

Her lips touched his knuckles again.

He found the most visible place to do it. He’d drawn everyones attention, made sure that they would see his every move. He spoke her name. Not a title, not a courtesy, not a nickname. Her name. In public. In front of everyone. Her name, only hers.

He’d done that for her.

"The wait felt like ages. Don’t ever make me wait that long again."

One last time, her lips touched his knuckles.

She still looked up. She could see the people in the hall looking at them. Gawking like they saw zoo-animals dancing about, unable to process the situation. Go ahead, look all you want. He stepped up in public, he drew everyone’s eyes for her. She’d be an abject failure if she wasn’t willing to do the same for him.

She raised her head again and finally let go of his hand. There was fire inside her, spilling out with every breath. But this wasn’t the place, nor was this the time. So she pushed it down, she gathered it in the pit of her stomach like a smoldering lump.

Her expression was normal when she finished raising her head, calm and cold, as majestic as someone would expect of someone from a Ducal household. But her fingers were still scraping against Gabriel’s, she could feel his hot skin through her gloves. Still, she pretended as if she wasn’t doing anything when she turned her head to Abigail.

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"I’m terribly sorry for the late introduction, Crown Princess. This is Gabriel, my better half."

Alice smiled as always, but she closely studied Abigail. Back when they first met, Abigail had explicitly warned Alice about trusting someone with violet eyes and white hair, she’d also warned her about her family, mainly Leonardo and Francis. Clearly, Abigail knew something.

Thus, Alice had made sure that she and Gabriel never got the chance to meet. But it was inevitable. Sooner or later, if they wanted their respective plans to reach fruition, Gabriel and Abigail would end up meeting. And this investiture was that inevitability.

"Ah… Ah! Yes.. Humph, forgive me, I was a bit… distracted. Knight Gabriel, I have heard many things about you over the years. Thank you for… taking care of my friend Ally."

Abigail quickly caught herself, closing her mouth to hide her agape expression. She cleared her throat and rubbed her face to force some colour into it, but Alice wouldn’t miss those pale traces. Fear and confusion. Abigail was afraid.

Gabriel probably noticed it too, but he kept his expression in check. The stupidest thing you could do when you noticed something strange in someone else was to let them know that you had noticed.

"This one is humbled to meet you and greets the future sun of Earhart, the beating heart of the empire and the crown of the land. Alice has spoken about you in great length, I am thankful that she can have a close and dear friend like you. So allow me to return those words of gratitude, thank you for taking care of Alice."

Gabriel placed his hand against his chest and bowed respectfully as he greeted the Crown Princess. Her gaze was familiar. In his past life, the families of his targets often looked at him like that. Fear of what he would do. Confusion as to why he was doing it. Hatred due to what he was putting them through. He… was used to being looked at like that.

"Please, I am undeserving of such words. I simply did what anyone else in my situation would do. After you get to know her, who wouldn’t want to be friends with Ally?"

Abigail kept talking, her expression gradually returning to normal. She was regaining control of her own emotions, picking up a glass of champagne and offering it to Gabriel.

"I have heard of your exploits up north. You have my gratitude, I dread to think of what such an unknown situation may have developed into. You protected not just my friend, but my people and lands as well. How could I ever repay you for everything you’ve done?"

Gabriel naturally accepted the glass she offered him, the entire hall was currently looking at them so he didn’t allow himself to make a mistake. There was a slight tremble in Abigail’s hand. He couldn’t feel it, but the bubbles rising in the champagne gave it away. When she pulled back her hand after he accepted the champagne, she scratched the spot between her brows with her right hand.

"Say, Gabriel. Have you felt anything stra…"

"Now announcing the arrival of Sir Michael Woodime and Sir Caine Woodime!"

The voice of the announcer cut through the hall before Abigail could get out her question, decreeing the arrival of her saviour. The doors to the hall were pushed open and Caine entered, dressed in a tight-fitting armour that combined leather, dark green scales, and matte metal, the entire thing adorned by silk straps that matched the colour of Abigail’s dress. Walking ahead of him was Michael Woodime, the leader of the eastern family.

Skin darkened by more than just a tan, a pitch-black and coal-like mark twirling like waves across the right side of his face, creeping down his neck. His hair was as black as the mark, to the point that it seemed unnatural, a light sheen covering it. He had a pair of blue eyes that were almost awkwardly light, they didn’t match the rest of his appearance in the slightest.

As was the case with Caine, Michael didn’t wear a suit. He wore armour that was rather similar to Caine’s, but the scales on his were golden while the metal was black, even the leather mixed in gave off a cold air. With someone that had status equal to a duke entering, everyone’s attention was naturally drawn over, Abigail taking the chance to excuse herself.

"Ah, please excuse me, but there are a few things I need to discuss with Sir Caine before the investiture properly starts. I hope you’ll enjoy yourself."

Abigail grabbed another two glasses of champagne before walking away, seemingly making sure that her stride didn’t give away her emotions.

"She’s afraid."

Gabriel stated rather plainly as he watched Abigail’s back. She hid it well in the end, but it was impossible to miss her emotions at the start. That was true for both him and Alice.

"Has been for a while, but I’ve yet to figure out exactly what may have caused it."

Alice naturally didn’t deny anything, taking a sip of champagne. She’d dug into why Abigail warned her against Gabriel in the past, and what she knew, but she’d come up blank so far.

"Explains why we’ve never met."

It made sense. He always taught Alice to be cautious, and with the Crown Princess seemingly being afraid of him it was prudent to not let them meet. He understood her intentions so he didn’t pry into them further, they trusted each other enough to not dig.

The arrival of the Woodime family quietly marked the arrival of the investiture’s start, the prominent families arriving one by one.

"…Marquess Giradin!"

"…Duke Vritara!"

"…Marquess Artiom!"

"…Marquess Haravat!"

"…Marquess Laoguai!"

"…Duchess Sorin!"

"…Duchess Barong!"

One by one the highest nobles of the empire arrived with their inheritors. It was very rare for all the ducal families, and the eastern family, to gather in one place. But now they were all here for the investiture. If Gabriel had to guess then this meant that the emperor was going to announce more than just possible engagements and new titles. And when you spoke of the devil…

"Now announcing the arrival of the Bright Sun, the Crown of the Land and the heart of the world, Emperor Earhart!"

"Now announcing the arrival of the graceful moon, the jewel of the land and the lifeblood of the empire, Empress Earhart!"

The lords of the empire had arrived on the balcony overlooking the rest of the hall. Abigail was already here, and the Emperor brought along his four sons as he arrived, so naturally, at this moment, all the big names and rulers of the empire had gathered in this hall. And thus, the investiture started.