Although Ilyin wore a thick fur cloak, she still felt cold because of the current freezing weather in Biflten; she wondered if that was the reason the ceremony was so small.
She was perplexed as to why the ceremony was held during this time of year, but then realized that it was a ritual that needed to be performed to maintain the power needed to protect humans from monsters in these winter lands.
It would be disastrous if the power disappeared or weakened due to the postponement of the ceremony.
“This is the ‘Eltose’ Divine Object.” The Elo girl helped Ilyin wrap a golden bracelet, which was long and thin, much like a necklace, around her arm and then she disappeared without saying anything else.
Ilyin looked at the item and the bracelet seemed to light up in the dark on its own.
She hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not she could touch him, and then carefully raised her hand to cover the bracelet.
Just like the family name, the bracelet glowed like dim sunlight.
“I’m from Green Mille,” said a strange voice.
Ilyin jumped in surprise and pulled her hand away from the bracelet, making a strange sound when she heard the knock on the door.
"Between."
Madame de Mille entered quickly, but silently.
Ilyin looked at the green garland on her head, which was rarely seen in a place like Bilften, and only when the lady got closer did Ilyin realize that the garland was made of jewels rather than leaves and flowers.
“This is Mille’s ‘Setoze,’” she said proudly.
The names of the objects sounded so similar to each other.
Ilyin looked at the lady who was holding an item that she didn't believe could be considered a divine item.
Dark green hair cascaded over her shoulder, showing her ancestry.
She was amazed by her beauty.
With a soft murmur, the lady handed Ilyn a flower.
It was a real flower and she looked at it in confusion.
How could such a flower exist in these winter lands?
“Is the flower the Divine Object?” she asked.
“Yes,” the lady spoke in a soft voice.
“It’s a flower that never fades.”
She turned and left before Ilyin could ask another question and she noticed that the woman's cheeks were red.
Ilyin looked at the flower and the red petals centered around the golden stamen looked like a work of art.
It looked fresher than any flower Ilyin had seen in the empire and she breathed in its wonderful scent.
“You’re going to sleep if you keep this up,” said a deep voice.
A hand came between her and the flower, and Ilyin saw the white skin that showed how little sunlight shone on Bilften.
He was wearing a white shirt and Ilyin looked at his arm in surprise, she suspected she knew who he was.
“Aden?”
"Yes." He looked happy when he responded to her and she stopped herself from turning around.
Aden was behind her now.
“Aren’t you cold?”, Ilyin heard something softly resonate behind her and Aden laughed.
“You’re the only one asking me that question,” he said as she nodded.
He was right in what he said and the blue cloth shook as she moved, then the noise stopped as Aden placed his hand on her head for a moment to remove the blue cloth and Ilyin blinked as he wondered what he wanted to do.
"Please excuse me.
It's a nuisance."
Aden brushed her hair as if to calm her like he did in bed sometimes; her soft hair was lush in his fingers when he played with it.
He touched her long hair and ear before gently trying to tie it.
“Can you give me a hand?” he asked politely.
Ilyin did so and held his hair with one hand, shivering as his neck was exposed to the cold.
Aden gently touched the back of her head, as if to warm her up before placing something around her neck.
“A necklace?” Ilyin briefly saw a gold pendant with red decorations.
It was simple, but it looked like something from the Delroses.
“This is ‘Mitoze’, the Divine Object of Delroses,” Aden whispered as Ilyin looked at the necklace.
The red decorations looked like branches with leaves and Aden held them in his hand only after putting the cape around his shoulders and placing the blue cloth on his head again.
Ilyin released his hand to let his hair flow.
“Should we go?” Aden's hand on her shoulder made her less nervous and Ilyin nodded with a softer smile.
N/t¹: Stamens that develop pollen grains.
Its main function is the production of pollen, however, in some species, some stamens differentiate into nectaries to attract insects.