Chapter 130 · Reunion (2)

“Even so, stationing people on me is a bit much…”

The moment we left the alley, people in masks appeared and greeted Leo respectfully.

They were the people Hashita, the Batian guild leader, had assigned to me at Leo’s request.

They had been around me for days, and I hadn’t noticed at all!

Just how far does Leo intend to humiliate me?

“I’m sorry. I had no choice. I couldn’t know whether you would come to Ashinak or not.”

“What were you going to do if I didn’t come?”

“I would have made you come somehow.”

“…”

No, why is this child speaking so chillingly?

He was always a bit like that, but he seems to be getting more dangerous.

Is it because he’s the son of the notorious King Pereus?

Leo walked as guided by Hashita’s subordinates and kept glancing at me.

“What is it? Is there something on my face?”

“Your hair…”

His gaze was fixed on my fluffy light brown hair.

“Ah, this. I dyed it just in case. White hair stands out too much.”

I had no good memories associated with white hair, so I liked it now.

Back in the cabin, Andy always teased me that I had grandma hair, and when I wandered around selling flowers like a beggar, people whispered that I was a cursed child.

“Besides, I didn’t really like it anyway.”

“…I liked it.”

Leo muttered quietly.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He trailed off and looked straight ahead.

I think he just said he liked my original hair.

This guy doesn’t know the pain of white hair because his own hair is pitch black!

We soon arrived at a luxurious restaurant.

Hashita must have reserved the entire place, because there was no one else except us.

Hashita was waiting for us at the entrance.

Seeing her again, I wondered why I hadn’t noticed—she resembled Leo in many ways.

She greeted us with a playful smile.

“Welcome, Prince Basileo, and… Princess Anastasia.”

I frowned and cried out.

“You! You deceived me!”

“I am truly sorry about that, Princess.”

She apologized in a sly tone, not sounding sorry at all.

“Thanks to that, I even got to hug the princess. It was a very enjoyable experience for me.”

“I’ll have to reconsider our deal!”

When I huffed, Hashita quickly tried to placate me.

“But you need the moonsu stone, don’t you? It will be difficult to obtain without me.”

She wasn’t wrong, which made me feel wronged.

She glanced at Leo and continued.

“Our prince here was hoping the princess would definitely get the moonsu stone.”

So Leo was behind it.

Well, without Leo’s influence, this woman would have no reason to engage in dangerous smuggling.

Somehow my debt to Leo keeps growing—I feel like I’ll have to spend my whole life repaying it.

Should I just consider it even since I died once because of him in a past life?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hashita.”

Leo greeted her in a somewhat stiff tone.

“Oh my, what’s with that formality? So cold. Please call me ‘Sister.’”

“…!”

Leo’s face reddened slightly.

He seemed unfamiliar with it, hesitating a little before murmuring the word.

“…Sister.”

Hashita laughed heartily in satisfaction.

“We’re not strangers. I saw you when you were a baby.”

A baby Leo—I can’t imagine it.

He seems like he would have been mature and serious from birth.

“To think you couldn’t even hold your head up, and now you’ve grown so tall! You take half after each parent. Sharp air, but a beautiful face.”

“…”

While Hashita examined Leo’s face from every angle and chattered away, he couldn’t say a word.

As expected, this woman is a formidable opponent even for Leo.

“I think we can talk more slowly inside.”

In the end, Leo, unable to bear it, cut in.

“Oh dear, look at me. Come to think of it, it’s well past lunchtime, isn’t it? Hurry inside.”

As soon as we sat down, a feast was laid out.

I was really hungry, so I lost all dignity and shoveled food into my mouth.

Then, when my hunger had subsided a bit, I lifted my head from the bowl, and nearly spat out what I was eating.

Leo was staring at me, and Hashita was staring at Leo.

What kind of situation is this?

“…Leo, aren’t you eating?”

“I am eating.”

“It seems just watching the princess eat fills you up.”

Hashita smirked.

That makes no sense.

How can watching someone else eat fill you up?

Leo looked at her as if dumbfounded.

“How did you two become close?”

I was at a loss for words at Hashita’s question.

Not knowing where to begin, I looked at Leo awkwardly.

“Leo, can I tell her?”

Hashita looked genuinely curious.

Even I thought our combination was strange.

Rather than let her guess, it seemed better to explain. Though she had deceived me, she didn’t seem like a bad person.

Leo hesitated, then cautiously nodded, and I carefully explained what had happened, leaving out the regression part.

As I talked, I realized I had been through quite a lot.

When I got to the part where Leo nearly died from a mana rampage because of Alter, I got so angry that tears welled up without my knowing.

After the whole story was over, Hashita muttered low with a serious face.

“That’s a truly fairy-tale-like and beautiful story.”

Her assessment was baffling.

I thought I had told a story full of anger and frustration.

I expected her to curse Santra for tormenting her cousin, but it was unexpected.

“So this is practically the first time you two have met outside and talked freely?”

“That’s right.”

Though I’m a fugitive and Leo is here as a delegation, so it’s not completely free, at least there aren’t knights stationed around us.

“I shouldn’t be sitting here like this. Have you finished eating?”

“Uh… yes. It was delicious, thank you.”

“Now! Let’s go out!”

“?”

Hashita sprang up and shouted for us to leave, startling both of us.

She briskly walked to the restaurant entrance, and we followed without knowing why.

Outside was very noisy.

Wondering what was going on, I looked out and saw a strange sight.

“It’s a parade.”

When I gaped at it, Hashita explained with a smile.

People in all sorts of costumes and clowns were walking in a line, performing acrobatics.

Around them was a sea of onlookers.

Hashita pushed our backs toward it.

“Now, let’s go watch. I have guild work to do, so I don’t think I can join you. Prince, please take good care of the princess. You’re all grown up now, so you can do at least that much, right?”

“Y-you’re leaving?”

Leo cried out in surprise, turning to Hashita.

It was so noisy that they had to shout to hear each other.

“Just seeing the prince in person is enough for me. Both of you have a good time!”

“Wait?!”

Hashita was already disappearing among the crowd.

She waved once or twice and then left without looking back.

We didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye!

She really is a woman who does as she pleases until the end.

I turned my head and saw Leo also flustered.

He looked utterly bewildered.

Just then, a sparkling light came from inside my clothes.

It was the signal from the communication stone.

I took out the communication stone hanging from my necklace, and Cyrus’s loud voice came through.

—Princess! Are you still talking?! What happened!

“Um, well…”

I glanced at Leo.

He looked anxious, as if worried I might leave.

That expression—cool-looking yet somehow like a puppy—made me smile.

“For now, just enjoy yourselves with Emet! I’ll contact you around evening.”

—What?! You want me to be alone with this tomboy?

Ignoring Cyrus’s scream, I forcibly ended the communication.

“Since it’s come to this, Leo. Let’s enjoy the festival!”

I tightly linked arms with Leo and put on my fox mask.

“Huh?”

Leo’s eyes went wide, and he didn’t know what to do.

The usually calm guy froze just because I linked arms with him.

“I always wanted to hang out outside like this with you, Leo.”

Even when I went to play with my friends in Letitia, Leo was locked in the palace.

‘But now he’s free!’

Leo has the right to enjoy freedom too!

I find commoner festivals like this far more fun than boring balls.

I don’t know if Leo will feel the same, but it wouldn’t hurt to experience it once.

“Let’s go!”

“Wait, Asha…!”

I pulled the bewildered him along and chased after the parade.

The clowns performed acrobatics for the people lined up on the street, and when people threw silver coins, they threw chocolates or candy in return.

The children, even though they hadn’t thrown any coins, made a fuss trying to catch the candy.

I also threw a few coins and received a lollipop, which I put into Leo’s still dazed mouth.

“How is it, Leo? Festivals are really fun, aren’t they?”

“This is the first time I’ve experienced something this noisy. It feels like a war broke out.”

I nearly burst out laughing at his wide eyes and constantly turning head.

Ah, now I think I understand why my companions always teased me.

‘He’s so cute!’

Wanting to show Leo the essence of the festival, I headed to the plaza.

It was a time of wild dancing.

Musicians were playing all sorts of instruments in the center of the plaza, and it was so lively my shoulders bounced.

In my past life, I only blankly watched people dancing elegantly at balls, but in Letitia I realized: I love dancing. Especially silly dancing.

「Now, this next song is Eldina’s biggest hit! ‘Dance on a Midsummer Night’!」

The drummer shouted loudly.

“Let’s dance too!”

I pulled Leo into the plaza.

“But I don’t know how to dance. I haven’t learned yet.”

Leo looked troubled.

“I didn’t learn either! But I don’t think the people here learned either.”

The scene in the plaza was completely different from the balls I’d seen in past lives.

It may not be formal, but it overflowed with energy and excitement.

I glanced at them and roughly matched the rhythm, holding Leo’s hand and spinning around.

「So cute.」

「Must be a little couple.」

People around us giggled.

“Asha. Those people seem to be misunderstanding something.”

“It’s fine, we won’t see them again anyway.”

Among the dancers, we were the only young boy and girl.

Children preferred chasing parades to dancing in pairs.

We were a complete mess.

I stepped on Leo’s foot, and Leo stepped on mine.

When I tried to spin right, Leo went the other way, and our steps didn’t match at all.

In the end, we almost fell, then looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! Asha, you really can’t dance.”

“Leo is a mess too.”

It’s been a long time since I saw him laugh this loudly.

I felt utterly content.

The pain I felt when parting with Leo seemed to melt away like snow.

However, after laughing happily for a while, we froze at the next words from the musician.

「Now, everyone! Kiss your partner!」