* * *
“I went to see the festival!”
Because she wanted to share this feeling with someone, Artie immediately boasted about it the moment she saw Michael.
“The fireworks were really beautiful. Did you see them too, Michael?”
Since they had been launched from the imperial palace, he must have seen them, but Artie spoke in a thoroughly excited voice because she liked the fact that they had looked at the same sky.
“Yes. I saw them from the imperial palace as well.”
“So you attended the party.”
“Yes. It seems Lara did not attend the party.”
At Michael’s words, Artie smiled awkwardly.
It was because she couldn’t say that she had attended but slipped out midway.
‘He’ll find out.’
There must have been many people who slipped out midway, but just in case, Artie decided to go with the story that she hadn’t attended the party from the start.
“I went out and ate street food for the first time in a while. They were foods I eat often, but eating them at a festival felt different. They tasted even better.”
In truth, the fun of feeding Adrian and eating herself was added to it, which made it taste better, but Artie left out the details.
“It seems the festival atmosphere made it taste better.”
“But the fireworks were the best after all.”
“You really do love fireworks, Lara.”
“Yes!”
Artie smiled brightly. She recalled the past after a long time.
Uncle Helmer hated crowded places, so he never went even when festivals were held.
She had gone a few times, but she would always be pushed around by the crowds and return home.
‘……When my family was alive, I came out a few times.’
Of course, because she didn’t want to waste money on vendors who overcharged during festivals, after she had grown somewhat older, she had let festivals pass by indifferently.
“I could never even go see things like festivals around this time of year. I saw fireworks from afar, but this was my first time seeing them up close like this!”
Artie chattered on, and Michael found her so cute that he smiled without realizing it.
“I’ve been to commoner festivals a few times myself.”
“You have, Michael?”
When Artie’s eyes sparkled, Michael smiled again.
“After all, when you attend the Founding Festival party every year, there are times when you have spare time.”
Michael spoke quietly to Artie.
“Because the party is the same every year.”
“Ah, I see.”
Well, parties happened almost every week. To the imperial family, parties were practically everyday life.
In fact, I was being dragged to them every time as well…….
“Commoner festivals are more lively than imperial parties, so when I had spare time, I would go and look around.”
“That’s right! There were so many people!”
“It seems you enjoyed yourself to the fullest.”
“Yes. After all…….”
It felt like a date, too.
Artie smiled shyly and trailed off.
The moment the fireworks burst came to mind. As if drawn together, she had kissed Adrian.
‘Why did he do that?’
Because Adrian had said nothing about it, she had let it pass, but she kept wondering.
‘Was that also something I had to do as his fiancée?’
They said inspecting the festival was also the duty of the future Crown Princess, so that must have been it.
Hadn’t they kissed in front of Gabriel for a similar reason before?
Otherwise, there was no way Adrian, who liked Essen, would kiss her.
‘It’s strange that he kissed me even though there was no one around, though…….’
Even if she tried to think that way, she couldn’t help her face burning.
“It was fun.”
Looking at Artie’s slightly flushed cheeks, Michael could not tell what that smile meant, but he could tell that she had enjoyed the festival very much.
“If the opportunity arises, I would like you to go see a festival with me as well.”
“You want to see a festival too, Michael?”
At Artie’s question, Michael smiled quietly.
“I want to see the festival, but I want to enjoy it together with you, Lara.”
“All right! Let’s go if we get the chance!”
Artie accepted readily.
She wondered for a moment if this was a date invitation, but since it was Michael, she deliberately steered her thoughts away from such impure ideas.
“Acacia said she wanted to see the festival too, so I’m sorry we couldn’t see it together.”
“Acacia?”
“Yes. She’s the younger sister of someone I know, and she’s really cute. She’s nine years old now!”
“That is a truly cute age.”
“Right?! She’s so cute! She follows me around saying ‘Sister, sister,’ and it’s so adorable. Someday I’d like to show her to you too, Michael.”
Artie delivered a full thirty-minute speech on how cute and lovable Acacia was, and how much her cuteness contributed to the development of humanity, then nodded in satisfaction.
Michael found Artie’s chattering adorable and listened attentively, then let out a small laugh.
“You really do love Lady Acacia.”
“Of course! Who in this world could dislike such a cute and lovable child?!”
At her eyes, devoid of a single doubt, Michael smiled.
“So I created a small group called ‘Asa-mo.’ The Society for Loving Acacia, so to speak. I am the president of ‘Asa-mo.’”
Though the only member besides herself was Diano, the operations were running well, with regular meetings and active information exchange.
“Asa-mo. You’re engaged in enjoyable activities.”
“Yes! It’s still small in scale, but I’m running it diligently! It feels like I’ve gained a cute younger sister, and it’s so much fun.”
“I see. Hm, come to think of it, I have a cute younger sibling as well.”
“Oh my, really?”
“Yes. I’ve looked after them since childhood.”
“If it’s you, Michael, your younger sibling must be like an angel too, right?”
A brief silence passed. When she tilted her head, Michael cleared his throat and spoke.
“Who knows. These days they’re too……. They seem to want to do only as they please, but when they were young, they were very cute.”
Michael seemed to be thinking of his younger sibling and said no more.
“……I miss those days.”
At the bitter smile that rose to Michael’s lips, Artie impulsively suggested.
“Then would you like to join Asa-mo too, Michael?”
“What?”
“Let’s obsess over Acacia together!”
Michael was momentarily taken aback, but soon asked cautiously.
“Is that really all right?”
“Of course it is!”
After all, the president is me!
At Artie’s sparkling eyes, Michael reluctantly nodded, and Artie reached her conclusion.
It was the moment Asa-mo gained a new member.
Chapter 14. How Much Did You Hear?
As the noisy Founding Festival was drawing to a close, strange rumors began circulating in the imperial palace.
“Did you hear that rumor?”
“What rumor?”
“About the future Crown Princess. No one has ever seen her face.”
“Isn’t it because she’s so beautiful that His Highness the Crown Prince ordered her to cover her face?”
“Apparently not!”
The maids of the imperial palace whispered in low voices.
“Actually, she’s incredibly ugly, so His Highness the Crown Prince is making her cover her face to hide it.”
The maid who heard the rumor’s eyes sparkled.
“Come on, that can’t be. It’s already famous that Lady Obiedo is a beauty, isn’t it?”
Even as she said that, the maid couldn’t keep the smile from her lips, seemingly finding this new rumor fascinating.
“But that’s all from a small number of people. It’s all from Lady Obiedo’s family, relatives, or His Highness the Crown Prince’s inner circle.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“Think about it. Has anyone outside those circles ever seen Lady Obiedo’s face?”
The maids looked at one another.
When everyone shook their heads, the maid who had first spoken of the rumor continued more cautiously.
“So the question is, why on earth would she hide her face to that extent!”
The conclusion was one.
“Because she’s ugly?”
“Come on, surely not.”
“But…….”
“It’s not something we can simply dismiss as nonsense.”
Everyone glanced around and shushed each other, but their eyes said they couldn’t bear how entertaining it was.
And it was not long before the rumor, which had circulated only among the maids and attendants, reached the ears of the imperial palace’s distinguished personages.
* * *
The first member of the imperial family to hear this rumor was none other than Princess Marie.
“What? That’s all nonsense.”
When her close maids seemed to be telling an entertaining story, she dug into it and this was what came out.
Having seen Artie’s face without the veil, Marie found this rumor utterly absurd.
Who would try to slander her kind sister-in-law with such ridiculous rumors?
“Who on earth is spreading such absurd nonsense? Do you all want to be disciplined as well?”
“Ah, no.”
“We apologize, Your Highness the Princess.”
“You know well enough what happens to those who carelessly spread words about the imperial family.”
Marie looked down at her maids with a look of disdain.
“My sister-in-law is going to be the Crown Princess soon. After that, she’ll be Empress. All of you, watch your mouths.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“If you understand, conduct yourselves with restraint.”
The maids of Lupinus Palace were placed under a gag order that very day.
The situation was no different in other palaces.
Empress Ludmila, upon hearing the palace rumor, laughed pleasantly and said just one thing.
“Everyone must be bored. To be picking up such trivial stories.”
She wore a benevolent smile, but anyone who knew Empress Ludmila knew.
That it was most dangerous when Empress Ludmila smiled like that without a word.
“Mary.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“I will need to gather the head maids and head attendants of each palace. To let such nonsense spread unchecked—it’s a sad thing. At this rate, discipline in the imperial palace cannot be maintained.”
“I will summon them immediately.”
Mary, the Empress’s close maid, moved at once.
After a round of reprimands, the rumor seemed to die down immediately, but it is human nature to want to spread something all the more the more it is hushed up.
The rumor spread quietly and eventually reached even Adrian.
“Nonsense.”
Adrian dismissed it in a single word upon hearing the rumor.
