“Bergman, this is the best thing you’ve ever made.”
After fitting the dress, my eyes were dazzled. The dress, completed just a day before the founding festival, was truly a masterpiece. But thinking about where this masterpiece would be revealed…
“This is the first time I’m afraid of my own genius, Princess.”
I could fully understand Bergman’s reaction.
“Irik?”
“Yes, Milady.”
When I changed my clothes and returned to my room, Irik was waiting for me. He was dressed in a pure white ceremonial robe and looked very neat, as he was planning to attend the pre-night prayer meeting.
“What brought you here all of a sudden?”
After dismissing Daisy, it was just the two of us.
“It was like this the first time we met, too.”
The day Irik barged in through the door was set up like this. Of course, many things have changed since then.
“Don’t you have things to do? Now that Luna is gone, you have to attend to Father.” I said as I tested the perfume I had prepared for tomorrow, looking at him through the mirror.
As the strong scent dispersed, Irik’s expression turned puzzled for a moment. It seemed he was quite surprised by the perfume, which didn’t suit the sacred ceremony.
“Sister…”
In the past, he would have told me I was crazy, but now he just pursed his lips tightly.
“Well, it’s the end of the year, and I brought you a gift. I thought I might not have another chance to see you for a while.”
Come to think of it, it was indeed the end of the year.
“A gift? Since when did we exchange year-end gifts?” Curious, I asked, and Irik placed a small box in front of me. Unwrapping it, I found a hair tie adorned with a cotton decoration.
Why is he giving me this? It was a design that had been popular years ago, and it seemed childish and outdated to me now. I stared at it, wondering what his intention was.
“I’ve wanted to give it to you for a long time.”
“For a long time?”
“You, no, sister.” Irik furrowed his brows, unsure how to start. “I thought Sister would look better, more, if you tied your hair.”
“What are you talking about? Did you just pick this up somewhere?” I teased him for no reason.
“Damn it, I always thought Sister would look pretty with your hair tied up.”
“…”
“I’ve thought like that since the day we first met!”
Finally, Irik revealed the purpose of the gift.
Since the first time we met, huh. Come to think of it, back then, Siani used to hide her face with her long hair.
“Why are you giving it to me now?”
“Because I didn’t know why I wanted to give it to you back then.”
So, he must have kept it in his drawer for a long time. The frayed ribbon ends showed that he had fiddled with it often.
“Thanks, I’ll use it well.”
I answered simply.
“Thank you.”
“…”
“What are you doing? Get out.”
But Irik remained standing there. “Is that all the reaction I get?” He looked embarrassed.
“Irik.”
“…”
When I called his name, I could feel Irik tense up.
“You should have just given it to me back then.”
“…Huh?”
“Everything has its time.”
Who knows, maybe this gift would have been useful to Siani back then.
“But now, I don’t really need it.”
But that was a thing of the past. I didn’t need such a hair tie now. And I couldn’t feel any of the emotions contained in that box. Because the Siani of then wasn’t the same Siani now.
“…”
Irik didn’t respond as if he understood my meaning. An awkward silence stretched for a while.
“I admit I was rude to you, I mean, to Sister, and I’m sorry.” Irik slowly opened his mouth, dropping his gaze. “When I first saw Sister standing on the stairs… I thought you were very beautiful.”
His voice was calmer than I expected.
“Every time we met, I felt so insignificant.”
Perhaps Irik’s hostile glances might have hurt the Siani of that day. No, considering how my jaw aches when I recall it, I must have felt some humiliation.
“…So.” I quietly observed Irik and opened my mouth. “What do you want me to do about it?”
The only issue was that it had no impact on the current me. What reaction was he expecting? Tears and hugs? Or an understanding tone saying I forgave him for everything?
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to blame you.”
Of course, I was sincere in saying this. I didn’t dislike Irik, but I didn’t like him either.
“I’ll accept your apology. Your behavior was childish, indeed.”
So, there was no need to untangle the remnants of emotion.
“But that doesn’t mean you and I will become family or friends.”
And nothing would change in the future.
I put the hair tie back into the drawer and said, “Ah, while we’re at it, let me be honest…”
This was about the only thing that could change between him and me now.
“I think you’re the best in the Felicite family.”
It wasn’t much, but it was a thought I could share. Acknowledging him as much as the loyalty he had shown to Felicite.
“Now, could you leave? The designers are coming.”
There was nothing more to change beyond that.
“Siani.”
“…”
“I thought about this for a long time.”
Then Irik stepped closer as if making a decision.
“If Luna does something she shouldn’t do tomorrow…”
He took something out of his inner pocket.
“I hope it helps.”
I looked quietly at the item Irik handed me. It was an unexpected gift, more so than the hair tie he’d kept for years.
Indeed… he’s better than the vassals. I could trust the loyalty he showed to Felicite.
“Can I ask what you’ll do with Luna if that happens?”
Irik still didn’t know anything about me.
“If you’re thinking of sending her to prison, wouldn’t it be better to send her to a monastery or maybe the countryside where her hometown is?”
Just by asking this question,
“If you put her on trial, people might…”
He seemed to think the worst that could happen was Luna being put on trial or imprisoned.
“Irik.”
Depending on Luna’s actions tomorrow, the charges could be anything.
“I’ll accept this.”
And the outcome Irik anticipated was merely the kind of punishment humans receive under the law.
“As for the answer to your question…” Taking the item, I gave him an honest response in return. “Pray to the goddess. It’s the founding festival, after all.”
“What?”
The law might be fair to everyone, but the goddess wasn’t. So that was the only answer I could give.
* * *
Finally, it was the day of the founding festival.
“My goodness.”
The prayer hall of the Great Temple, filled with people, was very solemn. Or rather, it had been.
“Isn’t that Lady Felicite? What on earth…”
In front of the goddess, everyone is equal. In accordance with that staying, today was the day when everyone in the empire wore sacred white garments. The atmosphere was evident from the quiet manner in which people entered, unlike other festivals.
“Oh my, but which boutique is that white cloak from? Did Bergman make it? It’s really beautiful.”
I hadn’t intended to cause a commotion with my entrance. But from the strong scent I wore to the jingling of accessories,
“Oh dear, and why didn’t she cover her face? How disrespectful.”
“Which salon did she get makeup from? Her eyes looked so deep and mysterious.”
I was the only one who did not cover my face with a veil. As a result, it was as if I was the only living person among egg ghosts.
“…”
My expression was more serious than ever. I wanted to stand out the most at the moment I took off my cloak. However, when my eyes met those of Francis, Vallentin, and Inein standing in the distance…
“Pfft.”
I ended up laughing.
Those crazy brats.
“Princess is amazing.”
“That’s not something you should say,” I replied as I took my place among them.
“You told us to act as crazily as possible.”
“Well, we’ll follow any of your commands, Princess.”
Indeed, Francis and Inein weren’t dressed calmly either, but Vallentin, with his red hair and wearing a black fur cloak stood out even more.
If it weren’t for the dress I’m wearing underneath, I might have been overshadowed by them.
Moreover, the masks they wore reflected the candlelight in the prayer hall. They wore the masks they had on the day their faces were first revealed. It was mysterious when their faces were hidden, but now they just looked like crazy people.
“Everyone is staring. I guess you understood my instructions well.”
“You told us to behave ourselves, so we must behave.”
Francis held my skirt, Vallentin arranged my hair, and Inein touched my shoes.
“Yes. Doing this brings back old memories.”
At that moment, the grandly positioned statue caught my eye. Back then, I used to pray the same prayer every day…
“If the goddess had answered my prayers, I wouldn’t be here now.”
“What kind of prayer was it?”
As Inein asked, I slowly untied the ribbon of my cloak.
“Who knows. I can’t remember anymore.”
Even if I did, there was no need to say it out loud.
“There’s no point in praying anymore.”
I no longer had a reason to cling to a goddess and beg.
“Oh my…!”
As the cloak slid off my shoulders.
“My goodness, what is that!”
My dress, red as blood, flashed as if it were glowing.
Hi, now you can purchase 10 advance chapters in here.
