“Miss Therapist!”
Letier, who had been reading a book while sitting in the sunniest spot of the Eustian Royal Palace Library, looked up.
Sion, with a refreshing smile, was leaning against the window frame, looking down at her.
“Sion?”
“What kind of book are you reading so seriously?”
Instead of answering, Letier closed the thick book and showed him the cover.
“Traditional Fruit Extraction Methods of Eustian… That’s a pretty difficult book you’re reading.”
Sion read the cover of the book in Letier’s hands, then quietly leaned his head against the corner of the window.
“When I see you like this, it really feels like you came to Eustian just to work. You should have some fun from time to time too.”
I did come here to work though…
Letier looked at Sion, who seemed more relaxed than anyone else, even though the palace was technically his workplace.
Maybe Sion’s problem is that he’s too relaxed?
“There’s a festival being held not far from the palace.”
“A festival?”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you not long ago that the subjugation had just ended? Now that the expedition team has returned, the capital has come back to life.”
“Expedition team…? Oh, so it’s kind of like a harvest festival?”
“Y-yes, exactly!”
Sion clenched his fist and cleared his throat softly near his mouth, sneaking a glance at Letier.
His ears had turned slightly red.
“Ahem, Miss Therapist…! Would you like to go with me today?”
“Today?”
Letier turned her head to look at the clock in the library.
Early afternoon.
She wasn’t particularly busy, and there wasn’t anything urgent to do today.
If she went to the harvest festival, she might be able to check out some new ingredients. Maybe even browse through the cosmetics sold in Eustian…
After a brief moment of thought, Letier turned back to Sion and nodded.
“Sure, let’s go together!”
****
“Oh……”
Letier let out a small breath after taking a lap around the booths in full swing for the harvest festival.
This is more than I expected…
“…It’s way too racy.”
“Huh? Racy?!”
Sion, who had been standing next to her, jumped in surprise.
“It’s just a free-spirited and natural Eustian-style festival! Of course, most of the people enjoying it are young men and women looking for love, but still…”
“If it’s so natural, then why’s your face red?”
“It’s because you’re misunderstanding, Miss Therapist!”
Sion shouted, squeezing his eyes shut.
Letier, watching his noticeably reddened face, let out a soft laugh.
“I’m just joking, Sion. It’s lively and nice. I think I’ll be able to experience something new.”
“Really?”
Though she said that, the truth was she felt a little flustered inside.
A festival, normally, is something wholesome for families to enjoy together, isn’t it?
But at Eustian’s harvest festival, no matter where she looked, it was just young men and women scanning each other with sultry eyes.
Letier walked past a group of people boldly exchanging flirty glances.
Besides…
She walked over to a nearby stall and picked up something for sale.
“430 Ways to Seduce a Man…”
“P-please don’t look at that! You don’t need that, Miss Therapist!”
Sion quickly snatched the book out of her hands and set it back down.
Letier turned her head and picked up another item.
“This is… a couple hat? But it’s way too small for that…”
“Ah, miss. That’s not a hat…”
“This way! Please come this way, Miss Therapist!”
Startled, Sion grabbed the piece of cloth she had picked up and flung it far away.
Uh… you can’t just throw things people are selling…
Holding Letier by the wrist, Sion guided her to the back of a less crowded stall.
As she followed him, Letier spoke to the back of his head.
“Sion! They only sell weird things at this harvest festival.”
Glancing around to check that there weren’t many people nearby, Sion spoke with a troubled look.
“…Because it’s not really a harvest festival.”
“It’s not?”
She asked.
But earlier you said it was a harvest festival…
“I think I didn’t explain this festival well enough, Miss Therapist.”
Sion scratched the back of his head over and over.
“This festival… is actually a kind of traditional Eustian festival, and you can think of it as mainly for adults.”
“A festival for adults?”
“Well… more like, a festival for young adults. Those who’ve just come of age come to enjoy the festival and meet new partners, or couples in fresh relationships come to grow closer through it.”
“Oh?”
“Well… the latest expedition went on unusually long, so the capital had been in kind of a gloomy state. But now that the expedition team’s returned, a wave of young people have come flooding back…”
As he finished speaking, Sion looked around and then pointed behind Letier.
When she turned to look where he was pointing, she saw a huge banner flapping in the wind.
“See that! There’s even a promotion where couples get 30% off everything at the festival. That’s why most people end up pairing off and enjoying it together.”
“Aha.”
“The main event of the harvest festival is also a dramatic love story, like a big theatrical performance. Most of the items for sale are either couple goods or things to help people find love. Like the dating guides you saw earlier… or perfumes meant to attract someone.”
“Perfumes to attract someone?”
Letier, who had been quietly nodding with a blank expression, widened her eyes and looked at Sion.
“Are you interested?”
“If they have perfumes… then would there be cosmetics made with that kind of scent? Cosmetics that attract people—that sounds hard to make…”
“Cosmetics…?”
Sion tilted his head, thinking.
“Well… honestly, scents that ‘attract people’ are more psychological than anything else, rather than having a real effect.”
“Psychological?”
“Yeah, like sweet and cozy scents! The kind that make people feel relaxed around you, and maybe start liking you more… That kind of thing!”
“Ahhh…”
Still, I’m curious…
Letier nodded to herself, deciding she needed to take a closer look at the stalls.
If she found one that smelled nice, she could try using it in their new product line!
“Well then, now that you understand what the festival’s about… shall we go look around again?”
Sion, trying to sound casual, awkwardly held out his arm.
“You don’t have to feel pressured. It just sounds romantic, but not that many people actually end up as couples… Just think of it as a fun festival! A-are you okay with that?”
Letier stared quietly at the arm he offered, then gently looped her own arm through his.
It seemed Sion was pretending to be her boyfriend just to get the 30% discount.
Well, discounts are important.
Letier nodded and turned her steps with Sion toward the heart of the festival.
****
“Your Highness!”
“…….”
“Your Highness!”
“…….”
Rubia snatched the paper Dante was holding.
Left empty-handed in an instant, Dante frowned and looked up at her.
“Could you spare a moment? There’s somewhere we need to go together today.”
Rubia said with a bright smile.
Dante shook his head and spoke firmly.
“I don’t have time today.”
“You didn’t even want to hear what it’s about!”
“No need to hear it. I don’t have time today.”
Rubia puffed out her cheeks and glared at Dante before opening her mouth again.
“Today’s the day of the festival. I’d really like you to come with me.”
“Festival?”
“Yes, the expedition just returned not too long ago. You know, the traditional Eustian festival.”
Dante stared off into space for a moment before speaking.
“Oh, you mean that event where young people use the festival as an excuse to gather and behave recklessly?”
“You don’t have to put it that way… Anyway, yes, that festival!”
Rubia answered with a forced smile.
Dante lifted his upper body slightly and quickly snatched back the report Rubia had taken.
Sitting back down, he opened his mouth.
“I’m not interested. If you want to take my knight, the Princess can handle it herself.”
“Wouldn’t it look odd if just me and Kyledian went out without you?”
“I don’t think that’s any of my concern.”
Dante answered bluntly, eyes dropping back to the paper.
Strange traditional festivals of Eustian—none of it concerned him.
Rubia, who had been quietly watching Dante, spoke up again.
“Since you’ve come all the way to Eustian, don’t you think you should experience our traditional festival at least once? It’s your first visit here since becoming an adult.”
“I’m not interested in that kind of festival.”
“Really?”
Instead of answering, Dante got up from his seat.
If Rubia wasn’t going to leave, he figured it would be better for him to walk away.
“Well, guess there’s no helping it! I guess Kyledian and I will just enjoy the wonderful festival by ourselves!”
Fine by him.
As Dante walked unhesitatingly toward the door, Rubia spoke again to his back.
“It’s really a festival for everyone to enjoy… I just saw our youngest secretary and that skin therapist going out together a moment ago…! Oh, what a shame! Guess we’ll just have to have fun by ourselves!”
Hearing that, Dante came to a sudden halt.
Rubia smiled slyly as she looked at his tightly clenched fists.
“Letier went out?”
“Yup! I saw her leaving with Sion.”
Soon, Dante turned to face Rubia with a face frozen cold.
“That damn festival. Where is it being held?”
