While the emperor and the chamberlain silently communicated with each other, Asha ate a translucent jelly.
The jelly, made with plenty of lemon juice, collapsed as soon as the spoon touched it. It was delicately made, light enough to drink easily. When she put it in her mouth, the sour taste and aroma spread, causing a slight tingling sensation on her fingertips and refreshing her mood.
Asha, who happily closed her eyes while enjoying the lemon flavor, asked the emperor with a spoon in her hand.
“So, are you going to do that? Oh, this is really delicious. Please try it, Grandfather.”
Despite the emperor pursing his lips at Asha’s urging, he took a spoonful of the lemon jelly.
“Not yet, you blasphemous peach. Alexei hasn’t even become an adult yet. Why, do you think it would be better if your brother became the emperor?”
Asha took another bite of lemon jelly and shook her head as she enjoyed the sour taste to the fullest.
“No, it’s hard if you work too long. Even cows working in the fields get breaks when they’re older.”
“When a cow stops working, it gets slaughtered. Why? Would you like your old man to…”
“Oh, really! Grandfather!”
Asha interrupted him as she looked at the emperor with a pleading gaze. The emperor finally closed his mouth, suppressing a laugh that seemed to say it was amusing. The chamberlain standing behind them had a face devoid of all expressions as if he had cast off the weight of the world.
“Your Majesty, all the guests have now arrived.”
The emperor rested his chin on his arm and looked at Asha. Now, Asha’s duties were completely finished.
“I heard you’ve practiced dancing quite a bit. Will you go down and dance now?”
Asha looked down at the ballroom. Karnov was nowhere to be seen, and Alexei was busy talking.
At that time, Natalya, surrounded by the girls, made eye contact. Natalya was smiling gracefully, but when their eyes met, her expression became brief but earnest.
“I’ll have to save my friend first.”
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
As Asha descended from above, everyone’s attention turned toward her. Both boys and girls of her age, as well as adults, fidgeted, trying to come up with something to say to Asha.
However, Natalya was quicker than anyone else. The ribbon adorned around Natalya’s neck drew waves in the air as she turned to look at Asha.
”Ah… Your Highness!”
At the same time, all the girls who were hovering near Natalya looked back. Asha swallowed her dry saliva.
‘It’s huge. It’s huge.’
Natalya, as usual, wearing a stylish straight-lined pants outfit, could easily slip out among the girls with agility.
“Nat… Natalya.”
“Hua, I see Her Royal Highness, the Princess.”
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
The girls greeted her in unison and, as if glancing around, took a few steps back. In the meantime, Natalya firmly grabbed Asha’s hands.
“I thought you weren’t coming down today.”
“Grandfather… His Majesty was lonely, so I was with him. Were you talking about something interesting?”
Asha tried to lean in and listen to everyone’s conversation, but Natalya leaned over, blocking her.
“Yes, it was interesting. But since you’ve come all the way here, would you dance with me, Princess Anastasia?”
“Uh… Is that… Is that okay?”
Asha swallowed dryly. The moment Natalya mentioned dancing, the shadows cast by the girls behind Natalya seemed to expand dramatically, making a grand sound.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t you want to dance with me?”
“Of course.”
As Asha responded, Natalya smiled brightly, took Asha’s hand, and headed toward the center of the ballroom. They clapped their hands along with the lively dance music, moved apart, twirled their feet, and then came back together. When Asha moved, her pink hair swayed gracefully.
After they took the last step, exchanged polite words, and finished, the two of them quietly slipped away to a secluded corner of the ballroom. Natalya sighed as she loosened her shirt collar and adjusted the ribbon.
“Natasha, don’t you have to go over there?”
“They were having a hearing over there…”
“What hearing?”
“I refused all invitations to a tea party or a ball. It seems to have hurt their feelings, and I don’t know how to comfort them.”
“You declined all of them? Why?”
Natalya rolled her eyes to the left and picked her fingers one by one.
“Well… I couldn’t accept the marquis’s invitation because the next day Your Highness was coming, and I had to prepare. I refused the viscount’s invitation because it was the day you were going to see me. The other viscount who invited me had a ball on the day I was supposed to go horseback riding with Your Highness…”
“Ah…”
Asha suddenly felt that Lyudmila was even more amazing. How desperate must that innocent girl have been to decide to push her way into Natalya’s tea party that day?
“Natasha, if you have other friends you want to play with, our promise is not m…”
“I don’t want to.”
“O, okay.”
Because Natalya even made a stern look, Asha quickly closed her mouth. Seeing Asha’s expression, Natalya quickly softened.
“Are you tired of playing with me?”
“N, Natasha, you can’t say that.”
“Your Highness has finally come to understand my feelings.”
At the sudden sound coming from behind Asha, she turned around.
“Oh, Karnov!”
“…Lord Karnov.”
Natalya looked glum and raised her head toward Karnov.
“Where were you?”
“I had a brief matter to attend to… Were you having a delightful time with Lady Natalya?”
When Karnov asked, Natalya answered first.
“Of course. Lord Karnov, what were you doing? Her Highness has finally come down.”
“I yielded the opportunity to dance to you.”
“She would have danced with me first even if you hadn’t yielded.”
Natalya claimed proudly, and Asha laughed while trying to dissuade her. Seeing Karnov’s hand, Asha grinned.
“Karnov, what’s on your hand? Where did you get yourself dirty like this?”
Karnov’s hand had something like black ash on it. Asha took out her handkerchief and brushed off the ash from his hand, even as she spoke in an admonishing tone.
“You won’t be able to pick up snacks like this. I heard the financiers came out delicious today.”
“Lord Karnov is coming of age next year, but you still look like a child.”
Natalya commented with her nose in the air, and Karnov chuckled in response.
“It’s funny to hear that from Lady Natalya, who has cream on her hands and mouth.”
“Don’t fight.”
“We’re not fighting!”
“We’re not fighting.”
“At times like this, it’s nice if we communicate well.”
Karnov did not answer that, but folded the handkerchief that Asha had used to wipe the black ash in half and tucked it in his pocket.
“I’ll return it to you with a new handkerchief.”
“That’s okay…”
“Then let’s take a look at the results of your practice.”
As Karnov extended his hand, the lively dance music transformed into a smooth waltz. Natalya had a somewhat dissatisfied expression, but she seemed satisfied with the fact that she had danced first, so she wore a conceding expression.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
Lyudmila looked at Karnov and Asha dancing side by side, hiding behind the curtains of the terrace with a pale face.
When she confronted Karnov in the hall, Lyudmila was a little surprised at herself. It was because she realized belatedly that she hadn’t thought about meeting him. All she thought about as she got to the hall was talking to Princess Anastasia about a new snack to be made.
Quickly regaining composure, she caught Karnov, who was trying to pass by with only formal greetings. At the same time, she repeatedly felt miserable and unfair and sank. Still, she was able to calm down thanks to the time she spent with Princess Anastasia.
Princess Anastasia seemed like a person made of the sweet summer sunshine that ripens fruits. If Lord Karnov held her in high regard, it was probably because of that aspect…
Karnov, looking at Lyudmila, said nothing for a moment, then he grabbed a plate with some leftover pastries and headed toward the balcony with her.
Lyudmila intended to speak there. She wanted to tell him how much effort she had put into winning his affection, how she had visited Princess Anastasia for three days to learn and emulate her actions. She thought he should acknowledge her efforts.
However, the words did not come out. The first reason was that Karnov had never demanded such efforts from her. The second reason was her perception that Princess Anastasia was someone who would never showcase her efforts. While Lyudmila was hesitant, Karnov asked two things.
– Do you know about my spirit?
– Is all of this what you wanted?
She couldn’t answer the second question. However, for the first question, she could at least confidently respond.
Of course, I know. But I’m not afraid, everyone else is afraid, but I…
Karnov extended an empty plate. Lyudmila, who was speaking enthusiastically, wondered, but held Karnov’s plate.
Karnov did not let go of the plate; and it slowly turned to ashes. Slowly, from the lace gloves that Lyudmila was wearing, to the plate she was holding. And finally even the last piece that Karnov held. Black ash was on his hands. What was left of it was powdered and scattered.
When Karnov reached for her again, Lyudmila stepped back without realizing it. She was surprised by her own reaction, not knowing what to do. However, Karnov wore an indifferent expression, as if he already knew this would happen.
Staring at that face, Lyudmila felt a rush of embarrassment, her face turning red. She hadn’t anticipated being different from others. Even if people feared Karnov, she thought she was an exception.
– I’ll reimburse you for the gloves.
Karnov’s voice was calm. What you haven’t experienced in person is too easy to denounce. If you haven’t experienced it, you won’t know anything. She should have kept her mouth shut about it.
Why did she say things like others were afraid and she was not? Why did she claim she was different? She shouldn’t have said it. When Lyudmila was at a loss in regret and shame, Karnov stared at her still.
– Why do you strive for something you don’t desire while putting in so much effort?
– What, what do you think I want, desire?
Lyudmila unwittingly asked. She wanted to change the subject if possible.
– Don’t you want to do something with the cultivated crops of Linum Yushita?
– What? Who said that?
– Princess Anastasia said.
Lyudmila tried to deny it, while she had talked about flax with Princess Anastasia, she had never gone into detail.
– Some people can quietly grasp what they want in their hands, but others must fight and conquer. People like you and me.
But Karnov, glancing at the hall outside the curtain, did not speak at length.
– I have someone in my heart.
So the whole story was, indeed, completely over. Lyudmila tried to ask who that was, but Karnov left the terrace after leaving those words. And Lyudmila saw.
Princess Anastasia, who held Karnov’s hand and shook off the ash. And the waltzes of the two of them holding their hands together.
The center of the hall was empty, and only the two of them were dancing. Anastasia’s hair was fluttering like a spring flower swaying in the wind following the gesture of going round and round.
As she watched it, her heart thumped irregularly and her chest felt stuffy. But she didn’t feel bad. It was a feeling of putting down a heavy burden that had been weighing on her shoulders.
Her parents would be disappointed. Maybe they would think less of her. She didn’t want to disappoint them, but she tried her best. The deed was done, and the fact that there was nothing more she could do with her own hands strangely comforted her.
There’s really nothing more I can do. I did everything I could, really…
Lyudmila watched the two dancing for a long time. With eyes like dew-kissed blue flowers in the mist, for a long time.
