“Just now… Wasn’t that a Kerum game cue?”
Asha, who was heading to the kitchen with a strawberry basket in her arms, turned her head back. Evan, who held a strawberry basket side by side next to Asha, also turned his head along with Asha.
Just a moment ago, some attendants who had politely greeted Asha had walked past carrying what appeared to be several cue sticks and a box of Kerum game pieces.
“That’s the way to grandfather’s Palace.”
“Could His Majesty be planning to enjoy a game for a bit?”
“But who would he play with? Grandfather has no friends. Did General Yekaterina come to the palace today?”
Asha tilted her head in curiosity and continued to the kitchen. The strawberries were harvested a bit early this time, so they were firm and quite tart. She planned to preserve them whole in syrup without damaging their shape, then later serve them with cheese on crackers once the sweetness had fully soaked in.
“Oh! Do you think we should sell these at the pastry shop too? Winter will be slow, so we can make a bunch when we have time and sell them when spring comes. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a great idea.”
Asha pouted slightly. Evan always thought whatever she suggested was a good idea.
“Evan, did you get all your clothes fitted for the coming-of-age ceremony? Did Joel finish the alterations?”
“Yes.”
Asha believed it would be right for Evan to have his coming-of-age ceremony on the same day, but Evan had vehemently opposed it. He insisted he needed to guard Asha at large gatherings.
When Asha said, “What could happen to me?” It led to a situation where she had to avoid Evan’s eyes. Even she knew her past had been anything but ordinary. In the end, they compromised by agreeing that after the coming-of-age ceremony was over, they would have a separate one with friends in the evening and she would have a special outfit made for Evan.
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“Yes? Sure!”
On a table set in the sunlit greenhouse, a steaming bowl of cream stew was placed. Asha, who had lifted a spoonful of the stew, paused momentarily due to Mikhail’s serious expression from across the table. Then she relaxed and put the stew in her mouth.
“Hmm. Good. It’s good.”
Mikhail, who had seriously volunteered to be his granddaughter’s partner at her coming-of-age ceremony, finally relaxed and picked up his spoon.
“The shop is going well, right?”
“Yes! It’s almost done. We’re currently repairing the exterior of the building.”
With a little push, they could open the shop right away, but they decided to wait until after the coming-of-age ceremony. After all, the ceremony was no small matter and required a lot of attention.
“I heard it’s too small and secluded.”
“It’s not dark or anything. It’s just not on the main street. And if there are too many people, it might be hard to manage.”
“You can just hire more people.”
Asha held the spoon in her mouth and clasped her head with both hands. Was this what it was like to go around in circles on one topic?
‘Did I bother Olga like this?’
Asking repeatedly about the grand duchy residence even though she had said not to.
“No… No, grandfather. Let’s leave that issue for now.”
“Now that you’re all grown up, what I say doesn’t matter?”
“There is something more important. I forgot, and no one told me.”
“Weren’t we just done talking about your coming-of-age partner?”
Mikhail said leisurely as he scooped up some stew.
“When I turn twenty, I’ll be independent, but the grand duchy residence is still…”
“Keu, keum! Keum!”
“Grandfather?”
Asha put down her spoon and quickly got up. Mikhail, who had just put stew in his mouth, had choked.
“Grandfather, are you okay?”
“Keu, Keum…”
A gentle breeze blew through the closed greenhouse, as if comforting the two of them. By the time Mikhail stopped coughing, the talk about the grand duchy residence had already passed.
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This year’s coming-of-age ceremony at the palace was special. Bright flowers were used far more than usual, and all the roads inside the palace were decorated in luxury.
Orchestras played music at various spots, and attendants holding flowers handed them out to visitors one by one. And at midday, an opera was being performed on an outdoor stage set up within the palace grounds.
“It’s not fun, is it?”
Asha said as she sat at the edge of her chair watching the opera. The emperor, who was seated beside her, coughed quietly.
“Traditions can’t be easily changed.”
Every March, on the day when the children of nobles and officials held their coming-of-age ceremonies, the palace hosted an opera. While the orchestra and singers on the outdoor stage seemed to give their best, the stories of good triumphing over evil told in a classic manner could inevitably become tedious.
The fact that this year’s coming-of-age children were sitting upright and focused on the stage—except for Natalya, who was half-slumped beside her chair, almost sleeping—was probably because the emperor was sitting as the partner of the heir. The actors, sweating profusely in the March weather, were likely giving their all for the same reason.
“There must be operas that are more entertaining even if they are from the same era.”
“They are all similarly uninteresting. This one is the least boring, which is why it’s still around.”
“Grandfather finds this boring too.”
“This was boring even when I was twenty.”
As the villain committed punishable acts on stage—stealing from a shop and slandering others—the emperor spoke quietly, resting his chin on his hand.
“The Duke of Sedboyar is also coming to the palace?”
“I’m going to have a separate coming-of-age ceremony with my friends in the evening. Evan is also turning 20 this year.”
“Hmm.”
The emperor stroked his chin. Asha turned her head to look at his face.
“Grandpa, you seem suspicious today.”
“Do you dare call the emperor ‘suspicious’?”
“Hmm. I am doubtful.”
As Asha squinted, The emperor pushed her forehead with his fingertip.
“Focus on the opera. It’s rude to the singers and the orchestra.”
Asha shrugged. Mikhail had never done anything to harm her. “Alright, If you say so.” As his granddaughter grumbled in response, Mikhail clicked his tongue but smiled faintly.
On stage, The part where the wrongdoer received their punishment had ended, And the person who did good deeds was being rewarded.
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“My goodness. You decided who my partner would be by playing Kerum?”
“To be precise, who would propose to you first.”
Asha’s room looked like a waiting room just before the coming-of-age ball, with everyone gathered together. Natalya was half-lying on the sofa in her long pants, Lyudmila with her long hair sighed beside her, and Dimitri and Ilya were discussing shoes.
And in the garden, Karnov, who claimed to have just dropped by, was there. Asha, leaning on the terrace fence and talking to Karnov, opened her mouth wide.
“So you decided by playing Kerum, and both Alyosha and Karnov lost? Grandfather won? So only Grandfather talked to me about being my partner?”
“…”
Karnov looked away with a very embarrassed and ashamed expression. Asha finally understood why Karnov and Alexei had been silent about her coming-of-age ceremony, only talking about dresses, ribbons, or the soon-to-open shop.
“No wonder. But grandfather isn’t good at Kerum! How did he win?”
“Is there anyone in the empire who plays Kerum better than you?”
“Still, That’s surprising.”
“Ahem. This time, His Majesty played exceptionally well. The ball… The ball rolled like magic.”
“Did Shamal do something?”
“You wouldn’t have done that. If he had, Fafnir or Kairos would have mentioned it.”
Asha glanced at the two yellow and black chicks chattering on a branch in the garden. The chicks never looked back at Asha.
“Anyway… I just remembered that even if the first dance at the coming-of-age ball is with a partner, the second one isn’t decided.”
“Alyosha is supposed to be the second.”
“What? Alexei didn’t tell me anything…”
Karnov sighed, feeling betrayed by his friend.
“Then the third. Surely the third isn’t decided yet?”
Karnov asked about Natalya Bagration in a wary voice. Asha burst out laughing.
“All right! Karnov is third.”
Karnov finally let out a short sigh of relief. Asha laughed again.
“Then I’ll see you in the ballroomin, Duke of Sedvoyer.”
“See you in a moment, Grand Duchess of Pesheranskaya.”
Asha leaned against the fence on the terrace and waved her hands gently. Carnot smiled low and bowed as if he were in a play.
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Since Asha held the highest rank at today’s coming-of-age ball—being a grand duchess—she was the first to enter. Sitting in a large, spacious chair in the waiting room, Asha held her shoes in her hands, tapping her toes and glancing outside the curtain towards the ballroom.
‘Once I put these on, I won’t be able to take them off for a while, will I?’
It was nice to gain a few inches in height.
“Grandfather~ When are you coming~?”
Asha called out towards the curtain on the opposite side of the ballroom, where Mikhail would enter. She lifted her foot to put on one shoe, and as she lifted the other foot to put on the remaining shoe, she fell back onto the sofa, the weight of the ribbon decoration on her back causing her to topple over.
“Grandfather~ Help me up~!”
As Asha lay on the sofa, whining towards the curtain in the hallway, the curtain slowly opened.
“Grandfather, this dress is too heavy… huh?”
Asha’s eyes widened as she saw a face looking down at her, a face that resembled Mikhail but was entirely different.
“I thought our princess was so dignified, but she’s so rambunctious. How much cuter can she get?”
At that moment, Asha sprang up from her seat.
“Dad! Mom! Mom, Dad!”
Yuriev and Irina, dressed in splendid formal attire, looked at Asha with gentle smiles.
