CH 2.17

‘Wow!’ Marie’s eyes sparkled with joy as she watched the lively street festival. She looked in awe, just like a country girl experiencing the city for the first time. ‘I love it. As expected, this suits me better than grand banquets or masquerade balls.’

Before entering the Royal Palace of the Cloyan Kingdom—when her mother was still alive—Marie had also lived in a place like that. Her mother had raised her alone, selling goods on the streets. Therefore, the streets felt familiar to her, like her hometown.

‘I miss Mom. I hope she’s doing well in heaven.’

As she looked at the rows of street vendors, memories of her late mother came to mind.

In retrospect, the time spent with her mother seemed to be the happiest period of her life, despite being poor. Trying not to feel melancholic, Marie quickly shook her head and shifted her focus to the street festival. ‘It’s much livelier and busier than the festivals in my hometown.’

Her hometown was a small rural village that had been burned down and destroyed during the war with the Empire. The difference between her rural village and the bustling streets of the Empire’s capital was unmatched.

“Miss, come here and take a look before you go! I’ll give you a good deal!”

Marie shook her head with an awkward expression at the enthusiastic street vendor. After wandering around the streets for a while, she discovered something. ‘People’s expressions are so bright and cheerful.’

It hadn’t even been a year since the civil war among the princes and the subsequent war with the Cloyan Kingdom had ended. It was still too early for the wounds of war to completely heal. However, she couldn’t find any signs of gloom on people’s faces. It clearly meant something—that the ruler must’ve possessed exceptional governing capabilities.

‘Of course, Emperor Thoren II is no longer…’ It had been over four years since Thoren II fell ill and lost consciousness. He was barely clinging to his life, with little to no chance of recovery.

And above all, Emperor Thoren II was known for being a tyrant. Under his rule, it was unlikely for people to have such expressions.

‘Then… this must be all thanks to Crown Prince Rael.’ She made a strange expression. After being brought to the empire, she had spent three years confined to the palace, unaware of the current political affairs. To think that the infamous Crown Prince of Blood, known for his ruthless and merciless actions, would have a just rule. ‘Well, I heard that the Cloyan Kingdom is doing well in its own way.’

As she looked around, she could hear cheers for the glory of the Crown Prince echoing throughout the streets. Their faces didn’t hold fear—instead they carried admiration.

‘He may be cruel to his enemies, but he isn’t a bad ruler to his subjects.’

It seemed that his vicious and ruthless actions didn’t necessarily match with the way he treat his people. ‘He’s a wise ruler.’ The Crown Prince may be a menacing person without a trace of mercy towards his enemies, but to his own subjects, he appeared to be an excellent ruler.

‘The problem is, I belong to his enemies.’

Marie sighed. As the last descendant of the Cloyan Kingdom, she was undoubtedly an enemy in the eyes of the Crown Prince. He would not hesitate to slit her throat for the sake of his subjects and the empire. ‘Stop these unnecessary thoughts and enjoy today’s festival. Once this day ends I’ll be on thin ice again.’

Determined to make her plan of escaping the Lion Palace a success—no, the entire Empire—Marie immersed herself in the festival once again.

“Miss, try this!”

“Taste this too!”

The lively street vendors and their tempting foods enticed her. Looking at the crispy fried snacks, she couldn’t help but think, ‘I want to eat it. Should I buy one?’

However, she quickly shook her head. Although she had gone out for a stroll, she didn’t have much money with her. Unlike other maids who received a considerable amount of pay, she, being a prisoner of war, had a meager salary and had to be very frugal. ‘What a pity. I’d like to taste and buy that too.’

But still, vicariously enjoying them with her eyes was enough to bring her joy. Marie thought positively and wandered around the streets, taking in the scenery. However, little did she know that someone was watching her from afar.

“…”

A man with golden hair and a face as beautiful as a painting—it was none other than Crown Prince Rael, who had taken off his mask and gone out incognito.

“Why is she here again…” Rael murmured with a startled expression. He left the palace to feel the fresh air and clear his mind. However, even after drinking in the refreshing breeze outside the palace, the ache in his heart did not disappear. If anything, the more he tried to shake it off, the heavier it felt. ‘Please, get a hold of yourself, Rael.’ Just when he thought so, an unbelievable sight caught Rael’s eyes. It was the woman who disturbed his peace of mind. “…Am I hallucinating? Why would she be here?”

Rael blinked his eyes. But no, it was indeed her. Somehow, she’d also gone outside at the same time he did. ‘Of all the coincidences. I should go somewhere else.’

Being in her presence only increased the turmoil in his heart, and so he wanted to avoid her until he could sort out his feelings. However, he couldn’t find himself to move. Suddenly, he felt extremely worried. “Why did she leave the palace alone? What will she do if she’s in danger?”

The thought struck him, frowning in concern.

For a man with unparalleled swordsmanship skills, it was still advisable to have escorts when venturing outside. One will never know what unexpected events might occur—let alone a petite woman like her wandering alone. What if she encountered some scoundrels?

‘Damn it.’ He cursed inwardly. With such concerns in mind, he was rooted to the spot. In fact, due to her cute appearance, it seemed like some people couldn’t resist stealing glances at her.

‘Damn it. Get your eyes off of her.’ He barely managed to suppress the urge to snap. When some shady looking men glanced at her, his anger surged.

‘Should I just eliminate them all?’ Damn it, why is she so clueless? Why did she have to wander so defensively like that? He discreetly followed her from behind, just in case something happened to her.

But then suddenly, Rael witnessed another vexing sight.

‘What is she worrying about?’ He saw Marie staring at various foods on display, her face full of longing. She kept looking at them as if she wanted to eat them, but then sadly shaking her head, repeating the same gesture over and over.

‘Why is she doing that? Can’t she just buy and eat it? It’s not even considered expensive by commoner’s standards.’

In that moment, a sudden realization crossed his mind.

“Is she out of money?” Rael’s frown deepened. Come to think of it, she had no decent wage because she was a prisoner of war, not an officially hired maid.

‘Damn.’ Seeing her in such a miserable state—like an abandoned puppy—made him feel extremely unpleasant. Her face looked better when she’s smiling than when she looked down. ‘Once I return, I should immediately order the palace manager, Count Gilbert, to adjust the wages of maids taken as prisoners of war.’

Thus, Marie had suddenly achieved the feat of a salary raise without even knowing it.

Meanwhile, Marie was enjoying the festival unaware that Crown Prince Rael was following her from behind. After looking at various things for a while, she arrived at a corner of the street and unexpectedly found something.

‘Huh? What’s this?’

It was an incredibly old piano!

‘Who threw this away?’ People passing by looked at it curiously and tried pressing some keys. However, it seemed to be broken in some places, so it didn’t produce proper sounds.

‘Most of the white keys are broken.’

Marie also tried pressing the piano keys here and there. It was probably discarded because it was unusable, save for the black keys.

Then suddenly, one piece popped into her mind. ‘Should I play it?’ Since it was a festival where everyone was eating, drinking, and cheering joyfully, she didn’t want to just passively watch but wanted to participate in her own way. Thinking so, she placed her hand on the black keys.

‘There are a lot of musicians on the street, so I guess it’s okay to play a little.’

After all, nobody here knew who she was. With that in mind, Marie began pressing the keys.

The piece she had in mind was the Black Key*. Since most of the white keys were broken, it was an interesting piece composed solely of black keys.

*Marie may or may not be playing Chopin’s Etude Op. 10 No. 5, ‘Black Keys’

‘Since it’s a festival, let’s keep it light and fun.’

Ding. Ding.

A short staccato reverberated through the streets. People in mid-stride paused for a moment upon hearing the piano. It was Black Keys, in G flat major. Her fingers pressed the keys as if dancing. Like the sound of a tambourine, the cheerful melody captivated the listeners’ ears.

“Who is that? Is she a new musician?”

“She plays exceptionally well, doesn’t she?”

The spectators expressed their admiration. It was a lively performance that heightened the festive mood. It felt like it’s beckoning everyone to join and dance along.

“But wasn’t the piano broken?”

“Really? Did she fix it?”

“No, I just played it, and it didn’t make any sound.”

People cocked their heads in confusion. It was undoubtedly a faulty instrument, yet it produced such wonderful music.

Rael, who was secretly listening to the piano performance among the crowd, could guess how she did it. ‘How amazing, she’s only playing the black keys.’

Even though she was only playing the black keys, the quality of the piece was quite impressive. It felt like a specially prepared music for the street festival.

It wasn’t just loud and high-pitched—the piece itself had a significant level of perfection. Listening to it automatically brightened up one’s mood.

‘Impressive.’ Rael closed his eyes and enjoyed Marie’s performance. Despite the turmoil she’d caused, he found solace in her playing. She made him frustrated, but her music was enjoyable to listen to all the same.

“Wow! That was amazing!”

“Bravo!”

When the brief impromptu performance ended, the crowd cheered with excitement. Even nobles were seen watching the performance.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Soon, an endless pile of coins accumulated in front of Marie. People who thought she’s a professional musician had thrown coins as a token of appreciation for her excellent performance.

“Encore! Encore!” Suddenly, the crowd surged forward, begging for more. Feeling overwhelmed by the crowd, she played one more song and then quickly fled to escape.

‘Phew. What a crowd.’ If she stayed a little longer, she might not have been able to escape at all. Nonetheless, it was a memorable and fun experience for her. ‘Not to mention, I made some money too.’

Marie looked at the stack of coins with a bright expression. ‘If I ever get a chance to leave the palace, I could make a living through performing.’

Thinking so, she continued to wander the streets, enjoying the festival. It was a so much fun!

However, there was one thing that Marie was unaware of. When she picked up the coins given to her, there were people who were watching her with sinister intentions.

“……!”

Rael frowned. He lost sight of Marie as soon as she disappeared into the bustling crowd.