Chapter 573: Estrangement
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yarin’s POV:
When I walked out of the room, Lily was already waiting.
She was really beautiful today. The white dress made her tanned skin look as delicate as porcelain, and the sparkling diamonds could not hide her eyes, which were shining like stars.
I almost didn’t recognize her. Lily in overalls and Lily in a dress seemed to be two different people.
“What happened to you?” Heller watched me worriedly. “Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?”
“Shut up, kid.” I adjusted my collar uncomfortably and said fiercely, “It’s just that… It’s just that my collar is a little tight, and I can’t breathe.”
Lily noticed us and waved at us. The silver bracelet on her arm attracted my attention. Seconds later, I realized that it was rude of me to stare at a lady’s arm. So I immediately looked away and pretended nothing had happened to hide my absent-mindedness.
“I hope you had a good dream last night.” Lily said, “The Moonlight Festival won’t end until midnight tonight. Before that, there will be a continuous program waiting for you. Without enough stamina, the more excited the first half was, the more tired the second half would be.”
“Can you tell us what’s fun?” Heller was smart for once.
He glanced at me, and I immediately continued, “Yes, it’s our first time participating in a parade in person. Perhaps you’d like to join us? We need a guide.”
After saying that, I felt my tone might be a little stiff, so I added, “Please, Lily, we want to make this trip worthwhile.”
In the short time we spent together, I realized that Lily was a person who would not be forced to do anything. As expected, when she heard our pleas, she looked away uncomfortably and said, “I have only ever heard about it from others. I haven’t participated in the Moonlight Festival since long ago, so I don’t know what’s fun about it.”
Heller attacked with his big, innocent eyes again. I also tugged at Lily’s clothes and shook her slightly. Sure enough, Lily gave up after a few seconds and nodded helplessly. “Alright, little followers. Follow closely later. I won’t be responsible if you get lost.”
“Yay!” Heller and I cheered, which attracted the attention of those lords who had just come to the lobby.
“What happened, children?” My mother asked, “Why are you so happy?”
As I had just made her angry, I didn’t dare to be too rash for the time being. I answered honestly, “Lily promised to be our Moonlight Festival guide, Mom, I swear it’s completely consensual this time, and we’ll only play as far as we’re allowed, and we won’t cause any more trouble.”
My mother smiled and rubbed the top of Heller and my head. She even paid attention not to ruin our hairstyle. Then, she bent over and hugged Lily gently. “Thank you, child. I know how naughty these two kids are. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of them.”
Lily’s body stiffened, and she was at a loss. She replied dryly, “Oh… You’re too polite, Your Majesty… Princes, uh, in short, it’s my honor.”
The parade started at ten o’clock. Before that, my parents were going to give a speech in the city center. The servants had prepared some convenient breakfast that could fill one’s stomach without smudging one’s makeup or dirtying one’s clothes.
Before they set off, Aunt Teresa came with a strange but familiar young man.
I believed that was Lily’s brother, the next heir to the Silver Moon Family. I vaguely recalled seeing him when I was younger, but I was just beginning to remember things back then, so he was a stranger to me.
Aunt Teresa was a little excited. She couldn’t wait to introduce her son to her parents. “This is my second son, Alfred, Your Majesty. He returned home from the northern border guards yesterday to attend the Moonlight Festival.”
Alfred gave a military salute to his parents. My first impression of him was that he was a serious young man. His stern expression made him look like a serious middle-aged officer, but he was only a year older than Lily.
“Greetings, Your Majesties and Your Royal Highnesses.” There was not a single wrinkle on his military uniform. It looked as if he had just pulled it off the mannequin. “I wish everyone a happy day. Goddess, please bless the Moonlight Festival.”
“Hello, Alfred.” My mother seemed to like him very much. She liked all the young people who contributed to the country. “I’ve heard so much about you from your mother. You’re indeed a handsome young man. I hope everything goes well for you in the military camp.”
On the other hand, my father had a natural affinity for soldiers. “Good lad, I heard you rejected the opportunity to become an officer and took the initiative to start as an ordinary soldier, right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I am very grateful for the army’s trust in me, but I still believe that to become a true warrior, you must start by learning the basics. An officer’s rank may bring me more honor, but it cannot help me understand the true meaning of being a warrior.”
My father couldn’t have been more pleased. Alfred seemed to be the only person left in the hall, and everyone was surrounding him..