CH 218

There was no way I was going to let Fleon get married right away, was I? For lovers, marriage was the jewel in the crown of their relationship. But even though they might be in a relationship, forcing them to spend more time together might only cause them to fight and argue more, ultimately leading them to break up. 

After all, Ahasia was not seeking to be married for her sake. She was giving herself up to be used as a hostage for the kingdom. 

“How would you know that?”

“Huh?”

“How would you know the princess’ intentions?”

That… was because I could tell from our conversations. Ahasia told me that she had fallen in love at first sight with Castor but I knew. Those were not the eyes of a maiden in love. It was the expression of a desperate woman hanging from the edge of a cliff. 

I could not describe what exactly love was but at least I knew that it made people excited over other people. I believed that love would have been engraved and carved into her heart causing her heart to tighten and his name to fill her head at the mere mention of him. 

“She told me that she wanted the Crown Prince but she didn’t mean it. That meant it didn’t matter to her who it would be, right? It would be meaningless to just get married without knowing more about your partner. If you don’t want to get married, I’ll do it. As I’ve mentioned before, I really don’t mind.”

“You…”

“Hm?”

“Why are you being so flippant about it?”

Puzzled at Fleon’s grave expression, I stared back at him.

“What do you mean I’m being flippant?”

Come to think of it, though his words were not wrong,  I didn’t think it was anything serious enough to warrant that expression. I stared at Fleon from afar.

“You’re just lashing out because I talked about marrying you off, aren’t you?”

“I’m not kidding. You know, what’s the point of becoming an adult and not dating anyone?”

“I don’t know why my love life is being brought up in this conversation.”

“No, just listen. I’m just saying you should give it a try before getting married for real.”

“Married?”

“That’s right, married.”

It was strange to hear Fleon repeat the words that I had uttered to him just a while ago. I wondered if he had just let go of his anger at my request for a fake marriage. But, Fleon’s expression looked as serious as ever. I stared into his stern gaze but his blue eyes remained still.

“You’re going to accept that man into your life, you will try to love before finally finding a good enough man for yourself, getting married and living happily ever after.”

“I’m the princess. Brother, that’s just wishful thinking.”

“You live in the palace, don’t you? People around your age would only get married after trying all sorts of things they can at banquets.”

“Ah, you mean symposiums.”

Indeed, the Empire’s culture promoted extravagance and pleasure. Whether it be Imperial Family members or aristocrats, they would choose to enjoy loving freely and spending  just one night with a stranger without any hesitation. In other words, we were open-minded and never batted an eye at adultery or people sleeping around. 

Though with the rise of the cultural powerhouse that is Walter, we now have an established society where women were encouraged to be subdued and pure. 

“You have a lot of choices around you. There’s this guy and that guy. I’m saying that you’re allowed to make any one of them cry.”

Fleon spoke as he pointed wildly at each of the men in the room. 

“Their names are Penne and Soricks. You shouldn’t call people who you work with like that. Remember their names. And what, make them cry?”

The current emperor was someone who actively indulged himself in Walter’s culture to the point where people considered him to be a Walter fanboy. And in such a cultural climate, if the princess was to openly date people? The backlash was unimaginable. 

“Then, can I choose a random stranger to stay up all night with? How was I supposed to say it again? I’m going to go see the flowers?” (1)

“Huh?”

“What now? Why are you clicking your tongue? I’m just following your good advice. Who should I go on my first date with, Lord Ray? Or would you like to go on a date with me?”

“… Could you not look so unwilling if you want to ask me on a date?”

Fleon then glares at me.

“What are you doing?”

“You told me to go around flirting with men.”

“And that’s exactly what I told you to do!”

“No, then that’s strange. Why are you getting angry?”

“Damn it. Fuck the symposiion! I won’t stand still if you do that!”

“… So, what do you want me to do?”

I had no idea how I was supposed to dance to his tunes. 

***

A blue moon hung at the top of the night sky. As I stared at the moon up in the sky, my thoughts unintentionally drifted to Amor. Perhaps because I see him more often at night than day or perhaps because of the long dawns we spent together, when I see the moon rise, I often smell warm grass.

“Brother seemed to have noticed that we have been contacting each other.”

I recalled the last time we talked. 

“Since you’ve been coming to my palace everyday for a while now, it’s best if you don’t come visit for now.” 

“He has already banned you from coming.”

Amor was now in house arrest.

Officially, it was because he had involved himself in the [Primo Salvatio] without the emperor’s permission. That had been his crime. Since all templar activities were regulated through the Imperial Temple and the Chief Templar, Amor’s erratic actions were a felony that could be considered treason. 

“The 4th Prince shall be kept under constant watch in his palace for his unauthorised involvement in the holy [Primo Salvation].”

He had only been in charge of supplying power to a device and it was too slight of an action to be considered a crime but the punishment he was sentenced for was harsh. No, harsh didn’t even begin to cover it. For he was only re-imposed the punishment he had been under his entire life. 

He had been communicating with me through the bracelet and keeping me out of harm’s way. His palace had been his space so if he didn’t want me in it, I would never be able to enter. I had expressed my disappointment which spurred a soft laugh from him.

“Ashley.”

He called my name affectionately. 

“I’ll come looking for you.”

All of a sudden, the rough edges in his voice were smoothed out. In a sorrowful, tender, tear-soaked voice, he said goodbye to me. 

“This time, I will.’

At the end of our conversation, having exhausted its energy, the bracelet had now become a mere green string. He promised to contact me so I had no choice but to believe that he would. 

***

During the festival period, banquets were held every night to celebrate a time where gods and humans would meet and disappear from each other. The Founding Festival would present various performances from various templars gathered from all over the huge Empire. Another exciting event the Founding Festival would hold was the pleasure banquet, or the ‘Symposium’.

“Have you heard the rumours?”

Within just three days, strange rumours began circulating the Imperial capital. The rumour that the princess from a distant desert and an Empire’s prince had fallen in love. The rumours had first been about the princess wanting to get engaged but now they were talking about how a prince had fallen in love with her. 

Though it was not known who the ‘prince’ in the rumours was. 

What was the most talked about in symposiums by far was who this mystery prince was. Regardless of whether it was a prince from the Empire or from any other country, the aristocrats were busy guessing through their whispers who the prince from the rumours was whenever they gathered. 

“I don’t think it is the 2nd Prince. He has a wife he loves very much, doesn’t he? There’s no way the 2nd Prince who’s famous for dedicating his life to his wife would do that.”

“The 3rd Prince is still missing and the 4th Prince cannot go anywhere so naturally…”

“It’s still hard to say but I don’t think it’s His Highness, the Crown Prince. If it really was ‘him’, he would have just said so.”

“You’re right. They would have already had their engagement ceremony by now.”

I sipped my wine before smiling quietly. 

I noticed the glances towards me. Perhaps people were showing clear interest in the princess because she was known to be close to the princes. They must be wondering if I knew the truth. However, people could not approach me casually. 

“She is the princess. The one who performed this year’s [Primo Salvatio].”

“Ah. Those… rumours?”

The main character of the [Primo Salvatio]. Throughout the festival, the princess had been illuminated on a pedestal like a singer on stage. Whether it be the princess who was once powerless or the princess who wore the scar on her cheek proudly, it didn’t matter. She was the centre of conversations just because she had been the main character in the [Primo Salvatio].

During the festival period, considering the fact that she had performed the role of the First Emperor, the main character of the [Primo Salvatio] was considered to be sacred. That was why, throughout the festival, subordinates were not allowed to carelessly speak to the princess unless she spoke to them first or she had accepted their invitation. That was the reason why though they were locking their gazes with mine, I was free from any forced conversations. However, though courtesy was one of the reasons why no one was approaching me, no one also dared to talk to me first since I danced with the Crown Prince. Of course, since it was not an absolute rule that they could not talk to me, there were still some people brave enough to approach me. 

“Excuse me, Princess. Nice to meet you. I am Hanel, a Templar of Song. Did you come alone?”

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. I could feel his sly gaze on my cheek. It was as if tastelessness and cowardice had been written on his forehead. I grinned at his sparse brown hair.

“Do you have any business with my mistress?”

The princess never travels alone. Which was why I had an escort who boasted an iron-clad defence. As soon as he spotted Ray, the rude man hurried away because Ray was emitting quite a menacing aura. 

Ray was taller and bigger than an average knight. Additionally, once that blunt face hardened, he would start giving off a menacing aura like a beast exposing its claws. It helped with freeing myself from people as rude as the templar I met earlier. After Ray got rid of the threat and chased him away, I could hear the gossip growing louder in the distance. But there was no more confusion. I sipped the goblet I was holding. 

The banquet was now in full swing thanks to the Templars of Dance. Their performance with the Templars of Music was beautiful to see but it felt surreal. I stared blankly at their performance for a while before looking away.

“What are you looking at?”

Ray asked. God, when did he approach me? In surprise, also due to the sudden burst of loud noise, I had stepped back only for my vision to tilt. I had tripped on my skirt, a mistake that even a child would not make. I could hear people whispering as my body leaned back.

“You have to be careful.”

It was Dane. His sweet gentle voice accompanied with his breaths tickled my ears. He supported me with one hand while raising my goblet with another. 

“Is this wine?”

“Ah, yes.”

He let go of my waist and appeared at my left before taking the goblet away from me. Despite the series of surprises, I managed to speak.

“So?”

“No alcohol for you.”

“… I’m an adult though?”

“Because it’s dangerous.”

For who? Me? When I asked again, his red eyes curled.

“No, for me.”

With his eyes still curling, Dane took a slow sip of the wine. 

Gulp.

He was the one drinking but I didn’t know why my mouth was the one feeling dry so I grabbed his hand. 

“Give it back. It’s mine.”

“I don’t want to.”

Dane slipped his hand away from my grip before tilting his head. In a fit of rage, I grabbed his hand which only made him smile wordlessly and pry my fingertips off him. I unintentionally flinched at his soft hands. 

“It’d be nice if you could drink with me.”

“… Are you trying to seduce me?”

He spoke a little forcefully but he still managed to whisper calmly, no, even more angrily than before. 

“Can’t you?”

I then walked away without saying another word. I was sure he knew what I meant when I lost my grip on his hand. 

“I only took one sip.”

I had murmured but Dane’s smile only deepened and my goblet never returned to me. I felt strange. I stared at the hand he grabbed and let go of. I could still feel the warmth on my fingertips. It was not as if I had never held his hand before but the hand I had held dozens, no, hundred of times was leaving me with a strange feeling today. Ray, who had at some point returned to my side, asked. 

“What’s wrong with your face?”

“… I was just moved by the handsome man who protected me.’

What could I do when the person I thought I knew till yesterday was no longer the same anymore? How should I feel about the unfamiliar warmth at my fingertips? I frowned at this mysterious feeling. 

“How can I not be moved?”

“Am I going to be one of those handsome men you speak of?”

T/N:

(1): I’m not sure if this was clear but it’s something people say in the Empire when they’re leaving the party early to… you know…