It's All You — The Fifth Day of Special Training
I watched as Era set down her pen and thought to myself, These past few days have been brutal. Reading, etiquette, the works. Era had followed along without a single complaint, but the exhaustion was starting to show on her face.
"..."
"...?"
"Ah... Ah! G-good day to you..."
Even this morning, while practicing her greetings, she had been staring blankly out the window. Beyond the Imperial Palace gardens, past the walls, to the world outside. It was no wonder she felt stifled. A girl who used to roam her entire village like it was her own backyard back in the remote borderlands was now suddenly trapped in this cramped room, forced to memorize letters all day.
I closed the book.
"...Hey. Let's call it a day."
"...Pardon? It's still midday?"
"It's fine. You've been working hard for days. Take today off."
Era looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"...Why all of a sudden?"
"As a reward."
"A reward?"
"Yeah. You've followed along really well these past few days. This is for that."
Era's eyes sparkled.
"What kind of reward?!"
"..."
I paused for a moment before answering.
"Want to go out?"
"...Where?"
"Outside the Imperial Palace. Into the city."
Era's eyes widened at my words.
"C-can I really go?! Outside the palace?!"
She shot up from her chair.
"...Keep it down. We'll get caught."
"Ah, sorry."
Era quickly covered her mouth, but her eyes were already brimming with excitement.
"But... can a prince just leave like that? Don't you need permission from His Majesty or something—"
"I won't ask."
"...Pardon?"
"If I ask, I won't be able to go. That's why we're sneaking out."
Era's eyes grew even rounder.
"S-sneaking out? Is that allowed?"
"It's not."
"...?"
"But it's not like we can't do it, right?"
I shrugged. The truth was, if I submitted a formal outing request, a whole entourage of escorts would tag along. Maryeokche agents, imperial guards—the works. There'd be no chance to enjoy the market; we'd just draw every eye in the city. This time, I wanted it to be just the two of us. No one knowing. Just normal fun.
"Then we'll need to disguise ourselves first."
I unwrapped the bundle I'd prepared in advance. Two sets of plain clothes that commoners would wear.
"Change into these. If we walk out in palace attire, we'll be spotted immediately."
Era took the clothes and examined them with fascination.
"Wow. You wear things like this too, Leon?"
"Today I'm not a prince, okay? Just... Neighborhood Young Man Number One."
"Neighborhood Young Man Number One?"
"Yeah. And you're Neighborhood Maiden Number One."
Era burst out laughing. "Pfft—what is that? Is your name literally One?"
"...Whatever. Hurry up and change. If we're too late, we won't be able to go."
"Yes sir!"
She dashed off with a patter of footsteps.
We finished our disguises and headed for the back door of the residence.
"...Ugh, seriously."
The real problem was getting out of the palace itself. The main gate was guarded by imperial knights, and Maryeokche agents were stationed everywhere.
"...This way. Keep your footsteps quiet."
I led Era stealthily down the hallway. Thanks to the original owner's memories, I had a rough map of the palace layout in my head—unused back paths, poorly guarded side gates, that sort of thing.
But the moment we turned a corner, I spotted a familiar black coat up ahead.
"For now, Her Highness the Princess and that—"
It was Zork.
"...!"
I quickly pulled Era behind a pillar.
"...Why?"
"Quiet. It's the Maryeokche."
Era peeked out from behind the pillar. Zork was walking this way, chatting with one of his subordinates.
"W-what do we do?"
"...Just stay still."
Zork's footsteps grew closer and closer. I pressed Era tightly against the pillar. Hiding together behind the same narrow column ended up with us practically embracing.
Era looked up at me from mere inches away.
"Um... Leon."
"...Shh."
"You're way too close."
"...Is that really important right now?"
"...It is. My heart feels like it's about to explode."
"Just stay quiet, please."
Zork's footsteps passed right beside the pillar. We held our breath, waiting for him to move on. But then, at the worst possible moment—
"...Achoo!"
Era let out a tiny sneeze.
"...!"
My heart nearly stopped.
"..."
Zork's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
"...Who's there?"
I clamped my hand over Era's mouth and held my breath. The sound of deliberate footsteps—thud, thud—approached slowly.
'Oh no, we're screwed.'
But just then, another subordinate called out from the other side.
"Chief! You need to come see this right away!"
Zork's footsteps paused for a moment.
"...Must have been a cat or something."
With that, he turned and walked away. Only after he had completely disappeared did I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.
"Phew..."
"...Ha. That was close."
"...Hehe. We didn't get caught."
Era mumbled through my hand, which was still covering her mouth. I finally removed it.
"...If you'd sneezed one more time, we both would've been done for right there."
"...What was I supposed to do? The pillar was dusty and it tickled my nose."
Era sniffled, looking wronged.
"...Never mind. Let's get out of here fast. If we're any later, we'll really get caught."
After what felt like a thousand trials, we finally slipped out through the side gate. The moment we stepped beyond the palace walls, Era took a deep breath.
"Haa...! The air is completely different!"
"...What's different about the air?"
"It is! This is the air of freedom!"
Era spread her arms wide and spun in a circle. In her simple commoner clothes and modestly tied hair, without the palace's extravagant robes, she actually looked far more comfortable. Come to think of it, this was the first time in days I'd seen her with such a bright expression. No etiquette, no studying—just a face that could laugh freely.
"So, where to first, Your Highness—ah."
Era covered her mouth.
"...You told me to call you Leon outside, right? Or should I just... what should I call you?"
"...Call me Leon. Neighborhood Young Man Number One's name is Leon."
'That name sounds like it belongs to someone who should be carrying flowerpots around.'
"Hehe. Then what about me?"
"...You're still Era."
"You're not changing my name?"
"...Era is a common name, so it's fine."
"It's not that common."
Era pouted, but soon grabbed my hand with an excited grin and started pulling me along.
"Let's go quick! The market! I want to see the market!"
"...Hey, don't yank so hard. I'll fall."
"Hurry!"
The capital's market was incomparably larger than anything in the borderlands. Dozens of stalls lined the streets, bustling with people. Every awning was piled high with goods.
"Whoa..."
Era's mouth fell open at the sight.
"Wow... What is all this?!"
"It's a market. What else?"
"I've never seen a market this big! The one in the borderlands only had five stalls total!"
Era kept turning her head this way and that, taking everything in.
"What's that? The shiny thing over there!"
"...A jewelry stall."
"And that? The one that smells so good!"
"A bakery."
"That one! What about that one?!"
"...Hey. Ask one at a time. You're making me dizzy."
Era pointed everywhere like an excited child. But I didn't mind it at all, so I answered every single question.
"This is... Oh!"
Then she suddenly stopped dead in front of one stall. It was a street food stand grilling meat skewers over charcoal. The fat sizzled as it dripped, sending up fragrant smoke.
Era swallowed hard as she stared at it.
"...That looks incredibly delicious."
"Want some?"
"...Ah, no. It's fine. The smell is just nice."
Even as she said that, her eyes never left the skewers. I walked up to the owner, handed over some gold coins, and said,
"Two of these, please."
"L-Leon?!"
Era jumped in surprise.
"You're buying it for me?"
"...I said it was a reward. Eat up."
When the owner handed me two freshly grilled skewers, I passed one to Era. She took it carefully with both hands and took a cautious bite.
"......!"
Her eyes widened.
"...I-it's delicious!"
"...Is it?"
"Yes! It's so good! What is this? What kind of meat?"
"...Who knows. Just regular street skewers."
"I can't believe something this tasty existed in the world!"
Era ate with a look of pure bliss, completely unaware of the sauce smeared around her mouth.
"...Ah."
I instinctively reached for a handkerchief to wipe her face, then stopped. I hadn't brought one today. A commoner wouldn't be carrying a silk handkerchief anyway.
"..."
Instead, I just gently wiped it away with my finger.
"...You had some on your mouth."
"...Huh? Oh."
Era finally wiped her mouth and broke into a wide, silly grin.
"You should eat too, Leon. It's really good."
"Yeah."
I took a bite as well. Honestly, compared to palace cuisine, it was nothing special. But for some strange reason, right now, it tasted better than any dish from the Imperial Palace.
We wandered through the market, looking at everything. Era's eyes sparkled at every stall. At the fabric stand, she happily touched all the colorful cloths. At the fruit stand, she marveled at fruits she'd never seen before.
"What's this?"
"...Fruit from the south. It's expensive."
"Expensive? Then I won't get it."
"...I can buy it for you. It's pocket change to me."
"No! You don't have to buy expensive things. I'm already happy with just one skewer."
Era waved her hands in refusal.
"..."
But I noticed her sneaking glances at the fruit. I quietly bought one and placed it in her hand.
"...Here. One."
"Huh? Leon!"
"...It's fine. Try it. If you don't like it, give it to me."
Era took a bite.
"...It's sweet. Really sweet."
"Yeah? Then you can have it all."
"...Let's share. One bite each."
She held out the fruit she'd already bitten into, offering me the exact spot she'd eaten from. I looked at it for a moment, then simply took it and bit down.
"......"
Era's face turned slightly red as she watched.
"...What?"
"...N-nothing. Just... eating together like this. It makes me happy."
She fiddled with the fruit and lowered her gaze. A small smile played on her lips. I looked away awkwardly and finished the rest. It was sweet.
...The fruit, that is.
As the sun began to set, we heard faint sounds coming from one side of the market. "Ooh...!"
When we went to look, street musicians were performing in a small square. People had gathered to watch, and a few were even dancing along to the music.
Era's eyes lit up at the sight.
"Wow. People are dancing!"
"...It's a street performance."
"I want to dance too!"
Her feet tapped restlessly. But then her face fell.
"...Ah. But I don't know how to dance."
I watched her for a moment, then held out my hand.
"...?"
Era stared at it.
"Leon?"
"Let's dance to one song."
"...What? I really can't dance!"
"It's just street dancing. There are no set rules. Just move to the music."
After hesitating, she cautiously took my hand.
"Come on. This way."
I led her into the crowd. The musicians' lively tune—boom, ta-ta-ta—rang out cheerfully.
"...How do I do it?"
"Just follow me."
I held her hand and slowly stepped in time. It wasn't the formal palace dance, just a fun one. Era followed awkwardly, stepping on my feet and missing the beat.
"...Ah, sorry!"
"It's okay. Take it slow."
Gradually, she began to let herself go with the music. Spinning around. Hands clasped. Spinning again. A bright smile spread across Era's face.
"...Leon! This is so fun!"
"Is it?"
"Yes! I didn't know dancing could be this enjoyable!"
Era laughed brightly as she twirled. Her plain skirt fluttered in the air. The setting sun poured its red glow over her.
As I watched her spin, I suddenly thought: In a few days, I'd have to teach her the proper, elegant palace dances. But somehow, this carefree street dance—laughing freely like this—suited her far better than any refined court dance ever could.
"Era."
"Yes?"
"...You're pretty good at this."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. You'll pick up the palace dances in no time."
At my words, Era beamed and spun once more. Surrounded by the applause of the onlookers, we danced for a long time.
"Hehehe..."
It was completely dark by the time we started heading back to the palace. Era's steps were light, probably because she'd played so energetically all day. Yet her face still carried a hint of reluctance.
"...Is it already over?"
"Yeah. If we're out too late, we'll definitely get caught."
"...That's a shame. It was so much fun."
Era looked up at the sky. The night sky over the capital was dotted with countless stars. Having run around all day, her steps had slowed a little. Even so, she clutched the small things she'd bought at the market tightly in her hands—a colorful scrap of fabric, a bag of dried fruit. Nothing special.
"...When did you buy those?"
"Earlier. While you were paying for the skewers."
With no one around, Era had dropped the fake name and was speaking comfortably again.
"...What are you going to do with them?"
"I'm going to make a handkerchief with the fabric. And the fruit... that's emergency rations."
"...Emergency rations? With just one little bag?"
"You never know. I might get hungry again."
Era hugged the bag to her chest as if it were some great treasure. I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous it looked.
"...You're really something. The palace kitchens are piled high with food, yet you're treating dried fruit like it's precious."
"Palace food and this are different."
"How?"
"This is... from today."
Era tapped the bag lightly.
"...From today?"
"Yes. The day I came out with you, Leon. The things I bought that day. So I can't just eat them carelessly."
I paused for a moment at her words. But then Era looked down at the bag with a slightly gloomy expression.
"...But I don't think I can use it as emergency rations after all."
"Why not?"
"...It feels too precious to eat."
"...Then it's not rations. It's just decoration."
"I guess so..."
Era stared at the bag with such a serious face that I couldn't hold back anymore.
"...Haha."
"...Why are you laughing!"
"...No reason. Just... how can a bag of fruit make you worry so much?"
"It's important! You wouldn't understand, Leon!"
Era puffed up indignantly, clutching the bag even tighter. Yet even as she did, the corners of her mouth were smiling.
"I'll buy you more next time, so just eat it."
"Really?"
"...This time, I mean."
"I didn't worry about anything. I just played. It's been so long since I could do that."
I walked along, listening to her.
"That's why I brought you out."
"...?"
"You've been cooped up for days just memorizing letters. You looked so stifled."
Era stared at me intently.
"...Leon. How did you know I was feeling stifled?"
"You kept staring out the window every morning."
"......"
"You were looking beyond the walls like that, so I figured you wanted to go out."
We bickered back and forth as we walked, and before long the palace walls came into view. Era slowed down as she gazed up at them.
"...It's a shame."
She fiddled with the bag of fruit in her arms.
"...Leon."
"What?"
"...Can we come out again sometime?"
I kept walking for a moment before answering casually.
"Who knows."
"...Who knows?"
"I don't know. Depends on the situation."
Era looked a little downcast at my answer.
"...Tch. So there's no promise."
"Well. Something like that."
I deliberately kept my tone indifferent. The truth was, I wanted to bring her out again. But saying it out loud felt somehow embarrassing. Making promises or guarantees wasn't really my style.
Era walked along the wall, still looking a bit gloomy. Then, as we passed a small stall that was closing up for the night, a few hair ribbons were left on display. Simple ones made of plain cloth. Era's gaze lingered on one of them for a moment. It was a pale sky-blue ribbon—the same color she'd stared at for a long time back at the market before walking away.
But once again, she tried to just pass by.
"...What are you looking at?"
"Ah, nothing. Just... the color was pretty."
She looked away and kept walking. I walked over to the stall, picked up the sky-blue ribbon, and asked,
"How much for this?"
I handed the owner a few coins and took it.
"...Leon?"
Era turned back with a puzzled look. I tossed the ribbon to her.
"Here."
"...Huh? F-for me?"
Era caught it with both hands, her eyes wide.
"...You're giving this to me?"
"I told you. It's cheap, so don't feel burdened."
"......"
Era stared at the sky-blue ribbon for a long time, as if she'd been given the most precious jewel in the world.
"...What? You don't like it?"
"...No."
She slowly shook her head.
"...I like it too much."
Era awkwardly tied the ribbon in her hair. The sky-blue stood out faintly against her black hair.
"...How does it look? Does it suit me?"
"...Yeah. It does."
"Hehe. That's a relief."
She adjusted the ribbon once, and her steps became noticeably lighter. It seemed like the gloomy mood had completely vanished with just one hair ribbon.
By the time we reached the residence, Era was practically dozing off. After playing so energetically all day, it was only natural she'd be tired.
"...Hey. We're here. Go inside and sleep."
"...Mmm..."
Era stumbled over to the bed in a half-asleep daze. Even then, she never took off the sky-blue ribbon in her hair. She gave it one last gentle pat before finally falling into a peaceful sleep.
I folded the clothes and set them aside. We'd have to change her back into palace attire tomorrow so no one would suspect anything.
Then I looked at her sleeping face. Her cheeks were flushed from laughing all day. A faint smile still lingered on her lips. And the sky-blue ribbon peeking out from between her black strands of hair.
It had been nothing more than a day of market browsing, eating skewers, and dancing in the street.
'......'
I pulled the blanket over her sleeping form. The reason this ordinary day had been more enjoyable than any day from my previous life was probably because my today was filled entirely with you.
'Yeah... next time.'
There was no promise. But deep down, I'd already decided.
'After the Imperial Great Festival is over... I'll bring her out again.'
Next time, I thought, I'd show her the sea. Since she was from the borderlands, she'd probably never seen a sea bigger than the small one near her village. A festival even larger than the market. All sorts of new things... As I thought about it, I let out a small chuckle.
When had I started thinking about things like this? At first, I'd tried so hard to run away from this girl. Yet now, I was already picturing places we could go together. And without her even asking.
'...Sigh. I must be crazy.'
I smiled faintly and turned off the lantern in the room. Before closing the door, I took one last look at her sleeping form.
"..."
Starlight streamed in through the window, gently settling over her peaceful face. The sky-blue ribbon in her black hair sparkled faintly in that light.
"...Sleep well."
I whispered softly and closed the door.