Three Days Until the Grand Festival
It was three days before the Grand Festival. My older sister, Serina, came to Era’s quarters.
“Time to run a proper check,” she said, arms crossed.
“The festival is right around the corner. We need to see if everything you’ve learned can actually hold up in the real thing. Let’s go through it all, step by step.”
“Sister!” Era greeted her with a bright smile. “Did you come to help me today?”
“I didn’t come to help. I came to inspect. Don’t get it twisted.”
Her words were blunt, but she was already rolling up her sleeves. I couldn’t help but smile faintly at the sight. She always acted cold with her mouth, but her actions told the complete opposite story.
“By the way, Sister. You never really explained to Era exactly what the Grand Festival is.”
“That’s true. I suppose I didn’t.”
Serina sat down in a chair and looked at Era.
“Listen carefully. This is what the Grand Festival really is.”
Era straightened her posture and leaned in, all ears.
“Once a year, every noble in the empire gathers at the Imperial Palace. From dukes down to the lowliest barons. You can assume every family with even a shred of name value will be there.”
“A-all of them?”
“That’s right. Hundreds of people, all in one place.”
Era’s face had already gone deathly pale.
“At that event, you must prove that you are worthy to stand as the crown prince’s consort.”
“What exactly does that proof involve?” Era asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Serina raised one finger.
“First. You enter ahead of everyone and greet His Imperial Majesty and the assembled nobles. Your etiquette must be flawless.”
She raised a second finger.
“Second. His Majesty and the nobles will throw all kinds of questions at you. You must answer without hesitation.”
Third finger.
“Third. When the ball begins, you must dance with the prince in front of everyone.”
She lowered her hand.
“And finally. Throughout the entire process, you must show yourself as a flawless member of noble society. Every word, every gesture. They’ll all be watching you with fire in their eyes, looking for any flaw.”
Era swallowed hard.
“You have to pass all of that to be acknowledged as the crown prince’s consort. If even one thing goes wrong…”
Serina paused for a moment.
“The engagement will be nullified.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. Era clenched both hands tightly in her lap.
“……Will I really be able to do all that?”
“That’s why you’ve been learning all this time,” I said gently, placing a light hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll go through everything today. If anything’s still lacking, we can fix it in the next three days.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m here,” Serina said, standing up. “Alright. Let’s begin. From the top, and treat it like the real thing.”
First came the entrance and greeting.
“Pretend you’re entering the festival hall. Walk in from that door and greet us. Imagine Leon and I are the emperor and the nobles.”
Serina sat down beside me. Era walked over to the door of the quarters, took a deep breath, and then began walking slowly toward us.
I was a little surprised by what I saw. This wasn’t the same girl who had first arrived at the palace, legs spread wide as she plopped down into a chair. Her back was straight, her steps measured. It wasn’t perfectly elegant, but she walked with surprising poise.
All those intensive lessons hadn’t been in vain.
Era stopped in front of us, lightly grasped the hem of her skirt, and bent her knees in a curtsy.
“…I greet Your Imperial Majesty.”
But she wobbled slightly as she bowed.
“…Whoa.”
“Stop,” Serina said immediately. “Your center of balance is shifting when you bow. That happens because you’re bending at the waist at the same time as your knees. Keep your upper body straight. Only bend your knees.”
“Ah, yes.”
Era tried again. This time she didn’t wobble.
“Oh. That’s better.”
“But it’s too stiff. Make it more natural.”
Serina stood up herself to demonstrate. As expected of an imperial princess, her curtsy flowed like water, graceful and refined.
“Like this. Smoothly.”
Era watched closely and copied her. After repeating it several times, she started to look quite similar.
“Not bad. You pick things up quickly once you’ve seen them,” Serina said, sounding slightly impressed.
I chimed in from the side. “She’s always had sharp eyes. She was the same when I was teaching her to read.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“Hehe. Thank you for the compliment!” Era beamed.
“It wasn’t a compliment. I was just stating a fact. Next,” Serina said curtly as she sat back down.
But I didn’t miss the way the corner of her mouth had softened just a little.
Next came answering questions.
“This is the most important part,” Serina said with a serious expression. “At the Grand Festival, the nobles will throw every kind of question at you. Some will be genuine, but most will be attempts to test you or humiliate you.”
“Ugh. That sounds difficult.”
“Exactly. So let’s practice. I’ll play the role of a noble. Answer me.”
Serina put on a haughty noble act. She was far more convincing than I could have been.
“Oh ho. So you’re the candidate for crown princess? Yet I hear you only recently learned to read. Is that true?”
It was a blatant jab at her lack of education.
Era thought for a moment, then answered.
“Yes! That’s right! I couldn’t read until recently, but Leon taught me, so now I can!”
There it was again. That disarming honesty.
Serina pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Hey. How can you admit something like that so proudly?”
“But it’s true?”
“Even if it is! It’s a weakness. The nobles will latch onto it.”
“But I can’t lie about it. I really did just learn it recently.”
Era argued back earnestly. Serina let out a frustrated sigh.
Then, her expression changed. She seemed to be thinking.
“Wait. Let’s try again. Answer that question honestly, but don’t stop there. Add one more line.”
“One more line?”
“Yes. If it’s true that you learned to read late, acknowledge it, but phrase it in a way that doesn’t let them look down on you. Counter them.”
Era thought for a moment, then spoke.
“Yes, I learned to read late. I grew up poor, so I never had the chance. But His Highness taught me, and now I can read. I’m truly grateful that I was able to learn, even if it was late.”
For a moment, both Serina and I were speechless.
That was actually pretty good. She had honestly admitted to learning late, but instead of sounding ashamed, she declared her gratitude with confidence. It turned the mocking question back on the asker, leaving them looking petty.
“Oh. That was good,” Serina said, nodding. “Be honest, but never servile. Be confident instead. That approach suits you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. No matter how much I teach you, you’ll never be good at twisting words or throwing sarcasm. But…”
Serina looked Era straight in the eyes.
“If you push that honesty with confidence, it becomes a weapon. In the middle of all the nobles’ fake, flowery nonsense, your sincerity will sound refreshingly genuine.”
I nodded inwardly at her words. What Serina had said before was being proven once again. Era’s honesty wasn’t a weakness. It was a weapon.
“Hehe. So I can just be honest?”
“Maintain basic courtesy, but speak from the heart. That’s the key.”
“Got it! I’m confident about that!” Era clenched both fists tightly.
The girl who could never manage to fake anything was suddenly in her element the moment she was told she could simply be honest. She looked like a fish back in water.
The last part was the dance.
“At the ball, you must dance with the prince. In front of everyone,” Serina said.
“Leon. You partner with her. I’ll watch and evaluate.”
“Alright.”
I extended my hand to Era.
“Come on. Just like we practiced.”
“Yes!”
Era took my hand and placed her other hand on my shoulder. When she had first started learning, she couldn’t even match her steps and kept stumbling. Now her posture was quite stable.
I counted the beat and moved slowly. Era followed naturally.
One, two, three. One, two, three.
We turned together, hands clasped, then turned again. Her feet didn’t tangle, and she never missed a beat.
“Oh. Not bad at all,” Serina said, watching with clear admiration. “At this level, you won’t embarrass yourself at the ball.”
But as she continued to watch the two of us, her expression grew strange.
“…But you two, while dancing… it’s a bit…”
“Yes?”
“…Never mind.”
Serina swallowed her words. I tilted my head, not understanding what she meant.
Apparently, the way we were pressed too close together, gazing only at each other while we danced, had been bothering her.
“Increase the distance. You’re too close.”
“This is the normal distance for this dance.”
“No, it’s too close. If you stick together like that… the people watching will feel awkward.”
Serina cleared her throat awkwardly. Only then did Era seem to become conscious of how close we were. Her face flushed slightly.
I pretended not to notice.
“Isn’t dancing supposed to be done close together?”
“…Honestly. The two of you are hopeless,” Serina sighed, shaking her head. “Fine. Stop. The dance passes.”
After practice, the three of us sat together and drank tea.
“Alright. We’ve gone through everything today,” Serina said, setting down her teacup. “Honestly, you’ve improved a lot compared to when I first saw you.”
Era’s eyes sparkled at the praise.
“Really?”
“Yes. Your etiquette is decent, the dance is passable, and as for conversation… well, pushing through with honesty works for you.”
Serina took a sip of tea.
“At this level, you should be able to get through the Grand Festival without too much trouble.”
“Hehe! Thank you, Sister!” Era smiled brightly.
“But don’t let your guard down,” Serina added with a serious face. “There will be plenty of people at the festival who disapprove of you. They’ll try to find fault and humiliate you any way they can. Stay sharp.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Era nodded, but soon her expression turned slightly anxious.
“…Still, I’m a little scared. What if I make a mistake in front of all those people?”
The bright, cheerful Era was showing her true feelings for the first time. Standing in front of hundreds of nobles seemed to genuinely frighten her.
I looked at her and spoke softly.
“Don’t worry.”
“…?”
“For the ball dance, I’ll be right there with you. I’ll be by your side.”
“Leon.”
“And,” Serina cut in, “I’ll be there too. I’ll be watching over you at the festival hall. If anything happens, I won’t just stand by.”
At those words, Era’s eyes grew slightly misty with tears.
“…Both of you…”
“Why are you about to cry?”
“I’m not! It’s just… I feel so reassured.”
Era wiped the corners of her eyes and smiled.
“I’m not alone. I have Leon, and I have Sister.”
“Of course. Who said you had to fight alone?” Serina replied in her usual blunt tone.
But there was unmistakable warmth in her voice.
Watching the two of them, I thought back to when Era had first arrived at the Imperial Palace. She had truly been alone then. Everyone had looked down on her as a lowly commoner, disapproved of her, and some had even tried to kill her.
But now, she had me by her side, and a reliable older sister as well.
I didn’t know what would be waiting for us at the Grand Festival in three days. But at least Era wouldn’t have to face it alone.
“Alright then. Let’s spend the next three days polishing up whatever’s still lacking,” Serina said, rising from her seat. “We’re going to pass the Grand Festival with flying colors. Understood?”
“Yes!” Era answered energetically.
The anxiety from earlier was gone from her face. In its place was a firm, solid resolve.
I looked at her and smiled quietly to myself.
In three days, the Grand Festival would finally begin.