The Night Before the Grand Festival
The day before the Grand Festival, I made my way to Era’s quarters. Today was the day we would finalize the outfit she would wear for the event. The imperial palace tailors had arrived to take her measurements and make any last adjustments to the dress.
When I stepped inside, the tailors were already bustling about.
“Your Highness the Seventh Prince. You’ve arrived.”
“Yeah. How’s the preparation going?”
“Yes, we’re making the final adjustments to Her Highness the Princess Consort’s dress.”
Amid the tailors, Era stood looking completely lost. Several dazzling dresses hung along one side of the room. Every single one of them was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Leon! Look at this! There are so many pretty clothes!”
Era’s eyes sparkled as she pointed at the dresses.
“For the Grand Festival, you should wear the best one among them.”
“But they look so expensive… I’m scared to even touch them.”
“They’re yours, so touch them all you want.”
Era cautiously reached out and stroked one of the dresses. A soft sigh of wonder escaped her at the feel of the smooth silk.
The tailors began dressing her in the gowns one by one. I sat off to the side and watched the scene unfold. A red dress, a blue dress, a white dress. Each time she changed, her entire aura transformed completely.
“Your Highness, which one do you think looks best?”
One of the tailors asked me. I studied Era carefully. The red was too flashy and didn’t suit her. The blue felt too plain. But when she wore the white dress… I lost my words for a moment.
It was a deep, clear, truly pure white. Paired with her black hair and black eyes, it created a strangely perfect harmony.
“…That one. The white.”
“Ah, what excellent taste. It truly is the color that suits Her Highness the Princess Consort best.”
The tailor nodded in satisfaction.
Era looked down at the pure white dress in front of the mirror.
“Does… this really suit me?”
“Yeah. It looks good on you.”
“Hee. That’s a relief.”
Era beamed at her reflection in the mirror.
Once the dress was decided, it was time for the accessories. The tailors laid out an array of jeweled ornaments—necklaces, earrings, hairpieces. Every single one looked incredibly expensive.
Yet as Era looked at them, her expression turned strangely indifferent.
“Why? Don’t you like any of them?”
“…No, they’re all pretty.”
Era hesitated.
“But… they’re so expensive and extravagant. It feels too much for me.”
I understood how she felt. Era had always preferred simple things over anything flashy.
That was when it suddenly came to me—what had happened a few days ago. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small item. It was the sky-blue hair tie I had bought for her at the market. The one she cherished so much that she usually kept it safely stored away and never wore.
“What about this?”
“…Huh? That’s…”
Era’s eyes widened.
“I think this sky-blue hair tie would go perfectly with that white dress.”
“But… that’s just a cheap hair tie. Is it really okay to wear something like that to an event like the Grand Festival?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
I walked over to Era, holding the hair tie.
“It’s the thing you cherish most, right? Then to you, it’s more precious than any of these expensive jewels.”
I gently tied the sky-blue ribbon into her hair. A hint of blue peeked through her black strands. It created a strangely beautiful contrast with the pure white dress.
Era stared at her reflection in the mirror.
“…Does it look okay?”
“Yeah. It looks better than any jewel.”
Era lightly touched the hair tie.
“…Hee. Then I’ll wear this to the Grand Festival.”
“Good. Do that.”
The tailors looked somewhat puzzled, but I paid them no mind. Because Era was smiling happily at herself in the mirror. That was more than enough.
Once the outfit preparations were complete and the tailors had withdrawn, night had grown deep. But Era seemed restless. She lay down, got up, looked out the window, then lay down again.
“…Hey. What’s wrong? Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“…I can’t sleep.”
Era answered softly.
“The Grand Festival is in two days.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes… I’m really scared.”
Era hugged her knees to her chest.
“What if I make a mistake in front of hundreds of people… What if I end up embarrassing you because of me…”
The girl who had only ever shown a bright face finally let out what was weighing on her heart. With the Grand Festival right in front of her, it seemed all her anxiety had come rushing in at once.
I sat down at the edge of the bed.
“So what if you make a mistake?”
“…?”
“What’s wrong with making a small mistake? No one’s perfect.”
“But if I mess up, the engagement will be invalidated.”
Era’s voice grew tight. I looked at her for a moment, then took her hand.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right beside you.”
“…Leon.”
“You won’t be standing alone. I’ll dance with you at the ball. My sister will be watching over us too. If anything happens, I’ll block it all.”
Era quietly stared at our joined hands. I slipped my fingers between hers, interlocking them.
“So don’t be so afraid.”
“…”
Era looked at our clasped hands, then gave them a small, gentle squeeze.
“Your hand is warm, Leon.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. When I hold it… I feel a little more at ease.”
Era gripped my hand tighter. With my other hand, I gently stroked her hair. I could feel the tension slowly melting from her stiff shoulders.
“…I like it when you do this.”
Era slowly closed her eyes, surrendering herself to my touch. I watched her quietly. Long eyelashes. Slightly flushed cheeks. Breathing that grew calmer with each passing second. As I gazed at that peaceful face, something strange stirred in a corner of my chest.
The hand that had been stroking her hair had, at some point, come to rest against her cheek. Era opened her eyes at the touch. Her black eyes looked at me from up close.
“Leon?”
“Yeah.”
Our eyes met, mere inches apart. Only a single lantern burned softly in the room. In its glow, Era’s face looked faintly flushed. Our joined hands were still warm, and through my fingertips on her cheek, I could feel the heat of her skin.
Era looked up at me without pulling away or moving. At that gaze, without realizing it, my face slowly drew closer. Close enough to feel her breath on my skin. Just a little more and—
But at that moment, I froze.
Wait. What the hell am I doing?
My mind snapped back into focus. This was a fake engagement. I had promised to find a way to get her out of this within a year. This relationship was supposed to be temporary. And yet here I was, getting swept up in the moment…
“…”
I slowly withdrew my hand. The one that had touched her cheek. The distance that had closed between us. I pulled it all back.
“…”
For a brief second, a hint of disappointment flickered across Era’s face. But she quickly pretended not to notice and gave me a shy smile.
“…Leon. Your face is red.”
“It’s not.”
“It is. Is it because of the lantern?”
“…Yeah. It’s the lantern.”
I hurriedly looked away. A pointless cough escaped me.
“It’s late. Go to sleep now.”
“…Okay.”
Era lay back down on the bed. But her hand still held mine tightly.
“Leon. Can you hold my hand until I fall asleep?”
“Sure.”
I stayed seated at the edge of the bed, holding her hand. Era squeezed it firmly and slowly closed her eyes.
“…I can do this, right?”
“Yeah. You’ll do great.”
“…When you say it like that, I really… feel like I can do it.”
Era murmured in a sleepy voice. Soon her breathing evened out into soft, steady sighs. The tension had finally left her; her face looked peaceful.
I stared at her sleeping face for a long time. Even after she had fallen asleep, I couldn’t bring myself to let go of her hand. That moment from earlier kept replaying in my head.
“…”
I had almost kissed her.
It was a fake engagement. A temporary relationship. And yet I had nearly gone that far without thinking.
Get a grip.
I shook my head once. The events from a few nights ago came flooding back. The night the shadows had descended. The moment Era had lost consciousness. The words I had shouted at the top of my lungs.
She hadn’t heard it, but…
…Ha.
I quietly looked down at Era’s hand as she slept. Small and warm. At first, I had struggled so hard to escape from her. I hated being tied down, despised it with everything I had, and tried every way possible to break free.
But now… I didn’t want to let go of this hand.
This is real.
I let out a small sigh. I had kept insisting it was fake, that it was only temporary. I had hammered that truth into myself over and over. So when exactly had my heart become this genuine?
The words “I like you” were no longer something I had blurted out in a moment of crisis. I had no choice but to admit they were my true feelings.
“When everything is over,”
I whispered softly as I looked at the sleeping Era.
“I’ll tell you properly then.”
This time so you can hear it. Without any crisis or excuse. Straight from the heart.
I gave her small hand one more firm squeeze and quietly gazed at her face. Outside the window, the moon shone brightly.
I tried to stand up quietly from beside her sleeping form. But at that moment, Era’s hand tightened around mine in her sleep.
“Don’t go…”
It was a tiny voice, slurred with sleep and almost impossible to make out.
“…Leon.”
Her eyes remained closed. I wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or faintly sensing that I was trying to leave. Her grip on my hand grew stronger.
I sat back down.
“…I’m not going. I’m staying right here.”
When I answered softly, the tension in Era’s face melted away again.
“Hee…”
She even let out a small laugh in her sleep. I had no idea what kind of happy dream she was having. In the end, I gave up on standing up. I leaned back in the chair beside the bed, leaving my hand in hers, and closed my eyes.
Tonight, I decided, I would just stay here. Since tomorrow was the Grand Festival, and the girl who had been too nervous to sleep was finally resting peacefully, this much was fine.
With that thought, listening to Era’s steady breathing, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up with a stiff neck. Having slept leaning against the chair, my whole body ached.
“…I really slept here.”
It seemed I had stayed by Era’s side all night. But the moment I opened my eyes, what I saw was Era’s face staring down at me intently.
“…You’re awake?”
Era sat on the bed, chin resting in her hands, watching me. I had no idea how long she had been awake.
“…When did you wake up?”
“A while ago.”
Era smiled brightly.
“It’s my first time seeing you sleep in a chair, Leon. It was so interesting I kept watching.”
“…”
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling awkward. She had been staring at my sleeping face? It felt like our roles had completely reversed. I was always the one watching her sleep.
“…Why are you looking at something like that?”
“Why not? Your sleeping face looked younger and cuter than usual.”
“…Cute? As if.”
“It’s true. You’re always so stiff, but when you sleep, your expression softens completely. You looked like a totally different person.”
Era teased. Her words made me jump up from my seat in embarrassment.
“…Never mind that. You need to get ready. The Grand Festival is tomorrow.”
“Ah, that’s right!”
Era startled as if she had just remembered. The playful expression she had worn while teasing me vanished, replaced by tension once more. Still, she didn’t look as deathly pale as she had the night before.
“…How do you feel? Did sleeping help ease the nerves a bit?”
“Yes. It’s much better than yesterday.”
Era looked down at her hand—the one I had held all night.
“I think it’s because you stayed by my side all night, Leon.”
She spoke softly.
“Thanks to you, I slept deeply and even had a good dream.”
“What kind of dream?”
“It’s a secret.”
Era shut her mouth with a bright smile. It seemed like a dream she was too embarrassed to talk about. I didn’t press her.