Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Night Market and Fireworks
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The carriage jolted.
I was sitting side by side with the First Imperial Princess.
It felt awkward.
What should I say?
Talk about the weather?
No, that's too obvious.
...
Just stay quiet.
The Only Man Treating Her Highness with Sincere Heart
Can't stomach faking words to deceive Her Highness anymore
ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Sincere Guy, our Gallery Lord ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
I want a guy like that too ㅠㅠㅠ
Did you see him offer his hand? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Holding Her Highness's hand ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
The sincerity of a Northern man... Chills ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
"A Pathetic Play Staged by Those Sorry Fools"
Insane
Absolutely insane
Gallery Lord's lines are gold
"A pathetic play staged by those sorry fools" lololol
Calling the imperial protocol officers "sorry fools" lololol
Amazing he didn't get his head chopped off
Only possible 'cause he's the Northern Duke's son
...
Seeing it written like that, it suddenly hit me how I talked back to the imperial protocol officer.
I called the protocol officer a sorry fool.
I threw an imperial magic artifact on the ground.
In front of the princess.
...
Ah.
I could really die for this.
What would my brother say if he saw this?
What about Father?
...
I don't even want to think about it.
I glanced ahead.
She was expressionless.
No idea what she was thinking.
...
Apologize first.
"Um, Your Highness..."
"No need to worry, young master."
Irene said.
She was still looking ahead.
"...Pardon?"
"What happened earlier."
Ah.
As expected of the First Imperial Princess.
She's telling me not to worry.
Of course.
With the princess here, what could go wrong?
If she says it's fine, it is.
I felt a bit relieved.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I was a bit reckless..."
"You'll just get arrested for treason."
"......"
What?
What did she say?
"Mocking an imperial protocol officer is denying the authority of the imperial family, so..."
Irene said calmly.
"Well, what else but death?"
Death?
I'm going to die?
"For a noble of your standing, they'll send you off painlessly."
Painlessly?
My mind went blank.
My brother's face flashed by.
Father's face flashed by.
The Northern snowscapes flashed by.
That delicious steakhouse flashed by.
Ah.
I wanted to have one more steak.
Then, her quiet voice followed.
"Just kidding."
"......"
What?
I turned my head.
Irene was looking at me.
A small smile played on her lips.
An expression I'd never seen before.
Completely different from the blank face in the greenhouse earlier.
"A... joke?"
"Yes."
Irene nodded.
Her smile widened a bit.
"Your expression was amusing."
...
A joke?
I thought my heart stopped.
"...Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"Joke twice and someone might actually die."
Irene blinked.
Then she covered her mouth with her hand.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
She was laughing.
"...My apologies."
Her voice was laced with amusement.
She didn't sound sorry at all.
The carriage stopped.
"We've arrived."
The coachman's voice rang out.
I opened the door and got out.
It was a plaza.
A large fountain stood in the center.
People were tossing gold coins into it.
Making wishes, probably.
"....."
Irene stood beside me, gazing at the fountain.
I looked around.
A bench under the shade of a tree caught my eye.
Looks nice.
I walked over and plopped down.
A breeze blew.
It was cool.
Perfect.
I looked up at the sky.
Clouds drifted by.
Beautiful.
This is it.
This is the life I dreamed of.
In the warm capital.
Doing nothing.
Just enjoying the breeze.
Spacing out.
Ahh...
A sigh of contentment escaped me.
"Young master."
Irene's voice reached me.
I turned my head.
"Don't you toss a gold coin to make a wish?"
"Pardon?"
"Everyone else is..."
Irene glanced at the fountain.
People were lining up to throw coins.
"Ah."
I looked back at the sky.
"If there was a god who grants wishes for coins, it'd have granted mine already."
"......"
"Just sitting here, feeling the cool breeze—that's the real win."
I rested my arm on the bench railing.
Propped my chin on my hand.
Lazily watched the clouds.
Ah.
Those clouds are so fluffy and nice.
"......"
Irene stood still.
Seemed like she was watching me.
A moment later.
The rustle of fabric beside me.
I turned.
Irene was carefully arranging her dress hem.
Then.
She sat next to me.
On the bench.
"......"
Irene glanced at me.
Then.
She rested her arm on the railing, awkwardly.
Propped her chin, just like me.
Exactly.
"......Is this how it's done?"
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Just let your mind go blank. Think something like, 'That cloud looks like a puppy.'"
"......"
Irene looked up at the sky.
Watched the clouds.
For a long time.
"......It's true."
Irene said.
"It looks like a puppy."
Irene paused briefly, then continued.
"But the only puppies I've seen are military shepherd dogs, so..."
What?
"That size could probably take down an adult man."
"......"
"It'd make for quite the matchup."
Irene was seriously analyzing the cloud.
"...Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"Just think of a cute puppy."
"A cute puppy?"
Irene tilted her head.
"Do those exist?"
"......"
The princess's world was different.
We sat like that for a good while.
The breeze blew.
Clouds drifted.
Irene quietly gazed at the sky.
At some point, her chin-propped pose looked natural.
Not bad.
We could stay until sunset like this.
Then.
"Young master."
A voice called.
A familiar tone.
Stiff and cold.
I turned.
A clerk stood there.
Not the protocol officer from before, but another one.
He held an earring in his hand.
Again.
"Your next schedule is prepared."
The clerk bowed.
"Lunch at the imperial restaurant 'Le Soleil.'"
Le Soleil.
I'd heard of it.
The place with a three-month waitlist.
50 gold coins per meal, or something.
"It's a 12-course menu tailored to Her Highness's tastes, from appetizers to dessert."
12 courses.
12 dishes for one meal.
"And we've prepared lines for your conversation."
The clerk held out the earring.
"For the first course: 'Like the aroma of this dish, Your Highness's presence adds fragrance to my life.'"
"......"
"For the second: 'Like the depth of this sauce, my feelings for Your Highness deepen endlessly...' "
"......"
"For the third..."
"Enough."
The clerk stopped.
"...Pardon?"
"I said enough."
I stood.
Dusted off my clothes.
My presence adds fragrance like a dish's aroma?
Feelings deepen like sauce depth?
Say stuff like that for 12 courses?
Are they insane?
"We have our own plans."
"B-but, young master. This is the imperial schedule..."
"Your Highness."
I looked at Irene.
She was watching me.
Her eyes were different.
At the fountain, when I skipped the wish, it was 'What are you doing?'
Now, a hint of expectation.
Mixed in.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"...A little."
"I know a great place. Let's go."
Irene's lips curved up slightly.
"Very well."
The clerk looked flustered.
"Y-young master! Your Highness! The schedule... the script...!"
I ignored him.
Walked off.
Irene followed.
I've already gone off-script once.
What's the difference?
Twice or three times.
We passed a few alleys. Once off the main road, the noise grew louder.
The alley end came into view. Orange light leaked out.
We emerged.
It was a night market.
People bustled about. Smoke, meat scents, loud chatter. Chaotic.
But not unpleasant. Vibrant. You could feel it.
"......"
Irene stopped. Her eyes widened.
"Your Highness?"
"......"
No response. Just staring around, dazed.
"......What is this place?"
"Night market. Where commoners come evenings to eat, drink, and have fun."
"......"
Irene looked around again. Seemed like she wanted to say something, but words failed her.
A whole new world for her.
"Hey!"
A voice called.
I turned.
A skewer vendor lady.
"Handsome lad! Pretty miss!"
She beckoned.
"Come here! Our skewers are the best!"
Irene looked at me.
Her eyes a bit panicked.
'Did she mean me?'
"Let's go."
"......Yes."
We walked over.
Squeezing through the crowd.
Irene followed cautiously.
Lifting her dress hem slightly.
We reached the lady.
"Oh my, she's gorgeous!"
The lady stared at Irene.
"Where you from, miss? Never seen such a beauty!"
"......"
Presence behind us.
I turned.
The clerks.
They'd followed.
Faces pale.
"Th-that old hag dares...!"
One stepped forward.
Hand to his waist.
Reaching for a sword.
"How dare she! Speak informally to Her Highness...!"
Another about to charge.
Then.
Irene raised her hand.
Slightly.
That was enough.
The clerks froze.
Like ice.
"......"
Irene eyed the clerks.
Her gaze cold.
The princess's gaze.
'Don't move.'
'Don't interfere.'
It came through without words.
The clerks bowed.
Trembling.
Stepped back.
Another step.
Vanished behind the crowd again.
Silently.
"......"
Irene turned back to the lady.
Her eyes softened.
The coldness gone.
Curiosity filled them.
"Thank you."
Irene said.
Her lips curved slightly.
"First time hearing such praise."
"Oh, first time for someone so pretty? All the guys around you must be blind!"
"......"
Irene smiled.
Small.
Soundlessly.
Shoulders trembled faintly.
Amused.
That was when I spoke.
"Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"There's a fireworks festival tonight. Want to see it?"
I recalled the banner from earlier. Capital Fireworks Festival. Mages shooting fireworks into the sky.
"Fireworks festival..."
Irene blinked.
"Very well."