Some Revel in Joy, Others in Fury
- Whiiiiiing~!
A raucous noise filled the washroom.
The six maids had activated the magic tool, and soon a strange humming resonance echoed through the air. Before long, the Seventh Princess Flair's wet hair began to dry, bit by bit.
"Haaaah."
No matter that it was spring—mornings were still chilly.
Having bathed in water heated over a wood fire, Flair had felt the cold seeping in. But now, the warm breeze caressing her body everywhere melted it away like snow.
"How is it, Your Highness?"
"I wonder if it's all right to say this, but…"
The moisture vanished in an instant, leaving her hair light and quick to dry.
Above all, since they'd followed the manual, it didn't frizz up at all.
Before, they'd forcibly dried it using the heat from a brazier, which always left her hair frizzy.
"It's warm… ecstatic, even. Like being held in a man's arms."
"My, such a fib will earn you a scolding from His Majesty."
"Hmph, whatever. Father has no interest in me anyway."
Ever since that "blessing" unlike any other had settled upon Flair, the Emperor had left her half-forgotten.
Of course, it was an involuntary neglect due to his busy rule…
"Your Highness."
"I know, I know. Father isn't doing it on purpose."
After awakening her dragon blood, Flair had grown attuned to others' emotions.
The Emperor was no exception. In their meetings, he always showed…
'Blue and pink.'
Sadness, and love.
As a father, he displayed those two feelings, so Flair couldn't bring herself to simply blame him.
"Still… I wish he'd say I'm pretty, like he used to."
"Hehe, I'm sure he will."
Beatrice admired the Seventh Princess for her self-control amid the turbulent emotions of adolescence.
At the same time, she pitied her.
Outwardly so vibrant, yet surely swallowing her worries deep inside.
"Your Highness, that's why I have a proposal…"
"Hm? What is it?"
"In the manual, that maid Goldie left a note: 'Goldie's recommended hairstyle! Try adding waves to the ends like Goldie!'"
"Dog… rec?"
And so Beatrice resolved herself.
Today, she would make Princess Flair the most beautiful woman in the world!
"Pfft, is that insulting beastkin?"
"Hehehe, that's exactly how it was written. 'Dog' as slang to emphasize the recommendation."
"Pffft…! That Goldie girl is so bold."
A genuine laugh bubbled up from Flair after so long.
"You brought it up to try it, right?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Fine. Let's trim my hair too—it's been a while."
Impressed by that boldness, she decided to style her hair for the first time in ages.
"We can finish before the court assembly?"
"Of course, Your Highness. Leave it to us."
For the more vibrant girl than ever, Beatrice and the maids' hands flew into action.
Court assembly.
"The Crown Prince?"
"He has not yet returned, Your Majesty."
"Tch, lazy brat."
The gathering where the empire's top elites discussed major and minor affairs.
Of course, the Emperor also used it to sort his many children's ranks and assign them duties. That way, they'd thrive even if married into a dukedom or such.
"He must have delayed his march upon hearing of today's assembly."
"Please temper your anger, Your Majesty. His Highness did subjugate the northeastern beast horde."
Thus, court assemblies were held frequently, if not daily.
Naturally, from the children's perspective, it was nothing but a "game of notice…"
It wasn't easy to be called a sage king, but the current era of peace owed much to the present Emperor. Nothing impressed him, whether good or bad.
"The youngest?"
"She has expressed her intent to attend."
"Good. That child… haa."
Even Theodore Pandragon, hailed as saintly emperor, found meeting his youngest daughter awkward.
She'd once declared that "blessing" was "because of Daddy!"—and it still weighed on him.
"Your Majesty, worry not. The Seventh Princess could never hate you."
"Thank you for the comfort, Chief Chamberlain. But I bear responsibility too…"
"I say again, please do not worry."
The imperial chief chamberlain, who had served the Emperor since childhood like a friend, recalled what he'd heard from the princess's head maid that day.
"The Seventh Princess surely won't blame Your Majesty."
A magic tool from a genius of the empire's founding Energies family.
With it, Princess Flair would show a completely transformed appearance today.
"So, ahem. As a father of many daughters, I dare advise: simply trust your daughter."
"Kukuku, overstepping your station, Chamberlain."
"Forgive my impertinence, like the vast sea."
"Very well."
Of course, he'd been asked to keep it secret from the Emperor, so the chamberlain kept mum.
The Emperor, unaware, dismissed it as a joke.
"Her Highness the Seventh Princess, Flair Pandragon Asterion, enters!"
- Clunk!
They say even dragons appear when spoken of.
With the guarding knight's shout, the ornate doors swung wide.
"Heh."
And the chamberlain was left speechless.
Silken strands cascading to her waist.
And the ends, waved beautifully by some magic.
The neck-baring fashion, once deemed immodest, now bloomed radiantly with her looks and style.
"Did you rest well through the night, Father?"
"Uh, ahem."
Even the Emperor faltered.
Wait, had his daughter always been this pretty?
She always came to assemblies with neat hair, but never cut and styled so strikingly.
"Your siblings aren't attending today, so sit by my side."
"The Seventh Princess Flair offers profound thanks for Your Majesty's grace."
The Emperor felt like he was seeing a daughter dolled up for a boyfriend.
- Click, clack.
With each step Flair took, no one in the chamber could look away.
From the prepared girl emanated…
- Rrrrk.
an irresistible allure.
"Father. If it's not too rude, may I ask a question?"
Seated thus, Flair requested the right to speak, and
"…Granted."
the Emperor recalled Flair's mother, resting beneath the imperial tombstone, and permitted it.
Though granted, Flair twisted her hair, hesitating.
Yet today, the Emperor wanted to wait it out, and
"…H-how do I look today?"
soon a somewhat personal question came.
Her bright, age-fitting eyes lost their confidence, leaving only a child watching his reaction.
'Ah…'
The Emperor realized his mistake.
Managing the empire's affairs, he'd neglected the daughter who'd lost her mother and gained a curse-like blessing…
"Flair."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He'd been too lax.
A fine emperor, but a poor father…
Choking back a surge of emotion, the Emperor quelled his sorrow and
"You're truly beautiful."
bloomed a smile mixing sorrow, happiness, and joy.
"Unrecognizably so. You even remind me of your mother for a moment… ahem!"
"…!"
The chamberlain, attendants, and knights all trembled.
Talk of Flair's mother was the ultimate taboo.
The Emperor always avoided it, making it naturally forbidden…
"As much as Mother…?"
"…Yes."
Yet the Emperor broke it himself!
To those in the know, it was a monumental shift, leaving all flustered.
"…Thank you."
In Flair's eyes, myriad colors swirled from the Emperor.
Fading blue.
Navy of longing.
And deeper pink.
The father who'd feigned indifference now showed thick emotion even in his expression.
For a moment, Flair recalled her childhood, when the Emperor and her birth mother praised her hair.
"Haha! With locks like these, any emperor would pay a fortune to keep them! But heavens, it's my daughter!"
"Fufu, Your Majesty. Flair's face is turning red."
The moment her hair had stabilized.
Thus, the Emperor who'd tabooed her birth mother's talk.
This self-breaking of taboo…
"Fa— ahem, Your Majesty."
"Ahem. Yes. Let's begin the assembly."
Both Flair and the Emperor.
Cherished it deeply.
And the next day.
"Yaaawn, Bei. Today's schedule—"
"Y-Your Highness! Your hair!"
"Hm? What's with my hair…"
Flair rubbed her slightly faded dark circles as Beatrice fussed.
"Wha—?! Why is it shorter?!"
"Congratulations, Your Highness!"
Her reflection showed the wavy style from yesterday fixed in place.
Meanwhile, in Energies County.
"Son."
"Yes, Father."
Count Delpord was a rather cold man.
But thanks to Akion's consideration and kindness, he'd been mending ties with his wife and all the family lately.
Thus, laughter was blooming more in the Energies household.
"The hair dryer."
"Yes."
But… this was something only Akion could answer.
No one else.
"I get it's for drying hair."
"Yes."
"But for a man, down there between the legs… ahem!"
"Ah, I dry that with the hair dryer too."
"I knew it!!"
No one but Akion, the fellow man and inventor, would entertain it!!
"If it's damp, the skin chafes—so drying with the hair dryer makes sense."
"Phew. I thought I'd been using it wrong. Thanks, son!"
"Is this really a conversation between a count and his son? And appropriate with ladies present?"
The Tower Master, overhearing, was dumbfounded.
Such crude talk with a woman right there!!
Akion, seizing on "ladies,"
"The Tower Master… a lady?!"
- Clang!!
paid the price for his blunder and fainted.
"Count."
"Of course not appropriate! Y-yes!"
"I'll spare you this once. I'm taking Akion."
"Y-yes! We'll skip his portion at dinner!"
To survive, the count sold out his son.
"Damn father…"
Akion, still conscious, cursed him while carried off by the Tower Master.
"Tsk, cursing your own father."
"That bastard abandoned me for 17 years."
"But he's supported you most these last year and a half. In your words… like a 'chairman.'"
"Damn it, twisting facts with agitation and fabrication!!"
"Chattering nonsense means you can walk. Get down."
"Yep."
In truth, Akion had plans with Goldie and the Tower Master today.
"Young master! Tower Master~!"
"You wore clothes, right?"
"Hehe, yes! I came wearing the ones you bought me!"
A street date!!!!
…Or rather, the fruits of dragging Akion, who'd hole up in the workshop all night, out into the world.
They'd tempted him with the hair dryer delivery to the palace!
"The weather's nice anyway—I was thinking of going out."
"You, Young Master?"
"Akion, you?"
Of course, the two ignored his intentions entirely.
"What the hell am I to you two?"
"Shut-in weirdo alchemist?"
"Disciple who befriends hermit dragons."
"Damn it. Let's go!"
Should the lab owner endure such ribbing?
Grievously offended, Akion stormed ahead.
"Tower Master, Tower Master. Goldie's wearing such a pretty outfit—how about asking her to buy you one too?"
"A-Akion to b-buy me cl-clothes?! This lady's attire is sufficient—"
"Drop the honey trap. There might be something that suits you better than sexy clothes."
"Ahem. In that case…"
The trio emerged onto Ridaside's streets as dusk began to fall, only to face
"Thieves!!!"
"Someone stole the incandescent bulbs from the streetlamps!"
"Ours too!!"
"Huh?"
streets half-dark without the bulbs.
In truth, folks occasionally removed the free bulbs to resell or stole them for profit.
They fetched high prices from outsiders.
The count nipped such petty thefts quickly, so Akion hadn't minded…
"…I didn't mean handing them out free means they can steal forever."
But stripping the streetlamps crossed the line too far.
"Y-Young Master, your face is…"
"Akion, calm down. Your handsome face looks like a demon's scowl."
Akion's inner evil professor began to rear its head.