Entering the Capital
From the Grand Duke's Castle to Kronstadt took roughly three days by carriage.
Which meant we had to set out a full four days early, just to be safe.
Moments like this made me envy the East more than ever.
Must be nice, having magic…
"Roen~! Are you dressed yet?"
"Ah—just a second!"
The man in the mirror was still wrestling with his buttons.
Why did formalwear need so many of the damn things? No matter how many I fastened, there always seemed to be more.
Still, the understated black-and-white design was classic and easy on the eyes. The cut was generous, nothing flashy—Illya would probably be pleased.
I finally got the last button done and opened the door.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sister."
"Oh, Roen!"
My sister was waiting right outside. Her dress was the same pure white she always wore at home, but the frills and fine fabric made it far more lavish and dignified than her everyday clothes.
But even that couldn't compare to the smile that bloomed across her face the moment she saw me.
"It suits you so well, Roen!"
She stepped in and straightened my collar.
"I'm so used to seeing you in uniform that formalwear feels completely new."
"I could say the same about that dress. It's been a while."
"I only wear it for special occasions. Well? Do I look pretty?"
"Yeah. You do. Really pretty."
"…Roen. That was a joke. You can't just stare at me like that and say it so seriously…"
"Pretty is pretty. What else am I supposed to say?"
"……Thank you. You look incredibly handsome too."
With that, she buried herself against my chest. The sudden affection didn't faze me; I wrapped my arms around her back as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Thanks, Sister."
"…Roen. What if we just stayed like this forever? Forget the social gathering, forget everything—"
"You're being ridiculous, Sister."
"……!"
The voice that cut in belonged to Rize, dressed in a matching white gown. She was staring at our sister with open disdain.
"R-Rize?!"
"Rize? Why are you acting weird? Are you sick?"
"Th-that's…"
"I heard that when people suddenly start doing things they never do, it means they're about to die."
"……Fine. Then I'll kill you first."
"Kyaaah!!!"
"Get back here!!!"
Rize flailed her arms and bolted; my sister thundered after her. Watching their retreating figures, I couldn't help but laugh.
They really did get along.
Then—
Click.
The door next to mine opened, and the head maid stepped out. Her eyes went round the moment she spotted me.
"My goodness, Sir Knight…! Formalwear suits you wonderfully!"
"Thank you."
"My lady! Come out this instant and look at Sir Knight!"
She called urgently toward Illya, who was still inside.
"There's no need for such a fuss, Hilda. I'll be out in a moment."
And then Illya emerged, one hand elegantly gathering the skirt of a deep navy dress as she walked out at a leisurely pace.
She was beautiful—like a lily of the valley blooming beneath a night sky.
Brushing her hair to one side, she approached and looked me over from head to toe. I tensed, half-convinced I'd fastened a button wrong, until a faint smile curved her lips.
"The tailor did good work. This should put me at ease."
"I can't say the same for myself."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"I'm worried you'll be so beautiful that every other man will have his eyes on you."
"Oh my."
"……I'm going to change."
"W-what?! My lady, what are you saying all of a sudden?!"
As Illya turned back toward her room, Hilda latched onto her arm and refused to let go.
"Let go, Hilda. Roen just said he's worried other men will stare at me."
"S-Sir Knight!!! Please, talk some sense into her!"
"Haha…"
At this rate, Hilda was about to be dragged bodily into the room. Before that disaster could unfold, I stepped forward and rested a hand on Illya's shoulder.
"My lady. Don't worry. Even if other men look your way, I'll be there to protect you."
"……."
Illya blinked. Then she snatched the hand from her shoulder and laced her fingers through mine.
"Now that's my knight. I'll trust you."
"Ah—yes…. Th-then shall we head to the carriage?"
"Mm."
Please give me a little warning before you go for the finger-lacing next time.
The carriage interior was spacious and comfortable.
…Or it should have been.
"Roen. Are you uncomfortable?"
"Ah—no. I'm fine, my lady…."
Illya on my left shoulder.
"If you are, just say so. I'll give you a lap pillow."
"Thanks for the thought, Sister."
My sister on my right.
"Rory's not uncomfortable at all, so don't worry about me, Oppa!"
"Right. Of course you aren't."
And Rory on my lap.
The carriage was this big, and somehow they'd all piled onto me. What even was this?
How had it come to this?
It had started with Rory, I was fairly sure. Not long after we set off, she'd climbed onto my thighs and declared something like—
This is Rory's special first-class seat!
That must have been the spark. After that, Illya and my sister had both glued themselves to my sides, and here we were.
We'd been traveling nearly three days. Weren't they tired of this yet?
"Here, Oppa! Cookie! Say aah~!"
Rory held a cookie to my mouth. I opened up, and it slipped right in. Made from western Grand Duchy wheat—sweet, refined, unmistakably high quality.
Anyway, we had to be getting close by now….
Creeeak—.
The carriage stopped. Outside the window, the coachman was speaking with what looked like a guard. Beyond them stretched a city of marble buildings and colorful banners, and hundreds of carriages packed tight, waiting their turn to pass through the gates.
So this was Kronstadt?
It looked roughly like the illustrations I'd glimpsed in the original story.
"Looks like we've finally arrived."
As if answering the question in my head, my sister lifted her head from my shoulder and stretched.
"This is your first time in the capital, isn't it, Roen?"
"Among us, you're the only one who's been here before, right?"
"Well, yes. Still… this place hasn't changed a bit."
Chin in hand, she gazed out the window with the weary profile of someone thoroughly sick of the city.
Did she dislike it here?
"You. Do you have bad memories of Kronstadt? I've never seen that look on your face."
Apparently Illya had been thinking the same thing. My sister didn't turn to answer; she spoke as if sighing the words into the glass.
"Nothing so dramatic as bad memories. It's just… everyone here makes such a fuss. All that etiquette nonsense."
Etiquette, huh.
Fair enough—my sister was never the type to quietly obey a rulebook.
"I still don't understand why you can't carry a sword inside the social hall. It makes no sense to me."
"……."
That… really didn't sound like an etiquette problem.
Illya and Rory looked just as appalled as I felt.
"…Are you serious?"
"Roen, you agree with me, don't you? This is ridiculous."
"That's not what I meant."
"Ha… Even you don't understand me…."
Better not to. The last thing I wanted was to be lumped in with her on this one.
Just then, the guard finished speaking with our coachman, saluted, and moved on to the next carriage. Our processing was done.
Unfortunately, the line of carriages ahead of us showed no sign of budging.
My liberation from this carriage, it seemed, was still a long way off.
Maybe I'd just take a nap.
Pink hair streamed in the wind.
Clutching the skirts of her white dress in both hands, she ran hard, gasping for breath—until the endless line of carriages came into view and she stopped, breaking into a brilliant smile.
She strode straight up to the guard handling the carriages' entry.
"Guard Unnie!!! Hello!!!"
She waved with a sunny grin.
"Wh-who are you?"
"I'm here for the social gathering!"
Hands on her hips, she announced it with pride.
"Ah. In that case, please see the waiting line over there. We're processing arrivals in order, so kindly wait inside your carriage."
"I don't have a carriage!"
"…Pardon?"
"My family doesn't have any money! The entry fee for the social gathering and this dress—those took everything we had!"
"……I see. That would explain why you're sweating like a waterfall."
"Hehe. Well, I did run all the way here from the South without stopping!"
"What?!"
The guard doubted her own ears. Wherever in the South she'd come from, even with the empire's roads it was a solid three-day journey by carriage. Running that distance? Impossible.
But for her, it had been fine. Every time exhaustion set in, something inside her body had surged up and wiped the fatigue away in an instant.
"…Hm. Well then, you must be tired. I'll process you first."
"Oh, thank you so much! You're so kind, Unnie!"
Kindness had nothing to do with it. The guard simply wanted nothing more to do with her. In her eyes, the girl was little more than a lunatic.
"Ahem. Your house and full name?"
"Lilian Claire of House Claire—Baron Claire's family!"
"Lilian Claire of House Claire…. Ah, you're on the list. Do you have your papers?"
"One moment… Ah, here!"
Lilian pulled a thoroughly crumpled document from her bodice and held it out. Proof of her identity. After checking the baronial seal and signature, the guard returned the papers with a faintly strained look.
"You're cleared. You may enter."
"Thank you! Have a good day!"
Lilian slipped past the stalled carriages and dashed into Kronstadt.
And as she ran, she genuinely thought herself lucky.
No carriage meant no waiting. Fortune was on her side.