When the Sun Sets

I step out of the Grand Ducal Department. Of course, I slip out as quietly as possible, knowing I'll get an earful if Theodora or Lucius catches me.

Whew... No one should notice at this rate, right? Perhaps because it's still early spring, the outside is already pitch-black. It's only six o'clock. Well, thanks to that, it will be easier to slip away unnoticed. With that thought, I head toward the bridal chamber.

Opening the wardrobe in our room, I rummage through the pockets of my winter jacket until my hand brushes against a leather pouch. I open it to check the ring. Still there. Pocketing the ring, I grab a paper bag containing clothes a common citizen of the Empire might wear and head toward Joy's room.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?" Hearing Joy's voice, I reply, "It's me."

Silence follows my words for a moment... before the door swings wide open.

"Brother-in-law?" Seeing Joy, who clearly hadn't expected me to visit, I speak quickly, wary of the possibility that Theodora might show up. "You said you wanted to go outside, right? I'm letting you out today."

Joy's face fills with confusion as she hesitates. "Uh... how?"

I offer her a faint smile. "First, put on some outdoor clothes and follow me. Ah! And could you change into something ordinary, not too flashy?" I say this while looking at her current outfit, which is adorned with extravagant frills only suitable for the Imperial Palace. Joy looks flustered. "Right now?"

I nod. "Right now. But you have to change quickly. If Theodora catches us, she might blow a fuse."

Joy nods. "Ju... just a moment."

I wait anxiously outside her room while she changes. A moment later, her door opens...

"This is what I wear when I go on picnics. How is it?"

It is a blue dress with wide-open sleeves, which actually makes me worry. "I think that's going to be too cold." It is still early spring. Walking around like that is a surefire way to catch a cold. Sigh... I guess I have no choice. Recalling the clothes Theodora wore when we went on our incognito patrol in the past, I say, "Wait here a second."

With that, I return to the bridal chamber to look for Theodora's incognito outfit. It is a plain dress hidden in the corner of the wardrobe. Since the wardrobe is stuffed with extravagant dresses, finding such a simple one is remarkably easy. Carrying the clothes, I stand before Joy's room and knock. "Here, try this on."

When I hand her the women's clothing, she looks slightly surprised but nods. "Ju... just a moment."

A moment later, she steps out in the new clothes, and I look her over. It looks good. If only her hair weren't grey and her eyes weren't red, she'd blend in perfectly. With that thought, I smile and hold out the ring. "Now, put this on and follow me."

Joy slips the ring onto her finger. "Great, the magic is working perfectly."

Joy's hair and eyes transform to a deep black. Her entire aura changes completely. If her original look was that of a bright, cute, and lovely girl, she now looks somewhat calm and cool.

"What is this...?" Joy touches her hair, realizing its color has changed.

I tell her, "Come on, follow me."

I lead her toward the carriage. "Agrippa."

Agrippa, whom I had summoned in advance, sighs as he looks at me. "Grand Duke. You've arrived?"

I nod in response. "Joy, get in the carriage."

Her face is still full of questions, as if she has no idea what is going on. "I'll explain once we're inside."

Joy climbs into the carriage. I follow her, and Agrippa climbs up as well.

"Brother-in-law... where are we going?"

"Downtown Roman."

Joy's eyes widen at my words. Her eyes are black instead of their usual red, which feels a bit unfamiliar, but her naturally large, round eyes are still adorable. "Really?"

"Yeah. There's a night market open today, so let's go have some fun."

Joy nods, her face lighting up with a bright smile.

"But, Your Grace," Agrippa says, "if they find out at the Imperial Palace that the Princess is missing..."

"It's fine. Just tell Theodora she went out with me for a bit."

"Will that really be alright? The Empress Dowager must be terribly worried as well..."

Both Joy and I flinch at the same time. "Well, about that..."

Since we are skipping dinner, there is no way she won't notice. A daughter suddenly vanishing—there is no way my mother-in-law, who dotes on her daughter to no end, wouldn't worry. But Theodora will handle it. With that thought, I nod and say, "Agrippa... I'm really sorry, but could you just pass the message to Theodora that I went out with Joy?"

And so, I send Agrippa to Theodora.

Joy and I look around Roman.

"Whoa!" Joy squeals with delight, practically walking on air. Watching her, a smile naturally forms on my lips. I stroll through downtown Roman with her, taking in the sights.

"Brother-in-law! Look over there! That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠used to be a clothing store, but it's gone now and turned into an accessory shop!"

"Look at that department store! They're having a sale today!"

While Joy is bursting with excitement, my stomach is rumbling, so I speak up gently. "Joy, shall we go grab some dinner?"

Joy nods at my suggestion. "Brother-in-law, what do you want to eat? I know all the best restaurants here! Just name it!"

I ponder for a moment. "White rice and soy-marinated crab."

Joy hesitates. "We do have dishes made of rice, but... what is soy-marinated crab?"

I chuckle. Since I used to love soy-marinated crab back in my past life, I threw it out there just to tease the overly confident Joy. "It's a dish that exists. Shall we get some rice, then?"

They do cultivate rice here, but wheat is the primary crop, making rice a luxury traded at a high price. Joy nods.

"If we walk just a little further, there's a place famous for its risotto. Let's eat there."

As we walk toward the restaurant she mentioned, I listen to her chatter. "I bought a dress over there once, and it was so pretty!" She babbles on about which shop has the prettiest dresses and which cafe has the tastiest desserts. Walking like this almost makes it feel like a date.

"Brother-in-law, are you even listening to me?" Seeing Joy pout slightly, thinking I'm ignoring her, a gentle smile plays on my lips.

"I'm listening. Didn't you say the bread over there is delicious?"

Joy nods, looking satisfied. "Yes! Mother loves the bread from there... and Father did too..."

The atmosphere suddenly turns somber. Wait... why did it suddenly get so depressing? Just as I realize I've stepped on a landmine—

"Brother-in-law! We're here! Hurry! It's super popular, so if we're late, we won't get a table."

Just as Joy said, there is already a substantial line. "Whoa, business seems to be booming here."

Joy nods as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course it is. It's a restaurant handpicked by me."

True to her word, the queue is quite long. "Wow..." But wait, aren't there a lot of couples here? With that thought, I lean in and whisper in Joy's ear, "It looks like most of the people here are couples."

Joy replies, "Well, ahem... there's a reason for that."

What? I look at her smug, prideful expression with confusion. What does a restaurant being packed with couples have to do with her satisfaction?

Soon, our turn comes, and we step inside. The interior isn't exactly luxurious, but it has a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. A server guides us to a table, and we take our seats. "Here are your menus." The server hands them to Joy and me.

"I'll have the cream risotto. What about you, Brother-in-law?"

At her question, I scan the menu. "Huh...?" What on earth am I looking at? There are some highly bizarre items on the menu.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

What is this? Is something wrong with my eyes? I rub my eyes and flip through the menu pages. What in the world...? What does Joy have to do with this restaurant?

I look at Joy, silently demanding an explanation. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠She simply smiles and says, "Brother-in-law, if you don't know what to order, how about the risotto and the Quattro Stagioni pizza?"

"Uh... sure. Let's go with that."

Once Joy finishes placing the order, I ask in a hushed whisper, "Why... why is your name plastered all over the menu here?"

Joy covers her mouth with her palm and giggles. "Well, I'm a regular here. This place actually became famous because I visit so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠often."

I look at her, bewildered. "But why would that make it famous?" Could Joy really be that influential? Wait... come to think of it, I did hear that Princess Joy has always been incredibly popular in Roman for her unique cuteness and kind heart... Is this what they meant?

"I'll have you know I'm a certified celebrity in Roman. You have no idea how popular I am here." Lest anyone overhear, she raises the menu slightly to cover her face as she whispers.

"Then... the reason there are so many young couples here is...?"

"Because I'm the idol of every girl in Roman?"

Joy's completely unexpected claim leaves me utterly speechless. No, wait... aren't idols usually people who are exceptionally beautiful or cool? I think of people like Agrippa or Theodora. Anyone would agree those two are breathtakingly gorgeous. But Joy is... well, more like a cute puppy. It's hard to wrap my head around her being an 'idol'.

"Huh? Brother-in-law, you don't believe me? If I take this ring off right now, this whole place will turn upside down!"

Terrified that she might actually do it, I quickly whisper back, "I believe you! I believe you, so don't take it off!"

Watching Joy mischievously fiddle with the ring, a headache begins to form. Was it really a good idea to bring her out today? What if someone recognizes her? My mind is already a tangled mess of worries, and now she's threatening to take off the ring? Realizing once again that she is indeed Theodora's sister, my sigh grows even heavier.

Sigh... The women in this family really never think about the consequences.