77. Women Always Talk About Love When They Gather (1)
77. Women Always Talk About Love When They Gather (1)
[Episode 77]- Women Always Talk About Love When They Get Together. (1)
The day before the masquerade ball.
As usual, Titania and I decided to arrive at Countess Serina's mansion the day before the ball and stay the night. The distance between the royal castle and the ballroom was quite far, and since Titania loved staying up all night playing with Viola, we always arrived around the day before to spend time together.
"Viola~!"
"Princess~!"
Warak!
As soon as Titania got off the carriage, she ran straight to Viola.
After hugging each other, they interlaced their fingers and started hopping up and down on the spot. Seeing Titania and Viola like that, a dry laugh escaped me without me realizing it. Are they really that happy?
As I stared at Viola and Titania as if I were truly dumbfounded, Lady Serina approached with an awkward smile, bowed her head, and greeted me.
"It's been a while, Queen Vivian-nim. Have you been well?"
"Well... lately, my daughter has been giving me such a hard time, it's troublesome. I don't know why, but the more she grows, the more of a tomboy she seems to become. Anyway, Yvette, Hailey. Have you two been well?"
"Hehe, we're always the same."
When I accepted their greetings, 'Hailey', the Countess of Serina, and 'Yvette', the Count of Serina who was like a younger sister to her, bowed their heads to me. It was nice to see them after quite a while, but...
When I let out a deep sigh and looked at Viola and Titania, who were kkareuk-kkareuk (giggling) and chatting away nearby, Hailey shook her head and let out a deep sigh just like me. She must feel the same way I do.
Since we'd known each other ever since the hunting competition three years ago, it was more comfortable to call them by their names, Yvette and Hailey, rather than Count Serina or Countess.
They were the only nobles I knew with whom I could speak comfortably. Perhaps it was natural for us to become close since these two acted as a bridge between me and high society.
Besides, if I called Hailey 'Countess', it felt like I was referring to the Count, Yvette, and the 'former' Countess, Hailey, as a married couple, so calling them by their names was more comfortable.
Hailey, who had slipped up beside me, whispered in my ear.
"I have prepared the 'mask' and costume that Your Majesty requested, but... are you really going to attend the ball in that attire? I prepared a spare mask just in case, though."
When I sent the reply that Titania would attend the masquerade ball, I also sent a letter asking Hailey to prepare my mask and costume. I did have a mask I used originally, but...
It was such a flashy, unpleasant design that I had used it once and shoved it into storage. Well, at the last masquerade ball I went to, there were many people wearing masks bigger and shinier than mine, though.
I looked at Hailey, who had approached me, and replied with a gentle smile.
"The mask and costume I requested are enough. And are you sure? That you really didn't invite any strange people to this ball? If, by any chance, a strange incident occurs..."
As I furrowed my brow slightly, Hailey hurriedly shook her hands and head. I only meant to scare her a little, but she was completely terrified and answered so urgently that it felt a bit strange.
"O-of course! I didn't send invitations to anyone Your Majesty would be worried about! This masquerade ball is really like an 'experience' ball composed for 'children'! Most of the adults participating are parents like me! So I'm sure Your Majesty will like it too!"
"Is that so? Then that's a relief."
When I smoothed out my furrowed brow and gave her a gentle smile, Hailey finally let out a sigh of relief. She was a friend who had helped me a lot, so I didn't want to go this far, but I couldn't help it because of my concern for Titania.
Well... it seemed some people couldn't come even after receiving invitations because of my stubbornness, but what did that matter? Keeping anyone who could be a danger to Titania from getting close was more important than the feelings of those who were hurt because they couldn't come despite being invited.
Anyway, it was true that I had been stubborn, so I felt sorry for Hailey and Yvette for indulging me. Feeling sorry, I had brought a small gift, so I pointed my thumb at the carriage standing behind me and smiled brightly.
"Anyway... do you want to drink together in 'my room' tonight?"
When I pointed my finger, the escort knight standing nearby took a bottle of alcohol out of the carriage and showed it to Hailey and Yvette. I don't know much about alcohol, but apparently, it's expensive and amazing? I stole it from the office of the Minister of Education, who is a lover of alcohol... no, I received it as a donation.
'It was a drink that only had three bottles in the collection of the Minister of Education, who is a lover of alcohol. He cried so much when I said I was taking it. He even grabbed my ankle and sobbed, so it must definitely be good alcohol.'
Anyway, the alcohol I brought seemed to be the kind that alcohol lovers go absolutely crazy for. According to the Minister of Education, would they sell their souls just to drink a sip of that alcohol? True to the Minister of Education, every single word he said was an exaggeration.
"R-really? We can drink that...? Even so, that's..."
"Come on, what are friends for? You must have had a hard time because you indulged my stubbornness, so I should at least do this much."
"Your Majesty...!"
Whether they were moved by my words, Yvette and Hailey covered their mouths with both hands and choked back tears. I was happy too, as it seemed to be a really good gift for the two of them who love alcohol. Yes, this kind of give-and-take is what friendship is all about.
"There's no need to cry over something like this... Stop crying and let's go inside quickly. I'm exhausted from riding in the carriage all day."
*
After finishing a proper dinner, the time came for the adults to gather among themselves, and the children among themselves.
The adults went into the room carrying lots of bottles of alcohol with bright, childlike smiles, and Viola and Titania, who were left alone, also looked at each other, smiled deviously, and went into the room together.
Once inside the room, Titania asked Viola as if urging her.
"Viola, do you have 'it'?"
"Yes, I do. Titania. I asked a maid to go to the village and buy it for me this time."
Once the two were left alone in the room, Viola called Titania by her 'name'. As Titania and Viola became close, it was very natural for them to call each other by their names.
As if Viola already knew what Titania wanted, she rummaged under the bed and pulled out a box. A plain wooden box that anyone would think just contained junk.
"Here, take it."
Thump, thump. Titania heard her own trembling heartbeat, carefully opened the box Viola handed her, and smiled brightly as she lifted what was inside.
"Finally, the new volume of 'The Witch Wants to Be the Marquis's Wife' is out!"
"Yes! I haven't read it yet either so I could read it with you!"
What Titania had lifted up was an ordinary 'novel' that was trending among young noble ladies these days. A plain and ordinary romance novel called 'The Witch Wants to Be the Marquis's Wife'.
Because of Vivian, who had banned 'books like this' from being brought into the royal castle after 'that incident' when she was ten, Titania had no choice but to borrow them from Viola like this if she wanted to read them.
As for 'that incident' when she was ten...
Titania felt heat rush to her face just thinking about it. Back then, she didn't know the exact meaning of 'purity', so she thought she had lost her purity to her mother.
Of course, it was true that her 'first kiss' had been taken by her mother.
Purity was more important, but if first kisses were important, it was one of the truly important things. So, after learning the meaning of 'purity', Titania issued a no-kissing order, telling Vivian not to kiss her.
The reason was simply that she was embarrassed to receive kisses now. The young ladies she met in the children's social circle had all graduated from their mothers, slept in their own rooms, and didn't receive kisses like that.
After realizing that she was the only one doing such things at this age, Titania tried to distance herself from Vivian just a little bit. That was also the reason she asked to sleep in separate rooms.
"Titania! Hurry! Hurry!"
Viola, who had held back until now to read with Titania, was on the verge of exploding. She quickly changed into her pajamas and perfectly set up the snacks and juice she had asked the maids to bring on the bed.
At Viola's urging, pat-patting the bed and telling her to lie down next to her quickly, Titania also quickly climbed onto the bed and got settled. After confirming that Titania had settled in next to her, Viola began to slowly turn the pages.
The content of the book was a common love story, so common that they felt they had read many stories like this by now. A witch living alone in the forest and a Marquis who fell in love with her at first sight. A witch who was drawn to such a Marquis.
However, the world did not allow their love. The world was afraid of the witch, and the Marquis had to lead his family, so it seemed their love could never be realized.
Usually, in this situation, one of them would have given up their feelings, but the Marquis and the witch were different. The Marquis told the witch he would definitely come for her, and the witch replied that she would wait forever.
But here, the witch's old familiar, a man who had loved the witch, appears. And he whispers to the witch like this: 'The Marquis's life is in danger, and only I can save him.'
If you want to save him, forget him and fall into my arms.
At the appearance of the common villain, Titania and Viola furrowed their brows and began to curse the familiar. Saying that such a villain should disappear quickly and be taught a lesson, the two nervously turned the pages and began to read the rest of the story.
The witch shook her head and rejected the familiar.
'I will not be deceived by your snake-like tongue. Even if what you say is true, only the Marquis can have me,' she said, driving the familiar away. At that scene, Titania and Viola didn't know what to do and smiled with satisfaction.
What followed was a predictable development. The familiar continued to harass and seduce the witch, but the witch, true to the name 'witch', shook off the temptation with her knowledge and faith and waited for the Marquis. Neither sweet temptation nor terrible despair could stop the witch.
After waiting and waiting like that, the witch finally met the Marquis again, and the book ended with the words 'To be continued in the next volume'. They flipped to the next page, saying this couldn't be true, but the page ended there.
""What?!""
Furious at the story being cut off at such a perfect timing, Viola and Titania threw the book onto the bed. They twisted their bodies while lying down and rolled around, expressing their anger.
"They barely release one volume a year, and they cut it off here?!"
"Devil-like...!"
The two girls, bouncing up and down saying they should scold the author, began to talk about the contents of the book in excited voices. They continued the book and love talk, blossoming various stories with speculations and impressions about what happened to the familiar in the end, whether the witch was pitiful, and why the Marquis came so late.
Without realizing how time was passing, Viola and Titania shared many stories. Stories about the masquerade ball tomorrow and other books. And about a new 'red book' they found on Mother's bookshelf that couldn't be written in letters.
The two shared many stories, as much as they hadn't been able to meet.
Among the many stories, the main topic was, of course, love.
They were thirteen-year-old girls who had never even experienced love, but 'love stories' were an indispensable topic for girls. There were many girls around them who had already held engagement ceremonies.
Even Viola was more troubled because she was scheduled to have a 'matchmaking meeting' this year. With a troubled heart, Viola nibbled on a snack and asked Titania.
"Titania, what do you think love is?"
"Uh, love? Hmm... In books, it's definitely..."
"Not stories from books. What do you think?"
"My thoughts? Hmm..."
Even if Viola asked like that, it was difficult to answer. Titania had never even dated, let alone experienced love. She had never even met a 'young noble gentleman' for the purpose of an engagement.
In other words, her only experience was the stories in books, so it was really difficult for Titania to answer. When Titania turned her head to look at Viola, she was sparkling her eyes as if asking her to answer quickly.
"My thoughts are..."