A fancy royal carriage ran off the royal palace towards the streets. The knights were escorting the carriage with stern looks. Prince Sidhar, who was using one of the highest rooms in the royal palace as his office, stood by the window and looked at the carriage.
“Is she going to the place where those lowly things play around?”
“Yes. She was visibly excited and Laviore Ria Bailey showed up in a tailcoat to escort her.”
“Bailey?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The one who reported the Princess’ every move to Prince Sidhar was a lady-in-waiting who had been tying the ribbon in Sonnet’s room until a while ago.
“She must want to play because she is at puberty. Just let her do that. It’d be better if she keeps socializing with those troublemakers.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“By the way… Bailey, huh?”
The daughter of Isadora.
Prince Sidhar had been very interested in Thousand Gold Isadora these days. In order for him to inherit the throne comfortably, the support of influential people was very important. As such, the banishment of Marquess of Bailey led to there being a void in power. Though she was a commoner, Thousand Gold Isadora was known even in Tarragon. She was more than enough to fill that void.
“Tsk.”
But why did she raise her child like that?
If Lara were a decent and modest woman, Prince Sidhar would have her close to him for at least the time being. But the daughter of Isadora was now one of the most notorious women in Hautean.
Getting associated with her would instead disgrace his reputation.
“Make the carriage stand by at the end of the banquet. I should at least show my image as the older brother who came to pick up her younger sister because he is worried about her.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After the lady-in-waiting left, Prince Sidhar drew the curtains on the window as if he did not want to see the scenery anymore.
<ol start="11">
<ol start="11"> Your Lips Must Have Been Made by the Demon, and My Heart Must Have Been Made by the Angel
Subtle magic lighting lit up the party hall.
Several couples came to the center and began dancing along with cheerful music. The round skirt spun like a top, and loud laughs were heard everywhere.
Wow, it’s like a different world.
Lara felt as if she had heard Sonnet’s inner voice.
It seemed like this was the first time this cute princess attended a private party enjoyed by the nobles.
But then again, she’s only 14 years old.
It was a good call for Eunice to get rid of the strong alcohol, sexy music, and erotic lighting.
“Oh my goodness… Princess? Lara?”
Eunice and Ximena looked at Lara and the Princess and pointed their fingers, forgetting their manners.
“How dare you be rude to the Princess.”
“That’s not what I intended to do. My apologies, Princess.”
“It’s fine.”
Sonnet tried to smile gracefully, but Lara could tell that she was really nervous. Her shoulders were stiff and her steps were awkward.
It can’t be helped. Since I was the one who started this, I should be her partner properly.
After making a mental note, Lara lowered her head slightly and spoke into Princess Sonnet’s ears.
“Princess.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to dance?”
“N, no.”
She’s lying.
Sonnet’s eyes were on the two lovers who kept dancing.
“Princess.”
“Yes?”
“I’m not a good dancer. Is that okay with you?”
Sonnet looked at Lara as if she was asking her what she meant.
Lara pointed at herself and smiled awkwardly.
“As you can see, I’m dressed like this, so everyone is going to look at us. If you’re not ashamed of me… shall we dance?”
“…Yes.”
Lara did not know how Sonnet felt when she nodded at that time.
She must be thinking how hard of a life this 14-year-old adolescent girl was having. All because she could not do what she wanted to do, due to the weight of the royal family─The royal family that she did not even want.
And yet, at that moment, Sonnet was about to shed tears of joy.
“Yes, with pleasure.”
Sonnet whispered in a very small voice.
Eunice, who was busy welcoming guests, gave a thumbs-up as she saw the two. Ximena grabbed her partner by the collar, dragged him, and began to dance beside them.
Lara took a big step forward, bowed down to Sonnet, and reached out her hand. Sonnet put her fingertips on Lara’s palm and held the hem of her pink dress with her other hand.
Cheerful music for the young princess came out. It was a popular 4-beat song.
As Lara said, everyone in the party hall was looking at them. It was a gaze that was a moderate mixture of curiosity and admiration, kindness and ridicule.
Lara did not care. She was used to such gazes and did not think it was important. Unexpectedly, Sonnet did not seem to be bothered with the gazes either. She no longer looked around after coming out to the center of the hall.
After the Princess took a deep breath with her small, cute face, she greeted Lara with an elegant attitude.
As the two began to dance, the formerly crowded party hall quickly became empty.
The witch, who came to fulfill the wish of the Princess who was trapped in the tower. Or the demon, who promised to be a friend of a lonely girl.
That was the image of Lara in their eyes.
“It’s like a scene from a cruel fairy tale.”
Eunice muttered.
Ximena nodded as a sign that she agreed with Eunice.
“What if Lara ended up taking away the Princess’ soul?”
“Has that always been the ending of a fairy tale?”
“I thought you didn’t have an ounce of childhood innocence in you…”
“Hey, do you think I was X-rated as soon as I was born?”
“You weren’t?”
“Hey!”
Even Lara could hear her friends squabbling.
Wondering if the Princess had heard it too, she looked down and saw that the Sonnet was looking up at her with sparkling eyes.
“…Lara.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Did you receive the sword that I sent you?”
“Yes, I am deeply grateful to you for your kindness.”
“Then, can I ask you one thing?”
Sonnet asked Lara.
Whatever the request was, the Princess was a little nervous.
“Of course.”
“Someday, when you have time… please come to my palace.”
“Pardon?”
“I’d like to invite you to my palace, Lara.”
Her round eyes were full of goodwill.
Her peachy cheeks were flushed.
At this point, there was no way for Lara to feign ignorance.
Sonnet likes Lara.
“Yes, Princess.”
Lara had a hunch that she could not refuse the lovely Princess’ request in the future.
“It’s an honor.”
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Demian showed up in an old inn outside Hautean’s capital. The inn was empty, not a single guest was present. This time also, he looked at the hinges, which were close enough to fall off, and then sat down at the bar.
“Goodman.”
“You’re here?”
The innkeeper who was in the kitchen appeared with a rattling sound. He was holding a round plate in one hand.
“Eat.”
He put the plate in front of Demian. It was mouth-watering bread and potato salad.
“If you have time to make this, why don’t you fix the door?”
Even though he said that Demian ate up all the food on the plate in the blink of an eye.
“This place is going to close soon anyway. What’s the point of fixing it? Once that hinge falls down, I will leave this place.”
“But it’s hard to get a sorcerer.”
“That’s none of my business.”
No one knew whether it was God who first left this land, or if it was sorcery that began to disappear first. It’s unknown what the connection between God’s power and nature’s mana was, but when the priests lost their divine power and became obsessed with authority, the sorcerers that used to be respected had also begun to disappear. Now all that was left were black sorcerers who borrowed the power from the demons and their followers.
The innkeeper was one of the few sorcerers who could faintly feel and use nature’s mana.
“If you’re done, let’s go down.”
The innkeeper took the plate from Demian and put it in the washing-up bowl.
“But why did he call me?”
“I don’t know. That playboy was urgently looking for you.”
Urgently?
Demian slightly lifted his eyebrow and looked at the innkeeper. It was as if he was asking why the innkeeper fed him first if the Crown Prince was looking for him urgently.
The innkeeper said with a mean smile.
“I just want to make you nervous.”
“Haa.”
Demian burst into laughter.
Their long long conversation was over, and they both went straight into the warehouse. Demian put the potato bag aside and pulled out the lamp. The innkeeper chanted a long spell.
“Come out once you’re done.”
The innkeeper went out of the warehouse to stand guard again this time.
The magic lights on the lamp were dimly flashed. Demian sat down on the chair and waited silently.
Not long after that, the voice of Crown Prince Acerus could be heard from the lamp.
『Demian!』
“What’s up?”
『We’re in trouble. God’s revelations have descended on the Temple of Glory in the Empire. I mean… Haa, seriously, if only I could stitch each and one of those priests’ mouths shut.』
”What are you talking about? It’s been a long time since God left this land.”
『That’s also what I think.』
“The temple must be lying then.”
There was no difference between the Temple of Glory in the Empire and the Hautean Kingdom. Both of them were corrupted to the bone. However, there was a crucial reason why the temple in the Empire was recognized as the best in the continent.
That place was the house where God descended and stayed.
Before he had left the land, the Temple in the Tarragon Empire was the sacred place where God came down for mankind and cared for the world.
『I also don’t want to believe it because I felt like something was unsettling. No, I don’t believe it. But that’s not the point now.』
“What then?”
『They said that a saintess had appeared.』
