Chapter 106 - Festival - 4

They left the meal satisfied, though for different reasons. Stepping out of the restaurant and back onto the street, they continued their conversation in a far more relaxed atmosphere than when they had set out.

“Are we going to the night market now?”

“Yes. I thought we might first visit the outdoor performances. The food stalls will be crowded at this hour. Would that be all right?”

“I’ll trust you, Bera.”

Bera pressed his lips together at Renée’s smiling reply. Why did that smile keep catching his eye today? Frowning at the needless confusion in his head, he held his breath to calm his wildly beating heart before speaking again.

“Then let us go.”

“All right.”

They began walking. Along the street, where the sunset was slowly deepening, the tap of her cane mingled with their footfalls, creating a rhythm all their own.

* * *

Fourth Avenue, the heart of the festival. As they entered that mingling of bustling noise and fragrant scents, Renée felt a smile rise to her lips for some reason. Even without seeing it, she could clearly sense the vitality all around her.

“There really are so many people.”

“Yes. It seems particularly crowded this year.”

He was not merely saying that. Twice as many people as in other years were actually flocking to the capital. The reason... was Renée. Word of the miracle she had wrought on the day of the terrorist attack had spread across the continent, drawing these crowds.

Travelers hoping to glimpse the Saintess in person, patients suffering from intractable illnesses, even scoundrels after her divine powers—all manner of people had come this far just to see Renée. Naturally, she knew nothing of it. More accurately, it had been deliberately kept from her to spare her that burden.

Bera dismissed those thoughts and headed toward the crowd, saying to Renée, “Please hold my hand tightly so we do not get separated.”

As he spoke, he tightened his interlaced fingers around hers, turning her face scarlet. Renée lowered her head slightly and murmured her agreement, only for a thought to suddenly occur to her: wasn’t this her chance?

[“Saintess, remember this. No matter how impressive they are, men turn into idiots when you launch a physical assault. So, you know? Link arms with him! Rub up against him! The crowds make it perfect, don’t they? ‘Oh dear, there are so many people, there’s no room to use my cane.’ Say that and cling to him... Huh? It’s indecent? Oh, Saaaainteeeess!!! Worry about that and you’ll grow old and die alone! Throw away your shame! Think of it as fighting a war!!!”]

Annie’s furiously shouted advice replayed in her head. Renée felt as though the thought was cooking her brain through, and she wavered.

‘Do it? Do it? Really do it?’

No, she had to. As Annie had said, dragging things out like this would get her nowhere. She had to use every means at her disposal.

With her heart pounding away, Renée kept swallowing nervously. At last, she made up her mind, drew a sharp breath, and stopped walking.

“Saintess?”

Now. She had to do it now. Move things forward so he would unmistakably see her as a woman! Make Bera think about today even in his sleep! Make him dream about her!

She gulped, swallowing nervously once more.

Amid all the clamor surrounding them, Renée spoke so softly that only Bera could hear. “... Bera, there really are so many people.”

“Yes, so please hold my hand to avoid getting lost—”

“No.”

She abruptly pulled her fingers free of his. Her nerves made the movement so forceful that it was almost as though she had knocked his hand away. Renée flinched, and Bera jolted in alarm.

‘C-calm down!’

Recovering first, Renée took a large step toward Bera and practically lunged onto his arm, wrapping her own around it. Then she added her other hand, still holding her cane, on top. Rather than linking arms... it would be more accurate to say she was hanging off him.

Too flustered to realize even that, her mind utterly blank, Renée simply clutched his arm and blurted out an excuse. “Th-there are so many people! We can’t get separated! It would be awful if I got lost, so I have to stick close like this, right? Right?”

Even as she spoke, the feel of Bera’s hard arm, twice as thick as her own, made her feel as though her heart might burst.

“Answer me!” And so she pressed him for a reply.

Bera startled at her shout, only to turn rigid as stone again at the soft sensation squeezing his arm. In other words... because of the way Renée was doing whatever this was that passed for linking arms, something deeply improper, far too embarrassing to name aloud, was pressing against him.

An immense presence that rivaled a towering mountain. A dizzying sensation that wiped his mind blank. Every time the crowd jostled Renée and made her move, it doubled, wreaking havoc on him.

“Y-yes... yes. You must not get lost. Quite... quite true.”

He tilted his head skyward. He could see the pitch-black sky. The yellow lanterns lighting the street. The multicolored lights. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Ah, a rainbow. Bera stood there with a vacant expression, inexplicably realizing that the lights were arranged in rainbow colors.

“Th-then shall we go?” Renée asked.

With an indescribably foolish expression on his face, Bera began walking stiffly.

* * *

At the outdoor performance hall on Fourth Avenue, where street performances were in full swing, Albrecht stood managing the crowds with a broad smile.

“It’s the prince!!!”

“Aaaaaah!!!”

“Look over here too!!!”

“The prince looked at me!!!”

“Nooooo!!! He looked at meeeee!!!”

The passersby had spotted him while he was out patrolling to maintain public order and burst into cheers. Ah, what a sweet sound. The pleasure of receiving universal praise was a thrill beyond description.

“Ah, yes! That is right! I am the Empire’s second prince! Albrecht van Frich, commander of the Imperial Knights!”

“Aaaaaah!!!!!”

His powerful declaration brought another eruption of cheers. Delight tingled through Albrecht’s entire body. His sparkling golden eyes curved into crescents, and he called out with a smile that revealed his snow-white teeth.

“Leave the capital’s safety to me, Albrecht, and enjoy yourselves!!!”

It could only be called a heavenly voice. As his beautiful, melodious voice rang out, the entire street filled with fervor.

“Yeeeeees!!!”

Albrecht waved broadly, then turned with an exaggerated flourish of his red cape.

‘Ah...’

He was happy. Feeling as though he had finally returned to his rightful place after so long, he was filled with a sense of security like being in his mother’s womb. All the self-esteem he had lost exploring the gutter and spending time with the people from the Holy Empire seemed to be restored.

‘This is where I belong!’

This was Albrecht van Frich!

Count Vaishur, following behind him, sighed at the sight of Albrecht striding down the street, his face flushed with such thoughts.

‘The very person meant to maintain public order...’

What was he thinking, throwing the street into chaos? Watching the city guards hold back the crowds surging toward the prince, Count Vaishur felt a sharp tension at the back of his neck.

* * *

Music layered itself over the noisy street. The tickling sounds of strings, the deep resonance of wind instruments, and the lively beat of percussion blended into harmony. There was one curious thing, though: loud as the music was, the loudest sound Renée could hear was her own heartbeat.

“... It’s lovely.” Renée murmured, and Bera answered.

“Yes. They certainly seem to be an accomplished ensemble.”

“It’s surprising. When you said street performances, I imagined something more casual. I didn’t expect musicians this good...”

She was speaking without thinking, saying whatever came to mind. If she did not at least do this, she feared he would hear her heartbeat. It was so loud that she wanted to hide it somehow. Bera answered her words in a slightly... no, extremely stiff tone.

“... It is a consequence of the festival’s particular conditions for outdoor performances. There are many ensembles, but only a limited number of halls, so the competition to perform in them has raised the overall standard.”

“Is the competition that fierce?”

“Influential figures from various countries gather here during the festival, so the ensembles give it their all to catch their attention. In a sense, this is a scouting ground. In fact, the current imperial court ensemble was recruited here ten years ago. That alone tells you how important performing in this hall is to them.”

“Ah...”

Bera shuddered again as Renée nodded in understanding. It was because of ‘that,’ which asserted its presence whenever she moved. He was trying his best to remain composed and speak without stammering, but at moments like these, his thoughts grew hazy and composure became impossible.

He should not harbor such wicked thoughts. As Bera struggled to rein himself in, a stir spread through the crowd. Their whispered voices reached his and Renée’s ears.

“The prince!”

“It’s His Highness, the second prince!”

Renée jolted, her face twisting into a sharp frown. Why did that man have to appear just when things were going so well? That was the thought that had struck her.

But unlike Renée, who felt nothing but irritation, Bera was relieved to have gained a chance to collect his tangled thoughts.

“... Should we not at least greet him?”

“Must we?”

Renée pouted. Things were going so nicely. Couldn’t they simply pretend not to notice him? Feeling unreasonably resentful of Bera, she continued in a petulant tone.

“We’re tourists right now, aren’t we? Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if we just pretended not to know him?”

For once, her mind worked at lightning speed, putting together a plausible excuse. Bera’s pupils trembled as though an earthquake had struck, betraying his dismay. He needed to settle himself. He was plainly not his usual self, and he had to calm these feelings, but there was no escape.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Bera glanced away, unable to find an answer.

“Ah! Please calm yourselves! I ask that everyone maintain order!”

A beautiful, melodious voice rang through the space, piercing the ensemble’s music that filled the hall.

Renée clicked her tongue softly. The presence she sensed was drawing closer. She desperately hoped he would not notice them, but by the time he was right in front of them, he had inevitably found them.

“Oh, if it isn’t our priests! You’ve come to see the festival, I take it! Well? Are you enjoying yourselves?”

Irritation rose inside Renée. “Yes, I suppose...” Her answer was curt.

As Albrecht flinched at it, Bera finally seized his opportunity. Unwrapping Renée’s arms from his own, he whispered, “I will go and buy us something to drink.”

He sprang to his feet and passed Albrecht before Renée could say anything.

“Please look after her for a moment.”

“Hm? Of course.”

Bera disappeared into the crowd. Only then did Renée realize he had run away, and she let out a disbelieving “Ha!” Anger was rising across her face.

Seeing it, Albrecht swallowed his dismay. “Well... um.” Cold sweat ran down his forehead.

The atmosphere had grown painfully awkward. As Albrecht searched for something to say, he heard the whispers around him.

“Who’s that woman? Does she know the prince?”

“She’s so pretty...”

“Are they dating? Could she be his fiancée or something?”

Passersby were linking him with Renée, spinning scandalous rumors. Albrecht felt utterly disconcerted. He feared that Renée might take offense at their remarks and start berating him.

Stealing cautious glances at Renée, he forced himself to sound cheerful. “Well, it seems I interrupted a pleasant moment.”

“...”

There was no reply. Renée simply sat there with a sulky expression.

“Th-there seems to be a m-misunderstanding! I hope Sir Bera returns soon! I-it would be troublesome if another scandal like this grew...”

“Your Highness.”

“Ah...! Yes, speak!”

“You’re being noisy.”

The words hit him like a blow. Albrecht froze like stone.

The surrounding whispers grew louder.

“What? Did the prince just get rejected?”

“Good heavens!”

“Oh, our poor prince...”

Watching from a little distance away, Count Vaishur covered his eyes with one hand. He felt utterly miserable.

The streets of the capital at the height of the festival. Countless witnesses. His stomach was already knotting at the thought that, by tomorrow, rumors of the prince’s rejection would be circulating throughout the capital.