Chapter 40: Confession, Holy Knight Festival
In life, there are times when one must do things they don't want to.
If one starts giving up on those things one by one, they find themselves trapped. Before they know it, they are in a quagmire so sticky and deep that no matter how much they struggle, it's hard to escape.
As a crown prince, Kain was acutely aware of this reality. The burden resting on the shoulders of this simple blond young man was almost unimaginably heavy.
So far, he had managed to endure.
However, as a human being, he eventually looked for moments to catch his breath. Over time, the prince had developed a few tricks, like enjoying horseback riding or slacking off when he had some free time.
As a senior, the prince decided to teach Ascal.
"Listen carefully, Ascal. I'll pass on to you the way to overcome this crisis."
"What might that be?"
Ascal waited eagerly for the prince's words. After all, these were the words of a prince, a future king. Expectations were naturally high.
"Piss yourself."
"?"
'Is he mad?'
"When I was young, I had more than ten tutors. From the moment I woke, I had lessons and more lessons. I didn’t want to do any of it. There was this history lesson I especially didn't want to attend. Do you know what I did?"
"…Did you pee yourself?"
"Exactly. That caused an uproar in the palace, and the number of tutors was cut down to five. Listen well, Ascal."
The Crown Prince spoke with utmost seriousness.
"Sometimes, the answer is to just let it go."
For a moment, Ascal considered this option.
Twelve ladies-in-waiting, all eagerly awaiting his appearance. The protagonist of a high-society match-making event. In the midst of everyone's gaze, he could just let go and pee.
The event would end immediately. And so would his social life.
"I think that might be difficult."
"Is that so? I thought it was a good idea. But don't worry, I'll help you out in my own way."
And with that, the prince patted Ascal's shoulder and walked ahead alone.
The ladies' eyes followed him intently.
For the prince, this level of attention was nothing new, just an ordinary part of his life.
"Seeing such beautiful ladies wavers my heart. The night seems long, and it would be nice to have someone to engage in deep conversation with."
A spark of hope lit up in the eyes of the ladies. They weren't there for mere romance; they were there for a match-making event, considering the status and family of their potential partner.
Instinctively, they began to calculate.
Ascal Debrue -> Kain Barba
In this empire, there were few men more eligible than Ascal. But what if it was the crown prince? The chance to become a royal just rolling around at their feet?
It was an opportunity too bright to ignore, even if the odds were slim.
"Hahaha! Everyone, come this way!”
****
Ascal gazed at the now-quiet hall.
Most of the young ladies had followed the prince, leaving like a pied piper from a fairy tale.
Yet, three young ladies remained in the hall.
'Lady Lia Cinus. Lady Seri Lavione. And... who's that?'
Regardless, Ascal sighed in relief. The burden that felt like a mountain had now become just a large boulder.
This matchmaking endeavor had turned into a dismal failure due to the royal family's intervention. All that was left was to safely escort these tyrannical princesses back to the palace.
“How about we all have a cup of tea together?”
The one who stepped forward wasn’t one of the princesses, but another young lady.
She had a modest appearance, wearing a practical dress unlike the other ladies in expensive gowns. Her accessories seemed barely sufficient to match the occasion.
But really, who was she?
Ascal was puzzled.
****
Lady Arin Asht, the young daughter of a baron, had ambitions.
At 18, born into nobility but impoverished, she had done all kinds of jobs. Serving as a maid, a tutor, and a companion for other young ladies. She earned money, but at the cost of her dignity.
Despite her poverty and minor title, blue blood ran through her veins.
She always clung to the dream of living a life befitting her status someday.
When rumors spread that Ascal Debrue, the empire's hidden dragon, was seeking a match,
'This is my chance. I must seize it.'
Arin took out the dress she dared not wear regularly for fear of damaging it, borrowing accessories from here and there to adorn herself.
Filled with excitement, she rode a rented carriage to the Debrue family's estate.
That excitement lasted until she almost reached the estate.
'Lady Emilia, from the count family? And Lady Catherine, from the viscount family?'
Arin felt dwarfed.
She hadn’t expected such high-ranking ladies to attend the matchmaking event of Ascal Debrue, the mere eldest son of a baron.
And when Prince Kain appeared at the mansion, she almost fainted.
'Pull yourself together, Arin. You can do this.'
As soon as Arin saw the crown prince leading away numerous young ladies, she realized this was her opportunity.
It was a far wiser choice to aim for Ascal, a fellow baron, than the unattainable star-like prince.
Arin checked her attire and took a step forward.
Looking around, she saw that, including herself, only three young ladies remained. The odds were now one in three.
'Lady Cinus from the Viscount family... and Lady Lavione. It's worth a shot.'
They were beautiful young ladies, but their families were not as prestigious as the duke and count who had left earlier. Even for someone from a mere baron's family like herself, there was a chance.
“How about we all have a cup of tea together?”
Her suggestion immediately drew attention. As Arin wondered if she had said something odd, Lady Lavione smiled.
“That's a lovely idea. I'm a bit thirsty; let's sit down and have some tea calmly.”
Lady Lavione said this while looking towards Lady Cinus, her eyes slightly intimidating.
“I prefer not to be around women who don't know their place and cling unwelcomely. But since it would be a disqualification as an ‘aid’ if Ascal's legs hurt, let’s move to another spot.”
Not knowing one's place?
Was she talking about her?
Arin swallowed nervously.
'Please help me, Father... It's too scary here.'
****
“Black tea with two cubes of sugar. Make it sweet. Right, Ascal?”
“Th-thank you. You didn't have to.”
“Just two cookies. Too much sweetness isn't good for you.”
Today, Lia was here as Lady Cinus, but she was sticking close to Ascal, acting as his aide.
Her intention was obvious.
It was to provoke Seri Lavione, the second princess. It was as if she was saying, 'I already know this man’s preferences. I even make his black tea. What can you do now?'
“Loser.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing at all. You must have heard something wrong.”
Seri was desperately holding back. She was not known for her patience. Even now, she was suppressing the urge to flip the table and overturn everything.
Yulia usually pretended to be a calm and wise princess. However, she often revealed her true self in front of Serena. Was it a long and tiresome connection?
"Do you still sleep hugging that doll? Yeah, the one you took from me when we were eight? You always liked taking things from others, didn’t you?"
"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"What don’t you know? Not knowing your true identity, do people around you know about it?"
Lia hurriedly used telepathy magic on Serena.
-Are you insane? Do you plan to reveal your identity here?
-So that’s where you’ve been hiding. Working at the Evaluation department, huh? And your superior doesn't know your true identity?
Serena had a keen intuition.
Lia’s expression hardened, hit right at the core.
-Won’t you also suffer if your identity is revealed? If rumors spread that the second princess is here…
-What about you? I can afford to be exposed. What about a collective princess confession?
-Then I guess you don’t mind if everyone finds out about your nightly escapades at the theater?
-Ugh. How did you know that!
Neither of them were backing down from their coming out threat.
Ascal, sensing the tense atmosphere, sipped his black tea, tasting nothing.
Glancing aside, he saw an unnamed young lady trembling. He felt an odd sense of camaraderie, caught between giants.
The two princesses continued their silent skirmish through gestures, placing tea cups far from the other, snatching desserts first.
Even a fool could tell a strange battle of nerves was unfolding. Arin, feeling the need to intervene, stood up from her chair.
"Everyone, calm down! On such a joyous occasion as Holy Night Festival, the atmosphere—eek!"
However, Arin stumbled as her dress caught on the chair. Flailing to regain balance, she accidentally knocked over the teapot.
The teapot spun 360 degrees, spewing water everywhere due to the slippery table.
"Kyaaah!"
Arin screamed.
A perfect aqua splash ensued.
Everyone, including herself, was drenched.
"..."
It was a mess.
Ascal, seeing the two princesses at a loss for words, realized this was an opportunity not to be missed.
"What is this commotion! Fighting on such a sacred day as Holy Night Festival! Aren’t you ashamed before the gods!"
Acting was one of Ascal’s fortes.
Feigning anger naturally, he exaggeratedly wiped his clothes with a napkin and then quickly rose from his seat, heading swiftly for the exit.
'Thank you so much. Unnamed young lady.'
Creating such a perfect opportunity for escape.
Ascal vanished in an instant.
Seeing Ascal leave, Lia, too flustered to even think of wiping her dress, reflexively followed him.
"Ha. Ridiculous. After acting so high and mighty all this time, this is a first... She must really like that man?"
Serena, visibly annoyed, sat still, watching Lia hastily leave.
But what was this feeling? Since a while ago, a sense that if she didn’t follow them now, she’d regret it for life...
Serena shook her head. It must be a misconception. She was not foolish like Yulia. She always believed herself to be the one in control, not the one being controlled by men.
"I'm so sorry! I'll clean it up right away! Eek!"
"...It’s fine."
Serena sighed as she watched Arin trip over her dress hem again.
****
In the Holy Night Festival, the stars were falling.
Ascal, trying to distance himself from the princesses, unexpectedly stopped to gaze at the falling stars in the night sky.
One of the few advantages of this era was its amazingly clear and bright sky. This allowed the falling stars to be seen vividly.
"Ah... Lord Ascal!"
"Lia."
He had never seen Lia so breathless. Ascal looked at her, dressed uncomfortably, running towards him.
"I'm sorry. It's just that..."
"Forget it. I wasn't really angry anyway."
There was a tradition in this Holy Night Festival.
Speak only the truth while the stars fall.
Thus, Ascal's words were true.
It was just an excuse to leave the scene; he wasn't angry at all. In fact, he was pleased to have left the situation smoothly.
"The stars are beautiful."
The two gazed silently at the night sky.
The sky with falling stars seemed magical.
Lia, or rather, Yulia, took a deep breath.
As beautiful as the stars were, she couldn’t truly enjoy them, always hindered by something.
"Lord Ascal. I have a confession."
"A confession?"
Ascal tensed.
Was it finally happening?
Whether slow or fast, it was an eventuality he had to face.
Ah, the good days were over. Today was the day roles were reversed.
"My real identity is..."
Boom!
At that moment, alongside a tremendous noise, a shooting star fell. The sound was so loud it almost deafened them.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I was just a bit startled, but I'm fine."
"It's cold tonight. Let's go inside."
Ascal naturally tried to leave the scene. Lia nodded. Her dress wasn't suitable for wandering around at night, especially since it was now wet. Catching a cold would be the last thing she needed.
'Thank goodness for the meteor.'
Thanks to it, his life was extended by another day.
Ascal turned to go back inside the mansion.
And then,
"I am actually the empire's third princess, Yulia Barba. I'm sorry for deceiving you."
What couldn't be avoided, eventually came to pass.
Ascal turned around.
Yulia was looking at the ground with a flushed face, as if unsure of what would happen next.
"Is that so."
"Yes."
Ascal spoke.
"I knew it."
"...Yes. Yes?"
Yulia looked up at Ascal, perplexed. His face showed no sign of surprise.
Yulia was thrown into confusion. When had he found out? When she went to the palace? When she was absent? When he came out of Zelat?
Ascal touched her cheek.
"You'll catch a cold. Let's go inside quickly."
