Chapter 23
Once it was revealed that it was not Azelina who had pushed Cleita into the water, the public’s view of Cleita turned anything but favorable.
Desecration of the imperial family.
It was an act Cleita herself had committed.
As the daughter of a marquis, she had framed Azelina, an imperial consort, and now she was facing the possibility of a very heavy punishment.
Hmm, His Majesty must know about this too.
It had become the hottest topic among the nobility recently, so Rashid must have known to some extent. He simply did not show it on the surface.
Then, one day—
“A Founding Anniversary Festival?”
When Azelina asked, Ferris nodded.
“His Majesty seems to be feeling quite frustrated these days from staying inside the palace all the time. And didn’t I say before that I would definitely return the favor for the handkerchief?”
“……”
“Ah, if you’re worried that I’m inviting Your Highness out specifically during the Founding Anniversary Festival, you don’t need to be. There is a tradition for the Emperor to appear together with the Empress and the Imperial Consorts during the festival, but His Majesty isn’t the type to care much about such things.”
Ferris continued speaking calmly.
Come to think of it, it really has been a long time since the Founding Anniversary Festival.
Before becoming an imperial consort, she used to go out to the plaza quite often to enjoy the festival with her younger sister, Emily.
But after entering the imperial palace, she had never once gone out to the plaza to watch the festivities. Rather than enjoying the festival alone in the plaza, she had preferred to stay even one second longer by the Emperor’s side.
“Well, I’m a member of the imperial family, so if I want to leave the palace for something like that, I need His Majesty’s approval.”
“It’ll be fine. His Majesty leaves all the minor affairs to us anyway.”
When Ferris said that with an easy smile, Azelina was dumbfounded.
“……Are you saying you’re going to conceal the documents behind his back?”
“It’s not concealing them. It’s just that there’s no need to report it, so we won’t.”
Ferris shrugged and grinned.
After thinking for a moment, Azelina smiled faintly as she spoke. As long as Ferris did not get into trouble, she did not mind.
“I’d like that.”
Now that her firm goal of monopolizing the Emperor’s attention had disappeared, life inside the imperial palace had naturally become dull.
When Azelina nodded, a smile spread across Ferris’s face.
That day, Madame Chano came to visit Azelina.
“Ho ho ho.”
Madame Chano looked exceptionally pleased today.
“The Duchess of Lartis will be very happy.”
At the mention of the Duchess, Azelina tilted her head.
“She’ll be happy?”
“You’ve made close acquaintances, Your Highness.”
“……”
Azelina was certain she had never said she had made close friends.
She had only mentioned that the young ladies approached her rather burdensomely, for reasons she did not quite understand.
Watching Madame Chano interpret her words however she pleased, Azelina awkwardly lifted the corners of her lips.
“This is all thanks to me making Your Highness look so beautiful.”
“……Well, I suppose that’s true.”
Azelina nodded stiffly.
It was true that Madame Chano had put a great deal of effort into adorning her.
“Ho ho, I was only joking.”
Madame Chano laughed again.
“So, do you have any plans today with the people you’ve become close to? Perhaps a visit to a tea house, or a small tea party?”
“Hmm… I did plan to have a meal later at the count’s estate with Lady Aer, but I don’t have anything scheduled right now.”
At Azelina’s words, Madame Chano let out a deep sigh.
She must have been strongly expecting Azelina to have plans with other young ladies today.
After looking at Azelina with a lukewarm expression, Madame Chano suddenly brightened as if she had thought of something good and spoke up.
“Then how about using the Founding Anniversary Festival as an excuse to meet with the other young ladies today? What do you think?”
“I’m afraid that won’t work. I’m going to the festival this evening with Marquis Bersia.”
When Azelina added calmly, Madame Chano’s face twisted.
She had thought Azelina would at least be sharing sweets with the ladies she had newly met, yet instead she was going to the Founding Anniversary Festival with a man.
She felt like forcing her to cancel the plan immediately.
“……Even if you’re not going with ladies, at the very least, the person accompanying you should be His Majesty.”
Madame Chano sighed and hinted pointedly at Azelina.
…Why does everyone bring up His Majesty whenever I mention Ferris?
Even Ferris himself did, which left Azelina utterly baffled.
How disappointed he had been when, upon receiving the handkerchief, he asked why she was giving it to him instead of His Majesty.
Even now, just thinking about that moment made Azelina’s insides burn with irritation.
“Well, if His Majesty had told me first that he wanted to accompany me to the Founding Anniversary Festival, then maybe I would have gone with him.”
Azelina replied curtly.
Then, as if suddenly noticing something, Azelina began to look steadily at Madame Chano.
Sensing her gaze, Madame Chano gestured with her chin as if to say, Go on, speak.
Azelina opened her mouth cautiously.
“Madam, um…”
“What is it?”
“Do you perhaps… dislike me?”
At the sudden question, Madame Chano looked at Azelina with widened eyes and tilted her head in surprise.
Then, her expression quickly settled as she asked in return,
“Is there a reason you ask such a thing?”
“There’s no big reason, but… honestly, the rumors about me aren’t very good.”
No matter how close Madame Chano was to the Duchess of Lartis, if she had heard the rumors about Azelina, it would have been natural for her to avoid her.
Moreover, Madame Chano was someone deeply interested in social gossip, so there was no way she would not know those rumors well.
Madame Chano narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at Azelina, then spoke.
“I think everyone has at least one rumor about them, so there’s no particular reason to avoid someone over it. And judging a person solely by rumors is quite rude.”
“That’s… true.”
Azelina hesitated, then nodded.
Even so, she felt strangely unsettled.
Madame Chano had not said anything bad, yet for some reason, her heart felt uneasy.
“When I pass along rumors to others, it’s merely to say that a person might be like this, so one should be cautious. Even though many people misunderstand my words and interpret the rumors however they like.”
Madame Chano said that with a smile.
Early evening, the plaza.
The plaza built around a large fountain was bustling with people who had come to enjoy the Founding Anniversary Festival.
Azelina’s eyes sparkled at the lively scene she was seeing after such a long time.
There were so many people in the plaza that it was actually a relief.
After all, who knew what kind of rumors might spread if others saw the imperial consort together with Ferris?
“Shall we go eat that?”
Azelina asked Ferris with a bright smile.
“Of course. I’ll buy it for you.”
The place Azelina pointed to was a food stall where skewers were sizzling to a perfect golden brown. Whether it was famous to begin with or simply crowded because of the festival, the line was incredibly long.
Ferris quietly watched Azelina as she happily turned the skewers this way and that while eating. Then he gently asked her,
“Um… but is it really all right for you to stay out this late?”
While enjoying the festival, the sky had grown quite dark before they knew it.
When Ferris asked, Azelina swallowed the meat in her mouth and replied calmly,
“It’s fine.”
At her firm response, Ferris gave her another warning.
“You slipped out secretly in the first place, so it would be best to return to the palace early, if possible.”
“His Majesty will be busy anyway.”
Azelina remained calm.
Even if Rashid were not busy, he would not care whether Azelina went out or not. And after their recent argument over Princess Melissina, he might not even want to see her face.
Thinking that, she and Ferris headed toward the fountain—
Boom!
With a loud bang, fireworks shot up into the night sky.
Azelina stared blankly at the sky, then smiled softly.
Seeing her like that, the smile on Ferris’s face naturally deepened as well.
However, a trace of worry lingered in Ferris’s heart.
He knew that even though Rashid pretended otherwise, he did care about Azelina in his own way.
Of course, Rashid would not punish Ferris simply for taking Azelina to the Founding Anniversary Festival on his own initiative, but there was no telling how he might hurt Azelina instead.
“If I’d known it would be this fun, I should have come out sooner.”
The night sky was packed with stars, and brilliant fireworks spread across it, drawing everyone’s gaze.
The Founding Anniversary Festival offered more than just food stalls and fireworks.
Various theater troupes were performing entertaining shows in front of the fountain, and Azelina enjoyed those performances just as much.
The friendly chatter of the people around her, and the lively sounds of instruments.
It was exactly like the bustling atmosphere of the festivals she used to enjoy with her younger sister, Emily.
“I’m really glad I came out.”
“I feel the same. To be honest, it seemed like Your Highness had been feeling very stifled staying inside the palace all this time.”
That was not an empty remark.
These days, Azelina had been trying to behave modestly and had treated the Emperor more politely than before.
But Ferris felt that it was not simply because of a change of heart, which was why Azelina continued to weigh on his mind.
Unaware of Ferris’s feelings, Azelina shook her head lightly as she replied,
“This isn’t something I realized just recently, but I’m not suited for life in the imperial palace. Unlike the duke’s estate, the palace is cold like ice, and somehow the hearts of the people inside feel cold too.”
As Azelina spoke, Ferris smiled quietly once more.
Only then did Azelina realize she might have misspoken, and she hurriedly added,
“I know you’re not like that, Ferris. You’re different. I could tell from the beginning.”
“You flatter me.”
Ferris bowed his head with a humble smile.
When the performances came to an end, Azelina went a little deeper into the plaza.
But Ferris remained the same.
“I will escort you back now.”
…Again. Again with this.
