IRLDM 44

Chapter 44…………………………………………..

 Festival (1)

Time had flown by, and on the day before the festival, Lowell and Aria were preparing for tomorrow’s outing in a room specially arranged by the Emperor. The only exception to the otherwise excited atmosphere was Leon’s dry, expressionless face.

“You really won’t recognize me like this, right?”

Lowell, wearing a golden wig, turned around and spoke as if singing. The long golden hair flowing down to his waist swayed with his movements.

“Wow! I really can’t recognize you! Actually, in this outfit, you even look a bit like me.”

Aria clapped her hands in agreement.

“Do we really have to go like this?”

Amid the excited women, Leon lifted the black veil that covered half of his face.

The veil covering Leon’s face was a special cloth used by dancers during performances. Fortunately, recently, some people who knew how to dress up had started wearing it for decoration as well, so it didn’t look too awkward.

“Of course! Rumors about us have spread all over the country. If we went out without hiding, we’d be mobbed before we could take a single step.”

Lowell pressed his temples as if imagining the chaos gave him a headache.

“Besides, Leon was already quite well-known. Now, with this incident, he’s become even more famous, so it’s better to hide a bit to avoid attention.”

“I don’t care about attention.”

Leon said lazily. His tone was so natural that it didn’t even come across as arrogant.

“…Right. I suppose so. But I can’t be uncomfortable. I want to do a lot of things when I go out.”

Saying this with a slightly disgusted expression, Lowell threw off what he was wearing and flopped onto the sofa.

“Finally, tomorrow’s the day.”

“You’re that happy?”

Aria smiled brightly as she looked at Lowell.

“Yes. We’ve been trapped in the palace all this time. I felt like I was going to suffocate.”

“Well, you need permission even to step outside in the palace.”

“I hope tomorrow comes quickly.”

Lowell muttered this to himself, staring at the ceiling.

“So, the hero of the recent Plains War is actually the hidden descendant of the previous hero, right?”

“That’s right. Otherwise, how could someone who was a maid achieve such an incredible feat?”

“Wow!”—exclamations spread around the men loudly discussing this. As the man’s voice grew, people from nearby taverns started gathering.

“You know, the more you get worked up, the more suspicious you look, right?”

Hearing the voice cutting through the commotion, Lowell jumped from his seat. The movement caused some of the drinks on the table to slosh over slightly.

“Yeah, this kind of thing is suspicious. You were so excited yesterday, but today you’re acting completely different.”

Leon added teasingly.

The thud of the table drew people’s gazes toward them briefly, and when they saw nothing unusual, they returned to their positions.

“…Don’t tease me.”

Lowell, noticing the shift in attention, muttered in a tiny voice as he sat back down.

“But… it could really be true, right?”

“Huh?”

“You said you don’t remember your parents’ faces. So maybe it really is true. Maybe your parents were incredibly powerful and passed that magic on to you.”

Leon spoke, raising his glass.

“No, that’s absolutely not the case.”

Lowell paused for a moment before speaking.

“What?”

“Ah… it’s been a while since I drank, so it tastes even better.”

It was an odd comment, but Lowell didn’t explain further and downed the drink in front of him.

“…But is this really all you wanted to do once you left the palace?”

Leon asked, looking at the bustling street while silently observing Lowell.

“Yes. This is what I wanted to do. I haven’t been able to do even this simple thing for a very long time.”

A comfortable smile appeared on Lowell’s face as he watched the people walking by.

“Alright, if that’s what you want… Still, you should stop drinking. You’ve already had a lot.”

“You drank everything in your cup too, Leon, and yet you’re telling me to stop?”

“You and I are different.”

“How so?”

“I’m fine, but if you drink more, you might make a mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“…Well, kissing someone and then saying the next day that it was just comfort.”

Leon said casually, averting his gaze.

“……”

That worked surprisingly well. Lowell’s hand fell immediately from the glass. His slightly flushed cheeks twitched noticeably.

“Y-Yeah, I should stop drinking. Haha…”

“Go on ahead. I’ll settle the bill and come out after.”

Leon’s flat voice nudged Lowell out of the shop.

“Lady.”

Outside, Lowell, still trying to adjust her slightly dizzy vision, turned around at an unfamiliar voice.

“…?”

Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder. Behind her stood a group of strange men, grinning unpleasantly.

“If you’re alone, come hang out with us. I know some really good spots.”

The men giggled and started approaching her.

“No, I’m with someone.”

“Ah, come on, you’re just lying, right?”

The men laughed at each other, clearly amused.

‘I shouldn’t have worn the wig.’

For a moment, that thought flashed through Lowell’s mind. If she had come in her noticeable black hair, she wouldn’t have had to deal with these ignorant men.

“What are they doing?”

A cold voice sounded then.

Lowell turned her head sharply and saw Leon approaching her with a face colder than she had ever seen before.

“Huh, thinking about it, it’s been ages since I came to the capital without Lowell.”

Aria muttered to herself while walking through the capital’s streets. The festive atmosphere felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Hero? Oh right, you mentioned before that the hero used to work as a maid for the princess, didn’t you?”

The royal guard accompanying Aria chatted beside her. He had been assigned to accompany her after she requested it from the Emperor, thinking that remnants of Zion’s forces might still exist.

“Yes. We were always together, but now that the child is married, I can’t keep taking her everywhere.”

“So you yielded?”

“Haha, is this yielding? I just want her to love fully and be happy.”

Aria smiled at the guard, her green eyes sparkling over the veil.

“Truly… the princess is not only skilled but also kind-hearted.”

The guard clasped his hands together in admiration.

“Princess! Wait here for a moment. I’ll go buy some festival food! Eating something will surely give you energy!”

Before Aria could respond, the guard waved and disappeared into the crowd.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Aria was left alone.

Whoosh.

A gust of wind blew around her, lifting the pink veil covering her face and sending it onto the road where carriages passed.

‘Oh no.’

Aria tried to grab the cloth. Without it, all attention would soon be on her.

Thud.

Someone wrapped their arms around Aria’s waist.

Eep!

A horse passed swiftly in front of the stopped Aria. If she had moved another step, she might have been hit by the carriage.

“Are you alright?”

Aria looked back to see a man with brown hair reminiscent of autumn fields and sunset-orange eyes.

‘He’s handsome.’

She thought this as her eyes met his.

“Um… Princess?”

The man, who had been silently looking at her, finally spoke.

“Yes? Ah, thank you.”

Only then did Aria realize she had been staring too intently. She quickly stepped out of the man’s embrace.

“Do you… not remember me?”

“Huh?”

The man asked carefully, but Aria’s face clearly showed she didn’t remember him. Sheepishly, he scratched his head.

“Ah… sorry. I’m actually bad at remembering people.”

“That’s fine. I’ve often been told I’m hardly noticeable. No need to apologize.”

He smiled gently. His voice echoed in Aria’s mind.

‘Who could forget this face?’

Aria thought briefly.

“When I asked the princess to join the war, I visited your house.”

“Oh.”

Now she remembered a little. Quite a few knights had come to the mansion back then.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Rivanen Wise.”

Standing in front of a dazed Aria, he placed his hand on his chest.

“…Aria Heinstain.”

Responding to his greeting, Aria somehow felt as if her world had expanded.