PECTW 25

 Chapter 25:

The day of the banquet was now only two days away.

I’d memorized the basic history, and learned the etiquette as well.
Actually, it was closer to having memorized everything word-for-word, but that was better than making mistakes.

Elium’s overall atmosphere was different from Rientbell’s, and that difference extended to etiquette too.

For example, in Rientbell, when giving a formal greeting, one would kneel on one knee or stand at attention with the right hand clenched into a fist and lightly tap the left chest twice.
In Elium, however, one placed the left hand on the waist, the right hand over the chest, and slowly bent the upper body.

For women, there were two options: the same gesture, or grasping the sides of one’s dress with both hands and bowing slightly.

Miya Belkinson had taken the dress I’d received from the palace a few days ago—saying she didn’t like it—and returned with something at least twice as extravagant.

At first, I’d intended to avoid drawing attention by wearing a simple uniform instead.
But then I realized that would probably make me stand out even more, so I’d planned to simply remove the original accessories from the dress.

Instead, Miya had attached three times as many ornaments.

When she saw the dress, I couldn’t help but gape.

“…The jewels… there are too many.”

“Gorgeous, isn’t it? You like flashy things. Are the frills weaker than last time? You know, I held back on this one. I was going to add lace like wings to the dress, but I didn’t.”

“…Ah.”

That was her holding back?

I had to admit, her craftsmanship was on par with any designer.

Back in Rientbell, during the victory ceremony, the chief designers had lined up to present me with dresses and uniforms.
The dress Miya had altered was just as beautiful as those.

Of course, it wasn’t my taste.

No, this was…

“Isn’t it blinding?”

It felt like carrying the sun on my back.
I said this while staring at the jewels that reflected every imaginable color.

Miya tilted her head.

“Really? You used to wear much flashier ones than this.”

“…Much flashier ones?”

I shook my head, feeling a strange sense of distance.

“I think my tastes changed a bit after I lost my memory. How about removing a little of it?”

“Hmm, should I? Well, I’m good at making things simple too.”

She rubbed her chin, thinking for a while, then hugged the dress to herself and disappeared.

I worried she might be overdoing it, but decided to wait.

“Should I buy you something to eat?”

Jasper, who had just finished cleaning, peeked over.

After I’d given him a warm bath and fresh clothes, he looked much better.
He had cleaned the house and yard thoroughly without even being asked.

At first, he’d been going home once during the day to check if his brother had returned or if his mother had come by, but for the past two days, he hadn’t gone at all.
Apparently, he’d locked the door tightly.

“Is there something you want to eat?”

“No, you never eat anything except at mealtime.”

Jasper fiddled with the broom, clearly just trying to make conversation.

“If you’re bored, you can go play outside. Don’t feel like you have to stay here.”

“…Okay.”

Even so, he took the coins I handed him.

“Be back before sunset. It’s dangerous for kids to be out at night.”

“I’m not a kid.”

I tilted my head.

To me, Jasper at fourteen looked about the same as Alonso at thirteen.
In fact, all children younger than that looked the same to me.

‘Well, I guess kids that age don’t like being called kids.’

“Sure, but still, don’t be too late.”

“Mm-hm.”

He bolted out the door as if he’d been waiting for me to say that.

Not a kid, huh? He sure seemed happy to go play outside.

Just as I was thinking of resting for a bit, I heard a sharp bird call from outside.

It wasn’t Bucky.
It wasn’t just a passing sound either—it was as if it was calling me from right overhead.

Puzzled, I stepped outside and saw a small falcon flying toward me.
It made a whistle-like sound and headed straight for me without hesitation.

I stepped back and held out my hand.
Up close, it wasn’t exactly small, but compared to the massive Bucky, it was feather-light.

When I placed it on my arm, I saw a white note tied to its leg.

“A letter?”

I quickly untied and unfolded it.
The handwriting was the same as the note that had come with Bucky’s earlier invitation for two.

“How did they find me?”

Had they investigated me already?
I’d only said I was staying in the capital, never given an address. It was impressive they tracked me down.

“They’re pretty resourceful.”

All the precautions I’d taken to avoid being followed—moving in five separate stages—had been for nothing.

Reading the note, I almost laughed aloud at the overly serious handwriting.

Heavenly sweet potato, Miri.

She had said she didn’t need a gift, yet now she was asking for it in advance.
She must have been really curious.

Well, anyone who tried raccoon beastman’s sweet potatoes would probably be as impressed as I was.

“I’ll have to ask Alexandro for help.”

Freshly roasted or steamed would be best, with preservation magic to keep them warm.
Once they tasted them, my proposals would seem much more appealing.

“Will this do?”

The next morning.
After my dawn exercise, I asked Alexandro for some sweet potatoes, and in an hour he brought back a basket the size of his body, full to the brim.

“You really didn’t have to do this much.”

“While I was at it, I cooked a whole pot. You’ve got another mouth to feed now, right? If you have extra, give them to Bakun over there.”

“Thank you.”

Even though people said I spoke informally to everyone, for some reason I couldn’t with Alexandro.
Maybe it was because he was so much older—he felt like a respected elder.

I accepted the warm, fluffy basket.

“I’m heading back to the forest now. Don’t do anything stupid and eat them while they’re hot!”

“Yes, travel safely.”

He waved his short, sturdy arm and hurried off.

“Half will be more than enough to send.”

And I could eat the other half myself—just the thought made me happy.

I’d learned to appreciate these small joys, things I’d never valued before.

I picked the prettiest, best-cooked sweet potatoes for the basket, set aside some for myself, and also prepared a few for Jasper, who was still asleep.
Then I cast preservation magic on the basket.

Carrying it outside, I called for Bucky.

“Grrruuuk!”

He flapped his large wings, as if asking why I’d called so early.

“Sorry, sorry. Could you take this to the forest, to Master Haraman? When you get back, I’ll get you those figs you like.”

Bucky gently gripped the basket with his claws.

“Be careful.”

With a spread of his black wings, he took off.

I watched until he disappeared into the sky, then went back inside, picked up a still-warm sweet potato, and bit into it.

Fluffy, sweet goodness filled my mouth.
It was best eaten with the skin. The way it broke apart stopped it from sticking in my throat, like taking a sip of water.

Soft was good, but the slight chew made it even tastier.

My cheek puffed out as I chewed, my face relaxing into a smile.

It was the kind of taste that made you want to be selfish.

“I hope they don’t like it too much…”

I finished four sweet potatoes without realizing it, and was reaching for a fifth when Miya walked in with the dress and froze.

“You ate all that? Four of them?”

Maybe I had overdone it.
I quietly set down the last one I’d picked up.

My stomach did feel a little round.
And I still had to try the dress on—this could be a problem.

Miya’s voice was so loud that Jasper, who’d been sleeping soundly in the other room, came out rubbing his eyes.

He’d run around until late last night, passed out right after washing up, and was only now waking up.

“Good morn… Wait, why is she here again?”

His voice was thick with sleep and annoyance. Miya stared at him in disbelief.

“Did you leave your manners in your dreams? Hmph. And stop eating those sweet potatoes or your stomach will burst. Actually, never mind, it’ll be digested by tomorrow anyway. Look at this design.”

She held out the dress.

It had far fewer jewels than yesterday, with a calm elegance thanks to the addition of soft white silk.
The tulip-like split silk panels made it look almost like a white uniform transformed into a dress.

Yesterday, it had far more red.
Now, it was an entirely different dress.

I looked at Miya Belkinson in amazement at her skill.

“How is it? Do you like it? You were making a face like you hated flashy things, so I changed it. It’s simpler, but maybe more stylish? Or should I put it back the way it was?”

“No, I like this. How did you manage this in just a day?”

“Forgot how fast I work, didn’t you?”

“…Ah.”

“Go on, try it on. We need you perfect when our dear Marquis Pepe makes his entrance. I’ll help you.”

She pushed me into the room to change.

I grunted and struggled into the dress in front of the mirror.
Thankfully, it wasn’t too small, so I avoided the disaster of my stomach sticking out.

Still, wearing a dress in the heart of enemy territory to attend a banquet…

No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem sane.

But after a while, standing before the mirror, I was at a loss for words at the sight of myself.