Chapter 86

### Spring Festival

It was a bright, sunny day, with the spring light dazzling.

On that blessed day, the royal flower carriage passed through the main street of the capital.

The luxurious four-wheeled carriage, pulled by four horses, was adorned with colorful flowers. Mariwver's eyes sparkled.

She was talking with Alro while watching the carriage, seemingly asking about the names of the flowers. Alro was pointing out flowers with scents that Mariwver would like. ——It was good to see them talking normally.

Sophia was being held up by Tan to see the flowers. Everyone was in formal attire, so to avoid wrinkles, she probably asked Tan, who was standing next to Eidan, to help. Tan, as taciturn as ever, walked around the flower carriage with Sophia, showing her everything.

"—Ah, this feels so nostalgic."

The atmosphere before boarding.

The gold and silver decorations were so dazzling that Cynthia squinted.

They boarded the carriage from a temporary camp set up by the lakeside and set off.

Ortimetti was already in the carriage.

The king's traditional ceremonial attire was mostly red, which complemented Ortimetti's red eyes well. The tasteful decorations were likely Iena's choice.

Rias's formal attire, sitting next to Cynthia, was black. The length was slightly longer to make the sword less prominent. Although he chose black to emphasize his position as a vassal, it only made Rias look even more handsome, Cynthia thought.

She gently placed her hand on the offered arm.

"Cynthia, you look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look wonderful too."

After exchanging smiles, Cynthia looked at the children. They seemed to be well-prepared.

Eidan, who could have worn a red formal attire like Alex, chose black because of his red hair, which would have been too glaring. Like Rias, he wore black. With matching hair and clothes, Ortimetti called him "mini Rias."

Although the black attire was not dull due to the luxurious decorations, the number of the Penzilnia Duke's family made the black ensemble look a bit dark. Cynthia and Mariwver wore light pink dresses, and Sophia wore a light blue dress. This way, they would look vibrant on the flower carriage.

With Rias's escort, Cynthia boarded the carriage, followed by the children one by one.

"Isn't it heavy with so many people...?"

Sophia was worried about the horses.

"Don't worry, Sophia. Those are weight-specific horses, see? Their legs are thick, right?"

Ortimetti explained with a laugh. Indeed, not only their legs but also their necks were thick.

"Fi... Fi!"

Alex sensed the departure and looked anxious. Thinking of picking him up, but when Sophia held his hand, he sat down quietly.

"Standing up like that, you really look like brothers."

Ortimetti, Sophia, and Alex not only shared the same color but also had similar faces.

"Alex, no standing, okay? Be a good boy and sit down."

"Okay."

"—Your response is too good, it's scary."

Ortimetti's face contorted at his unusually well-behaved child. Lately, he seemed to be having a hard time with the two-year-old.

The three were seated in the front row, followed by Rias and Cynthia, and Eidan and Mariwver in the back row.

Soon, the carriage set off from the lake.

As soon as they left the lake, the main street came into view. It was already crowded with people holding flower baskets.

The children's eyes sparkled with excitement as the street was brightly decorated with the crowd's enthusiasm.

Occasionally, they met the eyes of familiar townspeople. This was a scene Cynthia had never seen in her childhood, and she felt a deep sense of change from the past.

The procession passed through the streets in a festive manner and arrived at the castle, where the ceremony continued. Iena also joined in. The ceremony, hosted by the temple, was to pray for the prosperity of the nation. Eidan, with his right to succession, performed his role admirably as the eldest among the children. He read the speech without hesitation, even among the lined-up nobles, looking surprisingly mature in such a setting.

The spring festival ended without a hitch.

### Night

Cynthia and Rias dyed their hair brown and tucked it into their hats.

Even with the festival lights, they would likely not stand out in the bustling night festival.

"Even in this outfit, you look wonderful."

Cynthia smiled to ease Rias's slightly tense expression. Rias raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Really. —You haven't hidden your beauty at all."

"Okay, okay, I won't leave."

Through Rias's filter, it might be true, but there were plenty of people dressed like this in the city. She was sure they wouldn't stand out.

They were dropped off at the city entrance in a carriage used by the servants of the duke's household and entered the bustling city.

The first thing they saw was a dining area in the square, with a beer garden-like atmosphere.

"There's ale!"

"Hot wine is here! It goes well with this cheese!"

The energy was incredible. Adults were drinking and eating various dishes.

It felt like the heat had suddenly risen.

"What should we do, Rias? I'm indecisive."

"Your hands are cold, so a warm drink might be good."

"Yes. ...But I'm indecisive. Everything looks delicious."

It was a good thing they hadn't eaten dinner.

They had come out before dinner, thinking it was a date.

The children probably thought it was part of their job.

"Let's go over there."

Rias pointed to a stall selling hot sangria. There were empty seats.

Rias ordered with ease and sat at a table made from a barrel with Cynthia. There were no chairs.

The red wine was infused with plenty of dried fruits, citrus fruits, and honey. The cinnamon aroma lingered at the end.

"—Delicious...!"

"I thought you would like it."

"Did you do some research again?"

He always did perfect research before going out. Had he asked his subordinates this time? When she asked, Rias looked a bit uncomfortable.

"...Actually, I came here sometimes."

"What!"

Now that she thought about it, the ceremony was held in the afternoon, so he usually spent the evening at home. On festival days, the royal knights were busy with security, and it was common for Rias not to return.

"Rias, you...?"

She had thought he was busy with security.

"—I don't always drink. But... on extremely cold days."

Why did he look so guilty?

It was a bit surprising from her past memories, but it wasn't that unusual for people working outdoors to drink while working. Some even had a drink around 3 PM and continued working. It seemed to be a cultural norm.

"It's to warm your body while on duty, right?"

"Y-Yes... I'm sorry."

He probably felt guilty because he knew Cynthia wanted to come.

"Don't apologize. If you smell something good while patrolling, you'd want to have a drink and a bite, right?"

She took a cracker with her free hand while holding the glass. The crispy cheese was delicious.

She could have several more.

The smell of grilled meat and sweet scents wafted from somewhere.

Looking around, each shop was decorated with flowers and lights, so bright that the sky was invisible.

"Is there any recommended food?"

"Well, there's fried cod over there, and one-bite croquettes over there... and the pickles there are also good."

He knew quite a bit.

Cynthia held her glass in one hand and grabbed Rias's hand with the other.

"Let's go for the croquettes."

Since they had promised not to separate, asking him to buy or buying herself wouldn't work.

Rias quickly finished his glass and followed Cynthia.

After eating several of Rias's recommendations and feeling full, the crowd began to disperse.

"Where is everyone going?"

"To the canals. They release flower lanterns."

The canals, which ran along the main street, were decorated with flower lanterns at night. The lights from the lanterns made the river look like a river of light, visible as a beautiful line from the castle and the duke's residence.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes! I've never seen it up close."

"Not just to see, but to release them. There are shops selling lanterns, including some exotic ones from foreign countries."

Cynthia and Rias held hands, fingers intertwined, and slowly walked towards the canals.