Chapter 63
"Forget what Mother said."
Leaving the lively ballroom and walking along the moonlit outer corridor, Rudo showed a wry smile.
"The queen's..."
"Brother, you don't need to worry. It seems it hasn't reached Celes..."
Peering into my face, Renato exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders, and I flicked his forehead with a sharp tap.
"Is that so?"
"Even if you're surprised like that, it's troubling. Rudo hasn't even mentioned which of the queen's words we're supposed to forget, so how could it reach anyone?"
"No, that's certainly true, but..."
Glancing at the stammering Rudo, I proceeded down the quiet outer corridor with the two princes' escort knights.
Ahead, there's a small rose arch, and passing through it supposedly reveals a large lake.
Luant Palace opens only a part of its grounds as a public facility on the day of the music festival, but that's limited to the eastern side with the theater, the central ballroom, and two of the four gardens—the main gate and the eastern one. The rest are restricted areas, so I've never set foot there.
At first, I intended to quietly explore inside the palace to pass the time, but at Rudo's suggestion, our destination changed to the lake.
"Well, to be honest, I was so nervous during the conversation with the queen that I barely remember it."
"Nervous... Celes was?"
"It wasn't a place where I should have been."
The fact that a rural noble from a border territory is treated on par with high-ranking nobles is entirely due to Grandfather's achievements.
Standing on that stage and being addressed by His Majesty is a privilege reserved for a select few, and I, who only have value as Fildé Rotish's grandchild, don't belong there.
Rather, I'd like to be praised just for being able to stand upright in that setting.
Smiling at Rudo, who looked puzzled, I moved my feet that had almost stopped.
"More importantly, was it okay to bring Rudo and Renato out with me?"
It's a bit late to ask, but at a music festival hosted by the royal family, two of the main figures have left the ballroom.
"Haha, so we were the ones dragged out..."
"That's right. It's because of Grandfather's word that we ended up leaving the ballroom like this."
Sighing at Rudo, who held his mouth to stifle a laugh over something amusing, Renato, walking beside me, tightly gripped my hand.
"If it wasn't okay, Father would have stopped us, so it's fine. Besides, Father and Mother are happy to talk with Fildé slowly, and Brother and I are happy that Celes is here."
Renato, who has grown a little taller, squeezed my hand a few times while looking up at me with such an adorable expression, like an angel... No, he must be an angel. He probably fell from the sky by mistake.
"Celes, your face is falling apart."
"An angel, an angel..."
"Your behavior is getting strange. Renato, step away a bit."
"Yes."
I hadn't noticed until now because I'd never seen the queen up close, but Renato's appearance and aura are strikingly similar to hers.
"I see, so a goddess gave birth to an angel..."
"Come back to reality before you completely lose it."
"Ouch, hey...!?"
As I nodded thoughtfully, someone smacked the back of my head from behind, and I glared at the culprit walking to my right.
"You're dressed so beautifully, so don't glare like that."
"...That's hardly gentlemanly behavior, you know?"
"I merely stopped someone displaying unladylike expressions and behavior. I had no choice."
"As always, your tongue hasn't dulled a bit."
"We're even, aren't we?"
With a grin and a lively step, Rudo walked ahead, not as His Highness the Crown Prince striving to act regal, but as the age-appropriate Ludweek I knew from the fortress.
"You look like you're having fun."
"No one wouldn't be happy to reunite with a friend. Besides, I'm heading to a special place I secretly visit."
"The lake?"
"Every year when I come here, I take my escorts and go alone to gaze at the lake. This palace is famous for its beautiful gardens, but the view of the lake at night is exceptional."
"Isn't it pitch black?"
"You'll understand when you see it."
Laughing together with Renato, I met his eyes as Rudo quickened his pace with shining eyes.
"If we don't hurry, we'll be left behind... Renato?"
Feeling a tug on my sleeve, I shifted my gaze to Renato, and my heart screamed at his utterly adorable words, "I'm having fun too, you know?"
Nodding vigorously in affirmation, I was met with a divine smile... How precious.
Biting my lip to avoid blurting out something strange, I noticed Rudo, who had been walking ahead with the escort knights, suddenly stop.
Catching sight of one of the escort knights stepping in front of Rudo to shield him, I narrowed my eyes and saw an unfamiliar man standing by the rose arch, the entrance to the lake.
If the escort knights are separated, they can't protect what needs protecting...
"Brother...? Huh, Celes!"
Immediately scanning the surroundings for any figures or blind spots, I grabbed Renato's arm and rushed to Rudo's side.
"That's why I was just asked to guide someone...!"
Hurrying to join Rudo, I saw a man with a sword pressed to his neck by an escort knight, shouting in a voice like a scream that it was a misunderstanding.
His all-black attire was the same as those carrying glasses and light snacks in the ballroom.
"What happened?"
"This man was peering toward the lake, so we called out to him, but..."
"The lake...? Not an assassin, but a suspicious person, perhaps?"
"N-No, that's not it. I was only told by a noble young lady attending the music festival to guide her to the lake!"
"A noble young lady...?"
"Yes. I was told to return after guiding her, but since there didn't seem to be any escorts with her, I was worried. I thought she'd come back after looking at the lake for a bit, so I waited here, but..."
If what he's saying is true, it means a noble young lady is gazing at the lake alone at this hour without any escorts.
"Isn't the lake a restricted area?"
"It should be, but... why did you guide her there?"
"I asked if she had permission, but she said it wasn't necessary. I thought she must be someone of high status..."
At Rudo's accusing tone, the man flinched and, while cautiously glancing at us, said something outrageous.
"Could it be that a princess is here incognito?"
"She's definitely in the Royal Capital. Besides, there's no way she'd move without escorts."
Nodding in agreement, I stared at the man before me, thinking that if this was an act, it was quite impressive.
There was no sign of weapons hidden in his hands or sleeves, nor any unnatural bulges in his clothing.
"Would someone pretend to be royalty?"
"Normally, no. But the young lady didn't claim to be royalty herself."
"So this man just assumed it on his own and guided her..."
Under everyone's intense stares, the man curled up smaller, and for caution's sake, an escort knight restrained him.
What remains is...
"If we pass through this arch, it's the lake, right?"
"Celes... I'll send the escorts."
"We don't yet have assurance that this man is safe. So, we can't separate the escort knights from Rudo and Renato's side, can we?"
"But..."
"It's fine. I'll just take a look."
Returning to the ballroom and sending other knights to the lake would be better, but if the young lady at the lake truly is someone of high status, it could lead to irreversible consequences.
"I'll just peek out from there. If there's nothing, I'll come right back."
Pointing to the depths of the arch, I lightly tapped the dagger hidden under my dress, kept secret from my nanny.
One on the right, two on the left.
I really wanted to bring a sword, but there's no way I could carry one into a place where royalty is present. Though it feels a bit unreliable, I did my best with this.
Quietly stepping into the rose arch without making a sound.
Walking a few meters down the dimly lit path covered in flowers, I tilted my head at the brightness near the exit, peeked out from the arch, and widened my eyes at the sight before me.
"...Amazing."
Lights were lit on each tree surrounding the large lake, their reflections shimmering on the water's surface, creating a fantastical space.
Looking up at the sky, countless stars shone in the deep, dark night sky that seemed to draw me in, and below it, a lake as beautiful as a picture book.
Understanding why Rudo called it exceptional, I was moved by the scenery while holding my breath and peering toward the lake. A narrow paved path stretched from the rose arch to the water's edge...
"...Huh?"
Noticing a figure standing right by the lake, I narrowed my eyes, and upon recognizing the familiar silhouette, I let out a small, surprised sound.
Judging by the height, it was still a young child. Long hair was beautifully curled, and a pure white dress was extravagantly adorned with colorful flower corsages from the chest to the hem.
"Mirabel..."
Stunned by the identity of the figure clearly illuminated by the tree lights, I couldn't move immediately.
Lowering the right hand that had been covering her eyes, she deliberately made noise as she walked along the paved stone path.
Despite the sound of heels clicking—click, click—Mirabel showed no sign of turning around, which made me suspicious, so I reached into my dress and gripped the knife.
"Hey"
As I stood behind Mirabel, who was gazing at the lake, and called out in a low voice, she slowly turned around while holding her hair down, even though there was no wind, and wore a faint smile...
"..."
She glanced at me, furrowed her brow for a moment, then tilted her head.
"Why are you here...!"
she shouted.