Hello! Estelia here! It’s a big day~! It’s a big day! Second day of the fest! And you know what day it is! A time where everyone can freely have fun and tour around the festival, a time where your attention won’t get divided to official events! That’s right, this was the time to spend the festival with someone you like!

“Life could be dream~ Life could dream~ Do-roo-do-do, sh-boom… Hmm Hmmm~”

I was walking down the hallway with prancing steps with my servants behind me when I quietly sang that particular song. Just the first line, I sang the rest in my head. That just slipped by because of a little excitement. Finally doing something new in life!

“Excited, princess?”

I turned my head to look at Vernon who asked that question.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I have been waiting for this time with Lucious.”

I smiled. That’s right, the time of the date, it was today! A lot of discussion took place with my family while thinking of how to handle this day with Lucious. But after some compromising and a little of my convincing, everything turned out well than initially thought.

“Good for you princess, it is important to experience the wonders of youth as you are still young.”

“Really? Yes, I suppose you’re right.” I nodded, agreeing with him.

A true youthful experience! What people around my age tends to do. I have watched plenty of movies that goes through it, I watched mostly action movies by the way, so not much experience. That being said, young adult movies or series were not that great to watch…

There may be a few wholesome ones, I guess. But mostly those that star young protagonists don’t sit well with me. What’s up with people writers going straight and go into sex? Where’s the wholesomeness? All people seem to care about were getting laid. Bleeeh, it disgusts me! And oh gosh the shows in the later years of my life have been bad, all politics and shit. They don’t even make it subtle!

So much for escapism.

If some show tries to shove politics into my eyes and throat, get the fuck out! I want to relax, not get stressed!

There are a few that are actually pretty good, that you just enjoy that you won’t notice anything strange and anything preachy, you just get immersed. But they were so few that I might as well consider them rare treasures. I heard it was not that bad under 2020. I mean it’s not just the entertainment that changed a lot or have gotten terrible or annoying to my tastes, the society as well. Private organizations rose to power way more than in the last decade, and now they can control governments outright, there have been plenty of wars going on because of that. People notice, but what can they do? Damn, there was even one time when a nuke was close to being used, the people mattered little.

Time of dystopia is coming for sure! If it’s that bad in 2029, I can only imagine how it would be in 2050. Maybe it’s a good thing I got out of there before things got worse. I fear next thing I’ll know there’s a chip in my brain.

Rogan chuckled from behind. “I’m sure Lucious himself is anxious, so in case your nervous princess, remember that the feeling is mutual. Good luck with the date!”

“U-Um H-Hm… yes, I suppose that can be called a d-date.”

“A d-date…”

I turned with narrow eyes at the girl a little behind me, namely Mera. She cast her gaze downward without looking at anyone. She only heard about this today, and she’s been out of it since earlier.

Really. I went too far with her. What do I do with her? It would be wrong if she expected something big will happen between us. Her feelings were doomed to fail. I only intend to be her “friend” at most. I emphasized that word because it wasn’t really that genuine.

Besides, everyone around me, all of them… were outsiders…

Rogan, Vernon also…

It was different to be accompanied by those that grew the same as me, and those who didn’t. In the end, my deepest and true nature will never change…

My inner feelings say…. They are only – no, never mind, that would dampen the mood now, wouldn’t it? People may start to hate me if I speak any further.

I’ll just ignore Mera for now and focus on my joyful day. Rogan and Vernon of course noticed something was weird with Mera but they didn’t check up on her yet as they have their hands full with me.

“I would not worry you princess, but be careful of your surroundings, okay?” Rogan said. “I wouldn’t be there beside you.”

“As will I be.” Vernon added.

“Indeed, but you will still be watching over me from afar.”

A bit creepy to be honest. But nothing can be done about it. Lucious of course wouldn’t know about this, don’t have to ruin his day because of me. I can ignore the hidden guards, but I don’t think he could.

“Hard to be a princess, huh?” Rogan remarked.

It’s not hard to be a princess, but rather it’s hard to be hunted. I swear I’ll end this sooner than later.

“I just hope nothing ruins this special day…”

To be honest, I’m a bit confused about what I want today… My right brain says it wants the enemies to attack, but my left brain says it wants this day to go smoothly. Not literally the brain so metaphorically speaking.

But if something bad happens, I’m worried Lucious might die. He cannot fight after all.

We arrived at the lobby and at the same time encountered Eleden and his girlfriend, Lillie. My brows knitted a little for a moment. They were going to do the same thing I was supposed to do with Lucious.

Going incognito. Royal hiding in public as they have fun. It was supposed to be my unique moment that happened today. But nooo… these two lovebirds just have to do the same, so much for being special.

I am a bit displeased, no matter how unreasonable that may be. I am only honest with my feelings.

“My sister, you look fabulous.”

Eleden said to me with a nod.

I was wearing a laced beautiful white and red dress, and then brown boots. One of the clothes made by my tailor. Simple enough for a casual outing, but beautiful enough that it screams I’m rich! Not that I’m against it of course, I love to look good.

“I should say, Princess Estelia, your hair is so lovely. The braiding is wonderful as well, the way it shortened the length but still looked neat.”

“Um, thank you. Mera braided it; she has been a great help when handling my lengthy hair.”

“No plans to cut it then?”

“No.”

“I see. Reminds me of my little sister. She likes her hair kept long and would run whenever someone comes to cut it.”

“Is that so.”

I want to verbally say “long hair supremacy” but of course I wouldn’t.

“Then, my sister, we’ll be going first. Lucious will arrive shortly. He was being too meticulous with how he looks.”

He chuckled then grabbed the two cloaks presented by the servant and gave one to Lillie. Eleden should really stop exposing Lucious like that.

“Okay, brother… um, have fun.”

With that, with cloaks covering them, they left the lobby. Now I’m just waiting for my date… It was still ahead of schedule anyway, so there’s no problem. I’m not gonna get mad because someone’s late, okay? I’m not that type of girl. I am an understanding girl.

I sat down on the nearby chair and gracefully placed my hands on my lap. While waiting, my fingers tapped on my lap. Happens to anyone who were a bit restless or excited. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to say the least, my first time going on an actual date.

‘But Estelia you’re an assassin and you get nervous by a date?!’ Shut it! I’m still a girl through and through!

Is it wrong to feel this way…? Hmmm?!

I waited for about a minute until the one I was waiting for finally came right about time.

“I’m terribly sorry for making you wait, Estelia…”

I kindly smiled. “I don’t mind. You look good, by the way…”

He looked like a proper young gentleman. His dark blue coat and shirt under were neat without a trace of wrinkle, his trousers just appropriately fit, and black boots. His outfit fit him perfectly, stylish, and attractive. His hair was combed nicely and he looked cool. He looked even more handsome now that he prepared himself.

“Really? Thanks… And you, you look absolutely… mesmerizing.”

“U-Ehm… mm, yes…” I pulled my hair behind my ear. “A shame I would get covered by my cloak in the end.”

“There are places where no one should constantly go, you can freely remove your cloak there.”

“That’s great!”

He nodded his head and turned to face the nearby servant. “Is the carriage ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

The carriage we’ll be using was going to be a simple one so we wouldn’t stand out. Then we’ll be dropped off just outside the city. Wouldn’t be a good date if we just ride the carriage around the city streets.

I received my cloak.

“Let me help you.”

Lucious offered help, so I accepted. This was another cloak, so two cloaks for me now. I drew the hood upon my head and made sure to cover my face as much as possible, especially my precious hair. Lucious wouldn’t need to wear a cloak since no commoner knows him to begin with. He was just an assistant to the prince, and he didn’t need to go out often where the public can see him.

Besides, the common populace wouldn’t go crazy for someone who wasn’t a royal. But I guess he’ll just wear the hood to make sure.

“I’m ready.”

“Alright, we can go.”

Vernon bowed his head. “Stay safe, you two.”

Rogan smiled at me. “Have a pleasant time.”

Mera seemed to panic as she was yet to speak, and she frantically lowered her head. “H-Have f-fun.”

I nodded at them with a smile and walked out of the palace beside Lucious.

Oh wait, there was one problem.

“Um, Lucious…”

“Yes?”

“I have no money.”

“…”

His eyes widened before his cheek puffed and when he couldn’t hold it in any longer, his repressed laughter escaped. “Hahaha!”

“What’s so funny?”

“Sorry sorry. Hehehe. I just didn’t expect you would be worried about that. You don’t have to. As the man, it’s all on me. I mean, that’s how it normally goes since I asked you out.”

“Is that so…? Alright.”

Wew. Thankfully it went as I expected. Well, would be weird if I must spend when obviously I’m broke.

How could I be so poor yet so rich?

***

The carriage stopped and I got down with a hand from Lucious. We were a bit distant from the majority of the crowd and the carriage had to move around a little to avoid it being obvious that the carriage came from the palace.

I pulled my hood down as I scouted the loud and filled street. People seemed to be really having a good time, food stands on the sidewalks and people eating and chatting. Lucious particularly picked this side of the city as this area was where most activity was. Of course, where the thickest traffic was, was where there were a lot of things to do.

Lucious audibly inhaled as though nervous as he stared at the crowd of people. I turned to the carriage as it moved to the side of the road, here it will be staying until we’re done.  I gazed up at the blue sky, a morning given life and brightness by the sun.

Alright, a good day to have a leisurely fun. Just a normal day!

I stepped forward.

“Lucious let’s go. I want to check that food stand!”

I excitedly pointed at the stand where there appeared to be a crowd gathering. If there’s a lot of people, it means it’s good. I am of course looking forward to the foods the festival offers, it’s one of the main attractions of every festival. What sort of festival without any special food, eh?

Lucious chuckled. “Of course, take the lead.”

I moved onward with energetic steps, letting out a little hum of a song. I slowed down when the number of people in front of me increased and I stayed close to Lucious. Shortly, we arrived at the food stand, I stood on tiptoe as I took a peek from the people’s shoulders.

From what I can see, the stand was selling fried vegetables dipped in some kind of sauce. Some vegetables were familiar of course, and I’m curious what made it different with it being fried.

The person in front of me left and I took his place.

“Woah.”

It looked delicious. They were sliced in flat circles, while some curling, reminded me of fried potatoes. All in all, the food here looked pretty interesting.

“Looks delicious, want some?” Lucious asked me.

I looked up at him and gently nodded my head. He bought one stick for each of us. It smelled good which I think is mainly because of the sauce. One should be cautious when eating street foods. But you know, screw that! I’ll eat whatever for today.

And so I did bit on the food. As expected it was delicious, the sauce truly gave it some apt sweetness, with the vegetables had a little bit of saltiness but not too much, mainly it had flavor.

No wonder a lot of people gathered here. Before I can bite more, we needed to leave the stand as more people were gathering. Standing at the side of a building, we finished consuming the food.

“Interesting that commoners are able to create such a delightful food.” Lucious said after he slowly chewed.

“Indeed… reminds me of the time Estevan had me eat some worms.”

“W-Worms?!”

“Yes, worms. Never seen it before?”

“N-No… but worms? Are they even edible? Is it delicious?” he asked hesitantly. It must be unthinkable for an aristocrat to eat something such as a worm.

“Yes, it is delicious in fact. However, I will not be eating those again.”

“Perhaps it’s for the best.”

“Do you go out to the city often, Lucious?”

We were childhood friends, but when he started to really work for Eleden, we didn’t get to be in touch much as before. So I wonder if he often went out to the city for a variety of reasons. But in my recollection, Eleden never goes out much as Estevan unless for official business. Still, Lucious could be going around places when he’s free.

“Not really. For sightseeing and scouting sometimes, yes. But for casual visits and such, no.”

“Even during festivals?”

“Festivals are times when it’s usually the busiest. My time to take a look at the festival is scarcely limited. Plus, it is lonely to go out when you have no one else to be with.”

“What about Eleden?”

“Well, he is royalty. It is hard to bring him around.”

“I suppose. Which reminds me, I wonder where the two of them now.”

“Eleden and Lady Lillie? Should not be far from us. We might encounter them by luck later on.”

This could have been a double date, but what’s the fun in that?

When we finished eating the food, we threw the wooden stick at the nearby wooden trash box. We went around places. Taking a look at what people were selling, from souvenirs to craftings and carvings. Most of the products were wooden as expected.

That being said, the craftsmanship was exquisite. I’m still impressed at how people were able to do all of that detail manually. Lucious asked me if I want to buy some, but I denied him. Not really my style to keep stuff. And I don’t want to be carrying things on my date!

Walking further into the crowded district, we encountered a small open area where a group of musicians were playing music with a crowd. Drums, windpipe, and stringed instruments played beautifully, along with them were the classy vocals.

People danced to the music; smiles filled their faces. Their dance was something I was familiar with, it was taught to me in my etiquette lesson once, one that was only tackled a little as it was only simple. The men and women on the dance floor laughed heartily and joyfully, some looking for partners as they dance, while some brought their true partners with them.

One of the singers walked to crowd while singing and pulled a couple into the dance floor. They were embarrassed at first but shortly danced with the others. It was particularly not a romantic song; it was a song about companionship. The instrumentals were so catchy that one might be urged to dance.

I liked it. I smiled at the scene in front of me. I could truly feel the joyous atmosphere. Suddenly, one female singer noticed us and immediately walked over to us. I noticed it a little too late as I was enjoying the scene and would be embarrassing to walk out now.

She grabbed my hand and Lucious’s. I turned to look at Lucious with wide eyes, surprised that this was happening. Without waiting for a reaction, the woman pulled us into the front.

Lucious and I ended up facing each other, I looked up at him with a concerned smile.

He lightly scratched his cheek. “Hehehe…” he quietly chuckled, his cheeks red. “So, what are we going to do?”

He looked quite cute when he was hesitant and embarrassed. He wanted to dance but was hesitating because I may not like doing it. I smiled sweetly and held out my hand to him, waiting for him to receive it.

He stared at it and smiled, but the corner of his lips was shaking a little. He gently took hold of my hand, and vertically raised our hands while our palms touched each other. The same we did on the other hand.

After that, we slowly let go of one hand while the remaining touching palms held their position as we stretched away and slowly made a tiny distance. As we were about to get separated, we swirled while keeping the momentum of our prior motion.

After that single swirl, we faced each other. I lifted the sides of my cloak, a curtsy, while he bowed, his hand on his chest, while the other was on his back. We waited for that little change in the music. A second later, a shift came, as if it was deliberately changed for us.

I took a step forward while making tiny stationary steps after one step, all in a timely manner with the music. The vocals were out and only the instrumentals remained. My body swayed with every step.

Mine and Lucious’s palms touched. We stared each other in the eyes as our faces got closer. We stepped to the side and switched the palms touching each other, with my free hand spread out.

Feet dancing, body swaying, we swirled and returned touching our hands. We keep our eyes on each other. Our dance was completely in sync, and it was satisfying. I never liked doing it with my dancing partner during practice.

Lucious’s gaze felt more peaceful. His touch was more pleasant. His presence was gentle. I was lost in the moment. The heavy weight in my heart lightened as all worries slowly slipped out of my mind.

My smile became involuntary.

This moment was… enjoyable.

The next part of the dance, this was the gentle part. With him holding my hand, he gently pulled me. He then gently placed a hand on my waist, while I put my hand on his shoulder. Our faces were closer than ever.

My body became a little warmer. I lowered my head.

The dance continued. Footwork silent.

Eventually, we reached the ending. We separated but keeping the palms of our hands touching each other as we slowly moved back away. After that, we bowed at each other once again.

With that, our dance came to an end. How unfair, they switched to a romantic song. I knew about it from my music lessons. They may have removed the vocals, but I still recognized that song.

The people around us applauded. I took a look around, and I was relieved that there were other people dancing with us, so we weren’t the center of attention. My hood was drawn back a little, but thankfully still hid my white hair, I pulled it in further.

Lucious suddenly grabbed my hand and brought me out of the crowd. We stopped at a corner. We stared at each other, smiling together.

“That was fun…” I quietly said.

“Indeed, it was. A little nerve-wracking though, I have not danced in front of that many people. But I still enjoyed dancing with you.”

“… Mm… It was lovely… dancing with you…”