“No Jeana, Ori won’t marry him ”

My mom said in a motherly voice, which calmed her down a bit. She might have calmed down but I was expecting something more from her answer… Noticing my expression, mom continued.

“Don’t worry Ori, you won’t have to marry anytime soon”

Everyone became weirdly silent as they looked at me waiting for some kind of reaction, a relaxed smile was the best I could do. With the silence still lingering I noticed Simon’s gaze and he noticed mine.

“I am sorry for the interruption, I am sir Simon and I will be the royal guard responsible for your protection for the duration of the festival Miss Oriel”

He was even kneeling as he said it... I guess this was the power of my status.

“Nice to meet u~ Simo! P~ease take care of me~”

Simon’s composed expression broke down to a smile for a second. I am glad to have a reliable guard with me, not just the prince who was looking at our exchange ready to make a mood ruining comment.

“Mom, Let~ walk!”

“Sure Ori”

And so we continued, with small talk happening all around me I couldn’t help but be relaxed, that is until I noticed how many people were still looking at me... 

Don’t these merchants have anything better to do?

After a few more minutes it put me in a bad mood, being the center of attention might be good and all, but this felt like torture…

Simon seemed to have picked up on my situation.

“Is something bothering you Miss Oriel?”

“Ever~one looking at me~”

I didn’t even have to try to make a dejected expression, I thanked Simon in my head a thousand times.

“We can’t make them stop staring, so the solution would be to either get back inside or go somewhere secluded...”

I didn’t wanna go back inside now, so I decided to make a risky offer. I know that place is not the best for Alice, but it is my only option… And I guess my curiosity got the best of me.

“Mom, can we go to the old building?”

“You mean the one you went with Alice?”

This caught me by surprise, but I guess she is obligated to tell everything to her employer. I looked at Alice to see her reaction, but it was calmer than I expected, her eyes told me it was okay.

“Ye~”

“Sure we can go there, the only ones there will be the guards”

Just how important is that building really, they keep it clean and tidy, and now they are putting guards around it, it just makes me all the more curious…

I guess my child instincts make me wanna ask about everything, but I am still not used to doing it, even though I am sure it is normal and my questions would be answered…

We continued walking, being followed by people’s gazes until we reached the old pathway. There were two guards at the beginning of it. But they paid no mind to us.

It had been so long since I came here with Alice, the trees which were beginning to lose their leaves at the time were now full of life and color. It made the eerie feeling I got last time be replaced by a sense of wonder.

The more I think about it the more I notice how big my family’s property really is.

As I was lost in my own head I started to notice the old building in the distance, looking at Alice walking near me I noticed she still had a composed expression.

I sincerely wish for her to be as calm on the inside as she is on the outside...