“We’ve arrived, Your Highness. We are in the Valdia Mark.”
“Thank you, Asuna.”
As I stepped out of the carriage, I found myself moved by the world around me. The buildings were completely different from those in the Lenarute castle town, and even the people walking through the streets were of a different race. My eyes were sparkling with excitement.
“I apologize, Your Highness, but you must hide your ears with this headscarf,” Asuna said, stepping behind me and wrapping a scarf around my head, making sure to cover my ears. “You should be all right now. Outside of Lenarute, being a dark elf may lead to being targeted by scoundrels. You must always cover your ears when traveling.”
“I will be careful,” I replied.
Once Asuna and I were ready, my mother, who’d been watching us, spoke up.
“If you’re ready now, you may go see the town. The imperial capital will be much grander, but make sure to get a good look at everything.”
“Understood,” I said.
With that, I began exploring the town with Asuna and several other bodyguards. This was my first time there, and my first outing in general. I couldn’t help but get excited and carried away. Everything was so new to me, and I kept running around. Before I knew it, everyone I was traveling with was gone.
“A-Asuna? Is everyone gone?”
No one was responding to my voice. Just then, I thought back to what Asuna had said about being targeted by scoundrels. I suddenly felt helpless, and my knees felt weak. I wanted to call out for someone but I was too scared to say anything.
What should I do?
I was about to be crushed by my anxiety, but the very next moment, a voice called out to me from behind.
“Are you all right?”
“Um...”
I turned around, surprised by the voice. Behind me was another child, who looked to be roughly the same age as me. He was very pretty, with silver hair and beautiful purple eyes. I first thought he might be a girl, but judging from his clothes, I could tell he was a boy. He also had two escorts with him, one man and one woman, so he was possibly a noble. Despite the lack of suspicious signs, it was so sudden that I probably seemed terrified. Seeing my reaction, he spoke to me in a gentle tone.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I probably scared you by coming up to you out of nowhere.”
“N-No, I’m fine...”
He was a kind boy. It seemed he’d noticed that I was in trouble from afar and had come over to help. He explained that I didn’t have to be suspicious of him because he was connected to the knights who served the margrave.
I struggled with what to do and ultimately decided to be honest and tell him that I was in trouble. He said that he couldn’t leave me on my own and would help me find the people I’d been separated from. The boy looked worried about me, but he still smiled as though trying to reassure me. At that moment, I felt my chest grow hot.
“Thank you very much...”
“There’s no need to thank me,” he said. “People are supposed to help each other out in times of trouble. Also, I couldn’t leave such a cute girl like you alone.”
Such a cute girl?
I’d never been told anything like that by a boy my age, and I felt my chest grow hot again.
Thanks to the boy and his escorts, I was quickly reunited with Asuna and the others. Asuna was incredibly mad at me. Once the boy saw that I was all right, he smiled.
“Well, I’ll be going then,” he said. “Be careful not to get lost again.”
With that, he left. For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he disappeared into the distance.
Once we returned to my mother, I was scolded again. I’d never seen her so upset before. Her anger almost rained down on Asuna and the other bodyguards, but I desperately pleaded with her, insisting that I was at fault, and I managed to save them from her wrath.
The plan was to stay at an inn in town for one night. I was sharing my room with Asuna, and I told her about how I’d felt myself flush.
Asuna looked both happy and sad as she replied, “Your Highness, I believe those are romantic feelings you are having.”
“Romantic feelings?” I repeated.
“Yes, but if Lady Eltia is correct, you will eventually marry someone chosen for you due to the relationship between Lenarute and the empire. I believe it may be for the best to hide those feelings and forget about them, Your Highness.”
I silently nodded in response. I was well aware that I would eventually enter into a political marriage. Asuna was right—it would be for the best to forget these feelings.
“Oh, that reminds me. I heard that Margrave Valdia’s son is close in age to you. The boy that you met today might actually be his son.”
Asuna changed the subject as though trying to cheer me up.
The son of Margrave Valdia... He was traveling with servants, and he seemed like he might be a noble, but he probably isn’t. Also, if I really am married off, I’m going to be marrying into the imperial family, I thought, shaking my head.
“I think that may be a bit of a stretch,” I said with a giggle.
After that, I spent the night chatting with Asuna and decided to forget about the boy I’d met today. If that hot sensation in my chest really was from romantic feelings, then perhaps that boy was my first love. And that was the very reason I had to forget about him.
Though I’d made up my mind to move on, I couldn’t help but think about the one regret I had.
I should’ve at least asked his name...