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THERE were all sorts of events held throughout the festival. A popular circus had set up its show, a few stalls sold adorable animal plushies, and a puppet show with marionettes captivated me with its deep, mature story.
I’d wanted to try more food that wasn’t sweet, but time passed too quickly.
“The sun is going to set soon. Once it’s dark outside, the last event for today will be the fireworks show.” I gazed at the orange sky, a bit melancholic. The festival would last for two weeks, but I was pretty sure the five of us wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience it together again like today.
“I know what we should do before we leave.” As Prince Adelberd said that, he turned to look at the ring toss game.
The goal of the game was to throw rings at the prize of your choice, and anyone who landed one on their target would win that prize. Although the rings seemed hastily designed with white wings and red crests that resembled those of chickens. That was probably the best they could do given that the festival’s theme was changed so unexpectedly.
“They’re throwing Cynthias…”
“I’m not a chicken, Siraiya.” I corrected my fiancé before answering Prince Adelberd. “That’s a good idea. If we win something, we’ll be able to go home with keepsakes from the festival.”
“Which prize do you want, Cynthia?” Siraiya probably wanted to win something for me once he heard how eager I was. That was just who he was as a person.
“Let me see… The tiny plushies are cute, but I really like that ring, too.”
“The ring…?”
I pointed at the star-shaped ring—a piece of jewelry made for children. It was far too cheap to wear in public as a noblewoman, but I wanted it as a keepsake, not an addition to my wardrobe. I would keep it in my jewelry box and look at it every now and then, recalling the fond memories of this special day we all shared.
“Wait, I’m going to win that one. I had my eye on it from the start.”
But Prince Adelberd stepped in and interrupted. He was already holding one of the rings for tossing. That was quick… I bet he wants to win it for Lady Estellise.
“Wait, Big Brother! I’ll win it instead!”
For some reason, Prince Rutherford had joined the challenge. Perhaps he was at a particularly competitive age.
The two Elzerian princes and the young duke were now fighting for the same prize. They glared at each other, refusing to give in, then simultaneously tossed all their rings toward the prize at once.
…Actually, only two rings were tossed, for some reason.
“What’s wrong, Siraiya?” I asked.
He’d gone through the motions of throwing it but never actually let go. His arms trembled, and he struggled to get his words out.
“I could never toss you away, Cynthia…!”
“Again, that isn’t me, Siraiya.”
He just couldn’t unsee the chicken-themed ring as me. He was sweating and bleary-eyed like this was a terrible hardship, but after much effort, the ring finally left his hands—only to fall weakly at his feet.
Meanwhile, Prince Adelberd and Prince Rutherford had tossed a few rings by this point. After timing their throws to knock each other’s rings away, the fearsome battle eventually concluded with Prince Adelberd as the victor. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the game’s main love interest. He really excelled at competitions like these.
His Royal Highness claimed his prize, took Lady Estellise’s left hand, and asked her if he could put the ring on her finger. Lady Estellise nodded eagerly.
“I don’t think it will fit anywhere but your pinky finger.”
It was a child’s ring, so there was no getting around it. Lady Estellise brought her other hand up to clutch the adorable ring on her pinky and murmured, “I’ll cherish this.”
Crown princes had rings that were passed down to their wives throughout generations. Lady Estellise would wear it herself someday, but now she also had this star-shaped ring—something special that belonged only to her and Prince Adelberd.
For that reason, I was glad the ring had ended up in their hands.
“I wish I could have won it… You said you wanted a keepsake and everything. I’m sorry; I’m so worthless.” Siraiya was still clutching his remaining rings. I didn’t want this experience to become a source of pain, so I quickly searched for something that would ease his worries.
“It’s all right. We’ll be able to come back to any Rhuddlan festival we want, so there are still plenty more memories for us to make together.”
“You’re right… We have our entire futures ahead of us.”
Siraiya and I exchanged smiles. From behind me, Prince Rutherford muttered, “What’s with you two…?”
I turned around to find the young prince sulking.
“Siraiya, may I try throwing the rest of your rings?” I asked.
“Of course.”
He handed me his rings. I ran my eyes over the rows of prizes.
I found my target on the nearest shelf and tossed the ring, managing to snag it on my first try. I’d scored a tiny plushie small enough to sit in the palm of my hand—a bear holding a pot of honey. These were common souvenirs found throughout the Rhuddlan territory, which was probably why it was so easy to win.
“For you.” I held the tiny plushie out for Prince Rutherford. I watched as he cocked his head.
“Why do you think I need a stuffed animal…?”
“Because it’s a bear. What’s the harm in taking it? Think of it as a memento of our newfound friendship.”
“…Fine. Thank you…”
He didn’t sound very pleased, but the faint tint to his cheeks and the look in his eyes as he gazed at the bear told me that Prince Rutherford was actually happy with his gift.
Prince Rutherford was a member of the royal family, which meant he couldn’t come and enjoy the Rhuddlan territory as frequently as Siraiya and I. I hoped he would feel less lonely now that he had a keepsake from the trip to take home with him.
Suddenly, a boom shook the ground, followed by a loud chorus of cheers.
The fireworks show had started, casting beautiful colors over the nearby sea—the source of our territory’s plentiful seafood. We were close enough to the fireworks that we could feel them reverberating in our bones.
Siraiya and I couldn’t peel our eyes away. We watched as the second firework shot overhead, bloomed in the night sky, and dissipated into nothingness.
“So beautiful.”
“It really is.”
Siraiya echoed my impressions in the brief silence between detonations. I pictured the rest of my life being just like it was in this moment—Siraiya at my side, always there to answer my offhand remarks.
That thrilled me. Just then, I realized that Prince Adelberd and Lady Estellise were nuzzled up against each other as they looked up at the sky. The two had managed to act lovey-dovey all day thanks to a shared desire for more physical contact.
I was so happy for Lady Estellise. Then, the two turned toward each other, leaned in…and kissed.
“A ki-…!!”
I brought my hand to my mouth before I could cry out. Before we set out for this festival, they weren’t even holding hands without explicit permission. Now, it only took a simple exchange of glances before they knew it was time to go in for a kiss. I could hardly believe how quickly their relationship had progressed.
I’m happy for them, but doesn’t this mean they’ve grown as a couple even more than Siraiya and me?
I turned to look at my fiancé, only to find him covering his face with both hands. He must have seen them too. I felt myself fall in love all over again with the beet-red, bashful man at my side—although I also worried whether he would even be capable of kissing me at our wedding ceremony.
I nuzzled up against my adorable partner and watched the fireworks bloom in the night sky overhead.