Chapter 13: Frogs, Kisses, and Presents
ACCORDING to Henrik’s family butler, Mia and Henrik had also decided to attend the festival once evening fell.
Felix and Mathias headed to the station, where the butler had suggested they all meet up. The statue of King Leonard they’d noticed the day before made a good landmark.
Excited, Felix had decided to wear his frock coat and top hat to go out, but Mathias had forced him to reconsider, saying he would stand out too much. Eventually, Felix agreed to wear the same thing as Mathias—a simple tweed bowler hat and lounge suit ensemble.
The town was extremely crowded on the way to the plaza. The streets extending from the central hub were quite wide—as wide as Isea’s King Street. But with festival stalls and booths crammed along both sides, and horses and carriages trotting in both directions, and with all the sightseers…it was hard to move at anything faster than a snail’s pace.
People in front of them kept stopping to buy things from the stalls, which held up the foot traffic even more.
Felix was growing increasingly agitated when he spotted an interesting stall. He frowned.
“It’s all frog ornaments?”
Felix, who had few real friends, had often played with bugs and frogs. Perhaps that was another reason why his father and brothers looked at him like he was some sort of simpleton.
But these frogs, they were quite intricately made. Some of them looked so lifelike, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d started to jump and croak.
Felix leaned in, curious.
“Young Master! How about this lovely frog brooch?”
The stallkeeper suddenly called out to Felix.
“That’s more of a lady’s accessory, isn’t it?”
Felix shrugged and got moving again, but the next stall made him pause again. This one sold frog-shaped glass earrings.
“No, no, no, it’s all about hair accessories this season!”
A stallkeeper across the way called out to him, mistaking him for a potential customer.
“…What’s with all the frogs, anyway? I mean, I know they’re cute and everything, but this seems like overkill.”
Felix turned to Mathias, who raised an eyebrow. “Er, I’m not sure I’d call them cute,” he disagreed.
Another stallkeeper caught their conversation and roared with laughter.
The stallkeeper had a frog sitting on his shoulder. Just as Felix was thinking that it was a very lifelike ornament, it suddenly moved. So it was real? But it was winter—wasn’t it too cold for live frogs this time of year?
As Felix peered at it with curiosity, the stallkeeper grinned.
“Ah, not from around here, are you? So, you don’t know about the romance of King Leonard and Princess Luludia, eh? Well, listen to this…”
Felix was embarrassed. These were his own ancestors the man was talking about. He didn’t want to think about his ancestors’ love lives. Felix cut him off before he could say any more.
“I know the tale. But my question is, why all the frogs?”
“King Leonard gifted a frog-shaped Neu-Aera to Princess Luludia, which sparked their romance! This festival celebrates that event.”
“Romance…”
Felix’s ears perked up. His eyes gleamed.
“Ever since, we fellows have expressed our romantic intents with frog-themed gifts. Per tradition, the gift is returned with a kiss from the lady, should she be agreeable, that is.”
“A kiss?!!!”
Felix took a step forward, grabbing the stallkeeper’s sleeves. The man reeled back in alarm.