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AFTER our conversation, the Centorian guests left for their homeland just past noon. They received a warm send-off from the citizens that was identical to the welcome at their arrival.
I watched the carriages depart before I returned to Sekirei Palace. Usually, the palace was as lively and filled with chatter as a dormitory at an all-girls school, but despite the brilliant daylight outside, complete silence reigned.
A maid walked out and greeted me. “Welcome back, my lady.”
“Thank you for taking care of the palace in my absence. Has everyone gone off to enjoy the festival?”
“Yes, and they were very enthusiastic about it.”
“That’s great.”
I gazed down at the capital from the balcony. Crimson hanging lanterns dotted the streets like red orchids, brightening the cityscape with vibrant color visible even during the day.
Commoners also celebrated the summer festival. It was especially significant to the young maidens with flowers in their hair—for them, it was the season of romance.
I had given permission t0 those interested to return to their households for a short holiday. I’d heard that the festival period was one when families reunited as traveling merchants and migrant workers made their way home, and I wanted my staff to indulge in and savor such opportunities. And when they came back, I hoped they would bring me stories about all kinds of places in Orient.
A melodious voice suddenly called out to me from behind. “Hey Sai, are you not going to the festival?”
Startled, I let out a high-pitched yelp.
I didn’t have to turn around to know who my surprise visitor was—only one woman would refer to me without my title.
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Chapter Seventy-Two: Discovering the Bud in My Heart
“YOUR M—” I cut myself off, remembering it was a court lady who stood before me. “Lady Haruiro.”
“Let’s go to the festival!” the emperor said in a honeyed voice. She was in her female form, and a cute flower pattern decorated her clothing. “Do I look good in this?”
I slowly blinked at her.
She pursed her lips slightly. “Wait, do you think this is ugly? Does it not suit me?”
“This is just a guess, but…do you enjoy being a woman?”
“Ahaha, nah, that’s not the case. Ideally, I would go around the festival with you in my real form.”
“That is, um… I am very honored.”
“But, well, I’ve seen you having so much fun with your court ladies recently, and I thought, ‘Ah, that seems nice.’”
Does that mean he wants a taste of the girls’ dormitory vibe? I didn’t really understand where he was coming from, but I quickly schooled my thoughts.
“Your M— Lady Haruiro,” I began, “although I am very happy about your invitation, I am not capable enough to protect you by myself, so I am afraid…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. My wonderful older brother is going to come along as our guard!” She gave me a brilliant grin.
I peered behind her and saw Lord Yukinari, his face sour and arms folded. Pity overtook my heart. “Thank you for all your hard work…”
“If this were merely a self-indulgent wish, I would not have gone along with her,” he said in a clipped voice. “However, showing you around the festival is a respectable plan.”
“Lord Yukinari…” I gave him a grateful look. “In that case, please allow me to join the two of you.”
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I changed from my priestess attire into an outdoor outfit, then climbed onto a palanquin intended for court ladies with the emperor and Lord Yukinari. Officials carried us all the way down into the streets before we alighted.
The sun had sunk halfway into the horizon, and the sky was a stunning gradient of purple. The glowing hanging lanterns were enchanting against the backdrop. The lively chatter of the crowd, ambient music, and kaleidoscopic array of colorful clothing—the atmosphere was almost identical to the summer festivals of my previous life. Especially the red lanterns and giant, richly hued paper-mâché ornaments, as well as the stalls…
“It’s just like the Nagasaki Lantern Festival…” I whispered.
“Something bothering you?” asked the emperor.
“Ah, sorry, please ignore me.”
“Hey, Sai, look! Let’s try some dango! This is the time of year when we start receiving imported sugar, so the desserts during the summer festival are the sweetest in the entire year!”
The emperor proceeded to buy white dango with red bean filling. A few were skewered on a twig, the treats slightly heavy when I accepted them. They seemed to be freshly grilled—both sides were a tantalizing golden brown. I bit into one. It didn’t just taste of plain sugar. The rice flour had a natural, layered sweetness to it, and the mild flavors melted on my tongue. Delicious.
The emperor smiled softly at my expression. “Sai, do you remember our chat in the carriage when you came to Orient?”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
“This is what I meant back then. I really like it.” The beautiful woman in front of me opened her mouth wide and took a big bite out of her dessert without hesitation. Watching her, you wouldn’t think she was the dignified emperor of a nation.
I chewed on my lip. “Is it really all right for you to eat street food like this, Lady Haruiro?”
“Totally. Don’t underestimate the power of the god of Orient.”
Lord Yukinari helped himself to some of the emperor’s dango and joined the conversation. “Poison will not harm him, though his feathers fall out when he ingests some. That evidently has a detoxifying effect. Once, someone poisoned his food in doubt of his divinity, and for a few days…I could not bear to even look at the sorry state of his wings.”
The emperor’s face flushed bright red as she snapped back in her high-pitched voice, “Come on, don’t expose me! I want to maintain my image of a flawless deity, okay?!”
“Therefore, Lady Sai, please carefully observe for any growing bald patches on his wings,” the general continued, his expression impassive.
“You’re insufferable!” the emperor groaned.
I chuckled. “You two get along very well, I see.”
“Well, she is my younger ‘sister.’” Lord Yukinari shrugged. He appeared to be in high spirits since his most pressing official duties had concluded when the Centorian guests left.
“Ugh!” Pure frustration colored the emperor’s face, and she chomped another big bite of dango.
But Lord Yukinari was looking into the distance, his eyes wide with surprise. A woman with two children approached us from the other end of the street. “Masō!” he exclaimed.
The children, a girl and a boy, seemed to be twins around five or six years old, and they rushed over to cling to Lord Yukinari’s legs.
“Faaather!”
The adult woman followed them with unhurried footsteps. Her features were youthful, and her ivory hair was like the finest silk. I recognized her—she had supervised the priestesses during the Houshoku Festival, when citizens had dedicated textiles to the emperor.
She bowed in greeting. “It is an honor to see you again, Lady Priestess. And it has been a while since we last met, Lady Haruiro. I am Masōiro.”
I returned her bow. “Greetings, Lady Masōiro. Thank you very much for your help during the Houshoku Festival.”
While we exchanged pleasantries, Lord Yukinari lifted a child in each arm, then addressed his wife. “Did you come alone?”
“No, I was lounging with all our relatives in the teahouse over there.” She gestured. “These two saw you by chance and ran out without another word, and I ended up following them.”
The couple conversed comfortably, and just the sight of them was a feast for the eyes—they were a beautiful pair and harmonious match. Meanwhile, the children were adhered to their father like affectionate puppies.
Lady Masōiro crouched down to face them. “Now, you two, be polite and greet the others.”
The boy had a firm grip on his father’s clothes and was using Lord Yukinari as a climbing post. “Hi, Lady Priestess and pretty lady! I’m Hatsuyuki!”
The girl wore a big smile as she fiddled with her father’s long hair. “Hello, I’m Beniiro.”
Though both of them were glued to their father as they introduced themselves, they acted carefree and didn’t seem shy at all. They must be used to interacting with people.
I leaned down to look them in the eye. “Hello there, I am Sai. Nice to meet you.” Then I gasped as something occurred to me. “Lord Yukinari, are you possibly putting your family time aside just to guard us?!”
“It is no issue. I went around the festival yesterday. And my holiday also begins tomorrow.”
“O-Oh, I am so glad to hear that…” He had such a gorgeous wife and cute, small children. It would be a travesty if he couldn’t enjoy the festival with them.
Next to me, the emperor seemed to have recalled something. “Oh, right. Hey, how about you go chat with your family for a bit? We’ll stay around this area.”
Lord Yukinari creased his brows. “But…”
The emperor switched tactics. “Hey, Hatsuyuki, little Beni, your dad just said that he’s going to play with you.”
The twins’ eyes lit up at her irresistible words. It appeared that even Lord Yukinari had a weakness when he surrendered under their hopeful gazes.
“I will not take too long,” he said finally. He walked over to the rest of his family, a note of reluctance on his face.
Sporting an enormous grin, the emperor waved goodbye at his retreating back before turning to meet my eyes. “It’s just the two of us now.”
“…Yes, it is. We need to keep a low profile.”