By the time we returned from the meeting with the Spirit Royals, it was already dark and the stars were twinkling in the sky.
The manor was in complete uproar. Our mother and father wept as they hugged us. They’d already known that the spirits had wanted to speak with me, but it was natural that they’d never imagined we would just suddenly get snatched away like that.
An urgent letter was sent to the imperial palace and a reply then sent back with exceptional speed. This back-and-forth continued for a while, but I wasn’t privy to any of the details. However, I did hear that the empress, the general, their aides, and the chancellor had all agreed to participate in the meeting among the margraves that held the territories where the Royal Spirits lived. Apparently, when they’d been asked to meet at the imperial palace, my family had managed to persuade the imperial entourage to meet at the academy instead.
Good. I really don’t want to go to the palace. It felt as if nothing but disaster awaited there. Every single vase in that place had to be ridiculously expensive. If I knocked any of those over, my head would literally be sent flying.
One day, I said, “I wonder how many days’ wages a single teacup from there would provide a commoner family.”
To which Chris replied, “You could say the same about your own, Deir,” with a smile on his face.
“Please swap all of my dishes with wooden ones!”
“I was just joking,” he said. “They’re not worth that much.”
“Oh, I can just go buy some myself,” I said, ignoring him. “I’ll be back.”
“Listen, I’m sorry, okay?” he rushed to say. “Don’t suddenly try to leave. Brad!”
Why panic so much over a visit to a crockery shop? I felt like I was old enough to be allowed to leave the castle. I wanted to know what the town I lived in was like anyway. Just looking down at it from above told me nothing.
“Father, Deir has started showing interest in the outside.” Chris had snitched at once.
“What?!” father shouted. “We must inform the gatekeepers.”
“Would that be enough? I’m pretty sure Deir could clamber over the walls.”
Now, hold on one second! How do you expect me to climb a wall that’s, like, three stories high?! What sort of a monster do you think I am, Chris?! Slipping out in secret would cause trouble for everyone. I was a fully grown adult inside, so of course I wouldn’t do anything that could risk my staff being fired.