It was early the next day—so early that even though it was summertime and the sun rose early, it hadn’t quite risen fully. Each person present was wearing clothes that, while of fine quality for commoners, were cheap and simple enough that royalty and members of the nobility would hardly ever have an occasion to wear them. Though their current attire couldn’t compare to what they normally wore, Filiel’s clothes were specially made with magic-blocking material.
And so, at the crack of dawn, when all the other students were still in a deep slumber, they all pushed past their sleepiness and gathered in front of the gate to the fortress. Alexis was already there waving at them, and the lively smile on his face belied the early hour. He was wearing a simple outfit, just like the rest of them.
“You guys sure took your time,” he said. “I was exhausted just waiting for you.”
“Alexis?!” Filiel exclaimed. “Why are you here?”
“I happened to hear that you were going into town, and I thought I’d tag along with you, so I was waiting here. I’ve had more work as crown prince lately, and we haven’t had as many chances to be around each other.” Alexis looked at Yui. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, of course not,” Yui said.
“You’re not going to tell me that father’s here too, are you?” Filiel asked warily. He restlessly glanced around, but the guards were the only other ones there, and Bernard was nowhere to be seen.
“Unfortunately, he got a message from the palace late last night, so he went back,” Alexis replied. “He was grumbling about it right up until he had to leave.”
“Did something happen at the palace?”
“I imagine grandfather made a mess of something or other again. Father sure is unlucky; he hardly ever has an opportunity for something like this.”
Theodore’s antics were practically a part of their daily routines. One time, he had destroyed part of a castle; another time, tired of the summer heat, he had used magic to cover the palace in snow, and he’d built snowmen all over the place. Those were only a couple of examples, but every time, Bernard was the one who had to deal with the aftermath, so everyone was satisfied by Alexis’s explanation. However, two of them—Filiel and Cecil—noticed something. For a single fraction of a moment, Alexis’s eyes glinted harshly.
Going over to Yui, Filiel changed the subject. “So, where are you taking us, Yui?”
“Today is Bahal’s summer festival,” Yui replied. “There’s a parade of people in fancy costumes, and a bunch of stalls, food carts, and all sorts of stuff!” She couldn’t quite control her excitement; it was clear from the enthusiasm in her voice. However, only two of them seemed happy to hear that there was a festival: Alexis, who had gotten the general idea of things from Theodore, and Zeke, who was simply happy to get the chance to go to a festival.
“Wait, Yui. How am I supposed to go to a festival with all the crowds of people everywhere?” Filiel asked.
“Don’t worry, I thought of that,” Yui replied, brimming with confidence. However, that wasn’t the only issue.
“Apologies, but I cannot allow you to bring both Lord Filiel and His Highness, the crown prince, to an insecure location,” Luca said, and everyone nodded along. His worry was quite reasonable. They had several guards with them, but that wouldn’t be nearly enough at a crowded festival.
“That’ll be all right too,” Yui said. “As a reward for everything at the palace, I asked Grandpa Th—His Majesty, the former king, to arrange security for a visit to the festival. The guards are already in position around town.”
“Oh, so that was what he contacted you about,” Carlo said. He and Cecil seemed to finally understand what Yui had secretly begged Theodore for. The only remaining mystery was what she had asked Layce for for her birthday, but they expected that to soon become clear as well.
“If grandfather got everything ready, then there won’t be any issues,” Alexis said. “We can talk to each other later, so let’s head out now. Filiel, Yui, and I will take one carriage, so the rest of you should take the other.”
“No, I can ride with my brothers,” Yui said. She could count the number of times she’d met Alexis face-to-face on one hand, so riding with him for several hours in a cramped carriage was more than she could handle. She tried to give up her seat, expecting that she’d feel mentally exhausted by the time they made it to the town, but Alexis was already a step ahead of her.
“I was thinking we could eat together on the way there, so I ordered a light meal from the palace. Let’s eat and chat! How about it?”
“Of course, gladly!” Yui replied. She cheerfully got in the carriage with Alexis, excited for a second opportunity to eat some of the palace’s fine cuisine. Filiel, Cecil, and Carlo all looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. Then, separating from the two brothers, Filiel followed after Yui with a sigh. Eliza looked displeased about having to ride in a different carriage from Filiel. However, she didn’t look resigned and unable to object to the crown prince’s decision. Instead, she seemed to understand that she’d just be talked into accepting it anyway. She quietly climbed into the other carriage.
The carriages soon departed. Including the one with their guards, three carriages headed toward Bahal. Yui had been worried that she’d get an upset stomach from tension during the long journey, but contrary to her expectations, the inside of the carriage was friendly and peaceful. This was probably thanks to Alexis—as crown prince, he had had many opportunities to interact with foreign dignitaries and all sorts of people from various cultures. He was easy to talk to, and he had a calm air about him. His conversational skills made even those who were meeting him for the first time feel like they were talking to someone they were already close with.
However, the greatest contributor to Yui’s mood might’ve been the food Alexis had prepared. He held out a basket to Yui, and inside, there was a selection of foods that were easy to eat in the carriage with just one’s hands.
Yui plucked a meat pie from the bunch and took a bite, then put a hand to her cheek. “Mmm!”
“Is it good?” Alexis asked.
“It’s incredible!” Yui replied.
“They are, aren’t they? That meat pie is popular in the palace as well, and there’s always a scramble to grab one whenever it’s an option in the staff cafeteria. Ah, you should also try one of the scones. The milk jam is made with locally sourced milk.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Yui chewed the meat pie. “Ahh, this is pure bliss!”
As she happily ate, Alexis gave her one piece of food after another, almost as if he were desperately trying to get an unfriendly cat to like him. But thanks to that, by the time they arrived in Bahal, Yui’s initial distant tension had faded away.
Later, tales of this event would reach even Bernard’s and Alicia’s ears, and it became established knowledge among the royal family that food was the shortest way to Yui’s heart.