Ah, this dream again...
Al immediately recognized his recurring dream: a fleeting memory from a time long since passed. It always began with the same scene: an astounding ball held at the castle. Magical lights flickered on the snow-white marble of the reception hall, where countless refined guests were feasting and making merry.
He was completely numb to the grandeur of the event, however. It meant nothing to him, as it was simply a bride-hunt his father recklessly organized soon after the loss of Al’s mother and brother. But regardless of his sorrowful attitude and apathetic outlook, it was perfectly clear to the young Al that his father and sister were deathly worried about him and were trying everything they could to cheer him up.
“Oh my, Al. This tastes divine,” Cecilia said, offering him a spoonful of simmering soup. Her usual carefree smile felt stiff, making it obvious that it was nothing but a mask.
“Thank you, Cecilia.” Al mimicked her forced smile. Despite his utter lack of appetite, he tried his best to force it down his throat. The expertly crafted, high-class meal tasted like cardboard to him, yet he gulped it down with a content expression to calm Cecilia’s mind.
“F-Finally.” Her expression looked grim for a moment, but it shifted to one of relief upon seeing him eat. Just as Al was about to go for another spoonful to further appease his sister—
“Princess Luna of Distania has arrived!”
The crowd cheered. Al slowly put his spoon down and turned his head toward the staircase. His jaw dropped.
Her long brown hair swayed as she descended the steps. Her spotless, porcelain skin shimmered under the magical lights. Her gentle, pitch-black eyes radiated with power. She looked like a moon goddess straight out of a fairy tale.
“Oh my, how adorable. Almost like a doll.”
Al wasn’t sure if Cecilia avoided her usual mean-spirited comments because she noticed his fascination, or because she herself was captured by her beauty.
Luna. This was the girl Al’s father was pushing to become Al’s bride. Al certainly found her adorable, but at that point, he wasn’t very interested. However, she seemed to have taken an interest in the young Al. She gazed right at him as she walked, until...
Crash!
She stepped on her dress and tumbled down the stairs, landing headfirst on the floor.
What do I do now?
That question plagued not only Al’s mind, but the other guests’ as well. Everyone had clearly witnessed her magnificent fall, yet no one moved an inch. The awkward silence lingered for a good ten seconds.
“I-It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I’m DistaniaAHH—! I bit my tongue! I’m Luna.”
Luna had stood on her own, walked up to Al like nothing had happened, and proceeded to completely fumble her introduction. Regardless, she bowed to him with a smile. As her introduction concluded, the hall began buzzing again.
Save for a couple of stifled chuckles, no one made a comment on her entrance. Al also decided to stay quiet about her rather showy entrance and averted his gaze from her reddened forehead. But now, Al was faced with another dilemma: what could they possibly talk about? He still hadn’t fully regained his composure.
“My, do allow me to show you around the garden. The three of us—Oh, Father. Is there an issue? Why are you grabbing my arm!? Wait, Al and I will—Al!” Cecilia had jumped to his aid, only to be dragged off by their father.
Unfortunately, her efforts had completely backfired.
“A-Anyway, to the garden we go!”
For some reason, Luna’s cute—albeit forced—smile managed to calm Al’s nerves. She took his hand... and stood there in complete confusion. The reason for that was simple: How would a princess from a foreign land who had just arrived in Althos know her way to the garden?
“Ehehe. I’m sorry, I always act before I think.”
Always? Really? Well, considering your grand entrance, that doesn’t surprise me at all... He was ready to turn and say this to her face, ruining both their relationship and their chances of getting married in one fell swoop, but...
“I’m such a scatterbrain. Is there something stuck to my face?”
He completely lost himself in her carefree smile. A sense of guilt suddenly washed over him while Luna looked at him in confusion, unaware of his inner turmoil.
“No, there’s not. Come, the garden is this way.” Al turned around and led Luna toward the garden, hand in hand. He was incredibly nervous, but under different circumstances, he would’ve been happy to meet her. Yes, under different circumstances...
“Um... Have I displeased you somehow, Your Highness? Ah, it must’ve been my fall! Please forget about that! Nobody said anything, so I totally thought they didn’t see it!”
“What, do you think we’re all blind? Everyone saw you fall down the stairs!”
“Noooo! Lalala, I can’t hear you!” Luna covered her ears and shook her head in denial. Apparently, she blamed herself for Al’s sullen mood.
“Your introduction was entertaining, at least...” Feeling responsible for her trauma, he tried to cheer her up.
“Really? I’m glad you liked it!”
I never said that.
Her troubled expression bloomed into a gorgeous smile, perfectly complementing her adorable face.
“I hope things go smoothly from here on out!”
“Why?” Al asked, despite knowing. He followed up with, “Say, Luna. How do you feel about, you know, getting married? There’s nothing fun about me, and I must look as sad as an empty sack of potatoes...”
“I think you’re a really kind person!” Luna responded immediately, looking at Al as if she were an adoring fan. The only issue was that her response had nothing to do with the original question, leaving him very confused. She put her hand over her mouth and started giggling.