“A party to showcase our engagement?”
“Yes. The emperor’s engagement is the biggest event in a nation. If we don’t give it the proper attention, other countries will look down on us. As a noble yourself, you should understand that I’m not saying anything out of the ordinary.” Regueid smiled as he drank the black tea that I’d made him when he visited my detached palace. Apparently, he wasn’t worried about poisoning as long as I made it.
“Gillain’s reform of Galé is still in progress. Shouldn’t we avoid spending money unless it’s absolutely necessary?”
“You can leave financial matters to me. Celebrations, if done well, can stimulate economic activity and turn a large profit.”
“Gillain isn’t a big fan of formalities in the first place. He especially hates flattery. Don’t you think this could backfire and damage our image to the people we invite?”
“That depends on your skill as the one who stands next to him. It could either raise or lower his reputation.”
Ugh, this guy! “Gillain, what do you think?” I asked Gillain, who was looking over some documents next to me.
“We don’t need to do it if you don’t want to.”
“Your Imperial Majesty, Lady Serephione is still only a name in the eyes of our subjects. If you don’t present her, you’ll get the same annoying insects flying around you as you have up to now. It would be better to declare her to be yours publicly. Those who understand her worth will understand.”
“Oh, Regueid, you understand too?”
“Of course!”
Very fishy. I doubt Regueid really thinks of me as much more than an add-on to Lou.
“If you plan to marry soon, you could skip the engagement announcement and just announce your wedding.”
“The wedding can wait. I’ve only just convinced her of my feelings. Don’t rush it.”
Gillain had told me that he would wait until my mess (Schneider and Maribelle) was cleaned up, and also until after I had turned nineteen, to avoid the years when I was convicted and killed in the novel. He said to wait and see for myself that he wouldn’t betray me.
Ah... I want to be stronger.
We had no choice but to showcase our engagement, but I was bad at socializing due to having been raised as a shut-in. I didn’t think Gillain was particularly good at it either.
We as a couple...would just have to resort to force if the time came! Bring it on, muscleheads!
“Can you do hair styles, Sakaki?”
“Fio, hair styling isn’t part of a spy’s job description.”
“What about you, Asu?”
“Sere...this is the first time in my long life as a holy beast that I’ve been asked to style hair.”
“Darn it!”
“Sere! Why aren’t you asking me?” Lou demanded.
“You have paws.”
Lou scoffed.
“Fio, how can you just disrespect a holy beast like that...”
Sakaki still called me Fio when Gillain wasn’t around. He had also studied magic hard, maybe because he felt constrained by life in the detached palace, so he was able to see Lou and Asu now.
I had to dress up nice for the engagement party to avoid embarrassing Gillain. I didn’t have the time or means to make a gown, but fortunately, I had a new one in my Magic Room that my grandmother had made for me. She had given it to me in case of emergency, since a gown is a woman’s battle armor. It was only later that I understood what my grandmother said and did; I was grateful to her.
The hem was designed to be easily extendable for when I grew in the future. It was a classic design, but it was still from a foreign country. I didn’t know what I’d do if it stood out too much from the others, but I had no other option. I just had to put it on and stand strong.
I’d been trained in hair and makeup, but my hair was short now. It had finally grown out to shoulder-length, but it still wasn’t long enough to tie up or braid. I figured I would ask someone else...but nobody in the detached palace could handle it.
“What if you called Elise?” Asu asked.
“I can’t just call a saint to do my hair. Plus, she’s a knight in the first place. She’s not the best at that kind of thing.”
“I guess birds of a feather flock together.”
“We’re from the same knight flock.”
“Oh, well.” Asu shone and grew from his miniature size to his true size, then plucked out one of his rainbow feathers. “You can put this in your hair.”
That’s...awesome!
“I can’t just wear a holy beast’s feather! That’s national treasure tier!”
“You think? I can just grow a new one.”
“Thank you, but...I don’t think most people can even see it.”
“I see... In that case... Here, now even Magicless people should be able to see it.”
I held up the feather with both of my hands. It was like an otherworldly illusion. Sakaki and I made eye contact.
“Fio...you have to wear it now, or it’s disrespecting the holy beast,” Sakaki informed me. “I can’t deny that it’ll make you stand out too much, though.”
“It also lets people know you have me protecting you,” Asu said. “Two birds with one stone.”
“Wear my fur too, Sere!” Lou chimed in.
Where? On my butt? There’s no need for a weird rivalry.
This is too much for my plain black hair...