“Shall we cut the serious talk?” Layla interjected. She’d been quietly by her beloved’s side, waiting for an opportunity to speak. “Prince Faisal, you’d like to reward Julius and Chloe for their acts, no?”
“That’s right,” Faisal agreed. “The Holy Palace has calmed down quite a bit, and we’d like to host a banquet there in honor of you two. It’s also a celebration to convey to the citizens of Rasheed that our internal strife has ended.”
“And you’re telling us to participate?” Mr. Julius asked with knitted brows.
He’s quick to reply. He must really not want to go.
“Why do you seem so displeased?” I asked.
“It’s a pain,” he replied curtly.
“But a banquet sounds lovely!” I exclaimed. “And since we’re being invited to this party, we’ll get free food and alcohol.”
A meal that didn’t require any money was the best thing in the world. If I were to borrow Mr. Roge’s words, I was being baited by free grub.
“Can Julius drink alcohol?” Prince Faisal asked.
“Oh, he can,” I replied proudly in his stead. “And he’s got a very high tolerance. Even after downing a pint of red wine, he won’t get drunk.”
I’d never seen Mr. Julius get drunk and I always was curious to see how he’d act when he was.
“I see,” Faisal said excitedly. “That’s good to know. As an event at the banquet, why don’t we hold a drinking contest, Julius?”
“Prince Faisal, I can only see a future where you lose horribly,” Layla said with a look of exasperation, hiding her mouth behind her fan. “Why don’t you give it a rest?”
The Holy Palace was already making preparations for the banquet, and Prince Faisal suggested that we stay at the palace for a few days as guests until the day of the party. Ms. Natalia and Jahala were even attending. I’d expected Ms. Natalia to refuse the invitation—she hated these occasions more than Mr. Julius—but when Faisal offered a 2000-year-old sweet wine at the banquet, she decided to attend.
“I think both you and Julius will look gorgeous in formal attire and accessories,” Layla said happily, snapping her fan shut. “Your current clothes look lovely too, of course, but we’ve got some outfits made of fine material, and this will be quite the banquet. I remember that the two of you were dressed up when we initially met at the Holy Palace, but there was no time to relax and enjoy the party, was there? This will be a celebration, so I’m sure it’ll be tons of fun. I’m not a fan of nobles gathering together, but if you’re there, Chloe, I can be swayed.”
“Um, Layla, to tell you the truth, I’m not fond of such gatherings either,” I confessed.
“I can tell just by looking at you.”
“You can?”
“You used to be engaged to Cyril Astria, correct? As Chloe Sagrid, you were the daughter of a duke. But it’s difficult to imagine you mingling with the other nobles at parties and such. In other words, you never really acted like a noble, I’m guessing.” After a pause, Layla added, “Oh, I’m not trying to be rude. I mean it in a good way.”
I could feel Mr. Julius growing angrier by the second. Is he jealous? I couldn’t stop the loud pounding of my heart. I felt like a child who finally had her first love requited. This analogy wasn’t totally wrong, but I was an adult and wanted to act more composed. I wanted to be as cool as Layla, who was able to confidently hug her beloved passionately and display her affection in front of others.
“Since we’ve got the opportunity though, why don’t we dress up lavishly and enjoy the party?” Layla suggested. “One of the joys of being a lady is to get dressed in lovely attire. Men can dress up too, of course. This is where I show you the power of the ladies-in-waiting of House Fatima! We’ll make Chloe so stunningly beautiful that you’ll groan upon catching a glimpse of her, Julius!”
I stroked my dry cheeks and tugged on the strands of my coarse hair. I didn’t really have time to take good care of my appearance and I couldn’t even remember the last time I wore any makeup. My heart was that of a beautiful maiden, but I was pushing a more natural look. That didn’t mean that I disliked wearing beautiful dresses and lovely accessories. I simply didn’t find the need to spend money on myself.
“No need to do anything unnecessary,” Mr. Julius said indifferently. “She’s fine as she is.”
He seemed completely uninterested. I expected as much.
“Now, now, don’t say that, Julius,” Layla replied. “Ah, you must be worried that men will try to steal Chloe away when she’s decked to the nines.”
“With your beauty, Layla, I’m always worried about men trying to woo you,” Prince Faisal added seriously.
“I’m not talking with you right now, am I?” she responded, completely ignoring the passionate confession.
The prince looked a little lonely. He tried his best to convey his honest thoughts, but Layla didn’t seem to notice it one bit. Maybe it’s these types of interactions that’ll lead to Faisal exploding one day.
“Thank you, Layla,” I said. “I’m looking forward to a lovely banquet. But do we have to head to the Holy Palace as soon as possible?”
She blinked at me quizzically. “Do you have something to do? Or a place to be?”
“Well, since we’re in Rasheed, I wanted to do some sightseeing and shopping. I haven’t done anything like that at all since I arrived here.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. You’ve only seen the ugly sides of Rasheed. Our nation has its fair share of wonder and charm. We’re the global leader when it comes to processing jewels, and our alchemy and magical tools are also more advanced than the rest of the world.”
“I definitely agree with you on that,” I said. “Astria doesn’t have mystical places like Puerta. We’re underground, but there’s a breeze coming through. Plants grow here, and we’ve got enough water and even a sky.”
“Both Puerta and Fores are special facilities even within Rasheed,” Faisal said, regaining a bit of his gusto after he’d been rebuffed by Layla. “In fact, I’m not quite sure of these places myself. But I think it’s fun to explore even our holy capital. While the hellfire that Emperor Oswald of Dystiana rained upon our nation still lingers, the only saving grace was that there wasn’t much damage to the city despite our numerous clashes. You’ve still got several days until the banquet, and that should be more than enough time to leisurely explore the city. We can prepare a room for you both in the Holy Palace. Why don’t you stay there for a short while?”
“Prince Faisal, perhaps we shouldn’t be too crass,” Layla countered. “There are many people wandering around the Holy Palace, and our guests won’t be able to relax. We should find a lovely lodging for them within the holy city so that they can spend time there in peace.”
“Ah, you’re right.”
“The holy city is very large, so why don’t I be your guide?” she offered, turning to us. “One of my hobbies is to sneak out and secretly explore the city. I think I can show you to good restaurants and reasonable places to shop at. You can leave all of that to me. Before we do that, Astria and Rasheed operate on different currencies. I must guide you to a currency exchange shop first.”
Mr. Julius was always a man of few words, so his silence wasn’t anything new, but even I didn’t have a chance to butt in as Layla swiftly tried to arrange everything for us. But she has a point. Maybe it’s best to accept her kind offer and have her take care of us. When in Rasheed, do as the Rasheedans do. I wasn’t well-informed about Rasheed, and having a guide like Layla was very heartening.
“Thank you, Layla,” I said. “You’re a huge help.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re friends, aren’t we?” she replied, grasping my hands with a smile.
“We are!”
I felt my heart skip a beat when an enchanting beauty like Layla smiled at me. I had no doubt that a man would fall for her in an instant if she treated them this kindly. A magical smile that could defeat any enemy in one shot. A siren-like beauty was a fitting description for her.
“Chloe, what kind of place would you like to stay at?” she asked. “A romantic spot would be best, right? I know of a good place in the holy city, right by a lake. It really sets the mood. I think it’s a perfect getaway spot for lovers.”
“D-Did you stay there with someone before, Layla?” Faisal asked worriedly.
“Goodness, it’s not right to pry into a woman’s affairs, Prince Faisal,” Layla replied.
“But…”
“Since this is the perfect opportunity, why don’t we stay a night there too? Things shall get busy once we return to the Holy Palace, I’d think. No one could fault us for relaxing for just one day before that,” she said.
“Are you sure, Layla?” he asked, eyes wide.
“Is there a problem with my suggestion?”
“None at all.”
I was in awe. The prince was practically dancing in the palm of her hand. This was in stark contrast to my relationship with Mr. Julius—I was the one being led around by the nose. This is something I should learn.
“Mr. Julius, um…” I started.
“What?” he asked.
“N-Nothing.”
I tried to say something that would sound seductive, but when I looked up at his face, I gave up immediately. There was no way I could compete with Layla.
“We’ll be enjoying Rasheed for a few days, be present for the banquet, and then return to Astria,” I said. “It’ll be a bit longer until we get back home, but is that not a problem with you?”
“There’s no need to rush. If you’re fine with it, I am too,” Mr. Julius replied curtly. He gently patted Helios’s neck. Helios was politely waiting with his wings folded in, all curled up. “You can fly with Chloe on your back again. We made you wait for quite a bit, didn’t we?”
Helios opened his eyes and gave a happy cry. A good distance away, a couple of soldiers were giving Lumine a good wash. Lambda’s boisterous laughter echoed throughout the space, his large body covered in suds.