“His diligence and honesty are his good points. I do think that he frets and dwells on some topics a bit too much, but as long as I’m here, he’ll be fine. I’m sure of it. If I don’t allow him to blow off some steam and relax every now and then, he’ll get overwhelmed by the Holy Palace and end up with stomach ulcers.”
“Ulcers from the pressure of the palace politics?”
“Yep. Our nation does some research on magic and medicine. When one feels psychologically pressured, they get stomach ulcers, apparently. You should be careful too, Chloe.”
“I always make sure to enjoy my meals, so I think I’ll be fine, but I’ll be careful. I think Mr. Julius will be fine too, but I’ll tell him to take good care of his body and mental health just in case.”
“Oh, I’m sure Julius will be fine.” Layla gave a shrug. “Now then, why don’t we head out? Prince Faisal and Julius will have a drinking contest today, right? And a 2000-year-old bottle of sweet wine that was stored in the palace’s treasury will be opened tonight too.”
“I think Ms. Natalia was eager to try that liquor,” I said.
“Ah, she’s arrived already. When she was encouraged to change into a dress, she claimed that doing so would only make the liquor taste worse and declined the offer. The ladies-in-waiting of the Holy Palace told me the whole story.”
“Is Ms. Natalia drinking already?”
“I think so. Shall we go take a look? Jahala and Ruto are eager to see you too.”
Layla escorted me to the grand halls. The delicate high heels I’d been made to wear, decorated with jewels, weren’t suited for running, and I’d never wear anything this luxurious of my own accord. The dress, shoes, and my hair were all works of art. I wonder if I look nice now.
I always called myself a beautiful young maiden, but this was a separate matter entirely. I’d always gone for a more natural look and didn’t dress up often, but being adorned in such lavish attire made me feel different. I’m just making excuses to myself. I guess I’m nervous.
The last time I wore a lovely dress, I was trying to infiltrate the Holy Palace, but today was different. Will I get praised for being all dolled up? I tried imagining Mr. Julius going, “You look lovely, Chloe.” It played out so awkwardly in my head that I was tempted to giggle.
Many people were gathered in the grand hall. The orchestra was playing a cheerful symphony, and dancers floated around in the middle of the dance floor, their clothes adorned with shimmering jewels that accentuated their exposed stomachs and legs. Their dancing was a mesmerizing sight.
“That was amazing!” I gasped. “And their attire is so exciting! I’ve never seen anyone dressed like that in Astria.”
“In Rasheed, revealing one’s skin isn’t seen as something that should be avoided or scoffed at,” Layla explained. “Being in that attire is akin to a shrine maiden making an offering to God through their dancing. In fact, revealing one’s stomach and legs are seen as symbols of fertility or good harvests, and is quite sacred. It’s a welcome sight.”
“I do find it sacred as well. It’s very beautiful.”
“I agree. These dances can celebrate victories, the changing of the seasons, call for rain, or even serve as an act of gratitude towards God. Many of these dancers belong to holy temples too. But…erm… When King Shesif was reigning as the monarch… Um… These dancers weren’t called to the Holy Palace.”
“Because the king might fall in love with one of them,” I guessed.
“Yeah. I’m not sure just how serious King Shesif was with these women, but the ladies he had gathered at the Holy Palace were all appropriately dealt with and sent home. Prince Faisal can be a bit, well, unsociable at times, so it seems he had trouble taking care of all the ladies.”
“I can imagine it all too well.”
It wasn’t difficult to envision Prince Faisal struggling to deal with the women who waited upon King Shesif. I can’t blame him for wanting to get drunk and rant about it to Layla. If I was the prince, I’d do just that. I’d want Layla to give me a lap pillow and pat my head. She has those maternal instincts to her, somehow, even though I know that we’re the same age.
“Layla! And Chloe!” Prince Faisal said, breaking free from the crowd of older, dignified nobles that surrounded him. “We were waiting for you. You ladies took a good while, so we were getting worried.”
Mr. Julius was apparently with the prince since he slowly followed him over to us. Mr. Julius was surrounded by Lambda and the rest of the Dragon Knights. Thank goodness. He’s not surrounded by other women. It would’ve been disastrous if there were more women who ended up straying off the right path like Ms. Eliza. Young noblewomen were staring at Prince Faisal and Mr. Julius from afar, but the two men were surrounded by burly soldiers and daunting noblemen that the ladies couldn’t approach.
“Women need time to prepare, Prince Faisal,” Layla noted.
“Layla, I know full well how beautiful you are,” the prince replied. “The dress you’re wearing suits you very well, but perhaps it’s a bit too revealing…”
“I actually wanted to wear the dancers’ uniform and display my celebratory dance. It would’ve been a ball with my iron fan, honoring our victory, and I’ve no doubt that it’d look gallant and fitting for a banquet.”
“Indeed, while the garments of the dancers are sacred, I beg of you not to join in… I can’t stand having you show your smooth and supple skin to other people. You look beautiful no matter what you wear. Perhaps you don’t need to show off your legs so much…”
“This dress is my reluctant compromise,” she said. “I’ve kept revealing my body to a minimum for you.”
I wasn’t sure if the prince was praising the dress or bemoaning how revealing it was, but Layla looked rather annoyed. I was already used to this dynamic between them, and I could empathize with the prince, but it seemed he had the tendency to speak his mind a bit too much. Faisal was wearing a white outfit embroidered with black roses—similar to what former king Shesif had worn.
However, the prince didn’t wrap his body in glittering jewels, giving him a plain and rustic appearance. Perhaps thanks to his burly physique, he made it work; his body looked as fine as a marble statue, and the simple outfit only accentuated his manliness, complementing his appearance.
“Revealing to a minimum…” Mr. Julius muttered as he stood in front of me and sized me up from head to toe.
He was wearing a black knight’s uniform similar to Lambda’s. I guessed that it was worn specially for celebratory occasions. A red cape hung over one shoulder, connected by a thin, gold chain that was clasped to his other shoulder. He suited anything he wore, but this uniform made him look like a refined, intelligent Black Prince. Yeah, he looks handsome.