Today I’d arrived at the national museum for that exact event, and Lady Ekatarina and the embroidery professors were here as well.
“Congratulations, Ana. It’s finally time for your work to be seen by the world,” Sir Gino said, congratulating me with a joy-filled smile, as happy as if it were his own accomplishment. “Let’s take a look around,” he said as we began looking at the pieces currently displayed in the museum.
It wasn’t just the double-sided embroidery piece that was exhibited here today. Since professors from various countries had come for the sake of looking at our embroidery, we’d had them bring their own pieces to be displayed as well. It was rare for so many works from all over the world to be collected in one place, and I desperately wanted to see them all, so I asked my professors for some time before we opened the doors for the event.
“I’m thinking about commemorating this day as ‘Grand Duchess Anastasia’s Embroidery Day,’ but what do you think?” Sir Gino suggested.
“Um...perhaps not,” I said.
As kind as Sir Gino was, he had the propensity to say the most absurd things sometimes.
All the pieces displayed here today were so unique and utilized amazing technique. Each one completely absorbed my attention as soon as I laid eyes on it. This was truly a very magnificent exhibition, and I was so happy to be able to see all of these fabulous pieces with Sir Gino.
After we finished, Sir Gino returned to his work and I assumed my position as a research student. First, I went to the place where our double-sided embroidery was displayed. Though the other pieces were displayed on the walls, our piece was placed on a pedestal in the middle of the hallway so people could appreciate both sides of the work.
The title of it was Together Always. On one side, there was a design of two lovers fighting back-to-back on a battlefield. The other side had two lovers relaxing together on a sofa while enjoying wine.
Lady Ekatarina had arrived here before I did, so we chatted for a bit while waiting for the guests to arrive. When the time came, we were flooded with many embroidery masters and their students from different countries.
“I’d like to introduce you all to our school’s research students, the grand duchess Anastasia Sevensworth, and Ekatarina Byron, daughter of Duke Byron. They are the ones behind the double-sided embroidery. After preparations are complete, we are planning to elevate them all the way to honorary professor status,” Professor Gertrude said, introducing us.
We used to call Professor Gertrude “Professor Kendall,” but that had changed after we became her disciples.
“Oh my, you two did this?! But you’re so young!”
“Oh my! Might you perhaps be the woman from The Goblin Maiden?! If you’re the grand duchess, then you must be her, right?”
“Everyone, quiet down! Let’s start by hearing about the double-sided embroidery! Isn’t that why we’ve all come?!” someone with a very loud voice quickly hushed the crowd.
Since there were so many people, it was difficult for everyone to view the piece at once, so we split them into two groups. Now the second group was looking at the embroidery, led by Lady Ekatarina as she stood beside it and gave her explanation while answering any questions the visitors had.
Meanwhile, the other group who’d already finished and were done looking around the museum went out to the garden to have tea. I was in charge of them, and we’d hold our question session there.
We sat down at a long garden table. Now that it was spring, lilacs, petunias, and rhodanthes were blooming.
Heh heh. The weather is wonderful and the flowers are so beautiful. It makes the simple act of drinking tea here incredibly enjoyable. As soon as the tea was served, many questions came flooding my way. As expected from embroidery masters, they posed very concise, technical queries. The revival of double-sided embroidery was actually the revival of dozens of other ancient techniques as well. When I demonstrated with needle and thread in front of them, everyone watched intently and then very carefully examined the smallest details of the cloth I’d just used.
“Both you and Lady Ekatarina are very beautiful! It really sets my creative spirit ablaze! Could I use the two of you as models for my next piece?!”
The people of the embroidery community were very much free spirits, and some of them suddenly began asking questions that had nothing to do with double-sided embroidery. As much as I wanted to refuse, this particular one was one of the top authorities on embroidery, so I couldn’t immediately say no.
As I hesitated to answer, a spring breeze suddenly blew past us, sending the flower petals dancing in the air. I quickly held down my hair and skirt.
“Oh my, grand duchess, you’re wearing pants underneath your skirt?”
It had been a very strong spring breeze. Oh, how embarrassing... Underneath my dress, I was wearing pants for female knights, which I wore when I used magic. When I deployed my halo, I would rise into the air if I wasn’t careful, and if that happened and men saw up my skirt...I wasn’t sure if there’d be any choice left to me besides committing suicide. That was why I wore pants now.
“Of course she’s wearing pants! How else is she going to do her princess kick?!”
“No, I—”
“Oh my, she really does the princess kick?! I was wondering if that was true since The Goblin Maiden was based on a true story. So you can really do a princess kick?!”
“Oh my! How surprising!”
“Amazing! This is like a dream!”
“What kind of songs are sung in your countries about The Grand Adventures of Lady Sevensworth?! In our country of Ienhu, we have songs of how when the enemy forces approached the defensive line of the fort, she quickly dealt with them using her princess kick!”
“U-Um, everyone, please...”
It seemed there were many people who liked that song about the princess kick, and now they were having a very passionate discussion about it. They were so deep into it that they couldn’t even hear me anymore. It was just like embroiderers to get so excited over a topic that they wouldn’t stop talking.
The song in question had at some point been turned into a series called The Adventures of the Grand Duchess Sevensworth to Heal the World. Despite being a married woman, somehow, the character’s signature finishing move was a princess kick. And if everyone knew this, that meant the story had spread to other countries as well. Oh, how embarrassing...