🐅 🐅 🐅
THE Banquet Ceremony had ended, and today, the royal family would bid the delegations farewell. Angelina sat atop Feilong’s lap. He’d decided from the outset to hold her during the farewells.
“Can you let me down, Fodder?” Angelina asked, regarding him with upturned eyes.
“No,” Feilong answered flatly.
Unsure what else to do, Angelina had no choice but to accept his refusal. Ryuho stood behind Feilong and off to the side with a sour expression. He expressed his displeasure by casually stepping on the hem of the emperor’s robe.
Meanwhile, Kyril sighed in exasperation at the other three. Nonetheless, he focused on bidding his final farewells. The next group to arrive was the Kalavinka’s party, her Garuda perched quietly on her shoulder.
After the Banquet Ceremony, Angelina visited the Heavenly Sovereign Mausoleum with many gifts. Those included freshly baked hujiao bing, Nanranese ribbons, accessories popular in the capital, fresh flowers from various countries, and local specialties from the Vinkas’ home villages. Angelina had even gifted the Kalavinka candied jujubes decorated with jujube flowers.
Though the Vinkas had been thrilled, the Kalavinka had remained cold. Angelina was disappointed, but at the same time, her reverence for the Vinkas didn’t disappear. She’d always remember their beautiful singing voices.
“Purity and fortune!” the Kalavinka cried out in a refined voice. Then, she left with the sound of bells trailing after her.
Following the Nanranese delegation, the last group was the Andan delegation. The prince stomped onto the stage menacingly, his large body swaggering back and forth. Contrary to their introduction, a single child wearing the robes of a young girl appeared in their group. The same child had come to watch the Kalavinka’s tributary dance.
When Ryuho caught the scent of something, his nose twitched. “Lina, look at that child,” he spoke telepathically.
In response to Ryuho’s urging, Angelina turned her attention to the child. She wore a conical hat, and a cloth covered her face. However, she also wore a coral hairpin in her long, navy hair. Even more telling, a rose quartz amulet hung from her waist sash.
“Is that you, Hisame?!” Angelina cried out, unable to stop herself.
“What’s wrong, Lina?” Feilong asked.
“Umm… We’re friends.”
Hisame balled her hand into a fist. As a child, she still hadn’t grown fangs or a horn. At a glance, she didn’t look like a fiend, but even so, she was Andan royalty. If Angelina finds out I’m a fiend, she’ll despise me, Hisame worried. Thus, she’d kept her identity secret the whole time.
Yet, when the time came to say farewell, she didn’t want to hide the truth. Moreover, Angelina treated a Flame Tiger as a human and interacted with the lower city residents without discrimination. Hisame couldn’t imagine Angelina hating her, regardless of whether she knew the truth. Finally, she wanted Angelina to see her in the palace now that she’d been allowed to enter.
For those reasons, Hisame had asked her brothers if she could accompany them during the final farewell. That surprised them. Hisame had always been withdrawn and cowardly. They hadn’t expected her to be capable of serving in the delegation. Rather, they’d brought her along simply to show her the Purple Forbidden Palace. In the end, however, Hisame’s change of heart had impressed them, and they’d accepted her request.
“We’re friends…” Hisame repeated, savoring each word.
Angelina knows I’m a fiend now, but she still called us friends, Hisame thought, tears welling in her eyes.
The Andan delegates looked at Hisame with surprise. Despite her usual timidity and less-than-fiendish demeanor, she’d become friends with the Jinlongian princess without anyone’s knowledge.
“Why didn’t you say anything, Hisame?!” the Andan prince bellowed jovially, clapping her on the back with his big, strong hand. “You’re amazing!”
Hisame staggered, choking on her saliva. She still couldn’t handle loud voices. “A-Angelina,” she stammered, mustering her courage. “M-May I write you letters?” She didn’t want Angelina to become a mere memory when she returned to Anda, as she’d never made a friend through her own efforts before.
“Of course!” Angelina replied, positively beaming. Due to her memories from past lives, Andan fiends had frightened her. That said, there was nothing scary about Hisame. By spending time together without any preconceived notions, she realized that fiends were no different from Jinlongian people. Having come to this realization, she waved to the Andan delegates from atop Feilong’s lap.
While Kyril’s eyes widened in surprise, Tomi regarded Angelina with admiration. Feilong readjusted his tight hold on her, and Ryuho slapped his tail against the stage in displeasure.
The Andan delegates stomped away from the stage. While standing at the end of the procession, Hisame turned around and bowed her head ever so lightly. “Thank you,” she said in the faintest of whispers. Only Ryuho’s keen Flame Tiger ears picked up those words.