episode_0067

The palace was a much bigger place than I thought. Of course, it would be funny that a country’s palace was so small, but if you think about it a little, it was also true that you were curious as to why it was so big. When I thought about it for a long time, I realized that I had never been to such a luxurious place in my life. Before I started writing novels, I had never gone on a trip abroad.

So, as I was walking around the palace observing the palace closely, a maid spoke to me.

“If you look at it that way, there isn’t much that’s surprising.”

“To a commoner, everything is amazing. If you sell just one decoration hanging here, you might be overflowing with gold coins. You might think I’m being snobbish, but I can’t help it.”

“If you steal the palace decorations and sell them, the guards will come after you right away.”

“I don’t have that level of boldness.”

After speaking, I turned the corner of the hallway and went up one floor, and the guards looked at me and the maid and bowed their heads slightly. I felt like I was being treated well, but I wondered if I deserved to be treated like this. I wondered if it would be okay to leave the banquet like this, but since the king had not yet arrived, it was now the nobles’ time.

It was true that since I wasn’t a noble, I couldn’t do anything, and even if I were there, I’d just end up having strange conversations like before. Because it’s marriage… … I never thought about it. Someday, if I find someone I like, I might consider the option of marriage… … It’s marriage.

I thought it was still a long way off. This world is, after all, a world in a novel, and I was gradually becoming less aware of whether I was Astan or Astan was me, but that fact did not change. So, if you think about the novel’s development… … Who will I meet?

Will you meet commoners, nobles, or royalty? When I suddenly thought of that, I burst out laughing and the maid looked at me with strange eyes.

“What are you thinking?”

“I thought the palace was spacious.”

Then the maid turned her head and stood in front of the door of a room, turned towards me and pointed to the room with her palm.

“This is Her Royal Highness Princess Ceresria’s room.”

After listening to the maid, I cautiously knocked on the door with the back of my hand and opened my mouth.

“This is Astan.”

When I opened my mouth and spoke, a voice was heard along with a small movement inside.

“Come in.”

At the sound of Ceresria’s voice, I cautiously opened the door.

“May the light of Araelia reach.”

As I entered the room and lowered my head and said Araelia’s proverb, I heard laughter in my ears. When I heard a small laugh, I slightly raised my head and looked at her, and she was looking at me with her mouth covered.

“I didn’t expect you to suddenly say such a greeting?”

“But isn’t this a place to meet Her Highness the Princess? This isn’t Ignolia either.”

“Well, if it were Ignolia, she would speak like Astan normally… … Well, that’s no different from now. How was the banquet? It must be very boring.”

“If you give me permission, I would like to leave right away.”

“The banquet hasn’t really started yet, and my father hasn’t arrived yet, so there’s quite a bit of time left. If you go now, the nobles will chatter and talk about various things, but it doesn’t apply to Astan.”

“Then I should have come a little later.”

“But it’s not polite if the invited guest at the banquet is late.”

While saying those words, Celestria tapped the chair next to her with her right hand, and at the gesture, I sat down next to her and looked at her. The atmosphere was quite different from the academy uniform. The clothes were very beautiful, like clothes prepared for a banquet, and different from the formal clothes seen in the throne room.

It was a black dress that exposed the nape of the neck. The hem of her long, flowing dress was dragging on the ground, perhaps because she was sitting on a chair, and she wore a necklace with Araelia’s symbol around her neck, and on her left wrist was a jewel decorated with gold and precious stones. I’ve never seen a dress like this before. Is this definitely a royal dress?

When I looked at the slightly exposed nape of my neck, my face seemed to turn strangely red, so I carefully turned my head and opened my mouth.

“When are you going to the banquet, Ceresria?”

“Won’t we move when my father is ready? It would be very rude to go later than the king, so we should arrive before then.”

“So, are you still here before then?”

“That’s right, I was bored alone so I called Astan.”

“I am not a very talented person.”

“Just being here is comfortable, the palace is always an uncomfortable place.”

Saying that, Celestria smiled at me.

“This is your first time coming to the palace. How do you feel?”

“I’m afraid, because I still have the thought that if I say anything wrong, my head will be blown off.”

“Do you think I’m going to cut off Astan’s head?”

“This is not something the person who attacked me from the beginning would say.”

“I never get tired of that story. Will I keep telling it for the rest of my life?”

Celestria slightly puffed out her cheeks as she spoke, then stood up and muttered something while holding the bell in her hand. As soon as she finished speaking, the door opened, and the maids and servants came in and set down a small table in front of them and lightly After preparing the food, I naturally left the room.

“It’s a bit difficult to sit still, so it’s better to eat something. Haven’t you had a proper meal today?”

“I think it would be more inconvenient to eat here.”

“It’s better than eating at a banquet hall.”

“That’s true, but… … Well, a banquet hall might be better.”

“Banquets are not fun places. The same goes for the royal palace. Like I said, you can get your head blown off right away, and you’re all smiles on the outside, but on the inside, you’re thinking about killing the other person. That’s why I liked the Academy. The academy is a dangerous enough place, but like everyone else, I was able to study quietly and live without sending assassins.”

I nodded at Ceresria’s words and put the tart on the table into my mouth. As I was lightly impressed by the taste of the tart dough and nuts that crumbled inside after one light chew, I heard Celesria laughing at me.

“Doesn’t Astan regret coming to the academy?”

“Where I lived, every day was all about farming. I woke up in the morning, worked on the farm, ate lunch, and worked again on the farm. I lived like that, so I don’t regret it. Because the academy is fun, I think studying, learning magic, and working at Ignolia are fun.”

“I’m glad. I don’t regret going to the Academy either. It was always cold and dangerous in the royal palace, so I liked the Academy. Judging by the fact that my brother also enjoyed his time at the Academy, it seems like both of you enjoy the freedom. I don’t know if it’s my mother’s influence or my father’s influence.”

“I want to go back to the academy quickly, I like the capital, but I don’t like the palace.”

In response to my answer, Ceresria drank the drink in front of her and put down the glass.

“I don’t have any plans for tomorrow. Are you going to go to your hometown?”

“I want to go, but… … Well, I’m worried because I think it will be awkward when I go to my hometown, and I think my younger siblings will cry when they see me. Still, I came all the way to Araelia, and the money I spent using the portal won’t be used, so I should get there now, before the academy’s vacation.”

“Can I come with you?”

When I looked at Ceresria’s words, she was looking at me. They say they’ll come with me to my hometown, and there’s nothing to do when I come, but there’s just something to see in the quiet countryside.

There is nothing to do with “.”

“It’s just a walk. Wouldn’t that be more beneficial than staying in the palace? And leaving the capital without me will be harder than you think.”

“Wouldn’t it be possible with the token given by Lord Shurn?”

“Well, that might be possible. Still, I want to go with you. Rather than doing nothing and being quiet in the palace, it is better to go down to the countryside and feel at ease.”

“If Ceresria comes, everyone in the village will be surprised, so there won’t be that kind of atmosphere.”

At my words, Celestria grinned and held up her finger to cover her mouth, gesturing for me to be quiet.

“It is said that the one who follows Astan is not Celestria, the youngest princess of Araelia, but just Ceria, an ordinary academy student.”

“You might get caught.”

“I’ll think about it then.”

While she was talking, someone knocked on the door of the room, and Ceresria opened her mouth.

“Please come in.”

And at Ceresria’s words, an attendant carefully entered the room, knelt down, and opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty says that preparations for the banquet are almost finished. I think you should move quickly.”

“Okay, then we should move. Shall we go, Astan?”

Celestria stood up and held out her hand towards me, and I stood up without holding her hand.

“Ignoring a woman’s hand is disrespectful.”

“Shouldn’t it be someone else, not me, who will be the escort?”

“Are you being escorted by a friend, or shouldn’t I be escorting Astan?”