Ch.14Festival (4)

“Even if it’s a patrol, do I really have a valid reason to patrol?”

The moment I heard this question, I barely managed to swallow the laughter that almost burst out.

She’s not asking why I want to go out? Of course, I preferred that Irene wanted to go out anyway.

I stared at Irene for a moment, then put a piece of steak in my mouth and chewed it.

“…Evan?”

She frowned slightly, as if wanting me to answer quickly.

This was the first time I’d seen this kind of reaction from her, and I wanted to observe it a bit longer, but if I continued, that knife in her hand might end up pointed at me.

I swallowed the meat and slowly opened my mouth.

“The Foundation Day Festival isn’t just any festival. It’s held once every five years, so couldn’t you say you’re going out to check if it’s being conducted properly?”

“Hmm.”

Hearing this, Irene closed her eyes thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded once and replied.

“That sounds fine. But what about the paperwork?”

“You leave that to your future self.”

“…Well, I’ve already taken care of the urgent matters anyway.”

In truth, my suggestion was little more than a sleight of hand. The duties she needed to perform as head of the family were still piled up, and only the timing of when she would enjoy the festival had changed.

But I hope the choice I made is at least somewhat better.

The Irene I saw at dawn looked far too exhausted. I simply couldn’t leave her like that.

Watching Irene eat much faster than before, I smiled slightly and picked up my fork. I should tell Rofena too.

#

“What?”

Rofena tilted her head in confusion after hearing what I said.

“The young lady is going to the festival shortly. Since you’re her personal maid, you should get ready.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

Rofena rolled her eyes for a moment, but when I insisted I wasn’t lying, she stared blankly at the cookie she was holding.

Then she bit into the cookie with a chomp, and suddenly it was sucked into her mouth like a CD being inserted.

I found it entertaining to watch Rofena’s peculiar habits. Though most were related to eating, such talents weren’t common.

After finishing the cookie and brushing away the crumbs from her mouth, Rofena looked at me and spoke again.

“What is the young lady doing now? Why didn’t she call for me?”

“She’s getting ready quickly. We shouldn’t attract attention. I came to get you separately.”

“Hmm.”

Though she maintained a serious expression, her eyes were already trembling with excitement.

Rofena must have been curious about the festival too. She probably felt quite disappointed being unable to go out due to her position as Irene’s personal maid.

“Are you coming?”

“Don’t ask such obvious questions.”

She’s so cute.

When I casually patted her head because her shrugging shoulders looked adorable, she pouted and looked up at me, apparently displeased.

How short is she exactly? She seems at least a head shorter than me.

“You’re really short.”

“……”

Is her height a complex? Seeing Rofena’s expression suddenly turn cold, I couldn’t help but laugh, which made her turn her head away in annoyance.

Should I try to make it up to her? As I was smiling at Rofena, who wouldn’t even look at me now, I heard a voice from behind and turned around.

“Evan, are you ready?”

She’s already prepared?

Though it hadn’t even been five minutes since she went to her room to get ready, she had already finished. As I stared at her, Irene narrowed her eyes at me.

“You’re already done?”

“…Do you have a problem with that?”

No, of course not.

I couldn’t help but laugh, wondering how eager she must have been to finish so quickly.

#

Though we talked about preparations, there wasn’t much to prepare. Since we needed to avoid attention, we wore our usual casual clothes.

All we needed was to bring our swords, so there was no delay in our departure.

“Is Sir Chris coming too?”

When I asked Sir Chris, who was standing behind Irene, he twisted his already stern face and answered.

“Of course. You haven’t been officially appointed yet.”

“That’s true.”

I still had a few months before being officially appointed as her knight.

Normally, this would happen after coming of age, but an exception was made due to my skills.

Until then, Sir Chris would probably follow us around. Honestly, I was relieved.

It would be difficult to keep an eye on Rofena too, especially since Irene seemed so excited.

“Evan, was the distance always this far?”

“It hasn’t even been a minute since we left the mansion.”

“…Hmm.”

Though Irene asked me with an expressionless face, I had already noticed her gaze fixed on the distant town.

It was my first time seeing her like this, which was both fascinating and somewhat bittersweet.

I wished she could enjoy the festival without any worries, but I wondered if she could truly do so.

I would need to try harder.

As I lifted my head, a cool breeze brushed against my cheek.

Due to potential dangers, the festival grounds were separated from the mansion, making this area quite deserted.

The road was made of gravel and dirt. In my original world, it would have been covered with black asphalt, but now this felt more familiar.

My body seemed to have completely adapted to this medieval era.

Boom!

Fireworks exploded in the middle of the distant town. Green, yellow, red.

Despite it still being daytime, several fireworks were going off, suggesting the scale was much larger than I had imagined.

Well, it made sense—this festival was held only once every five years in this place.

As we got closer, my heart pounded harder. The loud cheers and trumpet sounds, the drumbeats that matched my heartbeat, made my whole body tingle.

Festivals elevate people.

Even those in a bad mood tend to get caught up in the excitement when immersed in a festival.

The heat generated by countless people, the mixed scents of food and body odor, the loud noises that reverberate in your ears—all combine to create a kind of magic.

Although I hadn’t experienced many festivals myself, I viewed this magical phenomenon positively.

It makes tired people forget their fatigue and allows them to be immersed in the energy, if only for a moment.

This was probably exactly what Irene needed right now.

In truth, my suggestion to go to the festival stemmed from my own small desire.

I was concerned about how she had collapsed into sleep, and honestly, I wanted her to forget about her duties for a while and enjoy something.

She always had dark circles under her eyes, and when she wasn’t eating or sleeping, she was constantly looking at documents.

It was exhausting just to watch—I wondered what she herself must be thinking.

She needed to relax and have fun, just once.

“We’re almost there.”

In the distance, I could see the flags of Yuris fluttering in the wind.

Colorful flags hung on countless strings in the sky, with flower petals scattered above them.

Mixed with the colors of autumn, they created a vibrant spectacle. As I turned my gaze from this sight to Irene, I couldn’t help but smile.

When I first saw her, I thought she might be a doll.

But how could someone whose eyes sparkle at the mere mention of a festival be a doll?

Though she usually wore an emotionless expression like a mask, when emotions occasionally showed through like this, it somehow made me smile.

“Young lady, hurry up!”

Rofena had already run ahead of Irene and me, and Sir Chris looked at her with disapproval before turning to me.

“What are you doing? Go catch her.”

“…Ah.”

Despite being the same age as Irene and me, she acted like a complete child.

When I quietly gestured to Rofena, she noticed my hand resting on my sword and returned with a sullen face.

We were almost there—what was the rush?

She must have been really looking forward to the festival. I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

If I hadn’t brought this up, she probably would have just watched the festival from afar.

The fireworks illuminating the night sky, the colorful waves created by the crowds of people.

Being caught in that whirlwind of joy, happiness, and excitement could actually be a good experience.

When we finally reached the town, I was momentarily stunned, feeling as if I had arrived in a completely different world.

The cool autumn weather didn’t seem to apply here; the heat enveloping my body made the corners of my mouth tremble slightly.

Yes, this is what a festival is.

I closed my eyes momentarily, feeling a thrill run down my spine.

The trumpet sounds lingering in my ears sent shivers throughout my body.

The magic created by those two simple words—”festival”—was so mysterious and magnificent.

I hoped Irene would enjoy this festival.

Although we came under a pretext, we were here at the festival nonetheless.

I wished she could forget everything—the documents piled on her desk, the monotonous daily routine, the weight of being the family head symbolized by the ring on her finger.

If only she could forget it all.

“There are so many people.”

“Well, it’s a festival that happens once every five years.”

In truth, this was my first time seeing such a crowd.

So many people packed this narrow path that I worried I might lose sight of Irene.

We could barely move forward after walking a short distance, and our shoulders frequently bumped into others.

“Sir Chris, please keep an eye on Rofena so she doesn’t get lost.”

“I’m already watching her. She’s so short, she’s hard to see.”

“She is short.”

I burst out laughing at Sir Chris’s comment, and Irene stared at me.

She looked at me with a curious gaze, as if expecting something, before turning away.

“…Do you want to go there?”

“……”

I barely suppressed a laugh.

Her gaze was directed toward a place where many people had gathered. They were forming a circle, probably around a minstrel.

She seemed quite curious about it, and after watching her stare at the spot for a moment, I finally spoke.

“There are too many people. If you’re okay with it, we can go—”

“It’s fine. I just wanted to check if there might be anything dangerous.”

She should just honestly say she wants to go.

But I was worried because of the crowd. If that mass of people suddenly moved, I might lose sight of Irene.

Of course, it would be fine if I held her hand.

Her hand.

As I watched Irene, still unable to take her eyes off the crowd, I carefully moved my lips.

“If we get mixed in with so many people, I might lose sight of you.”

“Couldn’t you just hold my hand?”

“…Would that be acceptable?”

I was momentarily surprised by how readily she agreed, but I carefully took her outstretched hand.

I thought she might be a little embarrassed, but…

For a moment, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth, but it quickly dissipated with the warmth transmitted through her hand.

Her hand fit completely in mine and was so small that I felt my face growing hot.