Chapter 41
41
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"Hestia?"
My father still seemed displeased with Hestia, looking at my mother with a slightly troubled expression.
My mother shrugged.
"Our Princess sent her away without even asking for my permission. She told Yan to do whatever he wanted."
My father looked at Yan again, seemingly dumbfounded.
Yan, in turn, brazenly met my father's gaze.
'I'm glad he's safe and has even grown noticeably.'
Instead of scolding me, my father added with a tone of entreaty,
"My dear, the more precious something is, the closer you must keep it to protect it."
Of course.
If possible, I never want to send Yan anywhere alone again.
'But he has to listen to me first.'
Even with that thought, I nodded vigorously at my father.
"Mhm. From now on, Yan, you can't go anywhere else. I missed you so much."
But right now, doesn't my father's face look a little strange?
Fortunately, I quickly grasped the meaning of that expression.
"Daddy too! I missed you so, so much."
The corners of my father's lips, which had been stiffening, twitched slightly.
Only then could we begin our banquet joyfully.
That joy, unexpectedly, didn't last very long, though.
* * *
"Perhaps, from this year's Harvest Festival onwards, shouldn't the Princess also join the procession?"
My father suddenly asked during the meal.
My and my mother's hands slowed down simultaneously, but my mother didn't show any sign of panic and gently asked back,
"But wasn't it decided that she would join the procession after the Divination at seven? When the Princess's Divinity can be announced, I mean."
"Well, yes, but since there's only one Princess anyway, I don't think there's any reason to wait for the Divination."
My father's gaze turned to Yan again.
"Even if Yan isn't a Magical creature, he's certainly a good omen. And since he follows our daughter, it's an even more auspicious event."
Then, he added in a very proud tone,
"Rostel will become a great King to succeed you."
Well... if that Rostel were just one person, that might be true.
I awkwardly cut in between my parents at that point.
"What's a procession?"
"Ah..."
My father's serious expression softened as soon as he looked at me.
"In Ruelle, during the Harvest Festival, we give thanks to Ea for the year's harvest, don't we?"
"Mhm."
As I nodded, my father continued to explain.
"After that, the royal family, including the King chosen by the gods, goes out to the plaza to greet the people. That's called the procession."
How could I not know that?
In the procession my father participates in, even the Celestial Steed appears and pulls a golden carriage.
Thanks to that, it has become a huge event that people come to see not only from Nigel but from all over the continent.
'That procession clearly plays a part in my father's popularity in Ruelle.'
Knowing all that, I tilted my head as if I found it strange.
"But isn't it dangerous to meet strangers?"
A slight smile formed on my father's lips.
"Mommy and Daddy are here, so we can protect our daughter."
However, I remember that when we were young, my mother did her best not to put us in the public eye.
My mother must have felt it was unfair that only one of the twin Princesses would step before the people and carry out official duties.
'That's why it was only when we were seven that we first participated in the Harvest Festival procession...'
Although Rosa's Divination was incomplete and didn't reveal the secret of the twins, we participated in the procession from that year as promised.
Of course, taking turns.
'I thought Father used to follow Mother's wishes well...'
I was thinking that when I looked at the bracelet on my wrist.
My father already has high expectations for me, who is four years old and hasn't received any Divination.
That's probably why my father's attitude has changed.
'According to my calculations, I'm the Princess on the first day of the Harvest Festival...'
After thinking, I smiled.
"Okay! Then I'll do it too!"
My mother dropped her jaw silently.
'She probably thought I would refuse Father's offer.'
My mother knows me that well...
'I'm going to change.'
Before my mother could stop me, my father smiled brightly.
"This procession will be really fun. My dear, shall we ride in the golden carriage together?"
What did you say?
It was getting worse and worse.
'A golden carriage? Those fierce Celestial Steeds only allow Father to ride them...!'
My father smiled confidently, even as he saw my frightened face.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, my dear. Daddy's here."
Huh?
'But Rosa was once kicked by a hoof when she tried to ride a Celestial Steed...!'
Unable to even pretend to nod, my father's voice continued.
"Oh, let's go out together after the meal and greet the Celestial Steeds. They're a bit fierce, but they sometimes let their owner touch their wings."
I nodded reluctantly.
'I'll go out and cry that I'm scared and can't ride them...'
In Ruelle, the Celestial Steeds are incredibly popular.
Other people are desperate to see the Celestial Steeds, but I can't say I hate them before I even see them.
* * *
—Heeheeheeing!
In the end, I stood in front of the Celestial Steed stable in my father's arms.
The Celestial Steeds neighed quite like horses, but my heart was filled with despair.
'Celestial Steeds are most beautiful when viewed from afar...!'
Was it when we were about fourteen?
Rosa was practicing to ride a Celestial Steed during the procession when she was kicked by a hoof and injured.
Our already precarious father-daughter relationship was almost over at that time.
'Mother used her Divinity to the fullest to barely heal Rosa...'
The sound of the Celestial Steed's cry was dizzying in my ears.
'If they were tame enough to let anyone ride them, they wouldn't be so noisy all the time...'
I clung to my father's arm, tense, but my father misinterpreted the signal.
"Are you ready, my dear?"
"H-huh? W-wait a second."
I wasn't ready at all?
I asked in surprise.
"B-but what if the Celestial Steed doesn't like me?"
My father smiled.
"It'll be okay because Daddy's holding you. Don't worry."
O-okay...
'Fourteen-year-old Rosa wouldn't have been held by Father.'
As I was taking a deep breath, trembling, the caretaker opened the door with a clunk.
—Heeheeing!
I cringed, disgusted by the even louder cry.
But Yan, who had been circling above our heads, flapped his wings and quickly entered the stable.
What if the Celestial Steeds get excited when they see him?
"Yan...!"
I hurriedly called out, but Yan was faster.
—Squeak!
Yan flew right up to the Celestial Steeds' noses, flapping his wings and crying loudly.
It was a high-pitched and very annoying cry, unlike usual.
"N-no!"
"Yan...!"
My father was also surprised and quickly followed Yan.
The tiny Yan looked as insignificant as a pretty butterfly in front of the huge winged horses.
—Heeing!
When the largest Celestial Steed in the front cried as high as Yan, I closed my eyes tightly in fear.
I felt my father moving quickly, but that was it.
I thought there would definitely be a commotion, but I didn't hear anything.
"Yan...?"
When I cautiously opened my eyes again, a truly amazing sight was unfolding.
The fierce Celestial Steeds were all folding their wings and bowing their heads to the butterfly-like Yan.
We stood there for a moment, stunned.
—Squeak!
Yan cried out once more, and the Celestial Steeds became as silent as the dead.
The first to make a sound in that absurd situation was my father.
"Ha... haha."
A really strange laugh...
"Yan..."
I could only look up at Yan in the air in a daze.
When Yan squeaked again, the leader of the Celestial Steeds slowly took a step forward.
I recoiled in horror, but my father held me back.
"My dear, the Celestial Steed is coming to see you."
On what basis?
'There, uh, there's, like, only me here?'
But seeing Yan chirping as he intervened, it seemed my father was right.
'Ah, don't do anything unnecessary...'
I shook my head at Yan, but he flew off and sat on the head of the leader Celestial Steed, as if teasing me.
My father admired the sight again, then picked me up and approached the Celestial Steed.
'Gasp...!'
Then, in front of my horrified face, he reached out and gently stroked between the Celestial Steed's ear and eye.
"Good girl, Ibiza. Let me introduce my baby."