Chapter 50
50
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"......Yes."
But that question was a little different from usual.
"What do you see outside the window now?"
"Pardon?"
Noah blankly asked back, then quickly collected himself and answered.
"I see a part of the Royal Palace garden, Priest. The trees are decorated in a circle, it's really pretty. I've never seen trees decorated like toys like that before."
"......And what else?"
Noah felt frustrated that he couldn't properly describe the beautiful scenery of the Royal Palace.
"I see a couple of other buildings that aren't the main palace. One is low, about two stories, and the other is taller with a red roof."
"......People? Don't you see any people?"
Noah approached the window and looked out over the garden.
As it was still the festival period, quite a few people were visible.
"I see them, Priest. They're gathering in groups of twos and threes, looking around the garden. They're all dressed up beautifully, as if they've put on their best clothes."
The Priest of Derato closed his mouth.
'Did I answer wrong? Was he not asking about external things?'
Noah regretted it and added.
"O-Of course, there's also the solemnity of the festival among them......"
"Noah."
"Yes, Priest."
"That's enough."
The Priest of Derato cut him off.
'He usually listens to even the most trivial and insignificant things......'
Noah swallowed, feeling like he had made a big mistake.
Then, he finally remembered what he was going to say and managed to add.
"Umm, Priest. You said you would send the letter from earlier......"
"Ah, that."
Even though he had handed it over as if it were an important letter, Derato reacted as if such a thing had never happened.
Then, without saying another word about delivering the letter, he said.
"Within a few days, Baha High Priest will inform you of the schedule for departing to Troyne. Prepare now so that you can leave immediately at that time."
"Yes, Priest."
Noah bowed deeply.
He wanted to ask if something bad had happened separately, but there was no way that could be the case.
The Priest of Derato would have been in the room the whole time Noah went to deliver the letter.
'Was I too excited by myself?'
Noah unnecessarily reflected and checked his meager luggage.
Still, it was a relief that he could follow Baha High Priest on the way back, which would reduce the Priest of Derato's hardship.
* * *
"For Your Highness, who is so young, to ride the Celestial Steed like this, Teacher is truly deeply moved."
Since it was the first lesson after the Thanksgiving Festival, Princess's teacher, Silvia Pavel's first greeting was not so inappropriate.
If the Princess was one, if the Princess who rode the Celestial Steed was Rosa, that would have been the case.
But Rosa had to bite her lip tightly to swallow her sobs.
'Lilin rode the Celestial Steed twice. In front of all the Royal Palace nobles, the people of the kingdom......!'
Silvia easily misunderstood Rosa's eyes, which had reddened from doing so.
"When you think back on it, Your Highness must feel overwhelmed too, right? It's something to be thankful for to Ea."
In fact, Rosa was more anxious than ever.
'It's only a secret that we're twins until we're seven years old.'
What if it becomes known that there are two of us, and the rumor spreads that only the 2nd Princess can handle the Celestial Steed?
So, what if people think that the 2nd Princess is better than the 1st Princess?
'No......! The Divination has been given to the eldest daughter, the 1st Princess, for generations.'
While Rosa was grinding her teeth with such thoughts, Silvia opened her textbook and finished preparing for the lesson.
"Now, shall we start the lesson after a long time?"
"......Teasher."
"Yes, Your Highness. Is there anything else you wanted to say?"
Rosa asked, her red eyes shining brightly.
"Among the former Kings, was there anyone who rode the Celestial Steed like me when they were a Princess?"
Silvia's eyes sparkled as if she had received a good question.
"Of course not. The Celestial Steed is originally Nigel's Magical creature, so none of the former Kings rode the Celestial Steed. Your Highness is the only one."
No, Lilin was the only one.
Rosa bit her molars once, released them, and then bit them again.
"Then, was there any other Princess who was famous from a young age?"
"Hmm......"
Silvia answered carefully.
"Sometimes there are. The case of the 26th Gwenecia II, who was recorded as having powerful Healing Power, is one such case."
"Why...... was she so famous?"
Silvia smiled beautifully at the Princess's question.
"There was a hunting festival in Ruelle at the time. Bird hunting was especially popular, and a bird hit by an arrow from a noble fell near Gwenecia, who was a Princess at the time."
"And then?"
Silvia's smile deepened a little more.
"It is said that when Her Highness's hand touched it, the arrow was pulled out of the bird's body with a rustle. The bird was healed as if washed, spread its wings, and flew far away. Then the 25th King Meliza was pleased and abolished the hunting festival forever."
Rosa asked with a pounding heart.
"How old was Gwenecia II at that time?"
"It is recorded that she was five years old."
Silvia looked at the Princess opposite her with a proud face.
'A four-year-old Princess who is followed by the red bird that Shamash God took with him, and whose back is allowed by Nigel's Magical creature, who lives forever.'
The Princess will perhaps become as famous a King as Gwenecia II.
Silvia started the lesson with an overwhelming feeling.
Not even dreaming that the Princess she was teaching was two.
* * *
Rosa ran to Nigel Grand Duke as soon as the lesson was over.
"Ah, Dad......"
Rosa, who felt unfamiliar with the Grand Duke, let alone liked him, couldn't remain a Princess who couldn't handle Magical creatures.
Fortunately, the Grand Duke still couldn't distinguish between Lilin and her at all.
"Honey, did you have a good lesson after a long time?"
Since she had left the room before the teacher after the lesson, Rosa was alone without a maid.
But the Grand Duke was happy that his daughter had come to him in a hurry and couldn't think of anything else.
He just picked up Rosa and asked kindly.
"Dad is a little busy preparing for the trip, but shall I play with you? Is there anything you want to do?"
Of course, Rosa had little interest in the Grand Duke's trip.
She just looked around and replied.
"Umm, I...... Celestial Steed......"
Hahaha, the Grand Duke unexpectedly burst into laughter.
"You had fun taking a walk yesterday, didn't you? I wonder if that Ibiza guy will be capricious again today?"
Then, without a moment's hesitation, he picked up Rosa and headed out into the hallway.
Of course, Rosa was just worried.
'What if the Celestial Steed doesn't let me ride today?'
She was worried that the Celestial Steed really distinguished between Lilin and herself and treated them differently, and also......
'Has Lilin become so close to Dad?'
Thinking that.
But the Grand Duke didn't go straight to the Celestial Steed like the other day, but stopped by another guest room.
"It's a little earlier than I told you in advance. Is it okay?"
When the Grand Duke asked that, two adult men appeared from the small guest room.
'A priest......?'
Rosa was flustered because they were people she was seeing for the first time, and the Grand Duke said.
"The Princess happened to want to see the Celestial Steed again, so I'm going to accompany you on the way."
"It's an honor, Baha High Priest."
The shabby attendant kept his head down, and the man who came out with a cane greeted with a gaze that didn't know where he was looking.
"It's an honor to see you again, Princess Your Highness."
If he's a priest, should I use honorifics too?
Rosa couldn't be sure, so she just shut her mouth.
Moreover, she hadn't even heard Lilin's story about meeting the priest.
'Looking at that, that priest must not be that important.'
The priest was slow because of his cane.
Dark clouds gathered in Rosa's mind, which was already anxious.
'Too slow. I could run faster than that priest even if I ran myself.'
Maybe the Celestial Steed will be even angrier because there are so many people.
The Grand Duke, oblivious to Rosa's feelings, said to the attendant who was supporting the priest.
"When I introduce the Priest of Derato to the Celestial Steed, you can put the priest's palm on the horse's forehead and show Divinity. You can help, right?"
"Of course, High Priest."
Show Divinity?
The anxiety that Rosa had newly gained in the morning took on a clearer shape.
'Maybe Lilin has Divinity, so the Celestial Steed let her ride?'
What if it's not me but Lilin who receives Divinity at the age of seven Divination?
'What do I do then?'