By Zephyria 
While watching the play, I couldn’t help but let out a foolish sigh of disbelief until Shayden whispered in my ear that it was against the rules to make noise.
Even after hearing his advice, I bit my lip and tried hard not to click my tongue in displeasure, finding it distasteful that young children would come to see such a scandalous thing.
The content of the play was so grotesque and embarrassing!
The man who appeared first was already married, and the woman he held was said to be his mistress.
It was a story where the man teasingly wrapped his arm around the woman’s waist, singing of free love with a smile, only to be caught by his wife and severely scolded.
The women and men who appeared would shout fiercely during conversations, then suddenly burst into song in loud voices, or form groups to dance and make flamboyant gestures. While their voices and melodies were pleasant, the lewd content was deeply displeasing.
When the play ended, a roar of exclamations and thunderous applause poured down.
Looking at the children who had come with me, Danbi, Arno, and Gregory were even clapping with tears streaming down their faces.
If only my acquaintances had acted this way, I would not have been able to hold back and would have offered a word of criticism. But with five to six hundred people filling the vast theater all laughing and applauding, I was speechless.
Until now, I had only seen good things and things that suited my taste since being reborn in Sierren, so nothing had ever surprised me like this.
As I sat there silently, lost in thought, Shayden, who was sitting next to me, glanced at me and, stopping his applause, whispered softly in my ear.
“Why, Mika. Was it not fun?”
“I… I don’t understand.”
“Hmm? What don’t you understand?”
“Are you… really asking because you don’t know?”
“Huh? Uh-huh… What is it, do you know someone among the actors?”
“No… Never mind.”
After replying listlessly, I thought that Danbi kissing his girlfriend’s hand might be considered harmless childish play, which made me even more distressed.
Compared to that, my own parents, Michael Ernhardt’s mother and father, had acted so chastely and virtuously.
Even after they were married, their demeanor was so proper that one could easily tell they were a loving couple just by standing next to each other. Recalling that heartwarming sight, I let out a deep sigh.
In the One-Eyed Village, the two-eyed must walk with one eye closed. Even as I tried to console myself, the urge to scold myself, thinking “How could this possibly happen?”, kept arising.
To the children beside me, who were whispering and worrying, not understanding what the problem was, I finally managed to offer a single response.
Although I had many complaints, this was the best I could articulate and express.
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t like the protagonist’s behavior, so I’m just… just a little… uncomfortable.”
“Ah. We were worried. When I focus on the play, I sometimes dislike a character and get upset! Even if they succeeded in revenge, the heroine’s heart wasn’t left unscathed.”
“That can happen. Shall we go eat something delicious to change the mood?”
“I know a place that serves delicious roasted whole pig. Young Master Ernhardt will like it too.”
“…Yes.”
While I was confused, it wouldn’t be polite to keep showing a sullen face to the children who had come out to play on a weekend.
I tried not to look at Danbi, who was walking while tightly hugging Arno’s arm and smiling sheepishly.
The food at the restaurant Damian chose was very delicious.
During the meal, I occasionally smiled as I listened to the children chatting happily. I also bought stationery and envelopes at a general store to reply to Michael and his family.
After saying goodbye to the children, I returned to the dormitory.
…I couldn’t bear my curiosity any longer and knocked on Shayden’s door.
“Shayden, I have something to ask you.”
“What is it, Mika? Did something happen today?”
“Is it normal for people in the capital to hug and kiss even if they aren’t lovers?”
“Huh?”
“No, even if they are lovers. Isn’t it excessive to hug and kiss on a public street where people can see?”
Shayden blinked his light green eyes repeatedly as he looked at me. I didn’t avoid his gaze.
Shayden looked at me for a long time, then curled his lips, and with a strange expression, led me to the sofa in the drawing-room.
I waited silently for an answer. It was fortunate that I had a friend who could explain human relationships, but at the same time, I found my situation of worrying about such things amusing.
Of course, having learned from my time at Young Count Ernhardt’s Residence, I had become accustomed to physical contact with others more than I had in the Central Plains.
However, that was only in the case of couples who had been married for a long time, or when an elder comforted and soothed a young child.
The physical closeness between unmarried men and women of the same age was still considered scandalous.
I knew that it was common for men and women to hold hands and dance, but seeing them press their lips onto each other’s cheeks and hands, even in public, was so embarrassing!
I felt so ashamed and awkward that I couldn’t collect my thoughts all afternoon.
After pouring out my resentment, I felt a sense of relief.
This was the first time in both my past and present lives that I had witnessed such a scene with my own eyes. My insides still felt hot. I deliberately did not hide my displeased expression.
Shayden, uncharacteristically cautious, even offered me a cup of hot tea before speaking. Since I was thirsty, I readily accepted the teacup.
“Danbi and Arno… did they kiss? No, that doesn’t seem right.”
“On the hand.”
“Ah. Aha. Aha… And then?”
“The people in the play who hugged and kissed weren’t married, were they? Seeing them do all sorts of things in front of everyone made me feel so ashamed…”
“Cough, ahem. Hmmm… I see. But even if they only pretended to kiss and didn’t actually kiss?”
“…”
“Right… I see. Hmm, this kind of thing can differ depending on family customs. Just a moment, can I think about it before I answer?”
“Yes.”
Shayden covered his face with both hands and bowed his head, contemplating silently for a long time.
I didn’t rush him and waited.
Maelo Sanson and Shayden Rose both did the same. If I waited patiently for them to finish their thoughts, they would give me the right answer, so I trusted them greatly.
“…I don’t know how to put this. Hmm, first of all, I didn’t know you didn’t like that. I’m sorry for taking you to the play without explaining beforehand.”
“No, it’s unavoidable that you didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”
“And… I don’t know how they teach things in House Ernhardt, so I can’t speak carelessly… but the physical contact between actors in plays, as long as there’s no nudity… isn’t strange.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. First of all, the play we just saw was rated for all ages. In other words, it’s about good triumphing over evil, right? The story of ‘The Tale of Countess Daisy,’ which conveys the message that monogamy is good and infidelity is bad, has been popular for over a hundred years.”
“…”
“Especially the Countess’s aria, which goes up to a difficult fourth octave, is considered a gateway for skilled actors. It means it’s a role that actors greatly aspire to.”
“…”
“A hug, for instance, is something anyone does when something good happens, right? They pretended to kiss, but they turned their heads to pretend, they didn’t actually kiss. Right?”
“…Are you trying to convince me right now?”
“No, no. I’m just explaining. In reality, even seven-year-old children hold hands if they’re close, and say ‘We’re going to get married!’ and give little kisses! Adults find that kind of thing cute and let it be.”
“Do seven-year-olds still hold hands and kiss after they’re seven?”
“No, why not?”
“So, if you get a lover, you’ll kiss them like that on the street too?”
“I… I might! No, isn’t love like that?”
“No!”
“Then what is it!”
“…”
I had nothing more to say and closed my mouth.
Despite experiencing so much in both my past and present lives, I had never had a lover. Therefore, it was difficult to definitively say what love was.
My heart still felt uneasy and displeased, but I thought, “If that’s the law of Sierren, what can I say?”
Shayden, who had inadvertently raised his voice, looked flustered, like my Father did when he first heard the request for a younger sibling. He rubbed his dry face with his hands. My head throbbed, so I pressed my temples with both hands and massaged them. I let out a deep breath and sank into the sofa. Both Shayden and I were lost in thought, and the drawing-room fell silent for a long time.
Shayden added, rubbing his slightly flushed cheeks.
“But… when I think about it again.”
“Mmm.”
“There are people who like public displays of affection, and there are people who are shy about it.”
“…! Yes, being shy is the right thing to do.”
“But that’s just the difference between wanting to show off your relationship and not wanting to flaunt it to others. It’s not because they think the affection is unhealthy. This is just me saying this because I hope you don’t offend others, Mika.”
“Offend?”
“Yes. Whether they hold hands, kiss, or embrace… that’s their decision. Love can be expressed in many different ways… I think the way you think is right should only apply to your own love.”
The way I think is right should only apply to me.
At those words, I closed my mouth with a short sigh. I raised my hand to stop Shayden from saying anything more. I needed time to think.
Shayden, being perceptive, understood this and leaned back on the sofa, waiting for me patiently.
The truth was, if someone did something with another person, I didn’t need to show aversion or dislike. I let out a hot breath, wondering why I had agonized over this so much.
It must be that I still hadn’t shed the habit of acting like I was from the Orthodox Sect and judging the right and wrong of the Unorthodox Evildoers.
Therefore, I had decided that chastity was right and promiscuity was wrong, and tried to assign rewards and punishments accordingly. It was an act of utter arrogance.
My life in the Central Plains was one of asceticism, self-cultivation, and contemplation.
I believed that controlling one’s desires was commendable, and acting vulgarly was contemptible.
Because not only I, but everyone around me said so, I avoided those who wallowed in drunken revelry, and I recoiled from the touch of men’s and women’s hands and shoulders.
However, the laws of the Central Plains and the laws of Sierren being different was as natural and proper as different constellations, and I shouldn’t have disliked them blindly.
Confused, I ran my hands through my hair.
The feel of my hair falling softly between my fingers was distinctly different from that of the Central Plains.
Back then, I always tied my hair neatly with a blue ribbon, so there was no need to repeatedly run my hands through it or try to arrange it like this.
Besides, it was getting close to bedtime, and I finally realized that there was no need to question Shayden and scold him.
I carefully chose my words. I knew my voice still held a firm tone, so I tried to speak gently.
“…Yes, I understand now that there was no need to make such a fuss about what I saw today. You mean that lovers in Sierren usually want to show off their affection and love for each other.”
“Yes, that’s right. …Are, are you okay?”
“What would happen if I wasn’t okay? No, no. I’m fine. Thank you for telling me. I should go to bed now.”
“Oh, uh-huh. Okay. …Sleep well.”
“Yes. You too, Shayden.”
I looked back at him, his expression still bewildered. This simpleton didn’t seem particularly promiscuous.
This was something to ponder over time.
After all, I couldn’t change the entire world by myself, and… I no longer knew if it was the right thing to do.
I simply gulped down the now-cold tea, waved goodbye casually, and returned to my room.