By Zephyria 
The next morning, I called Father and Mother and showed them Rubel’s invitation first. It felt right to discuss it with them both present, rather than just speaking with Mother alone. Thinking of Rubel still made my stomach churn and my thirst unceasing. I couldn’t trust any of my own judgments, so I relied on my kin.
Mother examined the invitation carefully, then asked me with a faint smile. “Hmm… What do you think the Second Prince is like, Mika?”
“…Diligent, cute, and gentle… A kind boy.”
“I see. Then, do you think this tea time will be a private meeting between just the two of them?”
I pondered for a moment. Would Lucilla or Matt Nico be joining? No, that wasn’t it. He was the child who had run off in annoyance at the thought of bringing Bill Brown along just to visit a night market. Since I had even brought up dance practice, he must have invited me to see each other.
“…Yes. I believe so.”
“Then you can relax a little more.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I heard a few things from our next Duke of Valentia, too.”
“…From Uncle…?”
I blinked, bewildered. Mother elegantly fanned herself with a fan. Even to my eyes, unfamiliar with fan language, her gesture seemed noble.
“The sides have already been chosen, so it’s best to be more certain. I think we should give His Highness the Second Prince a valuable gift.”
“…A gift?”
“Yes. We can use it as an excuse to visit and present a suitable gift. Since you don’t have clothes prepared for entering the Imperial Palace… it would be best to set a date after the second week of December.”
“…Are there clothes I need to prepare besides those for the Debutante?”
“Of course. It might be different if you were older and frequented the Imperial Palace more often… but this is your first time entering. There will be many eyes watching, and many things you must show.”
I was speechless for a moment, my mouth agape. But then, I realized I didn’t need to worry. My mother, Seiren Ernhardt, who was smiling brightly, was the jewel of the Duke Valentia family and had dominated high society for eight years since her debut. Although she had withdrawn from society after my birth, she was not someone anyone could look down upon. I meekly nodded and clasped my hands politely.
“Yes, I will leave it to you, Mother.”
“Alright. When you send the letter to set the date, make sure to stamp it with the crest of House Ernhardt. Show this invitation to the attendant briefly, but keep it with you. Be careful not to lose it.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll tell you how to write the reply, so write it in your own hand.”
“Yes.”
Soon, good paper and a pen were prepared. I wrote down what Mother dictated.
“To His Highness Rubel Anti Searon, by the kind arrangement of Shinui.
May the first grace of Shinui be with Your Highness. Thank you for granting me the honor of setting foot in the Emerald Palace. I shall visit with a shining heart, and I humbly request you open the golden gates in the second week of December…”
Even though it was my own handwriting, it felt unfamiliar, and I let out a hollow laugh.
“If you write it like this, how will we know which day in the second week?”
“That’s for them to decide. That’s how it is when dealing with royalty. We must adjust to the date they set.”
But Rubel hadn’t said that. I pondered for a moment and asked again.
“May I ask them to avoid Tuesdays?”
“Of course. Do you have a prior engagement on Tuesdays?”
“Yes. I am raising a Wizard.”
“Oh?”
Mother looked at me with a puzzled expression, then, saying she would ask about it later, dictated the next line. I wrote it down as she said.
And in the very last line, instead of asking them to avoid Tuesdays, I wrote a cross mark. This symbol, one of seven, was designated for correspondence where one could express assent but not refusal.
I felt truly fortunate to have Mother’s help.
❖ ❖ ❖
Getting clothes fitted turned out to be more time-consuming and laborious than I expected. Of course, I was used to spending an hour or two whenever Mother had clothes made to her liking over the past 14 years, but this year was exceptionally demanding. To my eyes, the color of one fabric looked the same as another, yet Mother meticulously inspected them, citing differences in luster, origin, or thread color, and I spent all day holding various fabrics against myself at her command. To determine the most flattering neckline, I put on and took off shirts of various pre-prepared shapes dozens of times, raising and lowering my arms, sitting and standing as instructed to check if elegant folds formed with movement.
The only thing I refused to compromise on was my shoes. Regardless of color, it was important to wear shoes with soles that were not too stiff and had a sensible shape, in case I needed to carry someone. I broke into a sweat after pleading and begging to prevent the tips of the newly made shoes from being pointed. I even felt envious of Marianne, who had gone out wearing her older sister’s clothes, but I knew speaking it aloud would earn me scolding, so I endured it alone.
Perhaps because of that.
On the second Wednesday of December, heading to the Second Prince’s Palace, dressed splendidly and elegantly, I felt a sense of liberation, as if I had overcome the greatest hurdle. The ivory shirt was tailored to fit my body perfectly. Jewels were attached to the collar and cuffs. Over that, I wore a vest that cinched my waist tightly, and then a stiff, beautifully embroidered coat. The buttons were made of jewels, and when I took a deep breath and puffed out my chest, I felt constricted. The trousers were also made to fit my thighs so snugly that they would surely tear if I tried to climb a tree. It felt like clothes designed to prevent espionage in the Prince’s Palace.
At first, I thought it would be embarrassing to meet Rubel dressed so elaborately, but that wasn’t the case. Inside the carriage, which vibrated with the rhythmic clip-clop of the horses’ hooves, I closed my eyes to avoid seeing my fluttering bangs obstructing my vision. My mother’s order was to comb my soft, pink hair into a side part, letting it fall gently below my right eyebrow. It would be easy to push it back with my hand, but there was no need to do anything that would be considered impolite…
As the carriage reached the Imperial Palace, a guard approached and cautiously saluted the carriage window. I showed him the invitation I had received. The soldier bowed deeply, then stepped back, and the carriage continued along the main road. Everything outside the window glittered. I couldn’t suppress my exclamations of wonder as I gazed at the sight of snow-white flowers blooming everywhere in this winter, adorned with magically cast light. It was even more overwhelming than I had imagined the Imperial Palace to be.
Each building was tall, massive, and white, radiating light. The Imperial City of the Sierran Empire was said to have been built in imitation of divine light. To construct buildings resembling Divine Power, they were painted pure white and decorated with magically cast light. It was a delicate light that seemed to evade rain and snow. Evergreen Trees, which I had sometimes seen in the botanical garden, surrounded the gold-adorned buildings. The white buildings occasionally shone with a precious golden hue. The carriage stopped in front of one. A servant opened the door, and I stepped out.
An elderly man, dressed neatly, bowed deeply and respectfully. “Welcome, Young Master Ernhardt. His Highness the Second Prince awaits you.”
“Thank you for your gracious welcome.”
I returned a simple nod as a courtesy. Inwardly, I had hoped Rubel would come to greet me, but I wasn’t disappointed. I keenly felt the insurmountable barrier of our stations. He would no longer come running to greet me with open arms.
According to the order Mother had guided me through, I was supposed to be served tea and sweets in the reception room and wait ten minutes before Rubel would enter to receive my greeting. So, as soon as I stepped through the opened door, I was taken aback to see him jump up without even a moment to catch my breath.
“Young Master Ernhardt!”
“…Senior?”
I had sensed a presence from within the room, but I had expected him to enter slowly and formally, following protocol. Was his word about waiting meant literally? I stared blankly at Rubel, who was looking at me with a bright face, his pale cheeks blushing like flowers, and then burst into laughter. My heart melted. Honestly, I was happy.
“Uh, today… today. You’re dressed incredibly… beautifully.”
“Yes. I was told I had to dress like this to meet you, Senior.”
“Th-that’s not… I mean, yes, but, Young Master Ernhardt…”
“Let’s sit down first.”
It was against protocol for me to offer a seat first. I had received prior explanations, but seeing the person who was supposed to receive such courtesy so eager, I wondered what the point of adhering to protocol was, and so I seated Rubel first. The attendant, who had stood respectfully at the door without changing his expression, bowed deeply and closed the door. Even then, Rubel’s dark gaze remained fixed on me, which I found strangely pleasing. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t seen him often during the holidays, or perhaps the sorrow I felt over his graduation, which kept me up at night, felt like a dream.
“Have you been well?”
“Y-yes, Young Master?”
“Whether I’ve been well or not…”
Instead of recounting how I had spent two weeks just getting clothes made, I let out a hollow laugh. “I now realize how difficult it is to meet you, Senior.”
“No, you could have come anytime…”
“It seems it wasn’t something I could do as I pleased.”
“…”
Had I said something to upset him? I glanced sideways, observing Rubel calming his excitement and breathing steadily. I decided to skip the greetings Mother had repeatedly instructed me on and took out what I had prepared.