“I’m all right. In fact…I feel more energetic than usual.”
She had meant it to be reassuring, but a flush crept to the tips of her ears when she realized her words might be mistaken for taking the princess’s side.
Riftan simply looked down at her and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. The new leaves sprouting from the tree above cast green shadows across his chiseled face. Maxi tentatively met his gaze.
He silently regarded her for a long while before muttering, “I’ve never seen you enjoying yourself so much.”
“Th-That’s because this is the first time…I’ve been to a village festival,” Maxi stammered, flustered by his intense gaze.
“Would you like me to hold it year-round?” Riftan asked, his face serious.
“Th-That would be impossible.”
“I’ll give you the gold to hold as many festivals as you wish.”
Maxi blanched and hastily waved him off. “Th-That will not be necessary. I…would be happy…if you b-bring me here next year.”
Riftan’s eyes intensified, and he slowly closed them, savoring her words. “Then next year, let’s enjoy the festival, just the two of u—”
Suddenly, a blast louder than any they had heard so far boomed across the sky. A crease formed on Riftan’s forehead as he rose, clearly exasperated.
“Let’s head back. I should stop that woman before she burns everything down.”
Maxi’s dress was wrinkled when she staggered up after him, and Riftan bent down to straighten the hem. They walked out from the trees holding hands, the warm spring breeze caressing her skin and making her feel as though she were walking on clouds.
—
Maxi could not recallhow they made their way back to the fields, but when they arrived, they discovered that Agnes had been using her magic to blast fireworks into the sky from a stage set up on the hill. At Riftan’s harsh reprimand, she sulkily stepped down while Sir Elliot hung his head and mumbled an apology for failing to stop her.
Riftan only glowered at them before descending the hill in order to escape the throng of people. Agnes trailed behind him and said, “I do not see why you’re so angry. Everyone liked the fireworks.”
“Someone could have recognized you. The fact that you are a young sorceress with golden hair and blue eyes couldeasily give away your identity!” He turned to the princess, an edge of a threat in his voice as he said, “Remember your station. You are King Reuben’s favorite child. People may approach you with ill intentions.”
“You are much too bull-headed, Riftan. If I did encounter such people, I would—”
The princess’s words died on her lips at the cold look in Riftan’s eyes. She meekly glanced to the side, admitting, “I suppose I might have gone a little overboard in my excitement.”
“You suppose?” Riftan said through clenched teeth, before lowering his voice. Although his hood covered his face, there could still be villagers who recognized him. “You clearly took it too far.”
Agnes’s colorful fireworks had been on display for everyone to see, and foreign visitors were glancing at them as they whispered harshly at each other. Gossip about the lord attending the festival with a sorceress was going to spread like wildfire. Fearing a commotion, they immediately made their way back to the road that led to the village square.
“Please wait here for a moment. I shall fetch the coachman,” Sir Elliot said, promptly setting off toward the nearby tents.
Agnes looked dejected. “I feel bad that our celebration was cut short because of me. I was only trying to make things more exciting….”
“P-Please don’t say that. I was a bit surprised…but…it was beautiful. I did not know such magic existed.”
Agnes’s mood brightened immediately. “It’s something I learned at the Mage Tower. It might be loud, but it’s safeenough to touch, and it burns away too quickly for it to cause any harm to the surrounding area. We use it at home all the time during our annual festivals.”
“So it’s a magic solely created for p-people’s amusement.”
Maxi knitted her brow. It seemed like a waste to squander precious mana simply for entertainment. Still, Agnes looked perfectly fine even after casting so many fireworks. Clearly, such mana use meant little to the princess.
Riftan went to check on the carriage, leaving Maxi alone to stew in the painful realization of how wide the gap was between herself and the princess. Before she could spiral further, Agnes whispered in her ear, “By the way, that was legendary earlier.”
“Pardon?”
“You know, when Riftan whisked you away into the forest during the dance.” Maxi’s face burned like coal, but the princess did not stop there, her voice lascivious as she said, “What did the two of you do out there, I wonder?”
