Festival
TL/ED: Lolz
“… Are you saying you want to date me?”
“Exactly as it sounds! Holding hands like lovers, having meals together. You know, I really wanted to try the food at Lichten Academy! The food in plays always looks so delicious!”
“…Yes.”
“And going to cafes together. Ordering two cups of fragrant coffee and only one dessert. Sharing and accidentally touching forks, it’s a cliché. In that moment, you should wipe off the cream on my lips with yours!”
“…Ah, yes.”
“And we should have a not-too-heavy dinner with good cocktails. A slightly tipsy atmosphere, soft lamppost lights. If you like me, I would say…”
“…”
“Do you want to take a little break?”
Ian stared blankly at the princess.
What kind of second-rate play had she been obsessed with?
And why was she so interested in Ian himself?
Anyway, she asked again.
“So, will you date me?”
Flirtatious eyelashes.
Playfully twitching lips.
Following that line of sight, if you looked down a bit, Asteria’s long fingers were sliding between her own cleavage. Pulling the neckline taut.
Not revealing too much.
“How about it?”
She seemed to be an easy woman at first glance.
Contrasting her lascivious body, she looked foolish and seemed like a dumb girl.
Seems obsessed with s*xuality, and with a reach of her hand, she would probably give away that soft-looking body.
So, let’s revisit her name.
‘Asteria Estrid.’
The absolute ruler of the Britannia Empire, the Estrid Emperor.
Estrid.
Cruel, savage, dominant, cunning, and intelligent, a perfect lineage of conquerors.
That ‘bloodline’ cannot tolerate this.
Suppressed?
‘Amusing.’
Asteria Estrid is someone who would proudly boast about being of such lineage. Someone who cannot restrain the conquering instinct surging from her own instincts.
Originally, compared to the Empress, Crown Prince, or Crown Princess, she was overwhelmingly weak.
If you played Fanta X Aca ten times, you could see her facing a miserable end at least seven times.
The reason, of course, is her defeat in the struggle for the imperial succession or the failure of rebellion.
Whether it’s execution, assassination, or any other type of death, she died.
Yet Asteria never regrets the path she walks.
“Hey Ian, I’m waiting for you.”
He needed her attention.
But not like this.
He needed to be acknowledged for his skills.
‘Will you date me?’ is not the right question. It should be ‘Will you work with me?’.
Asteria, the Princess of Rebellion.
If it was not her, there was no need to pay attention to this woman with only a large chest.
“Or maybe it wouldn’t be bad for me to start a fling with you.”
“I don’t like that.”
Simultaneously with Ian’s response.
— Rustle
The grassy forest behind them rustled.
Both of their gazes turned back at the same time…
— Nyah
“There seems to be a cat.”
“Yeah… no, that’s not it. Why?”
As the two heads turned back, their eyes met. Asteria had a somewhat distressed expression.
“You can’t find someone with the face, body, and status like mine anywhere, right?”
“I apologize.”
“…No way, you.”
Asteria’s face quickly became serious.
An expressionless face.
She blinked her long eyelashes several times and opened her mouth.
“Are you gay?”
“… No.”
Ian immediately replied.
“You’re avoiding me even after seeing me? Maybe you have a taste for older women? If so, I have no choice but to call the guards.”
“…”
“Tomorrow is the festival. If you walk around with me, it might look good on you. It could even spread as a rumor?”
Asteria subtly pressed her chest closer to Ian.
— Rustle
This time, they both ignored the sound coming from the bushes.
Ian spoke up.
“I’m sorry. I already have a prior arrangement to attend the festival.”
Excuses should be sufficient at this point.
— Nyah
Once again, the sound of a cat was heard.
◆
Ian left the bench.
Alone, Asteria quietly finished her sandwich.
“It’s delicious.”
— Chirp chirp.
Having cleanly licked the sauce off her fingers, she fell into deep thought.
“Ian Blackangers. He’s indeed an interesting one.”
Asteria knew that her body was a weapon.
When approaching someone worth manipulating, she always started with her body.
In fact, there was no more efficient approach.
People who touched her could be exploited and then coldly discarded.
“…I didn’t think of applying that standard to you.”
Swoosh.
Asteria playfully wiggled her foot in the air.
Droplets in the shape of stars appeared and disappeared along with her footsteps.
Actually, about Ian… it was just pure interest.
The ‘Grade Assessment Ceremony’ she witnessed on her first day at the Academy intrigued her.
His use of magic was entertaining.
When he imitated ‘mid-air fixation’ using the interaction of metals, it was amusing like a fine joke.
And when he demonstrated a hard-to-identify movement technique, it was astonishing and admirable.
Watching such a talented individual facing disciplinary action from the committee was irresistible.
So she thought.
While at the academy, why not casually, truly casually, make at least one normal acquaintance?
“Well… I guess it’s greed for me.”
It’s an instinct to tempt only those who are useful.
Perhaps Ian showed enough potential to rival her own talents.
Asteria smiled a bitter smile.
Then she gracefully rose from the bench.
On the quiet outskirts of the academy.
“By the way, I don’t know the way back.”
She was quite a calm fellow in many ways.
◆
On the day of the St. Gregory Lantern Festival, late afternoon.
Having woken up from a nap, Danya buried her face in the pillow for a moment.
Then she pounded the blanket with her little feet.
“…Already made a prior arrangement! Hehe.”
She wagged her tail for a moment like that.
After washing up, she dried her hair and tail.
Using flower oil with a subtle fragrance, she calmly combed her tail.
With the clean white dress, her hair was neatly braided and let down.
Thin makeup added just a touch to her already vibrant skin, and simple earrings adorned her jewel-like eyes.
Finally, she wore sandals, her soft bare feet clearly visible.
“Hmm.”
In front of a full-length mirror, Danya glanced at her own reflection for a moment.
“Looks good… but a bit short?”
Trying to pull down the slightly revealing dress on her exposed thighs, she tilted her head.
“I’ve grown up too!”
Turning around happily, Danya left her home satisfied.
◆
As the sun set in the early evening, the sky would normally begin to darken, but today it remained unusually bright.
When Danya arrived at the festival street, people had already gathered around, making the surroundings lively.
A vibrant festival street.
The street, filled with orange lanterns, exuded a different, gentle, and sweet atmosphere from usual.
Danya stood on tiptoe and looked around the meeting place.
“Danya.”
Ian was standing there.
Come to think of it, Ian often spotted Danya first.
Why did that happen, Danya briefly wondered.
“Ian!”
“Yeah, here.”
Somehow, Ian seemed different from usual.
It was only then that Danya noticed the bouquet of flowers in his hand.
For some reason, her heart raced.
“I-is that for me?”
“Huh? Ah… yeah.”
A somewhat delayed response from Ian.
Normally, Danya would have pointed out the timing for such a remark, but for some reason, all that came out was a giggly laughter.
“Thank you.”
Danya reached out her hand, but Ian didn’t extend the bouquet.
“I’ll hold it for you since it might be inconvenient for you to carry it around.”
Really, his manners were impeccable.
Perhaps it was because of the festival atmosphere.
Danya felt a slight melting sensation.
‘…What should I do?’
Until now, she had just considered him a slightly closer colleague, but now…
Gulp.
Danya swallowed nervously.
“Wanna go grab something to drink?”
“Uh, yeah!”
They walked along the street.
Stalls on both sides were filled with tempting treats.
– Cheap aphrodisiacs! Have a child blessed by Saint Gregory!
“…”
There were also somewhat embarrassing types of stalls occasionally.
“Cherry-flavored stamina potion? Wanna try that?”
“Yeah!”
They tried various unique drinks and indulged in different snacks.
Although the highlight of the festival was probably still ahead, why did this moment feel so pleasant for Danya?
“…”
Danya silently observed Ian, who was walking a bit ahead of her.
Certainly, she had thought of him as a valuable colleague.
‘I want to hold hands.’
Suddenly, that thought crossed her mind.
His hand was much larger than her small one, and lately, the veins had become more pronounced, giving it a rather masculine appearance.
At the right moment.
— Thump
Ian, who was walking ahead, bumped into someone and was pushed back for a moment.
The back of his hand touched Danya’s hand.
It felt like that spot had suddenly become hot, as if it were burning.
“Seems like it’s getting crowded. Danya?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Why are you spacing out like that? Is your hand hurting? Stick close to me and follow.”
“Y-yeah!”
Danya cautiously grabbed the hem of his shirt sleeve.
‘Let’s be satisfied with this for today.’
An unfamiliar feeling. Danya took a step back.
No, that was her intention.
— Rustle
“!”
Until Ian suddenly grabbed Danya’s hand.
Thump thump! A heart beating roughly.
The moment Danya tried to look up at Ian.
— Swish!
Suddenly, her body was thrust forward.
“Run, Danya!”
“Eh!”
As Danya was about to release Ian from her hands, feeling the warmth covering her hands for a moment.
— Ba-a-a-ang!
A massive explosion filled the festival.
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