[Episode 42] - My Child’s Birthday Party (4)
Originally, at parties or balls hosted directly by the royal family, it was customary for a member of the royal family to present the first dance. Usually, at balls like this, they would dance with the “fiancé” they had known since childhood...
Or else with an unmarried relative. But today’s “royal’s seventh birthday” was different. The “parents” of the princess or prince would dance with the “child” who had reached their seventh birthday.
That, they said, was the custom of a “royal’s seventh birthday.”
In other words, by ignoring all of those customs and stepping onto the dance floor at the very center of the party hall with the princess, I had essentially declared to every noble present here:
That I was the princess’s parent.
Naturally, the gazes directed at the princess and me as we stepped onto the dance floor were not exactly kind. In particular, the stares aimed at me were so sharp I could almost feel them prickling like needles.
I couldn’t clearly hear the nobles muttering as they looked at me, but I could roughly guess what sort of things they were saying. Probably...
That it was far beyond the line for a second queen, who shared no blood with the princess and had not even been granted the royal family’s surname, to claim to be her parent—
Or that on such an important day, I was ignoring royal custom and doing something that would normally be absolutely unthinkable, having two women perform a social dance in front of everyone—
It was no doubt the same stale, obvious nagging of old fogeys.
Ignoring such nonsense, which would only waste my time even if I listened, I took the princess’s hand and headed for the very center of the dance floor. Perhaps still burdened by everyone else’s gazes, the princess moved stiffly, creaking with every step.
Like an awkward wooden doll whose arms and legs moved together, the princess, her body taut with tension, took rigid steps and arrived with me at the center of the dance floor.
Seeing her open and close her hands to warm the fingers that had gone cold from nerves, trying to relax herself, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Titania, don’t be so nervous.”
“Y-yes...!”
Her answer was spirited and pretty, but her actions were anything but. Though she had come to the center of the dance floor, the princess seemed so nervous that her mind had gone completely blank, and she hesitated, not knowing what to do next.
‘There’s no need to be that nervous...’
Perhaps it was because she had made a mistake with her first greeting earlier, or perhaps she was caught up in the thought that she absolutely could not make another mistake. The princess’s body was so tense that she looked as if she might exhaust herself and collapse at any moment.
“Titania, your hand.”
When I held out my hand to begin the dance, the terribly nervous princess grabbed it with a snatch! And then came an awkward, forced smile so strained it was almost ugly. She seemed so excessively tense that it was pitiful to watch.
I held her chilled hand and whispered softly.
“You don’t need to be so nervous. Let’s just do it the way you practiced with Fran.”
“P-practiced...”
As I took the princess’s hand, music began to flow slowly through the party hall. The waltz she and I had practiced together dozens, hundreds of times slowly spread through the room, announcing the start of the dance to everyone.
But even as the music began, the princess trembled like a frightened baby rabbit and looked as though she had no intention of dancing at all. I squeezed her hand tightly and slowly began to lead her.
Then, amid the music, I spoke in a very quiet voice, low enough that only the princess could hear, whispering to the anxious girl. Telling her not to be so nervous.
“Titania, today is your birthday. Not anyone else’s, but your seventh birthday. No matter what anyone else says, today is a day where all that matters is that you enjoy yourself and feel happy.”
At my small whisper, I felt the trembling in the princess’s hand, touching mine, begin to stop. The princess, who had started to take slow steps in time with my lead, looked up at me blankly.
I, too, looked down at her and smiled.
“So let’s enjoy it together. Dancing is something you do to have fun.”
At my words, the princess gave a small nod.
I no longer felt any trembling in her hand. Though her expression was still tense, she was no longer shaking as badly as before while she danced. And as we continued the dance like that...
A smile gradually began to spread across the princess’s face as she followed the steps guided by my hand. As if dancing truly was enjoyable, her tense expression slowly turned into a smile, and the princess began to dance in time with the song.
One, two. One, two.
Dancing in time with my lead, the princess was no longer nervous. Smiling brightly like a flower in full bloom, she soon began to dance perfectly, just as she had learned from Fran.
Suddenly, seeing the princess enjoying herself as she danced reminded me of the last time Fran had come to find me. She had boasted to me, expressionless, making V-signs with both hands, saying that the princess could finally perform something that resembled a dance.
Proud of how the princess had grown, learning to dance from Fran, whom she had once disliked so much, and now dancing in front of me, I placed my hands beneath the princess’s arms at the climax of the song, lifted her high into the air, and spun around once.
“Kyaa!”
From the princess, lifted high into the air, came a bright, delighted laugh. Once more, I held the princess by the waist, lifted her high into the air, and spun around.
Again, the princess cried out, delighted.
There was no longer any trace of the nervous, creaking princess from before. Right now, there was only a girl dancing lightly in time with the music, enjoying herself. The princess truly enjoyed and felt happy dancing with me.
Of course, the same was true for me.
As we danced so joyfully, the final note of the waltz soon rang long through the hall. It was hard to call it a refined waltz, and was merely the result of the two of us dancing happily together, but the reaction around us was quite good.
As if they had been waiting for the music to end, loud applause rang out from all around the moment the dance ended. Only after hearing the great round of applause was the princess able to smile and look around at the nobles.
Bow—
The princess gave an elegant greeting to the applauding nobles, then took my hand and slowly descended from the dance floor. Perhaps the heat of the dance still remained in her body, for the princess began walking with little hopping steps, snorting lightly in excitement.
Then, spotting Fran standing far off, the princess bounced over to her, placed both hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and looked up at Fran.
With an expression brimming with confidence, as if to say, “Well? I really did well this time, didn’t I?” the princess looked at Fran, and just when it seemed she might finally receive Fran’s recognition regarding her dancing...
“Today, Princess, you were at least not a squid.”
Fran cut her off flatly, as if there was no chance of that. At the praise, saltier than salt itself, the princess’s face scrunched up, and she shouted at Fran.
“Why is that the only way you can praise me?! I did well!!”
“This is the highest compliment I can currently offer you, Princess.”
Fran’s expression did not change at all as she merely assessed the princess coldly. Well, if that was Fran, then it was very like Fran... I let out a small laugh as I looked at the faint smile resting at the corners of Fran’s mouth.
Watching the artificial human who had become a little more human.
*
After that, the princess’s seventh birthday party came to a successful close.
The birthday party with the nobles was over, but there was still an after-party left.
Me, the princess, Ainsel, and Fran.
A modest after-party for the four of us.
For the princess, who had been hungry after not eating anything all day, we took a few dishes left over from the party hall and decided to gather in my room for a small after-party.
Though the party food had gone cold, the princess must have been truly hungry, for she was busy shoving food into her mouth without even savoring the taste. Only after swallowing down the food she had stuffed into her cheeks did the princess let out a deep sigh, as if she could finally live.
I chuckled as I watched her.
“Were you that hungry?”
“Yes... I hadn’t eaten anything since morning... I was really, really hungry...”
Perhaps embarrassed that she had eaten so ravenously, the princess gently covered her mouth with both hands and smiled sheepishly.
I wiped the sauce smeared all around the princess’s mouth with a handkerchief, then took Ainsel from my ear and held her out to the princess. The princess tilted her head and accepted the Ainsel I offered.
“Ainsel says she wants to give you a birthday present.”
“Really?”
At the words birthday present, the princess’s eyes sparkled wide.
—The gift I will give you is my “double.” You are still too young to wear this mirror earring on your ear, so if you attach a cord to the earring, you should be able to use it like a necklace.
Following Ainsel’s words, I attached the gold cord I had prepared in advance to the earring, making it into a necklace. When I placed the newly made necklace around the princess’s neck, the mirror resting against her chest glittered and reflected Ainsel.
—If you tap the mirror twice, you can talk with me at any time. This is the only thing I can give you... I’m sorry. If you do not like it...
The princess lifted the Ainsel hanging around her neck and shook her head vigorously as she looked at her. Then, smiling as if she was truly happy, she hugged Ainsel tightly.
“No! I really like it! It’s a gift from the first friend I ever made, after all. And... with this, we can talk together at night from now on, right? Right? I was always sad that I couldn’t talk with you outside of lessons, Ainsel...”
At the princess’s words, Ainsel burst into tears in the mirror and flailed both arms as if pretending to hug the princess. Seeing that gesture, the princess also pulled the little Ainsel against her chest and hugged her tightly.
Seeing the princess hugging the small mirror so tightly, I somehow found myself laughing, even though it was a touching sight. Then the princess, with Ainsel hanging around her neck, looked at Fran this time.
Since Ainsel had given her a present, she glanced over and over at Fran with an expectant gaze, as if asking whether Fran had nothing to give her. But Fran, looking at the princess, shook her head.
“I apologize. Because I came here in a hurry, I have nothing suitable to give you as a present, Princess.”
“Mm...”
The princess nodded, her shoulders drooping in disappointment. Just as she was about to give up early, thinking that if there was nothing, then it couldn’t be helped, Fran took something from her pocket and held it out to the princess.
At the paper envelope shaped like a letter, the princess tilted her head and accepted what Fran handed her. She looked at Fran with her head tilted, as if asking what it was.
“It is an invitation to the witches’ gathering, the Coven.”
At the words invitation to the Coven, I frowned slightly and looked at Fran. No matter how much she had nothing else to give as a present, an “invitation to the Coven” for the princess?
“An invitation to the Coven? Why give that to Titania?”