[Episode 77] – When Women Gather, They Always Talk About Love. (1)
The day before the masquerade ball.
As usual, on the day before the ball, Titania and I arrived at Count Serina's estate to spend the night. The royal palace was quite a distance from the ballroom, and since Titania loved staying up all night playing with Viola, we always arrived around the day before to pass the time.
“Viola~!”
“Your Highness~!”
Squeeze!
The moment Titania stepped down from the carriage, she dashed straight toward Viola.
After hugging each other tightly, they intertwined their fingers and began bouncing in place. Seeing Titania and Viola like that, a hollow laugh burst out of me before I knew it. Were they really that happy?
As I stared at Viola and Titania with a truly dumbfounded expression, Lady Serina approached with an awkward smile, bowed her head respectfully, and greeted me.
“It has been a long time, Your Majesty Queen Vivian. Have you been well?”
“Well... lately my daughter has been causing me so much grief that I'm at my wits' end. I don't know how it happened, but she seems to become more of a tomboy as she grows. Anyway, Yvette, Hailey, have you two been well?”
“Hehe, we're always the same.”
When I returned the greeting, Countess Serina, 'Hailey,' and Count Serina, 'Yvette,' who was like a younger sister to her, bowed their heads to me. It had been quite a while, so I was glad to see them, but...
As I let out a deep sigh and looked at Viola and Titania chirping away beside me, Hailey shook her head back and forth and let out a deep sigh just like mine. She must be feeling the same way as me.
After knowing each other continuously since that hunting competition three years ago, it was now more comfortable to call them Yvette and Hailey by their names rather than Count or Countess Serina.
They were also the only nobles I knew with whom I could speak comfortably. Since these two served as a bridge connecting me to high society, it was only natural that we had grown close.
Moreover, calling Hailey "Countess" made it feel like I was treating Hailey, the former countess, and Yvette, the count, as a married couple, so it was more comfortable to call them by their names like this.
Hailey sidled up to me and whispered in my ear.
“Your Majesty, I have prepared the 'mask' and costume you requested... but are you truly going to attend the ball in that attire? Just in case, I have prepared a spare mask as well.”
When I sent a reply that Titania would attend the masquerade ball, I had also sent a letter asking Hailey to prepare my mask and costume. I did have a mask I had used before, but...
It was a gaudy, unpleasant design that stood out too much, so after wearing it once, I had locked it away in a warehouse. Well, at the last masquerade ball I attended, there had been plenty of people wearing bigger and flashier masks than mine, but.
I looked at Hailey, who had come up beside me, and replied with a bright smile.
“The mask and costume I requested are enough. And are you certain? That you haven't invited any truly strange people to this ball? If, by any chance, something odd were to happen...”
As I furrowed my brows slightly, Hailey frantically waved both her hands and her head. I had only meant to scare her a little, but seeing her completely terrified and answering in a rush gave me a rather strange feeling.
“O-of course, Your Majesty! We did not send invitations to anyone who would cause you concern! This masquerade ball is truly structured like a children's 'experience' ball! Most of the adults participating are parents like myself! So I'm certain Your Majesty will be pleased as well!”
“Is that so? Then that's a relief.”
I smoothed out my furrowed brows and gave her a bright smile, and only then did Hailey let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't wanted to go this far with a friend who had helped me so much, but my worry for Titania left me no choice.
Well... it seemed some people had received invitations but couldn't attend because of my stubborn demands, but what did it matter? Preventing anyone dangerous from approaching Titania was more important than the wounded feelings of those who couldn't come despite being invited.
Anyway, since I had indeed been stubborn, I also felt sorry toward Hailey and Yvette for indulging me. Feeling apologetic, I had brought a very small gift. Pointing my thumb at the carriage behind me, I beamed a wide smile.
“Anyway... shall we drink together in the 'room' again tonight?”
When I snapped my fingers, the knight standing nearby took out bottles of liquor from the carriage and showed them to Hailey and Yvette. I didn't know much about alcohol, but, well, it was supposedly an expensive and amazing liquor? I had stolen it from the office of the Minister of Education, a connoisseur... no, received it as a donation.
‘There were only three bottles of this liquor even in the collection of the Minister of Education, a connoisseur. I don't know how much he cried when I said I'd take it. He grabbed my ankles and sobbed, so it must definitely be good liquor.’
Anyway, the liquor I had brought seemed to be one that true connoisseurs went mad for. Hadn't the Minister of Education said he would sell his soul for a single sip of that liquor? Every word out of his mouth was typical of the Minister of Education—nothing but fuss.
“Y-your Majesty? We can really drink that...? No matter how you look at it, that is...”
“Of course, what are friends for? It must have been hard for you two to indulge my stubbornness, so this is the least I can do.”
“Your Majesty...!”
Perhaps moved by my words, Yvette and Hailey covered their mouths with both hands, choking back tears. I was glad too, as it seemed to be a truly wonderful gift for the two people who loved alcohol. Yes, this is how it should be between friends—give and take.
“No need to cry over something like this... Stop crying and let's go inside. I'm tired from riding in the carriage all day.”
*
After finishing a moderate dinner, the adults gathered among themselves.
And the time came for the children to gather among themselves.
The adults entered their room carrying plenty of bottles, wearing innocent smiles like children, while Viola and Titania, left alone, also looked at each other with sly grins and went into a room together.
Once inside the room, Titania asked Viola as if urging her on.
“Viola, do you have 'it'?”
“Yeah, I do. Titania. I asked a maid to go to the village and buy it this time.”
Now that only the two of them remained in the room, Viola called Titania by her 'name.' It was only natural that Titania and Viola would call each other by name once they had grown close.
As if Viola already knew what Titania wanted, she rummaged under the bed and pulled out a certain box. It was a plain wooden box that looked like it might contain nothing but trinkets.
“Here you go.”
Thump, thump. Listening to her own racing heartbeat, Titania carefully opened the box Viola handed her, then lifted up what was inside with a bright, cheerful smile.
“The new volume of 'The Witch Wants to Be the Count's Wife' is finally out!”
“Yeah! I haven't read it yet either because I wanted to read it with you!”
What Titania held up was an ordinary 'novel' that was trending among young noble ladies these days. An exceedingly ordinary romance novel titled 'The Witch Wants to Be the Count's Wife.'
Because Vivian had banned the import of 'such books' into the royal palace after 'that incident' when Titania was ten, Titania had no choice but to borrow books like this from Viola to read them.
'That incident' when she was ten...
Titania felt heat rush to her face just thinking back to that time. Back then, she hadn't known exactly what 'chastity' meant, so she had believed her mother had stolen her chastity.
Of course, her 'first kiss' had indeed been stolen by her mother.
Chastity was more important, but if a first kiss was also important, it was truly one of the most important things. So after learning the meaning of 'chastity,' Titania had issued a kissing ban to Vivian, forbidding her from giving her kisses.
The reason was simply that receiving kisses had become embarrassing. The young noble ladies Titania met in children's society had all graduated from their mothers, sleeping alone in their rooms and not receiving kisses anymore.
After realizing that she was the only one still doing such things at this age, Titania had tried to keep a little distance from Vivian. That was also the reason she had insisted on separate rooms.
“Titania! Hurry! Hurry!”
Viola, who had held back until now to read with Titania, was on the verge of exploding. She had changed into pajamas in an instant and perfectly arranged cookies and juice on the bed, which she had asked the maids to bring.
Urged on by Viola patting the bed to tell her to lie down quickly, Titania quickly climbed onto the bed and settled in. Once she confirmed Titania was seated beside her, Viola slowly began turning the pages.
The book's content was an oh-so-common love story, the kind one felt they had read many times before. A witch living alone in the forest, and a count who had fallen in love with her at first sight. The witch, drawn to such a count.
However, the world did not permit their love. The world feared the witch, and the count had to lead his household, so their love seemed impossible to fulfill.
Normally, in such situations, one of the two would give up on their feelings, but the count and the witch were different. The count told the witch he would definitely come for her, and the witch answered that she would wait forever.
But then, the witch's old familiar, a man who had loved the witch, appears. And he whispers this to the witch: 'The count's life is in danger, and I am the only one who can save him.'
If she wanted to save him, she must forget him and embrace him instead.
At the appearance of the oh-so-common villain, Titania and Viola furrowed their brows and began cursing the familiar. Saying such a villain should disappear quickly, that he needed to be taught a lesson, the two nervously turned the pages and began reading the rest of the story.
The witch refused the familiar, shaking her head.
‘I will not be deceived by your serpent's tongue. No matter how true your words may be, the count is the only one who can have me.’ With that, she drove the familiar away. At that scene, Titania and Viola smiled in satisfaction, not knowing what to do with themselves.
What followed was a tediously predictable development. The familiar continued to torment and tempt the witch, but the witch, true to her name as a 'witch,' used her knowledge and faith to shake off the temptation and waited for the count. Neither sweet temptation nor bitter despair could stop the witch.
After waiting and waiting, the witch finally met the count again, and the book concluded with the words 'Continued in the next volume.' They flipped to the next page, saying this couldn't be true, but the page ended there.
““What?!””
Furious at the story cutting off at such a perfect cliffhanger, Viola and Titania threw the book onto the bed. They twisted their bodies while lying down, rolling around to express their anger.
“It takes a year for a volume to come out, if we're lucky, and they cut it off here?!”
“Devilish...!”
The two girls hopped around saying the author needed to be scolded, and began talking about the book's contents in excited voices. What eventually happened to the familiar, how pitiful the witch was, why the count had taken so long to come—they let various thoughts and impressions blossom, continuing their conversation about the book and romance.
Thus, Viola and Titania talked about many things, losing track of time. The masquerade ball tomorrow, another book, and a new 'red book' found in her mother's study that she couldn't write about in a letter.
Having not seen each other for a while, the two had much to talk about.
Among the many topics, the main subject was, of course, talk of love.
They were thirteen-year-old girls who had never experienced love, but 'love stories' were an essential topic for girls. After all, many around them had already held their engagement ceremonies.
Even Viola was more distressed because she was scheduled to have a 'marriage meeting' this year. With a troubled heart, Viola nibbled on a cookie and asked Titania.
“Titania, what do you think love is?”
“Uh, love? Hmm... in the book, it definitely...”
“Not what the book says. What do you think?”
“What I think? Hmm...”
Even with Viola asking like that, it was difficult to answer. Titania had never even dated, let alone experienced love. She had never even met a 'male noble heir' for the purpose of an engagement.
In other words, her only experience was the stories in books, so Titania truly found it difficult to answer. When Titania turned her head to look at Viola, Viola's eyes were sparkling brightly as if urging her to answer quickly.
“I think...”