A horse drawn carriage moved lightly on the asphalt.
Beyond the windows, the sunlight changes from early summer to hot summer season, and the shadows of the trees on the streets grew darker. The sky that has no clouds bare it’s clear blue colors in contrast with the mountains in the distance.
“It’s almost summer,” Aurora mumbles.
She was dressed in an outing clothes with a slight shade of blue and white frills matching with a bonnet of the same color, something which she had prepared beforehand in case of the hot weather.
“It’s very hot in the Royal Capital. Let’s cool down in Lux Vitae.”
“Niisama is really weak during summer.”
“Rora’s just too tough!”
Facing diagonally to Aurora while sitting on a rattling carriage is her elder brother Luminox, his egg-cream hair shook with a feeble smile on his face. Luminox look quite similar to Aurora but unlike her, Luminox was often praised as a ‘beautiful’ boy—in short, he have a feminine face and body.
For a woman, it wouldn’t be rare but he have a well-cared egg-cream curls, bright eyes, and untarnished white skin. Luminox have a slender body with a few muscles along with his beautiful appearance, it couldn’t be helped that he is often well liked by ladies.
Luminox isn’t very strong. Since Countess Porta is from a lineage of knights, he was under their mother’s tutelage since he was young and it seems he hasn’t changed at all. Even at the age of 20, Luminox still have the tendency to have some sore throats and fevers. He’s like some young lady that catches some cold by just opening the windows at night.
It was for this reason that whenever Luminox attends evening parties, his eyes and cheeks reddens giving him an air of a delicate and weak lady where he got the moniker of ‘fairy’. Aurora believes that their parents decision to quickly switch Luminox from being a knight to being a scholar was quite understandable. Had they sent her brother in a Military Academy, he could’ve been ‘eaten’ by men.
“It’s okay, niisama. You look more like a dying fish climbing on a hill rather than a Fairy Prince.”
“At least say something else about my body!”
“My, does niisama wants some kind of feminine evaluation?”
“Not that kind of thing…”
“Should you start with touching a melted candle this summer?”
“I’m certainly weak in summer but to do that—!”
His sister was awful, Luminox cried while faking his tears at Aurora’s rude remarks, her maid next to her laughs at their lively conversation.
“I wonder if mother and father is already there.”
“It’s not good for the head to leave the fief for a long time so this letter I received conveyed the date we should go there.”
“Then, please take some rest, brother.”
“Yeah, I’ll sleep to my heart’s content.”
“But please don’t sleep here.”
“I will do my best.”
Luminox’ s delicate body as he appears, is susceptible to heat. Earl Porta’s territory which is located in the northern part of Welbum Kingdom is a refreshing land which doesn’t get too hot during summer. However, when it’s summer in the capital, it gets extremely warm in weather due to the buildings made of stones that reflects the sun’s lights and the overcrowded buildings blocks the wind to pass through.
As soon as Luminox starts to get sick, the siblings would escape for a month to their family’s villa in their summer resort at Lux Vitae Lake.
“Rora have some business in Maison de Fabrica, right?”
“Yes. I need to buy various things this time.”
“Were you asked to do embroidery? I’m really fond of Rora’s wonderful embroidery—oh, was it your first time shopping in the capital?”
Glancing over the shaky window, Aurora nodded. It is said that coming to capital during the social season was a noble’s job but for Aurora, it’s been 2 years. Today was her first time in capital since she had been in a social meeting since 2 years ago. It’s because she made a surprising carelessness at the evening party.
2 years ago, Aurora who just turned 16 had her first social debut in an evening party which ended in a single dance. Just when the second song was about to start Aurora fell helplessly and involved a lady with wine in hand that spilled and ruined her dress.
Luminox seemed to have violently protested to the other party (which was later known as the ‘Fairy’s Imperial Wrath’) but Aurora has already left the hall and went back to their home in their fief. Aurora spent the rest of that year on embroidery alone.
The following year when Aurora stopped coming to social gatherings, she was preparing to go back to the capital for an evening party but three days before the evening party she fell on her horse while on the ride home to the House of Porta at their fief. Again, she had to spent the rest of that year putting all her energy on embroidery while giving the excuse that she couldn’t walk after she have broken the bones on her legs.
It’s been a fulfilling two years for Aurora.
“I remember the place, I’ll charge the expenses in his father’s business card that I brought with me.”
“You got it right. You might be used to be walking alone in our territory but this is a city. You have to be careful.”
“I know this is not Porta but I have a porter, a guard and a maid with me.”
“No, that’s not what mean—Ah, is it about time we head out?”
The carriage stops at the same time Luminox said that. The door opens and fresh breeze blows in.
“Ah, the breeze here is so refreshing.”
“Such a fine breeze.”
He must have felt very hot inside the carriage, his cheeks were dyed faintly red and his green eyes narrowed just like Aurora who’s about to leave the carriage. She took her brother’s hand and stepped down through the footstool with a fountain coming into her view. Behind the Imperial Palace is the main streets lined with good quality haberdasheries and high class tailors.
“Let’s meet here after 2 hours.”
“Be careful, niisama. You have to protect your chastity if you ever pass on a deserted area.”
“Isn’t that my line!?”
Luminox walks beyond the fountain, waving his hand with a radiant smile as he says it. A knight acting as his guard rushed after him. He must have gone to the bookstore.
The capital of Welbum Kingdom is an academic country which have a magnificent bookstore areas comparable to that of the city of Scholar. For Aurora’s brother who wanted to be a scholar had he not been the future Earl of the House of Porta, the bookstores were his paradise.
Aurora gasped after seeing a dress in the distance.
“Shall we go, my lady.”
“Yeah. Let’s go, Lewis, to my paradise!”
“Yes, I shall accompany you. Please come this way.”
Lewis looked back at Aurora with his fist clenched tightly and began walking before Aurora with a bitter smile, behind them follows more guards quietly.
Maison de Fabrica is a well-known tailor in the capital. This store which tailors everything, from women’s dresses to men’s suits is know for their embroidery skills which made them popular even to the royal family.
＊＊＊
“Hmm… Fufufu…. Fufufu…”
“My lady, your face isn’t that of a proper lady anymore.”
“Oh dear… Fufufu…”
Aurora’s maid and guard were dumbfounded, as if they were melting in their feet to see the young lady they were escorting today has in no way acted like a daughter of a noble household. She has a rather casual and unreserved attitude.
In the end, Aurora was delighted with the benefits of today’s loot—a beautiful dyed thread, beads she had bought in bulk, and the cloths for her embroidery.
(I can’t afford to buy the materials so casually… I mean, this is all thanks to Prince Textus and Clavis-sama.)
There’s no speck of the image of a proper lady in Aurora who’s laughing and smiling unreservedly to strangers who sees her, save for those who knew her well that it was her usual self.
At the end of the informal meeting with the crown prince the other day, he offered the best silk as the cloth with the color of wisteria and added—
“I would like to observe more about your Ancient Magic. If you stay here for too long while I wait for you to finish your embroidery, without a doubt some people may talk about an unmarried young lady visiting the Crown Prince. So how about you embroider a scarf for your fiancee, Lady Porta? Of course, you can charge me the material costs, there’s no limit to the prices and you can make as many embroideries as you want. Oh, and by the way, you should embroider me a tie!”
“You won’t be worrying about that if you married Fe—”
“—Lady Porta, just tell me if you want me to make him kneel on the ground so you can stab him with your needles.”
Aurora was stunned by her enthusiasm so much she forget to pay her respects by boldly pulling out Prince Textus’ tie which is still wrapped around his neck. Speaking of the Crown Prince, why is he so eager to do this? What was the Crown Prince thinking?
His Highness the Crown Prince Textus is the next king of the Kingdom of Welbum. His ranking alone as a royal makes him the second highest person in this country. The fact that he reached his present position after a political dispute called the War of the Succession to the throne that has been happening up until a few years ago, is still an unprecedented feat. Is it really fine for such a man to be so open-minded?
However, even if he were up to no good, he’s still a prince. No matter how generous you may be, you cannot refuse the order of request and whether Aurora had a choice or not, she had no intention of refusing at all.
It’s embroidery. It was embroidered by the Crown Prince’s command. That’s the Crown Prince’s command. Whatever else Aurora put aside, it’s a matter of priority. It would be embroidery! And there’s no limit to budgets! It’s really a paradise!
The Prince nodded satisfactorily at Aurora who successfully took the bait, Sentence was stifling his laughter and her fiancee seating next to her was certainly forgotten, her mind is already full of plans to embroider some scarves.
As they left the training grounds, Felix brought up his request too, saying to Aurora—
“Embroider me a tie, too. I’ll pay you for your expenses.”
He didn’t know that Aurora only remembered his existence once he talked about the tie.
Today, Aurora went to the city to buy the best thread and beads to carry out this order. Although some were a bit unusual, she saw some beads to be used on her needlework which are currently popular in a certain beautiful country in the west, heavy embroideries in an old sash owned by a priest in the east or some sample clothing worn by the royal family at an evening party at the beginning of the social season. Finally, Aurora’s eyes glittered as she strayed off to observe rural areas embroideries, nevertheless, she accomplished her objectives.
“I have sent your goods, my lady. It’s about time we go back.”
“Oh, how could the pleasant hour end instantly? I wish it was like a night party that will never end.”
Aurora said a line that one would say during a tryst. From Aurora to Lewis, the escorts behind her also have the same look in their faces. Not once had she also said those even after getting engaged to Felix.
“But, my lady, you can’t use the things you bought here the whole time.”
“That’s right. Oh yeah, there’s the fun in opening things you have bought! Will it arrive tomorrow? I can’t wait! I really can’t wait!”
Like girls who’s suffering from heartaches, her maid and guard rushed after Aurora, who sauntered her way to the fountain.
—However, one must say that Aurora was one step late.
“Lady Aurora el le Porta?”
Coming from behind her, a voice called Aurora’s name from the alley. Turning her head towards the familiar voice that’s getting closer. As if gorgeous signs are floating in the air along with the sweet scent of a popular perfume.
“You are…”
“I caught a glimpse of you the other day.”
Looking up at the man, Aurora sees a gorgeous golden curly hair tied loosely with a maroon ribbon, and pale blue eyes. What the man was wearing is the most fashionable costumes of the continent—the so called 『Mode』 There stands a dazzling beauty worthy for the man himself, staring intently at Aurora with a smile.
“Aren’t you Clavis-sama’s colleague?”
“My name is Yule el le Loomis.”
Yule smiles beautifully and did the courtesy of a knight—with one of his knee down, he took the expressionless Aurora’s left hand and kissed it gracefully.
The escorts and the maid were stunned at the dazzling scene, as if a frame of roses surrounded the two. To the man with dramatic and strange manners, Aurora eyes him suspiciously.