The streets were crowded. I had heard that festivals were held every day in the streets after the war ended. However, when I experienced it myself, the crowds were even more overwhelming than I had Imagined.
While I was taking care of Dante, I had never stepped outside the mansion, so I just blankly watched the people. The silence that had filled the streets during the war was nowhere to be found.
"I'm really sorry, Your Highness."
It was a beautiful sight, but there was a problem.
"It'll be harder for carriages to move this way."
The coachman said with a troubled expression. I looked out the window. Indeed, the streets were jam-packed with people.
'It must be a huge festival.'
Whoa!
Boom, boom!
The laughter of children and the sound of firecrackers erupted here and there. No matter where I looked, the atmosphere was clearly festive.
"..."
After hesitating for a moment, I looked back at Dante and cautiously spoke.
"Um, Your Highness. I think it's okay to walk from here."
"It's farther than I thought. Your feet will hurt. You can just turn around and go."
"No, I'm really fine."
I quickly shook my head, and Dante looked at me with a puzzled look as if he had noticed something. I hesitated and continued.
"Actually, I've never seen a festival like this before."
Dante's eyes widened at my quiet confession of my true feelings. I quickly added.
"Of course, if you're off."
Dante answered immediately and opened the carriage door. I stared blankly at him for a moment as he jumped out of the carriage and offered me his hand, then quickly swallowed back my laughter and grabbed his hand. Curious eyes passed by as we got out of the large carriage.
However, the crowded crowd soon swallowed us up. I looked around blankly. There watching a festival from the carriage and walking through it.
"8 p.m.! The Greatest Circus"
"Colorful ribbons for sale! Balloons sale!
"Skewerd for sale!"
I was completely out of my mind to the noises making noise here and there. Wherever I turned, colorful balloons, strangely shaped street food, and colorfully dressed clowns stole my attention. It felt like a whole new world had unfolded.
I was in a trance as I turned my head here and there, and suddenly, a warm body temperature enveloped my left hand. I looked up in surprise and saw Dante grinning at me.
"Hold on tight. Don't get lost."
"... Yes."
I nodded a beat later. Holding hands, we continued to walk through the festival. My heart pounded immaturely as if I were a child on a picnic, The excitement of the festival I was experiencing for the first time, Dante's body temperature as he held my hand tightly. Our appearance as if we were ordinary lovers on a date. Each and every moment was like a midsummer night's dream. It was so comfortable and perfect that it felt like a mirage that would disappear if I closed my eyes once and opened them again.
However, no matter how many times I blinked, the scenery I saw was the same. Even if I couldn't believe it, this place was the reality to me now. While I was watching the festival, I suddenly opened my eyes wide at the familiar melody.
'Huh?'
This music was definitely it. I turned my head as if I was entranced by the overly familiar melody. Then, far away, I saw people playing Instruments cheerfully and people dancing in front of them.
"Oh! <Summer Forest Banquet>? That's my favorite song!"
"Let's go and dance too!"
People passing by shouted and ran to me. I looked at their backs, dumbfounded.
'How does everyone know that song?'
<Summer Forest Banquet> was one of the songs I had presented at founding of the country. The dance of the fairies seducing the main character had been transformed into a dance of stomping their feet while drinking beer. The mysterious mysterious feeling unique to non-human beings was painted and covered by the liveliness of the people dancing and singing.
I stared blankly at the people swaying their bodies to the melody I had created. Happy expressions, excited footwork, loud laughter. All of that was carried by the melody and pushed to my heart. It was a different kind of emotion than receiving applause from people on stage.
'But really, how does everyone know this song?'
I wondered that question again. At that moment, a sharp voice was heard.
"Tonight at 8 o'clock! The greatest circus in the world will unfold!"
I saw a skinny boy shouting loudly. It seemed that he had attracted people's attention with music and was soliciting customers in that way. I heard Dante clicking his tongue next to me.
"This is it. They gave away the copyright to dogs."
Dante bent down toward me and whispered in a stern voice.
"Should I catch them all? Just give me the order, Ariana."
"Huh? No, I'm not."
I shook my head in surprise. It was satisfying just to watch the people enjoying my song.
'But...'
A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I hesitated for a moment before standing up and whispering in Dante's ear. Dante, who opened his eyes slightly wide, soon smiled as if he found it amusing.
"Okay. Let's do that."
***
A moment later.
"Why, why, why are you doing this..."
The skinny boy looked up, trembling. Dante, standing in front of him, spoke in a sinister voice.
"If you tell me everything correctly, I'll let you go."
"Whatever, whatever, huhi! Whatever, I'll tell you. Just don't hit me!"
"Your Highness."
I gently tugged on Dante's sleeve.
"I'll talk."
"I'm an expert at interrogation."
"Huuhuu...!"
The boy's teeth chattered and he trembled at the word 'interrogation.
I quickly stepped forward. Just as a frog gets hurt by a stone thrown for fun, the boy seems to be about to collapse from a heart attack because of Dante's prank.
'I'm not going to interrogate you. I just wanted to ask you a few simple questions. I'll do it from here."
"Okay. Then let's see what you're capable of."
Dante stepped back and leaned against the wall leisurely. The boy looked up at me with fearful eyes. I tried to speak as softly as possible.
"I heard that you wrote the score for <Summer Forest Banquet>."
"Yes? Oh, that, that... Yes. I, that's right..."
The boy stuttered and nodded, then looked at me.
"T-Can't you...?"
He must have been about ten years old. He had never heard of copyright. I stared down at the boy and said,
"That song was only released once during the founding of the country. How did you create the score?"
"That, that..."
The boy, who had been rolling his eyes, soon confessed.
"During the founding of the country, the palace was opened to the commoners, right? When I heard that there was a music festival, I went over there and listened to the sounds that were leaking out... When I heard it, I liked it so much..."
"So you wrote it down as a score?"
After only listening to it once? The boy nodded, trembling. I smiled broadly and said.
"What a talent."
It wasn't just his excellent hearing. The boy filled in the parts that seemed to be muffled by the opera house's soundproofing with his imagination.
"Huh?"
The boy's eyes widened.
"A-talent?"
"Yes. That's also very good."
"Ha, but, I said that anyone can do this kind of thing...."
"Who said that?"
"Yes, the director."
The boy said, watching my expression.
"Anyone with ears and hands can do that...."
I saw myself in his timid face. I believed that there was nothing I could do on my own, and I could do nothing but give up when someone else's words completely denied my own worth. I let out a small sigh and said.
"How much do you get paid to work at this circus?"
"One lunch... If I do a good job, you get dinner too..."
"..."
The conditions were much worse than I had thought. I looked into the boy's eyes and said.
"If I could guarantee you three meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, would you be willing to follow me?"
"Yes?"
The boy blinked his eyes wide.
"Instead, you have to study..."
"Yes?"
"Do you know the names of the notes? Like tempo, or other musical terms?"
"Uh, that, ha, not even one..."
The boy, who had been startled and dazed, quickly became discouraged.
"Musical knowledge is not necessarily required to compose music. However, learning can accelerate your growth."
The boy still looked bewildered. I spoke clearly and forcefully.
"I want to support you. I am certain that you will be a great musician who can create good music."
"Me, me?!"
"Yes. Of course. If you just learn."
"But me, someone like me..."
The boy, who had been stumbling around with a blank expression as if he had seen a ghost, rolled his eyes here and there and asked.
"If, if you learn... Will I ever be able to compose such an amazing song like <Summer Forest Banquet>...?"
"Of course."
He smiled and nodded, but a voice came from beside him.
"That'll be hard."
"Duke."
"Why? Unrealistic hopes aren't good either."
"..."
Fortunately, the boy seemed to be sobbing that he didn't hear Dante.
"Hey, Sister. Thank you..."
The boy nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
"T-Telling me that I have talent... This is the first time anyone has said that to me. Thank you so much. Sob!"
After leading the boy, I went out of the circus first. The boy was afraid to even look at the leader's face. I could hear Dante talking to the leader from inside. I turned my head slightly and looked inside.
"That kid. How much is he worth?"
"Huh?" "Are you going to buy him? He's so skinny that he's useless..."
"I asked how much."
"Huh? Ah, ahem, that. But since I like him and he's like family, if you're going to take him, you'll have to give him this much money."
Dante took the amount the captain showed with his fingers out of his pocket and threw it to him. The captain hurriedly accepted the money bag and the corners of his mouth turned up.
"Oh my, thank you!"
"What. It'll be confiscated soon anyway."
"Huh?"
"The security forces will arrive soon, so prepare yourself mentally."
Dante glanced at his watch and added.
"There's about five minutes left."
"Huh?! This place? T-This is a legitimate business, so what on earth are you charging me with?"
"What the heck?"
Dante snickered.
"Child abuse."
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