When Aila held out her palm and refused to back down, the shop owner, with a helpless expression, carefully placed the throwing sword in her hand.
And a little later.
“Wow, 10 points!”
“Another 10 points!! Amazing!”
As she performed her tricks, even passersby gathered to watch, creating a sea of people in front of the store.
Aila, who got perfect scores on all five shots, was able to receive a gold coin as a prize.
The shopkeeper offered her gold with a sad face, but she shook her head and pointed to a stuffed rabbit in the cupboard.
“Not that one, that doll.”
"... Yes?"
“Please give me that doll.”
When Aila said this, the shop owner, wondering what was going on, quickly gave her a fluffy rabbit doll.
Everyone around her sighed, saying it was a shame. They thought that the noble lady, ignorant of the ways of the world, was kicking away her own fortune with her own hands.
However, Aila, who had received the rabbit doll, approached the crying girl and handed her the doll.
“Here, here’s a gift.”
“Yes?”
“It’s a gift from this sister.”
There were no kind words, no gentle smiles.
Aila just looked embarrassed and held out the doll without even making eye contact.
A young girl who looked no more than seven years old accepted the doll with a bewildered look on her face, and before she could even realize what had happened, Aila had disappeared into the crowd.
“Wow, you’re awesome, sister!”
And while the girl was belatedly clapping her hands enthusiastically in admiration.
Aila moved away from the busy streets to avoid the people who recognized her and pointed at her after she showed off her tricks.
Perhaps because it was a little far from the center of the festival, there were hardly any pedestrians nearby.
She felt relieved by the silence and entered a small, eye-catching souvenir shop.
“Come on in, come on in!”
A short, plump woman greeted Ayla with a bright smile. Inside the shop, accessories made from colorful stones, the inside of which was slightly transparent, were on display.
As she gazed at the stone, glistening in the sunlight, as if entranced, the shop owner spoke to her.
“Little Miss, are you from abroad?”
“...How did you know?”
Aila asked in a bewildered voice, wondering how she had been caught off guard when she hadn't said anything.
Then the shop owner held up two fingers and explained the reason.
“I knew for two reasons. First of all, because your skin is on the fair side.”
"Ah..."
"Where do you think you come from? Our Inselkov kingdom gets a lot of sunlight, so everyone's skin is tanned."
When Aila realized that her skin tone was different from that of the shop owner and sighed, she laughed and said.
“What about the second one?”
"The second is... I knew it because the young lady looked at these natural stone ornaments with a curious look. They're so commonplace in our country that no one pays attention to them. That's why our store is always in trouble."
She proudly said that these stones were a specialty of the Inselkov Kingdom.
Somehow, there were no people in this store with so many pretty things.
As Aila looked out the window at the people passing by, she saw that they were all wearing accessories made of translucent stone beads, such as bracelets and necklaces.
"Ugh, come to your senses. I was so happy to see you after a long time that I spoke to you without thinking. I won't interrupt. Take your time and look around."
As the shop owner said this and took a step back, Aila began to look at the trinkets on display again.
They were all sparkling and beautiful. The variety of vibrant colors made them a joy to look at.
After looking around for a while, Aila thought of her father and mother and chose a pair of cufflinks made of dark blue stones and a bracelet made of white and purple beads.
She kept them in the box Winfred gave her, and planned to give them to her parents one by one when she met them later.
And, one more thing.
'...I'm just living while I'm at it.'
She also picked one for Winfred. It was a necklace with a yellow stone, the color of his eyes.
For a moment, she wondered if it was too humble a gift to give to the Crown Prince of a country.
Because the original gift is important.
Aila was about to pay the bill after choosing a gift for each person she missed so much.
The chime hanging on the shop door creaked open. It seemed another customer had entered.
"Why are there so many customers today? I'm watching. I'll pay the first customer and then I'll leave."
The shop owner beamed from ear to ear, claiming he'd sold three items. The suspicious young man, wearing a hooded robe pulled down low, nodded and, like Aila, approached the display case.
“This is a service. I’m giving it to you because you’re pretty.”
As Aila finished paying with the money bag she had taken from the sleeping Gerald, the shopkeeper placed a purple stone carved into the shape of a flower in her hand and said.
"In our country, we consider these stones talismans, wishing for the health and happiness of children. I'm giving this as a gift in the hopes that our beautiful little girl will be happy, so I hope you'll accept it."
At the shop owner's words, her heart seemed to swell.
It felt like a dream to receive such a blessing from a foreign merchant she had just met, one who had no idea who Aila was or what kind of life she had lived.
“...Thank you.”
Feeling unfamiliar, Aila shyly finished her greeting and tried to leave the store.
Because she wanted to quickly see other places before time ran out.
But her plan to enjoy the festival frugally is completely ruined by a familiar name she hears inside the store.
“Wow, this would suit Aila perfectly.”
When she heard her name, Aila turned her head reflexively.
The name Aila is not unique to her, and it could be referring to someone with the same name.
And there she turned her head.
Winfred was looking at a ring with a large blue stone, his eyes sparkling.
'Winfred?'
Aila rubbed her eyes at the absurd sight unfolding before her.
He was much taller than she remembered, and his voice was different now that his puberty had completely passed.
But those pure, golden eyes, full of curiosity, and that expression and gesture that seemed somehow like a fountain... it was definitely Winfred.
Why on earth is the Crown Prince of the Peles Empire in a small souvenir shop in the Kingdom of Inselkov?
“Oh, isn’t it? Maybe this suits her better?”
Winfred muttered to himself, holding a gorgeous rose-shaped ring carved from a single blue stone.
At that sight, Aila couldn't help but let a smile escape her lips.
She didn't know what happened, but just the fact that she met Winfred in a place like this made her happy, and she couldn't help but smile.
Aila cleared her throat and walked closer to Winfred, her footsteps muffled.
Because she wanted him to feel the same surprise and joy she felt.
“Hmm, I don’t know. I think they’ll both suit me. Should you just buy them all?”
“...They’re both pretty, but aren’t they too big? If I put them on her finger, they’d be too loose and fall off right away.”
Both rings were certainly pretty, whether Winfred had a sense of humor or not, but there was a problem with them being for adults.
When Aila suddenly spoke to him from behind, he was startled and fell backwards. A terrifying scream was also a bonus.
“Ugh!”
And as if that sound had been a signal, the shop door burst open and the same attendant she's seen before came in, accompanied by a swarm of knights in plain clothes.
“You, My Lord! What’s the matter?”
It seemed like Winfred was alone, but in fact, his escorts were waiting outside the store.
Aila secretly felt relieved. She'd been wondering if he, who'd been wandering around alone and nearly been assassinated by Cloud, was still sneaking out and wandering around alone.
Winfred, who had been looking at Aila with eyes that seemed to show disbelief for a moment, came to his senses and shook his hands, and stood up.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just surprised to see a friend...”
“Friend? What kind of friend...?”
“Oh, get out quickly! Don’t bother me.”
He shouted as he pushed the servants and knights out of the shop, and the shop owner looked at Winfred and Aila, wondering what on earth was going on.
“I’m sorry. I surprised you because of my escort.”
"Oh, no, it's okay. You seem to be the son of a noble family. Don't worry about me. Just talk it over. It's really okay."
When Winfred blushed and apologized, the shop owner waved him off and repeatedly said it was okay. He even retreated to the back of the shop, telling them to call him if they needed to, so they could talk comfortably.
“...Aila? Are you really Aila? Why are you here?”
“And you? Why are you here?”
When Aila shrugged and asked again, he explained his situation with a still bewildered expression.
“Ah, I... I came as a congratulatory envoy for the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, and I came out in disguise because I wanted to see the festivities. But why did you...?”
"It's a long story. Are we going to keep talking here? Wouldn't it be better to buy what you need and go somewhere else?"
At her words, Winfred replied, "Oh, right," and proceeded to pay for the two rings he'd chosen earlier, along with a few other pieces of jewelry. He added a hefty tip, though, saying it was for causing a scene in the store.
And a little later.
“Wow, 10 points!”
“Another 10 points!! Amazing!”
As she performed her tricks, even passersby gathered to watch, creating a sea of people in front of the store.
Aila, who got perfect scores on all five shots, was able to receive a gold coin as a prize.
The shopkeeper offered her gold with a sad face, but she shook her head and pointed to a stuffed rabbit in the cupboard.
“Not that one, that doll.”
"... Yes?"
“Please give me that doll.”
When Aila said this, the shop owner, wondering what was going on, quickly gave her a fluffy rabbit doll.
Everyone around her sighed, saying it was a shame. They thought that the noble lady, ignorant of the ways of the world, was kicking away her own fortune with her own hands.
However, Aila, who had received the rabbit doll, approached the crying girl and handed her the doll.
“Here, here’s a gift.”
“Yes?”
“It’s a gift from this sister.”
There were no kind words, no gentle smiles.
Aila just looked embarrassed and held out the doll without even making eye contact.
A young girl who looked no more than seven years old accepted the doll with a bewildered look on her face, and before she could even realize what had happened, Aila had disappeared into the crowd.
“Wow, you’re awesome, sister!”
And while the girl was belatedly clapping her hands enthusiastically in admiration.
Aila moved away from the busy streets to avoid the people who recognized her and pointed at her after she showed off her tricks.
Perhaps because it was a little far from the center of the festival, there were hardly any pedestrians nearby.
She felt relieved by the silence and entered a small, eye-catching souvenir shop.
“Come on in, come on in!”
A short, plump woman greeted Ayla with a bright smile. Inside the shop, accessories made from colorful stones, the inside of which was slightly transparent, were on display.
As she gazed at the stone, glistening in the sunlight, as if entranced, the shop owner spoke to her.
“Little Miss, are you from abroad?”
“...How did you know?”
Aila asked in a bewildered voice, wondering how she had been caught off guard when she hadn't said anything.
Then the shop owner held up two fingers and explained the reason.
“I knew for two reasons. First of all, because your skin is on the fair side.”
"Ah..."
"Where do you think you come from? Our Inselkov kingdom gets a lot of sunlight, so everyone's skin is tanned."
When Aila realized that her skin tone was different from that of the shop owner and sighed, she laughed and said.
“What about the second one?”
"The second is... I knew it because the young lady looked at these natural stone ornaments with a curious look. They're so commonplace in our country that no one pays attention to them. That's why our store is always in trouble."
She proudly said that these stones were a specialty of the Inselkov Kingdom.
Somehow, there were no people in this store with so many pretty things.
As Aila looked out the window at the people passing by, she saw that they were all wearing accessories made of translucent stone beads, such as bracelets and necklaces.
"Ugh, come to your senses. I was so happy to see you after a long time that I spoke to you without thinking. I won't interrupt. Take your time and look around."
As the shop owner said this and took a step back, Aila began to look at the trinkets on display again.
They were all sparkling and beautiful. The variety of vibrant colors made them a joy to look at.
After looking around for a while, Aila thought of her father and mother and chose a pair of cufflinks made of dark blue stones and a bracelet made of white and purple beads.
She kept them in the box Winfred gave her, and planned to give them to her parents one by one when she met them later.
And, one more thing.
'...I'm just living while I'm at it.'
She also picked one for Winfred. It was a necklace with a yellow stone, the color of his eyes.
For a moment, she wondered if it was too humble a gift to give to the Crown Prince of a country.
Because the original gift is important.
Aila was about to pay the bill after choosing a gift for each person she missed so much.
The chime hanging on the shop door creaked open. It seemed another customer had entered.
"Why are there so many customers today? I'm watching. I'll pay the first customer and then I'll leave."
The shop owner beamed from ear to ear, claiming he'd sold three items. The suspicious young man, wearing a hooded robe pulled down low, nodded and, like Aila, approached the display case.
“This is a service. I’m giving it to you because you’re pretty.”
As Aila finished paying with the money bag she had taken from the sleeping Gerald, the shopkeeper placed a purple stone carved into the shape of a flower in her hand and said.
"In our country, we consider these stones talismans, wishing for the health and happiness of children. I'm giving this as a gift in the hopes that our beautiful little girl will be happy, so I hope you'll accept it."
At the shop owner's words, her heart seemed to swell.
It felt like a dream to receive such a blessing from a foreign merchant she had just met, one who had no idea who Aila was or what kind of life she had lived.
“...Thank you.”
Feeling unfamiliar, Aila shyly finished her greeting and tried to leave the store.
Because she wanted to quickly see other places before time ran out.
But her plan to enjoy the festival frugally is completely ruined by a familiar name she hears inside the store.
“Wow, this would suit Aila perfectly.”
When she heard her name, Aila turned her head reflexively.
The name Aila is not unique to her, and it could be referring to someone with the same name.
And there she turned her head.
Winfred was looking at a ring with a large blue stone, his eyes sparkling.
'Winfred?'
Aila rubbed her eyes at the absurd sight unfolding before her.
He was much taller than she remembered, and his voice was different now that his puberty had completely passed.
But those pure, golden eyes, full of curiosity, and that expression and gesture that seemed somehow like a fountain... it was definitely Winfred.
Why on earth is the Crown Prince of the Peles Empire in a small souvenir shop in the Kingdom of Inselkov?
“Oh, isn’t it? Maybe this suits her better?”
Winfred muttered to himself, holding a gorgeous rose-shaped ring carved from a single blue stone.
At that sight, Aila couldn't help but let a smile escape her lips.
She didn't know what happened, but just the fact that she met Winfred in a place like this made her happy, and she couldn't help but smile.
Aila cleared her throat and walked closer to Winfred, her footsteps muffled.
Because she wanted him to feel the same surprise and joy she felt.
“Hmm, I don’t know. I think they’ll both suit me. Should you just buy them all?”
“...They’re both pretty, but aren’t they too big? If I put them on her finger, they’d be too loose and fall off right away.”
Both rings were certainly pretty, whether Winfred had a sense of humor or not, but there was a problem with them being for adults.
When Aila suddenly spoke to him from behind, he was startled and fell backwards. A terrifying scream was also a bonus.
“Ugh!”
And as if that sound had been a signal, the shop door burst open and the same attendant she's seen before came in, accompanied by a swarm of knights in plain clothes.
“You, My Lord! What’s the matter?”
It seemed like Winfred was alone, but in fact, his escorts were waiting outside the store.
Aila secretly felt relieved. She'd been wondering if he, who'd been wandering around alone and nearly been assassinated by Cloud, was still sneaking out and wandering around alone.
Winfred, who had been looking at Aila with eyes that seemed to show disbelief for a moment, came to his senses and shook his hands, and stood up.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just surprised to see a friend...”
“Friend? What kind of friend...?”
“Oh, get out quickly! Don’t bother me.”
He shouted as he pushed the servants and knights out of the shop, and the shop owner looked at Winfred and Aila, wondering what on earth was going on.
“I’m sorry. I surprised you because of my escort.”
"Oh, no, it's okay. You seem to be the son of a noble family. Don't worry about me. Just talk it over. It's really okay."
When Winfred blushed and apologized, the shop owner waved him off and repeatedly said it was okay. He even retreated to the back of the shop, telling them to call him if they needed to, so they could talk comfortably.
“...Aila? Are you really Aila? Why are you here?”
“And you? Why are you here?”
When Aila shrugged and asked again, he explained his situation with a still bewildered expression.
“Ah, I... I came as a congratulatory envoy for the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, and I came out in disguise because I wanted to see the festivities. But why did you...?”
"It's a long story. Are we going to keep talking here? Wouldn't it be better to buy what you need and go somewhere else?"
At her words, Winfred replied, "Oh, right," and proceeded to pay for the two rings he'd chosen earlier, along with a few other pieces of jewelry. He added a hefty tip, though, saying it was for causing a scene in the store.
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