The festival held in the market was much larger than Presepe had expected.
As if Fenrir’s story about a festival held under the pretext that flowers had bloomed was not a lie, flowers were everywhere.
Presepe knew at least the fact that whenever spring returned, countless flowers bloomed in Ateloia, too numerous to even count. She also knew that, for that reason, other empires sometimes referred to Ateloia as the 'Empire of Flowers'.
As if to prove it, the scent of flowers filled every place she went. There were also many people selling flowers.
However, since such a festival had absolutely no connection to someone who had been confined, it was completely unfamiliar.
The market was not filled only with flowers. The streets were packed with small, temporarily opened pubs, and people were overflowing everywhere you went.
There were lovers, families, and groups of people spending time together.
Gathered in small groups, they all looked happy and joyful. Although many of them were drunk, perhaps that made it look even more fun.
"..."
Presepe's cheeks were flushed red as she walked along the crowded street with Fenrir.
'Something like this... It’s been such a long time...'
A few days ago, even as she was going from the Imperial Palace to Fenrir's mansion, she thought about it. The people whizzing past outside the window. They seemed so vividly alive. And for that, she was so envious.
However, at least for today, Presepe was also mingling with them.
Without worrying about what option to choose right now, how she would die, or how wrongfully she would be framed.
Ordinarily. Being able to act and speak of her own free will, and thus so freely.
Perhaps that is why she felt as though everything that had seemed colorless was being dyed in a variety of vibrant hues.
It felt good.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Fenrir looked down at Presepe and asked.
"If you go that way, there are shops selling food. It's just ordinary snacks, but you might want to try them at least once... Excuse me."
Suddenly, Presepe's body lurched to one side. To be precise, into Fenrir's arms.
"..."
Flustered, Presepe instinctively lowered her head. Then she saw a large hand forcefully pulling her slender waist.
"There are more people over here."
"Y-yes, that's true."
Fenrir was right. The streets were getting increasingly crowded, and the crowds kept growing. So, he must have pulled her in to protect her.
But even as she thought that, jer cheeks flushed slightly for no reason.
'Oh my... I have no immunity to kindness anymore...'
I'll target this guy this time. Next, that one. I guess I should move roughly like this, right?
Since she had always acted with such calculations and every situation led only to choices, she kept feeling embarrassed all alone about the predictions she was making now.
She had completely lost her immunity to the lack of consideration. Because she can't do the calculations at all. Perhaps that is why Presepe feels embarrassed all by herself.
"I'm not hungry, so I think that will be fine."
“Is that so?”
Fenrir nodded as if to say he understood.
"Then, shall we go over there? This street stretches in a straight line, so it will be easy to look around."
"..."
"Lady Presepe?"
When there was no answer, Fenrir glanced back at Presepe.
Presepe's gaze was directed toward the other side of the street.
To be precise, to the little girl selling flowers.
"..."
A sense of wistfulness had settled upon Presepe's face as she gazed blankly at the child.
And understandably so, as the child, who looked no older than six or seven, was utterly shabby from head to toe. His hair was a mess, and the clothes he was wearing were worn out and even tattered.
Could it be a child living on the streets? The flowers in his hand also looked much smaller and withered compared to those sold by others.
She did not know if that was the reason, but although there were many people passing by, no one showed kindness to the child.
The child, who looked much shorter than his peers, hung his head low, exhausted from holding out flowers here and there.
"Um, Grand Duke Fenrir... Could you buy me those flowers instead of something to eat?"
Presepe looked up at Fenrir and asked.
"If you don't mind."
At Presepe's unexpected request, Fenrir wore a slightly dazed expression.
It was not just because Presepe had a sweetheart asking to buy the flowers the poor child was selling.
"By any chance, were you selling this flower too?"
"..."
"Then I'll pay for everything, as long as you're okay with it."
Presepe remained the same. Her circumstances had changed, and the situation had shifted, but she herself had not changed.
Then and now.
She was still a kind and warm person.
Just as it was for Fenrir once.
"Grand Duke Fenrir...?"
Did I make a slightly strange request?
Presepe glanced slightly at Fenrir's reaction, but it didn't last long.
Eventually, Fenrir began walking toward the child while tightly holding Presepe's hand.
"Buy flowers. Flowers..."
As Fenrir approached, the child who was trying to solicit flowers recoiled. Then, looking up at him with a slightly frightened expression.
“Give me everything.”
"Yes...?"
"Then you'll be able to go home too."
At the dry tone, the child wore an expression that showed they had no idea what was going on.
Fenrir glanced at the child, then took out a few gold coins.
Having been confined to the imperial palace, Presenoe didn't know the true value of money, but she did know this much: that it was an excessive amount for the price of buying a few flowers.
However, Fenrir seemed to pay no attention to such things. He pressed money into the child's hand and held out his hand.
"Th-thank you...”
The child hesitantly held out all the remaining flowers to Fenrir. Then, after bowing politely, the child disappeared in an instant.
“Do you like it?”
Fenrir handed a flower to Presepe and asked.
It was a rose.
"Yes."
Presepe, holding an armful of dozens of roses in her hand, smiled broadly as she looked at him.
"I like it much better. Food disappears when you eat it, but flowers don't disappear."
"But it will wither."
"I'm going to dry it and keep it. They say it will last a very long time."
"Why?"
"I'm in a really good mood today."
"..."
"So, I want to remember today, just like that, for a very, very long time."
She wanted to cherish it like that. Even if, by any chance, she were to fall for the tricks of this damn game and return to Dietrich's celebratory banquet, it was the first object she wanted to keep since the vase someone unknown had secretly left behind. This rose...
"..."
However, Fenrir's reaction was a little strange.
He looked down at Presepe without saying a word, then slowly reached out his hand.
And then he took the single rose Presepe was holding that had bloomed most lusciously.
Was he curious about the scent? Presepe wondered to herself.
"The flower is really pretty, isn't it? And it smells nice too."
But Fenrir did not examine the rose or smell it.
Instead, he snapped the stem short and gently tucked it behind Presepe's ear.
"Yes, it is pretty."
"..."
"Very, indeed."
...He must be talking about the flower, right? Not me.
"Thanks to you, I think I will be able to remember today, too. For a very, very long time."
Unable to find a suitable answer, Presepe blinked for no reason and smiled somewhat unnaturally.
"Um... by the way, Grand Duke, what is up ahead?"
Then, she changed the subject.
"It looks like everyone is walking from over there. There must be something special."
"As I mentioned earlier, this road continues in a straight line. If you go that way, you'll find the market exit."
Fenrik continued speaking slowly.
"Near the exit, there is a place where people place flowers and make wishes. It is also an old custom of this festival. That is also why the child was selling flowers earlier."
"A wish? Is it something like a stone tower?"
Presepe tilted her head.
"Since the lower classes and commoners cannot make offerings, the church does not welcome them. It is not easy for them to even enter or leave the church in the first place. So, they created something similar to that among themselves."
"..."
"The nobles would laugh at this, though."
Low class or commoner.
It was as if Fenrir’s words from that time, when he said he was actually a commoner, were brushing past her ears.
Is that why he knows so well about this festival where the nobles do not even show a shadow?
Presepe was lost in thought for a moment, then smiled at Fenrir and parted her lips.
"Then, shall we go make a wish too?"
"...Are you speaking of Presepe?"
"Yes. I have a wish I'd like to make too. And since you bought me flowers, too!"
"..."
"Of course, I want to cherish it too, so I can't give it all away, but... would it be too disrespectful to go and make a wish with thoughts like this?"
"...That can't be."
Fenrir spoke in a low voice, muttering.
"It was the same at the mansion, but now there is no one anywhere who can take such an attitude toward Lady Presepe."
"Grand Duke?"
"And even more so if you are with me."
Fenrir said something somewhat puzzling, then gripped Presepe's hand tightly.
“Let’s go.”
Presepe still had her eyes slightly wide open, but for now, she nodded as if to say she understood.
It was the moment she was about to slowly take a step, following Fenrir.
"...!"
Suddenly, an unexpected, loud roar was heard.
Flustered, Presepe slumped right into her seat.
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