Chapter 53

Thinking she should walk around alone for a bit, Ethea stepped off the wooden floor, and in the distance she saw Lyle coming. Perhaps Malik had simply given him the vest, because Lyle was still dressed the same way as before, wearing only the vest on his upper body. Yet somehow his expression looked tired. For him, it seemed Malik’s dance lesson had not been a lesson but training.

When Lyle met Ethea, he smiled as if he had never worn a tired expression at all.

‘What is this. Why is he forcing himself to smile as if nothing’s wrong like that?’

“Etty.”

Since Lyle called to her, Ethea also spoke to him.

“Lyle. Did you learn the dance well?”

“I didn’t learn it because I wanted to.”

If he had not learned it because he wanted to, then why had he learned it?

“Hm?”

When Ethea looked at him in puzzlement, Lyle gave several awkward coughs and then pressed his lips shut. Ethea could not understand him.

After walking a few steps, he asked,

“What’s Gin doing?”

“He’s watching the clown and playing with Lily.”

“Ah, that clown. The one with red hair, big eyes, and still young, right?”

At that precise description, Ethea was a little surprised. As far as she knew, there were many clowns in the palace. How could the Emperor know each palace clown’s face one by one? Were they close?

Ethea asked him,

“That’s right. How do you know?”

At that, Lyle gave a small laugh and answered,

“How would I know.”

He briefly explained to her the existence of clowns in the palace.

It was said that the spirit of Orodium, guardian deity of Drenai Hillus, the founding god, had liked clowns. So the Emperors of each generation, who received its blessing, had to change clowns every month, requiring a total of twelve clowns in a year.

The clowns came to perform only for the Emperor-or to be precise, for the spirit of Orodium-but as time passed, their role gradually changed. They no longer performed only inside the palace; they began performing for the people of the imperial castle and, beyond that, for the people of the imperial capital, and now they had become the ones who oversaw entertainment throughout the whole Empire, or something of the sort.

However, among the clowns, the newest and youngest one was required by rule to remain by the Emperor’s side and perform. The red-haired boy clown from today was exactly that one. That was why Lyle also knew that clown’s face well.

“He probably had nothing to do by my side anyway, so this worked out well. He’s entertaining the children here.”

Having said that, Lyle’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Ah. While we’re at it, should I assign that useless clown as Gin’s personal clown?”

“He’d be spoiled, so no.”

Ethea refused firmly. For Gin, who ought to grow up as an ordinary child, the idea of having a personal clown was absurd.

“Hm. Is that so.”

“There’s already a problem with the gifts you’ve given him until now. Even now, he must feel like he’s a child receiving special treatment from the Emperor, and I worry things like that might affect his growth in ways he doesn’t even realize.”

“Not from the Emperor, but from his father.”

For a moment, Ethea was at a loss for words. How could Lyle say something like that so casually?

“Anyway…… no means no.”

“Yes, understood, Mother of Gin.”

When a person speaks, the least one can do is listen seriously. Somehow Lyle’s answer sounded mocking, so Ethea glared at him fiercely. At that, she felt Lyle flinch slightly. Trying to escape her gaze, Lyle changed the subject.

“But why are you walking around alone here instead of watching the clown together? Where are Seisil and your friend?”

“That couple is so soaked in sweetness that someone like me isn’t even in their thoughts.”

Then suddenly Gin’s expression came to mind-that child who, even after seeing his mother at their travel destination, had barely greeted her and had been completely absorbed only in the clown.

Without realizing it, Ethea began talking to Lyle about Gin.

“I felt a little hurt by Gin earlier.”

“Why?”

“Even when I came, he barely bothered to greet me. Does he like the clown that much?”

“I thought it was something serious.”

Lyle laughed as if it were nothing.

“Then how about we draw the children’s attention ourselves?”

“How?”

“It’s simple. We just have to show them something more entertaining than a clown. Let’s see……”

Lyle slowly lowered his eyes in thought, then suddenly looked at Ethea and stopped walking. And then, of all things, he began listing alchemy material names one after another.

“Sand, salt, ash, water from a deep cave, basic transplant formation. Do you remember what that is?”

How could she not remember? What he had named were the ingredients for making dust stars. But why was he suddenly talking about the things used to make dust stars?

“Imagine sprinkling dust stars over the children while riding a jelly goose. Gin would like it.”

“Ah, he would!”

It was a creative method. Not only Gin, but Lily too, who especially loved sparkling things, would surely cheer.

“So you’re saying we’re making dust stars now?”

“We’ve got almost all the materials, and we know how to do it, so what’s stopping us?”

At his words, Ethea slowly reviewed the ingredients.

Sand, salt, and ash would be easy to find. She remembered how to draw the basic second formation too.

But how were they supposed to get water from a deep cave? Back when she had made dust stars to use as a replacement light source, it had been easy because basic alchemy materials were always kept at home. She had even bought water from a deep cave in a large glass bottle. But this was a resort. There was no way alchemy materials would be so easy to obtain here.

That was what she thought, but…….

“We only need to get water from a deep cave.”

Lyle said it as though getting that would be very easy. Then he gave one sharp whistle.

“Hm?”

At the sound, the jelly goose flew out from beyond the darkness. Lyle climbed onto it first and held out his hand to her. His excited expression made him look like a boy about to go on an adventure.

“Get on.”

This somehow felt like it was going to become an enormous nuisance. But with him looking so excited, Ethea could not refuse.

“All right, let’s go.”