Side Story 10. The Best Date

As the actor playing my role waved her hand, the audience was swept by an even greater wave of excitement.

This can’t be.

I didn’t know because I had been in the palace ever since coming to Elmon. I knew through newspapers that my achievements were widely known to people, but I never dreamed it would be accompanied by such fervor.

Does everyone like me this much?

“Our Morning Star! Morning Star! Morning Star!”

A few people who had clearly already seen the play and were watching it again shouted passionately. It seemed the reason for the title ‘Morning Star’ was because of me. Though I don’t know why.

Anyway, am I the protagonist of this play?

Feeling dazed, I looked at the stage.

The actor with long brown hair smiled brightly and waved at the audience, then lowered her arm and let out a small “ahem”. Though it was a small sound, the commotion subsided instantly in anticipation of the dialogue about to begin.

“It seems to be you.”

Johann leaned over and whispered in my ear.

I could now understand how the three heroes felt. This was really embarrassing.

“I’m worried I might be portrayed ridiculously.”

A hero, huh.

Just four years ago, the three heroes were like beings in the clouds to me. But now, not only had I joined their ranks as a hero, I had become the protagonist of a play where they were supporting characters.

It felt strange.

When did I become such a person? I’m the same Seraphina as before. Someone who doesn’t get discouraged in any situation, who does what I can within the given environment…

That’s when the actor’s dialogue began.

“O three heroes. I, Seraphina, heard news that the evil aura of the original dragon was detected in the Grodes Mountains and rushed here first. Please forgive me for disappearing without a word. I couldn’t help it as my heart was urgent.”

My disappearance when I had fled to Ponitan was beautifully packaged as me having gone to the Grodes Mountains first.

Watching a play about my story from a third-person perspective felt strange. Though the content was a jumbled mess, I could see things I couldn’t see before.

No, that’s not it.

I’m not the same as before. I’ve changed.

This sudden realization began to wash over me endlessly like waves on a beach.

The Seraphina who had been planning for her life’s second act by diligently saving her salary, who had been running only looking towards early retirement, was no longer here.

Throwing away money I had saved through years of hard work as if it were excrement, tearfully begging forgiveness for my shameful past of running away, risking my life to protect the place I belonged… I had done countless things that the old me couldn’t have even imagined.

And from now on, I would continue to live bearing the heavy responsibilities of an Empress to stay by the side of the person I love.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say it’s not burdensome.

But with Johann by my side, it felt like I could accomplish everything. It seemed the power of love really did exist. And quite an amazing ability at that.

I felt a renewed sense of awe at Johann’s presence sitting next to me. Yes. He was awe-inspiring.

It was a miracle that we met like this and became life partners.

Ripples spread in my heart. Soon, the growing waves began to move me.

As I reached out and held Johann’s hand, he turned to look at me with slightly widened eyes, surprised.

Our eyes met.

“Because I like it.”

“You really are…”

Johann looked at me with heated eyes and then muttered as if to himself. Though it was a very small whisper, it would have certainly been heard by the two people with good hearing in the back seats.

Ah.

I really can’t live.

Johann’s lips overlapped with mine. I thought I heard something like a frustrated sigh or a hollow laugh from behind, but I wasn’t sure.

My mind turned white like light. In that bright space, only Johann’s last whisper was rippling.

You are the only one for me forever.

Me too.

Silently answering Johann’s sweet confession, I accepted his lips.

It was undoubtedly the best date.

* * *

Some time passed, and spring had fully ripened.

Outside the window, fully bloomed flowering trees delighted the eyes, and Felice Palace was filled with peaceful air.

It had already been over two weeks since Johann and I watched the play. And Mihail and Claude were still staying in the imperial palace.

Although we didn’t see each other every day, knowing that we were within the same palace walls made me feel strange.

How should I put it?

It felt like we had become family, I guess.

Actually, I’m not sure.

What this feeling is.

Anyway, I was spending mostly ordinary days.

When I woke up in the morning, I would get dressed with the help of my maids, and then go to the office to handle paperwork.

For lunch, I would eat with Johann, though there was one time when he was busy and I ate alone simply. And about ten times, Mihail and Claude happened to drop by Felice Palace and joined us, saying they might as well eat together since they were here.

In the afternoon, some days I would return to the office, and on days when Countess Adria was scheduled to come for etiquette lessons, I would spend a grueling time with her.

And in the evening…

After having dinner brought to the bedroom and eating with Johann, well…

I’ll omit what comes next. For reference, the intensity of embarrassment was gradually increasing.

I was recalling Johann’s nighttime appearance when I blinked a few times to regain my senses. The maids were chattering excitedly while dressing me up.

“It was really so much fun.”

Faye said with a big smile. Then the other three maids surrounding me each added a word.

“Oh my, you all went to see it secretly.”

“I went to see it on my day off last time.”

“Hehe. I’ve seen it twice.”

It was Isabella, Rosa, and Whitney in order.

The three who had seemed tense at first had apparently become comfortable, as their chatter was gradually increasing.

Anyway, the current topic was about the play Johann and I had gone to see that day. I heard that because it was only performed in commoners’ theaters, nobles would secretly disguise themselves to go watch, and it seemed to be true.

Well.

Given that even the Emperor and Empress had gone for a round…

It was only natural that my maids had gone to see it too. There was no one around who hadn’t seen ‘Morning Star’.

“I felt so dizzy with honor when I was assigned to serve Your Majesty the Empress.”

Isabella exclaimed dramatically, touching her forehead with the back of her hand.

Then Rosa, as if not to be outdone, added,

“Everyone around me is so envious. Your Majesty is the Morning Star of us all!”

The queen of exaggeration was Whitney. She stopped brushing my hair and made small twinkling stars with both hands.

“……”

I just smiled.

While I was a bit embarrassed to join this star festival…

“Hahaha. I think you’re all praising me too much. I don’t know where to put myself.”

Actually, I didn’t remember the content of the play well.

What a fool!

That’s right.

I had been so absorbed in Johann that day that I missed the highlight of the play. My gaze was directed at the stage, but my entire mind was sold to Johann.

The warmth transmitted through our held hands, the throbbing pulse, the steady breathing, the faint body scent…

Ironically, from the point I appeared, I couldn’t concentrate on the play.

When our eyes met occasionally in the middle, it naturally led to a kiss. I liked that so much that I would look at him whenever I thought I could, and each time, Johann was already looking at me.

Therefore, I could only infer the latter part of the play through the maids’ chatter.

Well.

The plot was so simple that I grasped it quickly anyway.

Whitney and Faye, who seemed most immersed in the play, imitated the lines of Hilton Castle Resident 1 and 2 with all sorts of gestures.

“Oh, what is that starlike light on top of that mountain!”

“It’s so holy and powerful, as if it will blind us! It must be the purifying light emitted by the purifier!”

The two pretended to point at a mountaintop with their index fingers and exaggeratedly covered their faces with one hand as if it was dazzling.

Come on.

Was my purifying light seen that intensely from Hilton Castle?

It was nonsensical even by common sense. It was proof that ordinary people didn’t know even a bean’s worth about how vast the Grodes Mountains are.

Anyway, it seemed the play’s title was decided by comparing the intensely burning purifying light to a ‘morning star’. It was based on the testimony of actual Hilton domain residents who said it looked like the morning star.

People loved the scene where Seraphina, that is, I, bravely jumped into the original dragon’s breath the most.

Whitney raised her brush high like a wand and shouted “Haaah!” as she jumped into an imaginary breath.

Where are you going…

But the other three maids joined in on this silliness.

Where are you all going in the middle of dressing me up…

“My beloved Seraphina, no!”

“God! Please protect Miss Seraphina!”

“If you die, I’ll kill you!”

Faye, Isabella, and Rosa stretched out their arms towards Whitney with desperate expressions. They seemed to be the lines of Johann, Mihail, and Claude’s roles in order.

Sigh…

It’s my first banquet since getting married…

Are you all really doing this?

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be dressing me up?”

I know I shouldn’t, but I felt a little embarrassed by my maids. I was nervous that their noisy silliness might leak through the door cracks.