Special Extra Story 2. Rose Princess Sharon

“Saint Arma’s feast day?”

Alix tilted her head. The maids began to explain to her enthusiastically.

“Yes. It’s not very famous in the south, but it’s one of the fairly big holidays in the north. There’s a legend that Saint Arma once drove away evil spirits that tormented the north in the past.”

“I see. Then, should we prepare something on our side?”

The maids nodded their heads enthusiastically.

“Yes. In the north, they traditionally hold banquets where women gather and enjoy themselves.”

“I see.”

Alix passed it off casually. A banquet. Besides the banquets held at the castle, it would be good to support the territorial people of each region so they could enjoy festivals too. Alix, who was gauging how much budget to allocate, narrowed her brow when she felt the gazes of the maids staring at her intently.

“Can’t we just prepare the venue and money?”

“No!”

The maids jumped up. So, according to what they recited—

“A masquerade ball, no. Since we’re not dancing, a costume banquet?”

They explained it was to honor the legend that women wore ridiculous disguises to trick the evil spirits that Saint Arma was said to have expelled.

“Originally, the lady of the house should have hosted it all this time. But since there hasn’t been a lady of the house……”

In this day and age, who still believes in evil spirits enough to dress up to chase them away? As Alix hesitated, the maids looked at her with earnest eyes.

Well, if it’s a banquet enjoyed while in costume, it would be more fun since they could show off unconventional outfits without being bound by etiquette. The north didn’t have masquerade balls as commonly as the south either.

Whatever, think of it as a kind of Halloween. Alix nodded her head. Color returned to the maids’ faces. Soon the maids began chattering about a new topic. It was about what costumes to wear.

“I want to be a water spirit. I happened to receive water-colored fabric as a gift.”

“Oh, that fabric, don’t tell me— isn’t that the one where all your skin shows through?”

The maid who brought up the topic giggled with an excited face.

“That’s right. I have to wear it and show my husband.”

“Oh my, oh my!”

They laughed knowingly as if they had guessed something. Somehow, there was a reason they kept pushing to have the costume banquet. Alix chuckled.

For them, Saint Arma’s feast day must have been a legitimate opportunity to show off unconventional appearances to their lovers that they couldn’t usually display.

They’re living interestingly. Thinking casually while taking out her ledger, Alix suddenly felt gazes and turned around. The maids were staring at her in unison. Alix was startled by the ominous feeling.

“What costume are you thinking of wearing, Your Highness the Grand Duchess?”

Alix blinked in confusion.

“Don’t tell me, you want me to do it too?”

“Of course, you’re the eldest among us, so you should naturally set an example!”

“If you haven’t decided yet, let’s decide now!”

In an instant, various themes like wolf princess, goddess of beauty, water fairy, etc. poured out. Regardless of the person in question’s opinion, the excited maids chattered noisily about this suits you, this doesn’t, etc.

“Wolf princess is too wild. It can’t bring out Your Highness’s elegance.”

“But since Your Highness is always elegant, wouldn’t it be better to dramatically reveal an opposite charm this time?”

To Alix who was dumbfounded by the endless bickering, another maid scurried over and whispered.

“Why are they fighting like that? Your Highness the Grand Duchess would be beautiful in any costume.”

“……Thank you.”

Alix answered reluctantly to the obvious flattery. Were they that happy that she allowed the costume banquet?

If she had to wear a costume, what should she wear? Her gaze, which had been pondering for a moment, stopped on the vase placed on the table.

“Ah, then……”

Alix spoke quietly to the maids. The maids who heard those words clapped their hands.

“It will suit Your Highness very well!”

***

Jewelry made of woven rubies and emeralds sparkled on the skirt hem that was layered like petals with red fabric.

On her red-gold hair that she had let down for the first time in a while after mainly wearing it up since marriage, she wore a crown made of woven red roses. On her hands hung bracelets with rose petals dangling.

“You’re beautiful!”

The maids, who were the biggest contributors, shouted proudly. They too were each dressed as fairies, animals, and fairy tale protagonists.

Alix smiled awkwardly and moved toward the banquet hall.

The brightly decorated banquet hall was full of women each dressed in appearances they couldn’t usually be seen in. She wondered how some people were planning to return home. That person with something huge shaped like a peacock’s tail attached would probably have difficulty even getting into a carriage.

Alix appropriately received people’s greetings, then slipped out before the banquet ripened. It would be beneficial for the subordinates if the person with the highest status appropriately read the mood and disappeared. Like hoping the department head would disappear appropriately before being difficult at company dinners in her previous life.

Even aside from that reason, there was another reason she wanted to leave quickly. She wanted to show this appearance to that person as soon as possible. Alix’s steps passing through the corridor gradually quickened.

In front of the Grand Duke’s room door, Alix briefly fixed her appearance and caught her breath. Soon she raised her hand and knocked on the wooden door. A cold voice was heard from inside.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Lysander.”

As soon as Alix answered, there was a clattering sound from inside and the door opened hurriedly.

“Alix!”

Her husband who ran out hurriedly brought Alix inside.

“You came early. I thought it would end quite late since it was called a banquet.”

“I came out early. To see you, Lysander.”

Alix smiled broadly. However, Lysander’s expression hardened when he saw her.

“You came like that?”

Flustered by the unexpectedly cold reaction, Alix looked at Lysander frozen for a moment. What? Was he disappointed that she participated in a childish tradition? Then, Lysander embraced Alix tightly.

“You’re so beautiful that what if other guys saw you and harbored improper thoughts?”

He whispered.

“You’re beautiful normally, but today you’re dazzling.”

Lysander embraced Alix tightly as if he wanted to hide her.

“I thought you didn’t like it. I came early to show you.”

“There’s nothing you could wear that I wouldn’t like, Alix.”

Lysander whispered. Alix pursed her lips.

“This seems a bit special though. Lysander. What costume do you think this is?”

Alix took off the rose crown and thr*st it in front of Lysander’s eyes.

“Do you remember?”

“Rose Princess Sharon.”

Lysander’s eyes lit up with interest.

“How could I forget?”

At first, Duchess Elizabeth Lorge, who had helped facilitate their meeting, called Alix to a masquerade ball and had her dress up as Rose Princess Sharon.

A princess trapped in a rose due to an evil wizard’s curse, a princess cursed so that only a noble person kissing the petals where the first dew forms seven times each for seventy days could break the spell.

That day, they had talked with each other and sprouted their affection. Though they later confirmed that there had been clever manipulation underneath it all.

“When I looked into it, you paid quite an expensive price to Elizabeth…… that is, Duchess Lorge.”

A mine. Alix pinched Lysander’s arm playfully.

“If I could meet you, what couldn’t I have done?”

Lysander grinned wickedly.

“Back then I became a prince but couldn’t even kiss the rose. How regretful it was.”

Lysander lifted Alix up in his arms.

“This time I’ll give you a kiss.”

In an instant, he placed Alix on the bed and covered her.

Breath and tongues intertwined intensely within their touching lips. She became breathless from the long tongue that stirred as if exploring every corner of her mouth.

Lysander, who swept over her panting appearance with hungry eyes as she gasped for breath, stamped down once more on her reddened lips. Soon his lips gradually moved downward.