Chapter 1 – The Dancer with a Camellia in Her Hair and the Foreigner from the Desert

The Delva Kingdom was a newly rising nation in the western part of the continent. That had begun when it started healing from the scars of civil war and when its unique technology, the railroad, developed.

The railways that crossed the country eventually extended beyond the borders and reached even the Asherit Empire, and nations great and small, having recognized the value of the iron carriages called trains, began competing to obtain the Delva Kingdom’s technology.

And naturally, many things about the Kingdom became known in the process.

Its abundant natural scenery, where flowers bloomed in every season, its fresh seafood dishes made possible by its coastal shores, and….

Even women as beautiful as flowers.

‘The flowers of the Delva Kingdom are each so beautiful that none can be ranked above another, yet the finest among them blooms in the deepest part of the White Palace.’

Those who visited the Delva Kingdom for all kinds of purposes all left behind the same words.

Unless one was a fool, there was no one who did not know that this ‘flower’ referred to a woman. And there was only one woman residing in the deepest part of the White Palace: the Queen of the Delva Kingdom.

Nobles and wealthy men from foreign lands who heard the rumor longed to meet the Queen even just once, and on the roadside, even paintings of the Queen—drawn by those who had barely managed to glimpse her from afar—sold like wildfire.

But for ordinary commoners, meeting Her Majesty the Queen herself was a distant dream.

So, rather than worshipping that unreachable figure, they instead exalted a woman on a comparatively lower stage….

“She’s out! It’s Camellia!”

“Ooooooh!”

Reva, the Capital also called the City of Flowers.

Fiore, the largest and most prosperous tavern on the outskirts, far from the central district.

The dancer called Camellia, so named because she always wore a red camellia flower in her hair, was another queen to them.

Tap, tap….

Unlike the previous performers, Camellia was alone, and though she wore a red dress, her attire was simple, without even the most common necklace.

But the moment her high heels reached the center of the stage, the noisy tavern was swallowed in silence in an instant.

Even those visiting for the first time, swept up by the mood around them, held their breath.

“….”

In the silence, she slowly raised a hand clad in a black glove.

The moment her darkly violet, sensual eyes swept across the audience, someone gulped audibly.

And then….

Tak!

With the sharp sound of her heel striking the stage hard, the hem of her skirt spread wide with a flourish. Sleek yet supple, as if flower petals in full bloom had burst open in all their splendor.

With a single turn, her smile was etched into the eyes of everyone in the room. As if they had been waiting for that exact moment, lively music began to play.

In time with the plucked strings of the guitar, her shoes rang out in crisp, cheerful beats.

The broad skirt that flared each time she twisted her hips, her slender arms slicing through the air without pause, and her long black hair tied down her back came together to fill the stage completely.

Without anyone needing to start it first, the crowd began clapping along to the guitar accompaniment and the rhythm of her heels.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Once they caught the rhythm, the rest came easily.

The people felt a thrill beyond words at the dazzling footwork that moved between the toe, the ball, and the heel of her shoes. The faster her feet struck the stage floor, the more intermittent cheers burst out.

“Waaaaah!”

“She’s amazing!”

The tavern’s atmosphere became no different from a festival.

Buoyed by the crowd’s enthusiasm, the dancer stamped harder and danced more dynamically. Her eyes, too, as she felt the heat rising through her whole body, sparkled with excitement no less than those of the audience.

At times precise, at times sensual, and at times dazzling.

The rapid accompaniment and beat raced toward their climax, and the long skirt spread bright and beautiful, like a flower bursting into full bloom.

Then at last, the ending.

Tak, taak!

The music, the footwork, and the dance all stopped at once.

A silence that felt ready to explode passed in a flash, and from the dancer, frozen in a brilliant ending pose, a relieved breath spilled out.

And then, as if it had been waiting, thunderous applause poured down.

“Whew! Wheeew!”

“Camelliaaa!”

“One more! One more, Camellia!”

Those who had already known her and those who had come to know her for the first time today all shouted her name at the top of their lungs.

When someone somewhere even yelled, “I love you! Marry me!” jeers broke out as well.

Savoring the cheers with ease, Camellia immediately continued into the next performance. This time, it was a lively dance piece accompanied not only by guitar, but also piano and accordion.

With the music and cheers spilling all the way outside, the tavern grew more and more packed.

By the time the place was so full there was hardly room to set one’s feet down and the drunken patrons were emptying their drinks faster and faster, Camellia, having finished two performances, stepped down from the stage.

“Tsk.”

“This area is restricted to staff only.”

The men who had tried to sidle over were blocked by the sturdy builds and outstretched arms of the guards who had been stationed there from the start.

***

Behind the stage, the waiting room concealed by curtains was crowded with performers and members of the band. Some singers were warming up their voices by singing, others were plucking at guitar strings and checking their instruments, and amid the bustle, Camellia was also catching her breath in front of the dressing table.

To her, the tavern’s proprietress, Olga, approached holding a mug of beer.

“You worked hard, Honey. Want a drink?”

“You know I quit drinking.”

“You never know. Maybe today you might feel like having some. This is the kind of place where people like that gather.”

Without missing a beat, Olga held out the glass she had been carrying in her other hand instead. It was filled with cold water and floating ice.

This time, Camellia accepted it obediently.

Patting her on the shoulder as she drank to wet her throat, Olga spoke in a voice feigning hurt.

“But why did you come so late this time? I was waiting so long my neck was about to fall off.”

“For me, or for those customers?”

“Oh, honestly. Why separate the two?”

Then Olga leaned close and whispered softly into Camellia’s ear.

“Surely…. you’re not performing at some other place besides our establishment, are you? Hmm?”

“As if. I’ve just been busy with other things, so I didn’t have time to come.”

“Hoho, right? I knew that had to be it. You’re such a loyal person. Hohoho!”

Olga laughed brightly and gave Camellia’s shoulder an affectionate pat. The other performers and musicians glanced at the warm scene between the two and began whispering among themselves.

“So it’s true that Camellia only performs here at Fiore. Did they sign some exclusive contract?”

“If that were the case, then why didn’t she show her face for the past few weeks? What kind of owner would allow that?”

“I’m telling you, they must be relatives. Otherwise, she shows up without notice and they throw her straight on stage? Look how much that pushed back the order. Tch.”

“Well, thanks to her, a huge crowd came in. Instead of grumbling, why don’t you warm up? Who knows? Maybe some gentlemen who came to scout Camellia will notice you.”

“Tch, I know. I know.”

The resentment that had been slowly rising at Olga’s favoritism toward Camellia soon faded away.

For poor artists like them, who lived hand to mouth, even jealousy was a luxury. Here, Fiore, had a fairly large stage even among the nearby performance taverns, and its food was excellent, so theater people and investors from around the area often came and went. For performers hoping to catch their eye, it was the perfect opportunity.

Right then, the sound of applause came from beyond the wall for the clown who had been putting on a show. At that, the performers who were up next stopped their murmuring and prepared to go on stage.

Watching them from the corner of her eye, Olga whispered to Camellia.

“Still, you’ve been away far too much lately. Our performances get good reviews overall, but nine out of ten customers come looking for you. Some were even getting angry, asking why you weren’t coming out.”

“So they waited angrily while drinking themselves silly.”

“Well, that’s true, but….”

Olga laughed and admitted it easily. Maybe because that was the kind of person she was, even her repeated pestering was not entirely irritating to Camellia.