326 - Two Carriages
This year, the Recollection Festival came around again, and from morning I was made to change into archaic clothing. Like every year, it was a sleeveless outfit, but this year, perhaps because I had told them that the "Seat of Spirits" gets cold, a fur shawl covering my shoulders was prepared. If it gets hot, I can just take it off, and if it's cold, I can keep it on. Since the outfit has no sleeves, I felt that if I was just spending time indoors, I could get by while still wrapped in the fur.
...Could it be that my development is slow?
I spotted the slight swell in the chests of Elke and Petrona's uniforms, which had gotten a little thinner with the summer clothes, and looked down at my own chest. The outfit was made of layered fabric, but compared to my usual clothes, there was less material and it was less ornate. Because of that, my chest, which showed no sign of swelling even a little, looked even more meager.
...But still, growth is different for everyone, right?
There are individual differences, that's only natural, I thought, and then realized something. Even while understanding that it varies from person to person and there's no point worrying, I suppose I am worried about it. I don't hope for growth like Kalisa's, but at the very least I would like to develop to an average degree.
Once my preparations were complete, I relaxed in the living room waiting for the carriage to pick me up. As I reviewed the procedure while recalling last year's Recollection Festival, Rannvald showed himself for the first time in a while.
"...Huh? That's unusual, for you to come out of the annex."
Ever since Ethelbert returned to the capital, Rannvald only came once to warn me, and aside from that had not left the annex. I was impressed thinking he did intend to stay hidden after all, but there he was, showing his face in the detached palace's living room. I wondered if this was perhaps a manifestation of his desire to be sent back to the annex by Kalisa's hand. When I asked him out of curiosity, Rannvald looked me over from head to toe.
"No, ...I just came to see the famous Spirit Princess."
"What's this 'Spirit Princess' you speak of?"
I have heard of "Spirit's Favored Child" and "Owl Princess," but "Spirit Princess" is new to me. When I asked where I was being called that, it seemed that word had reached Rannvald, who was holed up in the annex collecting rumors from around the royal castle, that among some nobles, I was being called that as the Spirit's Favored Child who watches over the Recollection Festival rites. For a while, the rumor that I was the king's secret child because I lived in the detached palace had died down, thanks to Bertrand going around the royal castle declaring me his granddaughter, but apparently the nickname had stuck, with people saying that since I was granted the detached palace, I must be a princess after all.
...Well, there are other people called Spirit's Favored Child too, so that's fine, but "Spirit Princess" feels kind of...
It is almost as embarrassing as being called a saint or a shrine maiden.
"By the way, where exactly have you heard this reputation?"
"At an art gallery in the noble district, maybe? It seems portraits of you are being bought and sold."
"...What is that?"
At this unsettling news I was hearing for the first time, my voice dropped a little in tone. If it were like idol or stage actor photo cards being sold, I could understand, but I am not an idol or a stage actor. I am a commoner whose parents are nobles. My brother Leonardo might be a celebrity in various senses, but his little sister is an ordinary person. Once a year, I do the job of watching over the rites as the Spirit's Favored Child, but that is the only time I appear before people.
"That's a violation of portrait rights! I demand an immediate halt to sales!"
"Portrait rights?"
Rannvald asked what that was, so I gave him a simple explanation. To put it very simply, it is the human rights of people who appear in photographs... I started to explain, then remembered that this world does not have photographs yet. In that case, talking about the rights of people who accidentally appear in photographs was almost meaningless.
"Well... it's a law that protects the rights of models, saying that painting a model and selling it without permission is not allowed, based on the model's rights."
As I was explaining, I remembered that I had done something similar to Leonardo. I painted Leonardo without permission and had it displayed at the gallery in Lagarette. I did get Leonardo's permission for the buying and selling, but that was a complete violation of portrait rights.
...No wait, in my case, Leonardo-san had my portrait painted without my permission first, so we are even. It is safe.
Once it occurred to me that maybe the things I had done to others were just bouncing back to me, my voice grew smaller. The way I was struggling to put my own actions aside was rather unsightly, even to myself.
"There's no law like this 'portrait rights violation' you speak of in this country, you know? First of all, if you had to get permission from the model every single time, you could not even draw wanted posters."
"I'd rather not be lumped together with criminal wanted posters, but you do have a point."
Still, at the very least, if they would send me a portion of the proceeds, I would not feel so upset about it, I continued, and Rannvald asked back whether that meant putting the proceeds in would make it okay. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed to have a surprisingly keen interest in portrait rights and remittance of proceeds.
"I'd also like to check what kind of painting it is, just to be sure. If it's not an indecent painting, it might be emotionally better than being made a model without my knowledge and having the paintings bought and sold somewhere out there."
"Hmm... I feel like we might need to discuss the matter of indecent paintings in detail at some point..."
Somehow feeling like I was being observed anew, I blinked. From the flow of the conversation, maybe Rannvald was thinking of painting and selling my portrait.
"Speaking of someone suitable as a model for paintings that would sell, is there not just the right person?"
They are staying in the detached palace, I highly recommend them, I said, bringing up Felicia's name. Rannvald seemed to recall Felicia's figure, who was also staying as a guest in the manor, showed a thoughtful expression for a while, then slowly shook his head.
"Do you have any idea how many painters Feli has claimed the lives of? If there were anyone who could capture that person's beauty without omission, it would probably be the goddess of arts, Ashtate herself."
"Indeed, I feel Felicia-sama's beauty is something an ordinary painter could never capture."
It might be unavoidable that painters break their brushes in despair at their own lack of skill. Perhaps because such incidents continued, Felicia no longer accepts any requests to model.
"...Vard-dono."
A knight guard who seemed to have finally gotten used to calling him "Vard" lately left the window and whispered to Rannvald. I could not hear the content of the conversation, but instead, the sound of carriage wheels came from outside. My transport had arrived, so it was probably time for Rannvald to hide away in the annex.
"...Fur this year. Is it not hot?"
Upon seeing this year's outfit, Alfred furrowed his brow with concern. As expected, the summer fur clothing must have made him uneasy.
"It might be hot during the move, but the 'Seat of Spirits' is cool, so I expect it will be just right."
If this were Leonardo, I would have cheerfully spun around on the spot and asked "Does it suit me?" but there was no point in drawing a compliment from Alfred. For men outside the family whom I faced with my public face, I drew a line, deciding this was about right for a twelve-year-old. Since even Hermine's brow had not furrowed, this judgment was probably correct.
"It is sufficient for me to simply watch over the rites performed by Christoph-sama, just like last year, correct?"
To be safe, I confirmed with Alfred as well. Even when I participated in the rites in the city of Grenore as the Spirit's Favored Child, I was never specifically asked to do anything in particular. I assumed it would be the same this year, but I thought it dangerous to judge on my own, and if there were any changes, it would be better to hear about them.
"That's correct. Just be sure not to interfere with the rites, and watch quietly."
The added part, "I don't think you would interfere anyway," was, I think, a sign of trust from Alfred. I too understand that it is an important ceremony, and I have no desire to deliberately cause trouble.
"Shall we go, then?" Alfred escorted me out through the entrance hall. Beyond the door, for some reason, two carriages were waiting.
...Huh? Why two?
Wondering if the guards were also moving by carriage this year, I looked up at Alfred for confirmation, only to find his brow furrowed. From this alone, I could tell that something unplanned was happening.
"It is an honor to meet you, Spirit's Favored Child of Grenore."
A formally dressed man descended from a carriage and bowed to me with a reverent demeanor. Since he had greeted me, I tried to return the greeting, but Alfred pulled on the hand he was using to escort me. Apparently, he did not want me to move from where I was.
...What? Is he someone I am not supposed to greet?
I looked up at Alfred seeking an explanation, but his gaze remained fixed on the formally dressed man. There was a smile on his lips, but his eyes were not smiling at all.
...Well then?
At a loss for what to do, I looked back and forth between the formally dressed man and Alfred. The formally dressed man, however he interpreted my attitude, deepened his smile and extended his hand toward me.
"I have come to escort you, Spirit's Favored Child. Since you watched over the royal castle rites last year, I have come thus to request that this year you watch over the inner city rites."
"The inner city..."
Meaning a person from Menhishumi Church, I started to say, but Alfred's hand tightened. It seemed he did not want me to respond either. In that case, Alfred would handle it, I thought, looking up at him beside me.
"A message should have been sent to Menhishumi Church that the Spirit's Favored Child of Grenore would be watching over the royal castle rites again this year, same as last year."
...Huh? So this person ignored the established arrangement and just showed up unannounced?
Judging that this was probably someone I should not engage with, I stepped back. Since I was moving away from the formally dressed man, Alfred seemed to have no objection, and he released my hand, which he had been using for escort. Recognizing him as an unexpected arrival, Aaron and Giselle positioned themselves in front of and behind me.
With this level of wariness, the man surely could not resort to forceful measures.
"Even if you say things like 'the Spirit's Favored Child will be watching the royal castle rites again this year' unilaterally without even providing a forum for discussion, we at Menhishumi Church, which oversees the Recollection Festival, cannot accept it. We wondered if perhaps there were circumstances causing the Favored Child to avoid Menhishumi Church, so I came to see for myself, and..."
Looking at me, who was at a loss and checking Alfred's expression, the formally dressed man seemed to see me as "being deceived and used by the royalty." From my perspective, I was just bewildered by the appearance of a man who was nothing more than a suspicious person, so I was a bit surprised that this was how it looked from his side.
"The Spirit's Favored Child's participation in the rites is established through their goodwill, after all. No one can order an unwilling Spirit's Favored Child to 'watch over the inner city festival'."
"That is absolutely correct. In other words, no one can order the Spirit's Favored Child to 'watch over the royal castle rites' either."
As a war of words began before my eyes, I, for my part, was enlightened. "Wait, it was not compulsory?" But thinking back, I felt like when I had participated in the Recollection Festival held in the city of Grenore, I had been guided into deciding to participate. They lined up reasons like it being the duty of the Spirit's Favored Child, or as apology for causing trouble to the city's residents during the Divine King Festival, and I accepted that it was probably what I should do. And since I had accepted it once, after coming to the capital I just went along with it as "the duty of the Spirit's Favored Child," but when I thought about it, the capital was not the city of Grenore. Doing work as the Spirit's Favored Child on the grounds of causing trouble to the residents during the Divine King Festival was a bit odd.
...So I did have the right to refuse. I did not know that.
While appreciating this belated realization, I stealthily observed the formally dressed man who was asserting Menhishumi Church's legitimacy with a somewhat insulting attitude toward the prince of his own country. This was, without a doubt, the type of person I was bad with. I did not want to spend even a single day with someone who yelled at others like this.
...Actually, come to think of it, is this why Alfred-sama did not bring this matter to me?
Perhaps because Leonardo was away, I was aware that Alfred was very concerned about me. If it were Alfred, he would immediately see through someone who was the type I was bad with. I had a feeling this was simply a matter of him having refused on my behalf in advance, considering my burden.
"...I think the Spirit's Favored Child should now understand the situation."
Alfred raised one hand to stop the man's words. Then he glanced over toward me.
...I think I mostly understand.
A slight look of delight appeared on the formally dressed man's face, and I thought he was confident of his victory. But if he listened carefully to Alfred's words, he should realize that the flow of the conversation was not what he thought.
I had just learned that there had apparently been prior discussion about whether to watch over the rites at the royal castle or the inner city. The man who had come to the detached palace thinking I had not even been shown those options was, in a sense, correct in his actions, but it was also fatal. I do not like people who force things on me. I felt I now understood why Alfred had avoided this man in advance.
"Then, the royal castle rites and the inner city rites. We will have the Spirit's Favored Child choose here and now which rites to watch over. No objections, correct?"
"Of course. For the Spirit's Favored Child who watched the royal castle rites last year, it would only be fair to have her watch the inner city rites..."
"Spirit's Favored Child."
Prompted by Alfred, I raised my face. My answer was already decided. Just as Alfred had judged from the start and had not even shown me the options, I would not participate in the inner city rites. I would participate in the royal castle rites.
Just as I opened my mouth to say so, someone stroked my head from behind. Who is it all of a sudden? I looked up behind me, and there stood a man with black hair and blue eyes.
...What? Why?
I blinked at the unexpected, too-surprising appearance of this person.
The Divine King.
The moment I recognized him, sound disappeared from the world.
And so, it has been a while since we have seen the Divine King.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.