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“Of course, nowadays, it’s not mandatory for the princess’ partner to be a templar. However, the stage where you’re going to perform on, the ‘Land of Sun’, has the ability to maximise the powers of a templar. Coupled with the powers of the templar, your dance would be even more beautiful. Those are the expectations of the people of this Empire.”

I stared at the end of the desk meaninglessly for a moment without a word.

“So what you’re saying is that this ritual is complex and it tells a story, right?”

“Yes.”

It was a comprehensive performance that combined dance, singing, stage design and art as if it was a musical. Rebecca recommended a templar to be the stage director as well.

“… But how would I know a templar?”

There were faces that came to mind but one was Penne and the other was Granius. One was the Templar of Feathers and the other was the Templar of Strength so their powers were far from being used for decoration.

“Why would you not? You have your brothers.”

“Fleon?”

“Yes. He’s the successor to Vulcanus.”

When I asked her if she was being serious, Rebecca tilted her head with a cool expression as if she was wondering if there was a problem.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Why would I joke around when we’re all so busy.”

She was serious.

The Great Temple of Vulcanus is said to have been at least partially responsible for all the ruins and famous structures in the Empire. They are known to be very wealthy with a tremendous amount of resources and connections.

“Fleon is not a templar.”

“I know. But I’m sure he’s applicable.”

In the end, it sounded like she was asking me to ask Fleon’s mother for help. That was not something she could have easily said if she knew how he felt about his maternal family.

“Well, Rebecca. I don’t think I can bring that up easily…”

“Why?”

“First of all, my brother doesn’t like it when I talk about his maternal family… I think he really hates his maternal family…”

“I don’t think so?”

Rebecca replied casually as if it was merely a thought she had. As I stroked the back of the book, I raised my head and blinked at her.

“He doesn’t hate them.”

She sounded strangely confident. Before I could say anything back, Rebecca smiled kindly before saying.

“The [Primo Salvatio] is a dance performed by two people, the princess and her patronus. They would also place dancers throughout the crowds to create a more exciting atmosphere. The 7th Prince’s maternal family is considered to be the ‘Wheel of Rome’. They were once a family of wanderers who later settled in the Empire. Just like their ancestors, the gypsies, they’re good at crafts, singing and dancing.”

“So Rebecca is saying that I should ask both of them, right?’

Rebecca nodded.

“They would do anything for you. Why wouldn’t you want to use the goods and manpower you have?”

Being the clever lady-in-waiting she was, Rebecca saw through our relationship.

“Mistress, you shouldn’t look like you’ve already given up.”

I turned to the book I had been reading before Rebecca came. It was a record of how the past princesses had decorated their stages. It was an uncomfortable read.

“Rebecca, is this really true? I mean, this part. [300 years ago, Princess Lakarchia dyed the stage in gold with the help of the Templar of Gold and Riches. The gold that fell like rain that day was equivalent to the annual budget of a temple.] She must have been really popular…”

“Yes. Princess Lakarchia had risen to the ‘Land of Sun’ three more times after that. The second time, she did it with a ‘Templar of Flowers’ and the third time, she did it with a ‘Templar of Beauty and Love’. She was the most well known of all the princesses.

She’s the one who set the standard for the [Primo Salvatio].”

Rebecca spoke as if it was nothing much. From her expression, she looked as if she was expecting me to do the same.

“Your expectations of me are too high, Rebecca.”

She felt like a parent who believed her child, who in this case was me, was a genius.

“Excuse me, Rebecca. She had an entire consul behind her.”

The consulate was the officials of the highest status in the Empire.

“Why did the princesses… go so far?”

It could be said that currently, the officials are supporting the 2nd Prince. I could only have such blockbuster-like performances if I had a background that was at least as powerful as the 2nd Prince’s.

In short, such a large performance would require a large budget. How can a performance with millions of dollars spent on it not be spectacular?

“Why did the princesses work so hard? Isn’t it obvious? So that their chances for a good marriage partner increases.”

“A marriage partner?”

“In fact, Princess Lakarchia became the queen of a huge kingdom in the northern continent. The story of how the prince came to sightsee in the Founding Festival and had fallen in love with her at first sight only to propose to her is famous.”

After reading about the size of the performance put on by Princess Larkarchia 300 years ago, the performances put on by the other templars felt shabby. The one I pitied the most was the person who took over the performances after that princess got married. A performance without the help of a templar of a strong backing would have been disastrous.

“Hold on. What’s this? This is impossible. There was a typhoon because of the dance?”

“Are you talking about the typhoon in Caesar?”

Rebecca glanced at the records before speaking.

“It was a coincidence. That’s what they concluded. I’m sure most of the people in the Empire still think so. When a princess does well in her performance, no one would care even if a disaster passes us by. But when she doesn’t, everything becomes her fault.”

“How can that be?”

The problem was that the quality of the princess’ performance that year determined the public’s opinion of her.

“That’s why this is so important.”

“How unfair…”

Though it had been reduced to pure entertainment over the 2000 years of showcases, its unfading meaning remained.

In this country, there was a superstition that the better the princess dances, the more the gods will be moved by her performance and hence bless the Empire eternally.

No, it was not a superstition but anyway.

“But it’s strange. The records have stopped for a long time. Were there no princesses before me?”

“There hasn’t been one in a long time, right? So, everyone would be looking forward to this more than you expect.”

Rebecca stared at me before smiling coolly.

“I believe you’ll do well.”

She spoke calmly and nonchalantly.

Currently, the problem was that the expectations of me were so high because of how they viewed the saintess who had danced on my behalf.

Honour or good marriage prospects, I did not need any of that. I swept my face down as if I was crying before staring at my lady-in-waiting hopelessly.

“Ha, I wanted to do it without much effort.”

I mimicked her innocently savage expression that she always had.

“Is there any other way, Rebecca? Huh?”

She then smiled brightly.

“I think it’ll only be right for you to ask the princes for help.”

“… That’s not a solution.”

If I had a tail, it would probably be drooping right now like a puppy’s as it whines for food.

Feelings I could not possibly express in front of Rebecca were bursting inside me.

This situation could not be easily resolved. Granius, who was the head of the 4th Administrative Office with numerous patrols under him, became my guardian to protect me from the omnipresent Castor. After getting two hits, I quickly reached the eye of the typhoon that was the nobility. No wonder the invitations extended to me had increased to enormous numbers these days.

“… I always thought I just needed to dance briefly before leaving the stage, no?”

I couldn’t do anything about my life but it turns out that the Empire’s fortune was depending on me. I was not surprised.

‘I thought I could dance casually before getting down from the stage.’

Rebecca pretended not to know me as I laid on my stomach without dignity.

“I’m happy to know that you realised how serious this is.”

No, I was just taking a step closer to looking like a grown-up child.

***

“… I’m doomed.”

“I don’t think that’s something you can say so casually.”

“No, I’m sure of it.”

I came over to Amor’s palace to avoid Rebecca. Amor, who was leaning against the headboard of his bed, looked at me and smiled.

“Your lady-in-waiting doesn’t sound too bad? Everyone goes that far.”

“That may be true.”

What Rebecca brought back from her leave was a tremendous amount of fabric. That fabric was supposed to be made into my dress. When I asked her if there was a need for that much, she replied me coldly.

“Everyone does at least this much, mistress.”

Amor replied heartily.

“It’s funny how you tell me every single detail. You’re not even a child.”

“How cold.”

“What?”

“You’re cold. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not wrong.”

I held my chin for a moment before making eye contact with him and smiling mischievously.

“Honestly, brother, you’ve been so cruel. First, you gave me a map that led to a dead end. Then, you threatened me. And just the day before yesterday, you left me outside in the wee hours of the morning.”

Amor squinted before looking at me.

“Then, you declined my proposal.”

He crumpled his forehead. Interestingly, when Amor frowned, at the same time, the leaves rustled.

“Who left who? You almost froze to death. I already told you to stop joking around and go back.”

Then, he swept his hair back roughly with an offended expression. His complexion looked slightly brighter than the last time I saw him.

“Even though I wasn’t kidding, you didn’t accept it.”

“Of course, You should say something that makes sense.”

“That’s strange. Why wouldn’t you think it makes sense?”

I grabbed his sleeve and raised my head.

“Stop limiting yourself. Your body is the one trapped, not your mind. I can’t believe it. You’re not as daring as I thought you were.”

I heard of the flea experiment. A flea trapped in a small bottle is limited to the bottle it’s in. It was a pity how Amor had such a bright future ahead of him but he had already given up on escaping and was trapped in frustration. After looking into his pretty eyes for a long time, I firmly spoke.

“I want you to be happy.”

There’s someone who can die and come back to live so what’s the big deal? Amor did not avoid my gaze so I looked into his eyes for a long time without turning away. I brushed past his sleeve and intertwined my fingers in his. He flinched and it looked like his gaze wavered.

“How funny.”

“What is?’

When our eyes met again, he burst into laughter. Then he raised his knees and wrapped his arms around them.

“… The fact that you looked kind of cute just now?”

That didn’t seem to be the case at all though?

“…. You’re being sarcastic.”

“I was being serious.”

He threw sweet words at me with a smile. Amor spoke with his chin tilted.

“I have let go of my expectations.”

Expectations were like a battery with a maximum charge. When it is out of charge, it would need to be recharged. That’s what I learnt in my past life. When I had been looking for a job, I had worked hard to revive my expectations and my self-esteem that were being sliced down as much as my worth. That was why I wanted to fill Amor with what had disappeared.

‘How did it go in the novel?’

In the harem novel, which was all about the tyrant’s love and obsession for the main character, Amor’s character was like a breath of refreshing summer wind. Rusbella and Amor felt like young children playing around.

He would smile happily just by being together with her, looking at her and breathing with her. Amor in the novel felt like everyone’s ideal of love.

But now, I know for sure. The frustratingly ungreedy part of himself was a sign of the resignation he had submitted himself to as his disappointments piled up one by one.

“I’m not expecting anything but you’re different. You make me want to have expectations.”

He murmured with a smile as he lowered his eyes. Both his expectations and his will to go on seemed to have been gone for far too long.