Riri was dreaming.
She knew it was a dream because it was the same one she always had since she was a child.
She was burning incense in a small garden somewhere and a boy who seemed a little older than her appeared.
The boy’s face and figure were blurry, and she had no idea who it was.
Her conversations with the boy were a little different each time she had this dream.
In today’s dream, they were sitting on carpet and inhaling the smoke rising from the incense.
What was different from usual was that she was watching the scene in the air.
She tilted her head, thinking it was strange since she had never dreamt in a third-person’s perspective before.
“It smells good.”
She could tell the boy was smiling at her even though she couldn’t see his expression because his face was blurry.
“Right?! I made it myself. There’s no other incense like it in this world.”
“Are you good at making incenses?”
“Yes, my sense of smell is special, so I can smell all kinds of scents. My incenses have improved a lot even though they’re not as good as Father’s. I hardly make any mistakes.”
She wanted to tell her happy child self that she always failed at making her own incenses, but her child self didn’t seem to be lying.
She hypothesised that maybe she had been able to make her own incenses reasonably well before she lost her memory.
There was one thing that bothered her.
(What did that incense smell like…?)
The incense in the incense burner between the two which was emitting white smoke was probably a pastille.
She got a headache when she thought about what the incense smelled like.
(That fragrance was certainly…)
Suddenly, a sweet, powdery scent assaulted her nose.
At the same time, a small butterfly appeared in her mind. The butterfly was perched on a yellow dandelion, resting its wings.
She remembered seeing this peaceful scene before.
(I believe it’s the same scent as the one Kousho-sama had. He told me that it was very expensive and special…)
Since she could only vaguely guess what it smelled like, she wasn’t sure that it was the same.
As she tried to focus her attention to her nose to get a better smell of the fragrance, she heard a rustling sound coming from the nearby plants.
She looked and saw a group of men dressed in black standing there.
“… Come with us.”
The sweet, powdery scent from earlier faded because of the mixture of fragrances coming from the men.
(Argh! I wanted to smell it more closely!)
Once they appeared, her dream proceeded as it usually did. They were after the boy.
Wanting to protect the boy, her child self threw the ashes in the incense burner of them.
“Someone, anyone, help!”
Calling for help was always enough to wake her up from her dream.
But something surprising happened today; the dream continued.
The men glared at her as they brushed the ashes from their faces.
“You brat! How dare you!”
The men drew their swords. Her child self cowered in fear.
(Weird. The dream never continued after I threw the ashes at them before. What’s going to happen next…?)
The boy quickly stood in front of her child self as she watched the scene unfold.
“I won’t let you hurt her! I’ll protect her.”
The boy’s voice was so manly and reliable that she couldn’t help but feel her heart throb even in this kind of situation.
“Whoa!”
Riri jumped up and threw off her blanket.
“I was so surprised. My recurring dream didn’t stop where it usually does. I’ve never had that happen to me before.”
The boy, whose face and appearance she didn’t know, had appeared in her dreams so many times since she was a child that she felt as if he was a childhood friend.
Her face turned even redder as she remembered the back of the boy who had screamed that he would protect her.
“What’s wrong with me? Pull yourself together!”
She stood up as she pressed her hand on her beating heart.
She suddenly remembered the fragrance that had appeared in her dream when she had finally calmed down.
“It was similar to a sweet and powdery scent. I wonder what it was. I think it’s very similar to the scent Kousho-sama had. Did I remember the fragrance in my dream because I met him yesterday and talked to him for the first time in a while…?”
She tilted her head and thought about it, but then she realised it was time for Ryouka to come and wake her up.
“I’m curious about it, but Kousho-sama said he will summon me when he burns the incense. I’ll think about it again once I’ve smelled it. I have a dance rehearsal starting today, so I have to concentrate on that first.”
With that decision made, she immediately began her morning preparations.
Riri and Garan had arrived at the May Finch room in the Guest Palace.
The room was big enough for about ten people and it was usually used by guests to hold discussions.
She was grateful to Garan for arranging this room for her.
“Wow, it’s such a beautiful room!”
When she entered the room, she found brand new wooden floors with carpet embroidered with gold thread.
There was a raised platform with a desk and silver chair at the back of the room.
The window frames were covered with gold bars, and they glistened in the sunlight.
“Thanks, Garan. I think I can concentrate on my dance practice here.”
“Don’t worry about it. Kousho-sama also informed me that he wishes for you to become one of the Four Consorts. I’ll try to help you as much as I can. There’s not much time before the final selection dance, so practice hard.”
“I will.”
She nodded her head when she heard Kousho’s name, but she also had a question for him.
(Kousho-sama wants me to become one of the Four Consorts, right? So why is he acting so coldly towards me?)
She believed that he was probably acting cold towards her when there were people around.
Actually, when she had met him yesterday alone, he didn’t act cold towards her at all.
As she wondered why he would do such a thing, she heard a voice from the corridor behind her.
“Oh, you’re already here, Riri.”
She turned around and saw that Seirai was just about to enter the room.
She quickly kneeled down with Garan and bowed her head.
“Good morning, Seirai-sama. I’m sorry for taking up your precious time.”
“It’s alright. I offered to teach you because I want to be with you. Are you ready to start practicing?”
She nodded and Garan looked up.
“I’m glad that you offered to teach her, but there’s something that worries me. Have you heard enough about incenses?”
“I heard enough yesterday. Isn’t that right, Riri?”
Riri nodded as she looked at Seirai and Garan.
“Yes, I know from talking to you yesterday that you know enough to become a perfumer.”
Garan looked surprised as he stared at Seirai.
“Then why did you ask to talk to Consort Riri about incenses?”
“Because I wanted to talk with the cute Riri. I don’t care if we talk about incenses or practice dancing as long as we get to be together… By the way Riri, I feel like you’re a bit different today, did something happen?”
Seirai suddenly looked at her face.
“No, not really.”
“Is that so? You’ve been looking a little dazed and your face suddenly turned red. Are you in love?”
She was stunned by his words.
(My face is red because I can’t get that boy, who I saw in my dreams last night, out of my head… Huh? Why does my face turn red when I think about him? He asked me if I’m in love, but I don’t…)
She blinked and Seirai smiled.
“So, you are in love? I’d be happy if you’re in love with me.”
“No, I’m not.”
Her instincts told her that if she didn’t deny this outright then she would be in big trouble.
Seirai smiled wryly and shrugged.
“You didn’t have to be that blunt about it. It’s a shame you’re not in love with me, but I’d like to hear about it. You don’t seem very familiar with love, so maybe it’s your first love?”
When he asked her that, the boy in her dream whose face and appearance was blurry flashed through her mind.
(Why did I think about him? Are you telling me I’m in love with him? Impossible!)
She shook her head feverishly.
“Let’s stop talking about first loves. We’re wasting time.”
“You’re right. Consort Riri seems troubled.”
Seirai’s gaze turned to Garan, who had come to her aid.
“Come to think of it, when was your first love, Garan?”
Garan looked surprised.
“You don’t need to ask about me.”
“Of course, I do. General Garan, you’re famous for being as handsome as Kousho even in Shinzui, but I’ve never heard a single rumour about you. So, tell me.”
Seirai approached Garan and Garan took a few steps back.
Riri felt bad for Garan, but she was relieved.
(Calm down. It’s impossible for me to be in love with a boy who can’t possibly exist in real life. Now’s not the time to get carried away. I need to practice dancing.)
She took a deep breath and turned her attention to Seirai, who had cornered Garan against the wall.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, Seirai-sama, but I want to get a high rating in the upcoming pageant and become one of the Four Consorts. Could you teach me?”
Seirai looked towards her and sighed.
“I finally thought I could tease Garan, but I guess I’ll give up since you’re that serious. Now, put on your mask and practice.”
She will be wearing a golden mask while she dances the ranryou.
She put on the practice mask that she had prepared and tied the string behind her head, then she took a deep breath.
(I should just concentrate on dancing for now. I must be chosen as one of the Four Consorts and get my own palace.)
In order to grasp her dream, she quickly danced to the sound of Seirai’s claps.
Riri finished her moves after Seirai finished clapping. Ryouka had shown her how to dance the ranryou, so she should have danced exactly like Ryouka had, but the aura in the room was really heavy.
It was the first time she had seen such a stern look on Seirai’s face.
“――― I didn’t think you would be this bad.”
His voice sounded more serious than it ever had. It was as if he was a different person from the one who flirted with her. She took off her mask and quickly walked over to Seirai.
“I’ll be blunt. A dog dances better than you. Your movements are awkward, and you can’t dance to the beat. You can’t dance with the others at this point, let alone win the finals. You’ll stand out because you’ll be the only one who can’t dance to the beat.”
She felt down since he said her dancing was horrible.
“It’s impossible for me to teach you if you’re this bad. I’m going to have to back out.”
“Please wait!”
She desperately screamed at Seirai who turned around.
“I’ll listen to you no matter how strict you are. Please teach me. I really want to become one of the Four Consorts.”
Seirai turned around and stared at her.
“… Do you want to become one of Kousho’s Four Consorts that badly? If you want to move up in the inner palace, then there are other ways. That’s how bad your dancing is.”
She shook her head at Seirai who had his arms folded.
“I don’t want to move up in the inner palace… I just need to become one of the Four Consorts because of my circumstances, so I can’t use any other means.”
She kneeled down and bowed deeply to Seirai.
“I’m sure my dancing is horrible, but I don’t want to give up without trying. Please teach me.”
She kept her head down and waited patiently. After a while, she heard Seirai take a deep breath.
“There are only eight days left until the banquet. I don’t think you’ll have time to sleep If I’m going to teach you, are you alright with this?”
“Yes, I won’t complain.”
Seirai laughed when he heard this.
“That’s a good answer. When I see a woman working hard, I want to support her… It’s impossible for you to become an expert at dancing in eight days. But I heard the finalists will be dancing an act from the ranryou. If you can learn to dance that one act, then you might be able to get a good score.”
She smiled when she finally heard what she wanted to hear and bowed her head once again.
“Thank you so much!”
“Then let’s start practicing.”
She was about to put on her mask again when Seirai said this, when she heard a voice from the door.
“Seirai-sama, it’s time for your audience with His Majesty.”
The person who had opened the door was Seirai’s attendant. Seirai sighed when he saw him.
“Oh, that’s right. I’ve been given time to speak with His Majesty. Riri, I’m sorry to interrupt your enthusiasm but I need to leave for a while.”
“Yes, take care.”
She bowed her head and Seirai turned his attention to Garan.
“Garan, you can teach Riri how to be flexible while you two wait for me. You’re a martial arts master, so you’re flexible. Her biggest problem is her stiffness. The basic principle of dancing is to be as soft as possible and be beautiful and graceful down to your fingertips, so do something about her stiffness first.”
“Leave that to me.”
She thanked Garan from the bottom of her heart when he agreed. Seirai headed to the door.
“Smooth out your awkward movements that look as if you’re made of wire by the time I return.”
She let out a sigh when he was out of sight.
“I was under the impression that Seirai-sama is frivolous, but he knows enough about incenses to be a perfumer and he takes dancing very seriously. I wonder if he’s actually a good person.”
She muttered. Garan came next to her and smiled.
“He says and does a lot of things that would make one unsure if he’s serious or not. I can’t say that he has a good personality, but I personally don’t think he’s a bad person either. It’s just that when Kousho-sama is involved…”
She could guess what Garan wanted to say since he looked troubled.
He took a deep breath and turned towards Riri.
“Now, Riri. Let’s work on your flexibility like Seirai-sama said. Your body is indeed really stiff.”
The door suddenly swung open as she was preparing to do as Garan told her to.
“Seirai-dono, are you here?”
Kousho was the one who had opened the door. Riri’s eyes widened in surprise when she saw that Ranran and Juka were behind him.
The Beautiful Flower Palace was built for Kousho. There was nothing strange about him walking with consorts from the Beautiful Flower Palace, but this was outside the inner palace.
Bringing the consorts to such a place was unthinkable for the past Kousho.
Kousho had said that he hated the inner palace in the past, but recently he has been taking a completely different attitude. She believed he had his reasons for this, but she didn’t know what they were.
Garan kneeled down and bowed his head, and Riri quickly followed suit.
“Where is Seirai-dono?”
Kousho looked around and Garan raised his face.
“Seirai-sama has an audience with His Majesty, so he’s out at the moment.”
Kousho looked at Riri and looked sullen for a moment.
“… So, Seirai is really teaching you.”
Kousho stopped talking. It was rare for him to stop speaking when he wanted to say something more. Riri tilted her head in confusion, and Kousho collected himself and turned to face Ranran, who was standing next to him.
“The consorts are having a tea party, so I thought I would invite him to join, but I guess he’s not here.”
Kousho made eye contact with her several times, but he didn’t speak to her.
(His attitude towards me is really cold when there are people around. Why?)
She glanced up and saw him happily talking with Ranran.
“Kousho-sama, umm…”
She tried to greet him, and she also wanted to see his reaction.
But Ranran stepped forward and interrupted her.
“My, how rude. I can’t believe you tried to talk to him first.”
Juka, who was standing at Kousho’s right, giggled.
“You don’t know how to be polite, that’s why you don’t even know that it’s rude for a mere talented person to speak directly to the Crown Prince.”
Talented people had a very low rank amongst the ladies in the inner palace. Therefore, it was rude for them to talk to the Crown Prince. He had asked her to become one of the Four Consorts to buy time so that he could make his first love the Empress, but now he acted as if he hadn’t asked her this.
“… I’m sorry.”
He seemed to have his own circumstances, but he hadn’t said anything about it so she believed she couldn’t ask. She bowed her head and tried to move backward, but accidentally tripped on something.
“Ah…!”
She glanced and saw that someone had stepped on the hem of her hanfu. The consorts who followed Kousho were nearby, so it could have been one of them, but it happened so fast, so she could have imagined it.
She was about to fall down when someone’s arms quickly caught her.
“Are you alright?”
The voice belonged to Kousho. It was his strong arms that supported her body.
She looked up and saw that he had a worried expression on his face.
“Oh my, how dare a talented person like you have Kousho-sama catch you!”
Kousho widened his eyes slightly at the sound of Juka’s voice. He closed his eyes and quickly released Riri.
“… If a woman is about to fall in front of me, I’ll catch her even if she is a princess from an enemy nation.”
He said as if it was nothing and turned away. Riri quickly turned around and bowed to him.
“Thank you very much.”
She thanked him, but he ignored her. Kousho turned his attention to Garan.
“See you. I’m counting on you to continue guarding Seirai-dono, Garan.”
As she watched Kousho and the consorts walk away, she was worried that he might not like her even though she believed that he was behaving this way for a reason.
“What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”
Garan gently placed a hand on her shoulder. His hand was large and warm.
“Tell me if there’s something on your mind. You and I are friends.”
“Thanks… To be honest, Kousho-sama has been acting cold towards me lately, but he only seems to act cold towards me when there are people around. So, I’m certain that he has his reasons for doing this, but I’m also starting to wonder if he might hate me.”
She smiled bitterly and spoke about her worries. She felt embarrassed saying this, but she wanted to get it out of her mind. Most importantly, Garan is her friend, and she knew that he had a strong, yet kind personality.
“I want to know why he’s acting cold towards me if he has his reasons, but I couldn’t ask him about it. I just don’t know what to do.”
She tried to look as cheerful as possible. Garan thought for a while, then finally spoke.
“… I think I’m one of the reasons why he’s not talking to you.”
She blinked at his words.
“Do you know why he’s acting cold towards me?”
“No, that’s just what I think… Kousho-sama acts like the perfect Crown Prince, but he’s very clear on who he likes and dislikes. If he dislikes someone, then he will criticise them to the bitter end.”
It was a horrible thing to hear, but she couldn’t help but agree. Kousho was indeed like that.
“However, he also shows the utmost affection to those he likes. I’m sure that once he decides to protect someone, he will do whatever it takes to protect them. He’s actually saved my life before.”
“He saved your life?”
She couldn’t overlook this. Garan nodded slightly.
“It was when I had just become General. I fell into a certain man’s trap and was almost framed for a crime.”
Riri’s eyes widened. She heard that Garan became General three years ago.
He had inherited the position from his father. He was still in his teens, so she could imagine that he must have had a lot of trouble leading the army as their General.
“What kind of crime was it?”
“They said I was being bribed to get a certain subordinate to rise in the ranks. I did promote him, but that was because he was a man worthy of standing above others since he’s skilful and compassionate.”
His words were very frigid.
“However, they said that I had taken a bribe and promoted the man, and there was even a witness who claimed to have seen me accepting the bribe. The witness was also one of my trusted subordinates. When I realised he had betrayed me, I…”
Garan’s lips trembled slightly when he remembered what had happened. Riri put a hand on his shoulder.
“Garan, if it’s too painful to talk about then…”
Garan is a pure person. The shock must have been unfathomable if he was betrayed by someone he trusted.
“No, I’m fine… I was accused of accepting the bribe and thrown into jail, and then Kousho-sama came to me. I’ve known him since we were children, but at that time, I didn’t like his arrogant personality, so I pretended to respect him while avoiding him, but he found it amusing that I was acting that way, so he always made fun of me and teased me.”
Riri could almost picture what they were like back then.
It must have been one of Kousho’s favourite pastimes to tease the serious Garan.
“Kousho-sama said I looked unsightly when he saw me in jail. It was pathetic, but I couldn’t say anything back. Seeing me like that, he told me that he didn’t have anyone to tease without me around and that it was boring, so he was going to find the culprit. After that, he suddenly got serious and told me that I’m his friend, and that he won’t allow anyone to hurt his friend. He said he would definitely protect me.”
That must have been a good memory for Garan; he was smiling.
“The next day, they caught the man who had framed me. The man who testified also admitted that he had lied. I was quickly freed… I wouldn’t be here today if Kousho-sama hadn’t acted. He saved my life.”
Garan looked at Riri and smiled.
“Once Kousho-sama decides to protect someone, he will protect them with everything he has. As far as I can tell, you’re someone he decided to protect. I’m sure he has his reasons for acting coldly towards you, so why don’t you trust him for a while longer?”
Riri could see the trust Garan had in Kousho.
And she realised that the real Kousho that she knew was the same as the person who Garan had just described.
“… Okay. I’ll wait for a while longer. Besides, I have to concentrate on my dance training right now, so I don’t have time to dwell on it.”
She smiled and Garan nodded. She once again practiced how to make herself flexible with him as instructed by Seirai.
She didn’t know what Kousho was thinking, but she decided to trust him and move forward to achieve her goal.
Dance gracefully to the sound of the claps.
It was easy to say, but Riri thought that it was a next to impossible task.
Especially the court dance, the ranryou, which looked like a slow dance but was actually quite an exercise.
The gold mask hid her eyes, making it difficult to see well. Of course, there were holes in the mask where her eyes were, but it was difficult to see the whole area with the mask on.
She wondered if she could really stand on stage in this condition, watch the movements of the other consorts and dance with them.
As she thought about this, she fluttered her long sleeves, spun around, turned her back, and then her knees gave way.
“Kyaaah!”
As she fell down, Garan, who had been watching her practice, tried to rush over to her.
“Are you okay?!”
Seirai stopped Garan with his hand.
“Riri, losing your stance from turning your back a little is proof that you’re not flexible, and I’m sure you’re thinking about something else. Your thoughts show when you dance. If you fall down on stage like you just did now then not only will it ruin your dance, but also the dance of the other consorts. Concentrate.”
His voice and tone were harsh, but it motivated her.
“I’m sorry. Seirai-sama, please continue. It would be my fault if I’m the only one embarrassed because I can’t dance, but I can’t ruin the other consorts’ dances.”
The consorts who had passed the preliminary selection are practicing the dance together. She wasn’t good enough to practice with them. She knew that, therefore she wanted to be good enough to not slow them down. Seirai nodded in admiration.
“You have guts, just the way I like it. I don’t cut corners when it comes to dancing. If you can keep up then I’ll continue, what do you say?”
Riri straightened her posture and bowed.
“Please.”
She was under the impression that Seirai was a frivolous man who spared no effort to say sweet things to women, but he was quite strict when it came to dancing, and she was grateful for that.
“Good answer. Then, let’s continue.”
Garan took a step closer to Seirai and pointed at the open door.
“Please wait, it’s already past noon. We haven’t even had a full cup of tea since we started practicing. If we continue like this, then Consort Riri will probably collapse. I think we should take a short break.”
Seirai turned his head towards the garden facing the corridor and squinted at the rising sun.
“Oh, you’re right. It’s already this late. I’ve been too focused on training her that I completely lost track of time. Alright. Let’s take a short break. It’s part of training to eat well and build up strength.
Seirai shrugged. Garan turned to look at Riri and spoke softly.
“Riri, take a break. I’ll ask the maids to prepare a meal for us. You’ve been moving since morning. Will you be alright without me?”
She felt anxious, but she was also hungry. She nodded and Garan left even though he looked worried.
“Riri, give me your hand.”
Seirai held out his hand in a natural gesture.
“No, it’s rude for me to get help from you personally. I can walk by myself.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t cut corners when instructing you on how to dance, but I live to be kind to women. Let me be nice to you when you’re not practicing.”
She blinked at his soft tone which was completely different from how it was earlier, but she put her hand over his, thinking that she would make Koran’s Crown Prince feel bad if she continued to refuse.
Seirai smiled and pulled her hand. The two of them moved to the desk on the raised platform.
He told her to sit down on one of the chairs and she sat down in front of him.
“Riri, you aren’t good at dancing at all. A kitten dancing might look cuter and more pleasing than seeing you dance.”
His statement pierced her heart, but she couldn’t argue with him since she had danced and knew that his words were true.
“Would it be an inconvenience if I danced with the other consorts in the final selection?”
She asked timidly and Seirai chuckled.
“Definitely if you don’t improve. But you have the motivation and guts. If you can keep up with my training, then I’ll make sure you dance better than a kitten.”
It was just like him to say that. His training was strict but very precise.
His usual playful attitude disappeared during practice, and he taught her seriously.
“Seirai-sama, you’re very serious about dancing. Is there a special reason for this?”
She was afraid to ask the Crown Prince a question, but she was curious since he was different when he taught her. Seirai smiled slightly.
“Special reason…? Alright, I’ll tell you something that only you will know. Dancing was a necessary means for my sister and I to survive in the palace.”
“To survive in the palace…? Aren’t you the Crown Prince? Why…?”
“I’m the Crown Prince now, but I wasn’t until about two years ago. The eldest son in the royal family succeeds the throne in Koran. I have an older brother who was supposed to be the emperor, but he fell off his horse two years ago and died.”
She had never heard this before, and she became docile.
“I’m sorry to hear that he passed away…”
“There are ten princes in Koran. We all have different mothers, and while I know what the others look like, I’ve never spoken to them before. I’ve never spoken to the previous Crown Prince, so I can’t honestly say that I’m sad. However, I was promoted to the position of Crown Prince thanks to his death.”
She suddenly realized something from his tone and manner of speaking.
“I have a feeling that you didn’t want to become the Crown Prince.”
She asked reluctantly even though she knew it was rude, and he smiled softly.
“You’re right. The position of Crown Prince is very formal. My mother was a commoner and her position in the palace wasn’t high. She was a famous dancer, and when she was invited to the palace to dance, the father, the emperor, took a liking to her and my sister and I were born. We weren’t inferior in the palace just because my mother was a commoner.”
Seirai crossed his hands over his lap and sighed a little.
“Mother taught me how to dance and it was the only way for my sister and I to find our place in the palace. The Emperor would be in a good mood if we danced well and our position in court also stabilized. That’s why I practiced like crazy.”
She thought he was raised as a Crown Prince without any problems, but it seemed she was wrong.
“When my eldest brother died, I, the Second Prince, became the Crown Prince, but my mother wasn’t a noble, so many objected… This is a known fact in Koran, but my father has a heart condition and has seizures quite often.”
“I see.”
She hadn’t heard much about other kingdoms, so this was news to her. She was surprised and Seirai nodded.
“He tried to hide it at first, but he had a seizure when he appeared in front of the people for the New Year ceremony, and because of this, the other princes are trying to remove me from the position of Crown Prince as soon as possible. I will be the emperor if anything happens to my father. It seems that everyone is unhappy that I, a commoner, will be the emperor.”
Seirai’s position in Koran is delicate. Something caught her attention as she listened to him.
“Is your sister still in the palace now?”
Whenever Seirai mentioned his sister, his eyes narrowed slightly, that was proof that he cared for her.
“Yeah, my sister… Her name is Keika. She’s in the palace now. She’s extremely beautiful, but a little timid. It was my job to comfort her whenever she cried because her dance practice was too hard.”
Seirai smiled nostalgically.
“You two are very close, aren’t you?”
She was an only child, so she was envious of those who had siblings. She always wanted a kind, older brother.
“We are. My mother passed away ten years ago, and we’ve been helping each other survive. We would have lost our position in the palace if it weren’t for our dancing skills and been thrown out. But…”
Seirai stopped talking. She was concerned that his expression had become cloudy, so she spoke.
“But what?”
“I’m just a little worried about Keika. Truthfully, she has recently been ordered to marry a noble by my father.”
Marriage was a joyous occasion, but she could tell that Seirai was unwilling to let Keika get married from his expression.
“Are you opposed to it?”
“I can’t object. It’s the Emperor’s order, but he’s 30 years older than Keika, and he’s getting remarried because his wife passed away. He lives deep in the mountains, far away from the capital of Koran. He’s a high-ranking noble and a wealthy man, but he’s not good with women and has many concubines.”
It would certainly be worrisome to let his precious sister marry such a man. Seirai pursed his lips.
“He wants to marry the Emperor’s daughter so that he can be connected to the royal family. Keika isn’t strong enough to live in the countryside without knowing anyone and being surrounded by a lot of concubines. I believed that I would have more say in court if I became the Crown Prince, but the Emperor is still alive, and so my father’s words are absolute. I don’t have the power to overrule the Emperor’s decree right now, but…”
Seirai stopped. The seriousness in his eyes startled Riri.
“I just want to protect Keika.”
She understood his feelings towards his sister so well that it was painful. He is a frivolous man who spares no effort to say sweet words to women. That was her first impression of Seirai.
But now he looked like a kind and sincere man who cared for his sister.
(This is the first time I’ve seen such a serious look in his eyes, maybe he’s a serious person after all.)
She thought as her heart throbbed. She looked down not knowing why her heart was throbbing.
“I hope there’s a way for you to stop Princess Keika from getting married.”
“It’s difficult. I wish I could persuade my father, but he’s very stubborn and doesn’t easily change his mind. Keika’s marriage is for establishing a connection with a rich noble living in the countryside, so there’s a lot of advantages. He might change his mind if I can show him something as a bargaining chip.”
Seirai smiled wryly.
“But I need something quite valuable to trade in order to change my father’s mind. I’ve always wondered what would be valuable to my father… If I had more power, then I could save Keika.”
Seirai had the expression of a kind brother thinking of his sister.
Her heart started throbbing when she saw him look like that.
She was puzzled by how she was acting while thinking over Seirai’s words again.
(Something that is valuable to the Emperor of Koran. What on earth can it be…?)
She pondered over this, but this was something that Seirai was also troubled over, so it wasn’t going to be easy to solve.
“My legs feel heavy…”
Riri lost her strength as soon as she entered the Beautiful Flower Palace and crouched down on the spot.
It has been about five days since she started receiving training from Seirai. Every day, practice went on from morning to night. Today, the practice continued until it was completely dark, and she was finally able to go back to her room after Garan suggested that she should take a break.
As soon as she left Garan and entered the Beautiful Flower Palace, she felt so tired that it became difficult to stand. Her legs and hips were strained and in pain, and the joints in her arms were creaking.
Her body felt heavy, but she managed to muster the strength to stand up.
“Everyone should be asleep by now. I need to get some sleep too.”
She suddenly noticed a certain fragrance as she staggered towards her room.
“… This is Consort Hisui’s fragrance. Why is she up at this time of the night?”
The light fragrance would probably go unnoticed by a normal person. The corridor was deserted at night, and it didn’t mix with other fragrances, so she recognised it as Hisui’s aloeswood incense.
Her fragrance was coming from the ballroom.
She walked towards there since she was curious and saw Hisui practicing alone in the middle of the ballroom which was facing the garden.
“Wow, she’s so beautiful…!”
She stared at Hisui from behind the pillar.
Wearing a gold mask and dancing gracefully, Hisui was so beautiful that she seemed out of this world.
Hisui had passed the preliminary round with the best score, and she would lead the ranryou dance in the final selection.
Riri could tell that the mask Hisui wore on her face was more finely crafted than her own when she looked at it.
The mask, which covered her eyes and the right half of her face, was adorned with green gems on her forehead and her cheeks were shaped like flower petals. Hisui danced gracefully, wearing a gold mask that could only be worn by the lead dancer.
The ranryou was quite an intense dance even though it looked like a slow dance. She sometimes ran out of breath when she was practicing, but Hisui’s expression didn’t change even though she danced intensely.
She was reminded of her own dancing as she admired Hisui. She devoted herself to practice while sacrificing her sleep.
She believed that she had improved a lot since the beginning thanks to Seirai’s guidance.
However, she felt as if she was a small child playing a game when she compared her dance to Hisui’s.
“I’m sure the other consorts are as good as Consort Hisui. I’ll be the only person who will have trouble keeping up with them if I dance with them, then I’ll be a nuisance…”
She had been frantic to have her own palace until now.
But now that she thought about it again, this dance was meant for the consorts of Beautiful Flower Palace to entertain the guest of honour, like Seirai. The thought of this important dance being ruined because of her gave her the chills.
(This is bad. I need to practice more….!)
She suddenly heard a voice as she was thinking.
“Who’s there?”
She turned her attention to the ballroom and saw that Hisui had stopped moving and was looking at her.
Riri nervously stepped out from behind the pillar. Hisui took off her mask and raised her eyebrows.
“Consort Riri, why don’t you show up to dance rehearsals at least once? We’re all dancing together, so we can’t do it without you.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not good enough to dance with everyone…”
Riri approached Hisui and Hisui sighed softly.
“We certainly heard about that from Garan-sama, but the final selection is in three days. We’re all going to dance together, so we mustn’t disturb the harmony. We will have a final rehearsal with masks and our outfits for the performance, so be sure to attend.”
“Okay.”
Riri was anxious about whether she would be able to dance as well as Hisui and the others in three days. She hung her head and replied, and Hisui tried to put on her mask again.
“Consort Hisui, you also practice until this hour?”
It has been a long time since she has spoken to Hisui alone. Riri has always admired her dignified words and actions.
She wanted to spend time with Hisui even if only just for a little while.
“Yes. Dancing is profound. I’ve been learning it since I was a child, but I’ve never been able to dance to my satisfaction.”
Riri’s eyes widened at Hisui’s surprising words.
“Your dancing looks perfect though.”
“It’s not perfect yet. I need to work harder.”
Hisui seemed to be enjoying herself as she said this. Hisui is a hard worker.
Perhaps Hisui enjoyed improving herself. In that case, Riri thought she was amazing.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your dance.”
Those words came from Riri’s heart, but Hisui looked as if she was ready to fight Riri.
“Don’t lie. You’re one of the finalists. We’re rivals for Kousho-sama’s Four Consorts positions. How can you be looking forward to it?”
Hisui put on her mask and folded her arms.
The black eyes behind the mask had a complicated feeling in them which couldn’t be described as anger or sorrow.
“You don’t want to be Kousho-sama’s wife. You told me that you came here to fulfil your dream of becoming a perfumer and I believed you, since I believed you weren’t someone who would lie. Then, you entered the beauty pageant.”
Her voice was accusatory. Looking closely, Riri could see Hisui’s lips trembling.
“At first, I thought you might have your reasons, because I believed that you are an honest person even though the palace is full of lies and schemes… But all you do is rehearse and neglect your incenses. And you lied to me by saying you were looking forward to my dance.”
“It’s not a lie. I have my own reasons…”
“What kind of reason?”
When Hisui asked Riri that, she didn’t know how to answer.
(If I tell her the real reason, then she might find out about the treasured incense and even about Kousho-sama’s first love. How do I convey my true feelings while hiding the things I shouldn’t talk about?)
She hesitated and Hisui sighed.
“See. You can’t tell me because you’re lying. I’m saddest when lied to. I thought you and I would be friends who could reach great heights together.”
Hisui’s almond eyes were moist. She bit her lips and sighed loudly.
“I guess I was wrong when I thought we were becoming friends.”
Riri wanted to tell Hisui she was wrong. She didn’t want to lie to Hisui, but there were just some things she couldn’t talk about.
She was confused, not knowing what to do and Hisui looked at her.
“You’re not my friend anymore. I won’t lose. I’ll do whatever it takes to become one of the Four Consorts.”
Hisui turned away after saying this. Riri didn’t know what to say as she watched Hisui walk away.
Mokuren put the powdered fragrance into a white ceramic mortar.
“The head of the Dark Perfumers is using a very old and cheap mortar.”
The soft voice was familiar to him. He pushed up his glasses and looked at the front door.
Someone entered the room.
“I’m familiar with this mortar and it’s easy to use.”
He answered briefly since he didn’t want to tell the person the truth. The man sat down in front of Mokuren.
“Is that the only reason? You’re the head of an assassination squad who uses poisonous incenses. You hold the ‘Nine-tail Fox’ title and will bring about a revolution in Shinzui. You seem very particular about what you use, so I was sure you’d use the best tools.”