723. [Side Story] Lake Kingdom (4)
“Ader. “Do you… know how to dance?”
“….”
Ader stuttered.
Of course, I know how to dance. Because non-nationals have their own culture.
However, what Ariel asked for was, of course, a ballroom dance befitting royal etiquette, and there was no way Ader could dance like that.
“Originally, my brother didn’t particularly enjoy this type of situation, so he didn’t push for it… but you never know what might happen.”
Ariel smiled and held out her hand.
“I’ll teach you simply enough to avoid having to go to the prom. “Now come here.”
therefore.
From the evening with a red sunset to the night with the bright moonlight shining down.
Ariel gave Ader short-term ballroom dancing lessons.
On the outside, it only looked like a brother and sister, a prince and princess with the same silver hair and turquoise eyes, dancing happily together.
Fortunately, Ader had a talent for dancing. They quickly learned the steps, and the fake siblings soon learned the dance by spinning around together.
“It feels strange to practice dancing like this with someone who has the same face as my brother.”
Ariel covered her mouth and smiled and said this.
But it was Ader who felt the strangest.
Just because his face resembles that of a prince, he is pretending to be a fake prince in the royal castle and practicing dancing while holding hands with a princess who would not even be able to make eye contact with her at a breathing distance…. ‘Is this real?
‘
In a dazed state, as if floating in a dream, Ader learned to dance from the princess.
“Well then, tomorrow is the prom!”
The day before the prom.
After learning about party manners and who to watch out for in addition to dancing, Ariel said this with a slightly nervous expression.
“This is probably the most dangerous time while you are pretending to be your brother… Let’s do our best without being caught!”
***
The day of the prom.
This prom was a kind of after-party following the victory declaration ceremony. If the victory declaration ceremony was a place to show off national power with foreign guests, this time it was a place to celebrate the victory of the Kingdom of Lakes among domestic people.
It was an event hosted by the royal family, and since the king was absent due to illness, it was actually a party that had to be hosted by the prince and princess.
So Ariel was so busy that she couldn’t even wake up. Next to him, Ader also did his best to play Prince Christian.
Countless guests came one after another to congratulate the prince and princess. Each time, Ariel called the other person’s name first and congratulated them, and Ader chimed in appropriately.
“Phew, luckily I’ve done well so far!”
After several hours of greetings were roughly concluded.
Ariel smiled at Ader, cooling her flushed cheeks with a fan.
Unlike Ariel, who was slightly exhausted but holding on with a calm complexion, Ader was completely exhausted and spread out on the chair.
He never imagined that it would be this difficult to be greeted by people.
‘I thought the royal family would live a life of fun and not doing anything…’
That wasn’t the case at all. The royal family had its own difficulties.
‘Still, if I had to choose between the two…’
Of course I want to live as a royal.
Ader glanced sideways. Ariel, who was cooling her cheeks by waving a fan, was wearing an elegant dress and was dazzlingly beautiful.
She was dressed more extravagantly than usual for the prom, from makeup to accessories, but only the red ribbon tied behind her head was the same as usual.
Ader had tied it this morning.
At that time, Ariel felt Ader’s gaze and gently shook her head and gently caressed the ribbon.
“No matter what event there is, I can’t give up this ribbon.”
Then he winked playfully.
“Thank you for tying me up well, brother?”
For some reason, the fact that he left a mark on the sky-like princess made Ader’s heart tremble.
At that time, music rang out at the event venue.
It was time for full-scale ballroom dancing.
People poured into the main hall of the ballroom and held hands with their respective partners. Ariel let out a happy laugh as she watched this scene in the ballroom.
“….”
Suddenly Ader hesitated.
I knew it was presumptuous, but.
There was one thing I wanted to ask the princess.
‘Not just dance practice, but real dancing…’
That was the first wish that Ader, a slave boy who was just surviving day after day without any dreams, had for the first time. Ader swallowed dry saliva.
If I could dance with you just once…
But before Ader could make that presumptuous request.
“Prince!”
A gorgeously decorated woman who looked like a peacock approached and spoke.
Ader, who managed to remember the other person’s identity, clumsily called the other person’s name.
“Ah… the duke’s daughter.”
“Will you please give me the honor of singing a song with the prince?”
And almost simultaneously.
“Princess.”
A middle-aged knight with a strong expression approached Ariel, bringing another young knight with him. Ariel recognized the other person and made eye contact.
“Ah, Lord Baltimore.”
“My son dares to ask the princess for a song. Is that okay?”
The middle-aged knight pointed at the young knight and stepped aside. The young knight with a very red face bent down and then stretched out one arm towards Ariel.
Ariel smiled skillfully and took the knight’s hand.
“Sure.”
Ariel and the young knight linked arms and went down the central hall, and Ader, who was hesitant, was also held by the duke’s hand and went down the central hall.
The music started and people spun around and danced.
“Ugh…”
Although she had been practicing hard for the past few days, Ader was well aware that her steps were clumsy. He tried his best not to step on the duke’s feet.
And while I was struggling like that, I suddenly looked to the side and my eyes met Ariel, who was watching this way.
Ariel smiled brightly and made a small mouth shape.
I’m doing great.
Ader’s heart pounded.
I don’t even know what this feels like, so I don’t even know if this place is a dream or reality.
Dazed, Ader danced, swept away by the waves of people.
The fake prince and the real princess danced right next to each other, each holding the other’s hand.
Round and round, round and round….
***
After successfully completing the prom.
After that, there were many events and schedules, but Ader successfully performed the role as a double with Ariel’s help.
And before I knew it, a month was almost over.
“Thank you so much for your hard work, Ader.”
Ariel called Ader and praised her.
“I received a call from Research Institute Director Dirandahi. “They say he will return to the Lake Kingdom tomorrow.”
“ah…!”
Ader sighed.
Before we knew it, it was time for the prince who had left for the Eastern Continent to return.
Ariel smiled brightly at Ader.
“I didn’t want to, but I was dragged here just because my face resembled my brother… It was hard both physically and mentally, right?”
“No, no! Not at all!”
Ader waved her hands in denial.
“It was simply an undeserved honor for someone as lowly as me to be able to stay in the royal castle…!”
I meant it.
If I was lucky enough to not resemble a prince, how would I have been able to live in such good graces even though it was only a month?
And how was it possible to be so close to the princess?
“Hehe. “Thank you, even if it’s just empty words.”
Ariel covered her mouth and smiled and suddenly held something out in front of her.
“Now this is my gift!”
“yes?”
“You’ve had a hard time for a month. So I prepared.”
What Ariel gave was none other than an eyeglasses shop.
When Ader took it and looked puzzled, Ariel smiled awkwardly.
“When I first came here, I did a physical examination to see if you were my brother… Adar, your eyesight was extremely poor, right?”
“yes? Oh yes… Actually, it looks a little blurry.”
Ader’s eyesight was poor even at a young age because she always worked in a dark basement, relying on dim lighting to do odd jobs.
“Isn’t it just a little blurry? “Then I must have looked blurry during that time too?”
Ariel opened the glasses case and took out the thick glasses inside and approached Ader.
“So I guessed it. “If you wear this, you will be able to see better in the future.”
Ariel’s hands, holding the temples of her glasses and unfolding them, came closer to Ader’s face.
Ader, who was nervous without realizing it, shrugged her shoulders. Ariel put Ader’s glasses on with a gentle touch.
Ariel’s hand, holding the temple of her glasses, brushed Ader’s heated earlobe.
My vision, which had been blurry all my life, was covered by clear lenses and the world became brighter.
“how is it?”
And in the bright and clear center of the world.
The princess, who seemed to have been created by gathering only the most dazzling parts of all the sunlight in the world, was smiling brightly.
“Can you see well?”
“….”
How should I answer?
It’s not just ‘I can see well’.
How should I express the feelings reflected in these eyes?
Ader lowered her head, cursing her low vocabulary and her even lower status. And I barely answered.
“…yes. It looks really good. Thank you, princess. “I will use it well for the rest of my life.”
“Hehe. For life. Next time your eyesight changes, I’ll get you a new one.”
Ader blinked, not really understanding what those words meant.
Ariel took a deep breath and explained.
“Ader. “After your brother comes back… how about you become my servant after that?”
“yes?”
“If you teach me, you will learn it quickly, and you may need to act as your brother’s substitute in the future… And you tie the ribbon well. That’s why I want to keep seeing you in the royal castle.”
Ariel’s face became serious.
“More than anything, the life of a non-citizen I heard about from you… It was a shock that shattered my narrow insight.”
Over the past month, Ader has provided Ariel with detailed information about how non-citizens of the Lake Kingdom live and what the Lake Kingdom looks like outside the outer castle.
And this changed something inside Ariel.
“Ader. “I want to change this country for the better.”
Ader looked up blankly at the profile of the princess looking somewhere far away and high.
“Our country thrives on magic, I know. That you can’t rule a country with magic alone. The fact that magic is only a means and that the country must be governed by people….” “
….”
“A historical lesson that if you maintain national power with only one resource, a great crisis will occur when that resource is depleted. “I know it well.”
Ariel shook her head slightly.
“But now this country divides people’s status based on whether or not they use magic. “This kind of extreme structure will definitely eat away at this country someday.”
“….”
“I want to change this country slowly. And I want you to help me.”
Ariel urgently added to Ader, who had a blank expression.
“Oh, of course! If you tell me there is something else you want to do, I will send it to you. It’s your freedom. Just being forcibly dragged in this month was a hardship…”
“Oh no! no! “I want to be by the princess’s side!”
After speaking urgently, Ader added with a red face because the vocabulary was somehow strange.
“If I can help the princess in her future path, be it as a servant, assistant, or in any other way… “I’m willing to stay.”
Then, as if relieved, Ariel gently rubbed her chest and smiled.
“thank you. “Then…instead of saying goodbye, I’ll say this.”
Ader also slowly smiled at the words that followed.
“Please continue to treat me well, Ader?”
***
The next day.
The Eastern Continent expedition team that returned to the Lake Kingdom brought back a secret treasure instead of the magic of immortality.
It was news that Prince Christian had been involved in an accident and disappeared on the Eastern Continent.
