"Ah! I forgot to ask his name!"
I tried calling out to him, but he had already vanished into the crowd of townspeople. My voice would never reach him now.
I let out a slow breath. I knew my reason for coming here wasn't to enjoy the festivities. Even so, a small part of me secretly hoped that someday… I might see him again.
In the distance, a procession of cars began entering the main road. The crowd erupted into cheers, voices rising as they enthusiastically called out the Princess's name.
I tried to get a better look, but my short height proved to be my greatest obstacle. All I could do was stand on my tiptoes, hoping to catch even the slightest glimpse.
Not satisfied, I tried pushing my way into the crowd.
It was useless.
There were simply too many people.
Eventually, I decided to follow the procession instead. Through the narrow gaps between people's shoulders and arms, I could still see the cars moving slowly forward. At the very least, I could trail them on foot.
After following the procession for quite some time, we finally arrived at the city square.
At its center stood a magnificent stage. A red carpet stretched straight from the edge of the street all the way to the middle of the platform. One of the cars came to a stop right at the end of the carpet.
Gathering what little strength I had left, I forced my way forward once more. After struggling through the crowd and nearly running out of breath, I finally managed to reach the very front—standing just behind the glowing boundary line.
The door of the most luxurious car slowly opened.
A female knight dressed entirely in white stepped out first. I recognized her immediately. With a respectful bow, she opened the back door.
And then the Princess appeared.
She stepped down gracefully, waving to the people as thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd.
I froze.
Her face…
It looked so much like the girl I once met at Avelion Headquarters.
Her features. Her smile. The way she carried herself.
Everything felt the same.
It was as if I were looking at the same person—only in a different form.
I found myself staring, completely captivated as she walked elegantly forward, drawing closer and closer.
Until suddenly—
'Thud!'
"Kyah—!"
A shove from behind threw off my balance.
For the second time today, I fell.
And this time was even worse—right in front of the crowd… and directly before the Princess herself.
I lowered my head, trying to hide my embarrassment as countless eyes turned toward me. Even the guards stationed at the barrier began scolding me.
Then something unexpected happened.
"Are you alright?"
I froze.
The Princess was kneeling right in front of me.
Our faces were close—far too close. One of her hands gently held my arm. From this distance, I could even catch the faint fragrance drifting from her.
"…I—I'm fine, Sis."
"'Sis'?"
"Eh?! N-No! I mean—Your Highness!"
I nearly let it slip. Her demeanor was just too similar to Princess Jasmine's.
The Princess only gave a small smile before extending her hand toward me.
"Here. Let me help you."
"Th-Thank you, Your Highness."
She gently pulled me to my feet.
"Be more careful next time, alright?" she said softly.
Then she tucked a small daisy behind my ear. I hadn't even realized when she had taken the flower I'd been holding earlier.
Before I could say anything, she continued walking down the red carpet.
I remained standing there, still trying to process what had just happened, when the sound of someone clearing their throat pulled me back to reality.
A knight in a white cloak stood nearby. He gave me a brief glance before turning and following the Princess.
Behind him, Carina paused just long enough to smile and wink at me before gracefully rejoining the procession.
I stood there in silence.
The two princesses I had met…
Both possessed the same kind of charisma.
Back then, simply seeing Princess Avra's photograph had been enough to make me wary. But after meeting Princess Jasmine, my perspective had gradually begun to change. That sense of fear slowly faded, replaced by a strange sense of comfort I couldn't quite explain.
Now, emotionally…
I could barely tell them apart.
Suddenly, a holographic call appeared in front of me.
I quickly stepped away from the crowd and slipped into a quieter alley before answering.
"What is it, Naira?"
"[Where are you right now? It's so noisy over there!]"
"I'm at the city square. Why?"
"[Did you find Mr. Elderfield's home address yet?]"
"Yes."
"[Good. As for his laboratory, you don't need to look for it anymore.]"
"Huh? Why?"
"[I've already found it.]"
The sound of rapid keyboard typing echoed from the other side.
"Where are you now?"
"[At the City Library. Dania's with me. While everyone was busy welcoming Princess Avra, we slipped in here to search through some old archives. Breaking into the system wasn't exactly easy.]"
"Breaking... ? You hacked it?!"
"[Yes. We need to finish this mission quickly. I have a bad feeling about this. We shouldn't stay in this city for too long.]"
"…Alright. Then I'll head back to the hotel."
"[Yeah. We'll return soon too. Oh, by the way…]"
"Hm?"
"[Who was that handsome guy you were talking to earlier?]"
I'm frozen...
"Huh? ... HUUUH?!"
"[Don't shout. You're hurting my ears.]"
"Y-Y-You saw that?!"
"[Yeah. Look at the building behind you—around the five o'clock direction.]"
I immediately turned around. The building indeed faced the flower shop from earlier.
"[Seeing you blush while talking to him was honestly a rare sight,]" Naira said, clearly amused.
"S-Stop it! Don't bring that up again!"
"[Why, Azca? Do you like him~?]"
"I told you! Don't talk about it!"
My face burned as Naira chuckled softly.
"[I'll include it in the report later: 'Mission result in Orion City—Azca discovered the love of her li—']"
"That's enough! Just finish what you're doing already!"
—
※※※ — ※※※
—
[POV: 3]
That afternoon, in a private chamber reserved for the royal family, the fading light of dusk streamed through the tall windows, scattering across the room like drifting shards of gold.
Luxurious ornaments reflected the soft glow, while bright white curtains swayed gently in the passing breeze.
In the middle of that quiet room, Princess Avra sat across from her loyal guard. A cup of warm tea rested between her hands, thin wisps of steam still rising after the long and exhausting events of the day.
A rare moment of peace.
"It was incredibly crowded earlier, Your Highness," Carina said, her voice still carrying a trace of awe. "I didn't expect the citizens to be that enthusiastic."
"Indeed." Avra took a slow sip of her tea before glancing toward Carina. "And haven't I told you not to be so formal when it's just the two of us? Just call me Avra."
"Eh? Y-yes…"
"Yes what?"
Carina's cheeks immediately flushed.
"Y-Yes… Princess Avra."
Avra let out a long sigh, her lips forming a small pout.
"You're unbelievably stubborn, Carina. We've known each other since we were children," she muttered.
"S-Sorry…"
A brief silence passed between them before Avra spoke again.
"Oh, right. How is the girl you brought back the other day?"
"I've entrusted her to the Royal Orphanage. It seems she's beginning to get along with the other children."
"That's a relief." Avra's smile softened. "Take me there sometime, will you? It's been a while since my last visit."
"Of course. But after we finish our affairs in this city."
"Yeah... I know."
They both let out a small laugh—light and warm.
But the laughter slowly faded as Avra turned her gaze toward the window. Her eyes settled on the city stretching quietly below.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Her expression gradually flattened.
"I never imagined something like this would happen," she said quietly. "An enemy we cannot see… attacking without us knowing when or from where. It feels like a shadow constantly lurking just out of sight."
She paused.
"It makes me uneasy."
"Is that why Your Highness wants to reinforce all the border fortresses?"
"Ya... Prevention is always better than cure."
Carina remained silent for a moment before speaking carefully.
"But… you're pushing yourself too hard."
"…I know."
Avra's voice softened, and a faint trace of melancholy crossed her face.
"But I love this kingdom, and my people. I will protect them… with everything I have."
Silence settled between them again.
Then Carina suddenly smiled faintly.
"By the way, Your Highness. That earlier moment was quite unusual."
"Hm?"
"When that girl fell… you rushed over to help her immediately."
"Isn't that only natural?"
"Ya. But you could have simply asked me to do it."
Avra fell quiet for a moment, as if searching for an answer she herself didn't fully understand.
"I'm not sure," she finally said softly. "Seeing her fall while everyone else only watched… I felt sorry for her."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"My feet moved before I even had time to think."
Carina looked at her for a while longer. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
They had always been like this.
Two souls that moved almost instinctively, even without words. Twins who were now separated—yet whose hearts still beat in the same rhythm.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Avra narrowed her eyes. "Carina, you look a little creepy."
Carina immediately clutched her chest in dramatic fashion.
"Ahh… that hurts to hear," she murmured, pretending to be wounded.
The room was once again filled with soft laughter.
Yet far beyond those walls, something unseen was still moving quietly within the shadows.
※※※ (Chapter—16) ※※※