I have no other choice but to open my wallet again. Cesar's earnest eyes were something I couldn't ignore. Soon, the
chiacchiere
Freshly fried and hot, filled in a thin paper cone. They are so hot that it's hard to put them in your mouth right away.
“Huh, huh.”
As soon as we put the hot piece into our mouths, we all had to inhale continuously because we didn't know what to do. After cooling a bit, a pleasant crunch resonates between the teeth, and the sweetness of honey seeping into the deep-fried flour spreads strongly. They were so hot and crispy that they burned the roof of our mouths, but we couldn't stop eating them.
Just ate
chiacchiere
, we just observed the amazing things around us. The festival is truly another world.
"Your Highness, you're watching. How can that monkey act like that?"
Delfina pointed to where a uniformed monkey was juggling a ball and performing a talent show. Next to it, a man swallowed an unknown liquid, then breathed fire. Everywhere is filled with bizarre performances.
“They are drug dealers.”
I pretended to understand. They wore the colorful, sparkling costumes of the southern continents and were busy selling tonics.
“Love potion for only 10
quad
stop!”
“Love potion, Your Highness.”
Delfina heard the medicine seller's voice, her face turned slightly red and she spoke.
“Oh, those are all scams.”
But the drug seller happily walked around curious people and advertised loudly.
“With this medicine, anyone can win the heart of the person they love!”
“Give me one!”
“Give me more!”
A group of girls compete to buy that medicine. The medicine seller took off his hat and bowed, revealing his bald head. At the same time, the monkey next to him also climbed onto his shoulder, took off his small hat and bowed.
Everyone cheered and laughed at that funny and adorable scene. The drug dealer added another rude joke.
“Just give the girl you want to conquer a drink, and that's it!”
The drug dealer formed a circle with his thumb and index finger, smiling lasciviously at a certain girl. I just blinked because I didn't understand what he meant.
Delfina seemed to be still listening intently to the medicine seller's explanation.
“Delfina, can I buy it for you?”
I asked, she quickly waved her hand and shook her head.
"Ah, no! There's no need!"
“If you need it, just say so, the money is with you.”
"There's no need. It's nothing to me..."
She tries to avoid the subject.
"Is that so? Then let's go see something else."
When our stomachs were full and we were engrossed in seeing strange things, the sun gradually set.
At that moment, from far away, the sound of jingling bells was heard.
"There's the procession! Get out, get out!"
That is the procession
Holy Woman
.
“It should be about to start.”
This is the highlight of the festival, the costume parade
Holy Woman
.
“The procession of
Holy Woman
! Get out, get out!”
A group of people dressed in white appeared. The leader slowly opened the way. The rear is
Holy Woman
riding on the back of a white donkey decorated with flowers, holding a small cross.
The white outfit embroidered with gold thread, the white donkey, and the cross, symbolize the representative of God, who comes to earth to atone for sins and save humanity every time the world is in danger.
Of course, the girl there isn't
Holy Woman
real, but just an incarnation, based on an image
Holy Woman
first appeared in the form of a twelve year old girl…….
"EH?"
But the face of
Holy Woman
That's very familiar. Could it be that person?
At that moment,
Holy Woman
also looked towards us. Our eyes met for a moment.
That is it
Bernadetta
, the youngest daughter of Flores, half-sister to me and Giovinetta.
“Bernadetta?”
I accidentally blurted out the girl's name.
In this chaotic crowd, Bernadetta also recognized me.
I quickly pulled off my hat
bonnet
down deep. The fact that I secretly escaped from the Royal Palace, and the fact that I recognized Bernadetta in disguise
Holy Woman
is a rather strange situation.
Bernadetta also seemed to realize that, she glanced at me a few times, looked back, then turned her head forward again, focusing on the procession.
Right at that moment. Av, the chicken that always hides in my heart, suddenly appeared.
“Av?”
I surprisingly called its name. Why did the chicken that was quiet and docile suddenly go out?
“Ppiyak.”
Everything happened before I could react.
The little chicken escaped my sleeve and flew up. Then, it landed neatly on Bernadetta's shoulder.
“Ave!”
I quickly reached out my hand, but the crowd around me also started pointing their hands towards Bernadetta.
“
Holy Woman
!”
“
Holy Woman
, please bless us!”
The crowd extended their hands to the little girl, throwing confetti and flower petals to bless that sacred path.
“Please save us!”
“Please save!”
While everyone was crying for salvation, Bernadetta rode on the white donkey, showing no signs of being confused by the chick perched on her shoulder. She probably didn't even know that Av had landed on her shoulder.
Bernadetta waved to everyone. An old man stood there still in tears.
I had to stand and watch Bernadetta and Av slowly disappear. Everything happened at the same time and so suddenly that I was completely shocked.
“What's wrong, Your Highness?”
Delfina noticed my unusual behavior and asked softly.
“Av, it……”
I was at a loss to explain this confusing situation.
“Player
Holy Woman
is my sister.”
"Oh my god. Really? This is the first time I've heard that His Highness has a sister."
“That is, Bernadetta rarely goes out……”
Bernadetta of Flores. My youngest sister was shy and sick and couldn't leave her room. She had a very weak constitution since childhood, easily fell ill with just a little exertion, and often had a high fever for many days.
Bernadetta's participation in an event like this. Is the girl's health better?
I'm worried that that little child will get sicker if he keeps walking in this crowd. The smile of the little girl with her pale face reappears every time I visit, making a corner of my heart ache.
“No, more importantly, why did Ave suddenly fly towards her?”
I didn't know which of the two embarrassing situations was more awkward, and my mind stopped.
“Did Av fly to His Highness's sister?”
“Yeah, suddenly it flew over there.”
I looked at Cesar with a serious expression. Ave has disappeared, is he okay?
"No problem."
However, Cesar still appeared very calm and innocent, only smiling even though something serious like Av's disappearance had happened.
Seeing that expression, I suddenly felt scared. I felt like something really bad had happened and wanted to cry.
“I shouldn't have brought Ave to this festival.”
Even though Bernadetta was young, not a cruel child like Giovinetta, I didn't know how she would handle the chick that suddenly landed on her shoulder. What I'm more worried about is another aspect. Bernadetta's arrival at the festival means that the nanny or Celestina can also come along. What if they discover Av? What if they knew we were sneaking out? I don't want to imagine that situation.
“No way!”
Anyway, we decided to follow the procession
Holy Woman
.
Bernadetta of Flores. She is the twelve-year-old youngest daughter of the Duke of Flores. The Duchy of Flores is a prestigious family in magic, as the first founder was Cosimo, a great Great Sage and Archmage.
Flores has produced many excellent magicians. But from a certain point on, magic gradually declined. The number of natural magicians also gradually decreased, making magicians extremely rare throughout the Empire.
Inheritors of magical bloodlines are often tested for magical touch at birth.
And the birth of Bernadetta, the youngest daughter of the Flores family, was a major event that attracted the attention of the magical world. The girl brought it
personality
of a rare Great Magician, perhaps appearing only once every hundred years.
Celestina, who had been estranged because she could not give birth to a son to continue the family, also became proud at this time. Because, Flores's background is magic. Having a magician in the family brought great glory, and the fact that her daughter, Bernadetta, had regained the value that Flores had lost made her even more proud.
However, the misfortune lies in Bernadetta's chronic illness of unknown cause. The girl was born weak because she was born prematurely, but instead of crying, she vomited blood. It is a congenital disease.
However, not only the midwife, the family physician, but also famous doctors invited from abroad could not diagnose the girl's illness.
It was not until she was five years old that people learned about the disease and its cause.
Children with such magical talent are often placed under the care of the Mages Association, that is, the Wizard Tower, from a young age. A wizard of the Wizard Tower, coming to register Bernadetta as an official magician, revealed her illness.
'It's a pity, but Lady Bernadetta suffers from Magic Adjustment Disorder.'