The northern part of the country, where the festival began in earnest, was so lively that it was enough to forget the cold of winter.
Why do they hold such a big festival in a season when it's not even the time to harvest something?
The cold wind blows day and night, and it's hard to find flowers for the festival, so it's quite a feat. It's not Thanksgiving, it's not spring... It has to be winter.
"Because the days are short."
Sen answered my question clearly.
"It's a time when there is little you can do. When the amount of sunlight decreases, people get depressed easily. Helplessness makes people's hearts sick. The poor are the first to starve to death, and pessimistic people often take their own lives."
I see. I didn't even think about that.
I looked up at the red sky beyond the city walls. It was still daytime, but it was already dark everywhere.
"So His Highness deliberately creates a commotion during the coldest and darkest of times. For this week, he generously releases the food he has collected throughout the year, and buys the goods of the people at high prices. As the invited local nobles spend their money, the merchants also breathe. He gives the things he received as gifts to the people of the territory and endures until spring."
It means that they don't just play around for a few days. The Young-ju is not just anyone. I was honestly impressed.
"Soon His Highness Kyle will be giving a speech at a charity event. Do you want to go sightseeing?"
I nodded.
Anyway, there is still time. I tried to meet Belial, but I didn't have anything specific to do other than look around the castle. Since the 'load' time is doubled, I can enjoy this luxury.
"Do they sell food on the street?"
"Haven't you tried the food of the Northern Festival? Ugh, I can't do it. Today I'm treating! Hurry up and follow me!"
The place where Sen led me was noisy and dazzling.
Wow, there's a lot to eat.
It was full of food that was pleasing to the eyes, nose, and mouth: candy that sparkled like amber, dried apples, grilled trout skewers, and fried sweets with a lot of caramel sauce.
It's surprisingly nice to live here.
When the food is delicious, you will also develop a love for the territory. I took what Sen bought for me and watched the liveliness of the streets.
"Your Highness!"
"Thank you, Lord!"
It was a fresher experience than I expected. The scene of Kyle's speech seen from a distance was also the same.
It was nice to see him from a distance that I could reach whenever I wanted, but it was also cool to see 'Lord Blake' showing off his daunting presence from afar.
He was looking down at the people with a cold, expressionless look like no other.
If you didn't know anything and just looked at his appearance, you might mistakenly think that he might be a tyrant or a villain.
But I know that this is not the case at all. I know him so well that I haven't spent much time with him, but I wonder if the people who lived with Kyle while cultivating this land are chilling.
"It was a good choice to come to the North."
"Who isn't? If it weren't for His Highness, we would all have starved to death a few years ago."
It was someone's vivid life that cannot be explained in a few lines. The reality is the vitality and enthusiasm that do not cool down even in the cold winter wind, and the indomitable determination for life.
"They said it was a ruthless and merciless Northern Grand Duke..."
I don't know where that idea came from. Of course, I like him much more now than I read about him in books.
"Come on, eat this too, Shu."
As I stared at Kyle, Sen approached me with a honey-coated fruit skewer in her hands.
I took a big bite of it, which looked like a tanghulu. There was a crunching sound, and the juice burst. Perhaps because it survived the cool northern climate, the moderately firm fruit tasted good. Except that I'm already eating my fourth.
It was a fruitful hour. Eating delicious food and watching people. Even quite leisurely.
Even though I knew it was time to go back, I looked back with regret. My eyes kept falling on Kyle as he gave things directly to people.
Okay. After all, it was a good thing that I decided to save you.
"The question is, is it possible to save people like that..."
"What did you say?"
"...Oh, no. Just talking to myself. Thanks for the treat. I'll go now."
Sen tilted her head and asked, "Where are you in a hurry every day? I didn't see him stay for more than an hour."
"That's it... Well, there is a reason for that."
I want to stay longer. The food that I couldn't eat from there to here is piled up in chests. ...Ah, that beer. That homemade sausage. What else is Demon Jerky? Just imagining it makes me salivate.
In the end, I returned to the castle with a bag of sweets in my arms.
I have to get home before Kyle comes back.
Our worried Highness should not turn the library upside down just to find a hamster, again.
However, there was another problem that I had overlooked.
"Cashew Nut, as long as you're healthy, I can't ask for anything more..."
I was full that day too, so I didn't eat anything. Kyle put macadamias in his mouth to eat something, but it was a nuisance.
The wizard said that he still couldn't feel any flow of magic from me. Kyle's face darkened at the suggestion of periodically injecting magic to increase my magic sensitivity.
Kyle carefully rolled me up in a handkerchief and put me to sleep in the bedroom. But what should I do? I can't sleep because I sleep a lot during the day.
I spent all my time tossing and turning, watching Kyle's face as he slept.
You're handsome...
This is what it means to have a funny face just by looking at it.
I don't get tired of watching it.
This is not the only problem.
I managed to locate Belial's room. However, it was a difficult situation to pass by because of the escort guards guarding the door.
Is it a tradition for the royal family to stand guard in front of the door? You live a very tight life.
Ugh, so listen to people. If I am trying so hard to save their lives, how can they not listen to me seriously? Chandeliers are like enemies! I was so upset that I was told to take a look at something! You safety insensitivity!
It had been three days since I had been pacing around Belial's room. But what can I do? If there is no power in my speech, I have no choice but to speak directly to someone with power.
Now that the grand banquet is just around the corner, if I continue to waste time like this, I will have to prevent the chandelier with my body.
There is nothing special about it. If I don't see him today, I have no choice but to climb through the window of Belial's room.
"Uh!"
Then, I saw Belial walking in the opposite direction from the hallway. There were still several knights by his side, but his face could be seen when he raised his feet.
I approached him in a hurry. There was no time to think. If it's not now, there's no chance. Naturally, my voice became desperate.
"Prince!"
Slap.
Belial's green eyes touched me, and the knights drew their swords and pressed them to my throat. I felt the chill of the blades tighten against my neck from all sides.
Isn't this enough to hurt my neck while swallowing? Let's be gentle. I just called the prince.
"Hey, this is a little..."
Isn't it too much for someone who doesn't have a weapon? Even if I go crazy right now and do a triple spinning kick, I won't be able to reach Belial with a single blow.
Belial raised his hand.
"It's okay."
The problem is that the prince is fine, but the guards are not okay yet. They were afraid to take their swords away from me.
"Be polite to Your Highness!"
Well, why? Should I kneel?
I think it should be like that. As I stood upright and looked at them from afar, the atmosphere began to turn cold again.
Okay. I understand.
It's like a dirty and filthy caste-based society.
"There's nothing so great about you pouring in your attention..."
I bowed down.
"Prince. Don't go to the banquet."
I am not a good talker. So it was better to just tell the point simply than to spin around and say something that you don't understand.
Belial took a step closer to me. His toes came into my vision on the floor. The shoes look dirty and good. The children of the families are different.
"There are only two days left until the grand banquet, suddenly?"
"Yes."
"I just received an invitation from the Grand Duke in person?"
"Yes."
I replied with a deep voice.
What do you keep asking, man? Are you going to stop the chandelier with that invitation? If the light hits the back, it's a room without any questions. If you only have one life, use it sparingly.
I tilted my head.
"I'm telling you for the prince."
If you are careful, the future of the North will live. Still, I'm a pet hamster who knows how to pay for food.
"It sounds like someone was planning to harm me at the Grand Banquet."
Belial whispered and moved closer to me. His voice was sweet and soft, but the words inside were cold.
"That's not true."
I replied casually.
"If His Highness Kyle wanted to kill His Highness Belial, he would have caused trouble without having to wait until the banquet."
And Kyle doesn't want that. Even if he slams his neck ten times in his heart, he will never do it.
He is the North. His actions are closely linked to the future of the North. Also, Kyle Blake knows what responsibility is. It's not like you who came in to flirt with me.
"Funny."
Belial laughed low. Strange to say. It is the same thing to say that someone is not a brother.
He gently lifted my chin with his index finger and made eye contact. I thought people couldn't be gentle and creepy, but this human can do it all. In a sense, he is a great person.
Of course, to others, it looks like the prince just tore up a storybook.
"It's a strange face. It looks unique."
That's because I'm a native Korean. If you go to Hongdae, Sangsu, and Hapjeong, there are about five hundred kids who look like me.
"It looks like you're not a northerner, so why are you so desperate to stop me?"
What can I say, this.
You can't say that you don't want to be hit by a chandelier on your back and go on a rampage and harpoon the North.
I saw your future in a book, and I think one of those knives will cut my throat right away.
Someone help me!
There is no one who can tie them together with something like the fate of Belial and Chance.
"Maybe..."
Have been.
"Isn't it because I don't want you two to get hurt?"
I jerked my head away in delight. Sen, who was holding hamster toys and treats in his arms, intervened unexpectedly.
Yes, this is it!
[(*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ)]
...I wasn't so happy.
Still, I'm happy.
Sen approached me with a smile on her face. Is it because of my mood? She seemed to see something like a halo behind Sen.