As the gates of the Outer Palace of Honglian Palace slowly opened, Lian, standing together with Milin on the third-tier viewing stand of the parade float, could already see the distant city.
A river encircled Honglian Palace. With the palace at its center, it branched outward in countless tributaries that radiated toward the Inner City of Cyrus.
Tall stands had been erected along the riverbanks early in the morning, and many visitors were already climbing to the top, gazing out over the river surface that shimmered with rippling light beneath the morning sun.
As the float slowly crossed the stone bridge over the river, Milin enthusiastically waved toward the pleasure boats drifting downstream from the southwest.
At the sight of the Princess, both boatmen and passengers rose to their feet, leaning against the railings and cheering for her.
The boats were decorated with colorful festival banners, and the rising and falling cheers, together with the wake trailing behind the boats, startled several groups of water birds that had been lazily drifting about.
“It’s lively, right? And this is only the beginning! Once we get into the city, it’ll be even more exciting!”
There were only the two of them on the viewing platform, so the girl in the dark crimson ceremonial dress, buoyed by her good mood, began to dance across the wide space.
Lian worried a little about the slight swaying of the float and the faint chill of the autumn wind making her stumble… yet every step Milin took was light and agile, as though she were dancing on the wind itself.
“Be careful… Mei—”
Lian forced the words out, then immediately realized her mistake and fell silent.
Just then, two magnificent bursts of fireworks shot into the air ahead of the float, cascading streams of light making the girl before her look even more radiant and breathtaking.
Even carried on the freshness of morning dew, the rich floral scent was still enough to intoxicate her senses.
Silently, she plucked flowers of different colors from the railing that encircled the platform and wove them together into a flower crown.
She waited. She waited for Milin to tire of dancing and stop on her own.
She knew she always would, because the heart always grew weary before the body did, until it could no longer hold on.
And the result was just as she expected. After spinning a few more times, Milin, a faint sheen of sweat at her temples, slowly came to a stop in front of her.
“Big Sister Lian, did I dance well?”
“Very well… the best in the world, even. Better than your Mother.”
“Mm… I don’t like hearing that kind of flattery. How could I possibly be better than Mother?”
Though she put on an unhappy face, the delight in Milin’s eyes was impossible to hide.
She tilted her head playfully, glancing at Lian, then at the flower crown in her hands.
Lian understood the girl’s meaning… because this was the oldest tradition of the Flower Crown Festival, and the origin of the festival’s name.
People wove crowns from flowers that bloomed in autumn, then personally placed them upon the youths they believed to be the most beautiful.
“…”
“Mm—!”
Lian stood there blankly for a moment before Milin puffed out her cheeks and shot her an urging look. That look seemed to say:
‘What are you waiting for? Aren’t I the most beautiful in your eyes, Miss?’
“…Of course you are.” Lian finally smiled. She placed the flower crown on Milin’s head. “You are the most beautiful Flower Crown Maiden, my Princess.”
“Mm… that’s so cheesy. You’re not even that much older than me. Why do you talk like some old man?”
Milin was overjoyed once the crown was on her head. From a small basket nearby, she took out two cups and the wine they had brought up earlier.
“I’m a little thirsty. Big Sister Lian, have a drink with me?”
“Aren’t you still underage? I remember your coming-of-age ceremony is tomorrow.”
“Actually, my ceremony isn’t on my birthday. My birthday was at the beginning of last month… so I already came of age last month! It’s just that Mother insists every year on holding the celebration together with the Flower Crown Festival…”
She looked at Lian again with that coaxing, almost spoiled gaze. But this time, Lian could not indulge her.
“I won’t drink. And I’ve sworn that I can’t.”
“Sworn?” Milin thought she was joking, but she immediately saw how serious Lian was from her eyes.
Though a little disappointed, she quickly suggested an alternative.
“Then drink water! We brought water up anyway…”
She took out the water from the basket and poured Lian a full cup. Only after Lian accepted it did she pour wine for herself.
“Mother said she wouldn’t let me drink before I came of age. So today is my memorable first time! Big Sister Lian, cheers?”
“All right.”
With a clear clink, they touched cups and drained their drinks in one go. The alcohol brought a faint flush to Milin’s cheeks.
“Mmm—so sweet and sour… and so heavy!”
“You’re supposed to sip it. Drinking so fast, how could you taste anything?”
“Big Sister Lian… you’re actually really good at drinking, aren’t you?”
“I’m not.”
Amid their back-and-forth chatter, the float gradually entered the stone-paved, tree-lined avenue of the Inner City.
The avenue led straight to Civic Square. Crowds along the street, draped in red and holding banners for the parade and festival, were already converging toward the float.
According to the Conductor, Sephy, once they entered the parade area, the third tier would be opened to other guests.
That meant the time Lian could be alone with Milin was limited to these brief ten-odd minutes.
And considering how she expected Milin to react, the canopy of trees shading the street would also make it harder for people below to see her expression later.
“Milin.”
Lian knew that if she did not speak now, there would be no chance.
If she saw Milin any happier than she was at this moment, she could not guarantee she would still be able to say the things she had to tell her.
“Hello, everyone! I hope you all have fun—”
Milin had been responding to the cheers from passersby along the avenue, but when she heard Lian call her name in such a serious tone, she turned around.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so serious all of a sudden?”
“Do you remember the day we first met?”
“You mean at the farm…” Milin recalled that day, her cheeks instantly flushing. “Y-you, why are you bringing that up? Are you going to say that again…?”
“No. Do you remember what I called myself that day?”
“…Big Sister Lian, I’ve already heard that joke once, so I’m not going to find it funny again, okay?”
Milin’s smile dimmed slightly. Even thinking of that name for a moment made her feel uncomfortable.
“No… I’m not joking…”
It felt to Lian as though knives were twisting simultaneously in her heart and throat.
The pain that followed stripped away her courage second by second, tearing at her soul.
“I am… Lian En Klauscher. The one who, sixteen years ago, left you and your Mother.”
“Big Sister Lian. You didn’t drink, so why are you saying such drunk nonsense? Are you sick?”
The girl still refused to believe it. The smile had completely vanished from her face, replaced by an expression of deep concern.
She reached out to feel Lian’s forehead, and after confirming her temperature was normal, she snatched the cup and sniffed it.
“Did I pour wine by mistake? But there’s no smell of alcohol in here…”