I had already visited the castle of Lutetia once before.
The imperial palace looked no different from a medieval castle at first glance. Of course, the interior was properly renovated since it was the residence of the Emperor, but basically, the external appearance was somewhat rugged.
However, Lutetia Castle… Honestly, it felt more like a ‘palace’ rather than just a ‘castle.’
Perhaps one of the inspirations for the country of Velbur was France. From the appearance of the palace alone, it was like a dazzling replica of the Palace of Versailles in France.
This was likely due to the different concepts of ‘fortresses’ that the two nations had. One had to endure wars with various countries at the center of continental chaos, while the other, Velbur, had been accumulating strength somewhat distanced from that center.
While the Fanggriffon family was drawing attention through endless wars, Velbur built walls around Lutetia. Although the expansion of the city was somewhat restricted, they believed it would protect the entire kingdom.
Of course, nowadays, such walls weren’t much of a problem. In a world where airships could bombard you, the meaning of a ‘wall’ had greatly diminished. Though it still had its usefulness in preventing the occupation of ground forces.
“…”
“Are you nervous?”
I asked Alice, who was walking silently. Alice merely shot me a glance. It seemed she still hadn’t completely calmed down from our earlier conversation in the guest room.
Last time, Charlotte had personally sought Alice out. This would be Alice’s first time coming into the palace since we were simply staying at a hotel.
“… Hah.”
As I stared intently at Alice, who seemed unwilling to speak, she finally let out a sigh.
“To be honest, I’m a bit nervous.”
Beside us were several imperial knights, some knights from Velbur, and a few maids dressed as attendants walking with us.
Although we were visiting as students, there were many issues with treating Alice and me as ‘equal status’ since we had come from a foreign land. Even if we were fine with it, the imperial and royal governments were afraid.
Apart from being welcomed as representatives of students, this was also because we both held the status of princesses.
“What a splendid palace. The last time I saw it from a distance, it looked impressive, but the inside is indeed magnificent. It shows just how fertile Velbur must be to decorate this much without a proper colony.”
Looking up at the golden ceiling of the palace, Alice candidly remarked. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but the shoulders of the Velbur knights seemed to puff up a bit.
“Just in terms of interior design, it’s a notch above the empire.”
“They say Velbur is a land of the arts.”
In the lore, Velbur was home to many renowned artists. Not only painters but also musicians and sculptors are said to be numerous. In reality, there were street painters who drew portraits of passersby for money and musicians performing with violins or guitars on the streets.
“…”
Alice didn’t respond at all. Maybe she was feeling jealous?
Honestly, even though the steam, smoke, and brass pipes represented humanity’s future, when compared to something made purely for artistic purposes, it did look somewhat shabby and rough.
Saying anything wouldn’t improve Alice’s mood, so I followed her silently afterwards.
*
“Alise!”
In the audience room, Charlotte had already arrived ahead of us. I thought she would have changed into something like a dress to wait, but she was still in her school uniform.
… Before coming out of the room, I had pondered whether to change clothes with Alice, but it turned out coming out as we were was the right choice.
“Princess Alice.”
“Your Majesty the King of Velbur.”
While not as brightly smiling as Charlotte, the King of Velbur also faced us and spoke with a smile.
Alice used the title ‘Your Majesty,’ unlike me, but she didn’t bow; she merely lifted the hem of her skirt slightly.
Neither the King of Velbur nor Charlotte commented on that behavior. There was no sign of discomfort.
Did I perhaps set my expectations too low from the last time I visited?
“I had been thinking of inviting you for a while, so it’s fortunate that it happened this way. I’m sorry that you were invited not as royalty, but as students.”
“Not at all. In fact, visiting with such a light purpose makes it easier for us.”
“Hmm.”
After slightly nodding, the King of Velbur glanced at me.
For a moment, the smile on the King of Velbur’s face faded a bit. Well, it would be hard for him to have positive feelings towards me.
Or maybe he thinks I’m plotting something?
If that’s the case, that’s a bit unfair. This visit wasn’t something I pushed for, but a proposal made by Charlotte in an unexpected situation. I didn’t even coax Charlotte into it.
“It’s better to keep the greetings light since this meeting isn’t political. You’ll be staying in Lutetia for a while, and I’m sure there will be several more opportunities to share friendship.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“If you encounter any inconveniences during your stay, please let one of the knights nearby know. I will assist as much as I can.”
“Since we are visiting Velbur, it only makes sense to follow Velbur laws during our stay. I will do my best to adhere to what is prepared.”
“Thank you for the kind words.”
The King of Velbur smiled slightly at Alice’s words.
Hmm.
Perhaps it was right for me to act so arrogantly last time.
Thanks to that, Alice got some extra points, didn’t she?
Of course, saying that to Alice would likely risk getting slapped.
*
“Alise, how was it?”
Charlotte, who had been waiting in the audience room, came out with us.
“How was what?”
When Alice asked somewhat haughtily at Charlotte’s question, Charlotte spoke with a beaming smile.
“I mean the palace of Lutetia! Isn’t it beautiful?”
Charlotte spread her palm forward as if to present something while saying that, causing Alice to snort again.
“The palace is certainly a magnificent place.”
“Well, of course, it is! No matter where you look, there’s a grand castle towering above. But isn’t ‘magnificent’ and ‘beautiful’ different?”
Perhaps Alice was absolutely unwilling to say the place was beautiful, as she kept dodging answering, while Charlotte cheerfully encouraged Alice with her smile.
In the armor of one of the knights following us, there was a clatter. Though it was hard to make out their expression through the thin slit, I could easily guess they smiled for a moment.
It was one of the Velbur knights.
Well, they must have overheard the conversation Alice and I had while walking side by side. Seeing Alice now trying to deny it probably looked cute to them.
When Alice shot a glare at the knight, he must have straightened his expression and began walking silently again.
“It’s a beautiful place.”
Since Alice was unwilling to respond, I answered instead. Alice shot me a glancing glare again.
“The fact that it’s beautiful is true.”
But I only repeated that to Alice again.
Yeah. It is indeed a beautiful place.
But beauty doesn’t necessarily mean prosperity. Even a nation that boasted impressive technology and supported a massive population during its prime could be ravaged by others if it lacked military strength.
Of course, there was no need to tell Charlotte that now.
… At least until now, the Empire hadn’t shown any signs of attacking the Kingdom of Velbur.
It truly has been annoyingly peaceful.
Something significant should have shown signs of brewing, but I still couldn’t identify those signs.
Is this a calm before the storm? Or has a great tragedy that should have existed due to the existence of nations simply vanished?
“Right?”
Seeing Charlotte smile brightly at me for answering in place of Alice, I forced a smile in return.
“This is just the beginning. I still have a lot to show you. During your week’s stay here, I will do my best to introduce Velbur to you!”
As I observed Charlotte, who seemed ready to say “ahem,” I fervently wished that I could somehow avert that future.
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