Chapter 25 Harvest Festival Night Dance
The brightly lit auditorium was packed with people, and melodious music accompanied the students dancing gracefully on stage.
"Why hasn't Her Highness arrived yet? The party is almost halfway over."
"Tonight is the party where Her Highness the Princess sends a signal to the nobles. She won't be absent. Let's wait a little longer."
Several noblewomen huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, while their brothers eagerly awaited Princess Eve's arrival.
Ellan also glanced at the tightly closed hall doors from time to time. He had no interest in the undercurrents among the nobles, but was concerned about why Ancia had not yet appeared.
Squeak—
The auditorium doors finally opened, and the people from both sides who had been waiting appeared at the same time.
Princess Eve was holding Ancia's arm; one was dressed in a gorgeous gown, and the other in appropriate trousers.
As a new prelude began, Princess Eve and Ancia joined the dance floor. Wherever they went, people avoided them. After a few interludes, the entire dance floor was cleared for them, and everyone stared in disbelief as the two girls, who had never gotten along, danced together.
"What's going on? Shouldn't Her Highness be asking us to perform her first dance?" the young noble male students exclaimed in surprise.
In the middle of the dance floor, Princess Eve maintained an elegant smile, her voice barely audible as she said, "It's a good thing you're not dancing the women's steps, otherwise your high heels would have crushed my feet."
Ancia replied softly, "I already warned you in advance that I can't dance, and I even put pads on your shoes."
Princess Eve gritted her teeth and said, "Thank you so much."
Let's rewind to three hours earlier.
The layouts of the villas by Moon Lake are all similar, and Ancia, as if she knew them well, found a sofa and sat down.
Princess Eve's eyes were a light gray, making that touch of red all the more noticeable.
Unaware that her eyes had betrayed the fact that she had been crying, she raised her chin and forced a defiant stance, saying, "I will not apologize."
Ancia didn't expect to actually hear the words "sorry" from the princess. "Why haven't you gone to the palace party yet?"
Princess Eve slowly clenched her hands at her sides. "Everyone has their own purpose. The palace is where my brother displays his political talents, and Gracia is my exhibition hall."
Ancia raised an eyebrow. "You sound like a magnificent crown."
Princess Eve sat down as well. "What's the difference? We're both children. My brother is the heir chosen by our grandfather, while I'm just adorning his crown with jewels."
Ancia remained silent, simply acting as a perfect listener, quietly observing Princess Eve.
Princess Eve shouldn't have said so much, but seeing the commoner genius she had always cared about and disliked, she wanted to pour out all the things she had been holding back.
Anyway, everyone knows that Ancia and she don't get along. If Ancia reveals these things, she can also manipulate public opinion.
"Although my father is still the king, my grandfather is the real ruler of this empire, but he only ever sees my brother. Favor doesn't mean importance, and strictness is another kind of expectation. I'm jealous of my brother, but I can't bring myself to truly hate him... After all, we are family, and he is beyond reproach as the older brother."
“But I cannot accept myself as a sacrifice on his path to the throne of power.” Princess Eve’s eyes dimmed.
"A sacrifice? Is it your wedding?" Ancia could guess the plot without even thinking.
"I thought that as a mage, my talent was already excellent enough, but in my grandfather's opinion, the benefits of having a princess who could give birth to an excellent heir were greater than the benefits of having another mage with an affinity of 92 in the Royal Mage Corps."
"My grandfather's greatest leniency towards me was to choose a suitable nobleman in Gracia as my marriage partner. If I hadn't found one by the time I graduated, I had to follow his arrangements."
Ancia burst out laughing.
Princess Eve glared at her. "How rude! What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at your stupidity." Ancia mocked mercilessly, "Would the royal family be rude to Professor Cheryl?"
“How could that be? They are rare archmages. The Royal Mage Order only has two of them, and my grandfather is always kind and gentle to them,” Princess Eve said.
Ancia sat down next to him. "Then why don't you become an Archmage too? Your grandfather dared to send you out directly because your value as a mage wasn't high enough. If you were an Archmage, even if you were interested in a noble family, they would consider whether this was a poisoned bait for the royal family to swallow up power."
"Besides... you don't need your grandfather's approval and attention at all," Ancia whispered in Eve's ear, like a devil's whisper.
The sudden closeness and unfamiliar scent made Princess Eve stiffen. She saw Ancia's eternally free and independent eyes up close, like the wind she touched when she first awakened her magic.
“I don’t need it…” Princess Eve repeated, bewildered.
“Since he doesn’t truly care about you, this watered-down milk won’t make you sleep any better. You might as well make yourself strong enough not to be controlled by anyone and do what you truly want to do. Whether it’s a crown or a staff, only what you hold yourself has meaning.” Ancia took Princess Eve’s hand and placed it on her staff, gripping it tightly.
"Little princess, you look better when you're all haughty and arrogant."
Princess Eve's gaze gradually hardened, as if she had made up her mind, and a fire ignited in her light gray eyes.
When she spoke again, it was about something completely unrelated: "You'll be my dance partner at tonight's party."
"Huh?" Anxi was caught off guard by her sudden change of topic.
"Didn't you call me arrogant? I, the princess, hereby command you to be my dance partner." Princess Eve raised her chin, regaining her usual haughty demeanor.
“I can’t dance.” Ancia gasped. In the game, characters would dance automatically as the story progressed, but she couldn’t dance at all.
“I’ll teach you. I don’t believe I can’t teach you until the party is over,” Princess Eve said confidently.
...
“You called me stupid? It took you three hours to learn it. Don’t go out and say I taught you,” Princess Eve said.
"I probably won't dance the male steps with other girls anymore." Ancia took Princess Eve's hand, pulled her into her arms and then let go, her swaying skirt like a flower blooming in her arms.
The song ended.
Princess Eve and Ancia left the dance floor, and she suddenly called out to Ancia.
Thank you for tonight.
"Even if I act cute, I won't hold back in the competition."
"Who, who's being cute! Besides, my team has two upperclassmen who are close to four stars. Your team is clearly the weaker one, isn't it?"
"See you in the competition, future Wind Demon Master."
Ancia waved without turning her head; she had already accomplished what she wanted to do.
[Congratulations to the player for completing the side quest [The Crowned Archmage].]
The player receives 10,000 gold coins, 20,000 experience points, and reaches level 20.
"She really will become a mage..." Ancia paused for a moment, then smiled softly.
A long table not far away was full of food that the little fairies had prepared for the party. After dancing for so long, Ancia's hunger had decreased, so she picked out a few pretty cakes and hid in a corner.
She had just stood in the corner when she was blocked by a tall, imposing figure.
"Is this what you mean by not inviting anyone?" Airland squinted and said with dissatisfaction.
“I meant I wouldn’t invite any of you,” Ancia retorted clearly, swallowing her food.
"Didn't you and that princess have a bad relationship? How come you're suddenly so close that you can dance together?" Even Airan had heard about Eve and Ancia's cold relationship.
Ancia sighed, "There's no way around it, a young girl's tears are too spicy as an appetizer. I still prefer sweet drinks."
Airan silently brought her a glass of berry juice, "Your little sweet drink."
"Thanks."
Airan watched her finish all the cake on her plate and said seriously, "Stay away from the royal family. They are a bunch of ruthless people who will eat you alive. Even if Heligalo were here, he would say the same thing."
Ancia paused in her drinking, then mumbled, "I know."
Airland was a little annoyed. "You don't know anything."
Ancia finished her glass of juice and exhaled contentedly. "There are advantages to not knowing, and even if I knew some things, I wouldn't change my approach."
Erlan already understood Ancia's ego; once she made up her mind, she wouldn't change it, so he had no choice but to end the conversation.
"The commentator for the match was Mr. Yesika," he added reluctantly, "and me."
Ancia laughed upon hearing this, "Your punishment isn't over yet?"
Erlan's face darkened. "No, I will be Ms. Yesika's assistant for the entire school year. She will call on me whenever she needs someone for something."
Ancia asked curiously, "Which school rule did you break that warrants a year's punishment? I only got punished with one night of labor for blowing up the Light Dome."
Aierlan avoided Ancia's gaze, "It's nothing, I won't tell you."
Ancia blinked. "Okay, then I won't ask."
Surprise flashed in Ellan's emerald eyes as she was so easily let go by Ancia.
Ancia placed an emerald necklace, which she had bought during the day, into Erlan's hands. "Happy Harvest Festival. Don't ask about things that are difficult for you on such a wonderful day."
It was a common necklace; the emeralds weren't clear enough, the patterns carved on the bracelet didn't suit the elves' aesthetic, and the material didn't look like a precious metal. Ellan had seen countless pieces of jewelry that were far more valuable than it.
But Erlan carefully put it on, and the inexpensive jewelry shone brightly under his good looks.
"Is it pretty?" Airlan asked happily, moving closer to Ancia.
The emerald was just below her collarbone, almost slipping into her neckline. Her fair skin drew all of Ancia's attention, making her feel dizzy. "Beautiful."
"I will wear it to commentate on the matches for you, until you lift the trophy." The elf whispered softly in the moonlight, her gaze gentle.
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