Chapter 94

After getting off the carriages, the five of us walked around the festival. Haniwa-chan, in Evan's chest pocket, was looking around curiously.

There were a few people who seemed to be nobles, but most of them appeared to be commoners.

"What is that food?"

Mariah pointed to a small stall.

"It's called Rilcru. It's a sweet bread wrapped around a stick and baked. It's very delicious," Yana explained to Mariah, who, despite wearing a deep hat, couldn't hide her noble aura. She had apparently been to such festivals many times with her younger siblings.

The stall was quite popular, with customers coming and going. I was about to ask if we should try it casually, but I held my tongue.

However, after staring at the stall for a while, Mariah grabbed the sleeve of Lord Zain's clothes tightly.

"I want to try it."

"…Is it okay?"

"Yes. I don't like making others worry because I can't eat anything when we're out… I know I can't keep this up forever."

Mariah, looking worried, raised her head and continued, "Besides, it's just a matter of courage. I feel like I can do it if everyone is with me. I already understand that it's okay in my head; I just need to muster the courage."

She smiled, but her body was tense, and it was clear she was full of anxiety.

Still, since Mariah was trying to be brave, I wanted to support her.

"I was just thinking I wanted to try it too. Shall we eat it together?"

I smiled and spoke brightly, and Mariah looked relieved.

"Yes, please."

"Then I'll go get some."

Evan immediately went to the stall and bought some for everyone. The surface was sprinkled with sugar, and it felt like a fried dough.

I took a bite to show that it was safe to eat. The right amount of sweetness spread in my mouth, and it was chewy and very delicious.

"Yeah, it's delicious! It's like a dessert."

"Really, the stall is pretty good."

"Yes, very."

Yana and Evan nodded and were eating as well.

Evan was teasing Haniwa-chan, who seemed interested in the Rilcru, by pretending to feed her and then quickly pulling it away. I had to tap his head to stop him.

"……"

Under Lord Zain's watchful eye, Mariah stared at the skewer in her hand for a moment before suddenly taking a big bite.

"How is it?"

"…It's delicious."

"That's good. You did well."

Lord Zain, stroking Mariah's head, smiled in relief, and I couldn't help but smile too.

I impulsively hugged her and said, "Good job," and Mariah smiled back.

She continued eating for a while, but then frowned. The skewer part was sticking out a lot, and she seemed confused.

"It's… difficult."

"Hehe, yes. Try eating the diagonal part."

It seemed this was the first time she had eaten something by biting into it. Her small mouth working hard to eat was cute, like a small animal, and it made my heart flutter.

I felt reassured that she would be fine anywhere from now on.

"Lord Zain, have you ever been to a festival?"

"A few times when I was young. This is my first time as an adult, but it's interesting to see and feel things differently."

As we bought and ate various foods, we found a bustling area where people, from children to adults, were aiming guns at targets.

"Is that a shooting gallery?"

"I'm not sure if it's called a shooting gallery, but you aim a cork gun at the targets and play."

I nodded, understanding it was similar to a shooting gallery. Mariah, interested in the gun she had never seen before, decided to try it.

"Are guns a common weapon?"

"Yes, but magic is more powerful in terms of attack, so mages don't use them. They are also easy to defend against."

Therefore, guns are mainly used for hunting, Lord Zain explained. I nodded in agreement and took the gun from the stall attendant.

I aimed at the targets, from the largest to the smallest.

"…Oh?"

"Amazing! I didn't hit any of them."

Surprisingly, I hit all the targets, even the smallest one right in the center.

It felt natural, like my body remembered the noble lady's manners and etiquette.

I took the stuffed animal prize from the confused stall attendant.

"Miss Grace really enjoyed hunting."

"R-really…"

According to Evan, she was skilled enough to participate in hunting competitions. The original Grace seemed to have no hesitation in killing animals, which was an unpleasant realization.

Still, I thought it would be nice to use this unexpected talent somewhere someday.

We continued to play and eat a lot, enjoying the festival to the fullest.

◇◇◇

After returning from the town, we spent the evening in the parlor until dinner.

Lord Zain, Mariah, and I sat at a table, enjoying tea made from tea leaves produced in the duchy and sweets that were local specialties.

I was a bit tired from the excitement at the festival, so I took a deep breath and relaxed with a warm cup of tea.

"Pepipo, popopo!"

"Thank you. I'll have some."

Haniwa-chan, as usual, was attached to Lord Zain, carrying cookies from the table and offering them to him.

Lord Zain took the cookies from Haniwa-chan and smiled gently. Even though he could have taken them himself, he said, "Thank you," and I couldn't help but smile.

"Pupi, pupi?"

"Yes, I like them."

"Pii!"

The two of them were chatting happily, and Mariah, sitting across from us, was pouting, jealous that Lord Zain was getting all the attention. The whole scene was so cute that my smile wouldn't fade.

"Lord Zain seems to be talking to Haniwa-chan, doesn't he?"

"Yes, recently I can understand what she's saying a bit."

"Really? H-honestly?"

Even though I spend every day with her, I still haven't figured out Haniwa-chan's language.

I understand a few words by comparing them with her actions, like "pupu" for "Grace" and "pepapo" for "Evan," but there's still a lot of mystery.