LIGHTNOVELONLINE Episode 78
Episode 78
“Huh?”
Thiel, now wearing her half-mask, looked up blankly at her brothers and Olivia.
“Kyaaah! Too cute!!!”
“Wait, wait! Take it off for a second! I don’t think I’m ready to handle how adorable she is yet…”
Olivia screamed, clutching her chest dramatically, while Lucian pressed a hand to his heart, looking equally overwhelmed.
Ignoring them, Perdi gently adjusted Thiel’s bangs so they wouldn’t be flattened by the mask, then strode past the two, carrying Thiel.
“Let’s go, Thiel.”
“Hey, wait! Wait for us!”
Olivia shouted, scrambling after him, and Lucian hurriedly followed suit, trailing behind Perdi and Thiel.
“I said wait!”
“We’ll be late if I wait for you two to finish your nonsense,” Perdi replied, climbing into the carriage with Thiel.
Olivia and Lucian quickly boarded as well. Olivia was now wearing a beautifully jeweled wolf mask.
“…!”
Thiel, almost mesmerized, reached out to lightly touch Olivia’s mask before recoiling in surprise at her own boldness.
Noticing her reaction, Olivia grabbed the bottom of her mask as if to remove it.
“Thiel, do you want me to take it off?”
“N-no! Sister looks prettiest while wearing it…”
Thiel stammered, hastily pulling her hands back and speaking in a soft, embarrassed voice.
Thanks to her own mask, her flushed cheeks went unnoticed. If she hadn’t been wearing it, her pale face would have been bright red.
“Aww! You’re too cute! If you ever want it, just let me know, Thiel, and I’ll give it to you!”
“Yes, Sister… but why are we wearing masks?”
Thiel asked as she alternated her gaze between Perdi’s mask and Olivia’s, her small finger poking at her own white snow leopard-patterned mask.
“You said we’re going to see fireworks… Do you need to wear masks for that?”
“It’s a long-standing tradition to wear masks when attending the fireworks during Luminari,” Perdi explained, brushing back Thiel’s hair and straightening her slightly crooked mask.
“While watching the lights burst in the sky, people mingle with others whose faces are hidden, saying and doing things they wouldn’t normally dare to…”
“…Things they wouldn’t normally dare to do?”
Thiel’s eyes widened even more.
Wasn’t that dangerous? What if someone decided to use this opportunity to commit murder or other terrible acts?
‘Didn’t Father and Grandfather warn us not to roam about carelessly yesterday?’
Thiel’s face crinkled slightly under her mask as she pondered this.
Wait, now that she thought about it carefully, they hadn’t exactly said not to go out—they had only told her to be cautious.
“Don’t worry, we’re going to watch the fireworks from a secluded spot,” Perdi reassured her.
“Really?”
“Yes. The masks are just to set the mood. We went through the trouble of getting them, so it’d be a waste not to use them.”
The carriage ride wasn’t long.
Before she knew it, the children had arrived. Perdi lifted Thiel as he stepped out of the carriage, her small arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
She remained quietly nestled in his arms, thinking it was safest to stay close to her brother, as Father and Grandfather had advised.
The children were brought to a quiet lakeside area.
True to Perdi’s word, there wasn’t a single stranger in sight. The only ones present were Perdi, Lucian, Olivia, Thiel, and a significant number of Asterian knights.
…Wait.
Thiel blinked as she scanned her surroundings, suddenly feeling something was off.
The number of knights surrounding the lake was nearly the same as the crowd they had encountered at the plaza.
‘Huh?’
Her eyes widened in shock.
Why are there so many of them?
Unbeknownst to her, after hearing Thiel’s story, Alpheus and Cassius had assigned all but the bare minimum of knights to guard the children.
Realizing this, Thiel let out a small, relieved laugh, comforted by her father and grandfather’s care—even if it was slightly overprotective.
The maids spread soft, thin blankets over the lakeside for the children to sit comfortably.
From across the lake, the sounds of laughter and chatter drifted over, likely from other masked attendees enjoying the festival.
In contrast, the children’s side was eerily quiet. Alpheus had intentionally chosen a secluded spot for them to avoid mingling with the crowds.
“Sit here, Thiel.”
Perdi gently set Thiel down and took a seat beside her. Olivia and Lucian plopped down in turn, each finding a spot next to them.
Thiel stared blankly at the calm waters of the lake.
“I’ve never seen fireworks before. Do they happen over the lake?”
Her soft, hesitant voice, paired with the adorable snow leopard mask perfectly suited to her, was almost unbearably endearing.
Perdi chuckled, ruffling her hair lightly.
“Just wait and see. You’ll understand soon enough.”
“When does it start?”
“Why don’t you go ask when it’ll start?”
At Lucian’s suggestion, Olivia tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled, and asked back.
“Isn’t this something Ian is in charge of?”
“Why would he be in charge?”
“Then who am I supposed to ask!?”
“Go and ask His Holiness the Pope.”
At Lucian’s brazen remark, Olivia raised her fist high, only for Thiel to hurriedly clasp it in her hands.
“S-sister!”
“Ah, Thiel, I’m sorry, sorry. I won’t do it again. It was just a little mistake~”
Seeing Thiel’s startled expression, Olivia quickly lowered her fist, patting Thiel’s head repeatedly before placing a light kiss on her round crown.
It was then.
Boom!
A sudden explosion echoed from somewhere, and Thiel flinched, curling up and scanning the dark lakeside in alarm.
‘W-what was that?’
“Look over there, Thiel.”
Perdi lightly tapped her shoulder, pointing toward the dark sky.
Thiel raised her head.
“…Oh.”
Her small mouth parted slightly in awe as a soft exclamation escaped her lips.
The dark sky was adorned with waves of golden light, flowing beautifully like rippling currents.
Countless petals seemed to bloom and cascade across the night, rising in bursts before gradually fading away.
Captivated by the breathtaking display, Thiel’s golden eyes sparkled non-stop beneath her mask.
“This is a fireworks show…”
“The Luminari fireworks are hosted by the temple,” Perdi explained gently to help her understand. “The temple spends three years preparing for this one night, filling the sky with these flowers of fire.”
Thiel nodded, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s so, so beautiful…”
At that moment, small lights began to pop into existence around Thiel, one after another, pop, pop!
But no one scolded her or told her to rein in her abilities. They merely watched in silent awe.
The tiny lights emanating from the girl’s body gathered together, flitting like fireflies, before gently floating toward the lake.
Over the surface of the vast lake,
the small lights fragmented into thousands of tiny orbs, drifting serenely above the water.
The lights resembled starlight, or perhaps embers—traces of something burned to ash… yet they also felt like the place where everything begins anew.
Thiel cautiously clasped her hands together, lowering her gaze.
From the light cradled in her small palms, two delicate, white fish emerged, their fins gliding gracefully as they swam out of her hands.
“Thiel.”
Olivia’s voice, brimming with excitement, called Thiel’s name softly.
Though her face was hidden behind her mask, Olivia’s expression beneath it was undoubtedly one of unrestrained joy.
In response, Thiel gently released the two fish from her hands.
The fish swam in elegant circles around the children and the Asterian knights, as if bestowing blessings upon them.
Then,
“Hehe.”
Just as the temple’s fireworks didn’t reach far beyond the lake, the fish stayed nearby, bursting into a gentle pop before their eyes.
As the fish exploded, countless fragments of light rained down over the children’s heads, sparkling like falling stars.
It was truly a stunning sight.
Thiel’s plump, soft cheeks turned bright red as she gazed at the falling fragments of light, her eyes fixed on the night sky above.
Her first festival.
Her first fireworks show.
And sitting beside her, her beloved siblings…
Perhaps Thiel would remember this moment for a very, very long time.