The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 26
It hadn’t been long since the two of them spent the whole day playing together, but now, somehow, Cedric seemed to have grown distant, as if he’d suddenly gone somewhere far away.
Cedric smiled faintly. He couldn’t say it had started after Pavel died. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when he began focusing on his training.
It was probably advice that Pavel didn’t need. For the youngest prince, the world seemed peaceful. One day, when Pavel inherits the Riagan Duchy, there will come a time when he’ll have to decide who to ally with and who to oppose.
But, there would never be a moment where personal physical prowess would be needed in the same way like Cedric himself.
Still, knowing the confidence and endurance that a strong body gave him, he spoke seriously.
Pavel looked at him with a confused expression.
“You haven’t been at it long either, right?”
“I have talent.”
Cedric said lightly, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
It wasn’t to boast, but it was simply the truth. In just a few months, his body had grown stronger, and he had gotten taller.
Doing something that you’re talented at is enjoyable, and once you’ve gone down a path, it’s easy to go down it again. Even Sir Rupert, who was acting as his martial arts instructor, was caught off guard.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll join me.”
“Hmmm…”
Pavel groaned, clearly uncomfortable, but didn’t outright refuse. He didn’t like adult nagging, but it was worse to fall behind his close friend.
Still, he thought positively about it, since what Cedric mentioned wasn’t about sitting at a desk and studying but rather something that involved moving his body.
“We’re going to the temple at night. Are you really not going?”
“Why would I go to the temple? Especially at night?”
Pavel rarely went to the temple. Queen Catherine wasn’t particularly devout, and even on days when the imperial family was supposed to attend prayers, they didn’t usually leave the palace to go to the temple. The security involved in moving the imperial family was just too much of an issue.
Cedric spoke calmly.
“There’s a shield lighting ceremony. I’m taking Tia and Lysia with me.”
“A shield lighting ceremony?”
“Yes. It’s a saint’s day. Other regions just have quiet services inside the temple, but in Evron, we have a pretty big event at night.”
Although it wasn’t a day of loud festivals, most of the people in the territory gathered at night, holding lanterns, and paid their respects at the temple. It was a day to pray for safety during the coming winter.
Since everyone gathered with lanterns, it also made for quite a spectacular night view. Inside the temple, lanterns shaped like shields were hung around, made of paper.
Pavel, hearing the explanation, asked in disbelief,
“Was I supposed to be left behind?”
“I told you last week. As soon as the temple came up, you said you weren’t going.”
“Well, I didn’t know it was a festival.”
“It’s not a festival.”
“Oh, if you didn’t explain that, it doesn’t count. I’m going, no matter what.”
“Alright.”
Cedric nodded.
Pavel stretched out his arms and said,
“Then I’ll sleep a bit until then. I’m tired.”
“Did you finish your homework?”
“Are you my mom?”
“The Empress wouldn’t be nagging you like this. If you’re not careful, Tia will catch up to you.”
At the mention of Tia, Pavel’s face twisted in discomfort. He had tried to show off by memorizing classical poetry assignments in front of her, but she had easily memorized it after hearing it just once, which had made him feel embarrassed.
“Well, Tia is just so smart.”
Cedric said it like it was a brag, causing Pavel to grumble.
“Is Tia your daughter?”
Cedric was left speechless.
“These days, you act like an old man.”
Without even realizing it, Pavel landed a couple of playful punches on him, then got up to go to bed.
Cedric, slightly stunned, rubbed his cheek. While it was true he had the mentality of an older man, it was hard to accept being compared to an old man…
He definitely couldn’t have Artizea getting called as someone like a daughter either.
* * *
Though Artizea was physically weak, she was still young. After taking a bath and sleeping deeply for a few hours, she woke up with her eyes wide open in the evening.
“Lantern!”
As soon as she opened her eyes, she muttered quietly, waking up Lysia, who had been lying beside her.
“Yawn.”
“Uuung.”
Unlike Lysia, who yawned without a worry in the world, Artizea fumbled in the darkness, trying to check the clock. She was worried she might have overslept and been left behind.
Crawling off the large bed to look for matches and candles, the door opened and light streamed in.
With a candlestick in hand, Marie entered and spoke,
“Oh, you two are already awake. It’s time to get ready to leave, so I came to wake you.”
“Yay!”
Artizea responded in a bright voice. It seemed they weren’t planning on leaving her behind after all.
Though she knew that, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“Alright, now that you’re up, go wash your face. I’ll get your clothes ready.”
“Yes!”
Lysia responded and got out of bed first. As Artizea fumbled around with her feet trying to find her slippers under the bed, Marie found them and placed them at her feet.
The two girls washed their faces together, then put on the beige hooded robes that Marie had prepared. The robes were slightly too big, making them feel as though they were almost sinking into them.
“When going to the shield lighting ceremony, it’s tradition to wear un-dyed clothes. It’s to honor the humble saint who lived simply.”
Of course, not all the adults wore these robes. Even though the robes were modest, they still cost money to prepare.
However, most children wore similar robes. The lantern parade was a rare event in Evron, and the wish for the safety of winter involved not just hoping for the season’s security, but also that the children would make it through the winter unharmed.
Marie had also braided the girls’ hair in simple styles. After seeing their matching hairdos, Artízea and Lysia couldn’t help but giggle, feeling as though they were little apprentice priests.
Cedric and Pavel, both ready, were already in the living room. The boys wore beige tunics, which made their usual elegant outfits look much simpler.
This only highlighted Cedric’s striking appearance even more. Artízea, blushing, thought to herself that even if Cedric weren’t the Young Lord of Evron, he would still be a very handsome man.
“Alright.”
Cedric said, handing each of them a lantern he had brought. The lanterns, shaped like two shields stuck together, flickered with light inside.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Lysia answered brightly, feeling excited. The lantern parade was one of her favorite events. It was just so beautiful.
The four of them, along with their guards, exited the estate through the side door. Unlike the usual quiet interior of the estate , the streets were now shimmering with lights.
Pavel spoke nervously,
“I’ve never walked out this way before.”
It was the same in the palace, but since arriving here, this was the first time they were walking through the streets on foot. Security was always a concern.
However, Cedric wasn’t particularly worried. While dangerous things could happen anywhere at any time, he didn’t believe there was any real risk of an assassin appearing in this place at this time.
Though the children didn’t notice, in reality, the guards were much more numerous than they thought. Like everyone else, the guards wore robes and carried lanterns, making them blend in and remain unnoticed.
“Wow.”
As they stepped onto the main street, Artízea gasped in awe. Countless lanterns swayed like a river of light, all heading toward the temple.
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