Night descended, and the area in front of the Grand Hall at Zelion Royal Academy was brightly lit, with a noisy crowd surging like the tide.
Ophelia had changed into a black long dress. The black, as deep as the night, perfectly outlined Ophelia’s graceful curves. The high slit on the side of the skirt made her legs, encased in sheer black pantyhose, appear and disappear with her elegant steps, her feet clad in a pair of pointed-toe, red-bottomed black high heels. Her temperament made the students realize once again that Ophelia was of the Elven Royal Family.
However, what truly kept everyone’s eyes glued was little Merlin, whom she held by the hand. To match the style, little Merlin wore a black formal dress similar to Ophelia’s. The high-quality black fabric hung smoothly, and the neckline was an elegant off-the-shoulder design. The hem of the skirt did not have the bold slit like her mother’s; instead, it fell naturally and modestly, just covering her knees and revealing the slender calves below. Her legs were also wrapped in thick black tights, the delicate fabric tightly hugging her still-youthful legs, connecting seamlessly with the simple dress.
Little Merlin looked like an exquisite porcelain doll, being led by her noble mother as the group moved through the crowd.
“This way.”
Lucia led everyone straight toward the VIP passage on the side. Mahina originally thought they would have to go to the first floor like the ordinary students, but the guards immediately bowed respectfully and let them pass. They went up the spiral staircase and arrived at an independent box located on the side of the second floor.
Lucia walked over to the sofa, tossed her coat onto the back of a chair, and then turned around, tilting her chin at Mahina: “See? My coming here was still useful, right? This is the special seating area.”
Mahina scanned the comfortable and cozy box, then glanced at the ordinary seats below. Although she really wanted to retort to Lucia’s arrogant attitude, her body was very honest as she walked toward the soft sofa. Mahina had nothing to say; after all, she was the one benefiting: “…Yes, yes, Your Highness Lucia is wise.”
Lucia hummed with satisfaction, then turned to look at little Merlin, who was lying against the railing, her eyes softening: “Little Merlin, come sit here. The view is best from here.”
“Okay~”
Little Merlin obediently walked to the sofa. She pressed her hands against the skirt and carefully sat down with her legs together.
‘It seems the education during this period has been somewhat useful.’ Ophelia nodded inwardly. ‘But I wonder what it will be like once she turns back into adult Merlin? Sigh, honestly, even Ophelia herself is not sure. Since little Merlin has retained her memories, adult Merlin should remember too, right? I hope she doesn’t pretend to be ignorant when the time comes.’
‘Actually, it would be quite interesting to see the expression of adult Merlin, carrying the memories of little Merlin, with her face burning in embarrassment.’
Mahina sat on the single sofa to the side, her gaze glued to little Merlin. The soft, little bun who was usually so sweet now wore this minimalist black dress that matched Ophelia’s, and with her cold blue hair, she radiated a cute yet elegant aura.
“It seems my taste is quite good.” Ophelia elegantly crossed her legs and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
“Indeed,” Mahina also couldn’t help but exclaim, her eyes lingering on little Merlin.
Little Merlin shifted restlessly, the tips of her icy blue hair gently brushing against the black skirt, like a blue breeze sweeping across the surface of a night lake.
*
The lights went out, and the play began.
After all, it was the grand finale of the Star Moon Festival. Since everyone was holding their breath for this moment, the narrator’s repetition seemed redundant. The lights on the stage shone brightly; it was a classic that no one in the Empire could ignore—the pure love story of the current Emperor and Empress.
That was why Lucia had rejected Mahina in the beginning, because she had known what the Star Moon Festival was going to perform long ago.
Lucia rested her chin on one hand, while the other hand lazily twirled the loose strands of hair by her cheek. She sighed softly in the dark; this was the main point of why she had rejected Mahina’s invitation… after all, no daughter would find it interesting to watch her parents’ love story with a friend.
Especially when she knew what the “ending” was.
On stage, the actors were performing with all their might. It was the young Emperor Ian, who at that time was just a sidelined fifth prince with mediocre talent, living like a transparent breath of air under the shadows of his brothers and sisters, curling up in the darkness in self-abandonment.
Just then, Ian, who was always isolated by the Royal Family and would sneak out to play, met Helena, who was already a Candidate Saintess but was being ostracized by The Church. The lighting on the stage became soft and ambiguous, and their hands overlapped in the streets of the set. Day after day, their feelings grew, saving each other and improving together, overcoming the layers of obstruction from the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, and finally gaining recognition, resolving their conflicts, and walking together.
A perfect ending, worthy of celebration.
Watching the play gradually come to an end, Lucia still watched the stage with boredom. At this moment, the background narration was saying: “Emperor Ian and Empress Helena are a match destined by fate, from now on loving each other forever.”
Lucia just let out a hum: “Unhuh~”
Mahina turned slightly, her skirt rustling softly. She used the faint light reflecting from the stage to observe Lucia’s profile, which was written with “boredom,” and lowered her voice: “What’s wrong? Do you feel embarrassed watching your parents’ story in front of everyone?”
Lucia didn’t look back, her fingers unconsciously tapping on the armrest: “Nothing to be embarrassed about… I liked watching it when I was a child, and I even wore out the book, but I just think… nothing is irreplaceable.”
Mahina turned her head slightly in the dark: “What does that mean?”
Lucia didn’t mind at all; she spoke as if she were discussing what to eat tomorrow: “It means exactly what it says. Father and mother, their relationship hasn’t been that good for a long time. So-called love and marriage, so-called destiny—”
Lucia raised her head again and looked at the brilliant, glowing stage that seemed to gather all the beauty in the world.
At this moment, the play reached its final scene. Ian ascended the throne as Emperor and reached a reconciliation with the Holy Kingdom; the Saintess Helena put on her wedding dress under the gaze of everyone. The two shared a deep kiss under the watch of the gods. The poignant and moving pure love story was frozen into eternity at this moment.
Just like the endings of all fairy tales, a happy, perfect conclusion.
Yes, it used to be that beautiful. At least, everything up to this point was true.
The corners of Lucia’s mouth curled up slightly, as if she wished this happiness could last forever. But slowly, the arc of her mouth twisted into a wave. She stared wide-eyed at the final scene.
“Destined by fate? That’s all a lie.”