NOVEL NEXT Episode 66
Episode 66
After Ian left,
“Did it go well?”
Perdi gently swept Thiel’s bangs aside. Thiel nodded while sitting in Perdi’s embrace.
“Yes, he said he liked my gift! I was so worried it wouldn’t be to his liking, but thankfully it was!”
“Of course, whoever gave it to you.”
Perdi’s eyes softened. Lucian, who had been stroking Thiel’s hair beside them, chimed in.
“See! He would have been grateful for whatever you gave him. He probably said anything you gave him would be appreciated.”
It was an overly casual treatment for a prince of the empire, but no one raised objections about it.
“Now, you should wash up and get some rest. We need to wake up early tomorrow too.”
Today was the eve of the Luminari Festival, and tomorrow was the main festival day.
Since Thiel was still young, she didn’t have to attend the eve festival, but she had to participate in the main festival.
Tomorrow marked the beginning of the period for the Lusset god, the biggest festival for the beastman, which occurred once every three years.
It was also the day when the youngest daughter of the Asterian family would be revealed to the world for the first time.
Thiel stared blankly out of the darkened window and swallowed hard.
Perdi and Lucian took turns encouraging her and calming her, but she still felt a bit nervous.
That’s when it happened.
“Are you nervous?”
At some point, Alpheus appeared and gently rested his large, thick hand on Thiel’s head.
Thiel blinked at the familiar warmth and looked up.
“Grandfather!”
Alpheus had been out handling matters and had just returned. Thiel tightly grasped Alpheus’s wrinkled hand.
“I’m a little nervous.”
There was no need to disguise trembling as not trembling.
One of the first things Thiel learned upon coming to Asterian was ‘how to openly express one’s emotions.’
Therefore, Thiel didn’t hide her fear anymore. The girl held Alpheus’s warm hand tightly.
“But it’s okay because I have you, Grandfather, Dad, and my brothers.”
And also Olivia, Aunt, and Uncle Stefano.
Alpheus looked at Thiel, his little granddaughter, with pride.
Perhaps it was because she had been undernourished in childhood, or simply because she was born small, Thiel had a very petite frame.
This fact made Alpheus pay even more attention to Thiel.
“That’s right, Thiel, you’ll do just fine.”
“You don’t need to do anything, just stand there.”
The former was Alpheus’s words, the latter was Perdi’s. Perdi, taking Alpheus’s words, held Thiel’s hand, looking into his sister’s eyes.
“You don’t have to do anything, the rest will be taken care of by your brothers. So don’t worry. Okay?”
Perdi’s voice was so gentle and soothing that Thiel could even brush away the little fear lingering in her heart.
“Yes, I will!”
A tiny sparkle flashed in Thiel’s eyes as she nodded.
Alpheus smiled warmly and hugged Thiel tightly. Perdi and Lucian each gently stroked Thiel’s head.
Cassius, who arrived late, watched them silently from a distance.
Family.
‘Family…’
Cassius murmured softly.
‘Cassius Celeste Asterian, you don’t understand the meaning of family!’
At that time, it was just a distant rumor.
“Oh, Grandfather! I feel dizzy!”
Now, she finally understood what Lena had wanted.
* * *
On the day of the festival,
The maids of Asterian spared no effort in dressing Thiel meticulously.
Of course, because she was still a young child, they didn’t burden her with heavy accessories, but adorned her with light, delicate ones.
Thanks to each piece being crafted by skilled artisans, they complemented each other perfectly and emitted a gentle radiance.
Moreover, with the dress Ianthros had gifted her, she looked like a princess living in a grand castle.
“Let’s go, Thiel.”
Lucian reached out his hand to Thiel. Without hesitation, Thiel firmly grasped her brother’s hand and nodded.
“Yes!”
A giant carriage engraved with the Asterian emblem stood towering in front of the mansion, flanked on both sides by knights of the guard lined up in rows.
Even though it was always majestic, seeing it today before a hundred knights made its grandeur even more impressive.
“Thiel, let’s go.”
Cassius lifted Thiel into the carriage. Following him, Perdi and Lucian boarded, then Cassius.
As Alpheus had to ride alone in another large carriage in front, he didn’t join the others in their carriage.
“We’re departing!”
With the thunderous cry of the leading knight, the carriage set off.
It was a magnificent sight to see the hundred knights riding behind the carriage in procession.
Thiel, with a trembling heart, looked out of the carriage window.
When they came to the capital, the scenery changed rapidly, as they were riding on horses gifted by the Wolfgang family, but this time, the purpose was to show the members of the family to the people of the Krasyan Empire, so the carriage moved slowly, allowing them to enjoy the view outside.
Although they hadn’t yet reached the city center, there were already crowds of imperial citizens lining the streets.
“Wow!!”
“It’s Asterian! Asterian!”
Cheers erupted from everywhere. It was the cheers of the imperial citizens who had seen the Asterian family’s procession after three years.
Perdi and Lucian waved back at the cheering crowd.
And then,
“Thiel, come here.”
Perdi lifted Thiel onto his lap.
To make it easier for the distant people to see her through the wide-open window,
Thiel, sitting on Perdi’s lap, widened her eyes and looked at the imperial citizens.
She had never seen so many people before, not in this life or the previous one. Many more people were looking at her than Thiel had imagined.
“That?.”
“Could it be? The youngest lady found recently?”
“She’s the youngest lady of Asterian!”
“She’s the one who manifested the power of light, right?”
“From now on, Luminary will become a festival for the youngest lady of Asterian!”
The citizens were all excitedly chattering. Thiel perked her ears to listen to their voices.
Amidst the cheers, hoofbeats, and countless conversations, one thing was clear…
“Well, Thiel, you should greet them.”
Perdi gently took Thiel’s hand and shook it slightly, greeting on her behalf.
Thiel waved her hand, feeling overwhelmed as she looked at the countless people.
Then, Lucian, who was waving his hand beside her, suddenly leaned in and whispered in Thiel’s ear.
“Half of these people must be here to see you!”
They hadn’t even arrived near the palace yet, and yet there were so many people here.
Considering the prestige of the Asterian family, the crowd was absurdly large.
“Seriously, I’m not kidding.”
Lucian murmured, unable to take his eyes off the citizens gathered around Thiel.
As he suspected, most of the people gathered here were here to see the “youngest lady of Asterian.”
Found after nearly seven years, the precious youngest daughter of the most influential duke in the empire. Those titles were more than enough to arouse the curiosity of the citizens, even to the point of overflow.
“How amazing…”
Thiel murmured to herself, fidgeting with her hand.
She couldn’t believe that so many people had gathered just to see her.
At the same time, she felt happy. It felt like she could officially announce to everyone that she was part of the Asterian family.
With wide-eyed wonder, Thiel looked at each person gathered.
Meanwhile, although the carriage was moving slowly, it was undoubtedly heading towards the palace.
The opening ceremony of Luminary was held right next to the palace, in the massive square directly managed by the palace.
The closing ceremony was the same. Both the beginning and end of the festival took place in that square.
And the place where the Asterian family’s carriage was heading was none other than that square.
Soon, carriages with the emblems of each family began to arrive at the square one after another.
The first to arrive was the lightning emblem of Icarus, followed by Arne.
Next came Nestian, then Wolfgang, and finally…
“Wow!!”
When the massive carriage of the Asterian family appeared, cheers erupted from the citizens’ mouths.
The cheers were so much louder than when the other carriages arrived, it was incomparable.