People danced wildly at night.
It was time for the fireworks Freya spoke of.
The fireworks of this era aren’t as spectacular as the modern day fireworks, but they still create the same atmosphere, nonetheless. After all, it’s a rare sight for people of this era.
Like with the elves, you need to burn up a rattan object, except that the rattan isn’t the shape of a person, but an object similar to the shape of a pig, which was similar to the object used in the world I came from. The ash is then collected. This is basically one of the most ancient types of fertilisers, I suppose.
At sunset, the crowd went toward the plaza where the fireworks were to be set off. You could see them clearer if you were closer to the plaza. Once the fireworks ended, they’d burn a rattan pig. I think that the rattan pig could burn for an entire night, which is also the wildest night. Everybody can dance around it or return to the streets to enjoy all the delicacies.
‘It doesn’t look as though anybody will be sleeping tonight.’
What made me really happy was that nothing suspicious happened at this festival this time. It’s my city, all right. It’s safe here. But I have to give credit to the hourly patrols as well as the undercover guards scattered around among the crowds. The event can remain safe thanks to their efforts.
The plaza is actually massive. My original wish was to have army lined up here at this plaza as I roll called them. That’s why the plaza was constructed to be large. However, virtually everyone rushed here this time for the event. Moreover, since the large rattan pig was placed there during the fireworks, it ended up being quite squishy.
“Be careful. Don’t let go of my hand. If you want to go somewhere, be sure to tell me; else, it’ll be difficult to meet up again if we get separated. If you can’t find me, return to the palace, first. I’ll head back if I can’t find you. Pay attention to your safety. It’s dangerous with so many people here.”
I looked left and right at my wives hugging me. The two of them nodded. I then looked back at Mom, who was grabbing on to my cape. I placed one arm behind me, “Mom, take my hand. Don’t ever let go. If you let go, it’ll be hard to find you.”
“Even if we do get separated, you will come find me, won’t you?”
Mom took my hand with a smile. I looked at her smile and responded, “Of course, I’ll find you for sure no matter who lets go.”
“Mommy is reassured, then. Mommy feels very safe since you’re here, after all.”
Mom gently leaned her head forward, thereby touching her forehead with mine. I smiled while looking at each other as if we acknowledged each other in our hearts. I’ve never seen the fireworks with my wives before, as we don’t get the chance to see them too often. Nonetheless, I’ve seen them with Mommy Elizabeth before. That time we watched the fireworks was on mom’s birthday in the Royal Capital. We had the same identity back then. I snuck out with Mommy Elizabeth that timem and the two of us had fun for the entire day. There was nobody else with us that day. We strolled around with just the two of us. I watched Mom eat, buy jewellery and get upset over the horse she bet on losing similarly to a little girl. That was such a beautiful memory.
It can be considered my little secret with Mom. I never told anybody about that day, and I don’t think Mom did, either. Mom always wore the hair accessory I bought her that day thereafter. Though the lady in waiting does Mom’s hair, she still put the piece holding our memory on.
The crowd suddenly exclaimed. Perhaps the fireworks were about to begin. The crowd shuffled forward. We weren’t ready. We were, consequently, bumped aside. I turned my head with panic and spotted Lucia desperately leaning over to grab my arm again. The other two desperately squeezed in by bumping away people around. One grabbed my arm again while the other grabbed my cape.
The guard unit stopped. It was a false alarm. It was a false alarm.
I let out a sigh of relief and looked at the three around me. I remarked, “It really is dangerous, huh?”
“It is, Your Highness, humans are scary. I can’t believe there are so many of them…”
Lucia sounded genuinely scared, for you wouldn’t see such a shocking scene in the elven lands. This was Lucia’s first experience in such a large crowd. She grabbed my arm tighter; she was afraid that she would be separated a second time. The other two clung closer to me, thereby locking me down in the centre.
‘Is it going to be a problem to have two pregnant women push others and get pushed around this way?’
*Boom!!*
Before I could consider the question, the fireworks went off overhead. They were different to what I expected. I remember they were just ordinary fireworks, yet they had suddenly become fireworks with colours and shapes as though chemistry advanced to the modern level in the blink of an eye. I looked at the five or six colours of fireworks in the sky that gave me a nostalgic feeling about life.
It was as though I returned to the time where I’d be on my sofa playing with my phone on New Year while my parents were in the kitchen making dumplings. On TV would be New Year celebrations that, unfortunately, nobody watched. Outside the window would be colourful fireworks in the sky.
I could seemingly smell the aroma of dumplings again and hear my parents whispering in the kitchen…
I’ve been here in this world for a few months now and have virtually completely become Troy. I, in fact, forgot my name was Zhu Liangzhe and was actually a visitor who came via dimensional travel.
‘Since when was it that I began to see myself as Troy?’
‘I suddenly miss home slightly now…’
“How beautiful…”
A voice came from my side, and I turned to face in its direction. I saw a beautiful face underneath the mask and chuckled softly before wrapping my hand around my wife’s waist. She must be Nier. Lucia looked at me blankly from the other side. Nier turned to face me. Her eyes trembled gently underneath her mask.
“I think that you’re very beautiful, too.”
‘I have family here, too.’
‘Perhaps it’s because I have family and loved ones here now that I consider this bliss belongs to me. Zhu Liangzhe is dead already. Reminisce as I may, I can’t return there anymore.’
‘To the contrary, I want to continue living with my family here.’
Nier giggled in a soft voice, and then leaned in and gave me a light kiss on my lips. I savoured Nier’s soft lips. Nier’s tongue and mine were wrapped around each other as though they were locked in a tight embrace.
When the fireworks went off overhead as if it was rendering our love overhead with colours, Nier looked at me and softly said, “I love you…”
I hugged her tightly and firmly responded, “I love you, too.”
“Uhm…”
She gave a gentle nod then came closer to me. We looked up to see the colourful fireworks overhead. Next to us was the person we loved, as well.
‘What should I worry about all that stuff about life for when I have the company of a beauty?’
Everybody started to scatter after the fireworks ended. Nier then looked at me with excitement and exclaimed, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It was so pretty!!”
“Yeah… but, you didn’t really watch it, did you…?”
‘We were kissing half the time.’
Nier exclaimed with displeasure, “What are you talking about?! I watched the entire thing!”
“Wh-…”
I was stunned…
‘Lucia is definitely on my right hand side. I couldn’t possibly mistake her small stature…’
‘So…’
‘The one I confessed my feelings to and the one I kissed with was…’
‘Was… was…’
‘AAAAHHHH!!!!!!’
Previous Chapter l Next Chapter
