First Time the Palace is Open
It was time for the four sisters’ lunch. Lunch wasn’t the standard lunch but an extra meal prepared specifically for them. The four sisters were cheerfully eating when the youngster sauntered over with a smile. He bowed: “Good afternoon, everyone.”
“Ah, good afternoon.”
If nobody else was around, their lazing around in bed wouldn’t make them feel humiliated, but they felt humiliated after the youngster found out about it. After all, it was a shameful habit for Princesses of the imperial family. Further, they didn’t want to see them in their sloppy shape when they always maintained elegant appearances and mannerisms. The youngster didn’t mind them lazing around in bed, nonetheless. As a matter of fact, he didn’t mention it.
Ying and Tanya also expressed the sisters were tired, allowing them to rest as they pleased for the day. The boredom on the ship and the rocking in the horse carriage was tiring for adults, let alone four kids.
Tanya and Ying delegated work. Tanya was in charge of investigating the status quo, while Ying was in charge of guarding the sisters. Ying didn’t let her guard down despite them being in the imperial palace. She didn’t allow anybody to approach the four Princesses without permission, especially armed guards and strangers. The youngster was somebody they were familiar with; but nonetheless, Ying removed his weapon when he entered the dining hall.
Liu Yue was concerned about what the youngster wanted after everything that transpired.
Vera inquired, “Is something the matter?”
“Oh, yes, I came here to notify you that tomorrow is the imperial palace’s open-house day; hence, there will be lots of people coming to the imperial palace tomorrow.”
“Open day?” repeated Nona.
Nona, who grew up in the Imperial Palace in the North, had never heard of an open day. Though her father trusted the people and the North settled down, Troy never held an open day in the Imperial Palace. It was out of bounds for commoners. The same applied for Duargana and Hilles City.
“Yes, it’s an event we have here. Every year, we will open the palace grounds for public access. Due to the upcoming coronation, we need to implement extra security measures to ensure everyone’s safety. Therefore, only the flower garden and plaza at the front will be open. The inner sections of the palace will be out of bounds.
“As Miss Vera is with a guest, I have come to invite you in her stead. At noon tomorrow, during the palace open day, there will be a chance for the public to see the monarch, where the monarch will give a speech from the balcony out front. Needless to say, you, too, are very welcome to come to the balcony and give a speech.”
“Give a speech?!” exclaimed Vera.
Daisy pointed to herself and queried, “D-does everyone have to give a speech?! What I mean is, all four of us have to give a speech?!”
That was nothing short of a nightmare for Daisy and Nona. Actually, it was a nightmare for all four of the sisters. They had never given speeches. It was always their father who gave speeches at festivals every year. They couldn’t imagine giving a speech before so many people. They could negotiate anything but public speaking.
“Do we have the right to refuse? We can negotiate other things, but please do not make me give a publish speech. It’s so embarrassing. It’s impossible. Absolutely impossible! We aren’t the type to do something so embarrassing. Plus, this isn’t our nation. We don’t want to be treated as animals at an exhibition,” subtly objected Liu Yue.
“You can refuse, of course.”
The youngster’s response allowed the four sisters to breathe a breath of relief. He then said, “After all, this is just a chance for you to perform and show yourself. It’s fine if you don’t want to give a speech. That said, I do hope you can come to the balcony and do something. Can you be by Miss Vera’s side when she gives her speech and introduce yourselves, at the very least?”
The request wasn’t outlandish. It was just a self-introduction; it was much better than giving a speech. Although they weren’t willing to give a speech, seeing all the people below did give them a somewhat proud and honoured feeling. The four sisters, therefore, accepted.
Ying approached the group. She sternly asked the youngster, “Can you ensure the Princesses’ safety? As you yourself said, lots of people will be in the palace this time. Can you ensure the Princesses’ safety? How will you protect them if something happens under everyone’s watch?”
“Please have faith in us, Miss Ying. Previously, I was alone, but this time, I have my brothers in arms with me. It won’t be just me alone. Our guards in the imperial palace will be responsible for protecting Miss Vera and the four Princesses. Please have faith in us, Miss Ying. We can hold our own weight. There won’t be any issues.”
Ying didn’t back down: “Forgive me for being blunt, but I only trust my comrades. I’ve never trusted anybody I haven’t met before. Entrusting my client to somebody I don’t know is failing in my duty as a guard. I must protect the Princesses, so I think this imperial palace welcome day is too dangerous for the four Princesses. As such, I refuse to allow the four Princesses to appear before the public.”
“Ah… No, Sister Ying!! We really want to go see!” Nona whinged before Ying could finish speaking. She ran over and tightly hugged Ying. She implored, “We’ve never experienced this sort of event before. In addition, he doesn’t appear to be a bad person. Please let us go, Sister Ying. We can protect ourselves. We have Liu Yue and Vera. We can protect ourselves.”
Ying looked at Nona with a dumbstruck look. She resisted the urge to hug Nona. She asked, “Vera, what do you think?”
“Erm… If I may be honest, I’m also a bit curious. I want to take part. You can rest assured, Miss Ying. I can protect us. After all, I have magic at my disposal. Additionally, Liu Yue can be useful at critical moments. Daisy’s swordplay is also superb. Miss Ying, let us go. We won’t senselessly run about!”
“… All right, in that case…”
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