Chapter 41: A wallflower does not need validation
In the end, we came back after having simple lunch in the park.
But I knew there was still a peak event tonight, the coronation of the carnival’s king and queen, with a circus performance and a lot more entertaining shows. It should be the most important part of the festival, and Zia had been talking about it since we were still on the way to this city.
So I told her to just left me in the townhouse and go watch the show. Or rather, I ordered her to, exercising my right as the house’s mistress or whatever.
"If you don’t go and enjoy yourself as planned, I’m going to feel really really bad and become really really sad," I told her while sipping on my tea in the afternoon. "And I need someone to fetch me some of those animal-shaped balloons."
Zia pouted over her cookies, lips pursed in dilemma over pursuing her plan or watching over me. But in the end, with my...persuasion, she went ahead with Angwi, although both of them kept looking back repeatedly until I closed the front door.
It wasn’t that bad, spending the afternoon reading the book I bought this morning and nibbling on the leftover candies from the first town. When the loud voice of the masses started to reach the townhouse, I climbed the stairs and went to the attic. There was one with a small balcony that had the perfect view of the central plaza.
When I reached the place, the first firework just had been launched. Focusing mana to my eyes just like how Natha taught me, I could see the stage and the merry celebration surrounding it.
Looking up, sparkles of the magic lanterns and the remnant sparks of fireworks decorated the entire airspace of the port city, almost making it as bright as the day.
Ah, I remembered now, vaguely, that first kiss. The taste of cold lips and heated cheeks; noises that were so loud it deafening and made me hear nothing but the sound of my heartbeat.
I gripped the railing, feeling my heart beat fast again. I had a feeling that from now, every time I saw fireworks, I would be reminded of that kiss.
And unfortunately, the unsavory emotions I felt after.