A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 17
Luckily, the rain only poured heavily for a short time before stopping.
A magician used magic to dry our wet clothes and bodies.
Thanks to that, we didn’t have to worry about getting sick, and we weren’t delayed for long.
“Alright, let’s start repairing the carriage.”
Alt raised his voice, and I nodded enthusiastically.
“First, let’s remove the broken spoke.”
At my words, the knights lifted the wooden wheel slightly.
Gerald quickly removed the broken part.
“Sophia, are you sure you’re okay? I can help if you need me to.”
Alto showed concern, but I smiled and said, “I’m fine.”
“I have experience from Rockwell! Alto, just helping with cutting the wood is more than enough!”
“Got it. Then I’ll shape the wood to match the size of the spoke.”
“Please do!”
Alto examined the broken spoke and shaped the wood accordingly.
Thanks to the incredible sharpness of his sword, the task was completed without much difficulty.
“That sword is really amazing. Just don’t accidentally cut me, okay?”
“Want to test it?”
“No way!”
“Hahaha.”
Once Alto finished preparing the wood, I fitted it into the wheel.
I carefully inserted it from the outer rim toward the central hub.
“Wow! It looks as good as new!”
Alto cheered.
“Not quite. It still needs some fine adjustments. Let’s secure it with wedges, just to be safe.”
“I thought this was a flawless temporary fix… You’re like a professional craftsman.”
“Not at all! In Rockwell, everyone does it like this!”
As we chatted, I hammered in the wedges, completing the repair.
Depending on the distance, this should hold well enough for travel.
“Is it finally done?”
“Yes!”
Alto clapped his hands and said, “Wonderful!”
“I’m truly grateful! Thank you, Lady Sophia!”
Gerald bowed his head in relief.
“I’m happy I could be useful to everyone!”
I smiled.
I was always relying on them, so being able to return the favor made me happy.
◇
With the carriage repaired, we resumed our journey.
We passed through the grasslands, over a small hill, and continued along a peaceful road.
And then, night fell.
We arrived at the next town—Tiorna.
“This place reminds me of Rockwell!”
That was my first impression.
It was much smaller than the port town of Levan.
However, upon closer look, it was quite different from Rockwell.
All the buildings were new, and the town was well-organized into sections.
The walls of the houses were uniformly white plaster, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
(Does this town have a special connection to wind chimes?)
Every house had a wind chime hanging under the eaves.
Because of that, a gentle chiming sound echoed through the quiet night.
It wasn’t noisy at all—if anything, it was calming.
“It’s already late, so official duties will be handled tomorrow. Tonight, we’ll stay at the guesthouse.”
Alto explained.
I nodded and rode with him in the carriage toward the guesthouse.
“Once we arrive, I’m taking a bath and going straight to bed!”
Hearing that, Alt chuckled.
“After all that sleeping in the carriage, you still want to sleep more?”
“Sleep helps you grow!”
“Hahaha, fair enough. Alright, I’ll rest too.”
“You should! Overworking is bad for you!”
As I looked out the window, I listened to the soothing sound of the wind chimes.
◇
The next day.
After reviewing reports, Alto and I explored the town.
I had noticed it last night, but now that it was daytime, it was even more apparent.
All the buildings were new, as if they had just been built.
Alt explained the reason.
“This town is only a few years old.”
“So, there wasn’t a town here before?”
“That’s right. The government merged several villages as part of a policy, and this town was created from that. Before, there were multiple villages scattered around this area.”
“That’s why all the buildings look brand new.”
“The uniform design makes the town look beautiful, doesn’t it?”
“I agree.”
Just looking at the neat townscape lifted my spirits.
“Speaking of which, every house has a wind chime. Does it have any special meaning?”
When I asked, Alto nodded.
“Of course. It’s not as common now, but this town once had a history of worshipping the ‘God of Wind.’ The wind chimes are a remnant of that tradition.”
“I see. What kind of god was the God of Wind?”
“Who knows? That was hundreds of years ago. Back then, paper-making technology wasn’t advanced, so there aren’t many records. But even now, the tradition of wind chimes has been passed down. I think that’s wonderful.”
“I think so too.”
Alt and I walked side by side.
As we passed by, the townspeople greeted us.
It seemed that many people had moved here after the villages were merged, as I saw quite a few young people.
“Sophia, look at that.”
Alto pointed at a shop.
It was a wind chime workshop, something I hadn’t seen in other towns.
A large sign hung above the entrance, and countless wind chimes were lined up under the eaves.
A little girl, about five or six years old, stood in front of the shop.
“Chirin-chirin!”
When our eyes met, the girl called out.
“Uh… hello?”
“Big sister, big brother, do you want to make a wind chime?”
The girl smiled brightly.
Judging by her appearance, she was probably the daughter of the wind chime craftsman who ran the workshop.
“Make one? You mean we can make our own wind chime?”
Alto tilted his head.
The girl puffed out her chest proudly.
“Yep! My papa makes them by hand using glass. Here, customers can try making one too! You two are important people, right? I’ll give you a special discount!”
“Oh?”
Alto couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing the girl’s innocent enthusiasm made me smile as well.
“Hey, Hinata! Don’t go inviting customers on your own!”
A voice called out from the back of the workshop, and a man rushed out.
He looked to be in his thirties, slightly short but with well-toned arms.
He had a kind face, and sweat glistened on his forehead.
Tiny sparkling glass fragments stuck to his face, showing that he was a craftsman.
“Gah! Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince?!”
The craftsman’s eyes widened in shock when he saw Alto.
“M-my deepest apologies, Your Highness! My daughter has troubled you!”
He hurriedly bowed and apologized.
Alto, on the other hand, simply smiled and shook his head.
“It’s fine. Besides, your daughter is adorable.”
“Thank you! I’m truly sorry!”
The craftsman pulled his daughter close with one arm and kept bowing to Alto.
Alto smiled again and reassured him, “Really, don’t worry about it.”
“By the way, I heard we can make a wind chime here. Is that true?”
The craftsman blinked in surprise before quickly answering.
“Yes! We offer wind chime-making experiences here!”
“Then, would you let us try? Your daughter said she’d give us a special discount, and I’d love to experience it.”
“N-no, there’s no need for payment!”
“That won’t do. This is your business, isn’t it? We’ll pay the proper fee. But maybe just a little discount, alright?”
Alto said with a laugh.
“Of course! Please, right this way!”
The craftsman guided us inside the workshop.
Hinata, following her father’s instructions, went outside.
Even as she left, she kept saying, “Chirin-chirin!” while shaking a wind