A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 21

“Wake up, Sophia. Our destination is in sight.”

I heard Alto’s voice and slowly opened my eyes.

I had only meant to take a short nap, but it seemed I had fallen into a deep sleep. My head still felt a little foggy.

The hand I had been holding before I fell asleep was no longer there. It seemed he had let go while I was asleep.

Just as I was about to tease him about it, Alto spoke.

“Look outside. That is our next destination—the Masked City, Mascharea.”

Alto pointed toward the window.

Following his gaze, I saw a massive city wall and an enormous gate.

Its sheer size reminded me of Grandfell, and I could see it clearly even from this distance.

“Wow…! It looks just like Grandfell!”

“It’s smaller than Grandfell on the inside, though. And instead of being governed by a noble with a title, it’s ruled by a mayor elected through voting. I wonder what kind of city it is.”

“From the way you say that… is this your first time here too, Alto?”

“Yeah. They have a rather unusual system in place, so I’m looking forward to seeing it myself.”

“An unusual system?”

“That.”

Alto pointed beyond the gate.

To my surprise, there was another massive gate inside.

“As you can see, Mascharea is divided into two districts. The area between the outer gate and the inner gate—the part we enter first—is the regular residential district.”

“Then… the inside of the inner gate is where this ‘unusual system’ is?”

Alto nodded.

“It’s called the Masked Special District.”

“The Masked Special District…? What do people do there?”

“In that district, everyone is required to wear a special mask. Other than that, I don’t know much about the details.”

“A mask!? That sounds so fun!”

The first thing that came to mind was a masquerade ball.

I had read about them in books and heard stories, but I had never experienced one myself.

Maybe that was why the idea filled me with excitement.

“Once I finish checking the reports, we’ll go together. You should experience these things firsthand!”

“Yes! I’m really looking forward to it! Alto, let’s get those reports done quickly today!”

“You seem even more excited than usual.”

“Maybe it’s because I got plenty of sleep and have too much energy left!”

“That’s just how you always are. You love sleeping, after all.”

“Ahaha. You were sleeping soundly too, you know!”

“Ugh…!”

As we talked, the carriage passed through the gates of Mascharea.

◇

The residential district was, for better or worse, ordinary.

Shops, inns, and the city hall lined the streets, and people bustled about.

There were all the essential stores, but nothing particularly unique stood out.

However, the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling meat dishes was absolutely delightful.

“The reports are all in order. Mayor, sorry for taking up your time.”

“Not at all, Your Highness! Please feel free to reach out if you need anything!”

In the mayor’s office, Alto had finished checking the reports.

He sat in the heavy, leather-upholstered chair where the mayor usually sat.

I always liked the sharp look in his eyes when he reviewed documents.

Of course, it was too embarrassing to say that out loud.

“Well then, shall we go, Sophia?”

“Yes!”

As we left city hall, Alto instructed the knights to take some free time.

They had set up rotations to guard the court mage.

They had done the same in every place we visited so far.

(Alright! Time to enjoy the Masked Special District!)

I gazed at the massive inner wall surrounding the district.

◇

Alto and I walked along the street leading to the inner gate.

As we got closer to the Masked Special District, the streets became busier.

Among the crowd, some people were already wearing masks.

All the masks only covered the upper half of the face, but they came in a variety of colors and patterns.

“There are already quite a few masked people outside the district,” I noted.

“Some are on their way in, while others are coming out. Either way, they all seem to be smiling. This place looks promising.”

Near the entrance to the Masked Special District, there were several mask shops.

The mayor had mentioned that all of these shops were run by the city.

Apparently, they were a significant source of revenue.

“It looks like the shops are divided into men’s and women’s sections.”

“Alright, let’s split up and get our masks. Sophia, you have money, right?”

“Yes! Right here!”

I showed him my wallet.

Inside was a fair amount of money—funds Alto had provided.

“Then let’s meet back here once we’ve bought our masks.”

“Got it!”

With that, I excitedly rushed into the women’s mask shop.

◇

Buying the mask took more time than I expected.

There were so many beautiful designs that I couldn’t decide which one to choose.

If I had about 30 faces, I wouldn’t have a problem. But unfortunately, I only have one face.

Even if I bought 30 masks, I could only wear one at a time.

In the end, I chose a mask with a soft purple base, with delicate flowers drawn on one side.

“I’m sorry for making you wait, Alto!”

When I returned to the meeting place, Alto was waiting for me.

Because he was in his usual military uniform, he stood out, and many people were watching him from a distance.

“I want to say that I didn’t wait that long… but honestly, I waited a surprising amount of time.”

Alto gave a wry smile.

According to him, I had spent more than two hours deciding.

“S-Sorry…! All the masks were so beautiful…!”

“I understand the feeling. So, which mask did you buy?”

“This one!”

We showed each other the masks we had chosen.

Alto’s mask was a deep blue with silver lines.

It had a calm yet sophisticated look.

“Alto, your mask looks so cool!”

“Sophia, yours looks good too.”

“It seems like we both have good taste!”

“Haha, it seems so.”

We headed toward the inner gate.

“Please proceed. In the Special District, wearing a mask is required in principle. If you remove it without a valid reason, you will be punished, so please be careful.”

Several guards stood at the gate, checking the people passing through.

However, they were only confirming whether people were wearing the masks sold by the city.

We put on our masks and lined up for entry.

“Alto, have you ever worn a mask before?”

“No, this is my first time.”

“Me too! The view is a little narrower, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t seem too inconvenient.”

“Wearing a mask makes me feel like a different person!”

“Hmm.”

The line moved forward, and soon it was our turn.

“Next!”

One of the guards called out loudly, and we stepped forward.

“C-Could it be… Prince Alto?”

The guard noticed Alto’s uniform.

The other guards also started murmuring.

“Yes, that’s right. Just in case, I’ll show my face.”

Alto removed his mask to reveal his face.

Then, he put it back on and continued speaking.

“Sophia and I don’t know much about the Masked Special District. Could you explain the rules to us?”

The guard saluted and began explaining in detail.

“In the Special District, except for guards, everyone is required to wear a mask. As long as you wear a mask, everyone is treated equally. Even if you are the prince, you will be considered an ordinary citizen inside the district.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Alto spoke with genuine happiness.

“Wonderful…?”

On the other hand, the guards tilted their heads in confusion.

Without addressing that point, Alto urged them to continue.

“It’s not strictly forbidden, but revealing your identity is also not recommended. Additionally, using your identity to force someone to do something is prohibited. For example, if Your Highness said, ‘I am the Crown Prince. If you don’t listen to me, you’ll regret it once we leave the district,’ that would be against the rules.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t say that. But if I did, what would happen?”

“If a guard witnesses it, you will be arrested and taken away according to city regulations.”

“I see. I just want to confirm one thing. May I ask?”

“Of course.”

“Is it allowed to negotiate without revealing my identity?”

“Negotiate…?”

“Under normal circumstances, because of my position, I can’t negotiate. For example, if I made a ‘request’ to you, no matter what I intended, you would take it as an ‘order,’ wouldn’t you?”

The guards all murmured, “I see.”

I didn’t say it out loud, but I thought the same thing in my heart.

I understood what Alto was thinking.

He wanted to experience being ‘just an ordinary person’ inside the Masked Special District.

He didn’t want to be the Crown Prince—he wanted to act as a regular citizen.

He was checking if that was possible.

“As long as you don’t reveal your identity, there are no restrictions on negotiations. Other than the fact that status is not considered at all, nothing else changes, so please don’t worry.”

“I see. Thank you for explaining in detail.”

After the conversation ended, Alto and I were about to enter the Masked Special District.

However, an unexpected problem occurred.

“Please wait, Your Highness.”

One of the guards stopped us.

“What’s wrong?”

“Miss Sophia has no issues, but Your Highness cannot enter.”

“Me? What do you mean?”

Alto turned around in surprise.

I didn’t understand either, and I let out a confused, “Huh…?”