A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 23

I was taken aback by Alto’s attempt at bargaining.

“Then, how much are you hoping to pay?”

The shopkeeper responded calmly. He must have experience with this kind of negotiation.

“Well… let’s see…”

On the other hand, Alto hesitated. After thinking for a moment, he straightened up as if to brace himself.

“How about 150 Lana!?”

The moment the shopkeeper heard that price, his expression seemed to freeze.

(150 Lana is way too aggressive!)

I couldn’t help but chuckle internally.

“…I’m sorry, but if you’re just here to haggle for fun, I must decline.”

The shopkeeper curtly dismissed him with a wave of his hand. His attitude clearly signaled that the negotiation was over. If Alto had offered a slightly more reasonable price, maybe there would have been room for compromise.

“W-Wait! I wasn’t trying to waste your time, I was just—”

“Please leave. There are other customers waiting, and I don’t need your business.”

It was clear the shopkeeper had no intention of continuing the conversation.

“…Fine. I’ll take two for 500 Lana.”

“Thank you for your purchase.”

Alto gave up and paid the full price. The shopkeeper placed the tarts on paper plates and handed them to us.

“Sorry about that. I must have offended you.”

When Alto apologized, the shopkeeper smiled.

“This might be an improper question to ask in the masked district, but… are you someone of high social standing? Like a noble, perhaps?”

“Wha—?”

Alto was at a loss for words.

I, too, instinctively held my breath and stared at the shopkeeper’s masked face.

“How did you know?”

I asked, and the shopkeeper replied in a gentle tone.

“This is the masked district. A place where people do things they normally wouldn’t. If a man comes all the way here, accompanied by a lady, and tries to haggle, it means it’s something he usually can’t do.”

“Ohh.”

Alto and I spoke in unison.

“Also, your bargaining skills were terrible. Even wealthy merchants have some knowledge of negotiation. If someone has no experience with it at all, then it suggests they’ve never had to haggle before… which made me suspect you were a noble.”

“Amazing…!”

“What an observation…”

Alto and I were impressed by the shopkeeper’s keen insight.

“Well then, thank you for your purchase. As an apology for my rude question, I’ll give you a free tart next time, so please come again.”

The shopkeeper smiled warmly.

We bowed politely and left.

◇

The tart, which cost a hefty 500 Lana, was delicious, as expected.

The crisp crust and the sweet-tart fragrance of the fruit complemented each other perfectly.

“Sorry about that, Sophia. That was embarrassing.”

As we walked and ate, Alto took another bite of his tart.

“It wasn’t embarrassing at all!”

I took a bite as well.

“In fact, I thought it was wonderful!”

“Wonderful? That disastrous negotiation?”

“Everyone struggles at first. And like the shopkeeper said, you were with a lady—oh, and by lady, I mean me!”

Alto chuckled. “I know that.”

“It’s not easy to try something new in front of someone. Even I wouldn’t want to make mistakes in front of you.”

“Fair enough.”

“That’s why I thought it was great that you had the courage to try! Though… 150 Lana was a bit extreme. I almost burst out laughing.”

Alto blushed in embarrassment and let out a groan.

“Let’s casually try again tomorrow! This time, start at 300 Lana!”

“Haha, they’d definitely get mad.”

“Who cares? With a mask on, there’s no harm done!”

“You’re strong, Sophia.”

“I was trained in Rockwell!”

We each ate half of our tarts and then swapped them.

◇

As the sun set and night fell, the masked district became even livelier.

The lights glowed more beautifully than during the day, and the streets were filled with music and laughter.

At the same time, the atmosphere became more… suggestive.

Peeking into side alleys, I occasionally spotted couples engaging in secret rendezvous.

Even the guards turned a blind eye. As long as it was consensual, shameless acts seemed to be tolerated.

“We might be cutting loose, but compared to everyone else, we’re pretty tame.”

“Yeah…”

So far, the boldest things we had done were two things—holding hands and trying to haggle.

Meanwhile, others were openly embracing, passionately kissing, and even doing things beyond that.

Compared to them, we weren’t being bold at all.

In fact, people might think we were wasting our time here.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen any children around.”

“There’s an age restriction. No one under 18 is allowed in.”

“I see. That explains the atmosphere.”

We continued walking and eventually reached a plaza.

It was located in the southern part of the district, a circular space with a fountain in the center.

“We’ve pretty much explored the whole place now, right?”

I asked, and Alto nodded. “Yeah, we have.”

The masked district wasn’t that big. Even at a leisurely pace, we had seen everything.

“Alright, next we should—”

Alto started to say something but suddenly stopped.

He had noticed something.

The people around us were all starting to move.

Not everyone, but the majority of them were heading in the same direction.

“It’s about time for the ball to start.”

“Let’s head to the main plaza.”

“I’ve been waiting for this!”

I heard excited voices nearby.

“A masquerade ball!?”

Hearing those words made my heart race.

I had been hoping to attend.

But I quickly calmed myself down.

“You were interested in the ball, right?”

Alto looked at me.

“Yes. But… I have a feeling this ball might not be what I imagined.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone here was dancing something like a tango, but the ballroom dance I imagined was a waltz…”

“Oh, is that all?”

Alto suddenly let out a small laugh.

“In that case, we can just dance a waltz.”

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t matter if everyone around us is dancing the tango. Of course, if there’s a rule that says only tango is allowed, then we’d have to give up. But if that’s not the case, we should dance however we like. I can waltz too!”

“Alto…”

“This is a special masquerade district. There’s no need to hold back. For now, let’s go check out the ball. We can decide whether or not to join after that, right?”

Alto smiled gently.

His words made me happy, and I found myself smiling too.

“Yes! Let’s go see the ball! But—but! There’s no way I’m dancing the tango! Absolutely not! Being that close, doing… that kind of thing… it’s way too embarrassing!”

As I spoke, I accidentally imagined myself dancing the tango with Alto.

In my mind, we danced it perfectly, which only made my embarrassment even worse.

“Haha. I get it. We’ll only dance the waltz.”

Alto laughed and squeezed my hand.

“Let’s go, Sophia!”

“Yes! Alto!”

Holding Alto’s hand, I walked down the street.

Just like the people around us, my heart was filled with excitement as we headed toward the main square.

◇

“Whew… That was so much fun.”

“Yes! I’m completely satisfied!”

The ball, held in the main square at the center of the district, was a huge success.

Bright lights, upbeat music, and masked dancers filled the space.

There were no rules about what kind of dance to do—everyone danced however they liked.

That said, most people chose passionate dances like the tango.

Even so, Alto and I stuck to the waltz.

“Alto, you’re really good at dancing! I was so surprised!”

“I’m a crown prince, after all. Dancing is part of my education. I can dance the tango too, if I want to.”

“As expected of you. I have no experience with this kind of thing, so I was pretty terrible.”

“That’s not true. You were good too, Sophia. Sure, you were a little stiff at first, but you got used to it quickly.”

“I hope so…! Either way, I had a great time!”

After fully enjoying the ball, we left the main square.

Still caught up in the excitement, we walked through the darkened streets.

Of course, we were holding hands.

“Next is dinner, right? I’m getting hungry! There are restaurants and inns inside the district, so we can have even more fun!”

I squeezed Alto’s hand as I spoke.

But then—

“Having dinner here sounds nice, but before that, I want to step out of the district for a bit.”

“Oh, is it for work?”

I didn’t know much about Alto’s official duties.

Since I had assumed they were over, I felt a little guilty for not considering it.

“No, it’s not work. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Something you want to talk about? Can’t we talk here?”

“No, not here. The masks get in the way.”

“The masks… get in the way?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

I had no idea what kind of conversation he wanted to have.

If it was something secret, then staying here would actually be more convenient.

“It’ll take a little time, but will you come with me?”

“O-Okay.”

Alto had a serious expression.

It was like he had made some kind of big decision.

So, I didn’t ask any unnecessary questions and simply followed him.

◇

Even after leaving the masquerade district, Alto didn’t remove his mask.

So, I kept mine on too and silently followed him.

“Excuse me.”

Alto called out to a carriage driver.

It was different from the ones he usually used—it was a simple carriage meant for the general public.

“Can you take us to that clock tower?”

Alto pointed to a tall spire in the distance.

It was a slender tower, the kind commonly seen in cities.

There was a large clock face near the top, and above that, a giant bell.

It reminded me of a similar tower in Grandfell.

“Understood. Please get in.”

“Sophia, let’s go. Get in.”

“Okay.”

As soon as we got inside, the carriage began to move.

(What does he want to talk about?)

I glanced at Alto’s face.

When our eyes met, he smiled gently.

But he still didn’t say anything about the topic.

At least, he didn’t seem angry.

(I don’t know what he wants to talk about, but…)

For now, I decided to stay quiet until we arrived at the clock tower.

◇

The clock tower was taller than I had imagined.

It was even higher than the walls of the district, offering a complete view of the city.

After stepping out of the carriage, we climbed to the upper floors of the tower.

With each step up, the night wind grew stronger, sending a chill through my skin.

But the view from above was breathtaking.

“Amazing…! There are so many lights!”

“The masquerade district is colorful and lively, while the residential areas have a calmer glow.”

Leaning against the railing, we enjoyed the night view.

Even from a distance, we could feel the energy of the masquerade district.

If we listened carefully, we might even hear laughter.

After taking in the view, we moved to a small chamber near the top of the tower.

“Alright…”

Alto sat down on a wooden bench.

He didn’t say anything, but I sat beside him.

From here, we could still see the city.

“Let’s talk.”

Alto removed his mask, then gently took off mine as well.

The cold night breeze brushed against our cheeks.

“Sophia, how did you feel in the masquerade district? We held hands and acted like a couple.”

Alto looked straight at me.

I blushed and turned my gaze slightly away as I answered.

“I had a wonderful time. Holding hands, dancing together… doing things I normally never get to do… It was like a dream.”

Even just remembering it made me happy.

My time in the masquerade district was one of the best experiences of my life.

I wished I could feel that way forever.

“I feel the same. And even after taking off these masks, I want to keep feeling that way.”

Alto said exactly what I had been thinking.

“What do you mean by that…?”

For a moment, my mind went blank.

“I mean exactly what I said. Even outside the district, I want to stay the same. I want to hold your hand, dance with you, and…”

Alto hesitated.

I knew what he was trying to say.

My chest felt warm, and I lightly bit my lip.

“Alto… I’m really happy, but… I’m a princess of the Kingdom of Luminar. And you are the crown prince of the Elysion Empire. So, um…”

“That doesn’t matter!”

Alto spoke firmly.

“Sophia, until now, I’ve called you ‘the most important person for the empire.’ But now, you’re more than that. You are the most important person to me. I don’t want to let you go.”

“Alto…”

Alto gently took my hand and looked into my eyes.

His silver hair swayed in the night wind, and the stars twinkled behind him.

“Normally, I should ask you to be my girlfriend first. But as the crown prince, I’m not allowed to date. So, I’m asking for something else instead.”

Alto stood up, then knelt in front of me.

From his pocket, he took out a small box and opened it.

Inside was a beautiful ring.

“Sophia, I’m asking you to marry me. Please, be my wife. Stay by my side, always, even after this journey ends.”