#10. At the End of the Season (9)

The carriage raced along the road, still bouncing and swaying from side to side even after entering the relatively well-kept streets of the capital.

It was like the back of the tractor my maternal grandfather had let me ride when I visited my maternal grandparents as a child. Or like the roller coaster at the shabby amusement park we’d visited on a school outing. The carriage swayed from side to side, and Eleonore’s neatly arranged platinum-blonde hair swished this way and that.

Still, she seemed to have gotten fairly used to the miserable ride by now. Even when she was lifted slightly off her seat, Eleonore didn’t so much as grimace.

She simply gazed blankly at the streets beyond the swaying window.

The busy people, the shortened sleeves of their clothes—the whole mood of the city was abuzz with excitement for the approaching festival. Even Eleonore, an outsider, could see it.

Of course, it might also have been because she hadn’t been out in so long, making the already unfamiliar streets feel even stranger.

“I’m so glad, truly. The scar on your shoulder has disappeared completely, so you can wear an off-the-shoulder dress.”

At the voice, Eleonore gently turned her head.

The people of the city weren’t the only ones excited about the coming festival.

Eugenie, who had claimed the seat beside Eleonore, had been sparkling with excitement since morning. Ever since Viola had helped her into the carriage, she’d thrown aside whatever remained of a noble lady’s decorum and chattered away...