Thump, thump—.

Afterwards, safely coming out, I strolled through the quiet corridor, and the twilight light receded, making it slightly darker. I walked briskly, exchanging greetings with knights, maids, and servants I met along the way.

Before long, as I stepped outside, I passed through a secluded walking path, and a topiary resembling an arched mansion gate, adorned with peculiar pumpkin-shaped gem-like lanterns on top of marble columns, lined the wide road on both sides.

Phew, phew—!

At that moment, instead of maids, footmen appeared, politely greeting, and fireworks burst into the sky as if someone had shot them up.

In a place covered with only small, white dots like ripened grains of sand, a loud noise echoed, and the brilliant light, in various shapes, formed a dazzling display, shining in iridescent colors.

“Oh, Princess! Look up at the sky over there!”

Oh my, it tickles my ears. Unlike me, who was calmly watching, Miranda and Haley couldn’t hide their excitement this time.

“Are those fireworks? I heard they are very expensive, but to have a chance to see them like this is an honor.”

Even though the maids working in the royal palace are likely from noble families and wouldn’t struggle with poverty, watching them express how expensive it was to nail something for the first time, like saying that it was a birthday present shown a few times before, was truly impressive.

“Why are fireworks so expensive?”

Meanwhile, I innocently asked, pretending not to know. I didn’t think of asking at that time because I thought Ulrica, being a princess, would easily get them.

“Oh, that’s because there are many rare materials involved in making fireworks.”

“I see.”

I wondered how expensive the raw materials must be, but it turned out that they weren’t as expensive as I thought. However, it was true that if you wanted to buy many, it would require a significant financial investment, and money was not easy to gather, evaporating like steam when spent, so I couldn’t say it was good to buy a lot.

‘They even have dogs and cats.’

I continued to watch the consecutive fireworks at regular intervals and then sneakily turned my head. At that moment, I saw footmen, maids, and knights sticking to the windows or coming outside to watch.

When I asked Miranda and Haley, who also served as informants, why they were doing this, they explained that an annoying merchant monopolized the supply of fireworks and only sold them to those he liked, so even rich nobles couldn’t watch them. It had been a long time since they had seen such a thing, so they told me to appreciate it.

‘To think he brought multiple fireworks from that guy who monopolizes them, he’s truly impressive.’

Memories suddenly flashed back to when I used to work under a nasty boss, who was a merchant. He was a difficult character, but I had to endure and think a lot until I could get rid of him.

‘Wait, that’s my face, isn’t it?’

Surprise. Deciding that there was no need to recall unpleasant times, I pulled myself together and looked up at the sky.

‘The technology is impressive. When did they hide and prepare all this?’
Then, suddenly, one firework soared higher than the previous one and exploded, leaving a more vivid impression with red and blue flashes on my face.

‘Certainly, that firework must be custom-made, right?’

Perfect. I briefly admired the sparkling fireworks, and then suddenly, my face appeared again against the gradually dimming sky, wearing a blue outfit.

‘Following sculptures and portraits, now even fireworks…’

How peculiar, truly peculiar! Still, moderation is key! Recalling a day seven years ago when I played with flour with Nonchalant, Calla, and others, I grumbled inwardly about wasting the Huang family’s resources.

Afterward, as I tilted my head while holding my fists and feeling a bit dazed, suddenly, my body floated up.

“Peekaboo! Daddy came to pick you up~.”

Ugh, how repulsive. Jeff, who hugged me with a proud smile, had dressed up more than usual, and his hairstyle seemed more elaborate.

“Mom is waiting at the pond. Let’s go with Daddy.”

When Jeff looked at the maids, who were solemnly looking around, he suddenly became serious.

“From now on, I’ll personally take the Princess. Follow carefully from behind.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“We will follow your orders, Your Majesty.”

Giving them a lot of strength and exuding charisma, Jeff looked at me, and his once stiff and cold face softened like melting cheese, making me laugh every time I saw it. He seemed foolish.

“Dad, I’m just going to eat meat. Why explode fireworks too?”

He might not be light enough to carry around if he’s ten, but Jeff held me comfortably for three seconds, then smiled.

“I prayed for our daughter, but it was also a surprise event for everyone in the palace.”

While everyone did their best in their respective positions, Jeff, laughing, said that once in a while, he should show something beautiful for everyone in the palace.

‘He retreated. No, did he change after becoming a dad?’