The audience seats in front of the theater begin to empty as people pour out in orderly lines. Festival committee members stand at each corner, directing the flow so everyone leaves safely.
The festive music has faded. Vendors close their stalls one by one, folding away the color and noise. The smell of roasted meat and fresh fruit still lingers in the square, though it's only a matter of time before it drifts into the night.
Rosa catches fragments of murmurs from the crowd while Lilia tugs her along.
"Whoooa! That was wild! First time I've seen someone get impaled like that!" a young man exclaims, his voice brimming with excitement.
"Umh… yeah. One of a kind. But I wish they'd given us a warning first," says the woman beside him, about the same age. She sighs. "I was worried someone might… you know. And there were kids in the crowd too."
The man slips an arm around her shoulder, giving it a little massage.
"Right, it was probably meant to shock. Sorry if it bothered you. How's that? Better?"
She doesn't answer. She just leans against him, melting into his shoulder.
As expected of a festival couple—oblivious to everything around them. Public displays of affection, everywhere.
Rosa glances left and right. Sure enough, the square is full of fluttering little love butterflies.
Then an arm wraps around her waist and yanks her sideways. Her cheek squashes into something soft and plump. Her crimson eyes snap wide.
She doesn't need to look to know who it is.
"...What are you doing?" Rosa asks flatly, a vein pulsing on her temple.
"Hehehe, I could just tell you wanted it. I saw you staring at all those couples~" Lilia teases.
Rosa tries to pry herself free, but Lilia only squeezes tighter, pressing Rosa closer against her. The vein throbs harder.
"May I ask what you just did?" Rosa's voice trembles now, caught between fury and restraint as she weighs how to retaliate.
"W-well… you know… hugs are nice and warm, so… I just don't wanna let go? Ehehehe~"
Rosa exhales through her nose, long and heavy. A hug or two, she wouldn't mind. But Lilia's desperate clinging—and the way she's shoving her chest in Rosa's face—sets her teeth on edge.
She shapes her hands like crab pincers, snapping once, twice, thrice. All seems in working order.
"Hm? Not even a retort? That's unusual. What is it? Did you finally soften up enough to—Ahyaaaah~!"
Lilia's words cut off in a squeal as Rosa pinches her sides, light but sharp.
Rosa feels her grip weakening, but still nowhere near breaking free. And she knows she has to reap what she sowed. So she pinches faster, keeping her touch playful but persistent.
"Whahahait! R-Rosa! Aahahaha! I give up! Stop—nnnngh—hahahaha!"
Finally, Rosa slips free from Lilia's wrap. She pinches the air with both hands, wearing a proud smile. It always works.
Once they clear the exit line, Rosa heads straight for the backstage.
Lilia, panting, slumps after her with a mock cry.
"Uuuh… how cruel. All I did was hug you a bit…"
Rosa sighs at the exaggerated tears, her fingers already snapping like pincers again.
"W-wait! I was joking, I was joking! I'm fine, see!?"
Her voice wavers, her mood swinging from night to day. Crocodile tears, after all.
Maybe she's right, Rosa thinks. Maybe she went a bit too hard. Another sigh escapes her.
"Then… just this once. I'll let you—just this once."
Lilia's eyes sparkle as she jerks her gaze up.
"Really!? Is it okay!?"
Rosa points a finger at her nose.
"But! You have to let go when we reach the backstage. Deal?"
"Deal!"
Her arms immediately wrap tightly around Rosa's body, pressing Rosa's face against her chest.
Rosa has to push herself back just to regain the luxury of air in her lungs.
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"Yep, lovebirds after all."
"Definitely lovebirds."
"As expected of festival couples, huh?"
"We're not!"
Rosa and Lilia snap in unison again. The twin elves grin, while Akira just sighs like it's the most predictable thing in the world.
And no wonder—they're saying it because the clingball behind Rosa refuses to let go. She even tickled her harder than before, only to end up clinging even tighter.
"Will you let go already? What happened to our deal!?"
Rosa shoves at her, but Lilia's arms cinch tighter.
"No waaay! I'm exhausted from walking! And it's your fault I'm this drained—you tickled me half to death! So eager and insistent with those fingers!"
Heat flares across Rosa's cheeks, her crimson eyes snapping toward Lilia.
"Was that part necessary to shout!? And I wasn't eager!"
Akira clears her throat, sharp and deliberate. Both Rosa and Lilia freeze mid-bicker, heads swiveling toward her like puppets on strings.
"So. What're ye planning to do—besides flaunt yer lovey-dovey couple act?"
"We're not!"
Again in perfect sync. At this point, Rosa swears it's become muscle memory.
"Right, right," Akira waves them off. "Anyway—what I want is to scold this runt for nearly causing a full-blown panic."
She snatches one of the twin elves—the one still dressed as the prince—by the ear and yanks.
"Ow ow ow ow! I said I'm sorry! I panicked too, alright? Thought the crowd was gonna scream like banshees or something!"
The other elf, the one in the witch's robes, raises both hands as if diffusing a bomb.
"Now, now. I was impaled, yes—but look, I'm perfectly healthy, sparkling even! So it's fine, right?"
Akira's grip tightens, her fox ears flicking.
"Like hell it is! If the whole square had panicked, we'd be havin' a very different conversation right now!"
"Ow ow ow! O-okay! I get it! I totally get it—just don't stretch it anymore!"
With a final twist, Akira lets go and sighs. The elf hops back, clutching her reddened ear with both hands.
"Seems like they both have it rough."
Lilia pokes her head out from behind Rosa, then immediately plants her chin on Rosa's shoulder as if she owns it.
"Well, no surprise after that stunt of theirs. Even I got scared. For a moment I thought I was watching a real murder on stage."
She shrugs, voice casual. Rosa's temple vein throbs harder.
Rosa seizes the opening and jerks forward, slipping free from Lilia's grip.
"Would you let go already!?"
"Wh-whoa!"
Lilia stumbles, landing on her rear with a thud while Rosa strides toward Akira and the twins.
"Well, first things first. Which one of you is Saunnie? Or rather—are you actually two different elves?"
Rosa leans forward, bracing for any answer. Deep down she's certain they're not the same person, but some nagging details still keep her doubting.
The "prince" steps up, ear still glowing red.
"That would be me. Saunnie."
The "witch" clears her throat.
"Right, I never introduced myself properly. My name is Meunnie."
"Likewise. I'm Rosa. Pleased to know you both."
Lilia bounces up from the floor, flashing a peace sign by her eye.
"Lilia here, nice to meetcha!"
Akira adds her own introduction.
"Right. I never gave mine either. Name's Akira. I'm workin' part-time on the committee."
She bows, surprisingly formal for once.
"And I won't apologize for scolding ya—rules are rules. But I will apologize for being rough on your sibling."
When she straightens, her gaze sharpens.
"I mean it. No more stunts without warning, got it? Or every theatre in the country'll blacklist you. That warning goes for your whole troupe, not just you two."
Saunnie smiles warmly, as if the redness of her ear doesn't bother her in the slightest. Maybe it really doesn't.
"It's fine, really. I was the one who started it. Been a while since I played with Meunne, so I got carried away. Won't happen again~"
Rosa raises her hand tentatively while she gauges the air, making sure she's not interrupting anything.
"Ms. Meunnie! My friend Rosa has something to ask, it seems!"
Lilia immediately calls out, causing Rosa to dart her gaze toward her in embarrassment.
Meunnie's eyes twitch. Again, the elf's smile stiffens for a moment while Saunnie lets out a resigned exhale with a smile.
"Right, I've noticed from our earlier talks as well. Did I or Rosa offend you in some ways? We apologize if we did."
Lilia leans forward with a concerned look.
"Ah, right. I noticed as well."
Rosa follows. So it wasn't just her after all.
"W-well… how do I say it…"
Meunnie averts her gaze, beads of sweat forming on her temple as she lightly scratches her cheek. Her ears twitch for a bit.
"Ah, right. You guys didn't know. Saunnie and Meunnie are brothers. They're male elves."
Akira casually drops a bombshell of information, followed by a long silence as Rosa and Lilia just stare blankly.
Rosa's eyes widen as she glances back and forth between the two elves. Hair, attire, body proportion—even their voices are distinctly feminine. No matter how she looks at it.
"Male elves!?"
Both Rosa and Lilia shriek in yet another sync.
Akira tilts her head, her ears twitching once more.
"They didn't tell ya anything? Elves are feminine by birth, so all elves look like females no matter their gender."
"B-b-b-but, you sound like a woman as well!"
Lilia points her shaky finger at the twins.
"Yeah… that's how most, if not all, of us sound, actually," Meunnie admits, this time scratching his cheek as he averts his gaze.
Saunnie steps closer with a shrug on his shoulders.
"That's how our homeland is—ever so strict with culture. Even the concept of a brazen prince charming was a foreign concept to us."
He lets out a resigned sigh, a defeated smile tugging at his lips.
"If anyone doesn't meet the cultural standard, they'll be exiled in no time. That's what happened to us."
It is true that the fortune-teller—whether it was Saunnie or Meunnie—had told them he was exiled. The curiosity in Rosa's mind pools in her mouth as it slowly opens to ask a question.
"May I ask the exact reason you guys were exiled for?"
Meunnie smiles warmly as always, closing his eyes as he flips a strand of hair to his back.
"It was a simple reason, really. We performed a theater piece with a tale from a foreign land."
"Just once!?"
Rosa reflexively follows up. No matter how strict a country or kingdom is, there should be at least a bit of room for leniency before exile.
Saunnie waves his hand, denying the implication with the same bright smile.
"No no, of course not. When we got the warrant of exile, it wasn't the first time. More than I can count on both hands, honestly~"
"What made you keep going? You must've known exile was waiting at the end. So why not stop?"
Lilia asks, once again sneaking her chin onto Rosa's shoulder. Rosa shoots her a flat glare and pushes her away before she can lock her arms this time.
The twins exchange a glance, their eyes softening as a silent conversation passes between them. Then they nod together and face Rosa and Lilia in perfect sync.
"Because we love these stories," they answer, their voices sparkling as one.
"That's right! How could we confine ourselves in a culture cage and ignore tales from beyond our borders?" Saunnie throws his hand skyward, words carrying the theatrical weight of their stage act.
Meunnie clenches his fist to his chest, giving a determined smile. "And now that we're reunited, we can perform together again—like always."
Akira folds her arms, raising a brow. "Reunited, huh? What tore you apart in the first place? Wrong caravan, or somethin'?"
Meunnie looks at Saunnie, guilt flickering across his face. "No… it was me. I left because I wanted to play stories beyond the classic 'prince saves the damsel,' but you never listened. I thought if I went on my own, I could explore those tales. I didn't even say goodbye. I'm sorry, brother—I must've worried you sick."
He suddenly pulls Saunnie into a tight embrace.
Saunnie exhales, his smile softening as he returns the hug. "You did. But I was wrong too—for shutting you out and clinging to the same old roles. It was fun trying something new, even if it hurt to admit."
The two cling to each other, relief written plain on their faces.
Rosa feels a light tap on her shoulder. She turns to find Lilia beaming at her, arms open wide in a silent request. Rosa holds her stare, expression flat for several long seconds… then sighs with a reluctant smile and nods.
Lilia's eyes sparkle as she scoops Rosa into a hug, pressing her close.
Perhaps it isn't the worst way to end the day. Rosa had her fun. Tomorrow she'll return to her empty shop counter, waiting out the hours with only the occasional visit from a friend. But for now—warmth spreads through her scalp as gentle fingers stroke her hair, and she allows herself a smile. Just this once.