The night before, Lizzy had reminded Revanio that they would be going together to the second day of the Festival. His only response had been an indistinct murmur, half-asleep and wholly unconvincing. Because of that, Lizzy feared he might disappear at the last moment. So early that morning, she waited in front of his room.
With practiced politeness, she knocked on the door. "Are you inside?" she asked.
Not long after, the door opened — revealing Revanio already dressed neatly, fully prepared to leave.
"Don't make so much noise," he said flatly, flicking Lizzy's forehead backward so she would stop blocking the doorway. Without another word, he walked past her and headed downstairs.
Lizzy could only shrug. Though being ignored was irritating, at the very least, Revanio hadn't forgotten their promise and was willing to go to the Festival after all. She quickly followed him, and the two of them had breakfast together before leaving.
The most excited person about the second day of the Festival was Milliane. Her face glowed with delight the moment they arrived. She cheerfully grabbed Lizzy's and Revanio's hands, pulling them toward a Wolfen Dog clown. From behind them came a familiar voice calling out.
When Lizzy turned, she saw Prince Orangel approaching in disguise, his ginger hair carefully hidden. Beside him stood Lady Ceres, wearing a white cloak that covered her head completely. Lizzy couldn't help but think how difficult it must be for nobles like them to attend public events such as this.
"Milliane, how have you been?" Prince Orangel greeted warmly as he walked closer. "Wow, you've grown taller in just a few weeks."
Milliane squealed with joy and sprinted toward him, climbing onto his back in one swift motion. "Big Brother Orange!" she exclaimed, overflowing with excitement.
Her reaction stood in sharp contrast to Revanio's. His expression darkened the moment the couple appeared. He even shot Lizzy a sharp glare. Unfortunately, Lizzy didn't understand why — she had completely forgotten to tell him that they would be meeting Prince Orangel and Lady Ceres as well.
"Good morning, Lady Ceres," Lizzy greeted politely. Ceres stood a little awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable in such a crowded place.
"There's no need to call me that, Lizzy. Right now, I'm just an ordinary person," Ceres replied, gesturing to the white cloak she wore.
Lizzy nodded in understanding. "Doesn't it stand out too much?"
Ceres shook her head and pointed toward the flow of people around them. Several were wearing similar cloaks. "Mages usually go out dressed like this," she explained.
At the word mages, Lizzy instinctively hid behind Ceres. "M-Mages? What are mages doing in a place like this?"
Ceres blinked in confusion at Lizzy's reaction before letting out a soft laugh.
"They're probably just hunting for cheap magical tools."
Lizzy frowned in annoyance. "They should be shopping at Madame Morgana's Magic Shop instead," she muttered. The items there were restocked monthly, their quality guaranteed by direct delivery from the Magic Tower. Buying dubious tools elsewhere was just asking for trouble.
"Hahaha, you're right. It's been a while since I've gone there myself. Is Madame Morgana doing well?" Prince Orangel chimed in suddenly. By now, Milliane was comfortably seated on his shoulder, munching on fruit skewers. Revanio, meanwhile, stood some distance away, clearly uninterested in joining the conversation.
"She's doing well. She asked me to pass along her regards if I met you," Lizzy replied, opening her mouth as Milliane fed her another skewer.
Prince Orangel immediately shook his head. "Don't call me 'Your Highness'! I'll get into trouble if people recognize me," he pleaded.
Lizzy clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. It's a habit."
"There's no need to apologize. He's the one at fault," Revanio cut in coldly. He glared at Prince Orangel and lifted Milliane off his shoulders without ceremony. Without another word, he headed toward a game stall.
Prince Orangel sulked instantly. He crouched down and began drawing abstract shapes in the dirt with a twig, refusing to speak. Clearly, he was pouting. Lady Ceres noticed at once and patiently soothed him. Lizzy, meanwhile, chose to leave them be and followed Revanio, who had already walked off with Milliane.
Lizzy knew Revanio had a difficult personality, but today he seemed more irritating than usual. Was it because of Prince Orangel and Lady Ceres? Now that she thought about it, he hadn't greeted either of them at all.
"Big Brother, I want that doll! It looks just like Moriga!" Milliane exclaimed, pointing at a stall displaying cat plushies. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a shooting game booth.
"In that case, I'll get it for you," Lizzy said confidently. She took the crossbow handed to her by the stall attendant and aimed at the cat doll Milliane wanted.
The first shot—miss.
The second—miss.
The third—miss.
Revanio and Milliane began to doubt her shooting skills.
"D-Don't worry! This time I'll definitely hit it," Lizzy insisted. But her fourth shot failed as well.
"Lizzy, don't push yourself," Milliane said gently, patting Lizzy's red hair as she crouched down in defeat.
Unexpectedly, Revanio burst out laughing. "You can't even do something this simple? Pathetic," he mocked smugly.
Lizzy's tears immediately retreated. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.
"And you think you can?"
Without hesitation, Revanio took the crossbow from her and calmly aimed.
"Watch carefully," he said.
Lizzy scoffed, unconvinced. He was probably just trying to show off in front of his sister.
Thwip! Thunk!
"Congratulations! You win!" the stall attendant cheered along with Milliane.
Lizzy stared in disbelief. He did it in one shot?!
She did her best to ignore Revanio's smug look. Fine. I can do something too.
Scanning the Festival grounds, Lizzy searched for a game she could win easily. Her smile bloomed when she spotted the Ring the Bell game — a strength-based challenge using a large hammer.
"Milliane, do you want to try that one? The prizes look good," Lizzy said, leading her to the booth. Milliane's eyes sparkled at the sight of a cat-ear headband among the rewards.
"Lizzy, I want that!"
"Alright. This time, I'll definitely get it," Lizzy promised, shooting a sideways glance at Revanio, who watched with his arms crossed.
She rubbed her hands together and gripped the hammer. This time, she wouldn't be underestimated. Taking a deep breath, Lizzy swung.
Bang! Riiiiing!
The indicator shot up — breaking the all-time record.
Lizzy exhaled in relief. Thankfully, she'd held back. If she'd used her full strength, they might've been charged for damages instead of receiving a prize.
"Incredible, miss. You're very strong. This is the first time anyone has reached such a score," the attendant praised sincerely. "Please, choose any prize you like."
Lizzy proudly selected the cat-ear headband and placed it on Milliane's head. "Here. I won it just for you," she said, sticking out her tongue at Revanio.
"Wow, what's this? You two suddenly playing the role of good siblings?" Prince Orangel appeared again, chewing on churros, snacks piled in his arms. It seemed he'd recovered from his sulking — perhaps bribed by sweets courtesy of Lady Ceres.
Lizzy and Revanio exchanged glances before both turning their attention to Lady Ceres, who was now guiding Milliane toward a goldfish-scooping stall. It seemed everyone wanted to give Milliane a gift.
Not wanting to be left behind, Prince Orangel dragged Milliane to a ring-toss booth after the fish game. By the end, Milliane had accumulated an impressive pile of prizes. Thanks to her, the awkward tension between the adults softened.
"How about we try the water gun game next?" Prince Orangel suggested enthusiastically.
All three girls agreed immediately. Only Revanio refused. "I don't want to get my clothes wet."
Lizzy and Milliane booed him in unison. "Booo! No fun!"
Revanio retaliated by ruffling Milliane's hair — and pinching Lizzy's cheeks until they stretched. "You're both incredibly rude," he scolded.
In the end, only the four of them played the water gun game. The teams were decided quickly: Prince Orangel and Milliane versus Lizzy and Lady Ceres. They played until their clothes were soaked through. Predictably, Prince Orangel and Milliane won. Lizzy and Ceres had deliberately held back so Milliane could win the bubble gun set.
"This was fun… but I'm completely drenched," Lizzy muttered, inspecting her wet clothes.
"You'll catch a cold like this. Do you have spare clothes?" Ceres asked with concern as the air began to cool.
Lizzy shrugged helplessly. "I didn't expect this to happen."
"In that case," Revanio said calmly, "shouldn't the one who invited everyone take responsibility?"
Prince Orangel blinked a few times before understanding. "Oh. Right. Then I'll buy you all replacement clothes."
Lizzy quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Your Highness, you don't have to listen to everything he says. He might just be bullying you."
Prince Orangel laughed softly and whispered back, "You should know—Revanio's love language is complaining."
Lizzy shuddered. That was… unsettling.
True to his word, Prince Orangel bought them new clothes — high-quality ones, no less.
"This feels excessive," Lizzy murmured.
"It suits you," Ceres said warmly. Milliane nodded enthusiastically. "Lizzy looks so pretty!"
"It's fine. Consider it a gift," Prince Orangel said, satisfied. "How about dinner? Some good places nearby just opened."
"Oh, food? I won't say no," Lizzy replied instantly.
Ceres and Milliane agreed, leaving only Revanio. "What do you think, Captain?" Prince Orangel asked.
Revanio nodded. "I don't mind. It's about time for dinner."
Prince Orangel immediately threw an arm around him — only to be pushed away. Laughing, the Prince led them to a restaurant Revanio recommended. They ordered enough food to fill the table, all paid for by Prince Orangel once again.
After dinner, they watched a magic show. Revanio scowled when Milliane ran into her schoolmate, Constantine Mimosa. Anything involving Milliane made him overly protective. According to Ceres, that was proof of what a good brother he was.
Lizzy felt it too. Perhaps because Revanio was close in age to her own older sibling, she sensed that same protective aura. Though he scolded her often, she sometimes felt it was his way of caring — something she stubbornly refused to admit.
"Lizzy, I want to give you something," Ceres said softly during the show, presenting a pair of cat-shaped keychains. "This is a symbol of our friendship. I hope you'll keep it."
"Thank you so much! I'll treasure it like a family heirloom," Lizzy replied solemnly.
"It's not expensive—there's no need to treat it like that," Ceres said awkwardly. Still, she smiled when Lizzy looked genuinely happy.
"It doesn't matter if it's expensive or not," Lizzy said gently. "If it comes from someone precious, then it becomes precious too."
Ceres was deeply touched. Even Prince Orangel, listening quietly, smiled. He felt relieved knowing Ceres had found a sincere friend.
The climax of the second Festival day was the fireworks display. They watched together, laughter and light filling the sky. Exhausted from playing all day, Lizzy and Milliane fell asleep before the show ended. With gentle smiles, Prince Orangel and Lady Ceres helped Revanio carry them — and Milliane's mountain of prizes — into the carriage.
The Festival ended to the sound of their soft, peaceful snores.
That night, Glorious slowly returned to silence. The lanterns that had glowed like fallen stars were extinguished one by one, leaving only the pale moon to watch over the city. The laughter faded, the music dissolved into memory, and the streets — once overflowing with joy — now felt vast and hollow, as though the city itself was catching its breath.
Lizzy slept deeply that night. Perhaps it was exhaustion. Perhaps it was comfort.
Or perhaps, for the first time since arriving in this world, she allowed herself to rest without fear.
But even in sleep, fragments of the Festival lingered.
Fireworks bloomed behind her closed eyes. Milliane's laughter echoed softly. Warm hands, gentle voices, fleeting moments that felt too precious to last. Somewhere in that dream, Lizzy smiled.