Chapter 72

The Shintōri ceremony is now over.

After thanking the knights guarding the side passage of the royal palace, Cain and Dianna returned to the line.

When they thanked the people in front and behind them in the line, they were smoothly allowed to join the queue.

It seemed that their proper greetings before entering had paid off, as an unknown auntie patted Dianna's head, saying, "Good job, big brother."

Thanks to her nap, Dianna still seemed energetic, and the three of them passed the time by playing word games and riddles.

"Thank you, God, for this year!!"

While they were playing a game of guessing the number of thumbs raised as a signal, a loud voice of gratitude to God was heard from the front of the line. When the three of them looked up to see what was happening,

"Thank you!!"

A chorus of the latter part of the phrase rose from the surrounding people.

Dianna was so surprised by the loudness of the voices that she jumped up on the spot. "Dianna, you're such a cute bunny, hehehehe," Cain laughed, covering his mouth, which Ilvareno pretended not to notice.

"Please take good care of us, God, for the coming year!!"

This time, words of welcome to God were heard from the front of the line. The three of them nodded to each other and then joined the surrounding people in raising their voices.

"Please take good care of us, God, for the coming year!!"

Clang. Clang.

While the echo of the chorus was still lingering, the sound of the bell rang out.

It was the signal that the year had ended and a new one had begun.

Clapping with their gloved hands, the line moved forward, and they followed along.

Occasionally, the light sound of a bell mixed in, but the sound of the large bell continued to ring out without stopping.

"The sound of the bell is sometimes loud and sometimes soft."

Dianna pointed to the sky and said this. Although the sound wasn't actually visible in the sky, Cain also felt the sound of the bell, rung at the front of the line, resonating through the air above and spreading throughout the town. When he looked up at the sky, it seemed to be clouding over.

"It's probably because of the strength of the person ringing it. Those who can swing the bell widely must produce a louder sound."

"Then I'll try my best to make the loudest sound!"

Dianna puffed out her cheeks and was full of determination.

Finally, it was the three of their turn. The attendant next to the bell offered Dianna a small bell's rope, saying, "Since you're small, this one would be better for you."

Indeed, the occasional light bell sound that had been mixed in was for the smaller children, Cain nodded. However, Dianna puffed out her cheeks and, in a ladylike manner, sent a strong gaze to Cain, asking for help without directly complaining to the attendant.

"Alright, leave it to me!"

With a wry smile, Cain was happy to be relied on. He beckoned Ilvareno to stand directly under the main bell. After telling the attendant, "We'll ring it together," the attendant nodded and retracted the small bell's rope.

Cain lifted Dianna by the armpits and placed her hands on the rope to ring the bell.

"Make sure you hold on tight."

While holding Dianna, Cain also grabbed the rope from behind. Ilvareno stood opposite Dianna and firmly gripped the rope just below where Cain was holding it.

After a nod between Cain and Ilvareno, Cain called out,

"One, two, three!"

Cain and Ilvareno stretched up for a moment and then leaned their full weight into pulling the rope. Dianna's feet, which had been off the ground, touched the ground firmly, and the rope was pulled so much that her knees bent.

A loud clang echoed.

The rope was pulled up with momentum. Cain and Ilvareno, still firmly gripping the rope, and Dianna, supported from behind by Cain, were pulled up by the rope, causing another loud clang.

When the rope reached its highest point, Cain and Ilvareno leaned their weight into pulling it down again, causing the rope to be pulled so much that the two boys bent their knees, and another loud clang echoed.

The people present thought that the sound of the bell, which was surely the loudest of the day, resonated throughout the town as they watched the three children.

The gathering for the Shintōri ceremony for the nobility in the palace's front courtyard was just about to end as Cain and Dianna returned.

Dismaia and Elise, who had received their coats from the butler, Parepantle, and were putting them on, smiled at the satisfied Dianna.

"You managed to ring the bell this year. That's great."

"To be awake until the New Year, Dianna is really growing up."

Dianna, with a flushed face and clearly a bit tipsy from her parents, was being praised, but she was feeling quite sleepy.

She had been excited and wide awake until she rang the bell, but seeing her parents' faces and the warm environment of the palace's front courtyard, which was maintained by magic, her eyelids began to droop.

Satisfied with achieving her goal of ringing the New Year's bell, she was getting sleepy but not fussing, just swaying.

Ilvareno had retrieved Cain and Dianna's coats from the cloakroom, and Cain helped Dianna put hers on. Ilvareno then helped Cain put his on, and the family walked to the carriage stop and got into the carriage to return home.

It seemed that the butler, Parepantle, and Ilvareno were having a conversation in the driver's seat, but Cain, who was in the carriage with his family, couldn't hear what they were saying. He was too busy stroking Dianna's head, which was resting on his lap, and admiring her adorable sleeping face to pay attention to the conversation outside the carriage.

☆☆☆

"Sold out? All the items at the orphanage's stall were sold?"

In Cain's private room, where he had been playing a game of "Dianna and the Maiden Knight Nina" with Dianna, he was surprised to hear Ilvareno's report.

The news was that all the items sold at the orphanage's stall on the day of the Shintōri ceremony had been sold out.

The items included embroidered handkerchiefs made by the children of the orphanage as an extension of their play and accessories made by Selenosta, a former orphanage child, during her apprenticeship. Even though some of the handkerchiefs were poorly made, with uneven stitching and loose threads.

"It seems that a custom called 'Osebo' was popular in the commoner's district. It's a custom of giving gifts to people who have helped you during the year on the day of the Shintōri ceremony."

Ilvareno explained to Cain what Selenosta had told her.

Selenosta, a former orphanage child, was living in an accessory workshop as a live-in apprentice. At her workplace, items for mothers and helpful daughters were popular, not for lovers or crushes.

It was apparently the idea of a young girl helping with the office work at the accessory shop, though the details were unknown.

Young men who had suddenly decided to follow this custom and were in a hurry to find gifts for their mothers ended up buying the handkerchiefs from the orphanage.

They were sold for reasons like "It's a relief" or "I can claim I made the embroidery myself," so the children at the orphanage should continue to improve their embroidery skills.

"Osebo..."

The naming of the year-end gift-giving event as "Osebo" clearly came from someone with the same knowledge as Cain's past life.

There was someone else in this world with memories of their past life. Whether this would contribute to Dianna's happiness, hinder it, or have no impact at all, was a concern for Cain.

He was also worried about the talk of "another world" from the mysterious dark woman.

Whether the meaning or role of being born with memories of a past life would be revealed in the future was a matter of concern.

"Gotcha!"

Cain's head was tapped by the holy sword Ariadne.

Seeing her smug face, Cain's heart warmed, and he hugged Dianna tightly, rubbing his cheek against her soft cheeks and sniffing her head.

"You're strong, Knight Dianna."

Saying this, he lifted her, spun her around, and then collapsed onto the bed, laughing.

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