Chapter 3

As a woman, one should devote herself to her home, her husband, and her siblings.

This is common sense in the country of Kōen.

Even so, I think this is a bit much.

In the waiting room, there are four young girls and me.

The five selected candidates from the five major families are here for the young emperor, who is only five years old.

"Whyyyyy!"

"Princess, please stop crying. If you continue like this, we won't be able to perform the dance."

The one who has been crying all along is the princess of the Zhu family.

The Zhu family is related to the Liu family, so in a broad sense, we could be considered family.

It seems that this princess has a shy personality and is not good at such formal occasions.

After all, she is only five years old...

Young ladies from good families start learning etiquette from around the age of three. At five, they have just begun to learn dancing, singing, and reading and writing.

Such formal occasions are usually experienced around the age of ten, so it's understandable that she would cry when suddenly brought to the palace.

"Whyyyyy, I want to go home!"

I wonder who has a stronger desire to go home, this child or me.

I feel like we are comrades.

Feeling a bit sorry for her, I knelt beside her.

Normally, I shouldn't be in this position, but since she is a small girl, it's better to be at eye level with her.

"Princess, are you thirsty? Wipe away your tears and let's have some tea together."

"Hic... hic..."

When I spoke to her, she stared at me intently.

Her big eyes are so cute!

Her plump cheeks and cherry-colored lips, her dark brown hair tied into buns on either side, and the decorations that sway adorably.

Judging by her build, she is probably the same age as my younger brother, Feilong, who is five.

My brother is mischievous, so this princess is quite different.

Oh, how cute.

I almost want to invite her to have some sweets with me.

When I smiled at her, she opened her mouth.

"Li...?"

"I am Liu Linfeng."

When I introduced myself, a lady-in-waiting respectfully continued for the young girl.

"This is Princess Maimi of the Zhu family. She visited the Liu family during last year's banquet."

It seems we have met before.

However, neither of us remembers each other's faces or names.

The Zhu family has three daughters.

This girl is probably the youngest princess.

I took out my handkerchief from my sleeve and wiped Maimi's eyes and cheeks.

"It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. Today, we will all dance, sing, and play the erhu together. It's fine not to cry."

No matter how well-bred a girl is, at this age, her individual personality will still show.

Although I am often described as having a bold personality, I can understand the fear and tears of a child who is in an unfamiliar place with many people.

Since I am definitely not a suitable candidate for the imperial concubine, I have no intention of competing. Instead, I want to help these girls have a healthy and pleasant experience.

I had the lady-in-waiting prepare some warm tea for Princess Maimi, and I sat back down, placing her on my lap.

"Shall we do something while we wait?"

When I took a hugging posture from behind, she fit perfectly into my arms.

"That's a very cute decorative sash. Are the flowers camellias? There are butterflies too."

When I commented on her sash, Princess Maimi smiled happily. It seems she is delighted to wear such beautiful clothes.

"We still have some time. Shall we tell some fun stories? Or shall I play the erhu and we practice dancing?"

At this age, a child can dance to about five songs.

If I play the erhu and we all dance, it might help these girls feel better.

"Will you play for us, big sister?"

"!"

The way Princess Maimi called me "big sister" made my heart flutter.

I will play...!

Big sister will play for you forever if you want...!

Unlike my real brother, who shows no interest in music, I was instantly captivated by Princess Maimi's cuteness.

"Big sister will play a lot for you~"

My face relaxed without me realizing it.

The dignity of being a daughter of the Liu family flew away somewhere.

"Would everyone like to join in?"

After placing Princess Maimi on the floor, I smiled and called out to the other three girls, who were watching me.

There was an erhu from the Liu family in the waiting room, and I picked it up to prepare for the performance.

"Alright, since this is practice, let's enjoy dancing while singing."

The young princesses followed my words obediently and lined up in the center of the spacious waiting room.

The ladies-in-waiting looked a bit relieved.

Even though they are not as high-born as us, they are still from good families.

Dealing with young children (especially those of higher status) must be exhausting for them.

I don't know how much longer we have to wait, but since the banquet starts at noon, I can guess we still have some time based on the height of the sun.

"Then, let's start with a spring song."

When I announced this, the four princesses nodded in unison.

How cute.

I almost want to become their erhu teacher.

Being a daughter of the Liu family, my father would never allow me to work...

Ah, why do I have to marry into another family?

I want to stay like this forever.

As I sighed in my heart and prepared to play the erhu, I suddenly felt a gaze from the adjacent room and glanced over.

The upper half of the black door is a lattice, and there are probably guards on the other side.

I can't see them, but the gaze must be coming from there.

"..."

Although the gaze is a bit distracting, it's not unusual for the guards to be looking this way.

I quickly focused my attention back on the princesses and began to play a gentle melody.