For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 34 - Goddess Of Spring Festival (1)

#34. Goddess Of Spring Festival (1)

 

“I wonder who came up with this festival-like thing.”

 

As Lia pressed firmly against May’s waist, May let out a grunt. Lately, both of them had been using their bodies more than their heads. It was why they’d been grunting to the dorm. 

 

“Now it’s my turn.”

 

After giving May’s shoulders a final rub, Lia collapsed onto the bed. Every night, they massaged each other like this before bed. Otherwise, they couldn’t bear the soreness throughout their bodies. May pressed firmly on Lia’s waist with both hands. Every time, a whimper escaped Lia’s lips. Her reactions were especially strong when May pressed on the tense spots.

 

“So? How are you feeling these days?”

 

“It’s tough, you know.”

 

“I know all about it.”

 

“So, what about you?”

 

Pretending not to understand, May smacked Lia’s back with her palm, making a slapping sound.

 

“Ouch!”

 

“How are things going with the guy who confessed to you!” 

 

Feeling a chill on her back, Lia turned to glare at May. Moreover, bringing up that topic when they were deliberately avoiding it.

 

“What’s going well….”

 

“Has anything new happened since then?”

 

“No!”

 

Just uttering those words made her feel awkward. May lay down beside Lia, burying her head between her arms.

 

“Considering how boldly he confessed, progress seems slow.”

 

“If there’s progress, it’ll be awkward. You’re just enjoying this, aren’t you?”

 

Because they were speaking through their arms, Lia’s voice sounded muffled. Whether Lia felt awkward or not, May was indeed enjoying herself.

 

“If there weren’t even these little thrills in this boring palace life, how could I survive?”

 

“I don’t want to be one of May’s amusements.”

 

May propped her chin and began to ponder seriously.

 

“At first, it was a bit unfortunate. But honestly, with that appearance, it’s not bad. You didn’t seem to dislike it either. How about just accepting it?”

 

“What are you talking about!”

 

Lia quickly got up and slapped May’s arm. May exaggeratedly rubbed her arm, pretending it hurt.

 

“It hurts! So what? What’s the reason it can’t happen?”

 

“There’s no reason for it to happen! I think Mr. Kevin is a good Perthon, but that doesn’t mean I like him!”

 

She wasn’t exactly sure what “liking” meant, but she at least knew it wasn’t what she was feeling for Kevin right now, and there was no way she could accept him in this state. 

 

“What about Mr. Perth?”

 

“Why bring up Mr. Perth?”

 

“He’s not at all?”

 

“We’re just friends.”

 

Regardless of how Lia felt, the other party didn’t seem to be just a simple friend. As May narrowed her eyes, Lia’s face flushed.

 

“Don’t make that strange expression!”

 

“Well, what if you started dating Mr. Perth?”

 

Although Lia wanted to ask why May was saying such things, she found herself unintentionally imagining it. What if she and Perth became like that…? As their distance closed… when she closed her eyes…

 

“Ah!”

 

Startled by her imagination, Lia unintentionally screamed. May quickly covered her mouth.

 

“Are you acting like this because you want to be called by the caretaker?”

 

“Mmmh!”

 

Only after receiving a firm confirmation of silence could May’s grip loosen. Lia, breathing heavily, had tears welling up in her eyes.

 

“Because May said something strange!”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Judging by Lia’s reaction, it seemed like she wasn’t entirely disinterested. She kept insisting they were just friends, but if she became aware, it seemed only a matter of time.

 

“Things are getting interesting.”

 

* * *

 

It’s awkward. There was nothing particularly awkward going on, but Lia found herself unnecessarily being cautious. The silence from her normally chattering self throughout dinner made Perth notice. As usual, the two of them were having dinner in the yard. Summer seemed to be approaching slowly; the sun hadn’t set yet.

 

“It’s getting a bit warmer now.”

 

Following Perth’s gaze up at the sky, Lia also looked up. The vast blue sky was gradually tinted with crimson. It was a sight that never got old, no matter how many times she saw it. They stared at the sky in silence for a while. 

 

Glancing sideways, Perth’s face was bathed in the light of the setting sun. She had thought this since they first met, but he was truly someone who could be a painting even when he was still. From his indifferent expression, it was impossible to guess what he was feeling.

 

“What are you thinking?”

 

When she asked, Perth turned to look at Lia. Meeting his gaze, she felt strangely startled for no reason.

 

“Just thinking it’s okay to take a brief break amidst the busyness.”

 

“Oh. Are you busy these days?”

 

He replied with a sigh. Just from the slight furrow of his brow, she could tell how busy he was. With the duties of being an aide already keeping him occupied, it was obvious he had also taken on the role of festival director and conductor.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“Who’s bothering you? If someone is, tell me!”

 

“It’s my superior who’s been bothering me lately.”

 

“I can listen. That’s what friends are for.”

 

Awkwardly smiling, Lia responded. Perth also burst into laughter, smiling back at her. Although it was said in jest, recently, Prince Alfonse had indeed been giving him a hard time.

 

“Do you remember that the prince has a flower allergy?”

 

“Oh, right. So that’s why there are no flowers in this yard.”

 

Although Lia had accidentally bloomed a flower before, there was no trace left. Since then, the yard has been flourishing again.

 

“During the Goddess Festival, he gets irritated because of the flower decorations, around this time every year.”

 

Perth’s role was to handle that straightforwardly. He questioned why they needed to decorate him with flowers when he was naturally beautiful. Perth’s consistent response was always, ‘Because it’s tradition,’ a dull answer he repeated every day.

 

“A flower allergy? That must be tough. Does he get itchy or something when he touches flowers?”

 

“It’s just that he doesn’t like seeing them.”

 

And Perth seemed to dislike Alfonse for it. Seeing someone who usually doesn’t express emotions so clearly being so visibly uncomfortable.

 

“Is it the scent…? The pollen?”

 

“The flowers themselves are the problem. They just remind him of things.”

 

There was trauma associated with Alfonse’s first love. Being rejected by his first love might be the reason why he is so frivolous now. Of course, there was also resentment towards the arranged engagement he was born into. He understood his feelings, but since Perth had to handle the aftermath, he hoped it wouldn’t be too burdensome.

 

“Uh… I don’t understand, but it must be tough.”

 

“It’s something that happens every year, so I’m used to it.”

 

“I guess Mr. Perth has no good memories of festivals every year.”

 

That wasn’t entirely wrong. Taking care of Alfonse was Perth’s daily routine. He didn’t particularly enjoy the festivals either.

 

“And isn’t it hard for Lady Lia too?”

 

“Well… it would be a lie to say it’s not difficult.”

 

Physically, it was challenging every day. Without comforting each other, it would be hard to endure. When she laid her head on the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep without worrying. When she opened her eyes, it was morning.

 

“But still, this is the first festival I’ll be attending since coming to the palace. I’m looking forward to what kind of festival it will be. It’s also nice when my abilities can be of help!”

 

Seeing her filled with expectation, he felt he couldn’t betray that hope. Even if others didn’t know, especially if it was her expectation. He replied without avoiding her burdened gaze.

 

“…I’ll do my best.”

 

“Oh, I didn’t mean you should try too hard. I’m just having my own expectations. Don’t push yourself too much!”

 

“Yes, thank you.”

 

He always did his best anyway. Even without seeing it directly, just hearing about it from May was enough to know how much he was overexerting himself. Just by seeing the increasing bags under his eyes, she could easily guess.

 

“What kind of festival will it be? It seems the same every year, but it’s a bit different each time.”

 

“This time, we’ve decided to expand the guest list a bit more. We’ve invited famous foreign figures as well. We’re also preparing many performances that actively utilize talented individuals. We want to make it enjoyable for all citizens as much as possible.”

 

“Wow! That sounds fun!”

 

The Goddess Festival was not only a festival enjoyed by all citizens of Psychedelia but also an opportunity to showcase Psychedelia’s grandeur to foreign countries. Perth wanted to show through this festival the unique aspect of Psychedelia where talented individuals could showcase their abilities.

 

“So, what I wanted to say is….”

 

Before speaking, Perth hesitated for a moment. It was unusual to see him hesitate when he usually spoke so smoothly, making her even more curious about what he had to say.

 

“Since this is the festival I first planned, I want to make sure everyone is enjoying it.”

 

As Perth spoke, his eyes were slightly lowered. Because of that, his eyelashes trembled slightly. Somehow, he seemed nervous.

 

“If you’re okay with it… would you like to… come along… and see?”

 

Together? Lia couldn’t believe that Perth was the one who suggested it. She held her breath for a moment. Although his face didn’t change color, somehow Perth seemed embarrassed. Lia felt her face heating up too. Instead of replying, she nodded her head slightly. If it hadn’t been for the sunset, her blushing face might have been noticed.

 

“Then, probably on the last day when the parade ends, there will likely be free time before we return. Let’s meet then.”

 

“Yes.”

 

She was already looking forward to the festival a lot. But somehow, this festival felt even more special.

 

“I’ll prepare diligently too!”

 

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

 

They exchanged the same words and smiled at each other.

 

* * *

 

Once again, hectic days continued. Lia felt like she was about to collapse from exhaustion, but thinking about her promise to Perth gave her strength. When she felt like she wanted to rest, Kevin quickly noticed and told her to come and see the state of the Miracle of the Desert. She soon realized his consideration. This time, perhaps he was tired too, as he followed her.

 

“I feel like I could die like this.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“There have been more than a few times when I wanted to do something about that aide.”

 

“Mr. Perth?”

 

“Having a reliable aide is good, but being overly strict is just…”

 

Kevin shook his head with a disgusted expression. Through this festival work, Lia also learned how Perth was cold and meticulous in handling things. She could understand May’s feeling of disgust a little bit.

 

“Still, I’m looking forward to the festival. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we’ve worked hard for it.”

 

“Well, we’ll be participating in the parade too, so it’ll be even more hectic during the festival. But we’ll make sure you get a break just before it ends. You can participate in the festival then.”

 

His words reminded her of the promise she made with Perth. Lia laughed without even realizing it.

 

“That’s what I was planning on doing anyway.”

 

“Really? Then…”

 

Walking side by side, Kevin took a step ahead and blocked Lia’s path.

 

“Do you want to go with me?”