Chapter 7

The puppet master asked cautiously.

I froze for a moment, unsure how to answer, then finally nodded.

It was a second date after a blind date, so it counted as a date, didn’t it?

At my confirmation, a dark shadow fell over the puppet master’s face.

“The content of that performance is rather unusual. It’s my own play, of course, but it’s not exactly what you’d expect for a date… Are you sure you’re all right with that?”

He asked worriedly.

But I nodded firmly.

“It’s fine. I’m sure he’ll like it.”

I was certain of it.

“Get everything ready. Give me the best performance you can possibly put on.”

At my request, the puppet master nodded with a solemn expression.

This was how I prepared for my very first second date.

The early morning of the day I was supposed to meet Kai.

Outside the window, the darkness had yet to lift, and the sky was a deep blue.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I instinctively reached for the bedside table.

Instead of the familiar touch of cold metal, my hand met a glass of water.

Ah, that’s right. I wasn’t on a battlefield anymore.

I got out of bed and stretched.

Focusing on the sensation of each and every muscle waking up, I thought about the appointment I had that day.

For a moment, I felt an unfamiliar ticklish sensation in one corner of my chest.

…Am I nervous?

It was a feeling I’d never experienced on a battlefield.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and headed for the dining room.

Since it was still early, I assumed the dining room would be empty.

“Regina!”

“You’re up!”

But the moment I opened the door, two men who had been sitting at the dining table sprang to their feet as though they’d been waiting for me.

It was my father and older brother.

Normally, this was the time when they’d be running laps around the training grounds, but today, they’d apparently made a point of waiting for me.

I could feel their persistent gazes, but I pretended not to notice and calmly took my seat.

“You’re both up early.”

“That’s not the point. Today… it’s the day, isn’t it?”

My father asked cautiously, his eyes sparkling.

“Th-that scrawny little runt who’s being chased by creditors! You’re meeting him today!”

“Father, please watch your language. Regina said she had a good time with him, after all.”

My older brother tried to stop him, but his own face was just as full of curiosity.

“So, where are you meeting today? What are you going to do? And if he asks you for money to pay off his debts, absolutely do not give him any! Understand?”

The two men crowded around me, one on either side, bombarding me with questions.

I answered indifferently as I spread butter over my bread.

“Please eat your breakfast. It’ll get cold.”

“Come on, Regina! Your father is asking you—!”

“I’ll be heading out now.”

I popped the last piece of bread into my mouth and stood up.

If I stayed any longer, I felt as though I was about to be interrogated.

“Regina must be really serious about him! She cut us off so decisively!”

“Damn it… When she kept getting rejected, I prayed that things would work out with anyone at all. But now that she’s actually meeting someone, why do I feel like this?”

“I know! It hurts! I’m absolutely furious!”

I heard the two men whispering behind me in voices that were practically anguished cries.

I chuckled quietly as I left the dining room.

My family’s overprotectiveness was annoying, but at the same time, it made me feel strangely reassured.

I returned to my room and got ready to go out.

Opening my wardrobe, I picked out the neatest and most presentable clothes I owned.

They were a simple, dark navy shirt and a pair of trousers with almost no decorations.

I stood in front of the mirror.

Without thinking, I raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear, then hurriedly lowered it in surprise.

…Somehow, I don’t feel like myself.

Feeling awkward, I quickly looked away from the mirror.

But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, either.

Our meeting place was in front of The Poet’s Lamppost, a landmark of Tonyachi Street.

Long ago, a famous bard had written poems beneath that lamppost while waiting for his beloved. Ever since then, it had become a well-known meeting place for lovers.

I arrived ten minutes before our appointed time and stood beneath the lamppost, watching the people passing by.

Even though it was early in the morning, Tonyachi Street was already bustling with activity.

It’s almost time.

I was about to check my watch when I spotted someone running toward me from a distance.

A head of golden hair that stood out unmistakably even among the crowd.

It was Kai.

He came to a stop in front of me, panting for breath.

“Haa, haa… I’m not late, am I?”

Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, but a bright smile spread across his face.

The moment I saw that smile, sparkling as though it had absorbed the sunlight, my heart gave a sudden thump.

…Nervous again? Me? Why? It’s not as though I’m heading into battle.

My heart, which had remained calm even in front of enemy commanders, was reacting to nothing more than a man’s smile.

“It’s exactly on time. You’re not late.”

I answered curtly, deliberately trying to conceal my embarrassment.

“Thank goodness. Coming through the front door instead of the window turned out to be quite a challenge. I had to work pretty hard to get past the surveillance.”

Kai spoke playfully, then looked around with eager eyes.

“So? Where’s that ‘special place’ you prepared? Let’s hurry up and see it!”

“This way.”

I led him deeper into the alley.

Kai marveled at every little detail of Tonyachi Street like a child visiting an amusement park for the first time.

He stared at graffiti on the ground and seriously analyzed it, asking, “What kind of hieroglyphics are these?”

Then he listened to a street musician playing and started keeping the beat, remarking, “They’ve got a good sense of rhythm.”

I thought he looked rather cute like that.

It seemed Kai was experiencing this kind of culture for the first time.

Well, he’d probably never had much time to spare while being chased by creditors.

We arrived at a small theater with a worn-out sign hanging above its entrance.

As we stepped inside, I noticed its unusual layout. Tables were arranged in a circle around a central stage.

“Wow, what an interesting setup.”

Kai looked around repeatedly as he took the seat at the table I’d led him to.

He ran his hand over the hard wooden chair and exclaimed in admiration.

“No cushions? My backside might get sore sitting here. I love this raw, unpolished feeling.”

A staff member approached and set down the light wine and glasses I’d requested in advance.

“Are we still responsible for pouring our own drinks today?”

Kai asked with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Apparently, he remembered what had happened at the teahouse last time.

I chuckled and nodded.

“If you’d like, I could pour yours for you.”

“No, I’ll pass. I’ve had quite enough of your rough handiwork after seeing it once.”

We each tilted our own wine bottles and filled our glasses.

After that, Kai’s gaze remained fixed on the stage.

His golden eyes sparkled with anticipation, shining like stars even beneath the dim lighting.

A short while later, the lights went out, and a spotlight illuminated the stage.

The puppet master appeared, holding the worn-out knight puppet.

“Ooh…”

Kai let out a quiet gasp.

The puppet show, The Last Knight’s Dance, began.

The plot was simple.

A knight who had lost everything on the battlefield, whose very body had been broken.

Yet, clinging to the single promise he’d made in childhood—to protect the princess—he continued fighting against endless waves of enemies.

The puppet master’s movements were almost supernatural.

Every time the knight puppet’s joints creaked, its movements conveyed unbearable anguish. Every swing of its broken sword carried a tragic, solemn beauty.

I became so absorbed in the performance that I barely breathed.

The image of the puppet began to overlap with the faces of my comrades who had fallen on the battlefield.

Their screams, the scent of blood… and their eyes, which had never let go of their swords, even in their final moments.

The climax of the play arrived.

In the end, the knight was surrounded by his enemies, who tore off his limbs one by one.

But at the moment of his death, a princess appeared like an illusion. She gently caressed his bloodstained cheek and whispered:

“Your vow shall become a star, shining eternally.”

Only then did the knight close his eyes with a peaceful smile.

The lights slowly faded, leaving nothing but silence hanging over the theater.

For a long while, I stared blankly at the stage.

Something hot surged up from deep within my chest.

…Ah.