Lingering thoughts
"Oh! Your Highness, you do appear utterly resplendent in the beautiful gown I have fashioned for you. Green does indeed suit you exquisitely."
"Do you truly think so, Miss Akiyama?" Nene gazes intently at her elegant, yet unpretentious attire.
Her seamstress possesses unparalleled talent; none can rival her skill in manifesting one's envisioned desires into tangible reality. The princess has long known Miss Akiyama, having been swathed in her exquisite creations since birth, and she fervently hopes to be adorned in her artistry until the end of her days, though such aspirations may be hindered by their age disparity.
"Marvelous! A truly unique princess indeed! Might I also solicit the opinion of the esteemed governess?" The seamstress beams warmly, casting her gaze upon the ever-impassive governess.
"As per usual, Her Royal Highness presents a formidable look." Mafuyu responds, ensuring every detail of the princess's attire remains impeccable.
"My, my~ Can you be any more acerbic?" Miss Akiyama Mizuki inquires in jest.
"Is there not anywhere else where you are required, Miss Akiyama? Or is it a daily endeavor of yours to vex me?"
"Why, assuredly~ For you are in need of one to chide you as you do to others. Are you not pleased it is I, Miss Asahina?" Mizuki's mischievous smile lightens the mood, reflecting the nature of their...unique friendship.
"I shall refrain from commenting. Conduct thyself with decorum, Miss Akiyama, or the princess shall ask for your head for impolite comportment before her."
"My sincerest apologies, Your Highness, how could I? Henceforth, I shall need your governess's counsel to redeem myself!"
"Do you not proclaim this every occasion, Miss Akiyama? I believe the governess grows weary of your empty vows." Nene chuckles in amusement.
"You are ready, Your Highness; shall we proceed? I am to instruct you in mathematics yet again this day."
"Indeed, governess. I thank you, Miss Akiyama; I truly adore the new gown." Nene states as Mizuki performs a respectful bow.
"Anything to please my cherished princess." Mizuki commenced the tidying of the chamber, brimming with fabrics, needles, and sundries, when, lo and behold, she was unexpectedly pricked by one of her own needles. "Ouch...for heaven's sake...again?" A soft chuckle escaped her lips, whilst Mafuyu turned her gaze, ensuring Mizuki was unharmed.
"Pray, Miss Akiyama, exercise utmost caution; your delicate fingers are essential for your artistry in fashion..." Mafuyu tenderly grasped the seamstress's hand to inspect the injury, eliciting a smile from Mizuki.
"I am most grateful for your concern, Miss Asahina; I assure you, I am well."
"Excellent, I hope for you to remain in good health for the entirety of the day." Their eyes lock for a fleeting moment, exchanging gentle and warm sentiments through mere glances. Nene reflects upon the beauty of their unique...friendship.
"Your Highness, I beg your pardon for the intrusion." A familiar voice prompted Nene to direct her attention toward the entrance, where an individual entered the room.
"General Shinonome, it does bring me great joy to behold you, how did your training with the army fare? Are you injured?"
"I express my gratitude to my princess for her concern; all is well, I assure you. Yet, I come bearing tidings, Your Highness, for there is one awaiting your presence. I did endeavor to convey that you are engaged with your studies, yet he remained...most insistent."
"Pray, who seeks me?"
"Lord Tenma, Your Highness. Do you wish for me to instruct him to return at a later hour?" Nene contemplates a moment, her curiosity stirring to see him once more.
"I shall receive Lord Tenma, given that he is already present." Her utterance surprises all, for the princess often declines such visitors, and her acquiescence to the most boisterous one is indeed...strange.
"As...my princess desires." The general inclines his head respectfully, while Nene casts a glance towards her governess, signaling that their lessons shall resume tomorrow, notwithstanding Mafuyu's discontent...
"Shall I accompany you, Your Highness?" Queries the governess, to which the princess replies in the negative.
"There is no need for concern. I shall summon Lady Shiraishi to serve as chaperone during my audience with the count."
Thus, the esteemed princess bids her farewell and leaves to encounter Lord Tenma, with the general following, a respectful five paces in her wake. Arriving at the grand entrance hall where the honorable Lord Tenma eagerly awaited her presence, she finds herself...smiling.
"Pray, my lord, you arrive here unannounced? I must avow my commitments, for I am a woman of considerable diligence in my scholarly pursuits" She jested, eliciting a broad smile from Lord Tsukasa Tenma, who graciously bowed before her.
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness; I am fully cognizant of your precious time, yet I felt compelled to present you with a token. Should my princess wish for my withdrawal, I shall acquiesce." He replied, causing General Akito Shinonome to cast a disapproving glance his way, recalling their earlier "sparring", albeit in good spirits.
"I shall grant you a portion of my time." She entreats, igniting Tsukasa's anticipation as he prepared to draw near and converse, only for Nene to interject. "Yet, you must await the arrival of Lady Shiraishi before you proceed; I have a reputation to uphold, do I not?"
"As my princess commands, undeniably. Might I inquire about your well-being whilst we await, or does Your Highness decree my silence?"
"It is indeed accurate that you possess the gift of gab, Lord Tenma, a measure of tranquility shall serve you well..." Nene remarked, and, as silence reigned in the corridor, it seemed as though they both harbored a plethora of unsaid sentiments. Having only shared a singular encounter—the dance at the grand ball—their wishes to converse was peculiar, yet it felt as if their acquaintance spanned a much greater expanse of time.
The noble Lady Shiraishi, in great perplexity over the sudden necessity of a chaperone for the princess, hastens to her side. The appearance of Lord Tenma amplified her bewilderment, yet she refraines from questioning the choices of Her Highness.
"Your Highness, I do humbly apologise for the delay. Have you summoned me?"
"Indeed, Lady Shiraishi, I am grateful for your presence." Replies the gracious Nene with a courteous smile. "You shall accompany Lord Tenma and I to ensure his conduct remains most decorous in my company." To this, Lady An Shiraishi assents with a respectful nod.
"I would not even dream of casting an improper gaze upon you, Your Highness." Declares Tsukasa as he draws nearer. He takes her delicate hand and bestows a gentlemanly kiss upon it. "Might I inquire, once more, how fares the princess today?" Nene, blushing from his chivalrous act, responds:
"I am well, Lord Tenma; I have thrived since our last encounter. And yourself?"
"I am equally well, my esteemed princess. Our previous meeting has left me pondering my next action. I yearned to send you flowers, and to bestow upon you a necklace of exquisite beauty. However, all of your possessions surpass what I might offer. Yet, I have brought forth an item that I hope shall bear more significance in your eyes." His words spark profound curiosity within the princess, whilst Akito and An exchange equally puzzled glances, their expressions conveying a multitude of questions unspoken. Should you endeavor to encapsulate their looks in the spoken word, it would resonate thus:
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘢 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦?"
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴? 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘺; 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵?"
''𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴; 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘦?"
''𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺...?''
''𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯.''
''𝘖𝘩? 𝘐𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘸?''
''𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯; 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯.''
"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦...''
"𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺; 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.''
But who, indeed, can perceive what emotions speak through one's gaze, am I not correct?
"Then…what have you brought, my lord?''
''I have composed a small theatrical piece for you, my princess; it would delight me greatly if we could perform together.'' He beams, whilst Nene stands astonished by his words, rendered momentarily speechless. ''Nothing too extravagant, Your Highness, of course.''
"That is most thoughtful of you; albeit I cannot perform before an audience, I shall treasure your offering.''
"I find it hard to believe you are incapable of performance, my princess. Mayhap not with the finesse I possess, for I am the greatest star and the stage does reside within my very essence, yet I am convinced you could master it." Thus spoke he, whilst chuckling, and Nene, mildly vexed, puffed in response, rolling her eyes, a gesture that would surely incite her governess's ire.
"Do you not take heed of your own audacity, Lord Tenma? I must profess, I have always enjoyed the finest tutors; my abilities are not as lacking as you suggest."
"Mm, I am quite certain the royal walls revel in your performances, Your Highness."
"I beg your pardon, what do you mean? Hmph, I was indeed correct regarding your character, Lord Tenma; you are an insufferably egotistical man. Are you fully aware that my father could have you executed for such words?"
"I offer my sincerest apologies, Your Highness, yet...I still yearn for you to grant my play an opportunity, just you, I, and Lady Shiraishi, of course." He said with a smile, and though Nene felt slight annoyance, she could not deny the pleasure in their repartee.
"Very well, you two shall accompany me to the library." Nene declared, leading the way, with Tsukasa beside her, whilst An endeavored to regain her composure, trailing behind. "Must you be so closely tethered to me? The palace is ample enough, my lord; no need to affix thyself to my side."
"I merely wished to bask in your radiance, Your Highness; you are most resplendent today, yet I shall make space between us." He proclaimed, maintaining a much larger distance...comically large even, calling out from afar. "Is this space sufficient?"
"What a buffoon..." Nene frowned at his boisterous volume, striving to suppress a smile. "I shall not raise my voice so you can hear me, Lord Tenma..."
"Pray, what did you utter, Your Highness?! That you truly hold me in such high esteem this day for I am the most handsome gentleman?" His volume does magnify, and Nene does whisper to herself in disbelief at his playful demeanor.
"That is the most inconceivable sentiment I could express, Lord Tenma!" The princess, with a flourish of her tresses, engages in a lively discourse that leaves Lady Shiraishi in a state of utter bewilderment. The fair princess has never before exhibited such volume; witnessing her sound forth in playful revelry towards the count seemed akin to a wondrous dream.
They arrive at Nene's cherished personal library, replete with her most beloved books, and a small stage crafted solely for her theatrical pursuits. In a fleeting moment of stillness, Tsukasa's gaze traverses the chamber, yet they soon converge in merriment, bursting forth in laughter following their previous spirited exchange.
"A truly extraordinary library, my cherished princess. As was to be expected of you."
"I am delighted you find pleasure in my sacred space, for I reserve this room for only a few people."
"I humbly express my gratitude for your gracious invitation." He, at long last, presents the long-anticipated gift to the princess. "I fervently hope it pleases you."
Nene scans the papers bestowed upon her by the count, reading with genuine curiosity and admiration the creation of Lord Tenma himself. She muses that he is indeed remarkably talented, capturing her essence in a manner that suits her exquisitely. A complete play crafted for her by his hand...though she hesitates to acknowledge it, this act stands as one of the most romantic gestures she has ever seen; it is often said that to be loved it is to be known, and after but a single meeting, he already recalls every detail she once shared?
"Lady Shiraishi, would you be our esteemed narrator?" She suddenly proclaims, as An promptly approaches to peruse the manuscripts.
"It is my utmost honor to assist you, Your Highness. Yet, how shall we proceed, sharing the texts?"
"I have committed them to memory, thus I am prepared." Tsukasa replies, eliciting a smile from Nene.
"Then, you shall sit behind me, and together we shall read."
"As you wish, my princess." And so they take their places on the modest stage, where their play unfurls, nurtured by their shared fervor and delight in acting, Lady Shiraishi doing her part only to satisfy her princess.
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑶𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏, 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒔, 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒔. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒇𝒖𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈; 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑰 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒇𝒂𝒓, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔; 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚, 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏, 𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑 𝒖𝒔?
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒐𝒕? 𝑨 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆 '𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕' 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒅.
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒅, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆; 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒓.
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅; 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔.
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓? 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕?
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝑰 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒃𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝑰 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒆. (''𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒏, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎...'' 𝑵𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆.)
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒚, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕?
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇? 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒃 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓...𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒔 𝑰 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒊𝒓, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒚, 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓.
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓, 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔, 𝒂 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏.
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔...𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒍𝒍?
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇...𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑨𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚, 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒌𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝑴𝒚...𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍, 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔?
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓; 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔.
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑾-𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕...𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅? 𝑰 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒚.
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝒀𝒆𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆; 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖...𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆? 𝑺𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆.
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉; 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒔, 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔'𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕'𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌. ("𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?" 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒃 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑻𝒔𝒖𝒌𝒂𝒔𝒂.)
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝑰, 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔? 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒙𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏.
𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒔, 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝑰 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆...𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘. ("𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅..." 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒔𝒖𝒌𝒂𝒔𝒂'𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌. 𝑨𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔: "𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔." 𝑶𝒉! 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍, 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍...𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒔, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆.)
𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖. ("𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅..." 𝑻𝒔𝒖𝒌𝒂𝒔𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔'𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌. 𝑯𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇. "𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈...𝑰 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏." 𝑯𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔, 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒖𝒎.)
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒛𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚.
"I was indeed verily correct in proclaiming that Your Highness is an astonishing actress; perchance, the very walls of your chambers have borne witness to the most magnificent of performances!"
"Lord Tenma, it would serve you well to master the art of delivering more splendid compliments..."
"Does my princess take offense at my humble observations?"
"I shall refrain from further commentary. I presume you possess talent in the art of acting as well..."
"Why, most assuredly! I have avowed to you that I am a star! Ha, ha, ha!"
"Such a raucous uproar..." Nene grimaces as Tsukasa's boisterous laughter assails her ears. "Lady Shiraishi, I extend my gratitude for your assistance."
"You are most welcome, my princess. I must express my astonishment at the unexpectedness of this revelry; yet, the two of you exhibit remarkable prowess in the esteemed art of acting." She remarks whilst Tsukasa continues to chuckle madly. "The count is indeed a most...fascinating match you have procured, Your Highness."
"Father did compel me to partake in a dance with him...and thus I find myself ensnared within his presence. Curiously, despite my aversion to his boisterousness, I derive a certain pleasure from his company. I suppose. In a manner most palatable. To an end. Whatever that may be...but I express my gratitude, Lord Tenma, for the gift and the spectacle; I must now take my leave before my ears do burst..."
Fear not, Princess Nene, for you shall learn the art of actively disregarding his antics! A plethora of tumultuous events doth await thee...