Chapter 24 -- That Dad, Claude (7)

"I want to stay for one night."

"Yes. The cost of lodging depends on the room. Right now, our available rooms are…"

Athy gave the man speaking to her from behind the counter her undivided attention. Listening to him speaking in a foreign language hammered home that she was, indeed, in Arlanta. Although her conversation with him up until that point had been relatively normal, the princess decided to try and avoid speaking as much as she could, just in case.

She had selected the most prominent inn in the neighborhood. "Inn" was the quaint word for it.

But looking at this building and the huge lobby, it's more like a hotel. Inns in a big city are on an entirely different level than the ones that were in a rural town.

"Meals are not included in the lodging fees, so you must pay for those separately in the restaurant. If you would prefer to take your meals in your room, please let us know so that we can make accommodations. Here is your key. The stairs are to your left. I hope that you enjoy your stay."

It would have gone against the princess' conscience to use her fake money to stay in the nicest suite; instead, Athy decided to stay in a medium-size room. Of course, the fact that she was entering such a grand inn with her counterfeit currency was also against her conscience.

I wanted to stay in a place like this at least once. E-Even so, I'm sorry! I'll return later and pay with real money!!

Elegant ladies and gentlemen were enjoying their tea in the first-floor cafeteria. She passed them by and took the stairs. The moment Athy returned to her room, she snapped her fingers.

Let's see... Am I back to normal?

Using the mirror in the middle of the room, the princess studied her reflection carefully. Thankfully, it seemed that her disguising spell had been successfully disabled.

In truth, Athy hadn't been very confident when she first set out to change her appearance. But it wasn't like she could safely run around looking like her usual self. Thankfully, when she tried using magic to change the color of her hair and eyes, it had worked. She might have left Obelia for Arlanta, but she wanted to be cautious, just in case. In fact, it might have been even more important to be on her toes; She was in a foreign land after all.

Athy dwelled on these worries but momentarily. Rather than fussing about her diplomatic predicament, she was more irritated at the fact that she'd become an infamous criminal.

Unbelievable.

It was a good thing she could use magic, she thought to herself.

Otherwise, I would have been caught and dragged before Claude already. N-no, I wouldn't have even been able to leave the palace in the first place. Would I have died by Claude's hand in that garden? Just like the Athanasia in the novel, without even putting up a fight?

The princess brought a hand against her aching forehead.

"WAHAHAHA! CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"

"AH, SERIOUSLY! CABEL OPPA! STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Someone was playing catch-me-if-you-can outside. Athy leaned forward to look outside her window. Trees with leaves as pink as cherry blossoms bloomed throughout the streets.

Ah, Arlanta's in the middle of spring. Arlanta has all four seasons, unlike Obelia, so I thought I might have been able to see some snow. It would have been the first time in a while.

Before she left the room, Athy snapped her fingers to change the color of her hair and eyes once again.

The book of magic had mentioned beginners could exercise better control over their magical powers if they had a signal. So, she'd copied Lucas'.

Did Lucas snap his fingers to control his magic too? He's not a beginner when it comes to using magic, but he did complain for all those years that his powers had lessened.

It might have just been her imagination, but the princess felt as though she wasted less magic now. Snapping was how she told her powers to activate. And, in a roundabout way, a means to keep her magic from suddenly doing things of its own accord.

Because magic worked according to the caster's wishes or imagination, Athy had experienced more than a little trouble at the beginning. Money would suddenly appear out of thin air, or she'd teleport somewhere she didn't intend to.

When I dreamt of escaping to a mountainside after Claude chased me, I woke up at the bottom of a mountain instead of in my bed at the inn!

She shuddered to think about what might have happened if she'd dreamt of a cliff or the ocean instead.

"Ah, it's like snow."

Athy walked the petaled streets alone. The spray of pink snowed down upon her.

When did I last spend my time like this?

Her life in the palace had never been bad by any means, but aside from her secret outings with Lucas, she'd never spent leisurely time outside of the palace. Up until yesterday, she'd been afraid of wandering around in case someone recognized her. But in Arlanta, no one spared her a passing glance.

It's only natural, right? This isn't the palace or Obelia. Why would anyone be interested in me? It's not like I'm extremely self-conscious or anything.

Letting herself relax, she walked the streets comfortably. Perhaps years of palace life had made the outside world feel so unfamiliar. But it didn't take long for her to get her bearings. Or perhaps, it was more like her lost senses had returned. I was originally a commoner. She concluded.

Enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather, the princess enjoyed her newfound freedom and mingled with the locals until it was time to return to her room.