Chapter 18
Bianca unfolded the map of Solineum and was searching for the street where the ceremonial officer had promised to hold the event.
It seemed to be nearby, and the time was almost upon them.
Not long after, cheers and applause began to echo from somewhere.
This was fortunate for her, as she wasn’t very confident in finding her way.
The group turned to look in the direction of the sounds.
There stood a clown with a comical face and brightly colored clothes, balancing atop a round ball and showing off his footwork.
Behind him was a group of musicians playing instruments.
The audience clapped and cheered as they enjoyed the performance.
But to Bianca, it looked far less impressive than she had imagined. The crowd was also much smaller than expected.
‘Why are there so few people gathered for a Saturday event in the capital? What if Princess Muriela is disappointed?’
Bianca was unaware, but the severe economic downturn had drained much of the vibrancy from the streets of the capital. Not only were there fewer passersby, but many shops were closed as well.
“Wow! A clown!”
But just then, Princess Muriela’s excited voice pierced Bianca’s ears. Solinor recalled the clown performances he occasionally watched as a child. Seeing it after so long brought back fond memories and filled him with joy.
‘Today was a great day to come out. I must be lucky.’
Queen Elodia also seemed to be enjoying the clown’s antics.
“Hehe, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a clown.”
“Mother! Why does that person have paint on their face?”
Prince Kasper, with eyes full of innocent curiosity, turned to his mother.
“Kasper, that’s called a clown. Their job is to wear bright makeup and perform funny acts and tricks to entertain the audience.”
Adeline, however, was curious about something else.
“Wait, Kasper, this is your first time seeing a clown, isn’t it? Come to think of it, isn’t this Muriela’s first time too? How did you know?”
Muriela, caught off-guard while clapping, was ambushed by Adeline’s question!
“I read about it in a book.”
But Solinor quickly saved her by cleverly responding. Though, could this really be called saving her?
“Hey, Kasper, did you hear? Muriela said she read about it in a book. You should start reading books too. They’re fun, really.”
“Muriela, are books really fun? I find them hard to read.”
Solinor worried that his adorable grandchild might grow up disliking books. He himself had suffered from a lack of knowledge, and he didn’t want Kasper to go through the same struggles.
“Yes, I’m sure you’ll find a book that suits you. Books can be really fun!”
“Really? Alright, I’ll try looking for some when we get back to the palace.”
“Hey, how come you only listen when Muriela says it? Hmph!”
“But Adeline, you always just tease me.”
Solinor ignored the playful squabble between the siblings and focused back on the clown’s performance.
‘Wow, that’s amazing. He’s moving his feet while standing on the ball and not falling. Huh! Now he’s throwing and catching a smaller ball while doing it? How is that even possible? The clowns I saw in my previous life weren’t this skilled.’
Of course, the clown performances in the countryside were vastly different from those chosen by the ceremonial officer.
The musical talent of the band was also notable. Even though they had been called in a hurry that morning and were few in number, their skill was guaranteed.
After the clown finished his act and bowed, a minstrel stepped forward to take his place, holding a wooden instrument that Solinor had never seen before.
His fashion sense was odd too, wearing a deep hood with a hat on top. But brilliant artists were often eccentric. The children’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
What would he show them?
With practiced ease, he wove the sound of his instrument into the ongoing music from the band.
The harmony of the instruments produced a beautiful sound that made Muriela clap along.
The minstrel waved in acknowledgment to the applause from different sides, then suddenly turned his head and looked directly at Muriela as he began to sing:
“Beneath the blue sky spread wide, The kingdom’s beauty shines bright. The princess dreams for her people, Wishing for a world that’s right.
Oh, princess and her people, Loving and supporting as one, Creating a harmonious world.
Princess, we thank you, For changing our lives. Singing and dancing together, Creating a world of joy.”
…Huh? The adults who listened to the song all found it strange.
What kind of song was this? The melody was pleasant, but the song itself was a mess. The rhythm was completely off, the content strange, and even the pitch was odd.
The general audience, unaware that the group included royalty, was puzzled as to why a princess suddenly appeared in the song.
Meanwhile, Queen Elodia, the attendants, and the guards were caught in a different kind of confusion.
Even if the ceremonial officer had arranged for the performance, they likely hadn’t been informed that royalty would be present.
How had the minstrel figured out that Muriela was a princess? That was strange enough.
But the part of the song that explicitly mentioned the princess? That doubled their suspicion, and the content about improving the lives of the people was potentially dangerous. It was King Eldric who was currently governing the nation.
For someone to imply that another person would create a better world could be seen as an act of disloyalty to the king.
Of course, for now, it was just highly suspicious. There was no concrete evidence to prove that the minstrel had fully identified Muriela’s identity.
‘Ceremonial officer! Who did you bring in? And why is his face covered? He looks suspicious no matter how you see it!’
Bianca screamed internally. Since she was the one who had requested the event, any fallout would directly affect her.
Young Kasper and Adeline were obliviously having fun. On the other hand, Solinor couldn’t hide his surprise.
‘Did that minstrel read my mind? How did he know that I intended to set the kingdom right?’
Muriela’s hands clapped more enthusiastically.
“That was wonderful! What a beautiful song!”
“Thank you, young princess.”
Now, the minstrel even removed his hat and knelt, facing Muriela directly.
Everyone except Muriela was shocked.
This was no coincidence; it was a clear acknowledgment. They had dressed in moderately fine clothes, ones common enough for wealthy townspeople to wear.
The attendants and guards had changed into ordinary attire and positioned themselves separately to appear as a different group from the royals.
They had put in so much effort to appear as a wealthy family with their children. How had the minstrel seen through it so easily?
“Wow! How did you know I was a princess?”
Despite Queen Elodia’s earlier whispered warning, Muriela couldn’t resist taking the bait.
Despite having entered the body of a developing child, could it be that Solinor was just not very bright?
Contrary to the image of a great founder king recorded in history books, he was surprisingly careless.
Then, a furious voice rang out from somewhere.
“What? A princess?”
“Why does she come here when she’s so privileged? Huh?”
“The country’s in shambles, and she’s out here having fun!”
“Do you even know how hard our lives are?”
“Prices are sky-high, and jobs are disappearing!”
“The royal family doesn’t care if people starve!”
Four people emerged from the crowd, pointing fingers and hurling accusations at Muriela simultaneously.
Although some hesitated, others, emboldened by the courage of those next to them, joined in. Their faces were flushed, as if they’d been drinking even in broad daylight.
It was true that Eldric’s continued mismanagement had made people’s lives difficult. But blaming a princess not even ten years old was excessive. It was a testament to how far the people’s anger had reached.
The capital city of Solineum was experiencing unprecedented levels of stagflation. While the king had been wasting the national treasury on frivolous expenses, it hadn’t led to any economic revitalization.
Most of the funds ended up in the pockets of bureaucrats handling various administrative tasks. The import of luxury goods by the royal family had caused foreign reserves to drop rapidly.
On top of that, a long-standing international famine had driven up food prices, and with mana stone exports slowing, Silbrenoa had lost its momentum for growth.
As a result, the prices of staple foods like wheat, rice, beans, and corn—those most commonly consumed by the common people—had risen, wages were either frozen or declining, and unemployment was on the rise.
Things had gotten so bad that citizens, unable to cope, were moving to the outskirts, leading to a decline in the capital’s population for the first time since the kingdom was founded.
A rural regression! It was an unbelievable phenomenon. While life in the countryside wasn’t necessarily good, at least farming could save on food costs.
Staying in the capital offered no benefits. Welfare programs had been cut, convenience facilities were poorly maintained and often out of service, and finding jobs had become difficult.
The citizens’ anger might have been somewhat justified, but threatening the young princess was unacceptable.
Sir Hamilton and the other guards prepared to spring into action—but they were stopped by Muriela’s compelling voice.
“People of Solineum, my beloved citizens! Please listen to me.”
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