The following story takes place before Fiiru’s marriage (before the start of the main story)
Fiiru was looking at the clay in front of her and turning the wheel with a serious expression.
As she turned the wheel with her foot and put her hand into the clay, it gradually took on the shape of a bowl. After working earnestly for a while, Fiiru’s hand used a little too much strength, perhaps because she was too nervous.
The clay bent out of shape.
(Ah, ……)
Fiiru shouted silently inside.
“D, Did you make a mistake ……?” The Minister of the Kingdom of Calland said, a bit puzzled.
“No, this is not a failure.” An old man with a dignified white beard who stood among the people surrounding Fiiru said.
“What do you mean, ……?”
The old man looked at Fiiru’s distorted clay and began to speak with a serious expression.
“The way it bends. This shape. This must be a replica of the hand of the statue of God in the Prase religion! Even I, who have been making ceramics for fifty years, could not have imagined such a bold design for a teacup, such a novel and innovative idea! As you’d expect from princess Fiiru!”
“Oooooohhh! I see!”
“From the moment she started making the teacup, she must have been thinking about how to incorporate elements of our world.”
“What a wonderful work of art!”
At the words of Perpaose, a master of white porcelain ware, a specialty of the Kingdom of Calland, the ministers of the country, the princes who had come all the way from distant countries, and their attendants and maids, who were surrounding Fiiru, shouted in praise.
In the midst of this, Fiiru thought to herself.
(Even though it really was just a mistake. ……)
There was no way she could say it now. If she did, she would embarrass Perpaose, who was widely renowned as a master.
She followed Perpaose’s guidance and meekly attached a handle to the oddly shaped teacup.
“Oh, what a wonderful design! I’d like to adopt it for our products as soon as possible!”
“Yes, by all means, let’s do that!”
Perpaose and the minister nodded at each other with sparkling expressions while holding Fiiru’s failed work above their heads. Fiiru looked at them, trying not to betray how troubled she felt.
Just then, Fiiru noticed a young man bent over in a crouch.
He was holding his stomach and his body was convulsing on the spot.
(Is he not feeling well? ……!?)
Fiiru rushed to get up and run over to the young man. But before she could stand, a “pfft” escaped from the young man’s mouth.
It was then that Fiiru realized. The young man was not convulsing, he was shaking his shoulders.
(Could it be that he’s laughing?)
The voice that leaked out gradually became louder and louder, and soon it could be heard all around.
“Puh…… hee hee…… ah ha ha ha ha!” The young man began to laugh out loud, holding his stomach. He laughed openly with tears in his eyes as if he had seen something very funny.
He was the only one laughing in the whole room. Naturally, all the eyes in the place were drawn to him.
“What is wrong with you, laughing all of a sudden?” The prince of the neighboring country who had come to see Fiiru said to the young man in a reproachful voice.
The young man who had been laughing stood up and bowed with neat movements, then smiled and greeted the prince.
“My apologies for this, Prince Sangha. I am Tomas, Prince of Forlant. It is a pleasure to meet you.” His movements were sophisticated and metropolitan. As befitting his words, he had the air of royalty about him.
However, he was dressed in work clothes and an apron. No matter how you looked at it, he did not look like a prince.
Thinking of this, Fiiru remembered that she too was now wearing an apron.
“Forlant ……?”
“Isn’t Forlant a small country next to Daeman?”
“Why is the prince of Forlant here? You can’t have been invited!”
(I didn’t invite you either. ……) Fiiru muttered in her mind to Prince Sangha, who had responded so rudely to prince Tomas.
The Kingdom of Forlant, located next to Daeman, was an even smaller country. It was not particularly famous for its industry or production, and its history was not as long as that of Daeman. It was a country that was not considered very important by other countries.
In terms of diplomacy, it didn’t have much contact with Daemen, which only strived to build relations with well-known countries.
However, when it comes to territory, Daemen, the country of Fiiru, was also a small country, and princes such as Sangha considered it much the same way.
Tomas, who called himself the Prince of Forlant, was a kind looking young man with silver hair and green eyes. She thought he had a very good figure, but that there were not likely to be many women who admired him, perhaps because of the slightly vague expression on his face.
“I am apprenticed to Mr. Perpaose to learn pottery. I am here today in that capacity. I apologize for any rudeness I may have caused, Prince Sangha.”
“Oh, a prince apprenticed to a potter ……?”
It became clear to Fiiru why he was wearing an apron.
Prince Sangha who had taken a brusque attitude was now more confused by Prince Tomas’s smiling face and unfamiliar background.
“I am sorry, Prince Sangha. Tomas is eccentric and sometimes acts a bit oddly.” Said Perpaose. “Now, we will leave to prepare for the firing of Fiiru’s fine work. Let’s go, Tomas. “
“Yes, sir.”
Then Perpaose and Tomas walked out the door, leaving a room of confused people behind.
Snow Day Translations 