I returned with the water bottle in hand. Its weight was negligible, but the price I paid for it lingered in my mind. Not because of the monetary value, but because of what it represents. Giving in to a system I don't fully understand always leaves me with a slight unease.
That's when I ran into someone familiar.
"Fancy seeing you here," Reginald said, carrying a bag that looked like it held a portable hardware store.
"Just came for a bottle of water."
"I see. And your sister?"
"At the park, waiting for the line to shrink so we can register for the academy and take the entrance exam."
"That's today!? Good heavens, time flies. To think we met when you two were barely eight years old…"
"Huh? Oh, you're right." I paused briefly, more out of habit than nostalgia. "What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? Buying new tools to keep working on the armor machine prototype."
"You haven't finished it? I thought you'd at least have done some tests by now."
"Oh, I've done tests, alright. The problem is some misconnected wires, and when I tried to fix them, I botched the whole thing. It's not easy making a one-meter arm move without feeling like you're dragging lead, you know."
"Yeah, yeah… I get it." I said it more out of courtesy than technical understanding. "Why are you walking with me, though? The workshop's on the other side."
"Thought I'd hang out with you guys for a bit before heading back. I want to show you some progress. After all, you did a great job with the poison bird."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely."
"Poison bird." That's what Isolde and I decided to call it. It was a little makeshift creation: a steam-powered automaton we designed with Reginald a few months ago. The goal was for it to shoot tiny poisoned darts, but crossed internal wires made it trickier than expected. Nothing flows smoothly when theory turns into practice. Still, it worked. Unstably, but it worked.
With the academy taking up most of our time now, mechanical projects will have to be put on hold. It's not an immediate issue, but it's something I'll need to consider if I want to keep learning independently. Institutional knowledge is never enough. Not for someone like me.
"Oh… damn. That's one hell of a line," Reginald said, finally noticing the massive queue stretching across the park. "It wasn't even this long when I enrolled…"
"Feeling discouraged? As punishment for tagging along, now you'll have to wait with us."
"Lucy!" Isolde's voice cut through the conversation like a thunderclap. She came sprinting at full speed, with Alicia trailing behind… and an adult. She wasn't where I told her to wait. Of course. "Lucy, guess what!"
"What…? Agh!" She launched herself at me like it was a planned tackle. We both hit the ground, my back complaining first, followed by my head.
"Guess what, guess what…"
"What's wrong with you? Why'd you do that? That hurt."
"Hahaha."
She completely caught me off guard. I didn't expect her to throw herself with such force… or to land so badly. I hit my head. It wasn't serious, though it could've been if I hadn't turned slightly at the last second. The world spun for a moment. But it's fine.
I got up from the ground as soon as Isolde climbed off me. I rubbed my head with my left hand and shook out my hair to regain some composure. The pain was mild. Expected. Proportional to her enthusiasm.
"Hahaha. I thought you'd dodge me," Isolde laughed.
"Impossible. I didn't even realize you'd started running," I muttered, a slight irritation in my voice. The blame was shared. Her for lunging, me for not reacting.
"Oh… Uncle Reginald. What are you doing here?" Isolde turned her attention to Reginald, who was still standing beside me with his bag of tools.
Reginald grinned, with that easygoing, slightly chaotic air that defined him.
"Nothing at all. Thought it'd be nice to tag along for your registration and then head to the workshop to show you some progress. Teach you the next step. Though…" He glanced at the line with resignation. "I guess this is gonna take longer than I thought."
"Well, I think that can be arranged," Alicia chimed in, stepping forward with an oddly confident expression. Then she flashed a smile at Reginald.
Something about that smile felt… off. Like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.
I turned to Reginald. His reaction was immediate: sweat on his brow, wide eyes, tension in his jaw. A mix of shock and relief I couldn't quite gauge.
"P-Princess…?" he stammered, dropping his bag as if its contents had vanished from his mind.
…What?
I slowly turned to Isolde. She shot me a look brimming with questions. I just shrugged. I didn't have answers. Not yet.
"Princess?" I asked, though the answer was already obvious. Alicia stood with a natural grace, her posture too refined for an ordinary person. Her appearance was an unwitting declaration. I'd noticed it before but never thought it worth questioning.
"You mean…?" I started, but stopped. Alicia didn't need verbal confirmation. Her silence said it all.
"I… I thought you wouldn't return until after nineteen winters," Reginald murmured, trying to catch his breath—and perhaps some dignity.
"Well… things got out of hand in Caldarien. I had to come back. I was a burden to Esil, so I decided to step away. I guess now I'll have to study here instead of on the elven continent."
Her words were simple, but they hid a story none of us here knew… yet.
"We were all worried about your health, Princess. Even your father has been constantly asking about your condition. H-How? When?"
I, meanwhile, stayed silent. It wasn't confusion I felt, but an urgent need to process. Interrupting a formal reunion between a princess and her… protector? Servant? would be rude. And counterproductive. Information flows best when you listen.
Unfortunately, not everyone shared that principle.
"Hold on! Princess? Caldarien? Are you saying Alicia is the princess of the kingdom? Daughter of King Leo?" Isolde burst in with a barrage of questions, as expected. She never knew how to wait for answers. She just demanded them.
I looked away. Not out of embarrassment. Out of respect. Or rather, to let the conversation continue without my interference.
"Huh? Oh… Sorry for keeping it a secret all this time," Alicia replied, unruffled. It was admirable. No hesitation. No excuses. Just an explanation. "I didn't want anyone to know I was here. I hoped to blend in. But seeing Reginald brought back a moment from my childhood that… I missed."
Pause. Silence. An emotional, sincere statement.
"But… how the heck did you hide it so well? You've been here for six years, right? We met when we were six. How did no one notice?"
Good question, Isolde.
And finally, I wanted to know too.
Alicia's disguise had been shattered, her anonymity broken. Returning to the castle was inevitable. I wanted to ask where she'd been hiding all these years… but it wasn't the time. Some things are better left to settle. Though, I won't deny, curiosity was eating at me.
"Please, Princess, speak with your father," Reginald said, serious for the first time all morning.
"Of course. Well, see you."
And just like that, she left.
I let out a sigh.
"I can't believe it… How did I miss something so obvious? She's… literally the spitting image of him."
"Come on, don't overthink it. Lots of people look alike. You might even run into someone who's your spitting image one day," Reginald replied.
"That's creepy!" Isolde exclaimed, shuddering. "I can't imagine seeing myself doubled."
We both laughed. Sometimes, laughter is the only effective remedy for the unbelievable.
"Anyway, it's good to have the Princess back. I hope she sorts things out with the King. Now, let's head to the workshop. I've got to show you my progress," Reginald said, turning to leave.
He left his bag on the ground.
"Forgetting something?"
"Huh? Oh! Haha… Sorry." He doubled back and grabbed the bag.
"Good grief…"
And so, we followed him to the workshop.
The morning still had time to offer. And we had things to build. But deep down, I couldn't stop thinking about Alicia. About how she hid herself. About how she explained it all so effortlessly. How much more was there behind that cheerful girl's facade?