“Master Lloyd, it’s morning.”
“Indeed. Up you get, or you’ll be late.”
“Ngh...”
I pushed myself up and let out a long stretch. As my eyes adjusted to the bright light streaming through the curtains, I saw two maids standing by my bedside.
“Yaaaawn... Morning, you two.”
The silver-haired one was Sylpha, and the purple-haired one was Ren of the Poison Moth. Both served as my personal maids, looking after me day in and day out.
“Good morning, Master Lloyd. Your breakfast is ready.”
As they spoke, the two of them set to work getting me presentable. They wiped my face, helped me out of my pajamas, and guided my arms into my sleeves. I was dressed in the blink of an eye and whisked away toward the dining hall.
“You two seem to be in more of a hurry than usual today. Is something going on?”
“Yes. We were told to bring you the moment you woke.”
“If we don’t get you there soon, we’re going to get scolded!”
Someone was calling for me? Albert-niisan should have been busy with his morning administrative duties, so who could it be? Well, I suppose I’d find out soon enough.
When I opened the dining hall doors, I found someone already seated at the table, enjoying a meal.
“Munch, munch... ‘Morning, Lloyd.”
“Saria-neesan!”
A black-haired woman wearing glasses sat there, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s as she shoveled food into her mouth. This was my sister, the Fourth Princess Saria.
She was a true child of music, said to manipulate every instrument as if it were an extension of her own body, creating melodies that could entrance the gods themselves. However, she was also quite the eccentric; she had zero interest in anything besides music and couldn’t even remember people’s names correctly. She managed to remember mine, but she was shaky on even our other siblings' names.
I wondered what had brought her here today. Usually, she spent nearly every waking hour playing the piano in the castle’s Music Tower and just ate whatever was close at hand. What on earth was—
“Mmph?!”
Suddenly, a meatball Saria had flicked across the table popped right into my mouth.
“Lloyd, you were thinking something rude just now, weren’t you?”
“N-No, not at all. Haha, ha-ha-ha...”
I took my seat across from her with a forced, nervous laugh. Saria was a pure genius, and there were times when I had absolutely no idea what was going on in her head. I always felt like she was looking right through me, which made her a little difficult to deal with.
“Sarufa, Rin, prepare the food.”
“Yes, Highness.”
Sylpha and Ren of the Poison Moth brought my meal over without a word. Being called the wrong names was a regular occurrence with her, so neither of them even bothered to correct her anymore.
In any case, I began to dig into the breakfast. As always, Sylpha’s cooking was top-tier, and Ren had certainly been improving her skills as well.
Amidst the rhythmic clinking of silverware, I turned to Saria.
“...So, Saria-neesan. Did you have some business with me?”
“Just wait a little longer. I’ve called for one more person.”
“I see...”
Following her lead, I focused on my food. She was quite selfish to summon me like this only to make me wait, but that was nothing new.
After a few minutes, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from the hallway.
“I’m—I’m late!”
The door swung open with a bam, and Isha Hannibark burst into the room.
She had originally been a simple nun who just loved to sing, but through a series of events, she had ended up as the Pope. While she was technically a figurehead, she seemed to be handling her duties well enough with the support of those around her. Her voice was so beautiful it was said to resonate even in the Celestial Realm; even I, who had no real interest in music, found myself moved by the concertos she performed alongside Saria.
I see. So the person we were waiting for was Isha.
“It’s been a while, Isha.”
“Oh! My, oh my, Lloyd-kun! It’s been far too long!”
The moment she spotted me, Isha trotted over and pulled me into a suffocating hug.
Oof. I couldn’t breathe. Sylpha gave a pointed, theatrical cough, which made Isha jump and release me.
“Ahaha... Sorry. I just couldn’t help myself...”
“You’re finally here, Isha.”
“Yes, so sorry to keep you waiting, Saria. Things have been a bit hectic with work... Ahem.”
Isha cleared her throat and looked at me with a serious expression.
“The reason I came here today was to ask a favor of you, Lloyd-kun. I’ll get straight to the point—we want you to sing with us.”
“Me... with the two of you?”
“Yes. Actually, we recently received word that Lord Holy King will be visiting the Kingdom of Saloom.”
“!”
My eyes widened. Well, that certainly aligned with what I’d predicted recently. To think he would actually just drop by like this.
Isha continued, her voice rising with excitement.
“Lord Holy King rarely ever leaves the Holy King Court. Even I have never seen him in person. For someone like that to come and inspect Saloom is an unprecedented event! We have to give him the warmest welcome possible! Because of that, the Church requested the King of Saloom’s permission to hold a nation-wide festival!”
“And Isha and I will be the ones performing,” Saria added. “But the guest is the Holy King. A performance by just the two of us wouldn't be a perfect welcome. That’s why you’re joining us, Lloyd.”
For some reason, the two of them held my singing in incredibly high regard. To be perfectly honest, my voice was just a counterfeit produced through control magic. Still, I figured Saria and Isha would have been more than enough on their own...
“If that’s the case, I’d be happy to!”
Of course, I had no reason to refuse. I didn't care about singing in the slightest, and normally I would have turned them down flat, but a performance for the Holy King meant I’d be standing right in front of him. It was the perfect chance to see the man for myself.
For that, I’d happily belt out a song or two.
“Lloyd’s singing hasn't quite moved past the stage of mimicry yet,” Saria mused, “but that voice—a blend of delicate tenor and transparent soprano—is truly one of a kind. With Lloyd added to the mix, we can reach a supreme vocal range that Isha and I simply couldn't achieve alone.”
“Yes, exactly! And you were so reluctant when I invited you before, but your singing really is amazing, Lloyd-kun! Since you’re actually motivated this time, I have high hopes! ...Hehe, I’m starting to get fired up!”
Saria and Isha began to mutter to themselves, clinking their silverware together in a rhythmic accompaniment. One was using a knife and fork while the other hummed, yet the result was as harmonious as a professional concerto. Ordinarily, such behavior would be considered poor table manners, but even Sylpha and Ren of the Poison Moth looked on with enchanted expressions.
They were both certainly motivated. I just hoped they’d be a bit lenient with the practice sessions.