The sitar sang its sharp, quivering song, and the girl danced as if commanded by it. The music took everything in her soul and made it physical. It cleansed her mind of every unnecessary thought and drove her into an ecstatic dance where only the joy of movement held sway.

For as long as the girl could remember, she had copied the moves of her mother, who had been a dancing girl. Dancing brought praise and joy, so the girl danced more and more. When she was dancing, she could forget her surroundings. All the sneers, all the glares, all the scornful words, both whispered and shouted, were utterly washed away.

By age six, she had become a dancer who could dazzle anyone.

One day, her uncle, Gulzari Shar, had come to her looking perplexed. He had seen her dance and wanted to ask a question.

“You dance so marvelously! Why don’t you try to dance at the court banquets? You would enchant everyone there. The emperor would be so proud to have his daughter dance at his banquets.”

“I don’t dance to show off. I dance for myself,” the young girl had said as she hugged her wryly smiling uncle tightly.

His tight-fitting attire, covered with endless silver embroidery, had felt so smooth on her skin. He smelled of the sea. He’d only just returned from a journey at the time. She had nuzzled against her uncle, coaxing out a light, jangling sound from the intricate gold and jewels that adorned her ears, brow, and neck. She had wished that she could absorb his smell, replacing the perfume scent of the court that stained her hair. It was the smell of freedom.

“Then why did you let me watch you dance?” he had asked.

“I wanted to dance, so I danced. I won’t dance if someone asks me to. And you’re not like other people, Uncle,” she’d explained. “I wish I could go somewhere far away with you. I want to look out at the open sky and go wherever I please. I want to enjoy life and dance only when I wish to. It would be so wonderful.”

Gulzari Shar was friendly, kind, and so delicately beautiful. Maybe it was because of the journeys he made to the Southern Trinity under his brother’s orders, or maybe it was his youth, but he had a breezy openness about him that other royals lacked. He carried the scents and styles of distant, unknown lands.

“Aisha, you are both lovely and a marvelous dancer. What’s more, you are my brother’s only daughter. Of all the women in Saisha, you will shine brightest, both in name and reality. You shouldn’t go running off on foolish adventures like your uncle. Do you understand?” Shar had asked.

“I don’t care whether I should or shouldn’t! I want to!” Aisha had said, petulantly raising her voice and drawing a frown from her uncle.

She’d hated the court. It felt impossible to breathe constantly surrounded by so many eyes and entangling schemes. Ever since Aisha was little, she’d dreamed of being able to escape the court and live freely, to go where she wanted and dance when she wanted.

Seven years passed, and she became a beautiful woman known as the Jewel of Saisha. Yet her yearning for freedom never left her.

Chapter 2: The Jewel of Saisha

I

“Hey, Rimi. Take a look. There’s a woman with the delegation.”

Jotetsu, never one for manners, had been peeking through a gap in the curtains before he suddenly and impatiently beckoned Rimi.

When Saisakoku had last come to Konkoku, they hadn’t had a single woman in their company. That was why Prince Shar had been delighted to come across Rimi in the imperial palace. Although it was now far better traveling weather than it had been in winter, the journey was still a long one. Rimi thought that men and women had different levels of fortitude, so they didn’t travel well together. She was curious to get a look at a woman who had made such a long journey, so she peeked out through the curtain alongside Jotetsu.

Sure enough, there was a girl of thirteen or fourteen years. She looked about the same age as Pure Consort Yo, if perhaps a bit younger. She was also allowed to stand alongside Shar, the Saisakokuan ambassador, which meant she held equal status to him. In other words, she was royalty.

“Rise, Prince Shar. Konkoku greets Saisakoku as a friend. There is no need for an ambassador to kneel,” Shohi said.

The delegation rose at Shohi’s command.

Shar’s silvery hair and purple eyes suited his tanned skin beautifully. He wore a long jacket with fine embroidery and an exquisite soft cloth around his waist. His expression was just as kind and gentle as Rimi remembered.

And yet, it was the girl to his side that drew attention.

“She’s gorgeous,” Rimi whispered.

Rimi’s sister had a cool, composed beauty. The four consorts each had a beauty of their own, elegant or charming. But this girl was something else entirely. Rimi had never seen beauty like hers, either in Wakoku or Konkoku. It was beyond comparison, even to a flower or sunlight shining upon the sea.

She was draped in a magnificent wrap that was dyed in a delicate floral style with even more intricate gold and silver embroidery. It was skillfully tied around her shoulder and across her chest, fastened in place high on her waist with a sash. Another sheer piece of fabric was draped over her head. Her fine, silky hair, veiled by the cloth, seemed neither gold nor silver. It was like the color of faint sunlight. Her brow, neck, and hands were adorned with jewelry so delicate that they looked as if the slightest tug might break them.

The girl’s skin was white as porcelain, save for the faintly rosy shade in her cheeks, and her eyes were the same shade of blue as Tama’s. She certainly didn’t look Wakokuan or Konkokuan, but she also did not look Saisakokuan. Those from the lands far to the north-west had white skin, angular faces, and stood quite tall. This girl’s skin resembled theirs, though her features were different and she lacked their height.

“It pleases me deeply to see you once again, Your Majesty,” Shar said with a smile. His Konkokuan was flawless.

“And I’m pleased to have you with us, Prince Shar. We have specially prepared my summer residence for you and your delegation to stay in. Our gates are open for the length of Qi, and I hope your time here is relaxing,” Shohi said.

“You are too kind. And where are my manners? Allow me to introduce my companion. This is Aisha, the only daughter of our emperor. She is the finest dancer in Saisakoku, and His Imperial Majesty of Saisakoku ordered that she accompany me, in hopes of bringing some extra spark to the Festival of Fulfillment,” Shar said.

The court officials who had been standing by began to clamor. Shusei, who stood apart from the other officials, had a more clouded expression.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty,” Aisha said as she looked up fearlessly at Shohi with her beautiful blue eyes. Her command of Konkokuan was impeccable.

Though she stood straight and tall, her manner was delicate. Even her smallest motions were captivating. At Shar’s insistence, Princess Aisha kneeled before the emperor.

“I am Aisha, imperial princess of Saisakoku.”

Once she finished her introduction, Aisha rose to her feet again and turned her face away in a huff.

“Please, enjoy your time in Konkoku, Princess Aisha. I look forward to seeing you dance at the festival,” Shohi said.

“You’ll be disappointed, then,” she said.

Aisha’s response to Shohi’s polite and conventional greeting was completely unexpected. Shohi blinked repeatedly, seemingly unable to believe his ears.

“Aisha!” Shar hissed quietly with a pained expression.

But Aisha refused to be silenced.

“I am sorry, but I must correct my uncle. I will not be dancing at the Festival of Fulfillment,” Aisha insisted. “My father may have ordered it, but I dance only when I choose to. That is how I have always acted. I told my father that, and he said, ‘Go anyway.’ So I am here. This is my first time in a foreign land, so I will enjoy the sights of Konkoku, but that is all.”

The girl stood before the ruler of a foreign land and said such things so cheerfully without any fear or hostility. It was like she was just saying what she wanted to say.

Afterword

Hello everyone! Miri Mikawa here.

The seasons have moved along and we’re back to summer, and summer brings new meetings! By which I mean, I introduced a new girl to the story. Barring the ghost, it’s a first since the four consorts in book two. Back then, I introduced three new girls at once, and they spiced things up! I hope that this new introduction did the same.

On that note, the first volume of the Culinary Chronicles manga has been released by Hakusensha. It’s a wonderful, glamorous, exciting read, and I’d love it if you checked it out. You can learn more about it on Hakusensha’s app, MangaPark.

As always, I’d like to thank my editor for all their support. I don’t understand how you always manage to steer the story in a better direction. It’s so fun getting to talk to you when I’m not working. I love our talks! I’m sorry for bothering you with all my pointless questions when you’re so busy. I’ve been obsessed with the simple, easy meals I learned about from you. I’ll do my best to avoid bothering you, keep myself fed, and write good material for you. I’m sure I’ll still find ways to be a nuisance, but just bear with me.

To Kasumi Nagi, my lovely illustrator. I loved book six’s cover. The way Rimi and Shohi are sitting together with Shusei behind them has such a solemn serenity. This volume’s cover is great too. The expressions come through so clearly. Every time I look at it, I think about how well you capture Shohi’s continued growth. We also finally get to see Kojin, Rihan, and Keiyu! Thank you for everything that you do.

And finally, to all my readers. Thank you for picking up this book. I’m so appreciative that I get to write for you and that you continue to read my work. I hope you found this volume interesting.

I’ll keep doing what I can to write something good for all of you.

Miri Mikawa