The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 49: Night Market (1)

Hearing the sound of something shattering and splitting, Ashray hurried to the parlor, only to step back as the door swung open in front of him.

The person who stepped out was Astrid’s guest, her face pale as a ghost. Ah… what was her name again? The name was hard to remember, but with honey-colored hair, it had to be that guest.

As proper etiquette demanded, he rushed after her to see her off. But she only gave a hasty and clumsy bow, like someone who’d just seen a ghost, and hurried out of the estate. 

Ashray watched her retreating figure with a bewildered look before heading back to the parlor.

And the scene that greeted him left him speechless.

The parlor table, carved from a massive hardwood tree, had been split cleanly in two, its pieces strewn across the room. The marble flooring near Astrid’s feet bore a large, jagged crack.

“Hey, someone come here!”

They had to clean it up. That thick table was too heavy for Ashray to lift alone, so he called for help. Half a dozen servants rushed in, and together they barely managed to carry the broken pieces out of the room.

Even as they worked, Astrid remained seated, her face as cold and composed as ever.

“What’s all this about?”

“How would I know?”

“If you don’t know, then who would?”

“Fine, it was me.”

“…Well, of course it was.”

Who else but Astrid could have done this? Ashray shook his head, once again in awe of his sister’s sheer physical strength. 

Breaking apart that thick table and cracking the marble floor while sitting—her power was absurd.

‘So she really was holding back when she hit me back then.’

He shuddered as memories of calling her “just a sister three years older” came flooding back. That day, he’d learned just how terrifying his sister’s strength could be.

Looking at her now, Ashray could tell she was in a bad mood. Having fought alongside her on the northern front, he’d learned to read even the smallest of her facial cues. The ever-so-slightly puffed cheeks were a dead giveaway that things hadn’t gone her way.

“Hey, Sister. I heard there’s a night market in the plaza nearby tonight. Want to go check it out?”

“Not interested.”

He’d overheard the servants chatting about it this morning. Once a month, on a day when the celestial energy of the zodiac constellations was strongest, a night market would be held. And tonight was that night.

“Sister, this night market only happens once a month. When you go back to the academy, who knows when you’ll get another chance? Come on, let’s go. We can get some tasty snacks too.”

‘Should I go?’

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t tempted.

She did want to lift her mood, and the real Astrid’s lingering frustration had left her feeling unsettled. The irritation sparked by Akemilla’s antics hadn’t fully subsided either.

【Well, one night couldn’t hurt, right?】

“…What time does it start?”

Ashray’s face lit up with a grin. He’d known for a long time that his sister liked this sort of thing. 

Back in the north, when the friendly Akanut tribe held their traditional festivals, she laughed and played along with them like a child.

“The sun’s about to set, so it should start in about two hours. Perfect timing, huh? You’ll have plenty of time to get ready. Not that you need it—you’re already stunning, Sister.”

“You really have a silver tongue, don’t you?”

Despite her words, she didn’t look displeased. Her slightly flushed cheeks gave her away.

***

“Is this it?”

“We’re almost there, Sister. We’ve got to head to the carriage lot first. Don’t go jumping out of the carriage.”

“What do you take me for?”

Huffing in annoyance, Astrid peered out of the carriage window.

It was easy to see. They’d left the noble’s residential district, which was centered around the Grand Duke’s estate, and entered a middle-class residential area. 

At the edge of Einthafen’s commemorative plaza, rows of stalls and merchants were setting up their booths for the night market.

Normally, loud events like this wouldn’t be allowed in this plaza. However, the one exception was the monthly night market that coincided with the peak of celestial energy from the zodiac constellations.

Even this world had its zodiac constellations.

Along the path of the sun and moon were twelve constellations, referred to as the “Twelve Signs of the Zodiac.” The calendar was also divided into twelve months, with each month corresponding to one of the signs.

This month’s zodiac was Gemini, the constellation of the Twins, named after the twin siblings Castor and Pollux from myth.

‘It’s strangely similar to the world I knew, but also different.’

The Zodiac. Astrid’s mind wandered back to her original world, recalling that the term “Zodiac” had also existed there. 

Though her memory wasn’t crystal clear, she was certain it was a thing, and the names of the constellations were similar. Did that mean the star charts here were nearly identical to those of her original world?

But astronomy was a subject she had little knowledge of, so she couldn’t tell what was different or similar.

“I’ve heard that in summer and winter, a much bigger festival is held at the central plaza down there,” Ashray said, breaking her train of thought.

“Is that so?”

Ashray glanced at Astrid, who was gazing absentmindedly out the window. He’d been a little surprised at how small this night market was, and he figured Astrid must be thinking the same, so he tried to explain.

“Yeah, but since this is the spring night market leading up to summer, it’s smaller in scale. They say it’s the same in autumn. But next month or the month after, it’ll be huge, Sister.”

“I see. But why are you so tense?”

Ashray’s demeanor was undeniably awkward.

He didn’t have the courage to admit that he was worried his sister might be disappointed by the smaller market size.

“Well, it’s not so bad. Looks like there’s still plenty to enjoy.”

“R-really? That’s good to hear, Sister.”

Ashray’s relief was evident in his voice.

***

“I figured I should come since I’ll be returning to the academy soon, but… it’s smaller than I expected for a night market.”

“Yes, Your Highness. But think of it as a small spectacle before your return.”

“I’m not saying it’s bad. Don’t take it that way.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The chamberlain glanced up at Leopold. Despite the black wig covering his blonde hair, Leopold’s striking appearance still drew the attention of passersby. 

His sharp features and noble aura made it impossible for him to blend in, and the chamberlain’s presence only confirmed that he was a person of high status, causing the onlookers to keep their distance.

“Still, I appreciate you recommending this outing. My mind’s been preoccupied lately.”

Despite having no reason to, thoughts of Astrid kept surfacing in his mind every night. He’d even gone to the guest chamber where they’d once shared a room, thinking it might help him sleep. But instead of rest, all he’d seen was her flushed face, vivid as a daydream, keeping him awake for hours.

‘She’s far from suited to be the Crown Princess…’

His rational mind told him that.

Her appearance was undeniably peerless—even Leopold acknowledged that. Her beauty was unmatched, her elegance unshakable, and her aura lofty and untouchable. But her innate ferocity, her ruthlessness, and her sharp, unyielding words that pierced people’s hearts made him question if she truly had the qualities of a Crown Princess.

-You don’t even know your own feelings, do you?

It had been a scathing rebuke.

Frustrated, he’d told her not to come see him again until she returned from the academy. But the one suffering from that decision was himself.

Every time he closed his eyes, her sweet voice echoed in his ears.

Even when he covered his ears, her face appeared before him, blushing with a shy smile.

Sleep eluded him entirely.

That’s why the chamberlain had suggested they visit the night market. It was a chance to clear his mind before returning to the academy, and now that he was here, Leopold thought it might not have been such a bad idea after all.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

As Leopold closed his eyes, taking in the lively sounds of the night market, someone called out to him.

“Your Highness?”

It wasn’t the chamberlain’s voice. At that moment, Leopold’s eyes opened, and he turned toward the source of the voice.

Bathed in the moonlight, with her silver hair neatly braided to one side, stood a familiar figure.

Her mint-green eyes shone like gemstones, gazing directly at him.

Her sharp, delicate features framed her face, and her round cheeks, so faintly flushed, drew attention to her soft, coral-tinted lips.

It was Astrid.