Chapter 100 (1/2)

Chapter 100: Chapter 100

As it was the last day of the festival, I thought there would not be many people, but the streets were full of the crowds, such as dating couples beautifully dressed up, laughing children cruising through the crowds, pendlers shouting at the passers-by to buy their products, street musicians and dancers, and the spectators.

I and Allendis were among the crowds. I breathlessly looked around here and there. As there were so many things to watch, I couldn’t figure out what to see first. Allendis smiled, watching me looking around absent-mindedly.

“What do you think? Isn’t it much different from the banquet at the Imperial Palace? ”

“Absolutely. So many wonderful things and attractions around me.”

It was really amazing. In the past, I had never experienced anything like this because I was busy taking classes on the empress or trying to avoid the fate of becoming the queen.

Unlike the palace banquet, where they played music, danced and talked in a calm atmosphere, the festivals of the common people were more dynamic and vibrant even without music or dance. I wandered from place to place and enjoyed watching lots of things. I listened to the songs by street musicians, looked into the foods made from unknown ingredients and looked at the nondescript products displayed for sale on the makeshift stands.

“Isn’t it fun, Tia?”

“Yes. I wish I had come out earlier.”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that.”

After smiling at him, I looked around again, wondering if there was anything else worth watching. At that moment, I noticed a place where lots of people gathered. I heard someone yelling at them to come quickly as the show would start soon.

‘What is going to begin there?’ When I looked at them closely, I saw them who were in line going into a large makeshift tent.

“Allen, let’s go there.”

“Sure.”

Although lots of people were waiting, they began to move in quickly, so we could go in no time. Even before I went around, the first thing that caught my eye was a white cloth.

‘Why did they block one side like that? Don’t they need a stage to perform? ‘

I was puzzled, but I found a seat. People gathered together sat, facing the white cloth draped from the top of the tent to the floor. As soon as I sat down with him, there was an announcement that the show was about to start. People chatting here and there paid their attention to the white cloth. When the entrance to the tent was closed, the inside quickly became dark.

Shortly afterwards only the white fabric was brightly lit. Perhaps somebody lit a candle behind it.

“Thank you for coming to the Shadow on the last day of the festival. Now, we’re starting.”

A shadow of a female doll appeared on the white cloth.

‘Oh, this is the so-called shadow play I have only heard about.’

I was wondering what it was about, so I focused on the shadow of the woman. My eyes sparkled.

“Well, I don’t want to get married yet.”

There lived a beautiful girl in a village. Lots of village youths tried to win over her heart, but she rejected everybody including a handsome guy, a rich guy and a noble guy. Some said that the woman was too picky, others said she had a hidden lover. Her parents asked why, but the woman always shook her head and refused to answer. What was the reason that she refused to reveal to her parents?

In fact, the woman had a guy that she loved. But she couldn’t tell her parents about the man because she didn’t know the man’s name, appearance, age and location. She didn’t know anything about the man.

The only thing she knew about a man was what was written in the man’s letters delivered to her two or three times a week. She was very anxious to know where he lived, what he looked like and what his name was, but the man never showed up.