A New Name

“Look!” Aya giggled as she bent to scoop up handfuls of glowing liquid before tossing them into the air. “It’s amazing!”

At that moment, the magical lake felt like the happiest place in the world. She tittered and tottered in the shallows, the water flowing around her body without touching her as it normally would. It slid past like light rather than liquid.

“Princess! No frolicking! You might hurt yourself!” Romina scolded from afar, making Aya stop.

“Oops, sorry… Got carried away...”

“I wonder if your mother had trouble holding you in the lake the first time you had your name,” Lorenz jested.

“S-Surely not! I was as snug as a bug!”

“A red bug, perhaps. Were your cheeks also flushed with excitement like this?”

“It's probably the makeup!”

He laughed, his eyes glistening like the lake's surface.

As they settled down, he placed one hand on her head. The forest became silent—no twittering birds, no rustling leaves, not even the wind. Around them, the magic circle flashed in vibrant green.

“Now, close your eyes, and listen to the gods. The parent is the one to hear the name, conventionally, but you are now old enough to understand it. Ensure not to get it wrong,” Lorenz said, to which Aya replied, “G-Got it.”

“[Waters pure, waters divine… Blessed be this sacred rite…]”

It was the invocation chant for the name-giving. She focused on his voice and waited.

“[...By blood be known, by water be witnessed… Let the changed self be accepted…]”

She felt his mana continue to flow through from where he held her. It was warm and gentle.

“[...Thus, by divine will, I proclaim… A new life beneath a new name.]”

She took a deep breath, and then she heard a sound inside her head. ‘Ihhh… No, hiii…? Hi-ai… Hi-ai-ia…?’

She struggled to comprehend, as expected. It rose and fell in volume, like a draft blowing through a tunnel.

Once gone, she opened her eyes. Her mouth hung open at the sight of the lake shining a rainbow color.

“Ayayaya?!"

It was beautiful, as if sunlight kissed a big raindrop which then embraced the earth.

Aya had heard how the mana of some newborns would reflect in Cradlelake after the name-giving. Her magecraft professor had explained this once in class. Glowing water indicated the presence of mana, while the intensity or brightness showed the mana level, and the color conveyed the mana affinity. She was not surprised to see her mana attributes since she already knew them. It was accurate based on her mana measurement results.

“Hi-ai-ia…?”

Aya turned back to Lorenz. “Oh, was I talking earlier? Yes, the sound was something like that.” She must've unconsciously said it out loud to let him know as well.

“...I, uh… Uhhh…”

Her brows creased in concern. “What's wrong, Lord Lorenz?”

“...It's nothing.”

As the Aqueous Bestowal ended, the Cradlelake closed.

The green liquid dissolved, and the water returned to its former stillness, leaving no trace that it had ever parted. Lorenz kept quiet beside her the whole time. Despite her hesitation, she tried asking again, but he seemed out of it. The bells soon began to ring. Romina whisked her away without further ado.

They had to depart for the Royal Palace.

‘...Um, what about my new name?’

---

While waiting at the reception room beside the Grand Hall, Aya felt as if she was about to cross the threshold of an all-new reality.

Tall columns stood along the walls, catching the golden light from wall sconces and chandeliers. A red carpet draped across polished white marble and led towards the towering double doors of the Grand Hall. Large portraits of previous monarchs hung between gilded mirrors, their expressions stern.

‘Hey, at least smile. You guys are making me more nervous.’

Frankly, though, she'd look at them all day if that meant she didn't have to do the same with the four princes with her. Aiden and Gabriel were seated on her side. Enzo was standing while Drystan sat far across from her. It seemed the Divine Vessel of Earth was keeping his distance, and the other princes were well-positioned to defuse another heated confrontation.

‘So awkward… Why do you have to act like I’m some dangerous animal? You're safe. The knights are right over there. I can't get close.’

“Pardon me. Are you feeling sick? You look red,” Enzo spoke first, breaking the suffocating silence that bound them like the memories of a certain tea party.

“Ah, no, I am well. Thank you-”

“How nice of us to still be concerned. Don't you think so?” Drystan, as expected, spoke next with the expression of someone who was forced to drink a whole cup of bitter tea.

She stared at him for a moment before bowing her head. “I sincerely apologize for hurting you. However, I kindly ask that you apologize to me, too.”

Romina had helped her think of what to say when she met Drystan again. Unlike Maruscha, who'd refused to listen, she'd given her a chance to explain herself. Understanding, she’d guided Aya towards the right course of action, though she’d been reluctant to apologize at first. Drevazio had agreed with her when she mentioned just treating Drystan as a stranger altogether. They were both promptly reprimanded.

“Why would I?! I did nothing wrong!”

‘Twerp.’

“And I do not accept your apology!”

Gabriel chimed, “We forgave you the moment we decided to keep it a secret.”

“Well, I did not-!”

“We did. The four of us have worked on keeping the incident from being publicized," Enzo explained. "A rift among the royal family can become a scandal, after all."

“And it will be your fault-”

“I heard you have atoned for it. That should be enough,” Aiden also interrupted.

Aya turned towards the Divine Vessel of Wind, whose once sunny smile had, for some reason, become chilly. “...You heard?”

“From my childhood friend, Calix. He looked quite worried when he told me.”

Her eyes widened. ‘Calix?! The two of them are close?!’

“Even my predecessor, Lord Lorenz, seems very concerned about you.”

‘Ah… Lord Lorenz might really think I'm a troublemaker.’

“How nice, indeed. Everyone is looking after you.” Aiden stood, and suddenly, the room turned cold.

‘H-Huh? Is it just me, or does he suddenly have the eyes of a serial killer from those mystery novels?’

“People like you who depend on others for everything… I despise them the most.”

She shivered, her heart freezing. “U-Uh…”

“Well, you can no longer do that once you're out there. Let us see, then.”

“Keep your emotions under control. Should you fail, that is the least you can do.” Gabriel left the conversation with that, not looking at anyone anymore.

Enzo, out of everybody, delivered the final blow. “No matter what happens, take care not to bring shame upon the royal house again. Is that clear?”

Her face warmed. She felt dizzy.

No one talked afterwards. Even Drystan remained quiet. 

Soon enough, the crowning ceremony commenced. The princes made their way out of the reception room to join the royal family's procession. After that, the presentation would follow. It’s all perfectly laid out in her head, but her thoughts couldn't seem to settle down.

“How rude! My mistress is a blessing simply by being alive!” Shade stepped out of hiding and joined Aya in the seats. “Do not listen to those foolish children- Hm? Why is your face so red?”

It wasn't just red. It’s itchy, too.

She lifted a finger to scratch it, but then jolted at a sudden, prickling sensation.

“Your Highness?” Romina left her post at the back and hurried to her side. “Y-Your face!”

Aya turned towards the mirrors on the wall.

A faint flush had appeared from her cheeks to her temples. The redness deepened in each passing second. Small raised patches popped up along her jaw, followed by more across her cheeks. The itching became increasingly difficult to ignore.

“W-What is this?!”

“Please don't scratch.”

“Princess, how do you feel?” Cassian, who had also been standing in position behind Aya, quickly approached.

“...N-Not g-good...”

“Call the physician!”

The skin around her eyelids began to swell, and the itching became fierce. Beneath her skin, the heat seemed to be spreading. Her cheeks were inflamed. It was still bearable, and she could stay conscious, but she could not show up outside like this.

Romina flinched at a realization. “Could it be...the new powder? We'd put nothing else on your face today, and that makeup in your room was bought fairly recently.”

“But how did…?”

“That cursed woman!” At the head maid's maddened outburst, everyone was startled to silence. “I should’ve known Lady Sorovia would play such a dirty trick! She must be behind this!"

“W-What…?”

Cassian heaved a distressed sigh. “Calm down, Miss Romina. Are you certain? I’m not defending that unhinged lady, but that's a serious accusation. It is treason.”

“You're not aware of this, Sir Cassian, but that wench badly wants something from Her Highness."

"Is it revenge?"

"That could be the reason now. Before that, however, she's been scheming to use an illusion of the princess for the crowning ceremony."

"She's been doing what?!" 

"Lady Sorovia's plan was likely to incapacitate her, so she'd have no choice but to resort to magic. That's why she'd replaced the old powder with the new one." Wrath and agony warped the woman's expression.

The room went still. Meanwhile, the rashes worsened. 

"Sweetheart..." 

Suddenly, the memory of Maruscha's beautiful face came back to mind—haunting, ominous. 

"...You look lovely."