Secrets of the Azure Sea - Chapter 34
“Oh, it’s the Parrot Princess!”
When they reached the harbor, a child noticed Floria and ran up to her.
“Hey, hey, where’s the parrot today?”
As if answering the call, the parrot—who had been dozing on its perch in the bedroom when they left—flew down and landed in front of Floria, as if it sensed that it had been left behind.
“Wah~ it’s the parrot!”
“The princess’s parrot!”
The children’s eyes sparkled as they gathered around.
“Parrots usually live in the mountains. They rarely come down, so the children find them fascinating,” Zanarf explained.
The island’s children had sun-kissed skin. The boys wore loincloths and went shirtless, while the girls wrapped themselves in linen dyed with colorful flowers and wore necklaces made out of shells that can be found around the island. Their attire was simple and rather cute because it brings out the charm of the island’s children.
“Neh, Neh, Princess, what’s the parrot’s name?” One of the girls asked with a twinkle in her eye
“Its name is rakikōun.” (TL; ラキ幸運, the name was a weird one since it direct translation is LuckyLucky, first being Raki which is in romaji/english, while the second kōun is in romaji/japanese, so I’ll just translate it as Raki since it would make more sense to the story)
The children immediately began calling out, “Raki! Raki!” as they petted its feathers.
“You named it ‘Raki’ in the island’s language?” Zanarf asked.
“Because it brought me luck…”
If Raki hadn’t alerted Zanarf’s sailboat when she was about to be swallowed by the whirlpool, she might have become sea foam by now.
Raki seemed delighted to be surrounded by the children.
“Let’s go before this bird gets in the way,” Zanarf said, taking Floria’s hand and leading her toward the harbor.
The market was lined with stalls made from old sails, resembling the food stalls at festivals in Floria’s homeland. The lively atmosphere filled her with excitement.
“Zanarf-sama, these are for the Parrot Princess,” a woman from a nearby flower stall said, handing over a bouquet. The flowers had translucent yellow petals and heart-shaped leaves which looked quite lovely.
“Wow, they’re so beautiful…”
After receiving the flowers from the woman, Zanarf plucked one flower and tucked it behind Floria’s ear.
The islanders watched the couple with warm smiles.
To the islanders, Floria’s beauty was striking. Her rose-blonde hair, ivory skin, and cherry-like lips stood out against their own darker features. Seeing Zanarf snuggled up to Floria, the islanders could not hide their surprise, though they did not say it out loud. Seeing Zanarf—known as the “Blue Heron Incarnation” who never smiled— standing next to Floria as if to keep the men of the island in check, and seemed to be trying to curry favor with his new wife. Their king’s infatuation with his new wife was evident at a glance.
“Princess, these flowers are called Yuna. They symbolize ‘dreamy memories,’ in flower language” the woman explained with a smile.
“Such a beautiful flower, but its meaning feels a little sad,” Floria said.
“—The Yuna blooms in the morning and withers by evening, lasting only a day. I guess that’s why it has that meaning in flower language. Its beauty is fleeting,” Zanarf added.
“That’s so tragic…”
“But that’s what makes it beautiful, don’t you think? It makes you want to cherish it even more.”
Zanarf’s sapphire eyes met hers, and Floria’s heart skipped a beat.
When he said he wanted to cherish it forever, he was talking about the flower, but for some reason, she felt as if he was talking about her, which made her nervous.