Chapter 150: I Want to Kiss Up There
She played for nearly half an hour before Princess Maria reluctantly stepped down from the carousel, feeling as happy as if she had truly arrived in Eden.
This machine, full of fun, made her feel as if she were inside a fairy tale; its inventor must be a genius among geniuses. She thought so, and already ran toward the next amusement ride.
On the small boat of the "Joyful Drift", holding a little umbrella, she sat side by side with the Crown Prince, drifting along the water flow and enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine...
On the Pirate Ship, she tightly gripped the Crown Prince's arm, closed her eyes, and screamed...
It was a real boat, hauled from the Seine River, driven by a steam engine turning a wooden wheel, repeatedly frictioning the hull to push it upward. Actually, it only reached the height of an adult's chest, but for the Princess, it felt as if a giant were tossing her back and forth, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest.
However, she didn't expect that something even more thrilling awaited.
That place was called the House of Horrors.
Ten minutes later, Princess Maria was frightened by a red-faced devil with goat hooves, horns on its head, and wielding a steel fork; she lunged straight into Joseph's arms, clinging tightly to him while crying and loudly praying: "God protect us! Sniff... drive away all evil spirits... sniff sniff..."
Joseph had no choice but to let the scaring staff withdraw, carrying the princess out of the House of Horrors. After a long while, she finally believed what she had seen wasn't a devil, and her sobs gradually subsided.
She hesitated only half a second, then sprang up from her resting chair, pointed at the Ferris Wheel, blushing, and softly asked Joseph: "Your Highness, would you care to ride this with me?"
Joseph had long forgotten the publicity stunt he had devised for the Ferris Wheel; without hesitation he nodded: "It is an honor to ride with you, Princess."
Maria's heart skipped a beat; the Crown Prince's willingness to sit with her on the "crossing the sky with one's beloved" machine indicated his feelings toward her...
The girl's face turned even redder, and she dared not continue thinking further.
As the piston of the steam engine driving the Ferris Wheel began its reciprocating motion, the wheel slowly turned, emitting a faint "creak" sound.
Joseph knew that Flesselles had conducted extensive tests earlier, so safety should be assured, but the creaking of the wooden joints still filled him with unease.
In the cramped cabin of the Ferris Wheel, Maria sat with her head lowered opposite the Crown Prince, feeling both of them gradually rise into the air.
She began to indulge in daydreams.
'When we near the top later, I want to gaze lovingly at the Crown Prince—what should I say?'
'Your eyes are truly enchanting'?
'You are the most charming person I have ever met', or 'Thank God for letting me meet you' would be better.
'Alright! Let's go with that.'
'Then perhaps he will take my hand; in that case I should close my eyes and wait quietly.'
'If he doesn't move, I will draw close to him—very, very close—he surely won't dodge, right? He definitely won't! Then I will... summon my courage and lightly kiss his soft lips...'
'Maria, thinking this, felt her whole body burn like a fever, flushed and scorching.'
'Will he hold me?'
'Will he then naturally propose to me?'
'Or will he return my kiss with even more fervor...'
'Ah, what should I do? What should I do?'
'She felt a huge surge of happiness rising to her head, making her dizzy.'
'Huh? Why am I so dizzy?!'
'Maria suddenly felt faint to the point of breathlessness; could it be that before leaving Versailles, Alissa had laced her corset too tight?'
'She hurriedly lifted her head, trying to take a deep breath, but her eyes suddenly saw people on the ground as large as apples, and treetops resembling clumps of grass...'
'Her pupils constricted to the tiniest pinpricks, a massive terror seized her body, and her heart began to race wildly, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.'
'This is the very peak of the Ferris Wheel! I'm about to kiss upward...'
As Maria's final thought flashed through her mind, her slender neck slumped, and she fainted onto the seat.
"Huh?! Princess!"
Joseph jumped in surprise, quickly grabbing her to steady her. The Ferris Wheel's cabin was open at the top to reduce weight, but fortunately it was secured with a safety rope; otherwise she might have fallen out.
Maria had imagined everything perfectly, almost succeeding, yet she hadn't expected that she herself was afraid of heights.
After some time, in a room of the Tuileries Palace converted into a high-end inn, the Princess of the Two Sicilies gradually came to, awakened by the foul smell of smelling salts.
She heard the woman in a white robe beside her say: "Your Highness, the princess must have suffered a great shock and fainted. However, she should be fine now; with more rest, she will recover soon."
"Thank you for coming all this way, Doctor Perna."
Maria pieced together her earlier memories, realizing she had fainted at the crucial moment of her confession; she immediately felt both embarrassed and angry, and if she weren't weak all over, she would have wanted to slap herself hard.
She glanced up and saw the Crown Prince beside the bed, his face full of worry; suddenly her heart warmed—Your Highness' anxiety for her showed his feelings...
Joseph also wiped his brow—who could have imagined that this princess was afraid of heights? Fortunately, nothing happened; otherwise, scaring a young girl into trouble could have sparked a diplomatic incident...
Perna silently packed her medical kit, feeling a bit bitter—just now hearing Your Highness call for her had made her slightly glad, but she hadn't expected to be treating his princess instead.
At that moment, on a road a hundred kilometers from Paris, a convoy of carriages sped forward.
On that carriage, a girl about ten years old wore a pink dress, her hair adorned with two colored feathers, she had a pair of lively light-blue eyes, her chubby cheeks giving her an adorable look; she had neatly folded Queen Mary's letter and slipped it back into the envelope.
She looked at the middle-aged man sitting opposite, puffed her cheeks, and said: "Count Farnano, my dear aunt urges us to hurry to Paris."
The middle-aged man nodded: "I've heard that the Princess of the Two Sicilies seems to have won the favor of the Crown Prince."
The girl, however, raised her nose confidently and said: "My aunt just worries too much. Although my luck isn't great, I have extraordinary charm; the one who will ultimately win Your Highness's heart is surely me!"
Comments