Cara didn’t want to sing at this moment. So she asked for a quill and ink. She sketched a smiley face—a circle, two dots, and a smile on a piece of scrap parchment. The [Healer] took one look at it and shuddered.

“Miss. That is terrifying. Please take it away.”

He shooed her out of the clinic. Cara kept staring at the smiley face. Violetta and Idelt walked off, shaking their heads.

It wasn’t that bad! She was…okay…she could see how they were slightly soulless dots for eyes. And it was smiling at her.

What did the face know? Who came up with it, anyways? Some psychopath pretending to be friendly?

Cara put it in her pocket and sighed. Now it was freaking her out.

A voice made her look around.

“Miss Singer! Miss Singer! Please sing for us!”

She heard two familiar voices—then saw a group of children pelting her way. Cara smiled, even as she recognized the two nobles’ kids.

“Hey there.”

“Do you have another song?”

Culin was wide-eyed. Cara laughed.

“I have lots. And something really…friendly! Cool!”

“What, what?”

“Take a look. Isn’t he—”

She showed them the little face. The children screamed. Cara gave up. Singing. She was good at singing.

——

The children came back in the evening with Meltain, after a day of Lantal helping Risel set up one of the guest rooms for Duchess Grishen, who was coming for the banquet—mostly as thanks for her help.

Lantal was trying to figure out how to request the Thronebearers’ aid in a way that would satisfy the

[Princess]—when his two children came tumbling into the room.

“Father! Father! The [Singer] can do magic! She’s singing and making songs and—and magic!”

Culin and Sasi raced into the room, laughing with delight. It was such a refreshing sound that Risel and Lantal looked up. The dusty parents smiled.

“What, have you been in town all day?”

“Yes! We were watching Miss Cara! She’s performing in the square! And she had a scary face-thing. But she was fun!”

“Performing? What’s this about, Meltain?”

The [Spearman] grinned as he nodded to Risel.

“It’s something to see, Lady Risel! That young woman’s some kind of [Performer] along with a [Singer]—

and she’s got a magic spell! She sings alone, but I’d swear I heard all kinds of instruments playing with her. And there’s all sorts of lights—it’s a show fit for the capital! Not sure about the scary face-thing.

Seemed friendly to me.”

Culin and Sasi emphatically shook their heads behind him. Lantal saw Risel perk up, intrigued.

“Really? I heard part of the song, but I didn’t know there was anything else. What was it like, Culin?”

She hefted her son up. He tried to explain, gesturing helplessly with his hands.