With the host of the salon now gone, the ladies begrudgingly began to make their exit. One by one, dipping a curtsey at the crown prince and the grand duke as they followed the familiar path back to the entranceway where their rides were waiting.
Following princess Naomi's exit, Sakura had been called aside by one of prince Shota's servants, as the second prince had requested to have some tea with the fair lady; an invitation she wasn't elated by but couldn't turn down either. Soon, the number of ladies had dropped from roughly a dozen down to just Hina.
Evening was nearing and the sun had begun to set, dying the horizon and the entire world a marvellous shade of reddish-orange, accompanied by the warm evening breeze that rippled through the once stifling atmosphere.
