Jaya Emyr jokingly urged Aisha to stay and join the banter with them instead of the Princess. The conversation was getting engrossing, and it would be a shame to let it end so soon. At the end of his sentence, Jaya Emyr flashed a captivating smile that could enchant anyone. Alaric swore he saw a change in Aymard's expression, and even Aymard quickly downed his drink in one gulp.
Shafina approached Alaric, intrigued to follow along. Shafina and her friends, fellow girls, had agreed earlier during a casual conversation while enjoying their snacks that they would antagonize Aisha for capturing Aymard's attention. It would be interesting to witness someone being humiliated in a social event like this. After all, it had been a long time since anything interesting had happened at their extravagant parties.
The girls always eagerly awaited another woman being publicly humiliated. It provided them with material for future massive gossip sessions without feeling guilty. It would be even more enticing if the person causing the humiliation was a young man like Jaya Emyr, whom they respected. The downfall of unlucky person caused by "the respected one" would be severe and lead to a societal isolation.
However, that wasn't actually what was happening. Alaric, like any other, initially thought Jaya Emyr was going too far. But Aymard knew for certain that this was Jaya Emyr's subtle warning to him. Jaya Emyr had known Aisha for a long time, and he felt uncomfortable with Aymard attempting to get closer to her.
"The ethical absolute truth called conscience, Aisha, sounded beautiful when Princessa said it, didn't it?"
Aisha tilted her head, looking at Jaya Emyr intently.
"Yes, but you'll be surprised. Princessa firmly believes that fundamental things like that should be put into practice, Jaya."
Alaric furrowed his brow, noticing that even Aisha referred to Jaya Emyr as just "Jaya."
Jaya Emyr nodded. "So, what if we incorporate the principle of truth into the principle of aesthetics?"
Aisha chuckled softly. "That's enough, Jaya. Are you sure you want me to comment?"
An older gentleman who had joined in the banter with the Princess interjected,
"It's not just this young Sumanagara who's curious, Lady! You see, even us old folks are quite surprised that there are still young man like Jayaprabhu who enjoy engaging in such debates."
Laughter filled the air. Another man spoke up, "Actually, I quite like young men like Jayaprabhu. They remind me to keep learning. It would be embarrassing if we're having such an engaging conversation and couldn't contribute to it. Listen, Young Man, if only the truth alarms of everyone remained active, this world wouldn't be as chaotic as it is now."
"I agree with that."
"Yes, I agree too. But what did Jayaprabhu mean by the principle of aesthetics?"
"Really?"
"Ah, he reminds me so much of his mother."
Jaya Emyr smiled contentedly, raising his eyebrows as he gazed at Aisha. He seemed delighted to know that the elders supported him in diverting the conversation at this party away from economics and arranged marriages.
"What is it, Jaya?"
Jaya Emyr sighed, "Come on, Aisha."
Laughter filled the air once again. Aymard looked at Jaya Emyr, not understanding his intention. He found it excessive to put Aisha in the position of answering his intricate banter. Moral ethics within aesthetics, everyone knew it was simply a matter of normative tendencies. It could become complicated because people who attending this party, came from different fields. As different the source, as different the fish.
"For example, Madame de Syuga, the renowned one. She has already transcended the moral ethics of the common people in this country, hasn't she? But can we simply attribute her personal expression as Madame Dewi herself without considering who she is to this nation? Isn't her action selfish?"
Alaric raised an eyebrow, while Shafina furrowed her brow. They were unaware that Marcello and the other friends had also joined in. Jaya Emyr, the beloved mischievous boy, was putting on a show, and it's no wonder many were curious to witness it. Aisha squinted, looking at Jaya Emyr, who remained calm and composed.
"Is this going to turn into a debate, Jayaprabhu?" joked a silver-haired man.
Jaya Emyr grinned. "Oh, you don't know, Sir. Aisha always has an answer for everything."
"Oh, really?"
Jaya Emyr nodded solemnly. "That's why it's such a shame that only I am bestowed with her enlightenment," he explained.
Aisha sighed and nodded softly. "You truly are a troublesome child, Jaya. If you take Madame de Syuga as an example, try tracing the common thread. Haven't we discussed this before?"
Jaya Emyr smiled. "Is that so? Does that mean you agree with my mother that the arbitrary interpretation of aesthetic values now freely encroaches upon genuine moral ethics?"
Aymard cleared his throat. "It would be more enjoyable to discuss this while sitting down. With a large cup of coffee. Conversations that can kill time, like amateur philosophers who are friends."
"That's true, Aymard. But we're all already curious because of Jayaprabhu. We're eager to hear whether Aisha can defend Princess Ingmar Durlach's opinion."
Aisha chuckled softly. "Oh my. Princessa seems to take great pleasure in causing a stir."
Alaric observed Aisha shaking her head with a touch of sadness. Whispering among the girls began to be heard.
"The moral ethics Princessa was referring to earlier undoubtedly pertains to the absolute awareness of universal truth within our conscience, Jaya."
Aymard looked at Aisha with a slightly raised eyebrow. He had intended to spare Aisha from engaging with Jaya Emyr, but now she was casually answering Jaya's question.
"No need for me to provide examples. Everyone understands the meaning of universal truth. Anything agreed upon is wrong if it violates it, regardless of the reasons or purposes. Even if it's for the greater good in the future."
"I don't understand." a woman next to Alaric sighed.
"A simple example would be stealing, for instance. Or killing. When it becomes a legal case, we understand the reasons. But it's not about the value of the action itself. Fundamentally, every human being agrees that those actions are wrong, without considering the reasons. So, even for a good purpose, it will always be wrong. And eventually, the consequences of stealing and killing must be dealt with without being clouded by other emotions." Aisha quipped.
Silence fell over the group. Some furrowed their brows, while others started to casually walk away, incredulous. Those attempting to digest the discussion seemed awkward, scratching their necks as if they had an itch. Alaric held his breath, understanding that a typical intellectual conversation was unfolding before him.
"Even young children, who may not fully grasp it yet, will hesitate before taking something that doesn't belong to them until they are certain that nobody else owns it. That's what Princessa meant by universally agreed-upon absolute truth. Our conscience has that awareness. It's like a program that automatically triggers an uneasy feeling when we're about to make a mistake."
A dry laugh was heard. "Geez, if we kept responding to that uneasy feeling, I'm sure we wouldn't be enjoying this champagne right now!" exclaimed a man who promptly finished his glass of champagne.
Laughter erupted among the crowd, and Aisha joined in. She nodded,
"Well, that's why I wonder why Jaya chose this topic for conversation in the midst of a party."
Aymard smiled sympathetically at Aisha. He hadn't expected her to remain so composed after engaging with Jaya Emyr. Contradicted to Shafina that sighed and whispered,
"What kind of conversation is this? It's dull and gives me a headache."
Alaric laughed in response, accompanied by giggles from the girls who were listening.
"So, what's the connection to Madame de Syuga, Jayaprabhu?" asked Aisha.
Jaya Emyr sighed. "I simply wanted to know if Aisha would still speak up for Princessa when confronted with a contradictory matter."
"So, you were just testing her in front of us? That's going too far, Jaya Emyr!" exclaimed a woman, half wide-eyed.
Jaya Emyr shook his head. "That's not true! Just so you know, I always lose debates against Aisha. She only gives in to my mother!"
The group burst into laughter, realizing that Jaya Emyr was trying to challenge Aisha in their presence.
Aisha laughed politely, "Oh, let it go. You know my opinion. Aesthetics falls within the realm of taste and the social norms that apply in that specific context. Madame Dewi's work was released in Japan for the international art public, where the boundaries of norms differ from here. It clearly wasn't intended for the general public of her late husband's country. If someone is shocked and unable to accept it, it might be because it disrupts the views or desires that are agreed upon here. It's their own fault for being curious about someone else's playthings. That's also why there's a censoring authority, Jaya! So that those who are not accustomed to values outside of themselves don't have a heart attack before they can even digest its contents. Aesthetics that align with universal moral ethics are merely common aesthetics, like paintings by Degas or Vermeer. And if you want to talk about arts and philosophies, I'm silent. It's not my field, even though I'm currently intoxicated by Anaïs Nin!"
"Ah, Jaya Emyr. Your mother is more capable of discussing that topic," Marcello teased.
Jaya Emyr chuckled, nodding at Marcello. "Yes, I know, Marcel. Oh, Aisha, can you ever not have an opinion about everything?"
Aymard realized it. Jaya Emyr wasn't trying to bring Aisha down or test her. He restrained himself from swearing because now he was truly convinced that Jaya Emyr was actually praising Aisha. He was trying to make society understand that Aisha was not just an ordinary assistant.
"That's why you shouldn't ask too many questions about things you already understand, Jaya."
Laughter filled the air. Some of the girls smiled, looking at Aisha with a mixture of surprise and admiration. Others didn't pay much attention, merely understanding that Aisha was more than just an important person's Personal Assistant. However, there were also those who scrutinized her with confrontational looks. According to them, Jaya Emyr's praise of Aisha was a normative violation of societal ethics. And Shafina was among them, not just because of Jaya Emyr but also Aymard.
Aymard watched with burning jealousy, unable to do anything. Alaric could clearly see it. Aymard stood there, agitated, with clenched fists. The glass in his hand could have shattered from his tight grip if he was filled more anger.
"I apologize, I must take my leave. For the inconvenience caused, please forgive me," Aisha said.
"It's alright, Aisha. You gave him a good jab. At least now I know that Jayaprabhu has a worth rival," a man next to Aisha joked.
Aymard smiled, looking directly into Jaya Emyr's eyes. "Apparently we always need someone whose can make us feel small, don't we, Jaya?"
Jaya Emyr shrugged. "Oh, well, I always gravitate towards those who make me feel intimidated and shaky. It's good for my mental health. Keeps me grounded. Same goes for you, doesn't it?"
Alaric felt a slight constriction in his throat, making it difficult to swallow his drink. Fortunately, he didn't choke. Hearing Jaya Emyr's words, he felt a pang and understood why Aymard cared so much about Jaya Emyr, from their close childhood relationship to the incident that separated them. It wasn't a petty love rivalry that caused them to no longer be friends.
Aisha sighed, "Forgive me, gentlemen, ladies. I don't mean to be impolite, but I must leave immediately. Excuse me."
Aisha quickly departed, hurrying to catch up with the beautiful girl she called Princessa. Was the girl of Italian royal descent? Earlier, when she introduced herself, she carried the name Savoyye as her title. Savoy was an old region owned by aristocratic families on the same level as Archdukes, near Lake Geneva. It was a former Roman territory before becoming part of Italy. After Mussolini's reign, which paled in comparison to the Nazis in Europe and the Japanese invasion in Greater Asia, many noble families and their regions was fallen. During that time, between World War I and World War II, the nobles were stripped of their power, left with small territories without authority. Luckily for the Habsburgs and the North, they were saved by their alliance with NATO. So, it's no surprise that European kingdoms have kings and queens who are siblings. If the Bolsheviks hadn't destroyed Russia, or if France had remained in its monarchical mode, it's certain that democracy would be considered a left-wing ideology today.
Just think about it—who would be willing to entrust the functioning of a country to a group of people who demand excessive payment and rely solely on raising their hands when making decisions? All considerations, ideas, and perspectives would be rendered futile. Even monarchy is a system that easily invites criticism because too few enjoy the pie of power. Monarchy was overthrown due to an insane social jealousy triggered by the irrational actions of nobles who loved to indulge in their gold pits. Their attention shifted from the magic of the world to neglecting their people. In places where the nobles were competent in their work, monarchy still survives to this day. Sweden and the UK are just a few examples.
"Ugh, I could have a repetitive heart attacks if I had an assistant like her."
Laughter echoed through the room.
"But she's effective. She creates the perfect branding for House of Durlach," another person chimed in.
"Now, Jayaprabhu, did you just tell us? Are you interesting to an older woman?" an old man joked.
Explosive laughter filled the air, and Jaya Emyr joined in, laughing heartily with them.
"Yes. Their mature thinking is more interesting. At least when it comes to causing headaches, it's not always about shoes and bags," Jaya Emyr remarked.
Aymard clenched his jaw as Jaya Emyr spoke while looking in his direction. His gesture seemed to seek approval, and people assumed as much. They followed suit, looking towards Aymard, leaving him with no choice but to smile and nod.
As the short debate performance came to an end, Alaric once again felt a deep thirst. He had completely forgotten about Shafina, who was engrossed in conversation with other girls. A new understanding began to form in Alaric's mind. He realized his own arrogance and negligence in believing that Aymard was merely affected by jealousy towards Aisha, who he deemed to have no remarkable qualities.
Damn it! Tonight, he discovered that Aisha possessed a mind that was beyond his reach. Damn it! He didn't like this fact, that he now found himself admiring Aisha, who effortlessly expressed her opinions in front of a distinguished audience. How could Aisha appear so cultured just now?
This was not an audience of ordinary coffee shop patrons. These were influential figures with the power to influence the state's economic directions. Aisha's extraordinary self-confidence always bothered Alaric. And tonight, he understood why. It was no surprise, for it turned out that she possessed a level of reasoning equal to that of Aymard, and even Jaya Emyr, the intelligent prankster boy who was rumored to be overly genius and easily bored by numbers.
Jaya Emyr, despite being the son of an influential figure, was known for preferring to be a man of action, handling tangible affairs. He disliked small talk but when engaged in a conversation, he immediately initiated a random debate forum. Many believed that this habit of his was influenced by his parents, who were also known as the ignorant elite in their youth. Despite that, Jaya Emyr excelled in mastering intense discussions behind the scenes.
Suddenly, Alaric felt envious. He wanted to be like Jaya Emyr, unburdened, provoking Aisha to share her thoughts, even if it was just to protect her Princess dignity. The nagging question in his mind grew even more intense, did Aymard understand everything? Alaric squinted, realizing that Aymard had become more relaxed and continued to engage in conversation. It seemed that Aymard did indeed understand those philosophy things.
With a bitter taste in his mouth, Alaric swallowed, realizing why Dharma his father always urged him to catch up to Aymard. Suddenly, he felt inadequate compared to his older brother.
*****