When the staff’s nagging finally ended, Lucas approached me. Lucas had always been tall, even as a child, making me look up at him for quite a while.
“If you’re going to nag me too, then just stop.”
As I waved my hand dismissively, Lucas chuckled a little. It was rare for him to smile at all, so even this was quite unusual.
“Here, take this.”
He handed me something wrapped in a handkerchief.
“What is this?”
“It’s a self-defense weapon.”
Inside the handkerchief was a hair accessory. It was adorned in the shape of a rose with intertwined red rubies and gold.
“I specially ordered it. The tip is very hard and sharp, making it perfect for use as a weapon.”
“I already have a dagger for self-defense.”
Despite my resistance, Lucas held the accessory and directly pinned it into my hair.
“You can’t bring weapons into places like the ballroom. If it’s revealed later that you were carrying a weapon, it could be a problem. But since this is made purely as an accessory, it’s fine. Use it if something urgent comes up. And…”
He leaned in and whispered coldly in my ear.
“If someone tries to cross the line, handle it with this. The aftermath will be taken care of by His Grace the Grand Duke, so don’t worry.”
“…”
I almost told him that one of the purposes of this trip was to find a man who would cross the line with me, but I held back. He must not have said that without knowing.
Upon reflection, this guy is the scariest.
“…Okay, thank you very much.”
Fearing that more terrifying words might follow, I quickly got into the carriage.
It was a relief that Jas, the king of nagging, wasn’t here today. If he had been present, saying goodbye would have taken the entire day.
I leaned out of the window and waved my hand.
“Everyone, stay healthy until I return! I’ll be off now!”
I greeted everyone with a voice that was far too cheerful for a farewell.
With my spirited send-off, the carriage wheels began to roll. The figures of my parents and the people from the Grand Duke’s residence quickly faded away.
In the Kingdom of Castoria, turning 18 is special. At this age, one is recognized as an adult, no longer a child. It marks the beginning of being a proper member of society.
Thus, when one turns 18, the children of noble families gather in the capital, Rosen, to participate in the debutante ball. This is a kind of coming-of-age ceremony and the official start of searching for a partner. The marriageable age here is in the early twenties, so one must start looking for a partner diligently to avoid being late to marry.
For these reasons, I was also heading to the capital. Moreover, this debutante ball would be the occasion to officially announce that I am the heir of the Grand Duke.
Because of this, I have been receiving formal heir training from my father since last year.
The first task my father entrusted to me was to quantify and organize information related to monsters.
The Grand Duchy was a place where monsters frequently appeared, and the damage inflicted on the residents was immense. However, there were no specific records documenting this data yet.
Questions such as when monsters appeared more often, the ranking of villages suffering the most damage, and the number of monsters appearing needed to be addressed.
Feeling that there was a need for detailed organization regarding this, my father assigned this task to me.
“Don’t worry! I’ll investigate and report back right away!”
I shouted, full of confidence. In truth, I didn’t think this task would be particularly difficult. I considered it a simple job of researching and organizing information.
However, my father, who was staring at me intently, asked, “How do you plan to conduct the investigation?”
“Well, I’ll have each territory conduct their own investigations and compile the results.”
“If the results of this investigation show that certain territories suffer more from monsters, they will receive more support. Doesn’t that mean there’s a possibility that the lords might submit false reports?”
“Then we’ll have to send separate investigators to each territory.”
“Where will you secure the funds to send these investigators? Will you cut from the existing budget? If so, which budget will you cut from?”
“…”
“Or will you create a new budget? What specific plan do you have for that?”
“…”
Despite having a mouth, I found myself at a loss for words, yet my father cruelly continued his barrage of questions.
“This task will also require personnel from each territory. What alternatives do you have to utilize personnel without disrupting their livelihoods?”
“…I will devise proper plans and report back after that.”
That day, I left my father’s office feeling defeated. I had to think about everything from securing the budget to determining appropriate costs per personnel and efficient manpower management.
It wasn’t just a matter of defeating monsters in the northern territories. Due to a lack of human and material resources, administrative deliberation was crucial.
Thus, I spent an entire year being put through the wringer under my father. Just when I thought it might be better to roll around physically, I was set to leave Clanoviche for Rosen.
“Wowwwww!”
While reading a book in the carriage, I looked up at Bell’s loud exclamation. Having never been outside her territory before, Bell was completely captivated by the view outside the window.
Curious about what she was seeing, I leaned out to look, but nothing particularly special caught my eye.
“What are you looking at?”
“The scenery is just so enchanting! The sunlight is shining, and the flowers are beautiful. Lady Ar, this world really seems so lovely!”
Bell’s eyes sparkled with wonder.
At 16, everything indeed appears beautiful, and curiosity is boundless at that age. As I thought this and tried to return to my book, Bell pointed outside and exclaimed,
“Especially that flower! It’s so pretty! I don’t know what kind it is, though.”
“Anemone.”
“Eh?”
Bell looked at me, her expression as if to say, ‘There’s no way a noble lady like you would know the name of such a flower. Who are you, really?’
“Do you want me to tell you the flower’s meaning, too?”
Bell quickly shook her head.
“Oh, no. I don’t know what it is, but if you know it, then the meaning must be something scary, like revenge or ‘I will definitely kill you’ or something.”
…What do you really think of me?
“Honestly, I find it fascinating that His Grace the Grand Duke would send you alone like this. I thought both of them would accompany you.”
“You have no idea how much effort I put into making this happen.”
I let out a deep sigh.
One day, just before my coming-of-age ceremony, I declared to my parents,
“I’ll go to Rosen by myself.”
During the social season when debutante balls are held, it is customary for parents to accompany their children to the capital. There, they mingle and look for suitable matches for their offspring.
However, my parents had only stayed in the Grand Duchy for the past 12 years. My father occasionally traveled to the capital, but my mother had never stepped outside the Grand Duchy.
This meant that the only person she could socialize with was the duchess. When I thought about it, my father had no close friends besides the Duke either.
Both of them had a strong aversion to mingling with the nobility of the capital. My father had always despised the central aristocrats, and my mother felt uncomfortable associating with them due to her status.
In any case, there was no need for the two of them, who lived happily in the Grand Duchy, to suffer in the capital because of me. That’s why I decided to go alone. It was safer for either my father or me to stay behind to protect the territory.
But my mother still had many concerns.
“No matter what, it’s too much for you to handle the debutante ball alone. I can’t just let you stay in the mansion by yourself.”
In the end, my mother sent a letter to the duchess, asking if she could help with my debutante ball.
A reply came back in no time at all, welcoming me with open arms and urging me to come to the capital immediately.
Since losing her young daughter, the duchess had shown me special affection. She frequently sent me dresses and accessories that were in vogue in the capital and constantly encouraged me to visit, saying she wanted me to experience life beyond the Grand Duchy.
In truth, if the duchess became my sponsor, it wouldn’t be a bad arrangement for me either. She was the most influential lady in the current social scene.
However, I never expected that I would be staying at the Duke’s residence for the entire social season. I had other plans I wanted to pursue once I gained my freedom, and now those plans were thrown into disarray.
“Eek!”
At that moment, Bell screamed. Derek, who was riding next to us, suddenly leaned in through the window.
I was startled too; Derek had a face that was a bit overwhelming to see up close.
“Lady Ar, we’ll be reaching the village soon. Since I’m hungry, how about we stop for a meal?”
“…”
I stared silently at Derek, who was looking for food just a few hours after we set off. Well, at 19, it was indeed an age when one is always hungry.
“They say the village is famous for its sardine pie. I want to try that!”
“Sardine pie? They make pies with fish?”
I was horrified, but Derek cheerfully exclaimed,
“Yes! Aren’t you curious, Lady Ar?”
No. I’m not curious at all. I don’t want to see it, let alone eat it!
