[Emiliette’s POV]
Time went by like water flowing in the river and a month had passed.
After barely running three laps at the training ground in the past month, I can now run five laps easily. It was regrettable that I was still not allowed to hold a wooden sword, but I had no choice but to follow it.
In the meantime, Ad’s swordsmanship skill improved a lot. His swordsmanship skills, which he had been learning over my shoulder, quickly improved since Cardin honed his skills. Now he has reached the level where he can try to attack Cardin during confrontation.
But today, Ad can’t come. This is because today was the day the emperor’s birthday began. During this time the security of the palace was tightened and the number of eyes watching increased, making it difficult to sneak out.
Even if I can’t see him now, I can see him at the banquet anyway but we can’t greet each other.
“Princess, it’s done.”
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Nanny smiled as she arranged my clothes. I gave my nanny a compliment for making me look pretty today and she responded “That’s what a nanny does.”
“Woah”
Seeing the nanny smile broadly as if she was in a good mood made me feel good.
The servant knocked on the door and informed me that Cardin was waiting outside.
“Nanny, I’ll be back!”
After greeting my nanny who waved her hand and saw me off, I came out.
“Papa!”
Cardin in a gold-decorated black uniform shone even more today.
“…… Your nanny must have paid a lot of attention to you today.”
Cardin said when he looked at her dress.
I asked him directly because Cardin is someone who won’t call me pretty even if I died.
“You’re saying I’m pretty today, right?”
Cardin lifted me up in the carriage, closed his mouth and didn’t think of opening it.
“No, I don’t think it’s pretty…….”
I looked out the window with a sullen look on purpose. I could see Cardin’s hand twitching from the side.
“Phew….”
I sat down completely turned away from Cardin.
“It’s not that you aren’t pretty….”
Behind the silence, Cardin’s voice rang out. When I looked back, I saw Cardin looking at me with pale shaking pupils.
“Then what is it?”
I said giving him another chance with my arms folded. Cardin’s mouth curled up and soon spat out the answer.
“Among those who will come to the banquet, there is no one like you.”
I didn’t expect such an answer.
“Yes, and Papa is also the most handsome person who will come to the banquet hall.”
Cardin smirked at my words. The carriage headed to the palace has a friendly atmosphere. That evening the birthday party began in earnest. The sky slowly became dark and a line of carriage gathered in the palace.
As I got off the carriage, the gazes began to pour around me. When I turned my head and looked around, there were richly dressed aristocrats looking this way and whispering among themselves. Cardin held me in his arms and headed to the entrance of the banquet hall.
The servant in front of the entrance came out and announced our arrival in a more angular voice. Entering the banquet hall, more spectacular scenery unfolded under the lights of the colorful chandelier.
“It’s the Duke of Bardion.”
“Oh, that child in the duke’s arms…….”
And there were stinging eyes that were not comparable to the entrance just now. It felt like my whole body was being pierced by the gazes that fell on me after Cardin. Each of the nobles glared at the movement of the Cardin.
“This is why I didn’t want to come.”
Cardin grumbled in a low voice. The slightly frowned brow is telling me that he is feeling very uncomfortable at the moment.
Inside the huge hall where the emperor’s birthday feast was held, expensive and colorful decorations and food were everywhere. The music played by numerous bands resounded majestically to the end of this huge hall.
“……Ah.”
Cardin caught me looking up so much that I almost fell back.
“Be careful.”
Cardin stepped towards the fancy dessert and grabbed me a cookie and said,
“Tell me whenever you want to go out.”
“Yes.”
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I answered by cutting down on the cookies. It was a very delicious-looking cookie, but the taste was much lower than that of the duke’s chef.
“Well…… Duke Bardion. Hello. I’m Maiden Cheffra, Marquis of Cheffra.”
At that time, a man approached Cardin and said hello. Cardin glanced at the man and exchanged brief greetings. The man named Marquis Cheffra, who was happy with Cardin’s easy response, has been constantly trying to open a door for a conversation.
Even though Cardin didn’t respond much, the man did his best to continue talking. Then the man who made eye contact with me changed the subject of the conversation to me.
“The princess of Bardion, who was said to be the youngest trainee at the magic tower. Hello, princess.”
As expected, he is trying hard to flatter me saying, “Maybe it’s because you resemble the duke.”
“I see. I don’t think I look much like the duke.”
“Haha! No way. You look just like the duke.”
Hey, Mister.
Recognizing that I was the one responding more than Cardin, Mister Marquis continued to praise me. Other nobles, who saw Cardin impose no sanctions on the marquis, who clung to the side to the point of being a bother, were slowly closing the distance.
“Hello, Duke. My name is Jevdem’s…….”
“Duke, I saw you last time……!”
Before we knew it, we were surrounded by nobles.
Behind the marquis, who made a grim face when his seat was pushed back, I could see various faces greeting with smiles to peek at new opportunities.
My hand that grabbed Cardin’s collar gained strength as the countless gazes towards me.
“Stop.”
At that time, Cardin’s low words fell, the mouths of the nobles closed as if they had made a promise.
“I’ll have to take a break.”
Cardin hugged me and moved to the terrace provided in the banquet hall. Over Cardin’s shoulder, I could see the sad faces of the nobles.
I realized why Cardin didn’t want to come to the birthday party.
When I came into the terrace and closed the door, the inside noise was completely cut off. As I entered the terrace with a small table and sofa, I could see the garden of the palace at a glance. The oval-shaped terrace was lined up on both sides, and it was said that there was a magic that blocked the sound when the curtains were closed.
“Ha….”
A little tired Cardin sat on the sofa and swept his hair.
“Papa, when are we going back?”
Contrary to the spectacular things to see, the moment I entered the banquet hall again, I thought I would lose my energy. I wasn’t happy with the behavior of people who I didn’t even know looked at Cardin and praised me.
It was unpleasant and tiring, so I wanted to return to the duchy as soon as possible.
“Since the royal family has not yet arrived, according to the etiquette, we can only go back after they appear.”
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Cardin, who answered quietly, said, “Should we rather go now?” as if he’s really going to put it in action.
I wanted to, but I buried myself on the sofa, telling him not to do so because I thought it might put him in a bad position in the future.
“Oh, I’m hungry.”
Hunger came as I relaxed because I ate less lunch. Cardin walked out of the terrace saying he would bring something to eat.
“Stay calm here.”
“Yes.”
Cardin went back into the presence of nobles like hyenas to relieve my hunger. Most nobles called in servants stationed around them, but Cardin, who had been suspicious since the beginning, preferred to go there in person.
Looking up at the sky, there was a thick darkness.
Behind me was a social scene of the empire’s leading nobles and foreign nobles. Maybe it will become more active over time.
“I don’t think I fit well with places like this.”
Far from enjoying it, I wanted to go home quickly and lie down on the bed. If Ad was here, we would have chatted while eating something delicious. I looked through the entire banquet hall but I couldn’t see Ad.
“Oh, but we have to pretend we don’t know each other.”
The only place where I and Ad could talk was the duke’s training field.
Cardin, who taught Ad swordsmanship for over a month, increased his training intensity as he watched Ad improved his swordsmanship skills Cardin, who accepted reluctantly with an unenviable attitude, seemed to be increasingly sincere in teaching Ad.
I wonder if there will be a day where we won’t need to pretend, we don’t know each other.
“Meow…”
“What?”
I was blankly looking at the sky and thinking when I heard a cat crying from under my feet. When I looked down, I found a cat with white fur sitting somewhat modestly and looking up at me with sparkling eyes.
“Haha, what is it? Why are you here so late?”
I hugged Fay, who turned into a cat. He definitely hated noisy places like banquets. I guess he turned into a cat to see me and came secretly.
“No.”
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Fay gently grabbed my hand and rubbed his face against the back of my hand.
“It tickles. I thought you didn’t like noisy places”
“Meow…”
“You came because you missed me.”
“Meow…”
“Can’t we just talk when it’s just the two of us?”
“Meow…”
Fay did not answer as if he was determined to be a perfect cat today. No, he did his best to answer in cat language
“Oh, it’s all right. We don’t have to talk!”
Feeling frustrated, I waved Fay’s hand and pressed it. However, looking at his eyes closely it has a pale sky-blue color, a different color than usual.
What? Wasn’t it originally gold?
I put my face closer to take a closer look.
“Unfortunately, the cat doesn’t want to talk now.”
A strange voice came in with a cheerful laugh. Surprised, I turned my head and found a sturdy man with dark skin looking this way on the terrace across from me.
“Who are you?”
I didn’t close the curtains to see the night sky and the garden, but there must be someone on the next terrace.
“The person who owns that cat!”
The man pointed at the cat and laughed once again.
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Thanks for the coffee Connie and melody678
