“No one knows anything about Kayan’s mother. You’d best avoid asking questions about her anywhere.”
“What? The Viscount never married?”
“You could say that.”
I wanted to explain more, but I genuinely didn’t know anything. Even Kayan himself knew nothing about his mother.
“Anyway, the Viscount is peculiar in many ways. It’s probably best to keep him out of social gatherings.”
“Peculiar…? In what way?”
“You’ll find out when you meet him. But Kayan’s different.”
In social circles, appearance was a crucial factor. With a little grooming, Kayan could certainly establish a strong presence.
“He’s so smart he learned to read before I did. He just didn’t have an environment conducive to further education. But that’s something he can pick up gradually.”
“That… makes sense.”
Connie mumbled as she glanced at my notes. Judging by her expression, she seemed to be holding something back.
“Connie. Do you have something to say?”
“N-no, absolutely not!”
I stomped my foot with aura, causing the creaky wooden floor to cave in slightly.
“It’s an order. Speak whatever’s on your mind immediately.”
“Yes!”
Straightening up, Connie spoke without hesitation.
“I have a question!”
“Go ahead. Ask anything.”
“Do you… dislike the House of Duke Cerno?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you trying to raise another noble family to create your own base of support…?”
Ah.
Now I understood why she hesitated. It was indeed a dangerous question, but it was also crucial for her to ask if she wanted to truly assist me.
I nodded calmly.
“Something like that.”
A royal without a support base was always precarious. The relationship between the royal family and their noble allies was symbiotic.
I would receive their protection, and they, in turn, would gain justification and honor under the banner of loyalty to me.
“Of course, this isn’t just for me. It’s primarily for Kayan. But if the Barcklith family is properly established, it will benefit both of us.”
Seeing my nod, Connie nodded cautiously in return.
“Understood, Your Highness.”
As expected, she wasn’t one of Simon’s spies.
“With limits to title and birth, he could still grow into an exceptional suitor. That might even solve the first two issues.”
Huh? Wait… what?
“A suitor?”
“A young man who’s wealthy, strong, intelligent, and handsome, isn’t that what he’ll grow into? Especially the last part—it’s rare, but he already has it.”
“I… suppose so?”
“If a lady of noble birth or even a princess from a neighboring kingdom were to fall for him… wouldn’t that lead to a rise in status through marriage?”
I was momentarily speechless.
I had never considered whom Kayan might marry. In the past, he neither married nor became engaged.
“Is… is that really possible?”
“Of course. With that face, if he grows up well, all he has to do at a ball is pick up a handkerchief, and many noble ladies won’t be able to sleep that night. They’ll replay that moment in their minds over and over.”
At her words, I gasped, a memory flashing vividly in my mind.
***
Before my regression, when I was nineteen.
Hugo’s engagement ceremony was held at the imperial palace.
His fiancée was a princess from a nearby grand duchy. The event was far more extravagant than my own engagement ceremony.
Naturally, I had to make an appearance. I sat next to Simon, looking like a despondent doll.
It was then that I overheard a conversation between noble ladies behind me.
“Oh my, isn’t that Kayan Barcklith, the Viscount’s son?”
“My goodness… he is handsome. I want to talk to him.”
“But if I talk to him, Father will scold me. He’s not really a proper noble.”
Kayan usually didn’t attend such events, as he was disregarded by most.
I, too, only showed up when absolutely necessary.
But this engagement was different. Anna, wanting to flaunt her status to the princess, had pressured all nobles to attend. Even I, as a princess, had to be present.
I stole a glance at Kayan from afar.
The noble ladies lowered their voices but continued to chatter incessantly.
“Look closely. Doesn’t it seem like he doesn’t even know how to hold a champagne glass properly?”
“But I bet he knows how to hold my hand just fine.”
“Who knows? They say he’s good at grabbing collars. Apparently, he once caught a servant trying to trip him and threw him to the ground.”
It was a mix of disdain and admiration.
I thought indifferently.
‘Well… he’s pretty much the same as when he was younger.’
His long legs, piercing eyes, sharp nose, broad shoulders, and deep voice were all things I’d seen since childhood. So why was everyone making such a fuss?
As I stole glances at Kayan, Simon leaned in and whispered.
“You’re not thinking of speaking to Kayan Barcklith here, are you?”
Startled, I gripped my skirt tightly.
Since declaring an end to our friendship when I was twelve, I had wanted to apologize to him countless times. I had even secretly picked up the photo Simon had torn apart, keeping it with me always. Whenever I felt lonely or despondent, I’d look at it, longing for those times we spent together—and for Kayan himself.
But…
“Kayan Barcklith only manages to endure because he has no ties to Your Highness. If the Crown Princess finds out you’re close to him, she’ll mobilize every connection in the social world to crush him. And Your Highness doesn’t have the power to protect him.”
At that time, Anna and Hugo’s influence had grown considerably. It was incomparable to when I was a child.
Even the Emperor’s health had deteriorated to the point where he was bedridden most days. It was practically Anna’s world.
“Leaving him alone is the best way to protect him.”
In the end, I lowered my head slightly in agreement. My current circumstances were far from favorable, after all.
A little later, the music for the dance began.
Simon glanced at me and said, “Shall we head to the dance floor now?”
“…Alright.”
I weakly took Simon’s offered arm and rose from my seat.
As we moved slowly, I noticed Anna smirking and signaling to a young nobleman with her eyes. She likely thought no one else saw, but my sharp eyesight caught everything. The nobleman began approaching me with a champagne glass in hand.
‘Not this again.’
At social events, Anna often orchestrated subtle harassment against me.
As I grew to resemble my mother more, my beauty began to draw attention, something Anna clearly found bothersome.
Usually, she’d have someone spill something on me to embarrass me publicly. The culprit would apologize profusely, and Anna would chime in with a condescending, “It’s alright, isn’t it, Your Highness?” making it awkward for me to show any anger.
‘I’m so tired of this.’
Though I could easily avoid it, I decided to let the champagne splash over me this time.
“Ah! Oh no…!”
The nobleman, prompted by Anna, pretended to trip clumsily in front of me.
‘I’ll just use this as an excuse to leave early and clean up.’
I stood there, prepared to feign ignorance, when suddenly—
“Pardon me, Your Highness…? Wait, what?”
The nobleman, ready to apologize, blinked in confusion. The champagne had splashed onto someone else instead of me. That someone was Kayan.
He had been standing quite far away. I had no idea when he had moved closer.
I muttered, dazed, “Why…?”
Kayan was quick on his feet and would never have been caught by something as trivial as a spilled drink. He must have taken the hit deliberately.
Our eyes met.
And in that moment, I realized we were wearing the same expression—a look that asked, “Why didn’t you avoid it when you clearly could have?”
The first to react, however, was Simon.
“Still resorting to such petty tricks, I see. Even though he’s just a mercenary-turned-noble without a proper estate, he should know better by now…”
Though Simon appeared to be scolding the young nobleman, his words were laced with contempt for Kayan.
I was about to angrily retort when Kayan turned on his heel and walked out of the ballroom, still soaked in champagne.
I could only stare blankly at his retreating figure.
For some reason, his broad back seemed even larger and sturdier than before.
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