Chapter 57
Sian smoothed her hair, which had been styled into gentle waves. She always tied her hair tightly and wore shirts and pants for convenience in activities. It had been a long time… no, rather, it would be more appropriate to say it was the first time she felt so awkward in such a dolled-up appearance.
Platinum blonde hair styled in waves, makeup with foundation, blush, and carefully applied lipstick, along with flashy earrings and a dress.
Even though she had chosen the most modest everyday dress among those Carl had gifted her, the fabric and embroidery details were still extremely luxurious. The reflection in the mirror, looking like someone who had lived as a noble all her life, felt very unfamiliar.
“…You’re beautiful.”
As she was just staring into the mirror, feeling extremely awkward rather than admiring herself, Carl suddenly spoke from behind. The gaze that met hers through the mirror held that familiar gentle light.
As soon as their eyes met, Sian unconsciously lowered her head and pressed her lips together. An inexplicable ticklish feeling and embarrassment made her heart flutter unnecessarily.
“Of course. Who do you think I am?”
Sian took a deep breath and raised her head proudly. Carl, sitting behind her, pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile. The unfamiliar excitement and tingling feeling inside made her feel oddly elated.
Everyday life.
If she hadn’t been cast out from her family because of ‘that’, perhaps all these unfamiliar things would have been natural.
A complex feeling washed over her, with a bittersweet sense of things she couldn’t experience along with a warm elation. Sian squared her shoulders even more proudly towards the mirror in response.
“…This level of armament should be enough, right?”
“It’s enough. No matter who shows up, you’ll be able to crush everyone there and then some.”
Sian smiled contentedly at Carl’s answer.
“Alright then, I should get going now. It’s my first battle in the capital, worth commemorating.”
“…You don’t need to approach it with such a combative attitude. There’s no need to provoke her too much either.”
Carl leaned forward in his seat and spoke to Sian as she turned around, finished with her preparations. His voice was still full of worry.
“As long as there’s no evidence or circumstances, you need to appear easy-going enough to show vulnerabilities. You understand that, right?”
That’s why Hendrick and Carl had put on that grand noble show in the noble assembly hall. And that’s why Revenant had dared to appear before the Prince, following Antonio.
Sian smiled brightly at Carl, who was kindly reminding her of this fact.
“I understand well. I’ll keep it in mind.”
…She had said confidently, but.
“Welcome, Lady.”
“My, I heard you were from the countryside, but you’re prettier than I expected.”
“I heard you were from a poor baronet family with only the name left, but did His Highness have this dress made for you? Even His Highness, who’s been away from the capital for so long, has good taste.”
“Oh come on, how much has the trade route expanded since His Highness reorganized Ivarid? He must have been wearing only the finest in Ivarid too. After all, he’s a prince by birth.”
…Is this kind of conversation really okay?
Sian broke out in a cold sweat at the chatter that started, threatening to split her ears, before she could even introduce herself.
“Looking at the lace and button details, it seems the dress is also a royal custom order.”
“Oh my, it’s not just that the clothes are pretty, is it? Being young, her skin is so smooth and her waist so slim, the clothes stand out more because she wears them well.”
“I’m so envious, I used to be slim back in the day, but after getting married, I’ve put on all this weight.”
“Mrs. Lutice, that’s just age. Wait a bit longer, soon it won’t come off no matter what you do.”
This is dizzying.
As Revenant had told the Prince it was a ‘small’ gathering, there were only three ladies gathered in Antonio Carter’s garden estate, besides Revenant and Sian.
Moreover, while Revenant and Sian weren’t saying anything, these three unnamed ladies chattered incessantly from the moment Sian appeared.
Revenant sat quietly at the head of the table specially prepared for the tea party, listening to the ear-splitting chatter. Or rather, it was unclear whether she was listening or simply ignoring it.
Though Sian hadn’t expected Revenant to be flustered upon seeing her appear boldly without a veil, Revenant showed no reaction at all, to the point where Sian wondered if she hadn’t recognized her.
It was rather Sian who felt like her soul was leaving her body before even 30 minutes had passed since taking her seat. Overwhelmed by the terrifying chatter, she couldn’t tell where to nod along or what kind of reaction to show.
“You must be so happy, Lady. Such a handsome prince with such good taste too.”
A lady who looked to be in her early 30s laughed loudly, “Ohoho,” and poked Sian in the side. Anyone watching would think they were acquainted. But Sian was meeting her for the very first time. All she could do was smile awkwardly.
“If it’s not too impertinent, could we hear the romantic story of how you met His Highness the Prince?”
After a round of laughter swept through, another lady of similar age asked. Would it be rude to answer that it was impertinent? Sian was thinking, appalled, when there was a clapping sound.
“Now, now, we have plenty of time, but you’re getting ahead of yourselves, ladies. Calm down. His Highness’s Lady doesn’t even know who’s sitting here right now.”
Revenant skillfully managed the situation.
“Oh my, look at me. Come to think of it, we haven’t even introduced ourselves.”
“My name is Rose Anderson, Lady. My husband is Count Bacon Anderson, who works in the Treasury Department.”
“I’m Katie Sands, my husband is Baron Ralph Sands who works under the Foreign Minister.”
“Laura Lutice. My title is Countess.”
As soon as Revenant finished speaking, the ladies introduced themselves one by one, catching on. The gazes that swept past one by one finally gathered on Sian. At the gazes expecting her self-introduction, Sian unintentionally opened her mouth with an awkward smile.
“…I’m Haley…”
“Oh, we know, we know. Baroness Haley Dude! Your parents passed away long ago, right? Soon you’ll be Haley Klaus though.”
Rose Anderson interrupted Sian’s words, though she had only said her name.
“Yes…”
Sian laughed awkwardly. Revenant watched this and pulled the corners of her mouth into a long smile.
“Since I greeted you the other day, I suppose I don’t need to introduce myself again?”
“Of course, unnie.”
T/N: “Unnie” is a Korean term used by females to address or refer to older female siblings or close female friends who are older than them. It literally means “older sister” but is often used more broadly as a respectful and affectionate way for younger women to address older women they are close to.
Is she really not recognizing me?
Revenant, smiling elegantly from the head seat, merely laughed at Sian’s ready answer. Her seemingly ordinary expression showed no sign of suspicion at all.
“My, have you already become close enough for the Lady to call you unnie? No wonder our Mrs. Carter was so insistent on inviting the Lady.”
“This is your first time in the capital, isn’t it, Lady?”
“Yes, so everything feels strange and awkward. I’m so happy that unnie… I mean, Mrs. Carter invited me to such a nice gathering.”
“The Lady speaks as prettily as her face. Don’t just call Mrs. Carter unnie and make us feel left out, call us unnie too and let’s be close!”
The noble ladies burst into ear-splitting laughter again, saying “Yes, yes.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Sian nodded, smiling as demurely and shyly as she could.
“Well then. Lovely Lady. Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, shall we hear your story? For the sake of these ladies thirsting for gossip, please tell us a romantic tale.”
“Yes, yes. The whole palace is abuzz with talk of His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Prince, but that’s a matter for the men working outside. We were so surprised to hear that the supposedly missing Prince had brought back a fiancée.”
“Originally, wasn’t Ivarid’s Prince said to be a very handsome man who looked just like the Crown Prince, so gentle and gracious that people called him a saint?”
“That’s right. Noble families lined up to visit Ivarid on vacation with their of-age daughters.”
“I heard Count Holland’s daughter met him three times, and there were widespread rumors about marriage.”
“Oh please, marriage after meeting three times? At that rate, they’d have a child after five meetings.”
There was no room to interject. The noble ladies burst into laughter at Katie Sands’ joke.
…Are they telling me to talk or not to talk?
Sian kept flashing awkward smiles in this awkward situation, grumbling endlessly to herself.
“I heard His Highness refused, saying he was too busy reorganizing Ivarid to marry yet?”
“That’s just the surface reason. Do men really not meet women because they’re busy with work? He must not have been satisfied with the Count’s daughter.”
“Right, right. Plus, being Idelin’s owner, how high must his standards be?”
Sian was helplessly lifting her teacup amidst the flood of chatter that left no room for her to interject. Just as she was about to put the fragrant steaming tea to her lips, she felt something prickling at the back of her head.
…What’s this? What’s this sudden ominous feeling?
As Sian raised her eyes, she found the gazes of the noble ladies gathered around the small table focused on her.
Is it finally my turn to speak? Sian was about to put down her teacup and take a breath, when:
“Now that I look closely, the Prince really did have high standards. How could Count Holland’s daughter have been satisfactory?”
…It wasn’t. The chatter resumed, starting with Rose Anderson’s exclamation.
“That’s right. Come to think of it, a man who refused everyone saying he was too busy reorganizing Ivarid, meeting such a pretty young lady while on the run for suspicion of assassinating the Dragon King and bringing her back… It seems the ladies he met before weren’t to his taste.”
“Would it just be a matter of taste for someone like Prince Carlston? Being a rival to His Highness the Crown Prince, he’d surely consider not just looks but family background, temperament, and various other factors when choosing a marriage partner.”
Revenant added her voice to the noble ladies’ conversation for the first time. Her voice stood out conspicuously amidst the flood of chatter. Sian looked at her.
“Oh… Mrs. Carter, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s a bit awkward to say this with the Lady present, but in terms of family background, a count’s family is far better than a baronet’s family in name only that’s never even set foot in the capital.”
