Chapter 43
“…It’s not an undeserved compliment; what’s wrong with having no magical power? 99.9% of people are born without it. Besides, you’re already the vice-commander of the Royal Knights order at such a young age. That’s not something an ordinary person could achieve. That’s impressive.”
At my words, Hyperion smiled gently.
“And what you gain through effort never disappears easily. It’s different from what you’re born with.”
Magical power is determined at birth, and magicians use it up as they cast spells. Therefore, as they age, their magical power gradually diminishes.
As a result, magicians tend to hesitate to use their magical power unless absolutely necessary. This is why magical scrolls are so expensive.
On the other hand, if a magician resolves to give up all their magical power, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish.
I knew well what had happened when Duke Acanthus personally set out to eliminate my father in the original story. Because of this, I couldn’t help but feel a complex emotion every time I saw the Duke and Duchess.
In that sense, it might actually be a relief that Hyperion had no magical power. At least I wouldn’t have to keep him in check as a magician in the future.
Suddenly, I smiled bitterly at the rising self-loathing. Ah, am I really worthless? Considering I have two people who are eager to treat me better, yet I’m having these thoughts.
“Arcadia.”
At Hyperion’s call, I quickly shook off my thoughts.
“What is it?”
“How’s life at the Duke’s residence? Are you sleeping well?”
I nodded.
“Of course. Thanks to your parents’ consideration, I’m living very comfortably. I sleep well. However…”
In fact, since coming here, I have been having strange dreams occasionally. Dreams similar to those I had as a child.
They were about the experiences of Arcadia in the novel or events that occurred after the ending that I didn’t know about.
“Actually, I’ve been having strange dreams lately.”
“Dreams?”
“Yeah. I used to have them occasionally when I was younger….”
I recalled a dream I had a few days ago.
In the dream, Arcadia approached a man while holding a bouquet of red flowers in her arms. The tall man with beautiful fingers sat her on his lap. What did Arcadia say to him?
I soon shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
Perhaps it was a future that had now vanished without a trace.
It wasn’t something I had personally experienced, so there was no need to dwell on it any longer.
At that moment, a knock echoed. We stopped dancing. Soon, a maid from the Duke’s household entered.
“Sir, milady, the duchess has sent word that dinner will be served as soon as your practice is over.”
We looked at each other and then left the dance room to head to the reception room for dinner.
Part 5: Debutante
On the evening of the debutante ball, the cloth covering the carriage was removed. It was the first time since arriving in Rosen that the crest of the Iskas Grand Duchy, adorned with a black dragon, was revealed.
As the carriages of the Iskas Grand Duchy and the Acantus Duke family traveled side by side down the main road, other carriages hurriedly pulled over to the side. Passersby on the street all stopped to stare at us. It was a sight they had never seen before—the carriages of the two families appearing together.
“Lady Arcadia.”
At the sound of my name, I turned my gaze from the window.
We were currently in the carriage heading to the royal palace, where the debutante ball was to be held. Bell was looking at me with a very satisfied expression.
“You look truly beautiful today. My choice was definitely not wrong.”
The dress I was wearing today was one that Bell had carefully selected, made of thin turquoise silk that fluttered like the wings of a butterfly.
“I really love this bold design above all else.”
The shoulders were beautifully exposed. Around my bare neck, I wore a necklace adorned with North Sea pearls and diamonds.
Perhaps because the southern region has warmer weather than the north, most of the dresses were indeed bold in design, as Bell said. The chest or back was often deeply cut, or, like this dress, the shoulders were revealed.
I had compromised by only exposing a little of my shoulders, but in reality, the dress Bell wanted me to wear had even more exposure. It seemed that Bell had already become a local.
“Truly, places where fashion changes quickly are different in some way.”
“You seem to fit city life very well. Would you like to just live here? Should I tell the Duchess?”
Bell burst into a fit of giggles.
“While it’s true that city life suits me, I’d prefer to be with Lady Arcadia, so I’ll just graciously accept your offer.”
“Lady Arcadia.”
At that moment, Derek, who was sitting in front of me, suddenly called me with a serious expression. Then, he suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“Lady Arcadia, please listen carefully from now on.”
After taking a deep breath, Derek began to speak.
“I’m giving you this advice sincerely. You must never use violence at the ball. If you do, all the men will run away.”
“……”
“You shouldn’t curse either. If you want to curse, just glare at them. That way, most men will feel intimidated and back off.”
Is he really calling this advice? It feels like telling Rose, “Don’t bite people outside. Don’t bark either.”
Am I a dog?
I pulled my hand away and flicked my fingers.
Feeling some ominousness, Derek flinched.
“…Why, why?”
“Your cravat is crooked. I’ll fix it for you. Come here.”
Derek leaned his upper body toward me. As I adjusted the cravat, I said, “Alright, I won’t use violence or curse, just as you said. That way, it should be easier to find a marriage partner. But, Derek, what if I still can’t find one?”
“Then Luka…”
“But Luka has to carry on the family line. He’s the eldest son. But thinking about it, you’re the second son, so you don’t have to continue the family line, and you’re kind and gentle. Don’t you think you’d be a perfect match for me?”
“Are you out of your mind? Ugh!”
As I tightened the cravat, Derek made a choking sound. After releasing the cravat, I patted his shoulders lightly and smiled.
“So, Derek, I really hope I can find a husband this time. If not, I’ll tell my father to arrange a marriage with you.”
Derek stared at me in shock, his mouth agape. Then he covered his mouth with his hand and swallowed a scream. Seeing his eyes shake, it seemed that the thought of marrying me truly frightened him.
Did I go too far with the joke? Should I reassure him that he won’t actually be forced into marriage at this point?
At that moment, the carriage suddenly slowed down. Derek wiped the expression off his face and placed his hand on his sword. After checking for any signs of danger outside the carriage, he confirmed there were none and shouted to the driver.
“What’s going on?”
“The Duchess would like to speak with you for a moment.”
Derek looked at me. When I nodded, he signaled to stop the carriage. Bell tilted her head in confusion.
“What could this be about all of a sudden?”
A moment later, the carriage came to a halt. When the door opened, the smiling duchess was visible.
“Arcadia, I’m sorry for stopping the carriage suddenly. I have something to discuss with you before we arrive at the palace. May I switch carriages?”
In the end, Bell and Derek moved to another carriage, and the duchess took a seat in the grand duke’s carriage.
The carriage started moving again. The brown eyes of the duchess, looking at me from across, sparkled to the point of feeling overwhelming.
“Actually, I just had a brilliant idea. There’s a fantastic way to make your entrance at the ball the most spectacular!”
A chill runs down my spine. A foreboding feeling brushes past me.
“What is it?”
“When you arrive at the banquet hall, you should be somewhere else first. Then, when it’s your turn to be introduced, you’ll make your entrance coming down the central staircase! How about that? It’ll be truly dramatic!”
Duchess, I’m not sure about dramatic, but I might become the center of attention. I doubt even a bride’s entrance is this extravagant.
“There’s really no need for that…”
“Of course there is! It will surprise everyone, won’t it? All the people who were talking about you will be left speechless.”
At this point, I started to regret mentioning the incident at the cake shop. If I hadn’t brought it up, the duchess’s enthusiasm would have been cut in half.
I briefly touched my forehead and then pulled my hand away.
“For now, I’ll be somewhere else, as you said, Duchess. But I think it’s better to enter through the door.”
I emphasized again.
“Not the staircase, but the door.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
The duchess readily agreed and immediately ordered the driver to take us around to the back of the palace’s grand banquet hall.
Before long, our carriage entered through a door leading to the garden, not the main entrance where the nobles were arriving. The guards there stepped aside as soon as they saw the duchess.
Soon, the duchess took me to a room on the second floor.
“This area is reserved for the Duke’s family. No one can come up to the second floor, so feel free to explore at your own pace. I’ll send a maid when the time comes, so you can rest until then.”
