Chapter 15
* * *
The journey to the imperial palace was straightforward.
We took a carriage to the teleportation circle outside the Grand Duchy, and from there, we teleported directly to our destination.
In no time, we arrived at the magic circle near the imperial palace. From there, it was a 30-minute carriage ride to the palace itself.
“It’s such a shame to part with the beautiful Marion.”
As soon as we arrived at the palace, Lucas let out a playful whine. I could only muster an awkward laugh.
Lucas had to go because he was Princess Serena’s partner.
“You’ll have to dance with me later.”
Lucas’s request caught me off guard.
“I’m not very good at dancing.”
“What are you talking about? Someone who dances with a sword? Haha.”
“I’m serious…”
“Oh no, Serena’s going to scold me for being late. I’ll head off first.”
Lucas kissed the back of my hand and disappeared.
It was my first time experiencing something like this, and I was terribly flustered. Kaiden shot a murderous glare at the back of Lucas’s head.
But I soon realized that things were better when Lucas was around.
“…….”
“…….”
Left alone with Kaiden, an awkward silence hung in the air. It felt as though a cold breeze had swept through, though we were in a corridor inside the palace where no wind should blow.
At that moment, an attendant approached and offered to take my cloak.
I nodded and removed my cloak, handing it to the attendant. My shoulders, previously hidden by the cloak, were now exposed.
Suddenly, Kaiden grabbed the cloak. The attendant looked at the Grand Duke with a startled expression.
“…? Your Grace?”
“…Take it.”
“You’ll need to let go…”
I stared at him, bewildered, and Kaiden flinched slightly before releasing the cloak.
The attendant quickly took the cloak and disappeared. Once again, it was just the two of us.
The unusual atmosphere made me oddly tense.
Suddenly, my nose itched.
“Achoo!”
“Shall I have them bring the cloak back?”
Kaiden asked immediately.
“No, it’s just my nose itching.”
“Alright.”
Silence again.
What was with this atmosphere? Did the dress not suit me? Was Kaiden lying? Should I have just worn my uniform?
As all sorts of negative thoughts filled my head, Kaiden let out a light cough and extended his hand to me.
“…Shall we go, then?”
His expression was somewhat awkward, but the gesture was incredibly reassuring.
I placed my hand in his and replied,
“Yes!”
* * *
As Kaiden and I entered the banquet hall, the eyes of countless nobles turned toward us.
I ignored their gazes and held my head high. As a swordmaster, I had attended the banquet every year. These stares were nothing to me.
‘Laugh if you want to laugh!’
But wearing a dress and stepping into the banquet hall made me nervous about what they might say.
The nobles began to whisper.
“Who is the lady who came with Grand Duke Baltstein?”
“To be escorted by the Grand Duke…”
“That red-haired lady is quite beautiful.”
Surprisingly, the nobles didn’t recognize me at all.
To think they couldn’t tell who I was just because I was wearing a dress and some makeup.
I was dumbfounded, and Kaiden, watching me from the side, let out a soft chuckle.
“They don’t recognize you.”
“Seriously. Am I *that* unrecognizable?”
“It’s not *that* bad.”
“Right? It’s ridiculous.”
As I huffed, Kaiden muttered,
“You’re the type who stands out wherever you are.”
“Huh? Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“Today, it’s a compliment.”
I paused to think, then narrowed my eyes.
“What, so on other days, it’s an insult?”
Kaiden just gave a light laugh.
I glared at him, but seeing him dressed up so sharply today made me feel a bit awkward, so I turned my head. Why was he laughing like that?
[Marion, don’t forget you need to stay on Kaiden’s good side.]
Bled’s words echoed in my mind, and it hit me.
Right, I had forgotten about the dresses Kaiden had provided for me every year.
I wanted to thank him. But in the carriage to the palace, with Prince Lucas present, it had been hard to bring it up.
Now seemed like a decent time.
“Y-Y-Your Grace.”
“? What’s wrong?”
Damn it, I stuttered. How embarrassing.
I hesitated. Expressing gratitude felt incredibly awkward.
I could feel Kaiden staring at my face. Cold sweat seemed to form.
“The dress…”
“His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived!”
Just as I began to speak, the Crown Prince appeared.
With shimmering golden hair and beautiful green eyes, Crown Prince Marius Gratie appeared on the dais, looking down at the nobles with an air of arrogance.
All the nobles bowed their heads in respect to the Crown Prince.
When he raised his hand to signal them to be at ease, the music, which had stopped, resumed filling the banquet hall.
It had been a year since I last saw the Crown Prince.
In the past, my heart would’ve raced, my face would’ve flushed, and I’d have been a mess, but I felt none of that now.
‘Is it because I remembered my past life?’
Could my feelings change so suddenly? I had my doubts but decided not to dwell on it. The human heart is fickle, after all.
“Hm.”
“What’s wrong?”
When Kaiden asked, I looked up at him and whispered quietly,
“His Highness the Crown Prince is quite handsome.”
“…….”
At my words, Kaiden’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t respond.
I wasn’t particularly expecting a reply, so I turned back to observe the Crown Prince.
He really was handsome. Was this the kind of look needed to rival the male lead?
If Lucas, the original male lead, was a gentle beauty, the Crown Prince was a sharp, striking one.
Their types of handsomeness were different, so it likely came down to personal taste.
And Kaiden was…
“What?”
Feeling my gaze, Kaiden looked at me. I quickly turned my head and said, “It’s nothing.”
* * *
“His Highness the Crown Prince is quite handsome.”
At Marion’s words, Kaiden’s mood soured sharply.
Marion liked the Crown Prince. He had always known this. But today, for some reason, it particularly grated on him.
‘Why?’
At that moment, groups of nobles mustered their courage and approached Kaiden and Marion.
He could feel Marion’s hand, which he was holding as her escort, tense up. She seemed nervous.
“Just act as usual.”
“Huh?”
At Kaiden’s words, Marion looked up at him, puzzled, seemingly unaware of her own tension.
Before she could respond, the nobles began speaking.
“Greetings, Grand Duke Baltstein.”
“Have you been well?”
“May we ask who the lovely lady beside you is?”
Questions poured in from all directions. The majority were, unsurprisingly, about Marion.
Kaiden couldn’t understand how they didn’t recognize Marion at all. Marion seemed to feel the same, introducing herself with a bored expression.
“I’m Marion Krugman.”
The impact of her words was significant.
“No, that’s impossible!”
“That lady… no, that woman is *that* troublemaker?”
“Good heavens. She’s far more…”
At that moment,
“Marion?”
The Crown Prince had approached.
As he appeared, the surrounding nobles parted like the Red Sea.
“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness.”
“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness.”
Kaiden and Marion greeted him simultaneously. Though Marion was wearing a dress, she gave her usual light bow.
“No need for formalities.”
Kaiden and Marion raised their heads. Kaiden glanced at Marion out of the corner of his eye.
He expected her to be looking at the Crown Prince with her usual sparkling eyes.
But Marion was looking at the Crown Prince with a calm expression.
No… it was questionable whether she was even looking at him.
‘Are Marion’s eyes… unfocused?’
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By Anna 💓
