Episode 93. Misha's Coming of Age Party (1)
"Get up."
"Huh?"
"Get up. How long do you think you can endure not being able to dance in the palace? That'll even be insulting to your father."
"Ugh..."
I got up in a daze, and Misha stood in front of me and took the basic dance stance.
Misha struggled with the unfamiliar male steps, but she held onto me and taught me the basic steps.
After struggling like that for over two hours, she handed me a dance book.
"Misha?"
"Take the basic stance and practice the steps drawn here. Memorize it first. You're good at memorizing things, aren't you?"
Misha got annoyed when I seemed confused.
"My coming-of-age party is going to be next week. I have to study during the semester, so I'm going to pull it up during the vacation. You'll have to dance then, even if it's awkward, right, Lorishia?"
I said, feeling sorry for myself.
“Misha, what shame would it be to go to a party before you become proficient at dancing, like you said? Besides, you know how uncomfortable the Countess would be if I went.”
“I heard Prince Kydel is coming with you?”
“...What?”
“He said he’d be happy to come. If he comes, my coming-of-age ceremony will be a great success. Plus, if you take care of Prince Kydel, even more young people will feel confident and offer me flowers. Do you know how important coming-of-age ceremonies are in high society?”
I felt a chill down my spine.
“Are you using me?”
“Think of it as my coming-of-age present. You do what you do best here. I’ll do what I do best. I’ll throw a great party and show off my violin playing to the guests.”
I stared blankly at Misha’s face. Then Misha smiled brightly.
“I didn’t send an invitation only to Kalin. Just thinking about it makes me happy!”
Misha’s face returned to a happy expression, and I sat down in my seat.
I couldn’t tell if the chills and fatigue I felt now were due to Misha or the dance practice.
I finally sighed and muttered,
“Mom, I think I created a monster.”
***
“Learning how to dance from a book.”
I was endlessly frustrated with this situation, but I was following the footsteps drawn on the paper.
As the maid of the Princess, I would have to attend parties in the future, so it was right to learn how to dance, but I just didn’t feel like it.
Misha’s shamelessness still made me sick. She ruined my coming-of-age birthday like that, and now she’s asking me to be with Prince Kydel for my coming-of-age birthday present.
Actually, my coming-of-age birthday wasn’t all that messed up...
I kept my mouth shut as I recalled Prince Kydel grumbling and offering me flowers in the dark garden that day. It was to keep me from laughing.
Time passed like that, and when Misha’s coming-of-age day came, I could do the basic steps somehow.
But when I imagined myself dancing with a man, I concluded that I would have to pay for the shoes of the man I would trample and ruin.
“But I guess there’s no other way.”
Since I was planning on sitting in the corner anyway, I put on the simplest dress I could and left the palace gate.
There, a carriage provided by the palace was waiting for me.
“...!”
I opened the carriage door and froze.
“What are you doing?”
Prince Kydel, who had been riding first, grabbed my arm and made me sit next to him, then closed the carriage door.
I gasped and quickly moved to the seat across from him.
“Why are you here, Prince?”
“Aren’t you also going to Miss Misha Loire’s coming-of-age ceremony? Why would you need to rent two carriages when we have the same destination? I heard you applied for a carriage at the Imperial Household Department, so I got in early and waited.”
“Well...”
He smiled.
“I guess we’re already recognized by your family, Miss Lorisha.”
“Haa...”
I sighed deeply and looked out the carriage window.
This guy or that guy just used me. I hated Prince Kydel and Misha.
'When and how did it end up like this?'
Misha was offering me a hand of reconciliation for the first time in my life. I still hated Misha, but I didn't want to shake her hand.
That's why I had to attend Misha's coming-of-age ceremony today, and I had to endure this talented and unlucky person tonight.
But this was the end. Since we had to return to the same carriage anyway, I had to sort this out then.
Then, starting tomorrow, new rumors would spread through social circles.
The illegitimate child of Loire committed a terrible act against Prince Kydel. That he suffered a wound in his heart that would never be healed.
While I was silent, he stared at me intently. His calm gaze, as if I were a stranger, was awkward, ticklish, and uncomfortable.
Without realizing it, I slowly moved my body toward the window.
Why was he continuing to act when there were only two of us?
He made a face that seemed to want me to turn to him, and then said grumpily,
“Did you finish reporting to Her Highness Princess Milliora?”
“Yes. I am a loyal maid. I made sure not to worry.”
“Tell me. What did Her Highness Princess say?”
“Are you dying to know?”
He nodded with a charming smile that made me want to shake it off.
“I’m dying to know.”
“Since he’s Prince Kaidel, she’ll just call me out on such rude things and end it with a scolding. It’s only natural for a Prince to play with jewels... Isn’t this it?”
I had no intention of having a serious conversation with him, so I said whatever came to mind.
Of course, I didn’t tell him about the threat the Princess had made to me. He’d be furious if he found out.
Prince Kydel frowned slightly as if my words were strange, then smiled.
I wanted to slap that victorious smile.
“I’ll stop by for a moment.”
“Where?”
“It’s a coming-of-age ceremony, so I should buy flowers.”
I almost said,
‘You can just pick some in the Count’s garden. It’s a waste of money.’
But somehow I didn’t want to do that, so I kept my mouth shut.
I didn’t want him to give Misha flowers that he had picked and trimmed himself. That would have made me feel like my precious coming-of-age birthday memories were being ruined.
And I was surprised that I had even thought of that.
I guess I’m crazy.
In the meantime, the carriage passed the palace street and entered the commercial district.
Prince Kydel glanced at me, perhaps because I was quiet today.
“I’ll buy it at the first flower shop that comes up. It won’t take long.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
I answered politely and sat down quietly.
When the carriage finally stopped in front of the first flower shop, Prince Kydel got out on the side of the road.
I couldn’t see the shop from inside the carriage, but I could hear him saying that he was looking for flowers for a coming-of-age ceremony.
The clerk, perhaps trying to trick him into being a noble, smiled and said that the best flowers were inside and invited him to come in and look.
“Should I have followed you?”
But then the carriage door opened wide, and a strange man appeared and put a sack over my body.
***
Kalin swallowed dryly. She still couldn’t believe that she was walking down the palace corridors.
Today, her blood was boiling over the fact that Misha Loire hadn’t invited her to her coming-of-age ceremony. All the academy students, including Prince Kydel, were invited.
However, when the carriage sent by First Prince Orl arrived at the Ankart mansion, Kalin felt a sense of pleasure as if all the longings she had ever felt since birth were being resolved at once.
The courtship of Second Prince Grayon and the courtship received from First Prince Orl.
The feeling of holding the two Princes in her hands and comparing them was so thrilling that it made her breath slur.
When the antique door opened in front of her, Kalin walked forward with the graceful steps she had perfected through hard work since childhood.
Holding a small box in her hand, she bowed to the neat silver-haired man.
“Kalin Ankart greets His Highness First Prince Orl, the great little sun of Tagar.”
“Kalin.”
Orl called softly and smiled softly.
“Sit down.”
Kalin bowed deeply and sat down across from Orl. She placed the box neatly on the table.
“Aren’t you the best talent in the Academy? I hope I didn’t call a busy person.”
She wasn’t busy today.
She wasn’t the best talent in the Academy, but there was no reason to mention Locard, the Second Prince’s man, in front of Orl.
“You are overpraising me.”
“Isn’t your father worried? I sent a specially guarded carriage.”
“With the protection of Your Highness, the Prince, why would my father be worried?”
“Hold on to the tea.”
In the meantime, the tea the maid had brought out was giving off a fragrant steam.
Kalin was afraid to pick up the teacup, fearing that her hands would tremble. But she reached out. She had to get through this moment.
Fortunately, she had not lost her dignity.
“It smells good, Your Highness.”
“How’s the Viscount’s business going? He’s planning to buy up all the investment rights for the new steel mill, right?”
“I’m not very smart yet, so I don’t know much about my father.”
Kalin answered without any fault, but Orl knew that it was a lie. And Kalin knew that Orl knew that she was lying.
Anyone who knew knew that the Viscount Ankart never made a decision without consulting his daughter.
Kalin was nervous about why Orl was bringing up the issue first. Her mind was spinning quickly.
No way.
If Prince Orl was also coveting the wealth that Ankart would one day possess...
Kalin’s heart began to beat faster.
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