I'm sure countless of Erita's followers will criticize me at the birthday party, but since I received an invitation bearing the royal crest, it's as good as the King's command, so I must go.
Noah already knew that I was known to the world as the illegitimate child of the Duchess of Groenendaal and Admiral Claire. He told me I didn't have to go to the banquet, but I had my own plans.
“Let’s go together. It’s not true, so what?”
“I’m afraid people will say bad things about you.”
Noah stroked my head with a somewhat coquettish voice. I placed my hand on his large one, resting on my head. I was prepared to endure the criticism and nagging. I had this man.
“If it’s revealed that I’m the real Princess, we can’t be together, right?”
"Maybe."
I closed my mouth and let out a long sigh.
They might force me to divorce Noah and remarry someone of Medea's lineage. If we have a child, they'll use that child's weakness to blackmail me into divorcing him. I'd rather be accused of being the illegitimate child of a dirty affair. Of course, Noah wouldn't be immune from the blame for being the husband of such a woman. I asked, feeling slightly gloomy.
"As I said last time, why don't we just go live somewhere else? Somewhere unaffected by the war?"
Noah closed his eyes and shook his head. His tightly closed eyelids lifted slightly. His blue eyes, revealed beneath his lashes, held a deep, pensive expression. His fingers traced the curve of my collarbone, caressing it.
"A war of incomparable scale will break out. This place is an island, with strong naval power and well-fortified anti-aircraft defenses, so it's relatively safe."
Even though I lived in a country at war, the fear of actually experiencing the war I'd only seen indirectly through the media resurfaced. Those indirect memories were deeply etched into my consciousness like a prophecy. I hoped he wouldn't have to go to war himself.
"Do as you wish. However, if the Queen orders you to go to war, then do as I say and go to another country."
“Yeah, I understand.”
I stared at the wall, neatly spaced at regular intervals, with postcards of landscapes from Chyntia that Johanna had sent me. I briefly considered moving to Chyntia someday, but I figured it wouldn't be feasible, as it was a colony of Medea, and with the Medean governor and army stationed there, it was unlikely.
As if he had read my mind, Noah unfolded a map and pointed to a continent.
It is about 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from the island of the United Kingdom of Medea.
"There's a place called Van Saint Island, in the United States of Eugene, to the south. It's on the New World side."
“A new continent?”
"It's a place discovered during the Age of Exploration. It's also called the New World. After the war, go to this island. An officer who was dispatched here once told me about it. I think you'll like it."
"Yes, anywhere is fine. Tell me about that island, too."
We sat side by side at the head of the bed. Noah, like a world geography teacher, explained the country's government, ethnicity, climate, and natural resources. As I listened, I came to the conclusion that the continent was easy to do business in. I wasn't sure what I would like about it, but I liked it anyway.
At the royal palace where the Queen's Birthday party was being held, Vincent, who had come with us, said he'd been promised Barbara's partner. She, too, has the disposition of an eight-ton truck with broken brakes, and she's not one to take rejection. Molly agreed to look after Boaz in the garden, and Noah and I decided to leave mid-dance.
The Harrison family also received a royal invitation, and the Harrisons, with expressions like they'd been dragged to the slaughterhouse, looked at me with disapproval. Count Cedric Harrison, the Speaker of the House of Nobles, the upper house of the Medea Council, clicked his tongue and turned his head away. Just looking at the back of his head, where his hair was streaked with gray, I could tell he was furious.
Erita, visible from afar, was wearing the same Queen of the Night dress as me. It seemed deliberate that she chose to wear this dress, which the royal chief designers had spent months crafting. She must have heard about it from Olivia and snatched it from someone who had already purchased it.
“Oh my, ma’am. You’re wearing the same dress as the Princess.”
A few women passing by sarcastically remarked, "What can I do? He bought it after me." I ignored their comments and took a bite of the red pudding. It tasted sweet and sour like pomegranate.
Suddenly, I remembered the Queen's mention of importing pomegranates for the next tea party. And the fact that the invitation to the last tea party never arrived.
"Ah."
The Queen seems to be displeased, thinking the Admiral met Duchess Groenendael and her at the same time, since Erita and I are the same age. Rumor has it, but this is probably why Erita, who used to approach me alone and start trouble when no one was around, was able to gather everyone in front of her and criticize me openly. She even approaches me with her own petty nonsense, like this stranger who had approached me. She sneered and made a strange remark.
"The dress you're wearing, Princess, was a gift from Count Rotsilt, I hear? So, instead of the special dress from the palace's chief designer, you wore the Queen of the Night's dress. The Count certainly has a discerning eye."
“Who said that?”
I put the pudding in my mouth and asked absentmindedly.
"Miss Daywood of the Count's family also saw Count Rotsilt come to the costume shop, and Madame Geneva said the same. She said he bought two of the three sets. She said he reserved the Princess's set last year."
Did she really think I'd fall for such a provocation? I quietly put down my pudding spoon. Before coming here, I asked Noah to remain separate until the ball began. If Noah, who was in a private room away from me, had heard, that woman would have vanished in an instant.
“How rude of you to start talking without even introducing yourself and only say what you want to say.”
“I’m sorry, madam. This is Nicola Diego, of the Baron Diego family.”
“Baron Diego’s family. Nicola Diego.”
I took out my notebook and pen and jotted down her name, reciting it aloud. The woman, Nicola, opened her eyes wide, as if bewildered.
“Madam, why are you taking notes?”
“You don’t have to know.”
I put my notebook away and waved my hand, signaling for her to leave immediately. She seemed to sense some ominous omen and hesitantly glanced around before leaving.
I compiled a list like this. High-ranking families and nobles above the rank of Count didn't even bother to argue, but rather seemed indifferent. Unlike the unusual Olivia, they seemed to consider it beneath their dignity to even show interest. However, a woman who claimed to be the daughter of Count Harrison glared at me with a cold stare.
"I don't understand why I have to confront the daughter of a woman I'm ashamed to call my aunt in a place like this. While birth alone shouldn't legally restrict freedom and social activity, you should consider it morally. Are you perhaps deliberately trying to tarnish our family's reputation?"
Her speech was as precise as neat handwriting. She had a sharp voice and appearance, like the nib of a pen. Looking at her modest dress that reached her neck, her hair neatly tied back without a single bang, and her silver-rimmed monocles, I thought she'd be quite conservative and old-fashioned.
"No."
I gave a short answer to the long and tedious lecture. I absolutely loathe the way she tries to teach with such an esoteric attitude. Her eyebrows rose.
“Since your knowledge and learning are limited, your answers are bound to be short, aren’t they?”
“I wonder if it’s necessary to go on and on about why I came, which is embarrassing.”
"You're so shameless, even trying to teach me. Ah, you're so shameless. I don't think you understand, so I'll explain it to you personally."
“You are so selfish.”
Her eyes widened, then closed her mouth for a moment, seemingly pondering the meaning. Just as she was about to retort and snap at me, a familiar voice interrupted her, stopping her.
“Esmeralda, stop it.”
It was Countess Maria Ruben, who had previously helped Ayla. The Countess's cool face turned to the woman who had been bickering with me. Esmeralda answered calmly, her voice somewhat calmer.
"Aunt Maria. This woman has deliberately exposed herself and is tarnishing the reputation of our Harrison family. If she has any sense of self, she should reflect on herself and refrain from social activities."
"Aunt," I finally realized. Countess Ruben, a former lawyer, was a member of the Harrison family. I tried to hide my embarrassment, folded my hands, looked down at the tips of my shoes, and kept my mouth shut, pretending to be as pitiful and wounded as possible.
The Countess's blue eyes looked at me with pity.
"There's no reason for Mrs. Rotsilt to be barred from this place. She's not breaking any laws. Make it clear that you're trampling on personal dignity and infringing on freedom and rights by focusing solely on honor."
The Countess didn't back down at all. Esmeralda's sharp eyes became even sharper.
"Defamation would be established depending on whether there was intent or not. Even though Aunt Maria is a laywoman, you wouldn't want the honor and prestige of the Harrison family to be tarnished."
"It's Lady Diana Rotsilt who's being subjected to insults and defamation. And it's being unilaterally targeted by the majority. No law says origins are a crime. Your arguments are no different from those of supremacists. Does your denial in that way change the fact that she's part of our family?"
Is this what happens when lawyers argue? The scene in the courtroom seems to be fleeting. I've seen it so many times in my life, I've watched it so tirelessly. The exchange of words, though calm, was like a showdown, like sharp blades clashing. As they discussed their doctrines, their ideologies, and their respective philosophies, I heard a shrill shout from afar.
“You can’t even do this properly!”
Match-.
A shout and a slap could be heard nearby. The woman clutching her cheek and collapsing to the ground was Ayla. The one who struck her was Olivia. From what I could tell from the slap, it was because she had hurt herself while fixing her hair.
"The Princess accepted me with such a generous heart, but you can't work harder! I knew it from the moment you couldn't even tighten a single corset!"
Olivia, who had slapped Ayla's cheek once more as she sat down, glanced at me. I sensed her intention. She was trying to provoke me. The Countess tried to step forward, but Esmeralda grabbed her arm and pulled her firmly.
"Please, Aunt. I don't want to be embarrassed any longer. Don't even protect that government. People will never see justice."
“Can’t you let go? I’m so disappointed, Esmeralda.”
“Countess Ruben, please stop.”
The Countess's older brother and head of the household, Count Harrison, approached and began to intervene. He then sternly urged her on.
“Take Countess Ruben to the restroom; she is not feeling well.”
“Brother, how...”
Esmeralda gestured to the maids waiting at a distance. The Countess was led away by two maids. She continued to look back at me. Ayla, her cheeks swollen, tears welling in her eyes, was also watching me.
“You. Aren’t you acquainted with Mrs. Rotsilt over there?”
At Olivia's question, she bit her lip and shook her head.
“No, it has nothing to do with me.”
"Is that so? You're saying no one's on your side? Everyone thinks this is normal."
'There is no such thing as your side in this world!'
A familiar voice, so unearthly it sounded like a hallucination, and I unconsciously covered my ears. An unbearable emotion clawed sharply at my insides. Olivia's face, her hand raised as if ready to strike again, overlapped with the demonic face of my relative, who had slapped me in the face in my original life.
I hated that expression on Ayla's face, that peculiar, pitiful, and pitiful visage. It reminded me of when I returned home alone after my parents' funeral as a child, and I saw my own miserable expression reflected in the hallway mirror. The reflexive empathy repeated endlessly, tormenting my consciousness.
Noah already knew that I was known to the world as the illegitimate child of the Duchess of Groenendaal and Admiral Claire. He told me I didn't have to go to the banquet, but I had my own plans.
“Let’s go together. It’s not true, so what?”
“I’m afraid people will say bad things about you.”
Noah stroked my head with a somewhat coquettish voice. I placed my hand on his large one, resting on my head. I was prepared to endure the criticism and nagging. I had this man.
“If it’s revealed that I’m the real Princess, we can’t be together, right?”
"Maybe."
I closed my mouth and let out a long sigh.
They might force me to divorce Noah and remarry someone of Medea's lineage. If we have a child, they'll use that child's weakness to blackmail me into divorcing him. I'd rather be accused of being the illegitimate child of a dirty affair. Of course, Noah wouldn't be immune from the blame for being the husband of such a woman. I asked, feeling slightly gloomy.
"As I said last time, why don't we just go live somewhere else? Somewhere unaffected by the war?"
Noah closed his eyes and shook his head. His tightly closed eyelids lifted slightly. His blue eyes, revealed beneath his lashes, held a deep, pensive expression. His fingers traced the curve of my collarbone, caressing it.
"A war of incomparable scale will break out. This place is an island, with strong naval power and well-fortified anti-aircraft defenses, so it's relatively safe."
Even though I lived in a country at war, the fear of actually experiencing the war I'd only seen indirectly through the media resurfaced. Those indirect memories were deeply etched into my consciousness like a prophecy. I hoped he wouldn't have to go to war himself.
"Do as you wish. However, if the Queen orders you to go to war, then do as I say and go to another country."
“Yeah, I understand.”
I stared at the wall, neatly spaced at regular intervals, with postcards of landscapes from Chyntia that Johanna had sent me. I briefly considered moving to Chyntia someday, but I figured it wouldn't be feasible, as it was a colony of Medea, and with the Medean governor and army stationed there, it was unlikely.
As if he had read my mind, Noah unfolded a map and pointed to a continent.
It is about 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from the island of the United Kingdom of Medea.
"There's a place called Van Saint Island, in the United States of Eugene, to the south. It's on the New World side."
“A new continent?”
"It's a place discovered during the Age of Exploration. It's also called the New World. After the war, go to this island. An officer who was dispatched here once told me about it. I think you'll like it."
"Yes, anywhere is fine. Tell me about that island, too."
We sat side by side at the head of the bed. Noah, like a world geography teacher, explained the country's government, ethnicity, climate, and natural resources. As I listened, I came to the conclusion that the continent was easy to do business in. I wasn't sure what I would like about it, but I liked it anyway.
***
At the royal palace where the Queen's Birthday party was being held, Vincent, who had come with us, said he'd been promised Barbara's partner. She, too, has the disposition of an eight-ton truck with broken brakes, and she's not one to take rejection. Molly agreed to look after Boaz in the garden, and Noah and I decided to leave mid-dance.
The Harrison family also received a royal invitation, and the Harrisons, with expressions like they'd been dragged to the slaughterhouse, looked at me with disapproval. Count Cedric Harrison, the Speaker of the House of Nobles, the upper house of the Medea Council, clicked his tongue and turned his head away. Just looking at the back of his head, where his hair was streaked with gray, I could tell he was furious.
Erita, visible from afar, was wearing the same Queen of the Night dress as me. It seemed deliberate that she chose to wear this dress, which the royal chief designers had spent months crafting. She must have heard about it from Olivia and snatched it from someone who had already purchased it.
“Oh my, ma’am. You’re wearing the same dress as the Princess.”
A few women passing by sarcastically remarked, "What can I do? He bought it after me." I ignored their comments and took a bite of the red pudding. It tasted sweet and sour like pomegranate.
Suddenly, I remembered the Queen's mention of importing pomegranates for the next tea party. And the fact that the invitation to the last tea party never arrived.
"Ah."
The Queen seems to be displeased, thinking the Admiral met Duchess Groenendael and her at the same time, since Erita and I are the same age. Rumor has it, but this is probably why Erita, who used to approach me alone and start trouble when no one was around, was able to gather everyone in front of her and criticize me openly. She even approaches me with her own petty nonsense, like this stranger who had approached me. She sneered and made a strange remark.
"The dress you're wearing, Princess, was a gift from Count Rotsilt, I hear? So, instead of the special dress from the palace's chief designer, you wore the Queen of the Night's dress. The Count certainly has a discerning eye."
“Who said that?”
I put the pudding in my mouth and asked absentmindedly.
"Miss Daywood of the Count's family also saw Count Rotsilt come to the costume shop, and Madame Geneva said the same. She said he bought two of the three sets. She said he reserved the Princess's set last year."
Did she really think I'd fall for such a provocation? I quietly put down my pudding spoon. Before coming here, I asked Noah to remain separate until the ball began. If Noah, who was in a private room away from me, had heard, that woman would have vanished in an instant.
“How rude of you to start talking without even introducing yourself and only say what you want to say.”
“I’m sorry, madam. This is Nicola Diego, of the Baron Diego family.”
“Baron Diego’s family. Nicola Diego.”
I took out my notebook and pen and jotted down her name, reciting it aloud. The woman, Nicola, opened her eyes wide, as if bewildered.
“Madam, why are you taking notes?”
“You don’t have to know.”
I put my notebook away and waved my hand, signaling for her to leave immediately. She seemed to sense some ominous omen and hesitantly glanced around before leaving.
I compiled a list like this. High-ranking families and nobles above the rank of Count didn't even bother to argue, but rather seemed indifferent. Unlike the unusual Olivia, they seemed to consider it beneath their dignity to even show interest. However, a woman who claimed to be the daughter of Count Harrison glared at me with a cold stare.
"I don't understand why I have to confront the daughter of a woman I'm ashamed to call my aunt in a place like this. While birth alone shouldn't legally restrict freedom and social activity, you should consider it morally. Are you perhaps deliberately trying to tarnish our family's reputation?"
Her speech was as precise as neat handwriting. She had a sharp voice and appearance, like the nib of a pen. Looking at her modest dress that reached her neck, her hair neatly tied back without a single bang, and her silver-rimmed monocles, I thought she'd be quite conservative and old-fashioned.
"No."
I gave a short answer to the long and tedious lecture. I absolutely loathe the way she tries to teach with such an esoteric attitude. Her eyebrows rose.
“Since your knowledge and learning are limited, your answers are bound to be short, aren’t they?”
“I wonder if it’s necessary to go on and on about why I came, which is embarrassing.”
"You're so shameless, even trying to teach me. Ah, you're so shameless. I don't think you understand, so I'll explain it to you personally."
“You are so selfish.”
Her eyes widened, then closed her mouth for a moment, seemingly pondering the meaning. Just as she was about to retort and snap at me, a familiar voice interrupted her, stopping her.
“Esmeralda, stop it.”
It was Countess Maria Ruben, who had previously helped Ayla. The Countess's cool face turned to the woman who had been bickering with me. Esmeralda answered calmly, her voice somewhat calmer.
"Aunt Maria. This woman has deliberately exposed herself and is tarnishing the reputation of our Harrison family. If she has any sense of self, she should reflect on herself and refrain from social activities."
"Aunt," I finally realized. Countess Ruben, a former lawyer, was a member of the Harrison family. I tried to hide my embarrassment, folded my hands, looked down at the tips of my shoes, and kept my mouth shut, pretending to be as pitiful and wounded as possible.
The Countess's blue eyes looked at me with pity.
"There's no reason for Mrs. Rotsilt to be barred from this place. She's not breaking any laws. Make it clear that you're trampling on personal dignity and infringing on freedom and rights by focusing solely on honor."
The Countess didn't back down at all. Esmeralda's sharp eyes became even sharper.
"Defamation would be established depending on whether there was intent or not. Even though Aunt Maria is a laywoman, you wouldn't want the honor and prestige of the Harrison family to be tarnished."
"It's Lady Diana Rotsilt who's being subjected to insults and defamation. And it's being unilaterally targeted by the majority. No law says origins are a crime. Your arguments are no different from those of supremacists. Does your denial in that way change the fact that she's part of our family?"
Is this what happens when lawyers argue? The scene in the courtroom seems to be fleeting. I've seen it so many times in my life, I've watched it so tirelessly. The exchange of words, though calm, was like a showdown, like sharp blades clashing. As they discussed their doctrines, their ideologies, and their respective philosophies, I heard a shrill shout from afar.
“You can’t even do this properly!”
Match-.
A shout and a slap could be heard nearby. The woman clutching her cheek and collapsing to the ground was Ayla. The one who struck her was Olivia. From what I could tell from the slap, it was because she had hurt herself while fixing her hair.
"The Princess accepted me with such a generous heart, but you can't work harder! I knew it from the moment you couldn't even tighten a single corset!"
Olivia, who had slapped Ayla's cheek once more as she sat down, glanced at me. I sensed her intention. She was trying to provoke me. The Countess tried to step forward, but Esmeralda grabbed her arm and pulled her firmly.
"Please, Aunt. I don't want to be embarrassed any longer. Don't even protect that government. People will never see justice."
“Can’t you let go? I’m so disappointed, Esmeralda.”
“Countess Ruben, please stop.”
The Countess's older brother and head of the household, Count Harrison, approached and began to intervene. He then sternly urged her on.
“Take Countess Ruben to the restroom; she is not feeling well.”
“Brother, how...”
Esmeralda gestured to the maids waiting at a distance. The Countess was led away by two maids. She continued to look back at me. Ayla, her cheeks swollen, tears welling in her eyes, was also watching me.
“You. Aren’t you acquainted with Mrs. Rotsilt over there?”
At Olivia's question, she bit her lip and shook her head.
“No, it has nothing to do with me.”
"Is that so? You're saying no one's on your side? Everyone thinks this is normal."
'There is no such thing as your side in this world!'
A familiar voice, so unearthly it sounded like a hallucination, and I unconsciously covered my ears. An unbearable emotion clawed sharply at my insides. Olivia's face, her hand raised as if ready to strike again, overlapped with the demonic face of my relative, who had slapped me in the face in my original life.
I hated that expression on Ayla's face, that peculiar, pitiful, and pitiful visage. It reminded me of when I returned home alone after my parents' funeral as a child, and I saw my own miserable expression reflected in the hallway mirror. The reflexive empathy repeated endlessly, tormenting my consciousness.
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