(158) In the meantime (4)
If so, she'd better wear a dress that stands out. That way, Victoria won't get nervous about having to stand out more than Ariana at the palace party.
“Blue.”
Ariana pointed to several dresses in her closet.
"I'd like a very brilliant blue, like sapphire. The accessories should be colorful to match. The parasol is the one I've kept for decoration."
Ariana pointed to the parasol hanging in her room. It was a gift from her grandfather, Theodore, but it was too ornate and heavy to carry, so she hung it as a decoration.
It was a parasol with countless rubies representing rose petals on a sparkling white cloth, emeralds representing flower stems and leaves, and opals representing sunlight falling down.
“It must be too heavy.”
When the maid spoke worriedly, Shini, who had been watching quietly, answered.
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
"Well, that's fortunate," the maids said, and then dressed Ariana up beautifully. They tied her long hair up in a ponytail and secured it with several pearl hairpins, finishing it off with a hairpin shaped like a bright purple amethyst flower.
The maids found it strange that Ariana, who usually enjoyed simple colors, would dress up like this when going out to see elephants, but they dressed her up just as she wanted without saying a word.
The family waiting in front of the carriage opened their eyes wide when they saw Ariana.
“Ariana, you... What are you doing?”
Ariana tilted her head to the side at Isabelle's shout.
"Is it weird?"
"It's weird, of course! You're not going to a party, you're just going for a walk in the downtown area. Who would wear something like that?"
Of course, no one else would wear it like this. Ariana would be the only one, and because of that, she would attract everyone's attention and be the subject of conversation for years to come.
Had she been the daughter of an ordinary noble family, she would have been met with nothing but ridicule, but Ariana was the Princess of the East. While the Emperor kept aloof, the Eastern Lord remained a wing of the empire, the most powerful of the four lords. Furthermore, she was the woman who had even forced the Northern Lord to draw his sword.
“Do you think people will criticize me?”
“You are the Princess of the East, so even if you walk around naked, they can’t openly mock you.”
It was Averaster who answered. Averaster looked at Ariana with a dazzling gaze and spoke.
“And it’s so beautiful. You’re so pretty, Ariana.”
Isabelle hit Averaster's back with her palm.
"This guy must be crazy. What if they think she's real and walks around wearing stuff like that?"
"So what? She's still pretty. Men will fall for her. Right, Geor."
Geor replied, tapping the sword next to him.
“You have to be very careful.”
Ariana smiled sweetly.
“Please take good care of me in that case, brothers.”
The refreshing smile on his younger sister's lips made Geor and Averaster look dizzy. Averaster nodded with a feigned solemnity.
“Don’t worry, Ariana. I’ll make sure not a single strand of your hair is touched.”
Ariana knew Averaster would do it. And Geor would do it too.
Then Victoria's eyes will roll. She'll feel like she doesn't want to lose. So, when the party is held at the palace, she'll make some kind of desperate choice to stand out from Ariana.
Following the wide streets of the bustling city, they come across a vast plaza, where a space was reserved for the nobles. Numerous knights and soldiers stood in formation, ensuring that the commoners and nobles did not mix.
Before reaching the main square, the nobles parked their carriages and walked along the wide street toward the plaza. The street outside was bustling with commoners who had come to see the elephants.
Both nobles and commoners craned their necks and waited for the elephants to arrive, but the atmosphere changed when the carriage of the White family arrived.
It was because of the splendor of the last woman to get off the carriage.
A woman with sky-blue hair, wearing a vivid blue dress and holding a parasol that sparkled in the sunlight. Her transparent skin alone radiated a radiance, but her jewelry and dress made her even more dazzling.
A few commoners nearby started to murmur, “Wow!” and “Ah!” Then, all the eyes of the people gathered there turned to Ariana.
While most commoners thought, "Amazing! Is that what nobles are like?", the nobles each had their own thoughts as they looked at Ariana.
'They say the East has a lot of money...'
'They're helping others, but it seems they're making a lot of money by selling drugs to perfume victims.'
'How splendid. Do you really have to show off your wealth like that?'
'Pretty...'
'What is that, it's so tacky.'
‘It’s so pretty...’
'Seeing her bragging about her money like that, it seems Princess of the East is surprisingly dull. Wouldn't she fall for it if I tried to persuade her?'
'If I marry the Princess of the East, I will become the son-in-law of the Eastern Lord. It will be a great help to our family.'
"The Northern Lord likes that woman? Was she just a woman who showed off her face?"
"Should I wear something like that for this palace party? It's so dazzling."
Even as she felt the gaze focused on her, Ariana's smiling face remained firm. The faint smile on her small face was as refreshing as morning dew.
With every step Ariana took, people's gazes grew. After walking for a while, Ariana felt a stinging gaze and turned her head in its direction.
There was Victoria.
Victoria was wearing a pale yellow dress. The pale yellow dress suited her perfectly. It brightened her skin and made her slightly darker blonde hair look more vibrant.
A necklace with small jewels on a silver string and earrings in the same color would also be a very good choice.
'You won't be satisfied there.'
Ariana smiled brightly at Victoria, who was glaring at her. She watched Victoria's face contort, then soften, as Ariana watched.
Victoria also gave an elegant smile.
'It's too late. You shouldn't be so shaken, Victoria.'
Ariana snorted and stared straight ahead again.
Victoria's elegance, refinement, and a calm, almost leisurely disposition were only possible with the comfort and stability of the Bronte family. Having lost her footing, forced to act on her own, Victoria couldn't enjoy the same composure.
Ariana deliberately positioned herself far enough away from Victoria, yet still within easy reach of her. As the White family stopped, the other nobles stepped aside to make room for her.
Several of the men who had been observing her approached Ariana, but, overwhelmed by the presence of Geor and Averaster, they left without speaking. A few young ladies approached and spoke kindly, and the noble ladies complimented Ariana's dress.
The more this happened, the more Victoria's expression hardened.
'What did she say?'
To Victoria, Ariana was nothing more than a girl who didn't even get a proper meal at Bronte Manor, who was always on the lookout for her. Seeing her adorned with such expensive garb and treated with such gusto was sickening.
'What's that all about!'
She would love to go up to her and say something that would make her look like she's wearing that fancy dress, and enjoy the sight of the other ladies mocking her, but she can't because of the White family surrounding Ariana.
Just then, as the crowd stirred, she turned around and saw the Third Prince disembarking from the imperial carriage. Victoria secretly exclaimed with joy as she waited for the Third Prince, Harold, to approach her.
Harold strode briskly, greeting the crowd with a cheerful yet elegant manner. Victoria was delighted to see the admiration in the eyes of the young ladies seeing him.
Yes, Herald is that kind of man. The kind of man many young women desire.
'Come to me now, Harold Blenwit. Kiss the back of my hand and tell me I'm beautiful and dazzling.'
Harold drew closer. Victoria waited for him, maintaining a proud expression, her joy hidden.
However.
“Princess, you look so beautiful today.”
Why did you go to Ariana and not me?
Victoria glared at Harold, her eyes wide open. But Harold's gaze was fixed solely on Ariana.
"Well, you were beautiful before, but today you're especially striking. I was drawn here without even realizing it. I guess you're a flower, Princess, and I'm a butterfly."
The people around him chuckled slightly at Harold's words, but Ariana didn't. She simply stared blankly at him. Still, Harold didn't back down.
"I didn't know you, Princess, would be interested in elephants. After the parade, we'll be confining them in cages we've prepared. Would you like me to show you around so you can see them up close?"
“You’d rather not do that, Third Prince.”
Geor stepped in between Ariana and Harold, speaking with a smile.
"Geor. I just wanted to say hello to the Princess. Aren't you being too cautious? I don't intend to snatch your pretty sister away, so please let me at least say hello."
"I'm sorry, but greeting our Princess requires divine permission. While we're on the subject, should we ask for permission together?"
“Hahaha. Just kidding.”
Harold, who was about to pat Geor on the shoulder, withdrew his hand, startled by his harsh gaze. His purple eyes were shining with an unparalleled coldness.
Only after seeing that did he remember the incident at Little Lord's party. He had forgotten many things since then, but it seemed Geor hadn't forgotten. Harold, who had no reason to be there, had appeared.
The atmosphere became awkward as Harold tried to be friendly, but Geor coldly dismissed him. As Harold pondered how to gracefully resolve the situation, a soft voice came from behind him.
“The Little Lord is a man who doesn’t know how to joke, so if you want to greet the Princess, it would be better to pray together.”
Only then did Harold and the others there notice Cyrus's presence. Several exclaimed, "Ah!" They remained completely unaware until Cyrus made his way through the crowd and approached Ariana.
Harold looked back, feeling a chill run down his spine.
“Northern lord... How are you here...?”
“Everyone is out to see elephants, so I can’t be left behind.”
Harold squinted his eyes and studied Cyrus's expression, unable to discern his intentions behind his talk of fashion.
The Northern Lord, as Harold knew, was a man who neither knew jokes nor wasted time.
"By the way, if you're going to stay like this, wouldn't you please step aside? I, too, would like to greet the Princess, so I need to seek the god's permission together with the Little Lord."
If so, she'd better wear a dress that stands out. That way, Victoria won't get nervous about having to stand out more than Ariana at the palace party.
“Blue.”
Ariana pointed to several dresses in her closet.
"I'd like a very brilliant blue, like sapphire. The accessories should be colorful to match. The parasol is the one I've kept for decoration."
Ariana pointed to the parasol hanging in her room. It was a gift from her grandfather, Theodore, but it was too ornate and heavy to carry, so she hung it as a decoration.
It was a parasol with countless rubies representing rose petals on a sparkling white cloth, emeralds representing flower stems and leaves, and opals representing sunlight falling down.
“It must be too heavy.”
When the maid spoke worriedly, Shini, who had been watching quietly, answered.
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
"Well, that's fortunate," the maids said, and then dressed Ariana up beautifully. They tied her long hair up in a ponytail and secured it with several pearl hairpins, finishing it off with a hairpin shaped like a bright purple amethyst flower.
The maids found it strange that Ariana, who usually enjoyed simple colors, would dress up like this when going out to see elephants, but they dressed her up just as she wanted without saying a word.
The family waiting in front of the carriage opened their eyes wide when they saw Ariana.
“Ariana, you... What are you doing?”
Ariana tilted her head to the side at Isabelle's shout.
"Is it weird?"
"It's weird, of course! You're not going to a party, you're just going for a walk in the downtown area. Who would wear something like that?"
Of course, no one else would wear it like this. Ariana would be the only one, and because of that, she would attract everyone's attention and be the subject of conversation for years to come.
Had she been the daughter of an ordinary noble family, she would have been met with nothing but ridicule, but Ariana was the Princess of the East. While the Emperor kept aloof, the Eastern Lord remained a wing of the empire, the most powerful of the four lords. Furthermore, she was the woman who had even forced the Northern Lord to draw his sword.
“Do you think people will criticize me?”
“You are the Princess of the East, so even if you walk around naked, they can’t openly mock you.”
It was Averaster who answered. Averaster looked at Ariana with a dazzling gaze and spoke.
“And it’s so beautiful. You’re so pretty, Ariana.”
Isabelle hit Averaster's back with her palm.
"This guy must be crazy. What if they think she's real and walks around wearing stuff like that?"
"So what? She's still pretty. Men will fall for her. Right, Geor."
Geor replied, tapping the sword next to him.
“You have to be very careful.”
Ariana smiled sweetly.
“Please take good care of me in that case, brothers.”
The refreshing smile on his younger sister's lips made Geor and Averaster look dizzy. Averaster nodded with a feigned solemnity.
“Don’t worry, Ariana. I’ll make sure not a single strand of your hair is touched.”
Ariana knew Averaster would do it. And Geor would do it too.
Then Victoria's eyes will roll. She'll feel like she doesn't want to lose. So, when the party is held at the palace, she'll make some kind of desperate choice to stand out from Ariana.
Following the wide streets of the bustling city, they come across a vast plaza, where a space was reserved for the nobles. Numerous knights and soldiers stood in formation, ensuring that the commoners and nobles did not mix.
Before reaching the main square, the nobles parked their carriages and walked along the wide street toward the plaza. The street outside was bustling with commoners who had come to see the elephants.
Both nobles and commoners craned their necks and waited for the elephants to arrive, but the atmosphere changed when the carriage of the White family arrived.
It was because of the splendor of the last woman to get off the carriage.
A woman with sky-blue hair, wearing a vivid blue dress and holding a parasol that sparkled in the sunlight. Her transparent skin alone radiated a radiance, but her jewelry and dress made her even more dazzling.
A few commoners nearby started to murmur, “Wow!” and “Ah!” Then, all the eyes of the people gathered there turned to Ariana.
While most commoners thought, "Amazing! Is that what nobles are like?", the nobles each had their own thoughts as they looked at Ariana.
'They say the East has a lot of money...'
'They're helping others, but it seems they're making a lot of money by selling drugs to perfume victims.'
'How splendid. Do you really have to show off your wealth like that?'
'Pretty...'
'What is that, it's so tacky.'
‘It’s so pretty...’
'Seeing her bragging about her money like that, it seems Princess of the East is surprisingly dull. Wouldn't she fall for it if I tried to persuade her?'
'If I marry the Princess of the East, I will become the son-in-law of the Eastern Lord. It will be a great help to our family.'
"The Northern Lord likes that woman? Was she just a woman who showed off her face?"
"Should I wear something like that for this palace party? It's so dazzling."
Even as she felt the gaze focused on her, Ariana's smiling face remained firm. The faint smile on her small face was as refreshing as morning dew.
With every step Ariana took, people's gazes grew. After walking for a while, Ariana felt a stinging gaze and turned her head in its direction.
There was Victoria.
Victoria was wearing a pale yellow dress. The pale yellow dress suited her perfectly. It brightened her skin and made her slightly darker blonde hair look more vibrant.
A necklace with small jewels on a silver string and earrings in the same color would also be a very good choice.
'You won't be satisfied there.'
Ariana smiled brightly at Victoria, who was glaring at her. She watched Victoria's face contort, then soften, as Ariana watched.
Victoria also gave an elegant smile.
'It's too late. You shouldn't be so shaken, Victoria.'
Ariana snorted and stared straight ahead again.
Victoria's elegance, refinement, and a calm, almost leisurely disposition were only possible with the comfort and stability of the Bronte family. Having lost her footing, forced to act on her own, Victoria couldn't enjoy the same composure.
Ariana deliberately positioned herself far enough away from Victoria, yet still within easy reach of her. As the White family stopped, the other nobles stepped aside to make room for her.
Several of the men who had been observing her approached Ariana, but, overwhelmed by the presence of Geor and Averaster, they left without speaking. A few young ladies approached and spoke kindly, and the noble ladies complimented Ariana's dress.
The more this happened, the more Victoria's expression hardened.
'What did she say?'
To Victoria, Ariana was nothing more than a girl who didn't even get a proper meal at Bronte Manor, who was always on the lookout for her. Seeing her adorned with such expensive garb and treated with such gusto was sickening.
'What's that all about!'
She would love to go up to her and say something that would make her look like she's wearing that fancy dress, and enjoy the sight of the other ladies mocking her, but she can't because of the White family surrounding Ariana.
Just then, as the crowd stirred, she turned around and saw the Third Prince disembarking from the imperial carriage. Victoria secretly exclaimed with joy as she waited for the Third Prince, Harold, to approach her.
Harold strode briskly, greeting the crowd with a cheerful yet elegant manner. Victoria was delighted to see the admiration in the eyes of the young ladies seeing him.
Yes, Herald is that kind of man. The kind of man many young women desire.
'Come to me now, Harold Blenwit. Kiss the back of my hand and tell me I'm beautiful and dazzling.'
Harold drew closer. Victoria waited for him, maintaining a proud expression, her joy hidden.
However.
“Princess, you look so beautiful today.”
Why did you go to Ariana and not me?
Victoria glared at Harold, her eyes wide open. But Harold's gaze was fixed solely on Ariana.
"Well, you were beautiful before, but today you're especially striking. I was drawn here without even realizing it. I guess you're a flower, Princess, and I'm a butterfly."
The people around him chuckled slightly at Harold's words, but Ariana didn't. She simply stared blankly at him. Still, Harold didn't back down.
"I didn't know you, Princess, would be interested in elephants. After the parade, we'll be confining them in cages we've prepared. Would you like me to show you around so you can see them up close?"
“You’d rather not do that, Third Prince.”
Geor stepped in between Ariana and Harold, speaking with a smile.
"Geor. I just wanted to say hello to the Princess. Aren't you being too cautious? I don't intend to snatch your pretty sister away, so please let me at least say hello."
"I'm sorry, but greeting our Princess requires divine permission. While we're on the subject, should we ask for permission together?"
“Hahaha. Just kidding.”
Harold, who was about to pat Geor on the shoulder, withdrew his hand, startled by his harsh gaze. His purple eyes were shining with an unparalleled coldness.
Only after seeing that did he remember the incident at Little Lord's party. He had forgotten many things since then, but it seemed Geor hadn't forgotten. Harold, who had no reason to be there, had appeared.
The atmosphere became awkward as Harold tried to be friendly, but Geor coldly dismissed him. As Harold pondered how to gracefully resolve the situation, a soft voice came from behind him.
“The Little Lord is a man who doesn’t know how to joke, so if you want to greet the Princess, it would be better to pray together.”
Only then did Harold and the others there notice Cyrus's presence. Several exclaimed, "Ah!" They remained completely unaware until Cyrus made his way through the crowd and approached Ariana.
Harold looked back, feeling a chill run down his spine.
“Northern lord... How are you here...?”
“Everyone is out to see elephants, so I can’t be left behind.”
Harold squinted his eyes and studied Cyrus's expression, unable to discern his intentions behind his talk of fashion.
The Northern Lord, as Harold knew, was a man who neither knew jokes nor wasted time.
"By the way, if you're going to stay like this, wouldn't you please step aside? I, too, would like to greet the Princess, so I need to seek the god's permission together with the Little Lord."
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