"Pfft, how foolishly must you have behaved for Bee to still be acting like this?"
The Emperor glared at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince just kept smiling. The Emperor turned his gaze away from him and looked at me.
“Young Lady.”
"Please ask, Your Majesty."
"Are you sixteen this year?"
“That’s right.”
My heart sank at the Emperor's question. This was the very reason the Crown Prince had summoned me here.
"The coming-of-age ceremony must be coming up soon."
"Three months left, Your Majesty."
"Three months... I guess you should start getting ready."
I racked my brains. It was clear that if things continued this way, my coming-of-age ceremony would become a wedding with the Crown Prince. The moment the Emperor confirmed the decision, the marriage to the Crown Prince would become irreversible. I desperately thought of a way to avoid it.
"I hope the preparations are going well?"
"It is alright, as things were already in progress. Please do not worry."
The chief attendant answered the Emperor's question politely. The marriage between the Crown Prince and me has not yet been officially announced...
It was just that [it] was [not], but preparations were already underway beneath the surface.
The Emperor proceeded with the wedding preparations in secret to minimize provocation to the First Prince's faction.
Even I, the person involved, could only vaguely guess and did not know exactly how far things had progressed. Since I only found out about it a month before the wedding, it was clear, without me having to say it, just how meticulous the secrecy was.
The Emperor would not think that I knew that fact. Even if he did, it did not matter. I decided to feign ignorance.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I will not be preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony."
"... What?"
The Emperor, who had been conversing with the Chief Chamberlain, turned his head so loudly that it made a crackling sound to look at me. The Chief Chamberlain also looked at me with a surprised expression.
"What on earth are you talking about? You're saying you won't prepare for the coming-of-age ceremony?"
Citizens of the Empire hold a coming-of-age ceremony only once in their lifetime, on the day they turn 16. To signify their transition from child to adult, they host a party as grandly as possible within the limits of what they can afford. If this is true for commoners, it goes without saying for the nobility. They hold a party on their birthday to celebrate becoming adults in front of many people.
In particular, nobles, both men and women, made their debut in society at coming-of-age ceremonies. By debuting on the day they could stand out the most, they made their names widely known and made a strong impression on many people. The grander and more extravagant the ceremony was, and the more distinguished guests were gathered, the easier it was to establish a standing in society.
“Why on earth?”
It was only natural for the Emperor to be surprised. Not preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony was tantamount to rejecting the very position where you could shine the most.
"It has not even been ten days since my maternal grandfather passed away. I, her granddaughter, do not think I will be able to prepare for the coming-of-age ceremony."
I lowered my gaze and bowed my head slightly. Even now, thinking of my maternal grandfather made me feel uneasy.
If someone looked at me like that, I would undoubtedly look like I was crying.
The Emperor let out a groan.
"It is a once-in-a-lifetime day. Think it over again."
"Even if this is a once-in-a-lifetime day, how can I possibly hold a party immediately after losing my maternal grandfather, the only one in this world? Please have mercy on me."
I pretended to wipe away tears with the handkerchief I was holding. Thinking of my maternal grandfather still makes me feel down, but no more tears came. My maternal grandfather passed away without great pain.
Although the void left by his departure is empty, his death itself was not something to mourn.
The Emperor tried to persuade me several more times after that. I answered by quietly bowing my head. The Emperor sighed with a look of frustration on his face.
The best way to deceive the First Prince's faction and hold the wedding between the Crown Prince and me is to use my coming-of-age ceremony. The Emperor must have intended to prepare for the wedding while pretending to prepare for my ceremony. In fact, the Emperor had planned the wedding in that manner to avoid the First Prince's faction's gaze. Now that the plan has gone awry, the Emperor is sighing as if he is in such a state of frustration.
The First Prince's faction did not want my marriage to the Crown Prince. Even if they had no choice but to accept the engagement, they would tenaciously try to block the marriage by finding any pretext whatsoever. They could push it through if the Emperor wanted it, but it was obvious that it would come with sacrifices. The Emperor hoped that the Crown Prince's marriage would be successfully concluded without any trouble.
"Never mind the coming-of-age ceremony, what do you plan to do about your social debut?"
Not everyone was able to hold a coming-of-age ceremony. If they lacked money or their circumstances were unfavorable, they would skip the ceremony. The same was true for the nobility. Just because someone was a noble did not mean they could hold a coming-of-age ceremony.
Hosting a party is expensive. Decorating the venue, preparing the food, and sending out invitations alone required an enormous expenditure. The more guests invited, the more the cost exceeded imagination. There were not many nobles who could afford such an expense. Those without money or of low rank held a modest coming-of-age ceremony, inviting only family members or close relatives.
Naturally, one cannot make a debut in high society at a modest coming-of-age ceremony. Since they could not even hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony, there was no way they could hold a separate party for a social debut. They made their debut in high society by utilizing parties held at the Imperial Palace or parties hosted by other noble families.
If one made their social debut by renting another party in that manner, they naturally could not become the star of the party. If they were unlucky, there were even cases where several people debuted at the same party simultaneously. If they failed to attract attention even on their first day of social debut, their future was predictable. It meant that a family unable to even host a coming-of-age ceremony was insignificant. People would often ostracize or ignore young ladies and sons who debuted in such a way.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I am still young and have never hosted a party before."
“I know.”
Although I turned 16 this year, I was a minor under Imperial law because my birthday had not yet passed. Even though I serve as the mistress of the Elliot family, outwardly I am merely a young lady who has not even made her debut in high society.
The person who hosts a family party is generally the mistress of the household. One could clearly discern the mistress's personality by looking at the scale of the party, the interior of the venue, and the method of invitation. Hosting a party is by no means an easy task. Not only is the cost high, but there are countless details to consider to organize it. It was certainly not a task a young lady could handle.
The Elliot family had been without a mistress for several years since the death of the Marchioness, and the Marquis was a man with no interest in things like parties. No party had been held at the Elliot household for years. The Emperor nodded as if he was well aware of this fact.
"That is exactly why I am saying this. Don't you have to make your debut in high society?"
The Emperor's eyes gleamed. It was clear what he was thinking. In that brief moment, the Emperor seemed to have shifted his focus from the coming-of-age ceremony to the day of my social debut.
"It seems difficult to hold a party right now."
"That's not true! If you allow it, I will throw you a social debut party right away."
"I am deeply saddened, Your Majesty, but I, your humble servant, cannot do so at this moment."
“Why!”
The Emperor, having run out of patience, let out a sudden shout. Whether he had let out the sound involuntarily or not, he immediately cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
"Even so, shouldn't you make your debut in high society?"
His tone was affectionate, like soothing a whining child. I picked up a handkerchief again and pretended to wipe my eyes.
"I humbly beg your pardon, but I am still finding it very difficult to compose myself. I would like to consider making my debut in high society after I have gathered a little more of my thoughts."
Like a repeat sign, the conversation returned to the beginning again. The Emperor, as if suffering from a headache, pressed his finger against his temple firmly.
"So I'm asking when that is."
The Emperor seemed to have lost his strength. Unlike at the beginning, his voice lacked power.
“Next year’s imperial palace...”
“It’s too late!”
The moment I uttered my first words, the Emperor yelled again. As if he simply could not hold back, he sprang to his feet.
“Next year!”
The Emperor, who had been thinking only of my birthday just a few months away, was furious at the mention of next year. It was early spring, not long after the new year had begun. It was only natural that the Emperor jumped up in surprise.
I looked up at him with an innocent expression.
"You only need to make your debut in high society within two years of your coming-of-age ceremony. Next year is not that late."
Although the coming-of-age ceremony and social debut were usually held at the same time, if circumstances did not permit, the ceremony was sometimes held first, and the social debut followed later. If the debut was not made at the same time as the ceremony, it typically occurred as early as the year of the ceremony or as late as around the age of 18. While failing to debut in society until after the age of 18 could be problematic in many ways, as long as the age of 18 was not exceeded, it was up to the individual to decide when to make the debut.
“Hmmm.”
The Emperor, perhaps unable to bring himself to get angry at me for wearing such an innocent expression, his face turned red and then pale, let out a groan.
“Pppft!”
"What do you think is so funny that you're laughing!"
At the sound of the Crown Prince's laughter, the Emperor seized the opportunity and became angry with him. Even while watching the Emperor, the Crown Prince's smile did not fade. The Crown Prince slowly rose from his seat and bowed his head toward the Emperor.
"I am sorry, Your Majesty. But what Bee said isn't wrong, is it?"
"Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Of course I'm on my fiancée's side."
The Crown Prince's two hands wrapped around my shoulders. I had to try hard not to commit the atrocity of shaking off his hands in front of the Emperor.
"Isn't Bee's heart truly lovely for her grandfather? Please consider Bee's position as well, Your Majesty."
"Just you... haa..."
The Emperor sighed and slumped into a chair. The Crown Prince remained standing behind me, his arms still wrapped around my shoulders. The Emperor glared at the Crown Prince with a look of displeasure. Since the Crown Prince was standing behind me, I could not tell what expression he was making.
"Your Majesty, the time for the audience with the officials has come."
The chief attendant standing behind the Emperor bowed toward the Emperor and spoke. The Emperor let out a hollow laugh.
"I will back down this time. If that is your will, then it can't be helped. However, there is still time left, so let's think it over a bit more."
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