IHRS 14

Chapter – 14

How exciting.

Marien didn’t even have the leisure to pay attention to the maids.

She was too busy admiring her own reflection in the mirror.

The outfit she had prepared—several times more splendid than anything she had worn back in her kingdom—pleased her greatly.

What should I do? There’s still time left.

Leaning back comfortably against her chair, Marien slowly gauged the time.

This ball was being held to introduce her as a royal envoy to the Empire.

She wanted to stand out more than anyone else—to make her entrance like the main character.

I’ve never been able to do that in the kingdom.

There were balls in the royal court there as well, but only the king and a few selected royals he permitted could ever be the stars of the event.

Of course, things were different in the Empire.

This entire ball had been organized to introduce her.

But that alone isn’t enough.

If she wanted to truly become the talk of the evening, she needed something more impactful.

And Marien knew exactly how to achieve that.

I should enter escorted by the Crown Prince.

Just standing beside Acel would give the impression that she had already been chosen as the future Empress.

However, Acel seemed well aware of the value of the position beside him and refused her offer to be his partner.

Still—

[Considering the circumstances of a princess who has crossed distant seas to step into an unfamiliar empire, I have assigned one of my close aides to escort you. I would be grateful if you would accept this small gesture of consideration.]

Instead, Acel suggested that one of his confidants accompany her as her partner.

From this, Marien found hope.

Even this level of consideration meant she wasn’t seen as a bad option.

Even if I embarrassed myself before…

After all, he hadn’t completely excluded her. Otherwise, why would he show her such consideration?

Both in her kingdom and in the Empire, it was customary to enter with one’s partner if one had one.

However, the man assigned to her was someone she didn’t know well.

Rather than wasting time trying to coordinate with a stranger, wouldn’t it be better to enter the social circle early and start building allies?

If she approached those who had sent her gifts and personally thanked them during the ball, some of them would surely take her side.

And if she could shape the atmosphere of high society, perhaps even the Crown Prince might start to look her way.

After all, social opinion mattered when it came to governing the Empire.

There was a reason empresses and crown princesses always paid attention to the consensus of noble society.

For that reason, Marien entered the ballroom long before the banquet officially began and began greeting the nobles.

“You have come from such a distant kingdom. It is truly an honor. Your journey must have been quite difficult.”

Things seemed to be going well.

“Your Highness, the fact that you are wearing the gloves I sent is such an honor that I hardly know what to say.”

…At least, that’s what she thought.

“How long do you plan to stay in the Empire, Your Highness? Two weeks? A month?”

She could see it clearly—people’s attention and conversations revolved around her.

“I—”

But then—

“His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Acel Bellagrian Orfasha and his fiancée, Lady Laura Leweis, are entering!”

Her plans were shattered by the appearance of the true star.

All heads turned at once.

Standing where it seemed as though all the light in the world had gathered—

Was the man she most wished to stand beside.

And a woman she had never even expected to attend tonight.

“…Why.”

Marien bit down on her lower lip.

Why are you entering together?!

* * *

There was only one reason the nobles had sent Marien gifts disguised as presents.

She looked easier to deal with than Laura.

Laura possessed an intelligence that matched her notoriously difficult personality.

She either refused half-hearted gifts outright, or even when she accepted them, she never granted the requested favors. And even when she did help, she kept it within the bounds of legality—at most bending rules slightly rather than breaking them.

That was why, despite being involved in numerous controversies, she had managed to remain the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

To the Empire’s nobles, she was troublesome.

Problems they wanted to solve easily with bribes became complicated whenever Laura got involved.

But that princess is different.

As someone from a foreign country, she needed to build a foundation in the Empire from scratch.

“Thank you so much for the gifts you sent. I feel so relieved knowing there are such kind people in the Empire.”

“They were nothing special, but I’m glad they brought Your Highness some comfort.”

Her emotions were plainly visible on her face.

“I’ve heard the Crown Prince of Maratan is quite handsome. Seeing Your Highness, I can tell those rumors must be true.”

“You flatter me.”

She tried to appear elegant, but her inability to fully hide her emotions revealed her inexperience.

“I’ve heard quite a few rumors about Lady Leweis even back in my kingdom. They say she has… a rather unique personality.”

“His Highness has been considerate toward me, but I do wonder whether she managed to find a partner for this ball. The world can be harsh toward those who stand out.”

Though she spoke lightly, her hidden wish for Laura to be humiliated was painfully obvious.

Even this made her different from Laura.

If Laura wanted to insult someone, she did it openly, not through veiled remarks behind their back.

That was the attitude of someone who fully understood her own worth.

That was why many people, including Mrs. Warrington, believed Princess Marien would be easy to manipulate.

Even now.

A few flattering words were enough to make her visibly pleased.

People like this are easy to control. When those who once admired them turn away, they can’t bear the emptiness.

Mrs. Warrington cleared her throat before speaking.

“You don’t seem to have much experience with Imperial high society. If you don’t mind, perhaps at the next tea party—”

But at that moment—

She noticed a disturbance in the atmosphere and fell silent.

She could feel the subtle shift in the air coming from afar.

Decades of experience in high society had sharpened her instincts.

This was the sign of someone important entering.

Her head turned quickly, and she immediately found the source.

Straight ahead.

At the entrance of the ballroom, the Crown Prince and Laura were entering together.

They were not entering separately.

Nor was the Crown Prince walking ahead while Laura hurried behind him.

Instead—

They walked side by side, their lightly clasped hands visible, moving forward together with relaxed but steady steps.

“What—what is that?!”

“Did you just see that?”

“Oh my goodness.”

The Crown Prince walked more slowly and leisurely than usual, occasionally turning his head to look at Laura.

It was obvious he was being considerate and attentive toward her.

“By the way, isn’t Lady Leweis’s dress rather unusual?”

“Black…? No, it’s not quite black.”

A dark purple fabric, reminiscent of the night itself, wrapped naturally around Laura’s figure.

The design was also unconventional.

Unlike the typical noble dresses that widened below the waist to hide the legs, Laura’s dress emphasized her waistline and flowed down below the knees.

So whenever she moved, the skirt rippled like waves following her steps.

Combined with the lace bolero lightly covering her shoulders, her usual sharp aura transformed into something refined and sensual, creating an atmosphere that was difficult to approach.

And that fabric…

Wasn’t it the same as the Crown Prince’s?

At that moment, Acel’s choice became clear.

The Crown Prince has chosen to maintain the engagement.

Sensing something ominous, Marien belatedly reached out as if to grab those drifting away from her.

But—

“Um, madam… what were you about to say earlier…?”

Mrs. Warrington pretended not to hear and slipped away.

Just minutes ago, she had been about to invite Marien to a tea party.

But so what?

Marien had already become useless. If she wasn’t chosen by Acel, she would simply have to return to her kingdom.

Any connections built with difficulty would become meaningless.

“It’s a relief to see you in good health, my lady. We were worried since we hadn’t seen you lately.”

“You always leave us in admiration. Where did you have that remarkable dress made?”

“—!!!”

Not only Mrs. Warrington—

Many people had already turned their bodies toward Laura.

At what had happened in just that brief moment—

“Excuse me… everyone?”

Marien let out a faint, fragile voice.

But no one turned back.