Chapter – 17
Chapter 6. The Pink Stone That Rolled In
Margaret was from the vassal family of the Balthazar house.
Coming from a distinguished noble family, she naturally carried herself with elegance.
She was also in charge as the “chief” because she was the most outstanding Controller in the Order of Knights.
Margaret spoke with emphasis.
“Have you all forgotten? It was Paville and Tillard’s fault that the First Empress passed away.”
Jeanne scratched her head awkwardly.
“Uh, um… but—”
“No matter how awakened you’ve become, you shouldn’t lower your guard. You never know what people are really like, right?”
Margaret’s reprimand immediately dampened the excited atmosphere.
The Controllers stepped back from their seats, leaving the knights awkward.
Margaret sighed and asked her subordinates.
“Phew… was I right to do that?”
“Of course!”
“You spoke well, Lady Margaret.”
The Controllers glanced at the knights.
Even if it’s the same request, if a person with powers asks, the knights might slap them immediately; but if a Controller asks, they hesitate for about thirty seconds.
But this… this was ridiculous!
“That incompetent person actually stopped His Highness from running amok—what nonsense!”
“Since it’s Tillard, he probably knew exactly how to manipulate all these people.”
“Lady Margaret should have been His Highness’s Controller!”
Margaret gently scolded them.
“Everyone, stop saying things like that.”
She never wanted to raise her voice because she was elegant.
“Surely he must have had his reasons. Maybe he was disregarded at home and wanted to be recognized elsewhere.”
“You’re too kind, Lady Margaret.”
“That’s excessive praise.”
Margaret smiled faintly.
But inside, she was boiling with anger.
The Crown Prince’s Controller?
That incompetent person?
From the rear, Margaret, who couldn’t see Tillard watching the knights or Evren running wild, couldn’t believe it.
‘I’ll make them show their true colors.’
Just then, a pink-haired girl came out from the barracks.
She seemed very close to Evren, talking to him with great warmth.
Because of the height difference, Evren bowed his head while the girl used both hands to whisper earnestly.
The Controllers couldn’t stand watching.
“Goodness… from the morning already.”
“She must have stuck to His Highness first thing in the morning.”
It was obvious.
Some lowly Controllers use frequent contact as an excuse to pursue promotion!
When Lirian approached them, Margaret calmly smiled.
“Hello, Miss Lirian. It’s an honor.”
“……?”
“You, the famous daughter of the great Tillard, are here.”
“……”
“Have you left your family and come here to entrust yourself? Since when have you been a Controller?”
Lirian silently stared at her, looking her over from head to toe.
Margaret smiled.
But seeing her face up close made her heart flutter.
Tillard was considered beautiful enough for the Creator to call her “Butterfly.”
Her family had a recognized line of beauty.
In the Empire, people would jokingly ask, “Do you have a Tillard ancestor?”—a compliment about one’s looks.
‘I didn’t notice when she was lurking in the corner during the banquet.’
Margaret scrutinized Lirian’s face carefully.
Iris was dazzling like sunlight, a woman without shadows.
But Lirian, despite her sweet hair color, gave off a shadowed atmosphere.
She was like a crescent moon in spring.
‘Focus! Be careful!’
A girl this dangerously pretty must be cunning.
But… Lirian tilted her head.
“Who are you?”
“Huh?”
“You know me?”
“I don’t know you at all.”
“Oh… you don’t remember me? I’m Margaret Rubelli—you must have heard of me?”
The Rubelli family was also famous for producing Controllers.
But Lirian blinked.
“I’ve mostly met people from holy families or the royal family… I don’t know those outside of them very well.”
“Ugh…!”
“If you properly introduce yourself, I’ll apologize.”
Margaret’s face burned red.
She hadn’t expected her etiquette to be challenged right away.
A timid, insignificant incompetent person from society!
Meanwhile, Lirian just stared at Margaret.
‘It’s so refreshing—a complete stranger calling my name first?’
At that moment, one of Margaret’s Controllers spoke up indignantly.
“You’re too much! Using your connections to boast like this is vulgar! You should apologize to Lady Margaret first!”
“……? But normally, you don’t call someone by their name on first meeting.”
Lirian touched her cheek.
“And could you tell me who your tutor was?”
“Huh?”
“You never taught me who could speak first. I want to make sure the etiquette is correct for acquaintances later.”
“What! Relying only on your family name, that’s—!”
“Are you going to continue treating me as Tillard’s daughter? Then you should know the order of greetings.”
“……!”
The surrounding area fell silent in an instant.
Lirian knew it herself.
The Tillard family was trash.
But it was dignified, time-honored trash from the first page of the religious scriptures.
So, conservatively speaking, only two people here could properly approach Lirian first:
The Crown Prince, and Elias Balthazar of the five great families.
Therefore, Lirian didn’t need to shout or blush ungracefully.
Everyone started watching Margaret.
‘What do we do?’
‘We thought she’d be flustered and lost, but…’
‘By etiquette, we’re supposed to kneel until she permits it… right?’
‘And Lady Margaret—?’
Margaret’s eyes wavered.
She had thought this would be a light battle of wits.
Admitting a mistake now would mean she was ignorant of etiquette.
But admitting it would also mean that the Tillard girl outranked her.
At that moment, a voice of salvation came.
“…What’s all this commotion?”
“Lord Elias!”
Margaret rushed past Lirian.
She got along well with Elias.
Surely he would take her side this time.
“Apologies, here, Miss Tillard’s title offended her…”
“……”
“There was a minor misunderstanding. It shouldn’t have caused so much commotion. My apologies.”
Now Elias would also speak a word of reason.
The eyes of Margaret and the other Controllers lit up.
He was meticulous and hated anything that would tarnish the Crown Prince’s honor.
But Elias showed proper manners in front of Lirian.
“Miss Lirian.”
People gawked in surprise.
Lirian didn’t blink for five seconds.
“…Huh? Me?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“You… addressed me, Lord? Didn’t you forget? We’re the same generation.”
“Yes. Since the engagement hasn’t taken place yet, please forgive me for addressing you as ‘Miss.’”
Lirian was flustered at that moment.
She hadn’t really felt the engagement; it felt more like a caretaker who gets extra allowances than an actual fiancée.
“Ah…? That’s not what I meant… no, yes.”
“I plan to send the luggage inside the castle first. Is there anything else besides your bag?”
“No, that’s all.”
“…Did you… expand the inside with magic?”
Elias was bewildered at the bag’s impossible capacity.
Was there a universe inside that bag?
Margaret couldn’t hold it anymore and spoke up.
“Lord… what do you mean by ‘castle’?”
“Miss is to be betrothed to His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“……!”
Not only Margaret and the Controllers, but
“Hooh…!”
Even the shadows that had been quietly observing were completely shocked.
Our Crown Prince, engaged to Tillard’s daughter!?
