039
*Revised 4th Princess Entrance Scene*
Splosh-
Suddenly, red wine spilled all over Annette’s beautiful black hair and her dress, staining them crimson.
The entire banquet hall fell silent.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I lost my balance when my feet got tangled.”
Eyes stretched wide.
Freckles that couldn’t be covered by makeup.
A bony woman wearing a black dress that seemed to gather her non-existent chest with her very soul to compensate for her slender frame.
The 4th Princess, born to the 2nd Queen.
Gracia Lionel, who was scheduled to have her coming-of-age ceremony this year along with Annette, took out a handkerchief with an apologetic expression.
“Oh dear, oh dear, what should I do about this?”
Gracia wiped Annette’s face and whispered in a very small voice.
“Didn’t I warn you not to show up in front of me again?”
＜039＞
Miloa had been at the banquet hall since the banquet began.
She had been looking for an opportunity to talk to Evan, but ended up wasting time dealing with those who tried to approach her one way or another.
Wearing a gorgeous tight blue dress that hugged her body after a long time, she stepped out onto the terrace for a moment, feeling suffocated as if her breath was caught in her throat.
‘That guy Lucas, he said he’d come with me.’
The first prince tended to avoid banquets.
He would probably show up briefly when the king and queens appeared, make an appearance, and then flee again.
Recalling that she had brought along her lazy good-for-nothing brother who wouldn’t even escort her, she suddenly felt a surge of anger.
She took out a cigarette from the pack she had hidden under her skirt and put it in her mouth.
*Sip* – *Puff*-
Staring blankly at the smoke dispersing into the air, she suddenly remembered the bald spot that had recently appeared on her head.
‘Ah, I should quit.’
She glanced at the cigarette in her hand for a moment.
It was a Seven Möbius cigarette, a brand primarily sold in the Kingdom of Arya, the home country of the Second Queen.
‘At the very least, I should change the brand.’
There was a rumor, albeit a strange one, that the Second Queen started smoking during the pregnancies of the Fourth Princess and Fourth Prince, resulting in the birth of a lunatic and a good-for-nothing.
It was possible that smoking could also contribute to hair loss.
*Crunch*, she crumpled the cigarette pack and threw it into the trash before returning to the banquet hall.
‘What’s going on?’
The banquet hall, which had been bustling before she went to the terrace, was now eerily silent.
‘Aha.’
The Fourth Princess was seen wiping the Third Princess’s wine-stained face and dress with an apologetic expression.
She had been wondering how to approach the Fifth Prince, so this was a good opportunity.
Looking around, Miloa spotted a servant carrying a tray of traditional Hamil Empire cuisine.
It was a dish made by boiling beans. Due to its foul, waste-like odor, it was sealed with a lid. It had been prepared because it was a favorite dish of the imperial family members who had agreed to attend the New Year’s banquet.
“Let me borrow that for a moment.”
“Oh, Lady Miloa! You can’t eat that!”
“I know, it’s not fit for human consumption. Don’t worry. I’m not going to eat it.”
Miloa gracefully carried the dishes.
Crash!
“Ahh!”
Not an amateur acting like the 4th Princess, but she really fell properly. In the midst of it, she stared intently at the direction the dishes on the tray flew.
Clang-
‘Good.’
A thick, rotten-smelling liquid drenched the 4th Princess’s face.
“Kyaaah!”
Feeling like she had an overturned pot of filth with maggots crawling over her, the 4th Princess panicked.
“Water! Quick, bring water!”
The servants and maids who had been gawking at the 4th Princess wiping her face and dress with a handkerchief finally started scurrying about.
***
On the way back to the banquet hall after using the restroom.
“Did you hear that rumor? That one of the imperial princesses attending this banquet may get married?”
My steps halted at the conversation of the noblewomen hiding their mouths with fans.
“Oh my, I haven’t heard.”
“The imperial family member here this time is said to be a wealthy tycoon who owns a large mana crystal mine.”
“Oh my! A high-grade mana crystal mine!”
That fat cat.
He was wealthier than expected.
Mana crystals are used in various magical tools. Simply put, they are stones containing mana. As important as oil in my previous life, if not more crucial resources. Especially for the Kingdom of Rionel which struggles with self-sufficiency in production.
The value of high-grade and above mana crystals goes without saying, as they are difficult to obtain even with money.
The faces of the princesses flashed through my mind one by one.
1st Princess, already married.
2nd Princess, a talented mage.
3rd Princess, my sister.
4th Princess, homely.
5th Princess, too young.
With only two candidates left, I couldn’t help but frown.
“So who is it? The 3rd Princess? The 4th Princess?”
“Ho ho ho, I don’t know about that. You might choose the 3rd Princess based on her looks, but you all know the imperial royals have unique tastes.”
If there was any hope, it was in the unique aesthetic tastes of the Hamil Empire’s people.
Those with a foot fetish consider a woman with small feet to be the epitome of beauty. Not twisted, deformed tiny feet forcibly made small, but naturally small feet.
Unlike the 2nd Queen who was large-built for an Aryan, the 4th Princess was petite and slender, inheriting the pure Aryan bloodline.
From what I remember five years ago, her feet were definitely small too.
“Ah, that’s right. This time, the merchant accompanying the royals is selling……”
Any more would be a useless story. Realizing I had left my sister alone for too long, I hurriedly moved my feet.
And then.
‘What is that smell?’
“Kyaaah!”
Rushing back to the banquet hall at the rotten stench and piercing scream.
A chaotic scene unfolded.
My heart sank seeing my sister wiping wine from her face with a handkerchief.
“Quick! Bring water quickly!”
A servant appeared from somewhere, fetching water in a large jar. I snatched it and strode forward.
“Oh, 5th Prince!”
Splash-
I poured all the water over the 4th Princess’s head. Pinching my nose and scrunching my face, I growled, “It’s been a while, but you’re in quite a state. The stench was so bad I had to be rude. This won’t do at all. Go back to the palace and clean up.”
“Y-Y-You!”
The 4th Princess, her face flushed red, glared at me, my sister, and Miloa who had fallen over going “Oww oww.” Then she abruptly turned her back.
Biting my lip, I confirmed she was leaving the banquet hall before turning to my sister.
“Aira, thank you.”
“No, Your Highness. What is all this?”
I hadn’t noticed before with my eyes slightly squinted, but Aira from our previous meeting was there with a handkerchief, helping wipe my sister’s clothes.
“I’m sorry. This happened because I was away.”
“hahahaha, it’s more common than you’d think at a banquet hall.”
My sister really did seem unfazed. I was the one more flustered.
“That was a cherished outfit, I don’t know if it can be cleaned. I should retire early tonight. Thank you, Aira. I’ll invite you for tea soon.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“I will escort you.”
“No, Gracia and I have circumstances, but everyone will understand. However, Evan, you should not leave before His Majesty the King arrives. Stay a little longer, dance with the ladies, and enjoy the banquet. Above all, shouldn’t you help the Count of Miloa?”
Looking at the atmosphere of leaving and the situation on site, it seemed that the Count of Miloa had helped my sister. I nodded and offered my hand to her, who was still lying on the floor.
“Are you all right? I will guide you to the healer.”
“It’s not that bad. I want to rest on the terrace for a while. Just support me.”
Before assisting her, I expressed my gratitude to Aira.
“Thank you for your help. When my sister invites Lady Aira, I will introduce you.”
“Ah, yes! I will see you then!”
It was a polite remark, but Aira nodded with a bright smile. It seemed like I would have to have a cup of tea with her.
“Shall we go, Count?”
“Please support me well. It hurts a lot.”
I glanced at her ankle area.
‘It looks fine…….’
As soon as we opened the terrace door, she sat on a chair and took off her high heels.
Doubt arose first.
Why did you help my sister?
From noble mtl dot com
I wondered if our ‘relationship’ had improved without my knowledge, but it turned out not to be the case.
[Relationship: Hostile]
Hmm…… It seemed a little less red than before, but it was ambiguous.
“Thank you for saving my sister.”
“Well? If you’re grateful, can’t you tell me one thing?”
“What…?”
“When did you start contacting the Northern Liberation Army?”
The Count of Miloa was indeed a very direct person.
I had never imagined he would have such a personality, as he always wore the Royal Guard uniform and had a sharp gaze.
“Not long ago.”
Since he wouldn’t believe me even if I told the truth, I revealed the answer.
“Well, I suppose that’s a trade secret, so it’s like asking a thief to hand it over? I was just too curious.”
“Well, you must have had a purpose, but thank you again for helping my sister.”
“Hmm……”
Miloa silently looked at me, examining me up and down, before opening her mouth.
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince, don’t you have any questions? You know that I’m the chief of the Royal Guard Intelligence Division, right? Shall we play a truth game? We answer each other’s questions truthfully.”
“Is there any point? We won’t know if the answers are truthful or not.”
“That’s for each of us to judge.”
It didn’t seem like there would be any particular harm in doing so.
Coincidentally, I had heard rumors that the imperial fatty might be matched with my sister, so I decided to ask about that.
“May I ask first?”
“Go ahead.”
“There’s a rumor that a prince from the empire is going to be matched with a princess of the royal family. Is it true?”
“It could happen, or it couldn’t.”
“Isn’t that answer a bit strange?”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
I frowned for a moment.
“You’re saying there are those who approve and those who oppose it.”
“We agreed earlier that each would interpret it, didn’t we? Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Will you continue working with the Second Prince?”
“If I get the chance.”
“Oh! That’s the most pleasing news I’ve heard recently.”
“But it could be a lie, couldn’t it?”
“I’m quite good at distinguishing truth from lies. I’m not the chief clerk of the Royal Guard Intelligence Division for nothing.”
Yet she couldn’t tell I was telling the truth about the Northern Liberation Army earlier······. I didn’t bother to pick a fight over it.
“It’s my turn to ask a question now. Duke Miloa, which princess would you like that prince to be matched with?”
“Of course, the Third Princess! If we send the Fourth Princess abroad to marry, we’ll be disgraced······ It would diminish our national dignity.”
She’s being sincere.
That’s what my intuition tells me.
Of course, that’s not the real reason.
I’ve been wondering since I first saw the imperial fatty. In a situation where we almost cut off diplomatic relations with the Hamil Empire after their invasion of the northern region five years ago, a prince suddenly appears.
Who summoned him?
‘The Second Prince’s side summoned him.’
It was deduced that the intention was to secure the supply of magic stones, a resource that the kingdom cannot be self-sufficient in, after sending off the Fourth Princess to marry.
If that happens······.
‘Is the 2nd Prince’s faction growing too large?’
The situation was that they were hesitating, despite my continuous attempts to empower the 1st Prince’s faction and make a significant advance.
In such a situation, the 4th Princess marries the fat imperial prince who owns the mana crystal mines? This could be the tipping point that causes the restored balance to tilt drastically towards the 2nd Prince’s side.
An unpleasant matter.
The 1st Prince’s faction and the 2nd Prince’s faction need to remain fiercely opposed, tearing at each other for a while. At least until I can unite the northern forces and establish a third power.
“You seem deep in thought.”
Miloa roused me from my contemplation.
“Can I ask you now? Do you plan to continue working with the 2nd Prince?”
“Isn’t that…the same question you asked earlier?”
“Your thoughts may have changed since then. This time, no vague answers like before.”
She clearly knew that I would dislike sending my sister to marry the fat prince. At the same time, she seemed to guess that I wouldn’t want the 4th Princess’s marriage to the fat prince to further increase the 2nd Prince’s power.
It sounded like she was suggesting we join hands for a win-win situation.
‘Count Miloa, you work hard.’
Recalling Alfonso, who was probably napping while scratching his buttocks in the Emerald Palace, I envied the 1st Prince greatly.
I smiled faintly.
“I have received favors from Brother Damian, so how could I do anything to harm him?”
I can do it.
As much as needed.
Contrary to my words, my smile was answering that way.