Finding the Attachment Lady (3)
“What, what are you doing?!”
“……Just catching food that was about to fall. Is there a problem?”
Sisilia tilted her head slightly.
Bianca shook her off in a fluster.
'I was trying to embarrass her, but what was that body movement? It's unnatural. Is she even human?'
Bianca's signature move, the deliberate spill, usually left victims too flustered to recover. But it did zero damage to Sisilia.
'Her reactions are fun.'
Common sense didn't apply to her from the start.
“Hmph, a knight's still a knight. Impressive talent for catching falling food, at least.”
“Such high praise—I'm honored.”
Sisilia bowed her head with a pleased smile.
'That's not praise!'
Just as Bianca teetered on the edge of a hypertensive collapse, Charlotte stepped in.
“Isn't that too much? How could you say something so harsh……”
That was the reaction Bianca wanted. But not from Charlotte.
Bianca shot her a cold glare. How dare a mere count's daughter act so presumptuous toward a duke's.
“Lady, I'm fine.”
Sisilia brushed the wrinkles from her dress and stood. As she turned away with a perfectly composed face, Charlotte's eyes locked on one spot.
“Gasp, Lady Sisilia…… There's a stain on your dress.”
“Ah, this.”
“Bianca! Apologize!”
It was the stain from when Edward had spilled wine earlier. But before Sisilia could explain, Charlotte shouted.
Bianca glared daggers.
“Can't you even tell colors apart? This isn't my stain.”
“How can you tell such an obvious lie! Don't you have any shame, Bianca?!”
“Shame? Ha, did you just say that to me? How rude!”
“Everyone saw what Lady Bianca did! Denying it won't help!”
“How dare you point fingers at me, you presumptuous wretch from some lowly house! Is that how a count raises his daughter? I shall lodge a formal protest!”
Bianca (17)'s strike deals critical damage to Charlotte (18)!
For a noble lady of her standing, Bianca's pad lip was devastating. Charlotte's eyes welled up with tears.
Pwhaaan.
Defeat in this bout……
'What an intense battle.'
Sisilia pulled out a stick of incense and offered a moment of silence.
Beatrice stared at her like she'd seen a ghost.
'Where did she even pull that from?'
“Lady, even so, dragging her father into it is a bit……”
“Your words were too harsh. Why not apologize to Charlotte properly, Lady Bianca?”
But the match wasn't over yet. Charlotte's friends began chiming in one by one.
Even the greatest general falls to numbers.
“How laughable. No matter how you rabble clamor, it shan't touch this Bianca Eisenberg. Cry more, if you will? I might spare a corner in our chicken coop for you.”
Even outnumbered, Bianca stood tall, half-hiding her sneer behind her fan.
Sisilia admired her ironclad mentality.
“That's too much.”
Charlotte rubbed her reddened eyes. The surrounding ladies comforted her.
“Lady Charlotte, please dry your tears. The wrong lies solely with Lady Bianca, not you.”
“Right! Don't back down, Charlotte!”
“Making someone cry without a shred of guilt? Lady Bianca!”
Bianca narrowed her red eyes, then scoffed down at them.
“Hmph, enough nonsense. That lady's eyes are worse than rotten pollack. Does that look like real crying to you? It's obvious acting.”
But Bianca was right.
'She can't fool my eyes.'
Sisilia glanced at the comforted Charlotte. She looked the pitiful crying type at first glance, but up close, a green smudge clung to her fingers. Definitely that irritant herb that made eyes sting on contact.
Absolutely not something Sisilia knew from personal use.
“……”
Anyway, Charlotte was clearly faking it.
That aside.
“Betty. Is it really okay to talk to a duke's daughter like that? She might get murdered.”
“……Lady Sisilia, you really have no blood or tears, do you?”
“……”
Sisilia shot Beatrice a half-lidded glare. She stood on tiptoe, draped an arm around Beatrice's neck to match eye level, and spoke coolly.
“Answer.”
“!”
Feeling her life hang in the balance, Beatrice replied.
“……Of course, a house's prestige holds great power in high society, but it doesn't decide everything.”
“Why?”
“Because—unless it's the duke himself, she's just an unentitled heir. Bad press hurts her succession even more, so she has to tread carefully.”
Beatrice glanced at the ladies whispering around Bianca and added softly.
“And sometimes, ten barons outweigh one duke.”
In short, human politics differed from the demon world. Brute strength didn't rule all.
Reputation. And justification.
Those mattered more here.
“I can't take this anymore. I only followed Father's orders, but I can't condone such villainy.”
“……M-Me too. Sorry, Lady Bianca.”
“Honestly, disappointing. I never knew you were this ruthless.”
The ladies around Bianca defected and withdrew. She'd had a few companions before, but now she stood truly alone.
Bianca seemed unbothered.
“Hmph, they fawned first, the nerve. Unneeded, anyway. No amount of bootlicking would make Eisenberg shelter your pathetic houses—not in a million years.”
“Lady!”
Bianca whirled and stormed off.
But for some reason, her solitary figure looked terribly lonely.
Plod, plod, plod.
“……”
If she looks lonely, just stick by her side!
Sisilia trailed after Bianca. Even leaving Beatrice behind.
'I'll hog her all to myself.'
A selfish motive.
“……What in the world.”
Sisilia had followed her all the way to the terrace. Bianca turned, lips trembling.
“Why are you chasing me like this, from earlier!”
“Our paths just happened to align, Lady.”
Sisilia stood politely by her side.
Bianca stared in disbelief.
“……This terrace is a private spot.”
“I see.”
“'I see'—! It's for nobles weary of socializing to rest, ugh, my neck……”
“Lady, anger is fatal to high blood pressure.”
Bianca finally gave up. She'd realized too late this opponent wouldn't yield to words.
“Do as you please. Folks need to know that noble Sword Princess is just an idler with nothing better to do.”
Most already knew, for the record. Sisilia often lounged by the bustling fountain, hoping someone would chat her up when bored.
Silence fell between them for a while. Sisilia stayed quiet; Bianca leaned on the railing, lost in thought.
Bianca spoke first.
“……You like Charlotte too?”
“If you're asking if I like women, I'd say it's possible……”
“No, why would that be poss—! Never mind. I mean, do you prefer that vixen over me?”
“Sorry, but if you've got a crush on me, that's trouble……”
“That's not it! As a fellow knight, I figured you'd understand a knight's heart! You're in the same order as Sir Edward!”
'C-Cute……!'
Sisilia barely restrained the urge to hug and nibble, clearing her throat instead.
“Do you have feelings for Vice-Captain Edward?”
Her straight shot, without hesitation, startled Bianca. But……it beat the roundabout capital ladies.
She nodded faintly.
“Vice-Captain Edward……”
'Who would he like?'
She wanted to say herself boldly, but honestly, slim chance. The entire order saw her as a cute little sister—or daughter. A girl they'd known since age six? Romantic interest was unlikely.
And if there was one……it'd be someone dangerous, for sure.
Even shady Edward wouldn't stoop that low.
“I'm not the vice-captain, so I can't say for sure, but his type's probably someone rich.”
“……M-Money?”
“Yes. He nitpicks every budget request—can't be wrong.”
'Tightwad.'
Sisilia nodded firmly. Bianca just sighed.
“Fine. My mistake for asking you. So, why'd you follow me?”
“Just wanted to get friendly with you, Bianca.”
Sisilia tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
“Any issue with that?”
**
Edward savored wine alone on the terrace, moonlight as his side dish.
'Didn't truly expect this to pin her down.'
He was inwardly disappointed. He'd hoped for at least some struggle, to soothe his gut.
'No wonder capital nobles avoid sharing tables with her.'
Sisilia brushed off real political maneuvers effortlessly; mere lady politics meant nothing.
'No. I picked the wrong hound. Didn't account for Bianca Eisenberg's reputation.'
Edward clicked his tongue and downed his wine.
“Vice-Captain.”
Suddenly, Sisilia's face poked from the upper level, nearly making him spit.
“What's up, Sisilia? Come down and talk.”
He recovered quickly and asked. Sisilia landed lightly on the railing and hopped down.
Staring up at him, she said:
“Got a favor to ask.”
“Ho, a request from you? Rare.”
“Could you dance once with Lady Bianca?”
Edward furrowed his brow at the abrupt ask.
'Still got peculiar tastes. Took a liking to Bianca Eisenberg?'
Quickly grasping the situation, he smirked.
“Well, for your request, why not.”
He paced the terrace with arrogant strides.
“But you know what dancing with a debutante means?”
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
“Asked for a dance.”
“……”
Edward barely held back a retort.
“Dancing with a debutante implies betrothal potential. I'm not thinking marriage. Why should I stir scandal for you? Convince me.”
“I'll pay.”
Eyes on her red lips, Edward said:
“Compensation. Make it worth it.”
'Hate to do this, but……'
Sisilia wanted Bianca as a friend. Friends needed gifts, she thought.
And this was her best offering.
So she offered a steep price.
“One Sisilia lunchbox voucher.”
“!”
“Vice-Captain secret, of course.”
“……”
Edward fell silent. He glanced aside, then back.
“……Two, and it's a clean deal.”
“Mm.”
Sisilia groaned. Two was a hassle.
But unavoidable. No prep gift today.
“Deal. I'll make two hearty ones.”
“……Keep your promise. When's the dance?”
“Right after we head back.”
'Vice-Captain's a god!'
Sisilia grinned.
Granola lunchbox should do it, right?