So the Princess in Question
So, the phrase "a certain princess also bought it" had been referring to none other than the Marquise of Flandre.
Camille explained carefully. "It includes several tiaras and necklaces that the Late King commissioned for Princess Mariette."
Only then did Chloe understand why Lady Basilure had been so restless, and why she had kept the collection's original owner a secret in front of Agathe. The Marquise of Flandre was the daughter of the Late King's first queen, making her a full sibling to the current King. To the public, her relationship with Curtis was assumed to be highly strained. In truth, it was. Thus, Lady Basilure must have been reluctant to mention in front of Chloe, Curtis's new wife, that these pieces had been crafted for the Marquise. The same caution had applied when Agathe dismissed them as cheap.
"Do you like it?" the Marquise of Flandre asked, looking at Iris, who was wearing the tiara.
Iris, who was being held tightly by Leah, shrank back and whispered softly, "It's pretty."
The Marquise smiled. "My father often forgot my age. Even so, I could hardly wear a tiara like that at twenty."
Leah, looking over the pink heart and delicate filigree details on Iris's head, let out a soft groan. It seemed the Late King had doted on his second daughter immensely, but had been rather terrible at math when it came to her age.
"So there were unsold jewels left over," Curtis noted.
"Because they were pieces my father poured his heart into making. I loved them very much too. More than anything, the filigree..." Camille smiled softly. "I still haven't been able to match my father's filigree technique."
"Nonsense. You are the best. I only stopped coming because I'm not in a position to be buying more jewelry at my age." The Marquise of Flandre lightly patted Camille's shoulder. The atmosphere was much warmer than before.
Curtis chimed in. "Sister. I should have introduced her to you formally, but it seems we meet like this. This is Chloe Le David Berk."
"Ah. It's fine. This, too, is a twist of fate..." The Marquise looked at Chloe once more.
Curtis, who had come to Chloe's side before she knew it, wrapped his arm gently around her shoulders and smiled. "Thanks to His Majesty's grand benevolence, I was able to marry."
"My brother is always like that. He loves to surprise people." As she spoke, the Marquise fanned herself with her hand, a bitter smile playing on her lips.
Hmm. This... means "our brother is a bit of a bastard," right? I get it. Chloe rolled her eyes. It wasn't particularly hot in the jewelry shop, so she must have been fanning herself out of sheer awkwardness.
It was then.
"Lord Curtis!"
The loud voice came from Agathe, who had been forgotten for a moment. With tears welling in her eyes, she was staring at Chloe and Curtis.
"What on earth is going on? It's a lie, right? Agathe... Agathe..."
"Ah, Miss Monfils." Curtis smiled brightly and pulled Chloe even tighter against his shoulder, as if to show off. "That's how it turned out."
"This makes no sense! Why would you... with a woman like that..."
"Agathe." Noel gently restrained her. He was likely trying to prevent his sister from making any more of a fool of herself.
But Agathe paid him no mind and shouted, "Why did you leave Agathe behind to marry a woman like that? I can't believe it!"
However, Agathe wasn't the only one who didn't care. Curtis, still smiling, spoke to the Marquise of Flandre. "I, too, am rarely surprised by His Majesty these days, but this time, I am truly nothing but grateful."
"I heard she was your adjutant?" the Marquise of Flandre asked casually.
The man pretended to bow in an exaggerated posture. "She is my angel, who came from the navy three months ago."
"Lord Curtis! Don't say such things! Agathe knows everything! His Majesty is too cruel, how could he force someone..."
"An angel? I heard Grand Marshal Victor had quite a headache over her. Have you heard the Grand Marshal's opinion?"
"If you think about it, is it not thanks to the Grand Marshal that I met my match?"
"Lord Curtis! Please listen to me! Aunt! Can't you hear me?"
"Well, I think the Grand Duchess's opinion might be a bit different."
This... is it okay for me to answer?
Just as Chloe was about to glance at the huffing Agathe, the Marquise of Flandre was faster. She stepped closer to Chloe, took her hand directly, and asked, "To be honest, he is a brother lacking in many ways, so I thought the Grand Duchess might have been forced into this marriage. What do you say?"
"Ah. Well."
You hit the nail on the head! was not something she could say. Chloe smiled radiantly. "To be honest, I hesitated at first, but he pulled me by the hand. It is all thanks to His Majesty."
It wasn't a lie. Curtis also looked down at her and chimed in. "Indeed. If not for His Majesty, you would not be standing by my side today."
This wasn't a lie either. The Marquise replied with a bitter smile, "Seeing you two like this, you do suit each other."
"Aunt!"
In the end, Agathe screamed again. It was a voice distinctly different from her previous whining, and its sheer volume forced all three of them to look her way.
"Agathe. Please, that's enough." Noel was trying to stop her, but Agathe shook off his arm and protested. "How can even you do this to me, Aunt!"
"Agathe." But the Marquise merely replied by calmly calling her name. At the same time, she cast a brief glance at the accessories Agathe had just disparaged.
Agathe's face turned bright red. Only moments ago, she had insulted the Late King's taste, and she still hadn't apologized for it.
"I-It wasn't my intention, Aunt... I'm sorry."
"If it had been your intention, my sister would have cast you out long ago, Agathe." It was Curtis who stepped in instead.
Only then did Agathe's eyes, meeting Curtis's for the first time today, momentarily fill with ecstasy. But Curtis did not let Agathe indulge in her delusions.
"I thought you would have learned some manners after what happened at Carion Hall. Yet you are still so easily excited and reckless."
"Lord Curtis. This is..."
"There was indeed a time when I considered you a candidate for my Grand Duchess."
Agathe's cheeks flushed, though for a very different reason than before. But Curtis remained cold.
"But seeing your rash behavior today, it seems my choice was correct."
"Lord Curtis!" Agathe desperately tried to grab Curtis's sleeve. But as if he had anticipated this, Curtis lightly stepped back, evading her hand. Agathe was stunned.
"It's not a matter of 'leaving you behind.' Social status does not dictate affection."
"I... I truly love Your Grace...!" Belatedly, Agathe stepped forward again in protest, but it was useless. Having stepped back, Curtis was already standing beside Chloe, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.
"I... I even joined the Royal Guard because of Your Grace...!"
"Who asked you to join?" His tone was utterly indifferent.
If the Marquise of Flandre hadn't stepped in then, Agathe would have burst into tears right then and there.
"Agathe. I'm sorry, but we'll have to have ice cream another time."
"Aunt..."
"Drop that title as well."
Noel quickly intervened. "Forgive me, Brigadier General, but since Warrant Officer Dubois is also here, may we take our leave?"
It was as good as saying he needed to take his sister away. Curtis nodded in permission, and Noel hurried Agathe along. Agathe stared at them with tear-filled eyes before turning on her heel and storming out.
As soon as the Monfils siblings left, Leah let out a small sigh. She had been tense ever since they entered the jewelry shop, and with high-ranking nobles constantly appearing and clashing with her sister, she had every right to be anxious.
"I must apologize. I say this again, but I truly did not know you were here." The Marquise of Flandre, looking in their direction, also sighed and apologized.
Curtis shrugged. "It would be more of a problem if you did know."
His half-sister had a timid, opportunistic side, but she was not a malicious person. When she committed a discourtesy like this, she was the type to always apologize and repay the debt, so he actually thought this had turned out for the best.
"These are my sisters. Leah and Iris." As soon as the situation settled, Chloe quickly introduced her sisters. Leah, tense, performed the greeting she had learned at her girls' school, and Iris bowed her head. Neither was a greeting fit for noble daughters, but the Marquise did not bother to find fault.
"Sisters. You don't seem to resemble them much."
"Ah. Iris is..." Iris had a different skin tone and clearly carried southern blood, so this wasn't the first time they had faced such a question. Chloe shrugged as if it were nothing. "She takes after our mother's side. Leah and I take after our father."
"I see. Forgive my rudeness. It's not much of an apology, but... I would like to buy the tiara Iris is wearing as a gift. What do you think?"
Iris's eyes went wide, and Chloe waved her hands in embarrassment. "Oh, no, Your Ladyship. It's quite alright."
"I only offer because I feel terrible..."
"Don't worry about it, Your Ladyship!" Chloe quickly flashed a thumbs-up toward Curtis. "The Grand Duke, your brother, will apologize on your behalf."
With that, Chloe turned to look at Curtis. Buy whatever you want. At her look, which clearly conveyed that message, Curtis let out a chuckle and nodded. Then, he spoke to the Marquise of Flandre.
"It is our first day as newlyweds. Please let me save face for my wife first."
"My goodness." The Marquise shrugged as if she had no choice.
Of course, Curtis had another motive.
"Instead, there is something I would like to ask of you."