Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Debut
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***
As the sun began to set, a flurry of activity started to fill the Descartes grand ducal residence in the capital.
It was all in preparation for the upcoming banquet.
“Hurry, please! The shoes are inside! Be careful!”
“What about the ribbon decorations and the dress?!”
“Coming now!”
Servants bustled about, and each child was assigned their own maids.
Three maids also came to Lucillea's bedroom.
But among them was Mei.
Surprised, Lucillea blinked her wide eyes and opened her mouth.
“M-Mei?”
At that, Mei beamed, her eyes curving into her signature smile.
“Yes! It's me, Lady Lucillea! Didn't you miss me?!”
“...”
Lucillea couldn't answer, staring blankly at Mei. Mei, too, seemed a bit flustered by the unexpected reaction.
“Lady Lucil...lea? Are you perhaps feeling unwell?”
Mei rushed over and placed a hand on Lucillea's forehead.
“You don't have a fever.”
Just then.
“Mei!”
Waaaaah!
Lucillea suddenly burst into tears, throwing her arms around Mei.
“I missed you! I really missed you!”
“...Lady Lucillea.”
Mei murmured Lucillea's name in a subdued voice.
Sobbing, Lucillea hugged Mei's waist tightly.
After all, it was Lucillea who had sent Mei away.
Since Mei had been with her ever since she arrived at the grand duke's estate, Lucillea had told her it was time to return to her duties.
She adored Mei, but back then, having Mei around made it difficult to move freely with Cookie.
But when Mei was actually gone, Lucillea felt lonely.
She had neither the nerve nor the reason to ask her to come back, so she just pretended she was fine.
But now, seeing Mei after so long, all the hardships she had endured came rushing back, and tears welled up.
“Just stay by my side, Mei. Don't be a maid for the other children. Don't do any other maid work. I'll share my allowance with you... Okay? Please?”
“...”
Mei silently stroked Lucillea's hair before finally speaking.
“Why else do you think I came to the capital residence?”
Lucillea slowly lifted her head to look at Mei.
“You were waiting for me?”
*Say yes, Mei.* Seeing the demanding look in her eyes, Mei gave a small smile.
“Of course! Our Lady Lucillea is making her first entrance into the Imperial Palace and her debut at a banquet. Shouldn't I be the one to help you get ready?!”
With a whimper, Lucillea burst into tears again at those words.
*‘I'm so happy!’*
Then, a thought struck her. Lucillea stopped crying abruptly and asked.
“Wait. What do you mean, entering the Imperial Palace? What debut?”
When she asked back, *I'm only supposed to be an escort to the palace entrance, right?*, Mei tilted her head, her smiling eyes unwavering.
“That's not right. All the members of the special team have to go inside the banquet hall today.”
“Ehhh?!”
***
Under Mei's skilled and swift hands, Lucillea was ready in an instant.
“...Huh?”
Truly, in the time it took to say ‘huh?’, all her preparations were finished.
“What do you think, Lady Lucillea? Do you like it?”
“...Ah, huh?”
Lucillea glanced back and forth between her reflection in the mirror and Mei, then answered shyly.
“Yes, I like it very much.”
[Is this the latest fashion in the capital?!]
Whew! Cookie let out a playful whistle.
And for good reason; Lucillea herself was surprised by her reflection.
Her hair was styled in soft waves and pulled back in a half-updo, with small jeweled ornaments twinkling between the hairpins.
A pale yellow dress, somewhere between gold and lemon, made Lucillea's fair skin look even brighter.
[Luuucy... I think I can finally admit it. We've really turned our lives around!]
Lucillea smiled faintly at his words.
*‘Yes, this is something I never could have imagined back in Mille Village.’*
Ahem. Lucillea looked at her reflection with a satisfied expression.
*‘As I thought, it goes better with pink hair than brown hair.’*
To everyone else, her hair and eye color would appear brown.
She would probably never be able to show her true appearance in her lifetime. Lucillea licked her lips in disappointment.
Her preparations complete, Lucillea was seen off by Mei as she headed to the front of the residence.
“Well then, I'll see you at the Imperial Palace.”
“Huh?”
See you at the Imperial Palace? Before she could ask what that meant, Lucillea was gently pushed toward the carriage.
The grand ducal carriage was already waiting, and in front of it stood the children, each dressed in their finest.
Irnel was wearing a sky-blue dress.
It was made of silk, with silver lace finishing the cuffs, and it harmonized strangely well with Irnel's hair color.
*‘Dressed like that, she looks surprisingly like a noble lady, doesn't she?’*
Lucillea marveled inwardly.
Reiden and Serdian had also shed their training uniforms for the first time in a while and were properly dressed.
Woah...
[Those kids were definitely born with halos on their backs!]
Cookie offered a compliment, something he rarely did. It seemed even to his eyes, the children's appearances were striking.
“Serdian! Reiden! Irnel!”
Lucillea waved cheerfully and walked quickly toward the children.
Reiden greeted Lucillea with a bright smile.
“Lucillea. I almost didn't recognize you. You look really beautiful today.”
“Thanks, Reiden. You actually look like the heir to a marquisate today.”
“What? So you usually see me as a fake heir?”
“You kind of are when you open your mouth.”
“What did you say?”
Pahaha, Reiden burst out laughing.
Then Lucillea glanced at Serdian and said.
“You look pretty cool today.”
“...”
Serdian's brow furrowed slightly as he glared at Lucillea and retorted bluntly.
“You're just so-so.”
“...”
Lucillea pouted.
*‘Right, right. What kind of answer did I expect from you?’*
*‘Just the fact that you became my friend means I'm prepared to put up with all your attitude.’*
Just then, Elbadin appeared.
*‘Gasp!’*
[Gak!]
Lucillea and Cookie gasped in unison.
He always dressed neatly at the grand ducal estate, but this was the first time Lucillea had seen him dressed up like this.
A cape, embroidered along the shoulders with the crest of the House of Descartes, draped naturally over his black formal wear, a color as deep as the predawn sky.
With every step, it fluttered majestically, like that of a hero who had led his forces to victory on the battlefield.
The tailored formal wear clung to his body, revealing his firm physique, and every movement of his black-gloved hands created a strange sense of tension.
For some reason, he felt intimidating even without a sword drawn.
A presence that seemed to change the very flow of the air with a single step.
The aura he casually emanated was cooler and heavier than any other.
Woah. Lucillea once again swallowed a gasp of admiration.
Alright, one more time.
*‘At this point, who's the main character here?!’*
[The Grand Duke! The Grand Duke! The Grand Duke!]
Just then, Elbadin walked right up to Lucillea, looked down at her, and gave a faint smile.
“I can't tell if you're wearing the dress, or if you're buried in it.”
“...Eh?”
At his words, Lucillea's gaze, which had just been admiring Elbadin's appearance, sharpened.
*‘This guy, he's starting again.’*
Elbadin seemed to enjoy Lucillea's baffled expression.
*‘Don't get drawn in.’*
Trying to act unfazed, Lucillea maintained a calm expression and spun around on the spot.
The hem of her yellow dress floated up lightly before settling down gently.
“See? I'm not buried, so don't you worry and just get in the carriage.”
Everyone's waiting! she added, clenching her teeth. Elbadin suppressed a laugh and boarded the carriage.
As he boarded, just before the door closed, Elbadin turned his head slightly toward Lucillea and said.
“It suits you.”
“...”
“I thought it would.”
“...”
With that, the carriage door shut with a thud.
*‘...What's with that guy?’*
Lucillea stared blankly at Elbadin's carriage for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden compliment.
Then, Reiden took her hand.
“We need to get in our carriage too.”
“Ah, oh? Oh, right...”
Lucillea let Reiden lead her onto the carriage.
As the carriage slowly began to move, Elbadin's words from moments ago still echoed in her mind.
***
The closer the carriage got to the Imperial Palace, the more brilliantly the capital's night shone.
Lucillea stared blankly out the window at the dazzling scenery unfolding before her.
*It suits you.*
*It suits you.*
*‘I thought it would?’*
Why would that blunt and annoying Grand Duke say such a thing?
While she was busy racking her brain for the answer to that question, the carriage began to slow down.
They had arrived at the Imperial Palace.
“We've arrived.”
Jed's voice came from outside, and soon the carriage door opened.
[Ooooh! So this is the Imperial Palace!!]
Stepping out of the carriage, Lucillea heard Cookie's voice and looked up at the Imperial Palace.
Indeed, it was a sight worthy of Cookie's cheers.
The Imperial Palace was truly a festival of lights.
The gentle glow from thousands of magic lamps illuminated the palace walls, making them sparkle brilliantly.
It looked like a colossal work of art, as if a goddess had poured out her entire jewelry box to create it.
*‘The Imperial Palace is really something else.’*
This was the heart of the empire, the Imperial Palace of the Serapium Empire...
*‘And...’*
Lucillea's gaze shifted to Serdian, who was standing beside her, also looking up at the palace.
*‘The Imperial Palace that Serdian will one day rule.’*
It was still a story for the distant future, but if things went according to the original novel, this palace and this empire would become Serdian's.
*‘Of course, my life can't be allowed to follow the original plot.’*
But this is okay, right?
This time, Lucillea whipped her head around to look at Elbadin.
*‘Right? You brought me here with a plan, didn't you?’*
A sense of unease washed over her.
The banquet hall, which should have been a place of fun and excitement, somehow felt like a battlefield she was being dragged into against her will.
Just then, Serdian spoke calmly, his eyes fixed forward.
“Don't be nervous. Nothing's going to happen.”
“...”
Lucillea looked up at Serdian, the corners of her eyes drooping.
*‘You brat, it's because of you!’*