Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Princess's Coming-of-Age Ceremony (3)
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Princess Carnel was lost in self-admiration over the brilliant scheme she had devised.
"No noblewoman would want to pair up with Reinhardt."
The world was half women, but none of them wanted to match with Reinhardt. Especially not among the nobility.
No noble was ignorant of Reinhardt's madness.
Becoming the crown prince's partner wasn't an honor—it was like being covered in filth. No woman wanted to become the laughingstock of high society, where she was supposed to shine.
Naturally, Reinhardt wouldn't meet the condition and thus couldn't attend.
"Your Highness, you're as beautiful as ever today~"
"Such a lavish luncheon—thank you for inviting us."
She had gathered the daughters of noble houses for a tea party.
Once she served rare desserts and tea, the young ladies' eyes lit up differently.
There was no woman who disliked sweet desserts. There was even a popular saying: "To win a woman's heart, go to the hill overflowing with sweetness."
The empire was the world's largest marketplace, where all goods converged, and the imperial family used only the finest selected ingredients.
Fresh, expensive materials guaranteed delicious results, but the cakes and pies were crafted by world-class pâtissiers—what more needed to be said?
"Shall we eat before it melts?"
Princess Carnel smiled warmly as she lifted the cover from a small cup.
As the interior, veiled in soft fabric, was revealed, smiles bloomed on the young ladies' lips.
"Oh, how lovely."
"I've never seen ice cream so fluffy!"
Recently, 'ice cream' had been all the rage in the capital centered around the empire.
It was a dish made by freezing creamy milk mixed with flavorings and scooping it into bowls.
It drew gasps of delight from men, women, young, and old alike.
Ice cream had existed for ages, but usually just fruit and honey over ice. A proper recipe and widespread availability in the capital was recent.
"Mmm!"
"How can it be this smooth!"
The young ladies who tasted it let out blissful squeals.
Only available in the empire's capital, and even then, only the imperial family could serve it at this level of refinement.
The first true taste overwhelmed them.
Their ecstatic murmurs reached even here.
Having emptied their cups in one go, the young ladies gazed wistfully.
Clap.
Princess Carnel clapped her hands, and court chefs emerged to refill the ice cream. Happiness flickered in the young ladies' eyes.
"You must have been surprised by the sudden entry condition."
"You mean the one about pairing up as men and women, Your Highness?"
"Yes. Have you all found partners?"
"Family counts, right?"
"Of course."
As long as they were nobles, family was fine.
That was part of the condition she had set with that in mind. No need to bring a real fiancé.
It wasn't a difficult requirement.
Even without prior partners, everyone was gathered in the capital.
The invitees could easily pair off among themselves.
Everyone except one person: Reinhardt.
Just then, one ventured cautiously.
"Your Highness, is the rumor true that Crown Prince Reinhardt will attend the coming-of-age ceremony?"
The atmosphere chilled instantly.
Reinhardt. No one welcomed his participation.
Many were curious about the man shrouded in wild rumors, but he had beaten the Rigel Kingdom's prince black and blue upon arrival.
Some might applaud, but for noble daughters, it was deemed excessive.
"If he finds someone to enter with, then yes."
"Ah..."
Hearing the princess, the young ladies nodded.
Without a partner, even the crown prince couldn't enter.
The princess was telling them plainly: no one should pair with him.
Every young lady understood the message.
Defy it, and they'd make an enemy of the princess.
Fall out of favor with Princess Carnel, the flower of society, and they might never set foot in high society again.
For most noble daughters, that was a death sentence.
Their only escape from boring provincial life was high society.
The princess's smile deepened.
"I can't let anyone steal the spotlight."
This was the pinnacle moment she had awaited.
She wouldn't let Reinhardt of all people take it from her.
"By the way, I heard the crown prince recently came to the capital. Something about a tailor shop?"
"Ah, the Laurel Tailor Shop?"
Hearing the young ladies, the princess's expression hardened again.
He had come to the capital.
And Laurel Tailor Shop?
First time hearing of it.
Was there a tailor better than the imperial ones?
"Could you tell me more about that?"
The young lady who brought it up shrugged.
"It's a shabby shop run by a commoner tailor. I heard the crown prince visited it."
The others chimed in.
"Oscar from Moonlight Tailors is far superior—it's odd."
"Oscar earned a baronetcy purely on tailoring skill. His talent is undeniable."
"I can't imagine wearing a commoner tailor's clothes to a party."
Oscar was a renowned tailor.
His designs set trends, influencing even the imperial court.
In the capital, only high-ranking nobles could afford his clothes. Custom pieces required even imperial clients to wait in line.
One outfit cost as much as a warhorse.
A proper warhorse equaled a capital mansion.
"Seeking out an unknown tailor?"
It was strange.
Passing over skilled imperial tailors to personally visit a commoner's shop.
"Not for the clothes—must be another reason."
She tried to deny it.
Visiting a tailor implied a partner, but among the invited noble daughters, none had paired with Reinhardt as far as she knew.
She had nailed it shut here too—no chance.
"Isabella, doesn't the dessert suit your taste?"
The princess shot a sharp glance at Isabella across from her.
Though from a distant estate, she was the daughter of a major border count.
Above all, she was the only one who had lunched with Reinhardt recently—the princess had to watch her closely.
Isabella, who had been devouring desserts more eagerly than anyone, stopped the moment Reinhardt was mentioned.
Isabella smiled awkwardly.
"I'm full. It was so good, I overdid it."
"As expected of a swordswoman—such restraint."
"Ah..."
Isabella's pupils shook.
She had thrown a fit at home to become a knight, but never imagined it reached the princess's ears so soon.
"Sword? Not a rapier?"
"Aren't swords brutal weapons for men?"
The young ladies tilted their heads.
In this age of peace, swords were seen as savage men's weapons—rapiers were different.
Isabella hesitated before answering.
"I admire knights."
It wasn't even settled in her family.
A noble daughter becoming a knight would cause a huge stir.
She couldn't ruin things from outside with her lacking skill.
The princess pondered briefly, then clapped to draw attention.
"I didn't know Isabella liked knights. In that spirit, how about touring the 'Phoenix Knight Order' after lunch?"
"Ah! Prince Raunel's order, right?"
"Will Prince Raunel be there too...?"
The topic shifted instantly.
For the young ladies, who Prince Raunel would bring to the ceremony was the hottest gossip.
*
Shadows hung under Andrew's eyes.
Even tailoring day and night for three days alone wasn't enough.
A proper outfit took a week minimum.
Short on materials, two months were needed for two outfits.
But the crown prince's help resolved much of that.
Moved to the palace, aided by multiple tailors, using top-grade materials—he had the chance to complete them.
The issue was design.
A tailor's true skill shone in conception, beyond mere sewing.
But he had no worries.
"The blueprints are in my head. This is the perfect setup to realize designs I've dreamed of for years."
Ideas long pondered.
Designs undared due to lacking support.
Without the crown prince's full backing now, they'd remain forever unrealized.
"Some modifications needed. Custom fit—can't indulge only my whims."
The former addict had quit drinking.
He shaved his bushy beard, tied back his long hair, and began tailoring.
He focused utterly.
In his mind, he matched the clothes to the crown prince thousands, tens of thousands of times.
"Clothes matter most on who wears them."
Who: for the crown prince, the design must suit him.
Pushing only his desires would kill the garment.
Yet designing for his imposing figure was challenging.
Arel's clothes were the same.
Dark elf attire? A first-time venture.
"Following a commoner tailor..."
"Even on His Highness's orders, this is too much."
The imperial tailors grumbled too.
But orders were orders.
Even if the result was shoddy due to inexperience, blame fell on Andrew.
Yet as Andrew directed and began, the imperial tailors fell silent.
"How are his hands so fast?"
"He'll hurt himself at that speed...!"
Fast.
Skill wasn't all speed, but for tailors, hand dexterity was paramount.
Cautious to avoid injury.
Andrew's speed was five times theirs.
Bold. That trait infused his designs.
Thus, ten tailors completed two outfits in just three days.
"Huh."
"What even is this."
"Impressive, though."
The finished garments evoked indescribable feelings.
Andrew surpassed them in skill. A commoner born with unmatched sense and speed.
But the designs strayed from current trends.
Doubtful if they could be pulled off.
Andrew brought the completed clothes to Reinhardt.
Gulp!
Had he ever been this tense in his life?
"It's finished, Your Highness."
"Hm."
He examined the garments slowly.
The tailoring was impeccable. Unbelievable for three days.
But design mattered more.
Familiar, yet subtly different.
"Slightly modified."
Indeed.
That familiarity: this design had first made Andrew famous.
Hailed as an immortal masterpiece.
Adapted slightly to fit him.
Arel's was new even to him.
"Excellent."
Clothes were image.
Color, message.
Especially for royalty.
Many would draw influence from his attire.
For one striding boldly, visible clothing was paramount.
"Andrew."
"Yes, sir!"
"From now on, you're my exclusive designer. Compensation will be generous."
Exclusive designer: handling all his style, including tailoring.
The artisan's skill hadn't died.
Perhaps thriving more now.
Unrestrained, it far outshone the imperial tailors.
No response.
I looked at Andrew's face.
Enlightened expression, eyes gently closed.
"He fainted standing up."
Seemed like it.
*
The vast palace hall, turned entirely into a banquet venue.
Nobles filled the endless grand hall.
Masked, they flaunted their finery, sizing each other up.
The noble coming-of-age was fundamentally a masked ball.
Show special invitations to enter, then converse or dance freely until the mood ripened.
Over three hundred invited nobles.
Nobles from across the continent flocked to celebrate the empire's last princess.
"Whew."
"Is that the princess? Even better than rumors..."
"Her beauty overflows despite the mask."
Even among the lavishly dressed, one stood out.
The woman in a butterfly mask and vibrant purple dress—Princess Carnel—drew all eyes instantly.
She planned to enjoy until midnight.
A pity her unique presence gave her away immediately.
At midnight, she became an adult. Her final revel before.
"No one outshines me, as expected."
Not everyone had arrived yet.
But things likely wouldn't change.
A dress and mask crafted a year ago by Oscar of Moonlight Tailors with utmost care. The mysterious purple hue and embedded amethysts captivated inevitably.
Myriad jewels harmonized.
Corset accentuated her fine figure—attention assured.
"Being perfect is a problem. The men won't approach."
Princess Carnel's nose was sky-high, but that lasted briefly.
Murmurs rose.
"Who are they?"
"Wow..."
"Both are no joke."
[ (3) ]