Chapter 123
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: The Princess's Surprise Invitation
“Oh my, hello there. Aren’t we acquainted?”
Just as attention was pouring onto Dillingham and Jeon’s group,
Kirilen suddenly approached and greeted Jeon familiarly, drawing all eyes her way.
Most people here were curious about who Jeon and Lena were, so the first person to recognize them naturally became the center of attention.
“Us?”
But the response Kirilen got was far from what she’d hoped.
“D-Don’t you remember me?”
“Hmm, not really.”
Jeon reflexively asked back when this woman he didn’t know suddenly acted like old friends.
He might have recognized her if it were a casual encounter, but things were too hectic right now.
Plus, Kirilen was all dolled up for the birthday party, and they’d only met once before anyway.
So Jeon didn’t recognize her.
“What? Just pretending to know him?”
“Isn’t that Kirilen? Why’d she step up?”
“Probably just craving attention.”
And just like that, Kirilen instantly became the object of ridicule.
‘Th-This bastard!’
Kirilen swallowed a curse inwardly as she glared at Jeon for not recognizing her.
But she couldn’t back down now.
“You really don’t remember? We met on the train.”
“Train... train... Ah!”
“You remember now, right?”
As soon as she mentioned where they’d met, Jeon seemed to recall and clapped his hands without thinking.
Kirilen’s face lit up at his reaction,
but then...
“You’re that troublemaking girl from back then. And you’re still wearing that necklace?”
“......Pardon?”
Her beaming smile crumpled at Jeon’s words.
“Come to think of it, I’d heard rumors that Kirilen causes a lot of scenes.”
“Kirilen? I remember her being super polite around me.”
She knew full well that her connection to Jeon was more bad blood than anything.
But by noble etiquette, even bad blood wasn’t aired out openly in a setting like this.
‘Th-This crazy guy!’
She never imagined Jeon would bring it up so bluntly.
Not just hinting—he straight-up called it “troublemaking.”
“Wh-What do you mean? Ho ho ho.”
She’d planned to exchange a quick greeting, bask in his halo, and chat up the bigwigs nearby.
But dragging up that incident? This was a straight loss, no gains.
Kirilen flashed an awkward smile and signaled Jeon to drop it.
“Thinking about it, we’re not exactly on greeting terms. If there’s nothing else...”
“Wh-What do you...!”
True to her wish, Jeon did stop talking to her.
But that just meant ending their chat—he’d landed a finishing blow on her infamous incident instead.
As things spiraled out of control, Kirilen desperately tried to grab him and salvage it, but Jeon had already turned away to greet others.
“Oof, she got totally shut down.”
“Poor thing... Shouldn’t have pretended to know him...”
“Guess those bad rumors from outside the capital are true.”
The negative whispers about Kirilen snowballed uncontrollably.
She trembled with rage, forgetting her fatigue.
But pushing further would only hurt her more.
Princess Katrina’s birthday party officially began at 5 PM,
but the guest of honor wasn’t due to appear until 6:30.
Until then, it was just early arrivals mingling and awaiting the princess.
Meanwhile, Katrina was in a separate space, getting fully dolled up.
As the host and star of the party, she was putting meticulous effort into her hair, makeup, dress, and every accessory.
“But... why’s it so rowdy over there?”
She was currently in an airship parked above the park,
giving her a bird’s-eye view of the party below.
That naturally drew her attention to the crowd gathering in the park’s center.
“Lord Dillingham’s guests are drawing a lot of interest right now.”
“Who are they?”
“Well... no one seems to know them properly yet.”
Katrina knew Dillingham well.
But his mere arrival wouldn’t cause such a stir.
Who were these companions of his riling everyone up? As she pondered,
“Their names are Lena Silvermont and Jeon.”
“...Wait, what were the names again?”
“Lena Silvermont...”
“No, not her.”
“Jeon.”
Katrina reacted sharply to the name from her informant describing the commotion below.
“Jeon? You’re sure?”
“Yes. He’s introducing himself and his origins while greeting people. But since he’s from so far from the capital, we haven’t fully verified...”
“Forget that. You checked the list of everyone who entered with the special invitations I handed out personally for this party?”
“Yes.”
“No Jeon on it?”
“No, there wasn’t.”
“Hmmm.”
Katrina hummed thoughtfully, piecing it together with evident interest.
‘Coming to my birthday party but bypassing my personal invitation to sneak in through someone else?’
If he was coming anyway, why bother?
If it was for his group, they could’ve used Dillingham while Jeon used hers.
No—if he’d truly accepted her invite to celebrate her birthday, that’s what he would’ve done.
‘So he’s got ulterior motives.’
Skipping it meant Jeon wasn’t here just to see or congratulate her.
And yet, making such a flashy entrance.
“How bold.”
Sitting by the airship window for hair and makeup, Katrina arched an eyebrow.
“Makeup’s done?”
“Ah, yes! Just the final accessory fitting left.”
“Skip the fitting. This is enough.”
“P-Pardon?”
Confirming her makeup, Katrina shot up from her seat.
Her stylists startled at the sudden move, but her gaze was fixed out the window—on Jeon.
“Your Highness, you still have 30 minutes until your entrance...”
“No, I’m going now.”
“...Understood.”
Her butler cautiously protested her abrupt decision, but her firm resolve shut it down.
Thus, her early appearance—30 minutes ahead—was set.
Woooong.
The airship carrying her began gently descending toward the park.
“Hm? What’s that?”
“An airship? But the princess isn’t due for 30 minutes.”
The sudden airship before schedule drew every eye in the park skyward.
No matter how much buzz Dillingham, Jeon, and Lena had generated, the party’s star was Katrina.
At that moment, all focus shifted to the gracefully hovering airship.
Viiiing.
Its door opened under everyone’s gaze, revealing Katrina at the center.
“Woooaaah!”
“Princess Katrina!”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
The roar filling the vast Park of Peace rivaled any superstar concert.
‘This is insane.’
To Jeon, who’d never been to a concert in his past life, the stadium-shaking cheers felt alien.
Meanwhile, mana-formed stairs extended from the airship to the ground.
Once complete, Katrina descended slowly amid unrelenting cheers.
“Why’d she show up so early?”
Not everyone was cheering blindly.
Like Dillingham beside Jeon, who grumbled as the spotlight vanished from him.
‘...He’s ridiculously consistent.’
Jeon inwardly shook his head at Dillingham’s one-track mind.
Finally reaching the ground amid the adulation, Katrina didn’t stop.
She headed straight somewhere.
“Isn’t the princess coming this way?”
“Who’s she going to?”
“Count Hatan? No, passed him. Then the one behind... nope, straight past.”
Her sudden entrance and wordless stride post-arrival seized all attention.
And the destination drawing that focus was...
“Long time no see?”
“Uh... me...?”
“Yes, Jeon. Thanks for coming. Your outfit suits you perfectly today.”
Right in front of Jeon.
And with Katrina greeting him warmly first, flashing a bright smile,
“Whoooaaa!”
“What the hell? Did the princess just greet that guy?”
“Did she come down early for him?”
“What’s his deal? Fiancé?”
The onlookers exploded.
Not only did the princess arrive 30 minutes early, but her first stop was this handsome mystery man—not a high noble or royal.
Perfect gossip fodder.
‘Wh-What’s going on?’
Jeon knew it too well, panicking at Katrina’s sudden approach and smile.
But he couldn’t ignore a princess smiling and speaking to him.
“Th-Thank you... for the compliment.”
“Got a partner lined up for the dance later?”
“No... nothing like that.”
Dance?
Jeon had zero plans to attend—he desperately wanted to skip it.
So naturally, no partner.
But he instantly regretted answering.
“Perfect.”
“Pardon? What do you...”
“I don’t have one either. Dance with me later.”
“Ah, I can’t dance...”
“It’s fine. I’m not great either—we match perfectly.”
Thus, Jeon was roped into the dance he’d never planned,
with the party’s star, Katrina, as his partner.