The Masked Princess
It was a woman in striking attire. The first thing that caught my eye was the ornate mask covering half her face. Beneath the feathered disguise, her crimson lips—exuding raw sensuality—curved into a soft smile. A crimson off-shoulder evening gown revealed her snow-white shoulders, while the wrap skirt, slit high on one side, subtly showcased her elegant legs and their perfect lines. Lustrous golden hair cascaded down the back of the rather petite woman, gleaming even in the dim lighting.
“...You are...”
I couldn’t fathom why this masked woman had suddenly addressed me. This wasn’t even a masquerade ball, so why had she shown up wearing a mask by herself?
While I stood there bewildered, Aria—for some reason—watched the woman with a faintly tense expression. Did she recognize her?
My question was answered almost immediately. The masked woman raised one hand and slowly removed the disguise that had hidden her eyes.
“Ah.”
I recognized her in an instant. It was a face I had seen several times before, famous enough to be unmistakable.
Edellyn Clara Edward, the First Princess of the Empire.
The imperial princess who had appeared without warning or rumor was now smiling sweetly in our direction.
Contrary to the stories of her ruthless ambition, she possessed innocent, gently drooping eyes with beautiful lines. Her smile looked genuinely kind and benevolent to anyone who saw it. The way she held the mask with both hands clasped modestly made her seem every inch the refined young lady. Her adorable appearance made one wonder how someone so demure could possibly commit the harsh acts the rumors described.
“...Your Highness. Forgive me for not recognizing you.”
I rose hastily, placed a hand over my chest, and offered a proper bow. Princess Edellyn waved her hand lightly with a relaxed smile.
“It’s quite all right. I was the one who arrived wearing a mask and in disguise, after all. It’s only natural you didn’t recognize me.”
Aria, who had stood alongside me, gave a small, polite bow to the princess and her disarmingly kind expression.
“Won’t you sit down first?”
“Yes, thank you. I won’t refuse.”
At a single gesture from the princess, the black-clad guards who had been standing behind her—though I hadn’t even noticed them—silently melted away into the shadows.
Princess Edellyn walked gracefully around to the left side of the table, which placed her on my right.
At that exact moment, Aria pressed herself tightly against my side and wrapped both arms around my left one, as though staking her claim against a newly arrived rival.
I could feel the soft warmth of her body directly against my arm.
This woman must have lost her mind. I wanted to snap at the villainess for failing to read the room and tell her to let go immediately, but with the princess present, I held my tongue.
“Hmm...”
Princess Edellyn observed Aria’s blatant display of affection for a quiet moment before letting out a meaningful little hum. She then looked away, settled into the seat on my right with about two hand-spans of distance between us, and sat with natural elegance.
“You two seem very close.”
Princess Edellyn’s tone was gentle and utterly casual as she asked the question with a soft smile. Despite this clearly being our first face-to-face meeting, her friendly manner made it feel as though we had spoken many times before.
“Not at all. Our relationship is perfectly ordinary.”
“Hehe, is that so?”
Princess Edellyn laughed behind her curled fingers, the gesture so girlish that my gaze lingered on her without meaning to. She possessed an innocent beauty that could easily be called heavenly.
She was shorter than she appeared at first glance; even seated, the crown of her golden head barely reached my ear. The lush waves of her hair, tumbling naturally down her back, looked incredibly soft. Her modest shoulders and slender neck, exposed by the off-shoulder gown, along with her velvety milk-white skin, instinctively stirred protective instincts.
She seemed far more delicate and youthful than the rumors suggested. I recalled hearing she was the same age as me, or perhaps a year older. Even her profile was that of an impossibly cute and pure young girl.
Sitting so close, I caught the faint, pleasant scent of her perfume.
That was when I felt a sharp pinch on my left arm.
I reflexively turned toward Aria.
“......”
Our eyes met. She was glaring at me with clear displeasure. On top of that, the woman was subtly—but firmly—pinching the soft flesh on the inside of my arm.
She wasn’t making a show of it, but because she’d targeted the tender skin, it actually hurt quite a bit.
Was this her way of expressing dissatisfaction because I had looked at Princess Edellyn?
Honestly, she was an incredibly troublesome woman.
Though if we were judging purely by appearance, Aria certainly didn’t lose to the princess... Still, knowing her true nature as I did, my perception of her was inevitably biased.
“Ahem. Well then, shall we move on to the main topic?”
Princess Edellyn broke the frozen atmosphere amid the softly flowing music.
“Sir Leo. Are you aware of why I requested a meeting with the Stuart family?”
“No, I truly haven’t been told anything.”
“...I see.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you explain the details?”
“......”
After a brief pause to gather her thoughts, Princess Edellyn spoke.
“I understand the Stuart family has recently begun a joint floriculture venture with the Floria family.”
“Ah... yes. The Floria family is responsible for supplying the flowers, while our house is providing the capital. But how did you come to learn of this?”
It struck me as odd. The project had only just begun, and we hadn’t publicized it externally yet. It wasn’t exactly a secret, so it wouldn’t be strange for word to spread, but the speed was astonishing. The rumor had reached the capital in less than a week—as if she had known about it from the very beginning.
Reading my thoughts, Princess Edellyn looked at me with a serious expression and said plainly,
“I’ll be direct. I would like to participate in this venture as an investor.”
“...You wish to invest in our family’s business, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
What was this about? I stared at Princess Edellyn, who was noticeably shorter than me, with a puzzled frown. Her blue eyes remained steady and resolute.
“I’ve already completed a thorough investigation. The capital’s distribution networks, sales channels, public demand for flowers, and the current state of the market—I’ve looked into all of it. With my assistance, expanding the business beyond the fief all the way to the capital would be entirely possible.”
“......”
It was a tempting offer. Undeniably attractive, yet... I couldn’t understand it immediately. Why would the princess involve herself so deeply in the business of a single noble house? She was an imperial princess who already possessed everything one could desire. Why would she...
No matter how I turned it over in my mind, I couldn’t reach a conclusion. So I asked her directly.
“If I may be so bold, Your Highness, could you tell me why you wish to participate in our humble family’s venture?”
“......”
The princess didn’t answer right away. She lowered her head slightly, clasped her hands before her chest, and her gaze wandered as though she were hesitating.
I waited patiently.
After several long seconds, Princess Edellyn finally spoke.
“I need capital.”
“...Pardon?”
The completely unexpected statement left me stunned. She needed capital? Princess Edellyn? It made no sense. She was known to have accumulated one of the greatest fortunes in the empire. There had to be some hidden motive.
“Capital... you say?”
The words that followed only deepened the mystery.
“Yes. Far more than what I currently possess.”
“......”
Silence fell over me once again. My mind simply couldn’t keep up. Why would a wealthy princess need capital so badly? And even if she did, why approach the Stuart family? Our joint venture was currently only targeting residents of Stuart Fief and Floria Fief. The expected profits weren’t enormous—perhaps five to ten thousand gold per year at best. That was hardly a sum that would catch the eye of someone of her stature.
From what I’d heard, her personal assets exceeded one hundred thousand gold, with an annual income of around ten thousand. The more I considered it, the less sense it made.
Then came words I couldn’t possibly ignore.
“Before long, war will break out.”
A chill ran down my spine the moment I heard it. I thought I felt Aria’s body flinch on my left, but I had no attention to spare for that.
“War...? What do you mean?”
“To be precise, it will be closer to an internal division—a civil conflict. My intelligence network confirms it with near certainty. Soon, a storm of blood will sweep through the empire.”
My thoughts were in complete disarray. What was she talking about? Why was she telling me this? None of it made sense. Of course, information from the princess—who stood closest to the heart of imperial politics—would be reliable, but... no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why she was revealing it to me.
“Sir Leo.”
It was then that Aria, who had remained silent throughout, interrupted.
I turned to her, assuming she was jealous again, but her face was set in an expression of deadly seriousness I had never seen before.
“Could you leave us for a moment?”
“Pardon?”
“I have something to discuss with Her Highness alone.”
Her groundless request made me furrow my brow.
“Lady Aria, were you already acquainted with Princess Edellyn?”
“No, that’s not...”
“Lady Grace, I am currently having an important conversation with Sir Leo. If you have business with me, I ask that you wait a little while longer.”
Aria hesitated at the princess’s polite dismissal, then lifted her head and spoke words that made no sense to me.
“Sanctus Highlands Battle.”
“Eh...”
Princess Edellyn’s shoulders visibly flinched.
“Do you understand the meaning of those words, Your Highness?”
“......”
The princess’s expression hardened rapidly.
Since I had no idea what it meant, I could only tilt my head in confusion.
What the princess said next was truly unexpected.
“...Would you leave us for a moment, Sir Leo?”
Her attitude had changed completely—180 degrees.
“...Understood.”
In the end, having been asked by the princess herself, I had no choice but to withdraw. I still had no idea what was happening, but the heavy atmosphere between the two women told me it was at least a grave matter. Though I remained utterly unconvinced, I rose from my seat and left the table behind.