Chapter 66
<Chapter 69>
The 254th Frozen Royal Banquet.
Hundreds of long, candle-shaped lanterns floated in the air by mana, illuminating the hall from the ceiling.
It was the work of Queen Consort Grace, who had made her mark on royal history through her magic.
“Wow… it’s magnificent.”
“To think candles could float in the sky. It’s like looking at the stars.”
The nobles who had arrived early admired the ceiling, exclaiming in awe.
Meanwhile, some nobles were already forming groups and engaging in earnest conversation.
“The Crost Ducal family is attending this time, right?”
“Yes. Everyone is in an uproar because of it.”
The banquet had officially begun, but the high-ranking families had not yet arrived.
It was customary for them to arrive late to demonstrate the difference in status. In fact, members of the royal family were often about an hour late.
“Social circles are about to get much more interesting.”
However, the nobles didn’t mind.
On the contrary, they used this time as an opportunity to gossip about high-ranking nobles without having to watch their backs.
“We haven’t seen Duke Calips for five years. Every time there was a banquet, I was so disappointed I couldn’t see that handsome face.”
“I know, right? Anyway, I heard the Duke successfully completed another monster subjugation?”
A noblewoman smiled, fanning her face.
“I won’t even be able to speak to the Duke, only watch from afar… but I think this banquet will be quite fun.”
“I heard he even found Young Lord Lucas.”
A young lady who had been eavesdropping nearby joined the conversation.
“I even heard he adopted an orphan girl as a direct descendant?”
The hero of the North, Duke Calips. Young Lord Lucas, found after five years. And Lady Aisha, who had achieved an impossible rise in status.
Everything that graced the front pages of the newspapers in this first half of the year involved the Crost Ducal family.
Among those, if one had to pick the event that caused the biggest stir in society?
“…To think an orphan was adopted into the Crost Ducal family. As someone born into a Marquis family, I feel so wronged….”
It was Lady Aisha.
“To be honest, I’m a bit worried. Does she even know noble etiquette?”
“She’s five years old. I’m sure it’ll just be at a cute level.”
“But my daughter, who is also five, knows basic noble etiquette, you know?”
“True. And she’s attending without even having had a debutante ball, right?”
Aisha had been an eyesore to the established nobility ever since she first appeared in the papers.
The idea that an orphan could become a noble—and a high-ranking one with a higher status than most of them at that.
Those who were nobles to their core felt a mixture of curiosity and alienation toward Aisha.
Perhaps that was why.
“Who knows? Since she’s an orphan, she must have been so curious about high society. She might have pestered the Duke into letting her attend.”
“By the way, why did the Duke adopt an orphan?”
“He lost the Duchess and his children and lived in seclusion for five years. He must have felt lonely.”
“What perfect timing. To appear just when the Duke was feeling empty and even snag an adoption….”
“Hearing it that way, she sounds quite devious.”
“She is devious! There are plenty of pitiful children everywhere. I bet she was adopted because she’s pitiful but has something else about her.”
The conversation, which had started out pleasant, gradually devolved into low-class jealousy.
“But well, now that Lord Lucas is back, would an orphan even catch his eye?”
“Exactly. He might have thought she was cute at first, but now that his real bloodline has been found, she’s probably been relegated to a nuisance.”
Who knows.
Throughout the banquet, Duke Calips might only dote on Lucas and treat Aisha as if she weren’t there.
“Pfft—!”
Were they all thinking the same thing? Several groups of nobles exchanged glances and hid their faces behind their fans.
They were enjoying their petty conversation for quite a while.
“The Ruler and Hero of the North, Head of the Crost Ducal Family, Duke Calips Crost. Young Lord Lucas Crost. Lady Aisha Crost, entering!”
At the gatekeeper’s announcement, the nobles, who had been fluttering their fans, turned their heads in unison. As the massive doors swung open—
“…!”
Several young ladies caught their breath at the sight of the man stepping inside with his long legs.
Duke Calips was wearing the white uniform that symbolized the North.
Medals chronicling his history were pinned to the left chest of his uniform, which perfectly fit his massive, inverted-triangle physique.
His black hair was swept back over a smooth forehead. With sharp yet deep eyes that gave a cool impression and a straight, high nose, he looked like the protagonist of a masterpiece painted with bold strokes.
But there was a different reason why the nobles’ mouths fell open.
“My daughter. Are you nervous? Shall we go have some chocolate? Look over there. There’s a chocolate fountain.”
The man, who carried an aura that made it difficult to even approach him.
“Let’s go see the chocolate fountain. Don’t be nervous, sweetie.”
“I’m not nervous though?”
He was cradling a brave child, who didn’t even blink, and was cooing over her.
Furthermore, Young Lord Lucas, who was walking beside them.
“Dandelion. Once you get down from Dad’s arms, you have to hold only my hand from then on, okay? You mustn’t let go. Understood?”
He was hovering around the Duke, his eyes fixed only on the blonde little girl.
‘What on earth is this….’
The nobles, who had been fluttering their fans, froze in place.
The hero they looked up to. The mysterious, handsome Duke who had been absent for five years.
Not only did he appear carrying an orphan child, but he was also heading toward the chocolate fountain, pushing past people.
In the midst of all this, the little Lady named Aisha.
“I’m craving strawberries more than chocolate though?”
She pointed to another table with her short finger.
“Then we must eat strawberries.”
“Dandelion, I was somehow craving strawberries too!”
At that, the two men turned toward the direction of Aisha’s finger and charged toward the strawberry desserts with quick steps.
“…….”
“…….”
The faces of the nobles who had been badmouthing Aisha for a long time stiffened.
‘They didn’t hear us, did they?’
If other nobles who had heard their excited gossiping were to blab to the Duke.
Slowly.
Those who had been hiding their faces behind their fans subtly moved toward other groups engaged in ordinary conversation.
“Oh my. What were you talking about?”
“Ah. I just happened to exchange greetings with Lady Aisha, and she was so polite and truly sharp.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Her etiquette was perfect, as if she had already had her debutante ball. So we… were just about to go give our formal greetings to the Lady….”
“Pardon?”
When the noblewoman with the fan asked back in confusion.
“We shall take our leave now.”
The young ladies, smiling awkwardly, bowed politely.
It was a firm rejection, signaling that they were going to side with Lady Aisha and would never accept her into their group.
“…….”
It was a resolute dismissal.
With no way of knowing what was happening behind me, I was eating strawberry desserts.
“This is delicious, Brother.”
“Dandelion. Try the whipped cream cake too. The texture is subtly different from the cakes made at our castle.”
As Lucas picked up a piece of cake with a fork and brought it to my mouth—
“Munch.”
A smile spread across my face as I munched and swallowed the cake.
“Proceed in three hours.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
I heard Calips saying something to Knox from above.
“Mmm.”
Well, I’m sure he’ll handle it. He is the hero of the North, after all.
I’m very satisfied.
Intoxicated by the sugar from the cake, I squinted my eyes lazily and snuggled into my dad’s chest.
I didn’t intend for things to be like this from the start.
Initially, I planned to go with a ‘smart young lady who knows how to do everything herself’ concept.
But before entering.
‘But well, now that Lord Lucas is back, would an orphan even catch his eye?’
‘Exactly. He might have thought she was cute at first, but now that his real bloodline has been found, she’s probably been relegated to a nuisance.’
Hearing my reputation through the door, I decided to change my mind.
Of course, I didn’t exactly have a choice.
‘Make a list of the bastards talking right now.’
I had to step in if only to mediate my dad, who was ordering Knox with a smoldering gaze.
‘Devious, huh?’
I glared somewhere while being held in my dad’s arms. It was exactly where the nobles who had badmouthed me were.
They avoided my gaze, hiding their faces with their fans as if they felt guilty.
‘Devious?! Me? I’ll show you what truly being devious looks like!’
I’m a former spy.
I’m five years old.
I’ll go beyond devious and meticulously crush your pride.
“Dad.”
“What is it.”
“Your devious daughter would like to greet Her Majesty Queen Consort Grace. Together with Mr. Knox.”