Chapter 18: Uninvited Guest (1)

Having finished the surprisingly delicious meal at the market restaurant, Yudith and I stepped outside and began to stroll slowly.

I took in the bustling atmosphere and the symphony of sounds created by the intersection of various lives as I started to look around.

Looking closely, I could spot Beast-people as well.

An elf with long ears was finishing his day with a pickaxe, drinking on the street, and a man with animal ears, seemingly a Beast-person, was handling Mana Stones while having a difficult conversation with his companions.

The Beast-people I saw for the first time were slightly different from what I knew, what I had seen in comics or such. Aside from having long ears or tails, these Beast-people didn’t seem much different from humans.

‘The elves are so different from what I imagined… Where did all the mysterious, handsome and beautiful people of the forest go…’

Next to me, an elf with bulging arm muscles was loudly drinking and chatting with his companions. The only difference between him and a human was his slightly long ears.

“What are you looking at?”

“Ah, well.”

As I was intently staring at the elf’s arm muscles, Yudith, curious, looked at what I was looking at.

“…Is that your type?”

“What are you thinking? No!”

I vehemently denied it, taken aback by Yudith’s pitying gaze. It was just that the Beast-people were more different than I had imagined, and I felt like my childhood fantasies were being shattered.

“Those are elves, right? They must have come from the elves’ forest nearby.”

“Wow, do real elves live in the forest?”

“Many live in villages, but the only elven community around here is the Black Forest next to us.”

I was happy to finally find one of the essences of elves. Yes, elves should live in the forest and be good at archery.

“…Are elves your type?”

“I told you, it’s not like that!”

When I couldn’t help but stare with a smile, she gave me another pitying look, so I pushed Yudith’s back and moved away. It was my first time seeing Beast-people here, so I couldn’t help but be curious.

As we slowly walked and looked around the street together, Yudith seemed to have found something and led me there by the hand.

A jewelry store with gemstones. The owner explained that they dealt with jewelry made of Mana Stones.

The sparkling jewels were fascinating, but they were cheaper than I thought. The prices were low enough for me to buy with my salary, and there were quite a few pretty ones.

“Chloe, look at this.”

“Yes?”

She called me, so I trotted after her and saw that Yudith was holding a necklace with a small blue gemstone embedded in it.

Yudith lifted the necklace and placed it against my neck, then smiled brightly.

“Yeah, it suits you.”

“Is this a real gemstone?”

I took a small step back, worried that I might damage it and have to pay for it, but Yudith chuckled and explained.

“It’s not a real gemstone, it’s made by processing Mana Stones. People who can’t use Magic collect Mana Stone debris and make them into jewelry to sell.”

After saying that, Yudith turned me around and put the necklace with the blue Mana Stone around my neck.

Honestly, I liked it. It wasn’t too flashy, and it wasn’t a gold chain, just a leather strap that commoners would use.

I liked these small things. Not like the overly flashy dress that Yudith gave me as a gift… that was too much.

“I just cast a simple spell on it. You must keep it on your body.”

“Yes? What kind of Magic?”

To my question, Yudith just smiled and didn’t tell me what kind of Magic she had cast.

“…It’s a secret.”

‘…Well, Yudith wouldn’t cast a strange spell or anything.’

I lifted the necklace hanging around my neck and looked at it. The Magical power inside the Mana Stone was rippling, and it had turned into a gem that shone with a more vibrant blue color than before.

When I came to my senses, I could only stare at Yudith’s back as she grabbed my hand and started walking again, having already paid.

I felt like I would ruin the mood if I complained about buying it here, so I quietly followed Yudith, led by her hand.

The Debutante was less than a month away.

Eight years had passed so quickly.

I had a feeling that once I became the successor, it would be difficult to sneak out like this.

I decided not to object to anything Yudith did today and followed her.

---

Time passed quickly again, and it was the day of Yudith’s Debutante.

The ballroom, which hadn’t even started yet, was already a mess. Carrying food, carrying tableware, and checking the list of nobles who would arrive today.

Yudith’s exclusive maid had to help with the Debutante’s work as well, so she was so busy that even two bodies wouldn’t be enough.

Skin care, diet control, dress adjustments, jewelry selection, etc., had started a week ago.

Yudith, who was being taken care of, seemed to be having a harder time than I was, but that care required the hands of many people.

Only the nobles under the Grand Duchy Territory were invited to Yudith’s Debutante, which was held in the form of a ball.

Even so, the fact that Yudith would become the Duchess of Edmund would quickly reach the Emperor’s ears.

There was nothing harder to stop than the rumors of gossipy nobles.

The Grand Duke, who had never even married and had declared that he would remain single, had finally made a choice.

He had named an unknown girl as his successor.

There would be considerable opposition from the nobles who were coming this time.

Numerous criticisms and rebukes would be directed at Yudith.

What could I do to help her by her side…

I had been thinking about that a lot lately.

I went into the room to change out of my maid uniform, which had become dirty from work. It was almost time for the Debutante to begin, so I had to quickly change into new clothes and prepare to greet the guests.

“Huh?!”

When I opened the closet door, all my maid uniforms had disappeared, and there were no clothes left. Then, the red dress that Yudith had given me as a gift was showing off in the middle of the closet.

“I cleaned it up.”

“Milady… Your jokes are too much.”

Yudith slowly approached me from behind, having entered at some point.

“When are you going to wear it if not today?”

“I’m going to sell it?”

“Don’t do that… It’s my coming-of-age ceremony today. Can’t you wear it just once?”

“Absolutely not.”

Yudith hugged me from behind and buried her face in my shoulder, begging in a desperate and pleading voice. Even so, how could a maid wear a dress and participate in a place where nobles were participating…?

This was not only my problem, but it was also an act that would damage the dignity of Yudith, who would soon become the Duchess. Who would dress a maid and have her participate?

“Milady, I’ll wear it later, but absolutely not today. How can you act like this when you know what day it is?”

“I want you to wear it today…”

“Sigh… I told you, it’s not allowed. What kind of master dresses a maid and sends her to a ball?”

Yudith, not even listening to my story, just buried her face in my shoulder and hugged me even tighter. What should I do with this childishness?

“Stop joking and tell me where my maid uniform is.”

“I threw it away.”

“Milady… Stop joking. I’m really going to get angry.”

“Please, Chloe. Huh? Just wear it once. It’s my coming-of-age ceremony today. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime coming-of-age ceremony, so can’t you think of it as a gift to me and wear it just once? Huh? Huh?”

Yudith turned my body around and buried her face in my chest, and I just felt frustrated. Why is she causing this trouble at the very end after doing so well?

There was no time left, and it was a busy time to do Yudith’s makeup and put on her dress. Erina and my maid colleagues were peeking in from outside the door.

Looking at them, Erina was saying something with her mouth.

‘W.E.A.R. I.T. Q.U.I.C.K.L.Y.’

Then she even raised her thumb.

‘You damn bitches, were you the problem?’

I cursed inwardly. I sighed as if the ground was sinking and looked down at Yudith, who had buried her face in my chest and wouldn’t budge.

I thought about running away to help with the kitchen work, but seeing Erina hurrying me from behind the door and Yudith not letting me go, there was no answer.

“…Please move. Milady, you need to get ready soon too.”

“Will you wear it…?”

“Just this once…”

Yudith, who had poked her head up, started to smile brightly.

Is this even a master… She’s really annoying.

Only then did Erina come trotting in and whispered in my ear.

“How can you refuse when Milady is bowing her head and asking? Take this opportunity to catch a noble man…!”

“Don’t say such terrible things…”

What noble? I should be satisfied with living the life of a commoner… If a commoner takes a noble man, an obvious hell will unfold… The end of a life treated as a concubine, let alone the legal wife, is a cliff.

Do you understand? Erina, you flower-brained girl…

I sighed as if the ground was sinking and followed Erina, carrying the dress, to the dressing room.

This ball… I had a feeling it wouldn’t go as smoothly as I thought.

---

Outside the ballroom, Damian was listening to Melvin’s report.

Melvin was panting, having rushed over in surprise because there was a strange name on the list of nobles who had already arrived.

“Sigh… That troublemaker.”

“Oh my, are you talking about me?”

-Clack

The sound of heels hitting the marble echoed in the hallway. A gorgeous silver dress swayed with her every step.

She moved closer and closer to Damian with alluring movements.

-Clack, clack

Damian squeezed his head as if he had a headache when he saw her.

The fact that she had come meant that the Imperial Family already knew.

‘Was failing to stop the rumors…?’

“It’s been a while, Grand Duke Damian Edmund.”

“…It’s been a long time.”

The silver-haired woman fanned herself and covered her mouth, smiling with her eyes. Magical power rippled in her red eyes as she looked at Damian.

“Second Princess Cassia del Erendiana.”

“Hehe… You can still call me Cassia like in the old days.”

“No matter how much blue blood I have in the Imperial Family, how can I lower my words to the Second Princess?”

“…Let’s do that.”

Cassia frowned as if she was displeased, then managed her expression and smiled at Damian again.

“I heard some interesting news… Grand Duke Damian is announcing his successor…”

Damian clicked his tongue slightly, managed his expression, and looked at Cassia with an awkward smile.

“I wanted to meet whoever it was, so I came here rudely. I hope you’ll forgive me?”

“Rude? On the contrary, I made a mistake. I should have sent an invitation to the Imperial Family.”

“Yes, even though you refused the engagement, you didn’t give me any explanation, even though we were bound by a promise.”

-Thwack!

The fan folded, revealing Cassia’s lips that had been hidden.

She was definitely smiling, but it didn’t feel like she was smiling at all.

Damian swallowed hard at Cassia’s tone, which was full of force as if she was very angry.

“Please explain properly.”