Ch.226226. I don’t understand what you mean by saying I’m ‘your person.’

“Lord Selden Alphonse is entering.”

I gently stepped onto the marble stairs covered with a red carpet.

Strangely, I felt peculiar.

Is this what getting married would feel like?

A neatly pressed white shirt. A black suit over it.

And on my chest, the golden embroidery bearing the Alphonse family crest caught the eye.

Creeeeak-!

As I entered the banquet hall, all the guests’ gazes poured toward me at once.

Receiving so much attention made my heart flutter again.

Baron Byron stood at the altar, and I slowly moved my steps forward.

Thump-! Thump-!

It’s a coming-of-age ceremony that everyone experiences once, yet I could hear people’s murmurs reaching my ears, as if they found something fascinating.

Still, I walked steadily.

Desperately hoping this uncomfortable and cumbersome coming-of-age ceremony would end quickly.

“Selden Alphonse, now as an adult, must fulfill his responsibilities as a member of the Alphonse family. Swear that you will live honorably without tarnishing the family’s reputation.”

Kneeling before my father, Baron Byron’s authoritative voice, I responded immediately.

“Yes, I will do my best to live proudly as Selden Alphonse and as a member of the Alphonse family.”

Cheers and applause poured out.

Then came congratulations from family and acquaintances.

One fortunate thing was that not all the guests who came here focused their attention solely on me.

-Is, isn’t that the Etherian Princess?

-How did the Princess come here?

-I heard she’s acquainted with Selden Alphonse who completed his coming-of-age ceremony today?

-I dismissed it as a rumor, but… the Alphonse family and the Etherian Princess really do have a special relationship!?

-This… the Alphonse family’s status will keep rising day by day?

-Look at the Etherian Princess’s beauty… I can’t help but admire it.

-Somehow, I knew from the grand scale of this coming-of-age ceremony… the Alphonse family must have put in extra effort knowing the Etherian Princess would attend.

The Etherian Princess had arrived late.

After getting out of her carriage, she must have rushed here, as tiny beads of sweat formed on her face and neck.

I told her to exercise more regularly…

How short was the distance that she’s already out of breath?

-With the Etherian Princess’s wings, the Alphonse family will soar high.

-Aren’t there other princesses too?

-What nonsense!? They’re no match for the Etherian Princess.

-Is the Etherian Princess acquainted with Baron Byron?

-No way, I’ve attended all the Alphonse family’s coming-of-age ceremonies, and this is the first time someone from the imperial family has come!

-Then perhaps Selden Alphonse and the Etherian Princess might proceed with a marriage arrangement after the ceremony?

-T-that could be possible!!

Perhaps because I’m sensitive, the nobles’ whispers reached my ears clearly.

The Etherian Princess must be tired too.

She probably has to listen to such nonsensical talk all the time.

The perceptive Baron Byron immediately moved to attend to the Etherian Princess.

He would probably take her to the reception room.

I too, after briefly greeting people for about thirty minutes, directed my steps toward the reception room.

Creeeeak-!

“Sit down.”

The atmosphere in the reception room was even more subtle.

Baron Byron, who had at least seen the Etherian Princess before, seemed somewhat comfortable, but my mother, Ellaria Alphonse, appeared quite uncomfortable.

She looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Why did you come so late?’

After respectfully bowing to the Etherian Princess, I sat on the sofa.

“I truly didn’t expect the Etherian Princess to attend the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“…I’m sorry for being late.”

“Not at all. It’s an honor that you came.”

“I’d like to have tea alone with you…”

At that, Baron Byron and Ellaria Alphonse rose as if they had springs attached to their bottoms.

I flinched in surprise, and the look in my parents’ eyes conveyed their true feelings.

It was as if they were sending a message: ‘This is too uncomfortable, help us leave.’

And so.

A private audience with the Etherian Princess.

Having anticipated this, I spoke with a rather relaxed expression.

“The Etherian Princess seems to grow more beautiful with each passing day.”

“…Your mouth is as loose as ever.”

“Haha! I’m not one to speak nonsense, am I?”

The Etherian Princess shook her head vigorously and continued.

“You didn’t leave your guests to come here because of me, did you?”

“Not at all. I greeted everyone. Besides, you wouldn’t know since you arrived late, but I’ve been thanking guests over two days, morning and afternoon.”

“Are you reproaching me for being late?”

“Come now, would I dare do something so reckless to the heavenly Etherian Princess?”

“…You’re still as glib as ever.”

When I read the original work, she seemed truly cold-blooded, but now, perhaps because we’ve met often, even this private audience feels comfortable.

To the point where the image of the ‘Etherian Princess’ from the novel is fading from my mind.

“Did the Etherian Princess have much conversation with my father and mother?”

“I did, but they seemed uncomfortable around me.”

“Of course, they’d be somewhat uncomfortable with a princess.”

“Then why are you so comfortable with me?”

At the Etherian Princess’s question, I shrugged my shoulders glibly.

“Haven’t we seen each other at our best and worst?”

At that, the Etherian Princess wrapped her arms around herself and raised her head.

“W-what do you mean by that!?”

“Well, I mean, didn’t the Princess try to kill me at first? After experiencing something like that, what is there to be afraid of?”

The Etherian Princess covered her mouth with her finger, seemingly embarrassed, and cleared her throat.

“…Ahem! You really seem to hold grudges endlessly. Still talking about that day.”

“It was such a powerful incident that I can’t forget. But isn’t that incident what made us become friends?”

“I suppose so. I can’t deny that you and I have become friends.”

“Haha! By the way, I really didn’t expect you to attend my coming-of-age ceremony like this.”

“There was a lot of talk at the imperial palace too.”

“…Pardon?”

“Even His Majesty the Emperor couldn’t understand why I would attend your coming-of-age ceremony.”

Adjusting my posture, I asked with wide eyes.

“T-then did you attend my ceremony despite the Emperor’s opinion?”

“I couldn’t do that. Of course, I was delayed trying to persuade His Majesty, which is why I was late to the ceremony.”

“Ah… so that’s why you were late. But how did you persuade the Emperor? From the few times I’ve met him, he doesn’t seem like someone who easily changes his mind…”

The Etherian Princess set down her teacup and continued.

“I told him I needed my own person.”

“Ah! I see… What!?”

“What’s so surprising about me telling His Majesty that I needed my own person?”

The Etherian Princess tilted her head, seemingly unaware of anything.

I opened my eyes wide and swallowed hard.

“By ‘your person,’ I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Exactly what I said. The succession rights dispute will intensify soon.”

Fortunately, “my person” wasn’t what I misunderstood it to be, but a succession rights dispute?

That means she’s preparing to fight with Princess Sairine…

Why include me in that?

I just want to live a sweet, peaceful life!

The imperial succession dispute goes beyond simple competition; it’s a major event that determines the fate of the entire imperial family.

The moment I get entangled in it, my sweet, peaceful life will slip away.

I desperately adjusted my posture.

“Etherian Princess, as I mentioned before, I don’t want to get involved in imperial matters.”

“I know. Didn’t you say so before? That you want to live cozily in a small house in the forest.”

“Then, why…?”

“Because I couldn’t persuade His Majesty without saying something like that.”

“…Was it necessary to lie just to attend my coming-of-age ceremony?”

At that, the Etherian Princess smiled broadly.

“You are such a person to me.”

It’s truly a strange feeling.

To become someone trusted by the cold-blooded villain princess from the novel…

Hiding my bitter expression, I spoke.

“Didn’t you say the same thing before? That you too want to live a cozy life like the wife in my story.”

“That’s right.”

“If you don’t engage in the succession rights dispute, you too could live a cozy life.”

“You know too little about the imperial family. I am someone who cannot live quietly even if I want to. And it seems Princess Sairine is also preparing.”

“…Pardon?”

“A spy I sent to Sairine told me so. Princess Sairine’s movements are currently suspicious.”

Then, as if remembering something, the Etherian Princess’s eyes flashed as she spoke.

“…Right, was it Serion Lykus?”