Ch.260Eventful (2)

Just before the exhibition began, Cherry arrived at our mansion. Since I had already informed everyone that she would be coming, she was allowed in without any issues.

Cherry maintained the appearance she had gained through Cecilly’s magic, though her attire was modest like Marie’s. She wore a summer brown dress that matched her current brown hair.

Her arms were exposed, and the skirt came down to her knees, suiting her perfectly. With her natural beauty, she looked like a noble daughter despite wearing an ordinary dress.

The most noticeable feature was, of course, her chest. Being comparable in size to Cecilly’s, it stood out prominently. That was unavoidable, really.

Still, she looked beautiful. I sincerely complimented Cherry as she stood there fidgeting with her hands clasped together.

“It suits you well.”

“Hehe.”

Cherry smiled bashfully at my compliment. Though her eyes remained dead and black, which was a flaw, she seemed much brighter than before.

For her, attending the Xenon exhibition was practically a gamble. If she were discovered, the Roseberry family would certainly be furious.

Though she had received a disguise spell from Cecilly, it couldn’t completely change her appearance. If someone looked closely, Cherry’s distinctive features would be noticeable.

Her slightly drooping eye corners and her overall gentle, puppy-like impression. Especially those lifeless eyes, which were her most distinctive feature.

‘Still, people probably won’t recognize her easily.’

Just as people remember me by my “red hair,” the same would apply to Cherry. Many wouldn’t recognize me if I disguised myself like Cherry.

So I’ll do my best to help Cherry enjoy this exhibition. I’ll be busy as a guide for now, but once I have free time, I plan to accompany her immediately.

‘Leona said she’d manage on her own…’

By the way, Leona decided to enjoy the exhibition with her mother. She said I looked too busy to ask for help.

Since I was the one who invited her, I made up for it by providing money and various conveniences including attendance at the performance. I clearly remembered how she jumped with joy when she received the money.

At that time, Leona’s mother scolded her sharply for being too materialistic. Leona seemed embarrassed, sticking out her tongue and scratching her head.

Anyway, the matter with Leona was easily resolved, and now there’s Cherry. Since I need to guide people, I need someone to accompany her.

“I’ll wait.”

“What?”

“I’ll wait until you come find me, senior.”

Just as I was about to suggest someone suitable, Cherry stated she would wait. I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

Not viewing the exhibited works and waiting for me at the mansion? I couldn’t even guess what she meant.

Was she really going to wait at the mansion until I had free time, or was there some other meaning mixed in?

I blinked at Cherry’s words, whose inner thoughts I couldn’t read at all, and carefully asked.

“…Where?”

“Anywhere you tell me to, senior.”

“Would you wait at the mansion if I told you to?”

“Yes.”

Good grief. I covered my face with one hand, overwhelmed by complicated feelings.

I’ve always known that I was the center of Cherry’s thoughts. But dealing with it directly is quite frustrating.

To be honest, waiting at the mansion is the most realistic and reasonable option. My role as a guide will only be valid until lunchtime, after which I’ll have personal time.

The highlight performance will also take place after dinner, so it’s a reasonable compromise.

‘Is this really okay…’

I looked at Cherry with a complicated expression. When I stared at her, Cherry slowly blinked and tilted her head.

Her doll-like response, completely devoid of emotion, gives me an eerie feeling.

Anyway, I was the one who invited her to the exhibition, and abandoning her now wouldn’t look good. Finally, I sighed and spoke.

“…Look around the exhibition until I find you. But if anything dangerous happens, immediately ask a guard for help. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“I’m asking you, never go to isolated places. And also…”

I earnestly cautioned her, worried she might encounter trouble. Cherry just blinked her eyes, either listening to me or spacing out.

While I felt uneasy in many ways, I couldn’t forgive myself for abandoning her at the mansion.

Attending the exhibition would be good, even for motivation. That’s why I invited Cherry in the first place.

Just as my cautioning was almost finished, Cherry spoke up as if something had belatedly occurred to her.

“Oh, by the way, senior.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know that my father is also coming to the exhibition?”

“What?”

I opened my eyes wide when Cherry revealed this unexpected fact. By father, she meant the head of the Roseberry family.

The Roseberry family is a count family, one that wields powerful influence in the Empire of Minerva. It’s not strange for them to attend the exhibition to build connections.

It seems he’s putting aside his aversion to the Biography of Xenon and attending for political reasons. It’s unexpected but not surprising.

But apart from that, I have one question.

“Did he tell you in a letter?”

“Yes.”

“Did he say he wasn’t taking you with him?”

“Yes.”

“What a…”

What a garbage father. But since she specifically mentioned her father, I wonder if her mother isn’t attending.

“What about your mother?”

“She passed away long ago.”

“…I’m sorry.”

I shouldn’t have asked. Trying to avoid mentioning family matters led to a disaster.

I quickly moved on to change the suddenly somber atmosphere.

“Does the Count Roseberry have pink hair like you?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

I’m curious what kind of person he is. The Roseberry family is a philosophy family, but I wonder how such an unreasonable philosopher emerged.

Philosophy is a discipline that makes people humble the deeper they delve into it. If one understands even a little of what “know thyself” means, they would quickly become humble.

Yet Count Roseberry cruelly trampled on Cherry’s dream instead of supporting it. It’s a serious flaw for a philosopher.

“I understand. Try to avoid him as much as possible. He’ll be noticeable with pink hair, as you said.”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’ll be going now. If anything happens, make sure to ask a guard for help. Understand?”

“Yes.”

When will those stiff, doll-like responses end? I looked at Cherry with concern as she stared at me with those dark eyes.

Unaware of my feelings, Cherry slowly blinked again and tilted her head.

‘Is this what it feels like to leave a child by the water…’

I can’t help but worry about Cherry, who had completely lost her will to live just a few months ago.

Only after repeatedly cautioning Cherry could I make my way to the main gate. When I reached it, some very familiar faces came into view.

“You’re here?”

Marie in a white dress that perfectly matched her style.

“A bit late, aren’t you?”

And Adelia dressed in formal attire that would look at home in a casino. Both exuded their own unique charm.

Marie looked good, but Adelia especially suited her outfit well. Unlike her usual attire of just a shirt and leather pants, she now had a strong bodyguard vibe.

I smiled as I looked at them. Whatever might happen, I didn’t have a feeling that things would be uncomfortable.

Hyria would be well covered by Rina, and Cecilly and Arwen were relatively close.

“Did Cecilly go ahead?”

“Yes. She’s probably meeting Queen Arwen by now.”

“I see. Where did you say Rina is?”

“She should be waiting in the center of town. Princess Hyria is probably there too.”

When Marie mentioned Hyria, I glanced at Adelia. When our eyes met, Adelia smiled and nodded.

It was a sign that she had overcome all her trauma and was fine. After confirming this, I casually asked.

“Then I’ll be counting on you today, sis.”

In response to my question, Adelia gave a confident smile, as if telling me not to worry.

No, more precisely, she was about to respond.

“Of course. I have to take responsibility for both my part and Cecilly’s.”

Marie’s voice flowed smoothly. I heard it clearly as she spoke right beside me.

She said it so naturally that I almost missed it, but it didn’t take long to understand what she meant.

When I shifted my gaze, I could see Marie with a mischievous smile. Her blue eyes were directed not at me but at Adelia.

Following her gaze to look at Adelia…

“… …”

I could see that Adelia’s confident smile had completely disappeared. Her face had turned tomato-red, and her lips were trembling like waves.

I don’t know what conversation took place between Marie, Cecilly, and Adelia. But seeing that reaction, I had a certain conviction.

‘…Is she really giving way?’

It’s a moment that makes me look forward to the night in many ways.

*****

Meanwhile, at the time when Isaac’s group had just left the mansion.

Princess Rina of the Empire of Minerva was quietly waiting for Isaac, who would be serving as a guide.

She was waiting in the center of town, where a fountain had been installed at some point.

In line with the Empire of Minerva’s ambition to develop the Mayshall territory into a cultural city, even the fountain displayed artistic features.

Actually, it could be considered highly disrespectful for a noble assigned as a guide to keep a princess waiting. But since Rina was the one who requested the guiding role, she had no complaints.

Above all, there was someone she needed to keep in check right now, so she had no choice but to wait for Isaac.

“He’s later than I expected.”

And that person was standing right next to Rina. She glanced sideways at the familiar voice.

Unlike Rina, who was holding an open parasol, Hyria stood with her arms crossed, wearing her uniform despite the heat. As a knight, her well-trained body suited the uniform well. Nevertheless, Hyria’s beautiful appearance couldn’t be hidden.

Rina quietly spoke after looking up and down at the grumbling Hyria.

“We’re the ones who came earlier than scheduled. Why don’t you have a little patience?”

“If it weren’t for you, I would have gone to find him myself.”

Hyria looked at her with sharp eyes in response to Rina’s clear retort. Rina shrugged it off lightly.

As Hyria said, if Rina hadn’t asked Isaac to guide them, she would have gone straight to the mansion. However, Hyria’s plan was completely blocked by Rina’s intervention.

Rina seemed to find Hyria ridiculous and gently teased her with her characteristically elegant voice.

“That’s what happens when you mess with a man who has a fiancée. Especially the son-in-law of the Reckyless Duchy.”

“Hmph.”

Having nothing to say on this point, Hyria just snorted without making any other retort. Rina’s words were all correct.

She was using any means necessary to take Isaac away from Adelia, whom he loved dearly, but the scale had unexpectedly grown larger.

After cooling her head slowly, she realized she had made an unreasonable move, but it was too precious to turn back. She hadn’t even achieved her goal yet.

But that doesn’t mean she has no questions. Hyria posed her question to Rina.

“But what’s so special about that red-haired guy that you cherish him so much? Even if the Reckyless Duchy is just a shell, it still has authority.”

“… …”

Rina didn’t answer immediately. More precisely, her response was delayed as she organized her thoughts.

As Hyria questioned, the Reckyless Duchy is a business partner of the imperial family. Though lacking in power, its authority is high, so other nobles cannot touch it carelessly.

The same goes for engagements. Unless Isaac were to become an adopted son-in-law, it would be Marie who would join the Mayshall family.

Of course, it’s somewhat understandable since it’s Kay, not Marie, who will succeed as the head of the Reckyless family. However, the Mayshall family is a baron, not a count, which makes things confusing.

Given this, it’s natural for Princess Hyria to have questions. Even with justification, imperial intervention would raise suspicions if examined closely.

If one considered Isaac’s true identity, all these unnatural aspects would immediately make sense. But Rina had no intention of revealing that.

The difference between knowing and not knowing creates an even greater difference. Above all, Isaac’s identity as Xenon must not be revealed to the Kingdom of Teres.

Fortunately, Rina had an appropriate story ready, so she didn’t need to be flustered.

“That’s because Isaac’s family, the Mayshall family, is in the process of transforming their territory into a city for Xenon. Though they’ve been dating for a year, the engagement is quite recent.”

“I see.”

“That’s right. So why don’t you give up? It’s not good to let diplomatic issues arise because of your petty revenge.”

She didn’t forget to provoke in the middle. That’s the political skill she was taught.

Hyria realized the meaning behind Rina’s words and twitched under her eyes. She wanted to shout in anger, but there were too many people watching.

“Hmph. Would you stand by and watch if some nobody was causing trouble? And after being insulted too?”

“You should have treated him well from the beginning. Even if he’s an illegitimate child, family is family, right?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. An illegitimate child is just a worthless subordinate. Would you be any different?”

“I’m sorry, but my father hates fraternal strife.”

Currently, Rina has only one sibling, Leort. The emperor stopped having relations with women after having Rina.

The emperor himself came to the throne through fraternal strife, and perhaps traumatized by it, he’s completely blocking it. Even when his ministers ask him to have more heirs, he draws a firm line.

So Rina’s words mean that she doesn’t have illegitimate siblings like the royal family of Teres, so it’s meaningless. She gave as good as she got.

“…As always, you’re still annoying.”

“Thanks for the compliment. Oh, by the way, I have a question. May I ask?”

“What is it?”

Rina shifted her gaze to face Hyria. Blue eyes and sky-blue eyes stare at each other.

“What will the Kingdom of Teres do if Xenon reveals his identity?”

“What?”

“I’m asking what position your kingdom will take if Xenon reveals his identity. Marriage, perhaps?”

Hyria twitched under her eyes as soon as she heard Rina’s question. It might sound abrupt, but it was directed at her.

If Xenon reveals his identity, they will use various methods to connect with him. Among them, marriage is the most effective method.

In other words, she’s asking if there’s any willingness to marry Xenon. And she’s asking none other than Hyria herself.

Hyria recognized the meaning behind Rina’s words and smirked. It seems like she’s trying to provoke, but she won’t fall for it now.

“Well. It would probably be Lara, not me. I might marry that guy Isaac.”

“You have big dreams. What else? What does the Kingdom of Teres plan to do?”

“Of course, we’ll pour all our support. Titles, honor, money, and finally, women. We’ll give everything we can.”

“Hmm…”

As soon as Rina heard her words, she smirked and muttered softly.

“What’s the point of offering all that to someone who already has everything…”

“What did you say?”

“I said I’ll cheer you on. Good luck.”

“What about you all? What do you plan to do?”

To Hyria’s question, Rina shrugged her shoulders and answered leisurely.

“Who knows?”