SS #36 Regina Bayer (7)

“Did you sleep well?”

Early in the morning.

At her personal maid Luna’s gentle greeting, Regina, who had spent the entire night with her eyes wide open, thought to herself.

I’m doomed. I don’t think I slept a wink.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Her heart had been pounding so hard that she couldn’t fall asleep at all.

For Regina, who had trouble sleeping even before a simple picnic, getting a good night’s rest ahead of the Founding Anniversary Ball—the most important day of her life, when she was destined to meet her “fated person”—was an impossible task.

Of course, if Yuria saw her now, she would have said, “Auntie, I was talking about a partner… you know, a dance partner?” But to the twelve-year-old Regina, a dance partner was no different from the male protagonist of a love story.

After all, that’s how it was for most of the protagonists in the love stories she had read.

“Luna, what do I do?”

“Pardon? Well… I think it’ll be fine. Besides, you’re still young, my lady… one sleepless night won’t even be noticeable.”

“R-Really? It’s not that noticeable?”

“No, not at all.”

Luna gently pinched Regina’s cheek as she brightened up, then smiled sweetly.

She had felt this for a while, but the Bayer County was truly a workplace with high job satisfaction.

“Now, now, it’s time to get up, my lady. We have a lot to prepare.”

“Okay, I will.”

Having been awake for a long time already, Regina obediently rose and literally entrusted her body to Luna.

And four hours later.

After a simple breakfast and a long session of primping, Regina stood before the carriage, her eyes sparkling as she looked around.

So cool! So pretty!

The people of the Bayer and Chase households had gone all out to prepare for the ball.

They were all handsome and beautiful on a normal day, but the difference between dressing up and not was striking.

Wow, even Brother Edward was this handsome.

She had always known her brother Gale was handsome, but she never imagined Brother Edward could look this dashing.

He was always cooped up in his laboratory, so she had only ever seen him looking somewhat pickled, but seeing him properly dressed and groomed, she thought, Ah, so Brother Edward really is a member of the Chase family.

Of course, the ones who shone the brightest—or rather, were so radiant they couldn’t be compared—were her sisters, Adelia and Sylvia.

They’re so, so beautiful. They all look like princesses.

Adelia wore a black mermaid-line dress. Her clear, white skin and brilliant blonde hair contrasted with the black dress, making each feature stand out even more.

And her shoulders, chest, and back.

The dress was cut daringly low, revealing a bold amount of skin, but all Regina could think was how simply incredible it was.

No one would ever guess that this Adelia had not one, but two fifteen-year-old children.

Besides, Sister Adelia is an angel.

An angel, not a human.

That was why the bold exposure didn’t seem lewd, but simply magnificent.

The confident smile on Adelia’s face only added to that impression.

Unconsciously gulping, Regina touched her own chest before turning her gaze to Sylvia.

With her sky-blue hair cascading down to her hips, she wore a mermaid-line dress like Adelia, but its white color and more modest cut gave off a rather different feel.

But she’s just as amazing.

Touching her chest once more, Regina managed to tear her eyes away from Sylvia, who looked like a goddess thanks to her uniquely pure beauty, and looked at the others.

There was Bella, who looked like a little fairy in a dress with a large, wide skirt, and Yuria in her pink dress, which had surprised her yesterday and was just as surprising today.

And—

Wow! Amber is a total angel!

Indeed. Amber was proving with her entire being that she had strongly inherited the blood of the Chase family—and of Adelia.

Seeing her in a red bell-line dress, Regina thought for the first time, Amber is an adult.

Yuria and Vivian, and even Regina herself, were quite mature for their age, but they were ultimately still children. Amber, on the other hand, truly felt like an adult.

And standing next to her was Aiden.

His lips were pressed firmly together, his face slightly tense, but he looked dignified and very handsome.

Both Amber and Aiden were all grown up now; they really seemed like adults.

Hmph, your aunt is very satisfied.

Basking in the feeling of being a proper aunt for the first time in a while as she looked at her grown-up niece and nephew, Regina boarded the carriage with a flushed, happy smile.

The Founding Anniversary Celebration itself was scheduled for the afternoon, and the ball was set to begin after Crown Princess Daphne’s coronation, so there was still plenty of time. However, to ensure everything went smoothly, they had to arrive at the venue around noon.

There are so many carriages.

With nobles from all over the Sailun Kingdom gathered, the line of carriages seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Forced to maintain a perfectly straight posture due to Luna’s stern warning that she would ruin her dress and makeup, Regina stared out the window until she suddenly let out a small laugh.

She had spotted the carriages of the Hresvelg family, which formed a procession far longer than any other.

She said her younger siblings were all coming, right?

Vivian had boasted so much about her siblings—though about seventy percent of that boasting was about Walter—that Regina could vividly picture what the Hresvelg children were wearing and how their hair was styled, even though she had never met them.

The Northern 12 Families are all here, too.

Spotting the carriage of Emma Pykers, famous for being a passionate follower of the Cordelia Church, followed by the carriage of the Duran Marquisate, Regina recalled the various stories she had heard from the adults.

They said Marchioness Duran is close with Sister Sylvia, right? And Sister Cordelia, too.

Recalling the image of the Marchioness Duran with her long purple hair and slightly melancholic air, Regina turned her gaze back to the carriages.

Are the foreign guests taking a different route?

This year’s Founding Anniversary Celebration was being held in conjunction with Crown Princess Daphne’s coronation, so it wasn’t just nobles from the Sailun Kingdom who were gathering, but also a large number of distinguished guests from neighboring countries.

Paragon, Paragon, Paragon… Ugh, I can’t find them.

She tried her best to look around, but her view from inside the stationary carriage was quite limited.

Besides, if they were truly taking a different route or arriving at a different time, she wouldn’t be able to see them anyway.

Sigh, I wonder if Brother Yuder and Sister Cordelia are really coming.

Not just Yuria, but Dahlia and Maia too had said, “They’ll be here in a few days,” so she had thought, They’ll probably arrive the day before the ball, right? But there was still no word from them.

Yuria doesn’t seem particularly worried, so it’s not like they aren’t coming.

Brother Yuder likes dramatic moments, so maybe he’s planning to arrive right on time?

Or maybe they’ve already arrived and are just hiding?

As her thoughts drifted, Regina also pictured her father and mother, whom she hadn’t seen in a whole year.

The two of them had left home, declaring they needed to go on a journey of love, just the two of them.

Since they had set out to travel the world, the possibility of them attending this ball was practically zero.

They’re probably in the East by now, right? Because the wind must always be free.

Thinking of her father laughing and her mother smiling brightly, held tightly in his arms, Regina’s shoulders relaxed as a warm smile spread across her face.

*

Crown Princess Daphne’s coronation was truly splendid.

The ceremony, held in a grand hall with a ceiling dozens of meters high, was attended not only by the nobles of the Sailun Kingdom but also by many foreign dignitaries. A rough count easily surpassed several hundred, nearing a thousand.

If you include the people waiting outside the palace, there must be far more, right?

After all, it was said that hundreds of thousands of people had gathered in the square just to receive Crown Princess Daphne’s coronation greeting.

Hundreds of thousands…

Regina tried to imagine such a massive crowd, a number she could barely comprehend, but soon gave up and looked at the dais where the coronation was being held.

As one of the three great powers among the renowned Northern 12 Families—one of the three regions that formed the foundation of the Sailun Kingdom—the Bayer family had been assigned one of the best seats available.

After a final, quick glance at Vivian and her family in the adjacent section, Regina took a deep breath and watched Crown Princess Daphne walk toward the dais.

The Queen of Lions.

Though she was only now being coronated, Crown Princess Daphne had been the de facto ruler for nearly a decade.

The Queen of Lions.

Recalling Crown Princess Daphne’s title, Regina found herself nodding unconsciously.

Now in her mid-thirties, she still possessed the beauty of a woman in her late twenties, but she was more than just a beautiful woman.

The dignity of a monarch.

A unique aura that only one who stood at the pinnacle of power could exude.

Still unmarried and single, she had neither a husband nor children, but Regina suddenly thought, What does any of that matter?

She was, in and of herself, a perfect queen.

Regina gently pressed a hand to her chest to calm her heart, which had begun to pound again, and took a wider look around the dais.

There was Prince Dion, who, like the Crown Princess, remained single.

As the kingdom’s chancellor, he looked moved as he watched his sister walk down the red carpet for her coronation. Beside him, Duchess Botan—the former Princess Darian—wore a gentle smile.

His Majesty the King looks thrilled.

Henry II.

Beside him, who was beaming with a mixture of pride and affection, sat First Queen Consort Justia, known as the pillar of the Sailun Kingdom, wearing an elegant smile.

The coronation proceeded smoothly.

After receiving the crown from Henry II, Crown Princess Daphne—the Queen of Lions—turned to the nobles and declared the birth of a new monarch. The crowd gathered in the square erupted in joy, sending their wholehearted blessings to the new queen.

And after another hour or so.

At last, it was time for the ball.

*

As a young lady of the Bayer family, Regina had attended many balls since she was a child, but at today’s ball, she couldn’t help but blush and feel as nervous as a child attending her very first social gathering.

It was a tremendous ball, with the queen herself presiding, and all the nobles of the kingdom gathered in one place.

Looking up at the high ceiling, which seemed to be dozens of meters tall, and the enormous chandeliers, Regina unconsciously shrank back. She fidgeted with her fingers as she looked around, then flinched and held her breath.

The music in the ballroom had changed.

I-It’s starting.

The dance.

Regina fidgeted again and quickly looked around.

Her brother Gale was elegantly leading her sister Adelia onto the floor, and even Brother Edward was guiding Sister Sylvia with a confident stride for once.

Amber and Aiden, too.

After turning away the men who approached her with a light smile, Amber took Aiden’s hand and stepped onto the floor.

It seemed she had been serious when she said her first dance would be with Aiden.

Watching Amber and Aiden begin to dance like a prince and princess from a fairy tale, Regina felt a strange sense of urgency. She turned her gaze again and couldn’t help but smile.

She’s having the time of her life.

Vivian, who had entered the hall with Walter, had a smile that filled her entire face.

Walter’s expression was just as joyful.

Anyone watching would think they were a deeply infatuated engaged couple heading out to dance, not siblings.

Her younger siblings are looking on with such envy, too.

The Hresvelg family really did seem to be a den of siscons and bracons.

After briefly observing Count Hresvelg begin to dance with his first wife, Kaisa Hresvelg, Regina followed the murmurs of the crowd and turned her head. She immediately understood why people were whispering.

Dahlia and Maia were dancing.

Although it was a dance between two women, Dahlia, befitting her title as the Angel of Protection, was in a knight’s formal uniform, creating a clear distinction from the dress-clad Maia. In any case, it was a dance between two angels, so it was impossible not to be captivated.

Ack! This isn’t the time for that!

Snapping out of her daze, Regina quickly turned her gaze to find Yuria.

In her pink dress, she exuded an overwhelming presence.

Aloof yet sensual, and still retaining a youthful air—a beautiful combination of contradictions—it was only natural that all eyes were drawn to her.

As if to prove this, requests to dance—even from adults—poured in continuously, but Yuria refused them all with an elegant yet firm smile.

Why?

Was it because of the fated person she was supposed to meet today?

Regina herself had been refusing all dance requests for the same reason.

She could feel Luna’s glare, which seemed to say, “My lady! What are you doing! You keep refusing everyone!” prickling the back of her head, but watching Yuria’s perfectly calm expression, Regina focused on steadying her breathing.

This was Yuria’s intuition, after all.

She had to wait.

She had to wait and have her first dance with her fated person.

Clenching her fists anew, Regina steeled her resolve and straightened her shoulders and chest.

And then, about ten minutes later.

Just as Regina’s proudly puffed-out shoulders began to slump again and her clenched fists started to fidget.

“Announcing the entrance of the Goddess’s Avatar!”

The thunderous voice of a palace official reverberated throughout the hall.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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