episode_0101

After giving the necklace to Elizabeth, a rush of greetings from the young men and women who had finished their subtle power games followed.

It just so happened that both Imperial Princesses were nearby at the same time, so everyone wanted to greet them, putting aside dancing and conversation and crowding around us.

The sight felt like a beehive that had been disturbed or an army of ants finding food.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Imperial Highness.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Most people’s first priority was either Elizabeth or Alexandrine, so they weren’t interested in me, but the problem was that there were too many people who wanted to meet the two princesses.

Greeting took longer and longer, and naturally, attention focused on me, who was standing around doing nothing. As soon as they realized that I was the second son of a prominent family, even if I wasn’t as influential as the princesses, people flocked to me.

“How did you come to meet Her Imperial Highness?”

“I hired her because she was good at sewing, and it turned out she was an Imperial Princess.”

“…?”

“I heard you run an atelier. Did you make Her Imperial Highness’s dress too?”

“Yes, I plan to take orders for dresses after the founding anniversary, so please visit if you are interested.”

“Ah…! Thank you for the good information.”

“Is your real partner Her Imperial Highness, or the maid next to her?”

“Could… Could there be any crazy person who would consider Her Imperial Highness a fake partner?”

“I’m wearing the clothes you made well.”

“Thank you.”

Unlike the Imperial Princesses, who approached me formally, I was approached casually, which made me feel overwhelmed.

These were people who wouldn’t normally approach me, but because the comparison was with royalty, I became an easy target.

Not an easy social situation for an introvert.

I felt like the courage, confidence, and stamina that had been full were running out.

“Brother.”

Thanks to Haze’s timely appearance amidst the constant stream of people, a major incident was prevented.

If Haze hadn’t been there, I probably would have downed a whole bucket of alcohol to recharge my courage.

“Ah, Haze…”

So, with a bright expression on my face, I turned my head in the direction of the voice.

There, Lennox and Haze were standing, arm in arm, creating a fairly cozy and affectionate atmosphere.

“Greetings, Sir William, I am Lennox Bravebrook, the second son of Viscount Bravebrook.”

“Ah, I’ve heard about you often from Haze. You are as dashing as I’ve heard.”

“Haha, thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

First, I shook hands lightly with Lennox, who greeted me first.

Meanwhile, my sister was looking at her boyfriend with honey dripping from her eyes, making the face of a woman in love.

I had expected this, so I wasn’t particularly moved.

Everyone acts like this when they fall in love.

However, what had been bothering me since a little while ago was that Haze’s appearance had changed quite a bit since I last saw her.

“Haze, you’ve gotten a lot bigger since I last saw you?”

She’s gotten bigger overall, but the most noticeable part is that her chest has gotten enormously larger.

Using my own standard unit, ‘Emily,’ it’s gone from 0.2 Emily to about 0.7 Emily.

I expected that she would grow up to be as great as my mother or sisters someday, given the power of genetics, but I suspect that growing this much in less than six months is due to medicine or drugs.

“Where are you looking when you talk?”

“Haha, sorry.”

Haze frowned and looked at me with a pitiful expression, as I was staring intently at one part of her.

Even so, she seemed to be in a good mood, subtly tightening her arm and twitching the corners of her mouth.

I lightly patted Haze’s head and chuckled.

“You look happy. It’s good to see you getting along with Lennox.”

“What about you, brother? You pretended to have no interest in women, but you’ve been doing everything behind the scenes?”

“Well, it turned out that way…”

It wasn’t intentional, so I felt a little wronged, but when I thought about it, my fault was more than 50%, so Haze’s words weren’t wrong.

“I’m glad I don’t have to hear you being asked to introduce my brother anymore. Every time I went out, it was all about my brother, and I was dying.”

“I’m sorry about that…”

I lowered my eyes, making a apologetic expression, and Haze patted her shoulder with her fist as if she was tired, then glanced at Elizabeth and Emily and said.

“If our brother is so sorry, I wonder if he could make me a pretty dress~?”

“Oh, I knew it.”

I knew she would make this kind of request.

Even before I opened the atelier, she was interested in the clothes I made.

“Come to the atelier later, and let’s talk about it in detail there.”

I nodded without much thought.

Haze had suffered because of me, and more importantly, she’s getting engaged in a few months, so if I think of it as a gift for that, there’s no reason not to.

“Really? Thank you!”

Haze didn’t expect me to say yes right away without any hesitation, so she smiled brightly, let go of Lennox’s arm, and ran up to me, giving me a big hug.

“Oh, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just happy, why are you so serious? Can’t a cute younger sister show some affection?”

“You’re disgusting, get off.”

“Tsk, brother has no consideration for women. Are you going to get rejected by the Imperial Princess who finally approached you?”

“Just go play with Lennox, and stop bothering me with nonsense.”

“Boo-!”

I pushed Haze away, making it clear that I was annoyed, and Haze puffed out her cheeks and linked arms with Lennox again.

“I came all the way here because you looked tired, but as soon as you feel better, you dump me right away. I’ll never help my brother again.”

“Thank you for that.”

“If you’re thankful, treat me better!”

Haze pouted and tugged on Lennox’s arm.

“Then, I’ll see you again later.”

Lennox gently stroked Haze, who was urging him on, while bowing slightly to me at the same time.

“Yes, and next time we meet, you can talk to me in a more comfortable tone. You can call me ‘brother-in-law’ or use more casual language.”

“That will take some time, I think.”

“Haha, I’ll wait patiently.”

“Thank you.”

Lennox gave a polite answer until the end, then turned around with Haze and walked away to meet other acquaintances.

“Hmm…”

I only met him for a short time, but he was more affable than I had imagined.

I could see why my mother liked him so much, and it made me feel good.

Who on earth gave my sister such a handsome and capable nobleman?

That person must have a heart like an angel.

“Hehe…”

I watched Lennox and Haze walk further away, wearing a pleasant smile.

I felt like my fatigue had subsided a little.

_

Even after Haze and Lennox left, I met and greeted many people.

Apart from Prince Herbert and Lady Pani, who felt burdened and slipped away to me and then slipped away again, most of the conversations were trivial and not worth listening to.

“Phew~”

Somehow, I got rid of all the people, exhaled, and pulled at my collar and cravat slightly.

The stuffy feeling eased a little, and a small amount of room opened in my mind.

I glanced sideways and looked at the two Imperial Princesses, who were still surrounded by several people.

The two of them must have dealt with more people than I did, but unlike me, who felt like a washed-out rag because all my energy had been sucked out, they were still full of life and exuded a fresh atmosphere.

“Amazing…”

I admired their ability, which I could never imitate no matter how much I practiced, and walked over to the table with the alcohol.

And very naturally, I picked up two glasses filled with red wine.

“Young master…?”

Emily carefully put her hand on my arm, looking flustered as I picked up two glasses without saying a word.

“They’re not for me. They’re for the Imperial Princesses, so don’t look at me like that.”

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Emily was relieved because it wasn’t for me and stepped back.

I missed alcohol a lot when there were a lot of people, but now that it’s all over, I don’t feel like drinking it.

Rather, I wanted cool water with ice floating in it.

Anyway, I picked up the glasses and glanced at where Elizabeth and the Imperial Princesses were. The number of people had decreased in the meantime.

I didn’t want to be misunderstood as wandering around alone while my partner was busy, so I trotted back to Elizabeth’s side.

“… Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. I hope we can see each other next time.”

“Yes…!”

While quietly watching from behind like that, the young lady who had been holding on to Elizabeth and the Imperial Princesses until the end finally left.

“Hoo-ah~”

“Here.”

“Huh?”

I handed the glass to Elizabeth, who was catching her breath and fanning herself.

“Oh, thank you.”

Elizabeth was initially surprised by the glass that suddenly appeared from behind, but she smiled and accepted the glass when she realized that it was me who had handed it to her.

“You didn’t just bring your partner’s, did you?”

“Her Imperial Highness’s is here.”

“Hmm~ You have a good sense, thank you.”

I gave the remaining glass to Her Imperial Highness Alexandrine, who asked as if to say, “There are three people, so why only two glasses?” The Princess accepted the glass with a cheerful movement of her hand and smiled.

“Haa~”

“Haaa~”

Then, the sisters, who had brought the glasses to their lips at the same time, moistened their lips and throats with red wine, and then shook their shoulders, letting out similar exclamations.

Compared to their noble birth and appearance, their actions are a bit out of place, as if they would appear in a beer or soju commercial somewhere.

“Hoo~ You can’t leave out alcohol at a banquet.”

“Haha…”

Unlike Elizabeth, who was just really thirsty, the Imperial Princess tipped the glass again and muttered something that a dwarf or blacksmith somewhere would say.

When she first appeared, I thought it was a joke that she was just going to have a drink, but now I can see that more than half of it was close to the truth.

“I’m thinking of drinking a few more glasses and then going up. What are you guys going to do?”

The Imperial Princess, who had neatly emptied her wine glass in just two sips, wiped the wine from the corner of her lips with her finger and asked.

“We’re thinking of enjoying the banquet a little longer.”

“Are you going to dance or something?”

“It’s my debut, so I can’t leave without dancing.”

“Ah…”

Indeed, I have to dance.

The tension that had risen a little after the number of people decreased sank to the bottom again.

Then, Elizabeth, who saw the expression on my face, crossed her arms and glared at me lightly.

“William, what’s with that reaction? Don’t you want to dance with me?”

“Are you already rejecting your partner? You’re more heartless than I thought?”

“That’s not the case, but…”

I don’t dislike the act of dancing with other people itself.

However, the ‘dance’ itself was a problem for me.

I learned it and then barely used it, so I’ve almost forgotten everything.

I accurately remember the movements in my head, but my body can’t keep up.

It’s like a health machine that’s been stuck in the house.

It exists, but it has no meaning.

“Elizabeth, I dance so terribly that it’s disgusting. Are you okay with that?”

“You did learn how to dance, right?”

“I did learn…”

“Then don’t feel pressured and just make an offer. I can lead.”

“Hmm…”

I cautiously expressed my concerns about dancing, but Elizabeth didn’t take it seriously and tapped my arm.

A pressure to quickly ask her to dance.

“Ah, this is really not it…”

No matter how much I thought about it, I hated it because it was a future of destruction, but Elizabeth wanted it so desperately, so I closed my eyes and bowed slightly, extending my hand.

“… May I have this dance, Lady?”

“Wow… It’s really embarrassing when you say it like that.”

I went to the trouble of asking, but all I got in return was mockery.

“……”

“Hehehe~”

I glared at Elizabeth with narrowed eyes and a sullen face, and Elizabeth smiled as if she was enjoying it and put her hand on top of mine.

“Then, I’ll ask for a dance, Sir Knight?”

“Yes.”

While being led by Elizabeth’s hand, I desperately prayed in my heart that I could get through at least one song without incident.

_

To put it bluntly, my dancing skills were beyond terrible, they were despair itself.

The dance, which started in time with the beat under Elizabeth’s lead, ended in less than two minutes.

“William, you dance worse than I imagined. It would be easier to dance with a ten-year-old.”

“……”

I was pushed against the wall like that, sat down, and patted my instep while receiving Elizabeth’s piercing glare.

The fact that I had lived my whole life without dancing, like wallpaper, was a bigger problem than I thought.

I had never danced before, so I stumbled a lot.

Thanks to that, I was stepped on by Elizabeth several times.

It wasn’t Elizabeth’s fault. It was purely due to my clumsy dancing that I stepped under her feet and caused the incident.

Don’t ask how this is possible.

I’m so amazed at myself for subtly pushing my foot under Elizabeth’s feet.

“Sorry…”

“I don’t really like dancing, so it’s okay, but I’m relieved to know for sure that you’re not a playboy.”

“Ugh…”

Unless they’re children, all nobles should know how to dance, and people who don’t dance well are considered uncultured and unsociable.

Even my mother and father, who are very stiff people, dance with other nobles at big and important banquets, so that says it all.

But I dance worse than someone who officially debuted into society today.

I was so heartbroken.

“Haa…”

“Th-that, young master.”

As I lowered my head slightly with a gloomy expression, Emily carefully watched my reaction and approached me, subtly holding out a glass filled with a liquid with bubbles rising.

“H-have a drink.”

I must have been so pathetic that Emily, who was horrified at the thought of more than two glasses, allowed me a third glass.

She must have thought that I couldn’t handle it sober.

“… Thank you.”

I’m really, really grateful, but this consideration made me even more miserable.

It means that even Emily, who doesn’t know much about dancing, thought I was a mess.

I moistened my lips with the alcohol and tightly closed my moist eyes.

I will definitely practice dancing and get revenge…