“Yes, that Prince Morres, you see…”
After hearing the whole story from Isabella, Riccardo nodded.
“My, my. To turn down the flower among flowers, endowed with both beauty and intelligence, my beautiful Bella, the fairest of them all in the capital! It seems that the fellow hasn’t yet recovered from the aftermath of his fever.”
Rubbing her arms, which were prickling with goosebumps, Isabella scowled.
“…Brother, sometimes you say the creepiest things so nonchalantly.”
“Why not just say I’m rich in sensibility? And it’s not like I’m wrong, is it? Even among the foreign dignitaries, there are whispers. In the salons of Delcross, there’s an elegant one who captures everyone’s attention…”
“Brother Riccardo!”
Unable to bear the cringe, her eyes narrowed at her smirking brother.
“Well, speaking of which, there have been rumors lately that he’s changed quite a bit. Perhaps he’s had some sort of change of heart. He hasn’t been coming around to the townhouse these days.”
“Brother, haven’t you seen him lately either?”
“Unfortunately, that’s the case. I can’t go to him, so he has to come to me, but there’s no reply at all, even though I send him invitations to our weekly gatherings.”
Prince Morres used to visit the Scarcepino mansion often at Riccardo’s invitation.
What Isabella found curious was this: Prince Morres and Riccardo were quite consistently friends, despite not only their age difference but also their completely opposing reputations. It was beyond her guess as to what had brought these two seemingly unrelated people together.
“Why do you associate with such a rascal, Brother?”
Her question was met with Riccardo’s hearty laughter.
“So you see him that way too. But even if you knew what the Prince sees, would you still say such a thing? The more I get to know him, the more interesting a friend he turns out to be.”
Riccardo, having dropped this somewhat mysterious remark, stroked his smooth, handsome chin, lost in thought.
“Anyway, what’s important now is finding you an escort partner. It’s a bit awkward to say he’s my substitute, but how about Archduke Siegmund? The top flower of the social circle, a partner who might be suitable for my beautiful Bella?”
“……”
Isabella was at a loss for words.
For a moment, she suspected that her playfully teasing older brother was making fun of her again.
…Really, that Archduke Siegmund?
“Yes. I recently had the opportunity to build a friendship with him. If it’s my suggestion, he won’t refuse. What do you say?”
If Riccardo’s words were true, Isabella naturally had no reason to refuse.
If the most sought-after individuals by the noblemen of the capital were Princess Amelia and Isabella, then for the ladies, it was Prince Logan and Siegmund.
She didn’t like to admit it, but frankly, Siegmund was in a different league from her.
Though she was the daughter of a nouveau riche who had sought asylum in Ortana and was subtly looked down upon, he was the eldest son of a great noble, the foremost knight of the continent, and a disciple of Balthazar.
A genius swordsman who had conquered swordsmanship tournaments in many countries, he was an idol to the young lords of Delcross and aspiring knights. He was a celebrity, ranked alongside Prince Logan, a likely future Emperor.
If she could be with him, Isabella would surely become the most noticed lady at her birthday celebration!
The fact that Prince Morres had rejected her was no longer even in her mind.
“…Yes. If my lovely sister likes it, then I am happy too.”
Riccardo smiled knowingly, looking at Isabella’s excited face.
And the next day.
Isabella, having received a letter from Orden Siegmund expressing his wish to match dress codes, headed to Deste Street with a fluttering heart.
***
The atmosphere in the palace was strangely excited from the morning.
It was because the third Princess Sisle had returned the night before.
Although there was no grand parade like when Logan returned, the return of the empire’s proud young saintess was a welcome news to everyone.
And Seongjin, meeting the little girl who had come to him with Amelia that morning, blinked his eyes.
Those clear gray eyes seemed familiar.
The long hair shining in silver.
The girl, looking like a delicately carved piece of crystal with her beautiful face, held a small book dearly in her hands and stared intently at Seongjin’s face.
“It’s been a while, Morres- orabeoni . You’ve changed a lot.”
Brother .
This extremely unfamiliar term made Seongjin feel strangely. It reminded him that Morres indeed had a sister.
All the twins he had met till now always tried to compete with him.
“Uh, hello.”
Seongjin waved his hand awkwardly at the girl.
“So… you were Sisle, right? Sorry. Actually, I’ve been suffering from a fever recently…”
“I know. You lost your memory, right? Amelia told me. You must have had a hard time.”
“……”
Her bland expression as she uttered kind words created a strange sense of dissonance.
“I heard a lot on the way here. Brother, you’ve been quite active lately, haven’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Remarkable. Despite having just recovered from illness, you’ve been training and managing the Monster Special Task Force. Impressive.”
“……”
He just couldn’t get used to the discordance between her thoughtful words and expressionless face!
What’s with her? Is she a robot?
Then, tilting her head, Sisle asked curiously.
“But Brother, what is that thing next to you?”
“……!”
Oh no! I forgot, she’s a saintess!
He could feel the Demon King inside him quiver.
It seemed that high-ranking clergy, like cardinals, could faintly sense the presence of the Demon King, even with the Emperor’s barriers.
Even Logan once mentioned to Seongjin that he felt a sinister aura by his side.
If so, the saintess, boasting the highest divine power among the Emperor’s children, would definitely notice the Demon King!
What should he do? What if she immediately tries to exorcise the Demon King?
Seongjin was tense, but contrary to his worries, the girl continued in an indifferent tone.
“Brother, it’s strange what you carry around. I don’t remember reading about such a thing.”
“……”
“Anyway, be careful of the high priests. Especially Archbishop Benitus. The old gentlemen will probably notice it right away.”
Leaving the Demon King alone, Sisle didn’t seem like the most devout servant of the Lord, despite being a saintess.
Well, maybe that’s the same for the Emperor, the representative of God.
While he was silently acknowledging this, Sisle suddenly asked an out-of-the-blue question.
“By the way, Brother Morres, what’s your ideal type like?”
…Huh?
“Do you like women who are pure and tender, who can understand your pain?”
…Huh?
“Do you find yourself attracted to women with exotic, black hair?”
“…What?”
He couldn’t understand the context at all!
While Seongjin was confused, Sisle continued to speak with her inorganic, statue-like expression, as if she had a lot to say. Her face was as expressive as the Emperor himself.
“Be careful of such women. Understand? Clinging desperately to a popular woman will only be a loss if she doesn’t pay attention to you. It’s the tragedy of being second-best.”
“…Um?”
“Oh, I just stopped by to say hello today. I have to go to the main palace and then to the Orthodox Church for work, so I’ll be going first.”
“Ah, okay. Take care.”
“Goodbye then. See you later, Brother.”
With that, Sisle left as quickly as she came, still clutching the small book in her arms.
…What was that all about?
Stunned, Seongjin gazed in the direction where the girl had disappeared, while Amelia, who had been silently watching them, smiled brightly.
“It seems like the first time you two have talked so affectionately. Family is indeed a wonderful thing.”
…Glad it seemed affectionate, Sister.
***
With the birthday celebration approaching, the busiest place in the capital was undoubtedly Deste Street, where the tailoring shops were clustered.
Designers and seamstresses with dark circles under their eyes worked through the night, feverishly altering and adjusting outfits, making Deste Street as lively as a night market even in the early hours.
Typically, party dresses are ordered well in advance, but the problem arises when many events overlap, requiring last-minute changes to already finished outfits. Whether due to personal reasons or family circumstances, it was not uncommon for party partners to change just before the event.
In such cases, typically, the design and alterations revolve around the one with the higher status. And for Isabella Scarcepino, touted as the flower of high society, this was no exception.
Isabella, along with her own dress designer, entered the Salon de Merci, a men’s tailoring shop.
“Oh my, Miss Scarcepino!”
Several young ladies, who were chatting in the salon, were startled and stood up upon noticing Isabella. Like her, they too had their partners changed unexpectedly.
They seemed to guess why Isabella was visiting a men’s tailoring shop.
“Are you not attending the birthday celebration with Prince Morres this year?”
“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”
“Oh my…”
The ladies’ eyes sparkled.
Whoever had brought Isabella to a men’s salon must be of no low standing.
“I wonder who the lucky gentleman is who will escort the beautiful Miss Scarcepino.”
“Ha ha, you’ll see soon enough, so let’s save the excitement for later.”
Isabella smiled and took a seat gracefully.
Reading a certain confidence in her demeanor, the ladies refrained from prying further and resumed their conversations.
“By the way, have you heard the news? About the young lady from the Balua family?”
“Ah, the little girl who’s rumored to be in talks for an engagement with the Third Prince?”
“Yes, apparently she sends flowers to the Pearl Palace every day with utmost devotion.”
“Really?”
Although pretending to be uninterested and flipping through a design book, Isabella’s ears perked up, attentively listening to the ladies’ conversation.
One young lady, with a look of pity, asked, “Oh dear, has she ever met Prince Morres in person? I wonder if that poor little girl is under some kind of misunderstanding…”
“That’s not entirely the case. Rumor has it that she visits the Jinju Palace weekly, having tea and warmly chatting with the Prince.”
“Oh my! That’s true love that transcends appearances!”
“The young lady is truly admirable.”
And with that, they burst into giggles, finding the situation cute.
Isabella swallowed a bitter smile as she listened to their chatter. She felt like she was being equated with that adorable little girl.
Despite being known as the flower of society and one of Delcross’s most beautiful women, Isabella knew she could never be matched with someone like Prince Logan.
A refugee noble from Ortana, who amassed a fortune through civil war.
Lacking notable lineage, her only claim to fame was wealth, often derogatorily nicknamed as a nouveau riche who profited from selling her country.
The only reason she was even considered for a match with the imperial family was because Prince Morres was seen as a disgrace and a worthless troublemaker of the imperial line.
And Prince Morres himself, aware of this, had always looked at Isabella in such a way.
With a gaze devoid of any emotion, as if looking at a lesser being.
Unwittingly, Isabella bit her lip hard.
But her thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
One of the young ladies gasped in surprise and pointed towards the entrance of Salon de Merci, creating a stir.
“Oh my! What’s happening? Look, there’s Princess Amelia and Prince Morres!”
