Chapter 55

"Perfect."

I put a hairpin made of very bright red ruby on the half-hair bundle that Louryl carefully braided, so my appearance in the mirror was cute even to me.

It was a perfect banquet dress, with Lombardy's wealth combined with my father's ready-to-wear clothing at Gallahan clothing store.

"How about, Lauryl? Does it look expensive?"

"Miss, do you know how much this emerald on this one is? Maybe no one at today's banquet is dressed as good as Miss?

“That’s it.”

To change the perception that ready-to-wear is cheap, it was deliberately decorated more colorfully.

"Ah, I can die now."2

Louryl touched my elaborate hair more carefully and said excitedly.

“I saw my Young Lady grow up like this and go to a banquet.”

Someone will think you raised me.

But I also laughed when I knew Louryl's heart caring for me.

“You are so pretty today. Is there going to be an uproar at the banquet?"2

"It's not that much. Don't overdo it."

"No! You don't know how pretty you are! That's cuter, but……."

Lauryl looked at me as if she wanted to bite me while saying 'Oooh'.1

"In addition, today is the day when you first appear outside, isn't it?"

"Is it…?"

Then it turned out that Louryl was right.

Unlike my cousins, who regularly attend banquets here and there even before making their official social debut, I have never attended such an event.

My father wasn't really interested in that, and he's been so busy lately that I barely see his face.

Although Shananet suggested that we go together, there were many times that he refused.

"Miss Larane has made her social debut a while ago! Lombardy's Lady has a good look! But it's not really because I have you, Miss. After all, our Miss is much prettier and cuter than Miss Larane….”

Lauryl sighed deeply, saying, 'It's so regrettable that I can't see it in person'.

"Afterwards, we'll have to go to the banquet all together, well."

At the words I threw, a white smile blossoms on Louryl's face.

"That's right. It will."

Finally, after looking in the mirror and checking again, I left the room.

In the parlor, my father and grandfather were waiting for me while drinking tea.

"Miss is ready to go."

The two of them looked up at Louryl's voice.

And.

“Woww.”

My father looked at me and closed his mouth.

Grandfather sitting next to him frowned.1

It wasn't surprising that his wrinkles were deep in the eyebrows.

What, Lauryl said I was pretty.

I felt anxious.

"Dad? Grandfather?"

The two began to move.

"Tia"

It was a mysterious face that seemed to cry and laugh at any moment.

"My daughter is so pretty."

"It wasn't my mistake. "

My father's voice was definitely crying.

I lifted myself and looked at my father's face.

My father's eyes were clearly looking at me.

I could feel it from the gaze that hovered around the outline of my face and from the gaze that looked deeply into my eyes.

Now my father is seeing my mother in my face.

It's not in my memory, but for my father, it's a face that's as clear as yesterday's memory.

“If you are still like this, it will be worth seeing later when your child debuts in the social circle.”

My grandfather approached with his back and said jokingly when he saw my father.

“So, social debut…… Suck.”

My father, who was barely calming down, got up, turned his back, and finally grabbed the eyebrows.

"Florentia."

Grandfather came to my father's place.

And he still spoke with a wrinkled eyebrow.

"If you go to a banquet today, you'll be next to this grandfather or Gallahan."2

“Yes, Grandpa.”

"If weird guys come and talk to you, just ignore it."3

"Yes, grandfather... yes?"

It's a little weird to answer with a habit of nodding my head.

"But if you're bothered, kick it with your feet. Leave the cleaning up to this grandfather."12

And there is a small murmur.

"Hey, Tia so cute... Tia looks so cute."

* * *

At the same time, Poirak Palace.

Caitlyn and Kylus, who accompanied Perez, exchanged eyes silently.

This is when everyone is sleepy after lunch.

As always, Perez holding a book open, but the atmosphere was different.

Kylus looked at Perez, who had been nervous since morning, with anxious eyes.

If you ask, Perez with that expressionless face is nervous about waiting for something.

Kylus grabbed the bookshelf, which had already been motionless for an hour.

Caitlyn also looked at him and said, quietly approaching.

“Dear Prince, if you feel uncomfortable like that, why not go out for a while and come for a walk? There is still a long time until sunset when the banquet begins."

Kylus also helped.

"Or maybe I'll order your favorite chocolate cookie?"

Eventually, the book Perez was held closed with a dull sound.

“It's tense ………?"

"Yes."

“Woo.”

Perez sighed as he touched the corner of the book 'Brown Swordsmanship'.1

“It normal to be nervous. It's your first time officially attending the banquet...…… .”1

Kylus comforted Perez.

He was thirteen years old and had little agitation, but today was a day that anyone could be nervous about.1

"In fact, it's called National Founding Banquet, but there's nothing special about it. You just have to come with Your Majesty and show your face and return."

“I and Kylus will be right by Your Majesty's side.”

How burdensome will it be?

Previously his existence had been forgotten, and now for the first time, he had to stand in front of the people as the Second Prince of the Lambrew Kingdom.

It was a burden for the Young Prince to endure it alone.

Perez, who was looking at the sad faces of those two people, said.

"I'm not worried about the banquet."1

“Well, then. Are you worried about Her Majesty the Empress?"

Kylus asked carefully.

It was the only thing he could think of.

Was there anything else that could make the Second Prince nervous besides the Empress?1

Now he knew too.

Why did young Perez remain alone in the separate palace, and how it was when they first met.

Fortunately, after moving to Poirak Palace, Perez never met the Empress.

The Empress still treated Perez as an absent person and excluded Perez from all Imperial Ceremonies.

What was different from the past was that Perez was living in Poirak Palace instead of a separate palace and that he was properly educated and cared for as a Prince instead of a neglected person.

So, for Perez, the only schedule as an Imperial Family was to eat with the Emperor once a month.

“Her Majesty the Empress may not know that the Prince is attending the banquet. But even so, she is not a reckless person in front of everyone's eyes….”

“Not that either.”

Perez shook his head.

Said Caitlyn, who was worried.

"The prince, then please tell us what is uncomfortable and we will…."

"Tia."2

“.…Yeah?"

"Tia is coming to the banquet."

Perez, who threw the word, opened the book again and lowered her head.

His ears were red, which could be seen between her fine black hair.

"So…”

Kylus couldn't believe his ear and asked.

"It's not because of the banquet who attended hundreds of nobles and not because of seeing the Empress again. Are you saying you're nervous about meeting Lady Florentia?"1

Perez's head nodded once.

And he said in a small voice.

"It's been a while since I've seen her."

Perez, who answered so, hiding behind the book again.14

The book was still there until it was time to leave for the banquet hall.

* * *

We arrived at the Imperial Palace on our grandfather's special Lombardy carriage.

Emperor Jovanes will show the luxury of the Imperial Family this time, and the scale of the National Founding Banquet was different.

Unlike previous years when the Emperor's Palace and the Empress's Palace were used, this year a whole large separate palace was decorated for a banquet.

The bright lights of the banquet hall were visible from afar.

It was spectacular to see the carriage of nobles present on the road from the main gate of the Imperial Palace to the banquet hall.

However, the carriage with the emblem of Lombardy ignored all the long lines and stopped in front of the banquet hall as quickly as it was running on the highway.

While the coachman was preparing the carriage's footrests, I looked out the window and realized one thing.

"I'm sure Lombardy is amazing……."

If they were invited to the Imperial Banquet, they would be noble families with their own power.

And how much was everyone ready to come to the Imperial Palace?

However, their carriage was shabby compared to the Lombardy carriages.

Not just the size, it doesn't even look very sturdy.

Just before the carriage door opened, my grandfather turned to me and said.

"Remember what your grandfather said. Just kick it with your feet."5

“Yes, Tia. And call Dad too.”

Now my father has even joined grandfather.

Fortunately, our conversation ended when the coachman opened the door.

First, my grandfather got off, followed by my father.

And I got off with my father's escort in the last.

When I stepped on the ground, I heard a melodious melody of music flowing from inside the banquet hall with the cool night air.

In fact, it is my first time in my whole life, that I have attended this grand banquet.

It was true that I was a little nervous.

I walked with my father's hand on one hand and my grandfather's hand on the other.

That was it.

It wasn't because someone announced our arrival with a loud voice, it was just us a few steps away.

But every time we took a step, a change occurred.

One person, two at a time.

They looked at us as if there were rumors about us.

And by the time we arrived at the door of the banquet hall, everyone's eyes were focused on us.