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Chapter 24
Schuert thought this moment was far too peaceful.
Ever since he had been cursed, there had never been a time when life didn’t feel like hell.
“Shuel?”
But then… he met El.
“Why are you staring like that?”
They talked.
They shared secrets.
“…What is it, seriously? Do I have something on my face?”
He liked it.
Just everything about her—every action, every way she spoke.
“Irin.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“…”
For a moment, he stopped breathing.
El was seeping into his everyday life far too quickly.
He had expected it to some degree, watching her approach him so boldly… but her bright smile was too precious.
And so Schuert realized a truth he had wanted to ignore all along.
“Irin.”
“Yeees, Irin is right here.”
If El were to abandon him…
He wouldn’t be able to go on living.
* * *
Last time, El had confessed her secret, and Schuert had tried to say something too… but in the end, he couldn’t.
He chose silence.
When Schuert apologized, El replied that it was fine—that she could wait.
Rather than feeling disappointed, she thought first about how many wounds he must have carried.
So she truly was okay.
“Shuel.”
“Yes.”
“I’m honestly so happy just that you allowed me to call you by a nickname.”
“…”
“So don’t feel too sorry. Shuel, you’re doing well.”
“…Irin.”
“You’re not going to hide it forever, right? Just making the decision is already good.”
“Thank you. But, Irin…”
“Yes?”
“…Do you dislike cowardly people?”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“Well, I mean… I’m not asking with any deep meaning, but… if I seem like that, then I’m not.”
That definitely sounded like it had meaning.
It seemed he was bothered by what El had said to Lari earlier—that he was “timid.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then I’m not timid.”
“Alright.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
Schuert added quietly:
It was only because it was El that he was being careful.
He mumbled that in front of others, he didn’t stutter and could speak just fine.
Of course, El had never seen him talking to other people, so she simply smiled and accepted it.
* * *
For a while, El had been tense, but Reynard was quieter than expected.
Time passed.
No major incidents occurred.
And in one month, there would be a festival held alongside the temple that served Helio—a holy figure said to be connected to the founding emperor of the Renne Empire.
The entire nation was already buzzing.
Even in the palace, maids and attendants were being sent out for preparations, and priests began coming and going several times a day.
Of course, none of it really had anything to do with El.
So she simply thought, Oh, they’re holding a festival.
But then the emperor ordered her to attend.
All members of the imperial family were required.
There would even be a parade, so it was an event she had to take seriously.
El briefly considered going dressed like a beggar…
But that wouldn’t just disgrace the royal family—it would be spitting in her own face.
Her husband was already infamous as the “monster prince.”
If his wife showed up looking ridiculous too, what would people think?
“…I should choose a simple dress.”
“Good decision!”
Lari beamed brightly.
“Why are you so happy? Was the last one that bad?”
“No, you were beautiful, but the reaction wasn’t great…”
“That’s true.”
Or maybe she should just make women’s trousers instead of a dress?
El thought casually of something that would’ve horrified Lari—because she still had a modern mindset.
“But the emperor must’ve been shocked when he saw the expense report.”
“…”
“This time he gave you a very clear limit.”
“…Haha. You did spend a lot…”
El smiled proudly.
Once again, the emperor sent her a separate budget statement, listing how much she could spend on jewels, shoes, dresses, gloves, and more—separate from the Lily Palace funds.
“They say Madame Neria’s reputation dropped a lot after my last dress?”
“…That’s what I heard.”
“Was it because of the dress… or because of me?”
“…Uh… the dress?”
Lari mumbled uncertainly.
If it was because of El, she planned to call a different designer.
But this time, she wasn’t planning anything too unusual, so she hesitated.
“Let’s contact Madame Neria first.”
“Yes.”
If Neria refused, she could always find someone else.
El didn’t feel the need to insist.
Then suddenly she grew curious.
“What about my reputation?”
Lari’s mouth shut tightly like a clam.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“…Um… I’m always by your side, so what I hear is limited…”
“…Do invitations still come?”
“Yes. Fewer than before, but they do.”
El considered attending a noble tea party.
Her reputation was surely awful, but perhaps she needed to show her face once before the festival.
“Bring me the invitations.”
“Yes!”
* * *
She ignored anything below a count.
Among them, El examined an invitation from Duke Duvéger’s household, which had been arriving steadily once a week.
The head maid said the duke’s only daughter was shy and rarely appeared in high society.
“Then why invite me?”
“…I don’t know either.”
The invitation smelled of fine perfume, and it was handwritten.
Was she someone El had seen at the Second Prince’s birthday banquet?
She couldn’t remember.
If it were a duke’s family, El wouldn’t normally forget.
“Hm… shy, you said?”
“Yes. In fact… I heard she isn’t on good terms with Lady Robadin Sedel.”
“Really? Why?”
“Probably because of personality.”
“Personality?”
“Yes. Lady Sedel is bold and outspoken, while Lady Duvéger is timid and very aware of others’ opinions. They clash. And it’s said Lady Sedel led the bullying.”
El had thought there might be some scheme, but perhaps she was simply a pitiful duke’s daughter.
And honestly, Robadin had been unpleasant from the first impression.
Still, El set aside Duvéger’s invitation.
It was sad, but El wasn’t attending tea parties to make friends—only to make an appearance.
“Robadin…”
Excluding Duke Duvéger, only two marquis families remained: Tenero and Sedel.
But Tenero had only a young master, not a daughter.
That left only Sedel.
El scanned the rest and saw many familiar names—girls who had greeted her alongside Robadin.
Robadin’s influence in society seemed the strongest.
“Send a reply accepting Lady Robadin Sedel’s invitation.”
“Yes.”
After the maid left, El slumped into her chair.
Just thinking about seeing Robadin already made her tired.
* * *
“El, letters arrived from Lady Robadin and Madame Neria!”
Neria’s response was positive.
Even if her reputation had dropped slightly, she said inspiration she’d forgotten as a designer had come rushing back.
El wore the dress beautifully, so she wanted to try many new styles.
If El chose a date, she would visit soon.
“Hm…”
But El wasn’t planning anything too dramatic this time.
Wouldn’t she be crushing her expectations?
Still, it was convenient not to change designers.
Then she opened Robadin’s reply.
She had originally planned a small tea party, but since El was coming, would it be alright to expand the scale?
El frowned slightly.
“Tell Neria to bring her dress book within three days. And send Lady Robadin a positive reply.”
“Yes! But… will you bring Sundubu to the tea party?”
El wasn’t planning to.
She wouldn’t be able to pay attention to him, and she wanted to avoid standing out.
“I won’t.”
“Woof?!”
Sundubu, who had been sitting comfortably at her feet, instantly jumped up.
It was like he was saying, Why aren’t you taking me?
“Sometimes it really feels like Sundubu understands everything, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why aren’t you bringing him?”
“It’s not that important of an event.”
“Oh… I thought you would. Then what about the parade?”
“Then… I really can’t.”
“Right…”
Lari, kind-hearted enough to treat Sundubu warmly even when others ignored him as a useless animal, sighed repeatedly while petting him.
“Did you always like dogs, Lari?”
“Oh, no. I didn’t really…”
El asked because Lari had been kind from the start, but her answer was unexpected.
“At first, you had no energy… but I thought you improved because of Sundubu. I thought you needed him, so I treated him well.”
“…”
“But as time passed… he’s actually…”
“…”
“Cute, and smart, and gentle… It’s like… devotion? Since you were kind from the beginning, he wags his tail every time he sees you, like he can’t contain his happiness.”
Lari smiled.
“There isn’t even a person who likes me that much.”
She said that someday, when she left the palace, she might raise a dog too.
Even if it wasn’t as smart as Sundubu, she wanted something that would love her.
El thought:
Maybe this was the beginning of something small.
Not only Lari, but even the servants were becoming softer toward Sundubu.
“Hehe.”
“That’s such a lovestruck smile.”
“Yeah. I’m totally obsessed with Sundubu.”
“Woof!”
To El, who was used to the concept of pets, it was strange that this world could ignore something so adorable.
* * *
On the day of the tea party, El wore a dazzling water-colored dress.
The colors and embroidery followed the empire’s latest trends, but unlike her usual loose style, it was bold—showing her figure.
Madame Neria looked almost moved when she saw El dressed.
She exclaimed endlessly about how perfect it was.
It was as if El had become her muse.
