IPTD 37

Chapter 37

Jackpot. A ball?!

‘Wow, this really feels like a romance fantasy novel.’

Well, it is a romance fantasy novel. Anyway!

At the rare mention of such an exciting topic, I snapped my eyes open and looked at the young ladies before me.

Each of the beautiful ladies was showing off her own unique charm.

First, Lady Lillian.

With her clear green eyes and platinum-blonde hair, she was like a pure white lily in human form.

Next, Lady Julie.

With her curly brown hair and adorable freckles, she was a cute beauty who reminded me of a poodle puppy!

And then, Lady Serena.

With slightly upturned eyes, cherry-like petite lips, and above all, a strikingly curvaceous figure—she was the sexy type.

And to top it all off, the finishing touch so stunning it was almost painful to call her merely pretty—Katarina!

I thought the spring festival was the ultimate grand event.

‘What a windfall.’

Coming out with Katarina was truly the best decision ever!

It felt like my eyes had been opened in an instant.

‘If this is what high society is like… I might want to socialize forever.’

Hahaha! The tea goes down so smoothly!

A tea party with beauties is the best!

Smiling unconsciously like some middle-aged man in my swelling satisfaction, I barely regained my senses at the response that came back to me.

“Lady Rene, you may not have had many chances to experience it, but during the social season in the capital, there are countless banquets, both large and small.”

“Oh my, come to think of it, Your Grace the Grand Duchess hasn’t had her debutante yet, has she? I don’t recall seeing you at any balls.”

After Katarina’s gentle reply, Julie asked with wide, curious eyes.

I tilted my head slightly.

‘Oh… come to think of it. Did I even have a debutante?’

Since I had no information about this body, cold sweat trickled down my back.

Trying to change the subject as naturally as possible, I brought up a more interesting word instead.

“Yes, I haven’t yet… um, well, anyway. A debutante! Have you all actually had yours?”

Eeeek—this is so romance-fantasy-coded!

I barely restrained myself from fangirling and asked with sparkling eyes.

“Y-yes. As we mentioned before, we had our debutantes together. That’s how we became friends.”

Julie blinked rapidly as she answered, as if slightly startled.

I could vividly imagine the beauties making their debut, even younger than they were now.

I should have been there!

I should have witnessed those adorable ladies’ dazzling debuts with my own eyes!

I felt like biting a handkerchief in frustration.

“Haah… It will remain my lifelong regret that I wasn’t there. If I had been, I would have asked each of you for the first dance.”

“Oh my… Your Grace certainly knows how to joke!”

A joke?

At my serious expression, Lillian—who had been giggling softly—gradually stiffened.

Her face seemed to ask, You’re not serious, are you? I nodded solemnly.

“I’m not joking. Why aren’t young ladies allowed to dance with one another? Beauty knows no gender… In any case, I truly wish I could have been there. You’re all so beautiful now—how lovely must you have been at your debutantes?”

A weak, uncontrollable chuckle slipped out again.

I lowered my head and covered my mouth to hide the twitching corners of my lips.

I was afraid I might look like some kind of creep.

But then…

“……”

“……”

“……”

Had I made an even stranger face trying to suppress my laughter?

The table fell into silence as the ladies stared blankly.

‘W-what?’

The sudden awkward atmosphere triggered my inner clown instinct—I had to do something.

“S-so, shall we talk more about balls? I’m curious about the most recent ones you attended. Was it in the capital, perhaps?!”

Hey! Why do I sound like that?

My tone was so awkward I wanted to question myself, but thankfully, the ladies—whose hearts were as generous as their beauty—smoothly changed the topic.

I secretly swallowed a sigh and listened carefully to their stories.

“Social season usually begins in spring, so there haven’t been any major banquets recently.”

“I see…”

Well, that made sense. I had possessed this body in the dead of winter.

No wonder I hadn’t attended any banquets yet.

With the status of Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, we should have been invited everywhere.

‘Does that mean I’ll finally get to attend one soon?! It’s completely spring now!’

My heart fluttered with excitement.

Of course, it would only be possible with the Grand Duke’s permission.

‘But that stingy man… would he even let me go?’

The sudden thought made my mood plummet.

Ugh, just thinking about him makes me angry.

Come to think of it, even when I wanted to go to the spring festival, he practically trembled with fury whenever I tried to leave the grand ducal estate.

Even today!

Wasn’t he the kind of person who nitpicked and sneered at me over something as simple as going out?

‘If I said I wanted to attend a ball, he’d probably flip out.’

Just thinking about him made indignation surge in my chest.

‘Hmph! Forget it. Why am I thinking about that jerk? I came out to lift my mood.’

I was just pressing my lips together to hide my pout when—

“The last event we all attended together was… probably His Highness the Second Prince’s birthday banquet, wasn’t it?”

Serena began, fluttering her long lashes.

“That’s right. It was held at the imperial palace late last autumn.”

“It was magnificent! The imperial banquet hall is truly splendid.”

“Your Grace, have you never been invited to a palace banquet?”

The ladies chimed in like chirping skylarks.

Growing pleased again, I nodded generously.

Everything they said was fascinating!

“The imperial palace?! What’s it like? Is it covered entirely in gold or something?”

“Oh my! Exactly.”

“Huh? Seriously?”

I’d just thrown that out there as a joke—was it actually true?!

As I gaped in shock, Julie giggled at my reaction and explained.

“It was already decorated entirely in the finest marble, but for the Second Prince’s birthday banquet, it was even more magnificent. From the main pillars to the tableware, everything was adorned in golden hues that matched His Highness’s hair.”

“I heard it was all real gold.”

“It was meant to display the power of the Rembrandt Empire.”

“And above all, the one who shone the brightest that day was…”

The ladies’ cheeks flushed just from recalling it.

Sensing something, I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Then I casually tossed some bait to the most dreamy-looking among them—Julie.

“So there was someone who shone even brighter than all that grandeur? I wonder who it was—the lucky person who stole Julie’s heart?”

“Oh my! N-no! Absolutely not!”

“Was it perhaps the star of the event? Hehe. Golden hair… It would suit you well, Julie.”

I teased her playfully as her face turned tomato red.

Struck right on the mark, Julie nearly sprang to her feet.

“M-my, my, my goodness. I would never think such a thing… His Highness the Second Prince hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet!”

“But he’s handsome, right?”

“!”

Oh? I’d only guessed—but I must’ve been right.

Julie’s face looked like it might burst into flames.

‘Hehe. What a picture-perfect pair.’

The shy girl before me was utterly adorable.

Well, in a romance fantasy, isn’t a prince’s dazzling appearance practically a requirement?

The girls’ talk that started with the ball was far more entertaining than I’d expected.

“How lovely. Young maidens in love~”

Ah, youth~ hahaha!

I suppressed the urge to laugh loudly, only letting the corners of my lips twitch.

Is this because I’m technically a married woman here?

Who knew gossiping about someone else’s romance—something I never cared about before—would be this fun?

‘And the Second Prince? Does that mean there’s also a Crown Prince?’

This is peak romance fantasy!

One of them has to be the true male lead.

‘I’d love to see their faces someday~’

Beauty transcends gender, era, and culture. Absolutely.

I was thinking this idly, without any deeper meaning, when—

“That’s not it!”

At that moment, as if she had made up her mind about something, Julie suddenly jumped to her feet and shouted.