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CHAPTER 40……….
“To the Great Princess of Erebus. The three Ismenios sisters greet you.”
The sisters of Ares came to the reception room of the Persen Palace.
Lady Sinope, Marchioness of Asopos.
Lady Hippolyta, Countess of Otre.
And finally, Lady Trasa, Countess of Tereine.
They all really resembled Dracon and Ares.
‘Wow… everyone in this family is beautiful.’
Lady Sinope and the youngest, Lady Trasa, were carbon copies of Dracon.
The second daughter, Hippolyta, looked like Ares in personality—kind and gentle.
But if they were such elegant ladies, why was everyone so tense?
They didn’t seem to have bad personalities?
“It’s nice to see you again after the last festival.”
“Oh my, Your Highness…!”
“You’ve come all this way, please feel free to speak.”
That should be a polite enough greeting, right?
The three ladies’ eyes sparkled simultaneously at my response.
“We have a request we absolutely want to present to Your Highness.”
“We also asked His Highness Erebus, but he told us to follow the princess’s wishes.”
“May we please speak?”
When all three spoke at once, there was no room for silence.
I was briefly overwhelmed by their determination but quickly regained composure.
“Ah, yes. It’s okay to say what your request is.”
“Your Highness! We want to invite you to the boutique we support!”
When the eldest, Lady Sinope, spoke out loud, I heard Dracon and Ares groan behind me.
…But what exactly is a boutique?
“A boutique?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, Lete whispered quietly behind me.
“It’s a place where high-end clothes are bought and sold, Princess. Usually, we wear clothes made by the couturiers of the Haides Palace.”
“Oh, I see.”
I was glad I looked like a child.
In my past life, I was too poor, so such words were unfamiliar.
Lady Sinope, Marchioness of Asopos, smiled and explained eagerly.
“We have known the designer for a long time, and they recently opened a new boutique, Your Highness.”
“Oh.”
“They’ve prepared clothes for noble children this time!”
“So that’s why they want me to come?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
At that moment, Lete coughed quietly beside me.
It looked like her pride was slightly wounded.
“Ladies, I oversee the princess’s clothing.”
Then the three Ismenios sisters clutched their fans in surprise.
“Oh my, oh my! Everyone knows Lady Lete’s taste is the best in Tartarus!”
“The place we sponsor can’t compare to what Your Highness is wearing now.”
“But Lady Lete—”
Lady Trasa Tereine flashed her eyes and whispered.
“If it was just a place that sells pretty clothes, we wouldn’t propose it to the princess over Lady Lete!”
“…Madam, what do you mean?”
“Our dream is this!”
The three sisters joyfully exclaimed in unison.
“To create a place where young nobles can socialize!”
“Are you saying it’s a small social club?”
“That’s right!”
Then Dracon, who had been silently listening, interrupted.
“You expect me to believe you’re doing this for altruistic reasons? Ridiculous.”
“Hmph. As expected of older brother.”
“The truth is…”
“The children! We want to see them dressed prettily!”
The three ladies began to complain now.
“Before their debutante ball, we rarely see children dressed beautifully!”
“Princess, you’ve grown up so much already!”
“And at this time, you have to meet your peers early. For the sake of the social circle!”
Ugh, what a mess.
But their words made sense, so I nodded.
“You’re right. It would be good to see other children too.”
“Yes! Ah, actually, it would have been better if we’d started at the birthday festival.”
Lady Hippolyta, who answered me, covered her mouth with her fan, looking embarrassed.
“…Honestly, this birthday festival was a bit difficult.”
Kallion, standing in the corner of the room, had a blank expression.
His gaze was fixed on the floor.
The atmosphere at the birthday festival was objectively not good.
Even high-ranking nobles were sharp with hatred toward the Divine Realm.
‘So maybe that’s why the children didn’t talk to me easily.’
But we can’t keep living like this.
It’s time for me to take initiative.
I nodded to Lete and Minte.
“I… want to go out. I want to meet other children.”
And honestly, I was curious what a boutique really was.
Living in the temple, I had never once bought anything outside.
I always got caught by the paladins whenever I tried to escape.
‘And to meet kids my age.’
The thought that I wouldn’t just help unilaterally but grow up together with them made me a bit shy…
…and also a little excited.
‘Of course, I’m much older mentally, but still!’
Then the ladies excitedly answered with a storm of enthusiasm.
“Your Highness, thank you! You’ll definitely enjoy it!”
“This year’s trending color is periwinkle. It will surely suit you!”
“You! Mu! Jo! A!”
…Minte was already looking exhausted.
And Ares.
Pale and shocked, Ares was desperately trying to back away.
At that moment, Lady Sinope grabbed Ares in a hug.
On either side, Lady Hippolyta and Lady Trasa pinched his cheeks and made a fuss.
“Ugh, Ares! Have you been well!”
“Please, please let me go! Please, go away!”
“Our youngest! This bad attitude is so cu—!”
Three typhoons were blowing through the palace.
And amidst them, a little dragon was crying loudly.
I was so amazed, I wanted to clap my hands.
“Lete, is that family… always like that?”
“A bit… especially the three Ismenios sisters are quite famous.”
Lete sighed deeply.
“So much so that even Erebus advises traveling often.”
“…”
I lowered my head, holding back laughter.
Even the Demon King recommends ‘please don’t come.’
I smiled brightly at the Epicus sisters.
“Then let’s all go to Kore together!”
The Epicus sisters brightened at my smile.
However, Lete cautiously glanced toward Kallion.
“Hmm. But taking even Lady Alkione might be… a bit dangerous.”
“Ah…”
Kallion didn’t move at all.
He just kept his hands behind his back and maintained a faint smile.
Then Lady Sinope spoke gently.
“Lady Lete, don’t worry about that. There are many humans from the human kingdom in Kore.”
“But…”
“And there are human tailors working in the salon. So please don’t worry too much.”
I clapped my hands at that.
Perfect.
Lete pointed out parts I hadn’t considered, so there was no need to leave Kallion behind in the palace.
Excited, I grabbed the hands of Ares and Kallion each with one of mine.
“Ares, Kallion! Let’s go out together! The three of us, getting along!”
Then, the two who brightened up when I grabbed their hands suddenly frowned simultaneously.
They glanced at each other, then turned their heads away as if they had just eaten a sour fruit.
“Hmph.”
“Hah!”
“…Didn’t I say let’s get along and go?”
Oh gosh, I can’t even hit these two little brats on the back.
The capital of the Divine Realm, ‘Aiolos,’ in my memory, shone in white and blue.
Old Alkione palaces built on green hills.
And the terrible capital temple…
Compared to that, ‘Kore’ was dazzling in autumn colors and gold.
Kore was shaped like a five-pointed star, with the Erebus Palace at the center.
From the top going clockwise, triangular outer districts surrounded the center.
Leraje, Phenix, Sabnak, Veled, Seire.
Today, we were heading to the busiest and most glamorous district in the center.
I admired the streets from inside the carriage the whole time.
In the busy streets, not only demon tribes but also merchants from other kingdoms were bustling in and out.
“Wow…”
The shopping district I longed to roam so freely was this close.
And I wasn’t alone—I was out with people like family!
‘Hmm. But those two…’
Ares and Kallion sat across from me.
Whenever they got a little close, they recoiled and sat farther apart.
