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Chapter 46
What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that this time?
Celestine Simond getting engaged? And through romance, no less?
It sounded as absurd as a passing sparrow buying bread with coins while flying by.
Well… sparrows these days are pretty smart. Maybe it’s possible.
Celestine Simond—who had impossibly high standards and dumped every man who asked her out, always whining that no man in the world suited her—is dating?
Give me a break.
Well… if it’s someone from a top-tier family, ridiculously handsome, over 180 cm tall, kind, well-mannered, and completely devoted to her… then maybe it’s possible.
And a man like that doesn’t exist on this continent.
Finding someone like that would be harder than an ant beating a leopard in a race.
“They say they’ve been dating for about two years.”
“Pffft!”
I ended up spraying a mouthful of teal-colored drink straight out.
Two years ago? That was when Celestine didn’t even have a boyfriend. That was when she used to complain about why she couldn’t get one.
This makes no sense.
Something’s off.
I casually wiped the table with a handkerchief and pretended to look out the window again, maintaining an elegant façade. Warm sunlight streamed across the windowsill and greeted me. Suddenly, I wanted to be alone.
The noble ladies seated in front of me glanced at Ariel with disdain, covering their mouths with fans as they whispered.
“I can’t believe someone like that is in this café…”
“Exactly.”
“I wonder who her tutor is…”
“Judging by her behavior, is she even a noble…?”
“My mother said never to associate with ladies who lack dignity like that…”
…Girls, sorry, but I can hear everything.
I kept pretending to look outside, but I could hear every word.
Barely holding my composure, I suppressed the anger bubbling inside me.
What a nice day today.
In front of the fountain, sparrows chirped as they fought fiercely over spots—refusing to yield even an inch.
“Still, maybe she has her own circumstances?”
A pink-haired noblewoman glanced at me and smiled unpleasantly, her eyes narrowing.
The group soon moved on to another topic, though their disapproving gazes remained.
She’s the leader of the group.
“Oh! Did you see Lady Celestine and Lord Nox at the party?”
“You mean after the engagement announcement, when Lord Nox took Lady Celestine to the terrace?”
Before long, the conversation returned to Celestine.
“Ah… don’t they look perfect together? Angelic Lady Celestine and Lord Nox Hiat.”
“I realized that day how well silver-white hair and light brown hair go together.”
A curly-haired lady covered her mouth and smiled shyly, like girls sharing a secret.
“Oh, when she announced her relationship?”
“Yes, exactly then!”
“They were so sweet…”
One lady blushed, holding her cheeks.
“The way Lord Nox looked at Lady Celestine—I felt like I was drowning in honey.”
“Right? That gaze dripping with sweetness was real.”
“It’s undeniably true love.”
“Did you see how he politely brushed off that pot-bellied Marquis Evan when he approached her, then took her away?”
“Honestly… ah…”
They all wore dreamy expressions, like girls lost in fantasy.
“Did you see the dress Lady Celestine wore?”
“Of course!”
There was no way fashion-conscious ladies like them would have missed it.
“It looked like jewels scattered like starlight…”
“If Lady Arithea truly existed, wouldn’t she look like Lady Celestine?”
“Exactly! That sacred white hair and the flowing bluish dress—it matched the descriptions perfectly!”
“I even feel like Lady Celestine could open the Crystal Palace.”
“Well, the Crystal Palace was built for Lady Arithea…”
“That’s why there are so many rumors. Some say Edwil, the founding lord of the North, filled it with treasures…”
“But no one really knows. Since it was built, the doors have never opened for anyone—except on certain days.”
“And that’s where the rumor came from!”
“The one who opens the door becomes the palace’s master—that’s so romantic, isn’t it?”
After chatting about Celestine and the fairy-tale-like Arithea for a while, they exchanged subtle glances.
“But this year’s main figure is Lord Ian, isn’t it?”
“That basket at the memorial day event was such a bold fashion choice.”
“It’s an outfit people will talk about for ages.”
A blonde lady placed a small basket from her lap onto the table.
“Who would’ve thought something like that would become a trend in noble society?”
“Exactly. These days, every young lord carries a useless basket around.”
“Not just them—even we ladies carry one when we go out.”
“It’s actually convenient for small items.”
…Then just put those items in a bag.
Ariel stared at Ian with a deadpan expression.
Then a curly-haired brunette spoke up.
“But does it really suit everyone…?”
“Of course not. It suits Lord Ian because it’s him.”
The pink-haired lady now spoke dreamily.
“A perfectly fitted black suit with a cute white basket—an unimaginable combination for most.”
“When he brushes back his messy white hair and looks at the basket, his cold blue eyes soften slightly…”
“That smile wasn’t just polite—it was different.”
“Right… I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
“Kind eyes from Ian Cadelion…”
“Just imagining it makes my heart feel like it’s going to shatter.”
“Wait, you two actually saw that?”
The blonde lady tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Yes. We were lucky.”
“Ah… I want to see that too.”
“His eyes are unbelievably handsome!”
“What are you talking about? It’s his sharp nose—like it was sculpted by a god.”
“No, it’s his lips! Elegant and red—they make you feel strange just looking at them.”
The ladies, having long abandoned any talk of dignity, argued passionately with flushed cheeks as if deciding matters of national importance.
A sky-blue-haired lady snapped her fan shut.
“No! His eyes are the best! Those cold, piercing eyes!”
“His proportions are perfect!”
“And that high nose bridge—if you don’t appreciate it, are you even human?”
Then the brunette blushed shyly.
“Ah… I don’t know. He’s handsome everywhere… honestly, there’s nothing lacking.”
The others nodded enthusiastically.
It looked exactly like a fan meeting for a popular idol.
…His personality is lacking, though. But they wouldn’t know from afar.
And I wanted to point out one thing Ian was lacking.
Why doesn’t the rumor that everyone in the Cadelion family has a weird personality ever spread?
He has the terrible hobby of suddenly dropkicking cats walking down the street.
I frowned slightly, remembering how he’d kicked me while I was in cat form during training.
And he even punched a reading cat and told it to puff its cheeks…
Watching that ridiculously handsome man up close every day, I shook my head slightly while holding my teacup.
I’ll never understand the strange hobbies of tigers.
People really need to know this.
***
“Lord Ian, since you’re attending the assembly, shouldn’t you at least wear a jacket?”
“All four family heads will be present.”
Allen held out a formal jacket.
“There’s no need. It’s not like they’re above me.”
Ian smirked arrogantly as he removed his sleek black watch and handed it over.
“Nor am I beneath them.”
“Please wear it. At least once, you should appear properly dressed. Let’s maintain some decorum this time.”
Even if he took it off inside.
Allen swallowed those last words and played his trump card.
“Otherwise, I’ll inform Lady Ariel.”
“What?”
“That you can’t even properly wear a suit.”
Ian imagined Ariel’s reaction—her looking at him with a pitiful “I knew it” expression.
After a brief hesitation, he put the jacket on.
Allen immediately added:
“And fix your cravat. Or shall I tie it for you?”
Ignoring him, Ian strode toward the inner grounds of the Crystal Palace. Butterflies fluttered in the garden ahead.
A blonde man approached confidently.
“Oh? You’re dressed properly this time?”
His hair shone like autumn wheat, like sunlight itself.
“There’s a reason.”
Ian replied casually.
Lucas walked beside him, adjusting his own clothes.
“I heard you brought a cat. Why? Planning to eat it?”
“Then shouldn’t you also eat wolves?”
Ian raised an eyebrow.
“I’d be more likely to get eaten first.”
“….”
Behind them, Skal and Lucas stared at Allen as if questioning their hearing.
“Well, considering she makes Lord Ian serve as her dessert attendant, it’s entirely possible.”
Allen calmly flipped through his notes and handed Ian a document.
“…You’re all insane.”
“Mountain tigers were never normal. They’ve just gotten worse.”
Lucas and Skal exchanged absurd remarks.
Reaching the door, Ian took the document and stopped.
Allen placed Ian’s belongings onto a tray held by the head attendant.
The attendant took a deep breath and loudly announced:
“Lord Ian Cadelion, Master of the North and Guardian of Ice, accompanied by his aide Allen! Lord Lucas Serdihan, Master of the vast southern plains, accompanied by his aide Skal—entering!”
With that, the massive doors to the inner chamber of the Crystal Palace—accessible only to the four family heads—opened smoothly.
