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“Oh my, I didn’t know Duke Deneuve had brothers too!”
The young ladies’ attitudes changed in an instant when they spotted the two men.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Misha Repair of the Repair Count family.”
Misha lifted her dress slightly, then lowered it again in a graceful curtsy. The other young ladies followed suit and greeted them as well. Gone was the haughty, confrontational attitude from moments ago—now they were as meek as lambs.
‘If I’d known they were from House Deneuve, I wouldn’t have messed with them. Why were they hiding their identity, walking around like some no-name viscount’s sons?’
After the graduation ceremony, she had come to find her and said just that. All the unpleasant rumors that had followed Retina during her academy years had originated from Misha. She was also the one who spread gossip that Retina had neglected her noblewomanly duties because she hadn’t made her debut in high society.
Ironically, Retina hadn’t cared in the slightest. She had no intention of making friends at the academy nor entering the social scene, so Misha’s efforts had no real effect on her.
Seeing Misha’s unchanged behavior, Retina actually felt reassured. People like her were easy to deal with—because Retina possessed everything Misha lacked and longed for.
“Sart, Haint. Let’s go.”
“H-huh?”
“Haint. Brother. Why are you just standing there? You promised to be my escort for the day.”
Retina raised her right hand in a dignified gesture, lowering her gaze to a perfect 45-degree angle. She even struck the elegant pose of raising her index and pinky fingers, not missing a single flourish.
Haint was startled at first, but quickly caught on to Retina’s intentions. Playing the gentleman, he took her hand and moved aside with her. Sart, behind them, sighed in exasperation but followed quietly. He trusted that his little sister always had a reason for what she did.
“Should I make sure she never sets foot in society again?”
That was a separate matter—but irritating things were irritating nonetheless. Sart had always tolerated Misha even though he knew she was the source of the rumors. Only because Retina didn’t want him to interfere. But if someone insignificant as dust ever obstructed Retina’s path…
“It’s fine. She’s not even worth dealing with.”
“A small spark can become a wildfire. It’s best to snuff out a problem at its root.”
“Don’t you think cutting it off before she’s even done any harm is a bit excessive?”
“Our little sister is too kind for her own good.”
The killing intent in Sart’s eyes softened. He worried that someone so soft-hearted wouldn’t survive the ruthless social scene. For Retina’s sake, he was prepared to do anything.
‘I just saved a life.’
But while Sart worried about others, Retina was worried about them. She had learned from experience that normal reasoning didn’t work on her brothers.
‘Just remembering the time in Hedden…’
The memory made a cold sweat run down her back. When she and their mother lived in the small town of Hedden, her brothers would visit during every academy break. Trouble followed daily.
One day, a boy had thrown dirt at her while playing, so they buried him up to his neck in a hill for half a day. Another time, because someone had scared her with a bug, they released a nest of poisonous spiders in front of his house. Their bizarre “revenge” schemes caused the townsfolk to visit their house almost daily to complain.
If her brothers hadn’t been elite students of the empire’s top school, Evelynte Academy, and sons of a duke, they’d have been thrown in jail long ago.
Even her friends in Hedden avoided her during those breaks, so she ended up with no playmates. Eventually, under pressure from the townsfolk, she moved to another village when she was only nine.
‘Maybe part of the reason I like being alone is because of my brothers.’
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Retina’s forehead. She knew her father had sent her brothers to escort her to make her face known to potential suitors after her debutante ball.
But despite her efforts to return to the ballroom, her brothers flanked her like guard dogs, glaring at any young man who dared glance her way. It drew attention, but no one dared approach.
‘Might as well hang a sign saying “No marriage prospects allowed.”’
Retina sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, taking a sip of champagne to wet her throat. She liked that random men didn’t hit on her at these parties, but being stuck beside her brothers was mentally exhausting.
“Lord Sart Deneuve, Lord Haint Deneuve.”
“Lady Sarmatina. We meet again, just like at the last party.”
“And who is this young lady? Will you introduce us?”
The woman called Sarmatina smiled gently at Retina. Retina glanced at her briefly with a disinterested, curt expression, then turned her head sharply away.
‘I can see right through you pretending to be interested when you’re not.’
The only people who talked to her were girls trying to get closer to the famous Deneuve twins. She had no intention of being anyone’s conversation fodder.
‘Ah, what a cursed life.’
Hiding behind Haint’s broad back, Retina lightly tapped her sore thighs. Standing for hours in this elaborate dress was exhausting.
‘Just a little longer, then I’ll slip out before the crown prince arrives.’
Despite his declaration to “find Cinderella” tonight, the crown prince still hadn’t shown up.
“Sart, did they say when the crown prince will arrive?”
“Herald? Why? Does our little princess want to be his Cinderella?”
“N-no.”
Before he gets here, I’m running away.
She swallowed the words and averted Sart’s gaze. Judging from his reaction, it would be disastrous if anyone realized she was Cinderella.
“I’m just curious about who it might be. Haha.”
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. Oh right, she was wearing a wig. She quickly adjusted it so her real hair wouldn’t peek out.
“You’re curious about Herald’s Cinderella? Our princess who never cares about anything? Did another princess catch your attention?”
What the hell is he talking about? Retina’s face briefly showed disgust before she forced a smile. She almost gagged. She literally felt nauseous.
“Don’t be ridiculous…”
She started to jab Haint’s side with her elbow, but froze. Her gaze had fixed on something.
“Speak of the devil, and the devil appears,” Haint muttered, straightening his back.
The person who entered the hall, drawing everyone’s gaze, was Crown Prince Herald Luddenheim.
“His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Herald Luddenheim, has arrived.”
As he moved through the crowd, people greeted him from all sides. He was approaching quickly. Retina jumped to her feet awkwardly.
‘Run. Run now.’
Her heart pounded even though she hadn’t been found out yet. This was her first time facing him since that night, and she couldn’t tell what exactly was making her nervous.
“Where do you think you’re going? You said you wanted to see who his Cinderella is. If you want to see, you’ll have to stay put.”
“Uh, actually, I don’t really need to kn—”
“Sart, Haint. So this is where you were.”
Retina tried to slip away, but Herald moved faster, cutting through the crowd like a knife. Spotting the Deneuve twins from afar, he came straight toward them.
“You’re not usually in the main hall.”
“Well, that’s…”
Sart grabbed Retina and pulled her forward from behind him. She resisted desperately but couldn’t overpower him, and was dragged right in front of the crown prince.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Retina Cecelica.”
Not really their first meeting, but Retina lowered her eyes and curtsied. She couldn’t meet his gaze directly—too many guilty memories.
“Cecelica?”
“She’s my half-sister, so she uses a different surname. She’s our youngest.”
Sart stood beside Retina as she floundered under the prince’s gaze.
“The little princess I told you about,” Sart said.
Haint stood on her other side and ruffled her hair playfully.
She clutched her wig, terrified it would slip. Even though she believed he wouldn’t recognize her, she couldn’t relax.
“Ah, yes. I’ve heard stories, but it’s my first time meeting you in person, Lady Cecelica.”
Herald understood immediately who she was when Sart mentioned “little princess.” But why did he look so startled when he saw her?
Retina bowed her head again and exhaled in relief. Luckily, he didn’t seem to recognize her—just mildly displeased.
‘Looks like he doesn’t remember my face.’
She glanced sideways at his profile and let out a small sigh. Maybe she could relax a bit.
She stepped back from the group. Soon, people would crowd around them.
‘His face and body are still ridiculously good… No, what am I thinking?’
She shook her head to chase away the thought. Life in the capital hadn’t given her a single day of peace. She wanted to finish her debutante season and retreat to a quiet rural village.
Turning away from the three who had forgotten her presence, Retina decided it was time to leave. Her feet hurt in the stiff shoes, her heels rubbed raw.
“Wait.”
Someone grabbed her just as she was about to slip away.
“Lady Cecelica?”
It was the one person she most wanted to avoid.
