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Chapter 13
Neither gold thread nor any jewel was needed. Rather, the neat and restrained dress only made Odellia’s face and bearing stand out all the more.
A single strand of white cotton veil draped over her pinned-up hair, and the cut of the dress flowing along her shoulders created a subtle tension rather than blatant exposure.
Among those laden with all manner of jewels and large feather ornaments, her debutante attire might have seemed rather modest and plain—but with her dignified gaze and upright posture, she captivated people’s attention.
“Is that woman really the Golden Lion hero from back then?”
“I thought it was utterly impossible, but well—judging by her appearance alone, it doesn’t seem entirely out of the question.”
“If only her age were a bit more……”
The men muttering nearby flinched and quickly fell silent when they noticed Kalix standing beside them. *Eek, did he hear us?*
Plain, yet impossible to look away from. Kalix stood still in that spot, gazing blankly at Odellia.
Odellia had no time to care about how others saw her. She repeatedly ran through the debutante greeting the Duchess had taught her, over and over in her head.
*Oh, damn it—I kept practicing in the corridor just now, but what was it again?*
The moment she turned her head slightly to sneak a glance at those ahead of her, her eyes met Kalix’s.
The tightness that had been pressing down on her chest quietly eased. As if a taut string had been loosened, her shoulders relaxed slightly, and her breath came in more smoothly. Just the fact that he was there—that alone was enough.
Odellia composed herself with surprising speed, even to her own surprise.
*’Do I look okay right now?’*
As if reading her mind, Kalix gave a slight nod. The faint smile at the corner of his mouth seemed indifferent at first glance, yet it was gentle. Brief as it was, it was more than enough.
Odellia then stepped forward and, more calmly and elegantly than anyone, bowed.
With one hand, she spread her fan as if in a dance, and with the other, she neatly lifted the hem of her dress, executing a perfect courtesy.
Every movement was even more natural than during practice. In that very moment, no one could regard her as a lady of no house.
Those who had expected to see Odellia make a fool of themselves looked thoroughly disappointed, while those who had taken an interest in her brightened with delight, as if she had exceeded their expectations.
—
***
A morning when the sunlight had just begun to take root.
Kalix sat by the window, holding a teacup. Amid the subtle fragrance of tea rising from the black cup, he quietly scanned the newspaper spread out on the table.
—
**[The Imperial Debutante’s Unprecedentedly Quiet Star, “Lady Odellia”]**
*Despite her modest attire, her neat and restrained movements overwhelmed the debutante ball—the one person who drew a smile from Her Majesty the Empress.*
—
Reading the lines as if reciting them, Kalix clearly repeated the name once more.
“Lady Odellia. A star, she says.”
Odellia, seated across from him, nearly choked. Because Kalix had so casually and calmly uttered her name, her cheeks flushed instantly.
“The journalist seems quite favorable.”
Odellia nodded silently and took a sip of tea. She could no longer tell whether the tea was hot or her face was.
Watching her, the Duchess smiled warmly and elegantly raised her teacup. The tea rippled at her fingertips, and a pleased smile spread across her face.
“I’m proud of you, Lady Odellia. Though there is still a long way to go. No need to announce to the whole neighborhood that you drank hot tea, though.”
As Odellia hung her head, Cedric stared at her with a strangely displeased expression. After glancing at Kalix across the table, he began stirring his jam spoon round and round in his teacup.
“A star, she says……. Since when did such epithets get attached so easily?”
The Duchess quickly turned her gaze to Cedric. But a gentle smile still lingered at the corner of her lips.
“Cedric, stirring your tea like that isn’t very gentlemanly.”
“……Yes, I understand.”
He stopped his hand with a small grumble, yet a hint of injustice remained on Cedric’s face. Noticing his inner feelings, the Duchess let out a soft chuckle.
At that moment, the door burst open and the butler entered, carrying a massive flower basket in his arms.
“From the young master of House Pedington.”
Startled, Odellia rose from her seat.
“Eh……? For me?”
As if that was the signal, maids began filing into the room in a line.
“From the young lord Derek of House Kyle.”
“A basket from the Viscount Beloa family.”
“From the Marquis of Esperon……”
The room was instantly dyed with flowers of every color. Lilies, roses, tulips, freesias—flowers of all seasons and origins filled the room, and Odellia, at a loss, floated her hands in the air and turned her head repeatedly.
“At this rate…… we could open a flower shop…….”
As she muttered in bewilderment, the Duchess laughed cheerfully.
“Then, who among them will you go on a date with?”
“Eh……? A date? Do I have to go on a date too?”
As Odellia asked back, dazed, the Duchess set down her cup, still smiling.
“All the flowers here can be seen as date invitations sent to you, Lady Odellia.”
Odellia just blinked her eyes, then suddenly turned her gaze and slowly looked around the room.
*’Who should I date, she says……?’*
How on earth was she supposed to choose among all these? She didn’t even properly know their faces yet. If she had to go on a date with someone…….
As she stared blankly at the flowers filling every corner for a moment, she soon realized—unconsciously—that her gaze had stopped on Kalix.
His neat profile, his pensive eyes, and his gaze that seemed fixed on her.
As if he had been waiting, his gaze met Odellia’s eyes quietly and clearly. In that instant, that single line of his gaze shook Odellia’s heart more than the countless flowers piled up around her.
“Lady Odellia?”
“Ah…….”
At the Duchess’s call, Odellia started and quickly averted her gaze, picking up whichever flower her hand happened to touch.
At that, the butler beside her approached politely, took out a small item from the basket, and handed it to Odellia.
“A card.”
What touched Odellia’s hand was a single card with neat silver lettering.
—
**[Baymond Saelum]**
—
Looking at the card, Odellia murmured the name very softly, carefully.
“Baymond…… Saelum.”
The petals of the red rose she had absentmindedly picked were very soft. But neither the weight of the card, nor the name written on it, nor the fragrance of the flower in her hand lingered much in her heart.
Like the sensation left in her hand, she couldn’t shake the feeling that his gaze still lingered on one side of her heart. This strange feeling that arose whenever she saw him—what on earth was it……?
Whether he knew of Odellia’s feelings or not, Kalix set down his teacup and spoke.
“Your date partner is decided.”
He said it so calmly and nonchalantly that Odellia, for no reason, traced the stem of the rose and suddenly let out a soft groan.
“Ah—!”
“Odellia?”
“……I’m sorry, a thorn…….”
A thorn that hadn’t been fully removed pricked the tip of Odellia’s finger. A drop of red blood began to form, then started trickling down her finger.
The butler quickly left to fetch bandages and ointment, and Cedric came over and began wiping the blood from Odellia’s finger with a white napkin.
“Of all the flowers to pick, you had to pick that rose.”
“……Don’t make such a fuss.”
“No fuss! Hey, it’s deep. Keep applying pressure.”
Cedric made a big fuss, but Odellia truly didn’t feel any pain in her finger. The strange thing was—her finger had been pricked by the thorn, so why did her chest feel so tight?
Just then, Kalix’s brow furrowed slightly. Slowly rising from his seat, he took the medicine box from the butler who had just returned and approached Odellia.
“It would be best to check whether the thorn is still embedded, Cedric.”
“Ah……. Your Highness the Crown Prince…….”
Cedric flinched for some reason, then with a hesitant look, handed Odellia’s hand over to Kalix.
There was an emotion in Cedric’s voice that he hadn’t fully concealed. Kalix, receiving that hand, said nothing in particular, but his gaze was rather deep.
Examining Odellia’s finger, Kalix gently held the back of her hand, carefully wiped the wound, applied medicine, and wrapped it with a bandage.
All his movements were quiet and restrained, making the silence in the room all the more pronounced.
The Duchess, who had been quietly watching the scene, still held her teacup, forgetting that it was growing cold. She then murmured softly, as if to herself.
“At this late age, I get to see such an interesting sight…… My, my.”
