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Chapter 11
Clatter, clatter—
With the sound of horse hooves, a carriage bearing the Drenihan crest headed toward the city.
[The unbelievable incident at the Drenihan family. A banquet that almost became a tragedy! Lady Sierra still hovering between life and death?]
What a sensational headline. I’ve been awake for ages already.
Inside the carriage, I read the newspaper with an indifferent expression.
The incident where the main guest nearly died at the banquet celebrating the awakening of the Drenihan family’s young lady was featured on the front page of the Imperial Newspaper like something out of a novel.
Even though the incident had happened a week ago, it was still attracting public attention…
[The stain on the Carsian Grand Ducal House, the true identity of Young Master Ludwig.]
Because the discussion wasn’t only about me.
Ludwig rarely appeared in high society, so rumors had even spread that he might have a severe complex about his appearance.
After unexpectedly revealing himself and even using the power of the Evil Dragon that he had kept hidden, people’s interest doubled.
Stories about his unreal beauty—so perfect it seemed the gods had personally crafted him—spread everywhere.
There had already been a few rumors after my birthday banquet, but this time there had been many witnesses, so the result was only natural.
“Do you think the Young Master is increasing his public appearances because he’s looking for a fiancée?”
Nella asked while knitting across from me.
“That’s what people are saying.”
Even families close to the Grand Ducal House had never seriously proposed marriage talks with Ludwig.
People saw him less as the heir of the Carsian Grand Ducal House and more as the illegitimate son of a foreign woman descended from the Evil Dragon. Despite being of marriageable age, not a single proposal had ever been exchanged.
Perhaps people had imagined Ludwig as some kind of monster from a legend.
And because the Carsian Grand Ducal House never responded to the malicious rumors surrounding him, most people treated them as fact.
The Council of Elders currently controls the Carsian Grand Ducal House, and they don’t want Ludwig to become the family head… so the more his reputation suffers, the better for them.
Meanwhile, Ludwig was probably beginning to show his claws and preparing to turn the family upside down.
This was only the beginning.
The starting point for pressuring the elders and taking control of the family’s power.
From that perspective, the incident at Drenihan had helped restore his damaged reputation considerably.
He wasn’t the monster covered in scales that the rumors described.
In fact, he had even proven that the power of the Evil Dragon could save lives.
The more people talked about that heroic story, the more beneficial it would be for him.
And if he entered a banquet with me as his partner, it would mark a smooth beginning toward his ambitions.
Whether Ludwig seeing me as useful would be a benefit or a disadvantage for me, I still didn’t know.
I’ll find out after the banquet.
My priority was finding a clue that could prevent Ludwig from going berserk in the future and slaughtering the protagonists.
In the original story, it was said that he killed those blessed by Terium because of the Evil Dragon’s instincts.
Arzen already possesses the blessing, and Father will inherit it once he becomes the family head.
Whether it was the original story or not didn’t matter.
The lives of my precious people were at stake.
I had to find a way to stop his future rampage.
If only I could remember the entire original story. Then I might at least find a clue.
The memories still came back only in fragments, like pieces of a broken puzzle.
I pressed my forehead and let out a shallow sigh.
Seeing me like that, Nella asked worriedly,
“Miss, you couldn’t sleep well last night either. Are you sure it’s alright for you to be out today?”
“I’m fine.”
I forced a smile and set the newspaper aside.
“More importantly, this is my first time attending a banquet as someone’s partner…”
Just like Ludwig, I was approaching marriageable age without receiving a single proposal.
After all, who would propose to a young lady suffering from an incurable illness that would kill her in her early twenties?
If partners were extremely close, such as fiancés, they sometimes matched their outfits.
Usually, however, each person simply wore the formal clothes they had prepared.
Ludwig hadn’t given me any specific instructions, so he had probably left the choice to me.
Still, I would be attending as the partner of the heir to the Carsian Grand Ducal House.
Matching the family’s symbolic colors would be the polite thing to do.
“We’ve arrived, Miss.”
After stepping out of the carriage in the center of the city, I entered the largest and most luxurious salon on the street.
Ding—
As a clear bell rang, a woman with her hair elegantly pinned up approached with a bright smile.
“My, welcome. Lady Sierra. We’ve been expecting you.”
It was Madame Cadil, owner of the Cadil Salon, the dream destination of noble ladies and currently the most popular salon in the Empire.
Normally the salon was so crowded that people could barely move.
But today, there was no one here except me.
When I mentioned I was having a dress made, Father had rented out the entire salon.
A daughter who normally showed no interest in luxury was finally ordering a dress, so Father must have wanted to make it special.
I never expected him to rent the entire place.
“Your father has already ordered several dresses for you. The staff have been busier than ever.”
Madame Cadil spoke cheerfully.
Just how much wealth did it take to keep the famous Cadil Salon busy?
There was a reason my sense of money had become completely numb.
“Besides those, I’d like to order a banquet dress.”
“Do you have a particular style in mind?”
Normally I would have asked for something simple and elegant.
But not this time.
“A dress that combines red and black.”
A trace of surprise flashed across Madame’s face.
Still, maintaining her professional smile, she showed me several designs.
“How about this one? Just imagining it, I think it would be beautiful. Though someone as lovely as you would shine in any dress, Miss.”
The design she showed me featured layered front and back skirts decorated with lace.
It was a popular style and perfect for combining two colors.
“If you don’t like it, I can show you another design—”
“No, I’ll take this one. I like the design.”
“I’m glad you like it. Then we’ll prepare it immediately!”
***
After Sierra left the salon, Madame Cadil fell into thought.
Black and red.
Those were the symbolic colors of the Carsian Grand Ducal House.
As she took out the salon’s finest fabrics, she remembered a rumor that had recently spread through society.
That perhaps the reason the heir of Carsian had started appearing in public was because he was looking for a future bride.
The young ladies who had actually seen Ludwig’s face had even begun imagining that they themselves might be the chosen one.
Could those rumors have been partly true?
“Society might be turned upside down in a few days.”
Sierra was almost as reclusive as Ludwig.
She had even missed her debutante, the moment every noble young lady dreamed of and looked forward to all her life.
Of course, her illness had been so severe at the time that she had no choice.
Sierra, who seemed to have everything yet lived quietly because of her poor health, had changed recently.
Even today, aside from being slightly pale, she looked healthy and carried herself with remarkable elegance.
Sierra had always been beautiful.
But now that she looked far healthier than before, her beauty was dazzling enough to make people stare.
Whenever people mentioned the princess of the Drenihan Ducal House, they usually thought of Zeria, the daughter of the second son, Arzen.
Unlike her cousin Sierra, she was energetic, healthy, and vibrant.
Known as the flower of high society, she had spent her years studying at the Imperial Academy while living a life constantly compared to Sierra’s.
Having graduated a few days ago, she seemed ready to make a grand return to society.
Just yesterday she had visited the salon and ordered several dresses.
“Are those for the Carsian banquet?”
“That’s right. Since it’s my first banquet in a long time, I’ll wear the most dazzling dress there. Enough to make the Young Master of Carsian fall completely for me.”
Zeria had looked overflowing with confidence.
She wore an arrogant smile, as though winning over the famous Young Master would be effortless.
Her radiant beauty had drawn everyone’s attention in the salon.
Madame herself had wholeheartedly agreed at the time.
But…
After seeing Lady Sierra today, perhaps Lady Zeria won’t be the star of that day after all.
Not only had Sierra already been chosen as the Grand Duke’s partner, but she was even more beautiful than when Madame had last seen her months ago.
Unlike Zeria’s proud confidence, Sierra carried a calm elegance that seemed noble in its own way.
Though she wouldn’t be attending the banquet herself, Madame could already imagine how many people would be shocked when Sierra appeared in a graceful black swan-like dress.
“I’ll have to put more than effort into this. I’ll have to stake everything on it.”
A dress worthy of being called the Dress of the Year.
Humming happily to herself, Madame headed toward her workshop.
