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Chapter 30
The First Prince’s Birthday Celebration ④
At that moment, a cheerful, clear voice rang out:
“Hey, Lilybell!”
I looked up and immediately saw Roland standing not far away. His bright red hair shimmered in the light of the glittering chandelier.
He waved one hand broadly in my direction.
“Come over here!”
He didn’t care about the pretentious airs of the other nobles—he looked at me with the innocent warmth of an older brother calling for his little sister.
I couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, it was reassuring.
I lifted the hem of my dress slightly and glanced at Keith. He nodded silently and adjusted his pace to walk alongside me.
“Good evening, Brother Roland,” I greeted.
“Ah, Lilybell. How have you been? Mother is here with me tonight as well.”
As I approached Roland, there was a woman standing beside him, her expression a picture of refined grace.
Queen Marguerite, with her red hair loosely gathered, wore a dress of soft, gentle hues, radiating a quiet elegance befitting royalty.
Flustered, I hurriedly lifted the hem of my skirt and bowed.
“Your Majesty, Marguerite. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Lilybell.”
It was the first time we met properly face-to-face. My voice shook slightly with nervousness, but Marguerite smiled gently.
“Good evening, Princess Lilybell. I’m sorry we haven’t had the chance to meet you or Prince Luke more often.”
Her voice was astonishingly kind. Yet behind that expression, I sensed a faint trace of fatigue and pain. The fragile shadow I had seen in my dreams seemed to overlap, though her complexion looked much better than during the tea gathering.
Queen Marguerite gave me a soft smile.
“Princess Lilybell… thank you so much for everything this time.”
“Eh…?”
I blurted out an absent-minded sound. Marguerite continued quietly as I stood there, flustered.
“Thanks to you, my health is gradually improving. Eating has become much easier than before.”
Her voice was soft, yet the gratitude was directed clearly at me. Roland grinned mischievously in my direction.
“See? Mother’s completely better now, right? It’s all thanks to you, Lilybell.”
My face flared with heat at his words of thanks.
“The rice flour you arranged—wasn’t that it? Thanks to that, Mother can enjoy baked goods again. Truly, thank you.”
“Oh, that was… something Keith also advised me on…”
I couldn’t have obtained rice flour or found a distribution route on my own. Keith had solved everything. Thinking this, I glanced at him, and as expected, his expression remained unchanged.
“Everything was Princess Lilybell’s idea.”
“B-But, it was Keith who—!”
“Haha! Thank you, both of you!”
Seeing us both insist on giving each other credit, Roland laughed heartily. He seemed even more solidly built than the last time I saw him. His arms looked especially strong.
(Could it be… that muscle diet he mentioned worked in such a short time? What kind of training did he do?)
I marveled once again at his physique.
Our exchange had apparently caught the attention of others, as a ripple of murmurs spread through a corner of the hall.
All eyes turned toward me again.
The First Princess, who had hardly ever been noticed until now, was now receiving clear words of gratitude from a queen.
“Lilybell…?”
“No way, is that…?”
“The First Princess… thanking the Second Queen…?”
I caught the nobles sneaking glances at me, and my face twitched with tension.
Princess Marguerite smiled gently at me again.
“If you ever have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to consult me.”
“…Yes! Thank you very much!”
I narrowed my eyes and bowed deeply.
It had been so long since someone had offered me such protection. I had heard that Queen Marguerite was calm and modest, but experiencing her gentle intelligence firsthand warmed my heart.
(I wonder… has something changed now?)
I hoped that her fate had changed and that she was headed for a happy ending.
As more guests came to greet Roland and Marguerite, I quietly stepped aside. I let out a small sigh.
My first evening party… I was a little exhausted.
The waves of people, the dazzling atmosphere… I had consciously tried to carry myself with dignity, but my body had its own limits.
“Princess Lilybell, shall we get some fresh air?”
Keith spoke, indicating the balcony. I must have looked exhausted enough for him to notice.
I quietly signaled to Keith and said softly,
“Thank you. Let’s do that.”
“Very well, then.”
Just as Keith nodded, a small movement caught the corner of my eye.
—Faltering.
I turned and saw Lady Efa swaying unsteadily before collapsing to the floor.
The nobles around her murmured in surprise, but no one immediately stepped forward. In such a formal setting, it was probably considered improper to intervene rashly.
“Lady Efa!”
I instinctively ran to her. I couldn’t just stand by while someone was in distress—there had to be something I could do.
Her face was pale, and her breathing shallow. I quickly supported her shoulders, and she looked up at me in surprise.
“…Lilybell…?”
Her voice was weak. I held her trembling body with all my strength.
“Don’t push yourself. Let’s get you resting right away.”
She nodded faintly.
“Efa, lean on me here.”
Keith, with practiced ease, supported Efa and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
“Princess Lilybell, please excuse us for leaving early.”
“Y-Yes…! That’s completely fine! I hope you feel better soon, Lady Efa.”
With a quiet nod, Keith excused himself and left the noisy ballroom, carrying Efa safely with him.
