Chapter 3

After many twists and turns, Eveline finished getting dressed up and was led by Julie into the King’s presence. The King examined her as though selecting merchandise, but Eveline did not reveal any emotion.

“How does Airin usually spend her time?”

The King did not even properly know his own daughter’s name, but no one present pointed out that fact. Julie had apparently not expected to face the King directly, and answered carefully with obvious tension on her face.

“She mostly spends her time blankly staying in her room, but sometimes she goes on walks without deciding on a destination.”

“She is fairly quiet, then. She has not caused any particular trouble, has she?”

“…Her eating habits are a little poor.”

“Does she gobble things down like a beast?”

As though imagining the sight, the King frowned slightly. Perhaps feeling that as a rebuke directed at herself, Julie quickly made an excuse.

“It’s not that. She has a small appetite and is picky about food. If I urge her more because I am worried for her health, she becomes somewhat violent.”

“Violent, you say?”

“Overturning plates, for example….”

“Ah, if it’s only that much, then that’s acceptable.”

Cutting off her words, the King spoke as though it were nothing.

While the King and Julie exchanged questions and answers, despite the vacant look on her face, Eveline’s mind was turning busily.

‘He’s not the sort of an affectionate father who would ask such things out of the blue, so what is he plotting?’

Eveline tried to grasp more of what scheme the King had in mind, but events moved too quickly for her to have the chance. She ended up being escorted to the banquet hall by an attendant. It was an escort only in form; in truth, the intent was to prevent her from making any sudden moves beforehand.

The nobles had already arrived in the banquet hall. By coincidence, she was the first among the royal family to enter the hall.

When her name was announced, the nobles looked Eveline over with curious eyes. Because even her coming-of-age ceremony had been held modestly with only a Priest invited, this occasion was in effect the same as her social debut.

The nobles showed a vulgar sort of interest in what kind of person the foolish Princess they had only heard about in rumors really was. But the attendant, following his prior instructions, led her to her seat and sat her down. Those who had hoped that Eveline might cause some grand disturbance and provide them with a small amusement looked deflated when they saw her sitting still like a doll.

Soon, when Eveline’s other siblings and the royal couple appeared in the banquet hall, what little attention remained on her was extinguished entirely.

“Do not mind me, and enjoy the party.”

When the King gave a grand order to the conductor to begin the music, beautiful melodies flowed through the party hall. Eveline’s other siblings spent their time surrounded by nobles who supported them, and the unmarried women, who had already received instructions from their parents in advance, busily darted their eyes around in search of Allen.

The young men also wanted to become acquainted with Allen, but Allen, standing with his back against a pillar in one corner of the ballroom, gave off an atmosphere that made it difficult to approach him. Among the nobles dressed in splendid clothes, he alone was clad in a black suit.

Even to Eveline, who was observing the people while feigning a blank expression, he stood out. The first impression that came to Eveline the moment she saw him was darkness. The clothes he wore were black through and through, without a single other color mixed in, like mourning attire. Even his hair was jet-black.

The only thing that contrasted with his hair at all was his bleak gray eyes. He wore a cold expression, as though every person in this place were worthless. Even now, all sorts of people were speaking to him, desperate to make their presence known, yet he paid them no attention whatsoever.

Because of that, there were many people lingering near Allen, but not a single one could bravely approach him.

Eveline observed the people while maintaining her blank expression. Then she let her gaze rest briefly on Allen, who was drawing the attention of so many.

‘So that man is the famous Allen Mason.’

Because she could hear the nobles whispering, Eveline also knew who Allen was. Eveline found this situation slightly amusing. The people loitering about while carefully watching Allen’s mood were all dressed as elaborately as possible for the party, yet because of that very appearance, they looked more like clowns.

‘A war hero….’

Eveline also knew very well what that title meant. If someone joined hands with him, then the great family called Mason, the countless soldiers who respected and followed him, and the support of the people would all fall into that person’s grasp. The Queen and Countess Miller also knew that perfectly well, so they were surely plotting ways to draw him in.

She felt a whimsical sort of curiosity about what choice that man would make.

“Your Grace, my son has been greatly indebted to you.”

At that moment, someone finally gathered the courage to speak to Allen. As though that had been the starting signal, one person after another crowded toward him. Eveline leisurely watched the sight.

“Since he chose on his own to stay safe in the rear, I cannot exactly say I gave him any help.”

The moment she heard those words, Eveline almost burst out laughing. Allen answered indifferently, but what he said was quite scathing. The noble who had spoken to him in hopes of forming a connection by using his son as an excuse flushed red and withdrew.

“My, my, tsk, tsk. To go to war and remain only in the rear, he ought to know shame as a noble, should he not, Duke? When I was young, in the war with the Principality of Heisen, together with your father the previous Duke….”

“Father would often tell me how the war with the Principality of Heisen was, but strangely enough, I do not recall ever hearing about you, Marquis.”

“…I did not serve, but I heard very well how valiantly your father fought.”

That other noble also tucked in his tail. In this way, Allen cut off the people trying to approach him. He was not excessively threatening, but the others seemed overwhelmed by his presence.

It was like releasing a single beast of prey among a flock of sheep. Eveline sneered inwardly and lost interest. He was someone who had nothing to do with her anyway.

After she turned her head away, those indifferent gray eyes shifted toward her. Allen looked her over as though probing her, but Eveline was completely unaware of it.

When the ball was in full swing, the King reminded everyone of the purpose of this party.

“For our Kingdom of Colton, who fought to fulfill his duty….”

Eveline tuned out the long string of words. Because she had eaten nothing, her stomach cried noisily for food, but she did not touch the lavish dishes at all. Finding this place unbearably tedious, she merely waited for it to end quickly.

But after praising Allen’s achievements, he now went on to list in detail, one after another, exactly what rewards he would give him.

‘Should I just walk out instead?’

Not only the people of the royal palace, but even nobles who had never seen her had all heard at least once that Eveline could not function properly as a person. Even if she acted however she pleased, they would likely just take it in stride.

However, the reason she could not put that thought into action was the attendant standing glued to her side as though watching her. She had not tried it, but the moment she rose from her seat, it felt as if she would be forced right back down into it.

Still, just in case, she was wondering whether she should test it or not.

“To promise eternal friendship to the Mason Dukedom at last….”

After spending an age talking about how much land and gold he would grant Allen, the King at last seemed ready to wrap things up. Eveline was merely grumbling to herself that he really was absurdly talkative, and that he could have simply written it all in a document instead of making everyone stand here like this.

“To make that proof, I intend to use marriage.”

But at the words that followed, she felt an ominous premonition.

“As it happens, my daughter, Evangeline….”

“Your Majesty, it’s Eveline.”

She heard the Queen softly correct the name in a whisper. The King cleared his throat once, then corrected himself.

“My daughter, Eveline, is unmarried, so it would be good to pair her with Duke Mason.”

‘What is that insane King saying right now?’

Eveline cursed the King inwardly in shock, but kept her expression under control. Her head went into overload, and so she did not notice Allen glance at her for a moment.