Chapter 17

“It’s all done. Beautiful spring flower fairy.”  

The day of the coming-of-age ceremony had arrived.  

Hailyn stepped back with a proud expression after finishing Adelina’s eye makeup while she sat with her eyes closed in the chair.  

Adelina had already changed into her dress after meeting Hailyn at the atelier.  

Marquis Stephan and Jaeyon had stepped out for a moment, leaving Lexion alone flipping through a newspaper on the sofa.  

“Wow… truly amazing skill.”  

Adelina stared intently at the mirror on the vanity.  

Hailyn had removed the heavy makeup done by the marquis’s maids and reapplied a lighter look to match the dress Adelina was wearing.  

Large diamond earrings that seemed to stretch her earlobes and long diamond strands hanging between her hair added more vibrancy to Adelina’s pale appearance.  

‘As expected! Money is great! It sparkles so much!’  

Adelina made her eyes glisten. Slowly, she stood up from the chair and turned around to look at Lexion.  

“Duke.”  

She called Lexion in a mellow voice.  

Look at me, look at these sparkling things you bought me.  

Lexion’s gaze left the newspaper and turned to Adelina’s face.  

“Adelina.”  

Lexion sat still with a firm expression, only calling Adelina’s name without approaching.  

His hand, which had forgotten to turn the page, was now tightly clenched into a fist.  

‘Is it… not good?’  

Adelina’s chin, which had been raised high along with her nose, gradually lowered.  

+++

Since morning, Isabelle was surrounded by maids, being adorned to stand out the most at the coming-of-age ceremony.  

Her luscious green hair was pinned up and neatly fixed in place. A tiara of the princess was placed on top.  

A voluminous golden dress scattered sunlight with every small movement, making her shine even more. No one dared to wear a dress similar to the princess’s, so Isabelle was the only one in a golden dress today.  

“Your Highness, that girl bought a flamboyant red dress. She must lack taste, being a girl of unknown origins.”

One of the maids, trying to please the seemingly satisfied Isabelle, dusted her chest with pearl powder.  

“Really?”  

“Yes, Your Highness. She bought the flashiest and most expensive one from Stephanie’s atelier. I hear it’s a dress with a very revealing neckline.”  

“How vulgar. Such a fake noble coming out into society… everyone is already worried that the elegance of the social scene will decline.”  

The other maids, not to be outdone, also flattered Isabelle.  

“I see.”  

Isabelle looked at her reflection in the mirror with satisfaction.  

Compared to Sweeney, she still lacked maturity, but among the other women having their coming-of-age ceremonies today, she would undoubtedly appear the most elegant.  

“Invite that girl to tea time tomorrow. She won’t know anything, so we should at least teach her tea etiquette.”  

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

Isabelle raised her head haughtily like Sweeney and slightly raised the corners of her mouth, making it unclear whether she was smiling or not.  

‘Adelina Florin. Does a fake dare to challenge me?’  

In that case, it would be best to ruin that fake. She must pay dearly for daring to covet the place of the real one.  

A graceful yet cruel smile appeared on Isabelle’s lips.  

+++

The coming-of-age ceremony consisted of two parts: the first part, where the nobles coming of age pledged loyalty to the Emperor, and the second part, which was a formal dance banquet.  

In the banquet hall, nobles, the Emperor, and the Imperial Family had already gathered, waiting for the stars of the day.  

“The coming-of-age ceremony will begin.”  

At the voice announcing from the attendant of the banquet palace, Princess Isabelle appeared at the entrance on the second floor.  

‘Look, today I will be the star of this banquet. Neither Sweeney nor that girl will be the star, it will be me.’  

Escorted by Evans, dressed in white ceremonial robes, Isabelle elegantly descended the stairs one step at a time and slightly bent her knee before Emperor Grain on the podium.  

“I, Isabelle, pledge my loyalty to Your Majesty the Emperor and the Empire.”

“Isabelle, you are truly dignified. Congratulations on coming of age. The princess will do great things for this Empire in the future.”  

“I am honored, Your Majesty.”  

Isabelle exchanged a satisfied smile with Emperor Grain at her appearance and turned around. 

Once the main doors of the banquet hall opened, the other nobles coming of age would approach and bow to the Emperor and the Imperial Family.  

‘That girl will be at the front, right? She must have hastily learned etiquette in a few days, so she’ll be quite clumsy.’

Since there was no one from the Duke’s family coming of age this year, Marquis Stephan’s daughter, Adelina, would have to lead the group at the front.

All eyes in the banquet hall were filled with curiosity, staring at the main entrance.  

“That girl from an unknown origin will be at the front, right?”

“Ha. With no one to mimic, that fake will surely embarrass herself. I hope she doesn’t cry disgracefully.”

“Indeed. Elegance isn’t something you can acquire overnight.”

The mouths hidden behind fans were already twisted in anticipation of a biting sneer.

“The noble young men and women reaching adulthood pledge their loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor.”

As the attendant’s call ended, the thick brown doors of the banquet hall slowly began to open on both sides.  

“Adelina Florin…”  

Someone softly murmured her name, which pricked Isabelle’s ears irritably.  

Adelina walked forward with a restrained motion, without a hint of disturbance, leading the group like a confident queen ant.  

“Surprisingly… she’s doing quite well.”  

“Indeed. She doesn’t seem very nervous…”  

Adelina, who confidently walked through the whispers and gazes of the people, finally stood below the podium where Emperor Grain was seated.  

“I, Adelina Florin, pledge my loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire.”

Like a fully bloomed peach blossom, Adelina, who appeared both graceful and alluring, bent her knee and bowed to the Imperial Family.  

There was not even a tremor in her voice. Every angle, down to the fingertips holding her dress, was perfect.  

‘Did she really learn this etiquette in just a few days?’

Isabelle clutched the hem of her golden dress tightly. She only slightly bowed her head, then lifted it again with dignity, as if Adelina was of no concern.  

‘A mere fake!’

Everything about Adelina sparkled as if absorbing all the light from the ballroom chandeliers.

+++

‘Ah. My heart is racing! I feel like I’m going to die!’  

Meanwhile, Adelina felt like her lips would cramp from maintaining a slight smile for so long.  

The nobles who had come of age and greeted the Imperial Family went to where their families were waiting.  

“My daughter was the most perfect today.”  

Marquis Stephan held Adelina’s hand, which had been tightly clenched due to tension. Her palm was damp from how nervous she had been.  

Stephan took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped Adelina’s hand.  

“Oh, Father…”  

Even such a small compliment made Adelina feel so shy that she wanted to twist her whole body.  

“Shall we take a short break in the waiting room?”  

Her face, which had been pale when greeting Emperor Grain, turned red.  

“Let’s do that, Marquis.”  

Even Duke Lexion agreed readily, and the three slowly moved toward the side door of the banquet hall.  

Just as they reached the door, an attendant from the Emperor’s palace approached them.  

“Marquis Florin, Miss. His Majesty the Emperor summons you.”

“Is that so…”  

Stephan swallowed a groan internally as he saw the surprised look on Adelina’s face.  

+++

“Adelina, is it? You don’t resemble the Marquis at all. As far as I know, there are no silver hair and golden eyes in Ernst.”  

Emperor Grain’s piercing gaze swept over Adelina from head to toe as he sat on the podium.  

Coincidentally, the music performance ended, and everyone’s attention turned to Adelina.  

It seemed as if they were trying not to miss even the smallest mistake of hers, as even the sound of a light cough or a fan fluttering could not be heard.  

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s a mutation.”

Someone dropped a fan with a thud at Adelina’s overly confident answer, even though she kept her head slightly bowed.  

“Mutation?”  

“Yes, Your Majesty. That’s why I couldn’t contact my father until now, but I finally did.”  

“I see. Then, in the meantime…”  

Emperor Grain did not believe Adelina’s words.  

As he continued to press Adelina with his cold gaze, her shoulders began to tremble slightly.  

“Sniff… I’m sorry, Your Majesty… Thinking of my deceased mother… sniff…”  

As Adelina bowed her head further and her whole body trembled, the thin fabric of her dress shook with her.  

Stephan, with a sympathetic expression, covered Adelina with his arms, letting her bury her face in his chest.  

“Your Majesty. It seems my daughter is very nervous and emotionally overwhelmed thinking of her late mother. Please allow us to withdraw.”  

Adelina’s trembling was well-executed enough, but her eyes were too dry.  

‘Miss… your acting is still clumsy… you need more practice.’  

Fortunately, it seemed people were convinced by Adelina’s performance, as small sighs could be heard here and there.  

“Emotionally overwhelmed, you say.”  

Emperor Grain’s face hardened even more, having seen through Adelina’s act.  

However, he could not show himself continuing to oppress Adelina.  

In this place, not only were nobles from the Tiola Empire across the continent present, but also many from the places he had subjugated.  

Even if she was a fake, Adelina was currently representing Ernst, so he couldn’t show himself oppressing her further.  

“Very well. Let the young lady gather her emotions.”  

“Sniff… Yes… Your Majesty…”  

At Emperor Grain’s reluctant words, Adelina spoke while keeping her face buried in Stephan’s chest and then left the place.  

+++

‘Gasp. Gasp. I feel like I’m going to die from a heart attack!’  

Adelina, slowly walking away from Emperor Grain’s intimidating presence, pressed her left chest firmly.  

‘I thought being a noble lady meant just dancing and wearing pretty clothes, but there are so many heart-pounding moments!’  

She thought she should quickly go to the waiting room and lie down on a sofa. It would be best if she could enter the mirror…  

As Adelina and Stephan were about to exit through the side door of the banquet hall, Lexion hurriedly approached.  

“You did well… you did great.”  

Lexion whispered as he pretended to wipe Adelina’s eyes with a handkerchief.  

Seeing the overly pristine handkerchief made her chuckle, and she put it back into his jacket pocket.  

Adelina maintained the pitiful gaze she had acted until now.  

“Then… shall we look for the mirror next week when we’re bored?”  

She subtly suggested to Lexion, who naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her to the waiting room.  

She didn’t care about pretty clothes or jewels; she just wanted to enter the mirror as soon as possible.  

‘Look at these eyes! Aren’t they so pitiful? So sad? So, shall we go look for the mirror right away?’