Chapter 26

Tomorrow would be the day Elcia received her Baron title, and the day Ian and Seiran, who had only acted as knights until now, officially returned to high society. It should have been a joyful day for all three, yet Ian felt his mood drop the moment Seiran’s name reached his lips. Both were equally his comrades and precious people in his life, so why did he feel this way? Ian thought himself strange for his fluctuating emotions.

Fortunately, Elcia seemed not to notice much.

“Yes, I will.”

“Don’t let it bother you that you’re making your debut later than others, Elcia. If you count only your accomplishments, you’re already at the level of a seasoned knight.”

Ian joked, and Elcia smiled shyly.

“A knight, me?”

“Ah… And, take this.”

Taking advantage of the softened air between them, Ian quickly handed over the jewelry box he’d been fiddling with all along. Elcia, not knowing the reason, opened the lid, and inside was a necklace set with a jewel that shimmered with infinite, mysterious light green.

“Ian? What is this?”

“Wear it around your neck at tomorrow’s title ceremony. Peridot… yes.”

Ian remembered the subtle gossip at his homecoming celebration. He had hated seeing Elcia, dressed in a plain poplin dress, become the subject of whispered remarks. If she received her Baron title in ordinary attire tomorrow, it could become a topic of gossip for a long time, and he wanted to prevent that. If she wore a dazzling necklace, attention would be scattered.

Elcia’s slender fingers gripped the silver chain of the peridot necklace as if she would never let it go. Her eyes grew moist.

“…Thank you. I’ll gladly accept your gift.”

“Mm.”

The emotion of receiving a second gift she would never forget in her life, the meaning behind her voice that seemed blocked—none of it reached him. She was too absorbed in the necklace in the jewelry box, and busy searching for the whereabouts of the dress she would wear tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the dress was nowhere to be seen—perhaps it had been put away in the dress room. Fortunately, seeing the silk ribbon laid out on the vanity was a good sign that she could look forward to the dress.

‘No one will be allowed to look down on Elcia. I won’t tolerate it.’

Feeling lighter, Ian bid Elcia farewell and looked forward to tomorrow. Left alone, Elcia sent White Bunny away, then lay on her bed and held the necklace up high.

‘Ah, Ian… to give me a gift like this…’

She could hardly believe it. If only she could open her heart and show him how immense her happiness was right now, perhaps the whole capital would fill with bubbles of joy.

Had Ian perhaps sensed the love she had kept hidden from him?

Maybe this was a signal he was sending her!

She tried on the peridot necklace, pretending to wear it, then suddenly sat up.

‘Wait, hold on!’

After fully moving into Ceylon House, Elcia hurriedly searched the bookshelf for the bank book she’d gotten from the bank. The meaning of peridot she found in the mineral catalog was wisdom, friendship, and marital happiness. Of course, her widened eyes didn’t leave ‘…happiness.’

If Ian had chosen the jewel with its meaning in mind…

Could she really dare to hope?

If she just waited a little longer and stayed by his side, would she be able to open Ian’s heart… his love?

Elcia was so filled with hope she could barely sleep. Even the next day, as she dressed with the maid’s help, her mind was filled with only one person—Ian’s smiling face. It was only when it was nearly time to leave that she snapped back to reality.

She had come to the imperial capital several times for business, but today was the first time she would stand formally before so many nobles. Not just a handful, but nearly a hundred, right? She had been nervous meeting Crown Prince Conrad, but after discovering he was a good person, she had felt at ease.

“Miss Elcia, are you really going to change into this dress?”

The maid sent from the Kypris residence gently scolded her.

“Yes.”

Elcia, her lush hair pinned with a silver hairpin, blushed.

Originally, the dress she had planned to wear was a red silk dress that matched her hair and eyes perfectly. But Ian’s gift of the peridot necklace had disrupted her plans. Wearing both the vivid red and the glowing light green together didn’t seem harmonious. So, at the last minute, she decided to wear an all-white empire dress to make the necklace stand out as the star.

“Ah, red does suit you, Miss… But, yes, drawing attention with the jewel is much better. There, all done.”

“Thank you.”

She was so excited she barely listened to the maid’s worries. Even riding the carriage from the Kypris residence to the imperial capital, she felt no sense of reality. If anything, it felt like the day Ian went to his knighting ceremony. Her body was sitting here, but her soul was floating in the air.

After getting out of the carriage, she was guided to a waiting room instead of the banquet hall. There, Conrad, dressed in white formal wear, waited alone for Elcia. Seeing how much she had grown, Conrad’s smile stiffened.

Her gentle, fragile aura, her cream-colored hair as soft and sweet as a wheat field, and her pure white dress that made her skin glow. Not to mention the large peridot necklace around her neck.

Today, Elcia Bennett was perfectly suited to be the leading lady of a debutante ball and a newly introduced noble. Conrad even thought he wanted to paint her portrait and hang it on the wall.

“Your Highness?”

“…Ah, Miss Bennett. Soon I’ll have to call you Baron Bennett, won’t I? Congratulations in advance.”

He quickly regained his smile at Elcia’s anxious voice. Elcia, feeling shy, clutched her dress hem.

“Those words feel a little awkward. I think, whether you call me Miss Bennett or Baron Bennett, I’m the same at my core.”

“Hahaha, is that so? But after I grant you the title, you mustn’t allow people to address you so casually. That’s not just disrespectful to you, but to me, who will make you a Baron.”

Conrad gave her the gentlest advice he could, not quite like his usual self.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Let’s wait a bit and enter the banquet hall together.”

“Yes.”

Today, Elcia’s title ceremony was deliberately planned to be held in the banquet hall, not Nives Hall. This was to allow Elcia to receive all the curious attention at once, and also to disperse focus through Ian and Seiran’s return.

Conrad’s gaze lingered not on the peridot necklace, but on Elcia’s delicate hands and her radiant face. It wasn’t simply that he was pleased with her looks. No matter how fragile she appeared, she was a truly remarkable presence to him.

Whenever Conrad saw this timid yet sometimes brave lady, he couldn’t help but be impressed. When she went to Usley Castle for Ian Kypris, he had tried to send some knights and imperial maids as escorts. But Elcia, perhaps having heard of Ian’s eccentric reputation, insisted on going alone. She said bringing unfamiliar people would only cause trouble.

‘In the end, Miss Bennett’s judgment was right… But to boldly enter a remote castle full of men, she needed more than just faith in her doll—she needed courage. Elcia Bennett is a rare gem and an irreplaceable talent, just like Ian.’

He locked away these thoughts, but in truth, he fully understood his feelings.

The emotions he felt toward Elcia were clear affection and a desire to become closer on a personal level. Even if holding her hand wouldn’t guarantee their relationship would deepen, Conrad’s wish was simple. And he had the means and confidence to pursue it. He was born to grasp everything in the Empire.

As time passed, Conrad offered his reliable hand.

“Shall we go, Miss Elcia Bennett?”

“Yes.”

The woman’s hand he held was so warm. Conrad smiled, enjoying the brief moment of satisfaction as they entered the banquet hall together.

With Crown Prince Conrad and Elcia entering together, attention naturally turned their way. The grand trumpet announcing the Crown Prince’s entrance was unfamiliar to Elcia, who was careful not to stumble.

‘This isn’t Usley Castle, Elcia. If you make a mistake, people won’t just overlook it.’

Conrad let go of Elcia’s hand and called Ian and Seiran, who had entered earlier. Some were surprised to see Seiran, who had vanished after the Grand Expedition, but most eyes were on Elcia, the new face. They wanted to know who this gorgeously dressed, unfamiliar beauty was, especially since she appeared with the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince spoke directly.

“Some time ago, the High Priest of Vanir Temple requested help in discovering traces of divinity. In response, Imperial Knight Ian Kypris and Seiran, as well as the puppeteer Miss Elcia Bennett here, secretly set out and completed their mission admirably. They even risked their lives fighting a golem to receive the oracle! Thus, I wish to honor their great achievements with awards.”

A wave of excitement quickly spread, especially among those who revered the temple. Many nobles frequenting the imperial capital were devoted to the temple.

“They discovered traces of divinity?”

“Oh, this is wonderful news!”

“We must raise a toast!”

“That young lady must be a talented puppeteer!”

Because the Crown Prince mentioned Elcia, people glanced at her or whispered so loudly she could hear, making her cheeks burn. She was unused to such open attention and being evaluated by others, so it was overwhelming. Ian, seeing Elcia’s discomfort, wanted to go to her, but the Crown Prince hadn’t finished speaking, so he couldn’t move. As a thorough knight, all he could do was watch Elcia, who was hiding her gaze toward the floor, with longing.

‘Elcia, it’s alright.

If you’re really struggling, just look at me.’

Ian wanted to mouth the words to her.

If her trembling eyes were searching for him so desperately.

Conrad continued.

“To the Kypris family, I grant golden and platinum armor, and Count Ian Kypris is henceforth free to attend any festival or ball held in the imperial capital. The same amount of gold and armor will be given to Sir Seiran. And…”

Elcia bravely lifted her flushed face. As Conrad said, she couldn’t show weakness even here.

“To Elcia Bennett, with the authority of the Draug Imperial Family, I grant the title of Baron. The fief will be drawn in a circle around Ceylon House, with the southeastern river boundary as its limit.”