Chapter 3: Entering the Palace

The day before the coming-of-age ceremony, Seirin went out for the first time in a while at her friend Catherine’s request to help pick out a dress. Rohan, the steadfast son of the house steward and nanny, followed her like a shadow.

He still opened the carriage door and offered his hand to help her in, though Seirin always told him it wasn’t necessary. It was a habit, so she just sighed and climbed aboard. Since she was out, Seirin decided to relieve tomorrow’s stress in advance by stopping at her favorite dessert café and buying loads of treats.

“My Lady.”  

“What?”  

“Relieving stress with desserts isn’t a good idea. It’s fine now, but later…”  

“Honestly, you really are Rebecca’s son. If you’re going to nag, keep your mouth shut.”  

“I’m only saying this for your sake. Mother agrees. Especially desserts—they’re bad for your teeth…”  

If she let him continue, she’d be nagged all the way to the tailor shop, so Seirin tapped Rohan’s lips with her fan to shut him up.

“Ah, My Lady, p-please stop!”  

“So stop nagging, alright?”  

“Ah, understood.”  

“Hmph. Should’ve done that earlier.”

Watching Rohan cover his lips in pain, Seirin turned to look out the window and suddenly ordered the carriage to stop.

“What is it, My Lady?”  

“Just…”

Before Rohan could stop her, Seirin kicked open the carriage door with a powerful kick and leapt out, landing perfectly in the street. In the middle of the road, thugs were extorting money from merchants and getting violent, so Seirin shouted with all her strength.

“Stop that right now!”  

“Huh? Who’s that girl?”  

“W-wait. Isn’t that… Lady Damarania?!”  

“Lady Damarania?!”  

“Who’s that? Anyway, she’s a noble lady? Hey, Lady, we need some money. Could you…”  

One man, not knowing who Lady Damarania was, grinned and reached out to Seirin, only to have his wrist twisted painfully along with his forefinger.

“Eeek! R-run!”  

“Rohan!”  

“Yes, My Lady!”

Rohan, coming to Seirin’s side, put his hands to the ground and caught all the thugs trying to escape, dragging them before Seirin.

“There’s a saying: ‘Those who don’t work shouldn’t eat.’ Instead of working, you try to steal the hard-earned money of others? In front of me?”  

“L-Lady! We were just following orders!”  

“That’s right.”  

“Whether you give orders or follow them, it’s all the same to me. I’ll make sure you never do this again by fixing your hands like this.”

“Eeek! We’re sorry, Lady!”  

“We’ll never do it again!”

Seirin watched the five men beg desperately, then stretched out her hands and began chanting a spell.

Whoosh—  

A strong wind blew around them, passing through the five men.

“What was that?!”  

“I don’t know. It felt like wind went through my body.”  

“My head feels a bit heavy…”

“Listen. If you ever do this again, your heads will explode. I’ve planted a memory in you—if you commit a crime out of my sight, your head will burst.”  

“Is that possible…”

One man muttered, and Seirin smiled sweetly, grabbed his hair, and brought her face close with a deadly smile.

“Want to test it? See if I’m bluffing?”  

“Eeek! I believe you! Please, Lady, spare me!”  

“You’d better remember what I said. Unless you want your head to explode.”  

“Yes!”  

“Get lost.”

Seirin clicked her tongue at the men running away without looking back, then approached the man writhing in pain on the ground. She restored his twisted fingers and wrist, then pressed her forehead with her right hand and cast the same spell on him.

“Ugh—!!”  

“You’d better remember too. Got it?”  

“Yes, Lady! I’ll never come near you again!”  

“Even if I don’t see you, don’t do anything bad anywhere on the Ascent Continent. The memory fragment I planted will smash your head.”  

“Yes!”

After sending off the last thug, Seirin dusted off her hands and turned around, waving elegantly to the cheering crowd before returning to her carriage.

“My Lady, even if you’re in a hurry, the door…”  

“Ah, it can be repaired.”  

“Sigh, and please speak a bit more femininely.”  

“Rohan? Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?”  

Seirin tapped her fan, glaring fiercely, and Rohan, unable to say more, bowed his head and switched to another carriage since the door was gone.

“Rohan.”  

“Yes, My Lady.”  

“You know about the carriage door, right?”  

“Of course.”  

“Haha, good.”

Rohan, who looked at this delicate noble lady, inwardly resented Theron, the God who had given Seirin her monstrous strength called Thor.

***

Arriving at the tailor shop, Seirin became an ordinary noble lady who loved chatting with her three friends.

“Catherine! You’ve become even cooler since you became a knight!”  

“Hmph! I’ve grown taller, too!”  

“Really? Congratulations.”  

“You’ve only grown 3 cm. You’re still a dwarf.”  

“Who are you calling a dwarf! I’m still growing!”  

As her friends bickered noisily, Seirin calmed Catherine, who was especially riled up, and went into the shop first to pick out a dress for her friend.

“How about this, Catherine? It looks perfect for you.”  

“Hmm~ It’s cute and pretty, but there are too many ribbons. Now that I’m a knight, something like this is a bit… Isn’t there something more cool and elegant?”  

“You’re still short, but you want elegance?!”

Seirin gave a thumbs-up to Isabel, who had just silenced Violet, and then picked up a dress that looked elegant in a deep purple color.

“How about this one?”  

“Kyaa! That’s the dress I was looking for! But…”  

For her 155cm-tall friend, the dress was far too big. Seeing her friend so disappointed over a dress she truly loved but couldn’t wear, Seirin felt uneasy and called over a clerk, asking if there was one in her friend’s size. The clerk shook her head apologetically, saying there wasn’t, so Seirin requested an alteration.

“I’ll pay whatever it costs. Can you have it altered by today?”  

“Since you are asking so earnestly, Lady Damarania, I’ll give it a try.”  

“Thank you.”  

“That’s the power of the Empire’s noblest lady.”  

“Violet, really… Catherine, please accept that dress as an early birthday present from me.”  

“Seirin~ You’re truly an angel! What do you want for your birthday, Seirin? Just say it! I’ll buy you anything!”  

“Hmm, I’d love to get a rare edition of Author Parven’s novel. Is that possible? I heard Earl Rudelia is close to Author Parven.”  

“That’s right! He’s my father’s dear friend! I’ll ask my father about it today.”  

“Hehe, thank you, Catherine.”

In the cheerful atmosphere, Seirin chatted with her friends. After asking the clerk to send the altered dress to Earl Rudelia’s residence, she paid in cash on the spot and immediately entered the dessert shop she saw in front of her. She treated her friends to desserts and showed off her incredible appetite.

“Wow, Seirin, your appetite is amazing.”  

“You’ve already eaten several meringue cookies by yourself…”  

As Violet and Catherine chatted, Isabel let out a short sigh, and, foreseeing that Seirin might choke from eating so quickly, grabbed her hand.

“Isabel?”  

“Eat slowly, Seirin. You’ll choke if you’re not careful. Here, have some drink.”  

“Thank you~”

After that, Isabel had to keep stopping Seirin’s actions, so she couldn’t eat any dessert herself. Once Seirin’s eating spree started, she couldn’t control herself, so she ended up gifting her friends their own desserts and packing her own to take on the carriage.

“My Lady, if Madam or mother finds out…”  

“Rohan, just keep your mouth shut.”

Watching his Lady hide desserts in her skirt, Rohan simply nodded and sighed quietly.

***

On the day of the coming-of-age ceremony

“Ah… Seriously. I don’t want to go! I really don’t want to go!!”

Seirin grumbled at the sunlight streaming through the window, snapping at Remi who entered the room with a cheerful “Good morning.”

“What’s so good about this morning! D*mn it! Ugh!”  

“Lady Seirin! Is that something a noble lady should say?”  

Already in a bad mood, Seirin ignored the nanny Rebecca’s nagging as she entered, and asked Remi to help her put on the dress, standing in front of the full-length mirror.

“As expected! Lady Seirin is the most beautiful! Isn’t she, Rebecca?”  

“Of course! Our Lady Seirin is truly—”

Rebecca, who was not only a master of nagging but also of flattery, was told off by Seirin, who demanded she just do her hair and sat down at the vanity.

“Rebecca, just be quiet and do my hair.”

With a snap of her fingers, Rebecca, who’d been chattering away, obediently began styling Seirin’s hair.

“My Lady, you can finally manipulate memories now!”  

“It’s not perfect yet. I need to fully master it soon. That way…”

Just thinking of the Crown Prince’s face, who would surely bother her today, made Seirin want to curse out loud, but she barely held back. Once her hair was done, she went out to the living room.

“Oh my, Seirin. It suits you so well.”  

“Thank you, Mother.”  

“I’ll follow soon, so go ahead with Noah first.”  

“Yes.”

Outside, Seirin looked at Remi, who had come close.

“My Lady, do your best. Sniff.”  

“What is it, Remi, why are you crying?”  

“It’s just… Sniff! I’m so moved that you’re finally an adult.”  

“You’re something else.”

Having grown up almost like sisters or best friends with Remi, who was only three years younger, Seirin took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, then said goodbye and left the ducal mansion with Rohan, coming face to face with her childhood friend Noah, who looked even more radiant than usual.

“Rin, you look truly beautiful. You’re dazzling.”  

“You too.”  

“Ahaha, come on. I’m a guy.”  

“Pfft.”

Seirin laughed behind her hand as Noah approached, placing one hand over his heart and extending the other as he bowed.

“Shall we go, Lady Damarania?”  

“Of course, Sir Cherbel.”

Gently taking her hand, Noah led Seirin to the carriage, while Rohan, watching her mount, looked worried.

‘If the Crown Prince sees this…’

He shook his head as the carriage was about to depart, pulling on the reins of his horse.

“Sir Blanche! Please take care of Lady Rohan!”

Rohan nodded and bowed to Remi, who smiled gratefully at him, his ears turning red as he rode off after the carriage that was already far ahead.