The Prince Is Dead, So Let’s Start Over Everything Again! - Chapter 1.4

Just then, a loud trumpet sound was heard.

A carriage bearing the imperial flag was entering Rudbeckia Palace.

***

The first thing the 3rd Prince did upon arriving at Rudbeckia Palace was to receive the welcome of the Margrave.

Count Lulupel, as the caretaker who had been managing Rudbeckia Palace, greeted his master with utmost sincerity.

After being guided around various parts of the castle by Count Lulupel, the 3rd Prince took a brief rest in his room.

And then he immediately made an appearance at Countess Lulupel’s tea party.

My encounter with the 3rd Prince was scheduled to be the very last event.

This was because Lulupel’s invitation to the 3rd Prince was not “Please show us if you are worthy to be Lulupel’s son-in-law” but rather “Please look kindly upon Rudbeckia Palace, which has lost its luster due to the long absence of imperial visits.”

As a family member of the Count and a guest invited to the evening banquet, I was assigned a guest room and stood by the window, secretly observing the 3rd Prince.

The 3rd Prince was having tea in the outdoor garden with several nobles, including Countess Lulupel.

Unfortunately, due to the distance, there wasn’t much I could see clearly. Moreover, the 3rd Prince was even sitting with his back towards me.

Still, I could see his round back of the head very well, like a well-trimmed chestnut.

His bright yellow hair looked as soft as a kitten’s fur.

“Anna.”

“Yes?”

“I think the hair pack was completely useless after all.”

Because hair quality is something you’re born with.

I waited for the 3rd Prince to turn his head this way, chatting idly with Anna.

Then, unexpectedly, our eyes met.

“Oh my!”

I reflexively let out a small scream and hid behind the curtain.

Even I didn’t know why I had done that.

But Anna seemed to have made a very dangerous misunderstanding.

Anna kept twitching the corners of her mouth with a strange smile spread across her face.

It was the face of someone finding a child cute who had fallen into their first innocent love.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Anna. It’s not like that.”

“What’s not like what?”

“Anything! Whatever you’re thinking right now is a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, you don’t need to be shy. Come to think of it, His Highness the 3rd Prince is also rumored to be exceptionally handsome.”

Anna was now writing her own novel in her head.

It’s unfair!

I didn’t even see the 3rd Prince’s beauty!

To begin with, there was no way I could properly see the 3rd Prince’s face from this distance.

Unless my eyesight was about 3.0!

“Now, now. Shall we do your hair again for tonight’s banquet?”

“No! It’s enough as it is!”

“Don’t worry. I, Anna, have come up with a new inspiration. It will surely capture His Highness the Prince’s heart in an instant.”

I had no desire for the 3rd Prince’s heart. It was even less necessary than Anna’s life.

However, there was no way to stop Anna with her eyes blazing with determination.

And so, when the time for the banquet arrived.

I, who was already a living Christmas tree, became a Christmas tree with an absurdly large star attached to the top.

Of course, this was just a figurative expression, not meaning that an actual star was attached to my head.

What Anna put on my head was not a star, but a gaudy tiara decorated with all sorts of jewels.

There were so many jewels embedded that the burden on my neck was considerable.

One wrong move of my head, and I might be sent on a one-way trip to the afterlife.

“……Young Miss?”

“……Yes.”

“……Miss Hariella?”

“……Yes, it’s me.”

“Oh my……”

The one escorting me to today’s banquet was Sir Peter, Hariella’s bodyguard.

Sir Peter, who arrived at my room on time, was speechless at the sight of my shocking appearance.

“Young Miss, today you’re too……”

“Say one more word and I’ll cut it off.”

“Gasp!”

I used my meager authority to silence Sir Peter before he could say anything more.

Sir Peter, holding my hand with one of his, covered his mouth with the other. I didn’t mean I’d cut off his tongue, but it seemed he had misunderstood something.

Still, the silence wasn’t bad.

I entered the banquet hall escorted by Sir Peter.

‘Wow…… It looks so different from usual.’

Rudbeckia Palace was as familiar to me as Count Lulupel’s mansion.

This was because Count Lulupel was the Margrave in charge of managing one of the empire’s 12 palaces.

I had visited Rudbeckia Palace a few times, accompanying Count Lulupel.

However, today’s banquet hall felt like an unfamiliar space I was seeing for the first time.

The hall, which was always empty, was now lavishly decorated in every corner. It felt like stepping into a fairy tale.

It looked remarkably splendid for something prepared in such a short time.

Well, what would I know, being cooped up in the mansion all the time.

Still, with years of accumulated indirect knowledge, my assessment shouldn’t be too far off.

‘Enough sightseeing, let’s find Count and Countess Lulupel.’

Although the hall was beautiful enough to make my eyes spin, I deliberately focused my gaze.

There’s no need to act like it’s my first time at a banquet, after all.

Fortunately, as soon as we went a little further in, I saw Count and Countess Lulupel busy greeting guests.

I approached them immediately.

“Hariella! My lucky bluebird! You’ve come at just the right time!”

Count and Countess Lulupel had also spotted me.

Count Lulupel called out to me in a welcoming voice. He introduced me to the nearby nobles with a broad smile.

“Hello? It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Hariella Lulupel.”

I greeted them with a slight curtsy and clear pronunciation.

Count and Countess Lulupel gazed fondly at their clever youngest daughter for a moment, then promptly left to greet another noble.

It wasn’t anything new for Count and Countess Lulupel to think only of themselves.

Without being flustered, I moved to a suitably secluded spot on my own. Then I stood still, staring blankly into space with nothing to do.

Suddenly, I noticed children chattering here and there throughout the banquet hall.

‘This probably isn’t a sight you’d see at a typical banquet, right?’

Today’s banquet was certainly splendid, but it wasn’t an entirely formal occasion.

As it was a banquet to welcome the young prince, they had invited several noble children around the 3rd Prince’s age.

The children were all holding their parents’ hands tightly, their faces flushed with excitement.

Feeling somewhat awkward, I called over a passing servant and asked for a glass of juice.

Then my eyes met with a boy standing nearby. He was a cute-looking boy with platinum blonde hair that suited him well.

As soon as the boy saw me, he opened his red eyes wide, then immediately buried his face between his palms as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

Come on, even if my appearance is a mess, isn’t that reaction too harsh?

If I were really a young child, I would have been deeply hurt!

But I’ve been twenty once, and eight to sixteen three times.

And as an adult experiencing their fourth time as an eight-year-old don’t get discouraged by such trivial matters.

I deliberately straightened my back even more. When a person is confident, even the most outlandish outfit can look like fashion.