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(Eve’s POV)
“I will wear this necklace on your wedding day.”
Diane’s face was full of anticipation as she said those words.
‘I’m looking forward to it as well. I just can’t believe you won’t be able to attend it and just lie down because of some suspicious drug deteriorating your body.’
It was unfortunate.
And I think that I should somehow prevent this from happening today.
I was immersed in such thoughts when a maid suddenly knocked on the door.
“Madam, the butler said that the preparations for the ballroom were finished.”
Upon hearing this, the Duchess apologized to me and got up from her seat.
“Oh, excuse me for a moment.”
“It’s fine, you can go ahead.”
After all, the hostess is the busiest person on days when events are held in their residence.
She looked at me more kindly than before and then turned to look at Diane.
“Diane, will you guide the Princess to look around the mansion?”
“Me?”
“It’s fine with me….. But will it be okay with you? I mean, I don’t want Lady Diane to overdo things and made you tire.”
I just thought that she should rest since she wasn’t feeling well, but Diane seemed very happy when she was asked to guide me.
Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.
“It’s okay to just walk around the mansion.”
“Then please do.”
After the Duchess left, I toured the Duchy together with Diane.
It was also the first time for me to look closely at the mansion of a noble family.
The Duke’s mansion was wider than the Palace I lived in, and the location of the rooms was also slightly different from the Imperial Palace.
Come to think of it, the mansion of the Grand Duke must have a similar structure.
Diane continued to explain diligently indicating just how proud she is about their mansion.
“There is a tea room over here…. Below that is a greenhouse. Oh, you can also see the garden from here.”
The tea room was across from Diane’s bedroom.
It was a beautiful place decorated with cute furnishings similar to fairy tale descriptions.
“Where is this place?”
I asked as I entered the room next to the tea room.
“This is the music room.”
“A music room?”
I wondered what the music room was for, and when I entered, there was an instrument that resembled a piano in the center of the room.
It was a harpsichord. Next to it was a case containing a flute.
Oh, it’s a place to practice music.
So there was a dedicated music room in this mansion.
‘Do I have a room like this in the Palace?’
I don’t think that I had one. Because it doesn’t seem like Eve plays an instrument.
This room wasn’t just for musical instruments, there’s a space dedicated for those who listened as well. A sofa and a tea table on the side, with a decorative cabinet on the wall.
Still, I paid more attention to the location of this room than the purpose of it.
If I open the door a little from here, I can see that it leads to Diane’s inner room in a diagonal direction.
This means that if I’m here, I will be able to see those people who would be walking in and out of Diane’s residence without being noticed.
Although the tea room is closer in terms of location, the tea room faces the door to the inner room with a hallway in between, so there is a high possibility that people passing by will be able to find it.
Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.
“Does Lady Diane often practice playing in this music room?”
“Oh yes. I am learning the harpsichord.”
Diane looked at the harpsichord for a moment, then spoke in a hesitant voice.
“The Crown Prince came here before.”
“Wait…. Are you talking about my brother?”
“Yes, he came to see my father, at that time I left the door open because it was summer…. That’s when he heard me playing and came inside this room.”
“So, that’s what happened.”
It’s not like Arentine to go inside while listening to the sound of a play.
It must have been a very leisurely day.
Diane’s cheek turned deep red as she recalled the event of that day.
“Yeah, he just said hello and left right away.”
That is so Arentine.
This lady is very fond of the Crown Prince.
I thought it was just a young girlish crush, but surprisingly, it seemed to me that she had fallen for him.
What’s so good about that poker face of a Crown Prince?
Is it because there aren’t many young men around?
I thought it might be a possibility.
Lady Diane, who lives only in the mansion, probably hasn’t met any other men yet.
Arentine was the only one who paid attention to lady Diane while coming in and out of the mansion, so this feeling could have sprouted because of the lack of choices.
When I think about it that way, I feel a little sad for her.
“If it captured the attention of my brother, then that means that lady Diane’s skills were at a high level. I hope that I can hear it as well.”
“Oh, no. I’m not that good.”
Diane blushed and waved her hand in a hurry.
“He just said he likes to listen to music.”
Does the Crown Prince like to listen to music?
That is something that I’m not sure about. And it’s a hobby that doesn’t go well with me.
Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.
Perhaps Arentine was only trying to hang out with this poor girl even for a while?
Otherwise, there is no way that a hard-headed person would dare to come up here and enjoy this kind of music.
If that’s the case, there’s a surprisingly friendly side as well on that human being.
“I heard that you are not feeling well. Are you still taking medicine every day?”
“Yes… I take them three times a day.”
Diane lowered her head with helpless eyes.
“What time do you usually take your medicine?”
“Pardon?”
“Oh, what I mean to say is that maybe it’s time to take your medicine, and I was just interrupting you.”
Diane was puzzled at my sudden question, but as soon as she heard the explanation, she answered meekly.
“It’s okay. I already took my lunch pills….. My next intake will be before I go to sleep.”
“Then it must be around the end of the ball, right?”
“Yeah, maybe around 10 o’clock.”
Diane replied helplessly as she touched her lace-up sleeves.
She seemed to have suddenly lost her energy after hearing about the Ball.
Well, Diane won’t be able to attend the Ball.
The evening dresses that the ladies wore to the Ball were a style that only slightly covered the shoulders.
Although wearing a shawl, the nape of the neck and arms are visible.
Diane won’t be able to wear an evening dress because of the rashes that she had.
It’s a pity that the only daughter of the family can’t attend the Ball at the mansion.
We had such a conversation and left the music room and went downstairs.
As we went downstairs and walked to the opposite hallway, I heard people’s voices from the corner.
“It’s really cold today.”
“I know, right. The road was frozen and I almost got late.”
They seem to be guests invited to the Ball.
Diane whispered behind me.
“They are distant relatives.”
Ah, the Duke’s relatives.
In fact, in a family-like this, there will be different clans connected to the main family.
A voice came from the end of the hallway.
“Have you seen the ballroom? The Duchess worked hard on the preparations.”
“The Duke wasn’t even here, but she put a lot of effort into it.”
It seemed like a normal conversation, but there was a strange thorn in the way that person spoke.
At the end of those words, someone lowered their voice and whispered.
“Unfortunately, their only daughter can’t even attend the Ball….”
It was a tone full of worries, but the voice seemed to be vaguely mocking.
I glanced back at Diane, and there was a look of embarrassment.
I see, since Lady Diane hasn’t debuted in the social world yet, that is why she won’t be able to go to the Ball.
Here in the Albion Empire, etiquette was strict in that aspect.
A person who has not officially debuted in the social world through a debutant team, cannot attend any official social events, even if they are aristocrats.
Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.
As soon as Sorel was recognized as the Emperor’s daughter, he held a separate debut dedicated to her.
Still, it’s a Ball that would be held at the mansion, and it’s a pity that the host’s daughter cannot attend it.
And another thing, their relatives are unpleasant people.
I wanted to argue with them, but I was only a guest here. I couldn’t do things at will.
‘The content was delivered meticulously to the point that I couldn’t even point out the problem.
However, it was a little upsetting to pretend that I didn’t hear anything.
I took a step towards the sound of the voice. Because that’s the way I was going anyway.
Around the corner, about five or six men and women were gathered in front of the drawing-room door.
“Oh, the guests have already arrived.”
“Your Highness the Princess…!”
Most of them were new to me, but there were one or two familiar faces. They were the ladies I saw at the Empress’s tea party.
“We greet you, Your Highness, the Princess.”
I looked at their faces carefully and tilted my head.
“What’s your family name? I’m sorry, because I’ve only read the third chapter of the ‘Sentence Book’, so I’m not familiar with the other nobles.”
The Sentence Book is a book that introduces the genealogy of ruling families and nobles that exist throughout the continent.
The first chapter contains the Imperial and Royal families of each country, and the second contains the families that ruled independent countries in the past.
And in the third chapter, there were the Dukes and Marquis of each country.
For example, I do not know them because I don’t know anyone less than the Marquis. That’s what I meant
No one could not understand the open slander remarks that I’ve made.
The faces of those who had gathered hardened instantly.
Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.
Among them, the oldest-looking man answered with an awkward smile.
“We are a branch of the Rohan family. I guess we didn’t have a chance to introduce ourselves because we didn’t often see the Princess. We can’t help but apologize.”
“Relatives? Really?”
I raised my eyebrows as if I was surprised.