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Episode 7: Spetacle
After visiting the training field, I managed to spend the next four days meeting the duke’s exclusive seamstress that Ellenia had called— fitting new clothes, then writing letters to my family in Romagna, and finally preparing to attend the banquet.
In the meantime, Isaac hadn’t shown a glimpse of his nose at all, but according to Ellenia, surprisingly, the summer season is the busiest with various preparations.
Anyway, the day of my first Earendil social event finally arrived.
The jade silk dress I was wearing for the Eucharist [1] was the most modest and plain style of clothing I had brought.
Cream leather heels covered with pearls and summer gloves. The only accessory I wore was a pair of aquamarine earrings.
My hair was styled in a long braid without any accessories.
Perhaps my modest outfit was quite surprising, especially from the blunt-faced maids who now looked a little puzzled, but they didn’t ask any questions.
“Ruby.”
I appreciate you calling me by my nickname with such an ice sculpture-like face.
Ellenia, standing at the foyer under the stairs in a red dress with long sleeves, looked like a mythical goddess herself.
Phew, I can’t believe that such a person almost married Enzo. That’s just cancerous.
However, the person next to her…….
“Ruby, say hello. This is Freya van Furiana, an old friend of our family.”
“Hello, Lady Rudbeckia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
A cool smile exposing all her white teeth.
It was a smile of a person who had lived surrounded by glittering love, which made even the onlookers feel cheerful at the sight.
She was a beauty who would naturally attract people’s hearts regardless of gender and age.
Her violet-colored eyes matched the dress that wrapped along her slender body and her blond hair framed her face nicely—accentuating her soft line which only made her even more attractive.
As opposed to the deep blonde of my hair, her hair was paler—it was almost akin to platinum.
You are that childhood friend.
After playing together at a young age, she was the perfect model of ‘special person’ who hung around the family.
Why are you all so pretty?
My whole life was also filled with beautiful people, but compared to the people of this world, I feel even more like I’m just an ordinary human being.
Anyway, the childhood friend was of course treated differently from the simple bride from a foreign land.
I could tell by looking at the cold maid’s eyes who were now staring at her with warmth. Sheesh.
“Nice to meet you too, Miss Furiana.”
When I greeted her with a bashful smile, Freya opened her eyes wide for a moment, and then turned to Ellenia again with a cheerful smile.
“Ellen, you didn’t tell me that she was this lovely.”
“You made me sound as if I had described her as a hawk-nose witch..”
Ellenia, who replied unnerved, still had a perfect poker face.
However, I felt a little strange at the sight of her folding her fan to look back at me.
Was something wrong with my clothes?
“My brother asked for your understanding in advance that he might be a little late. It happens often, but…….”
Aha, that’s what kept you waiting.
He didn’t ask for my understanding in advance, and I didn’t expect it.
I just hoped that he would show up later today.
In general, I had to do something to work on my image. It’s my destiny.
* * *
A carriage with colorful insignia runs through the city surrounded by walls.
It was no different from my previous life where I would take a luxury ride to attend a party on a well-maintained road.
Even though the times were different and the world was different, the way people live seemed to be the same.
It would have been better if it was much different.
“If Iz is absent today, His Majesty will be very furious.”
“It happens so often. I’m sure they’ll figure it on their own.”
If I remember correctly, Freya and the Omerta siblings’ mothers were close to each other even before they were born, so they naturally grew up close.
As such, I felt a natural bond between them just from the conversation and atmosphere between them.
Something that only happened to those who had known each other well for a long time.
“I am a little worried that the banquet here will look too old-fashioned to the lady. As you know, compared to Romagna, it’s a relatively easy town.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think Earendil is a more exciting place.”
Freya, like any other sociable person, told me about the ongoing things while I responded as humbly as I could.
As usual, it was a very formal conversation.
She was treating me favorably with kindness and curiosity, but it was clear that we were trying to inspect each other.
Freya was an old friend of Isaac and Ellenia, so it was natural for her to be concerned that a woman with a reputation like me became her friend’s wife.
Ellenia was also taking care of me, but it wasn’t because she had a particular affinity for me.
I’ll just have to show them a consistent image.
Especially since these two are the most important people to my husband.
Phew, my husband is the final boss, so my situation is really difficult.
When we arrived at Angevin [2] Palace, Britannia’s pride, the Moon Tower—soaring to the sky, and the crowds of nobles who had arrived earlier were the first thing that we saw.
Women in thin dresses with long sleeves and men in dark tailcoats.
Occasionally, you could spot the knights who were dressed in armor.
Many of them were paladins and as they were the most important people along with priests to protect the city from monsters swarming in, it seemed the dressed etiquette did not apply with them.
Ellenia, who had the best knight as her brother, was by far the best flower in society.
On top of the power of the Omerta family and also her position as the king’s niece, then her own tremendous beauty and impeccable elegance, it was natural for everyone to admire her and wary of her at the same time.
And Freya, the best friend of the Omerta siblings and the daughter of the Marquis of Furiana, was also subjected to envy and admiration by others.
Although the circumstances and temperament were different, it was somehow reminiscent of the look my family and I had in the Romagna social circle.
People who tried to do all sorts of favors to me, or to my father’s mistress, Lady Julia, in the hope of making connections with my father and my brothers.
Regardless of the rumors and public criticism, Cesar had a huge following no matter the gender, and Enzo was the same, although his types were slightly different.
No matter what my circumstances were, I was the object of envy and admiration from everyone. Just like in my previous life.
What would everyone think of me if my miserable inner life was revealed? How destroyed it was?
Ironically, there was a time when I was most afraid of that situation.
By the way, I felt like I’ve become a little kid between these two model-like women.
Damn it, even here, my height was the same as in the previous life.
“Oh, she’s…….”
“That person…”
“Hello.”
As people approached to greet Ellenia and Freya, I responded with a smile to those who glanced at me with curious looks.
The air of curiosity, contempt, hostility, envy, and many more, emanating from this large crowd almost choked me, but it was familiar, it was okay.
Ah, my facial muscles were pulling.
Every now and then, priests, dressed in brown robes, came up to me and greeted me with a well-rehearsed familiarity and asked how my father and older brother were doing.
How was His Holiness doing these days, when would Cardinal Valentino is going to visit Earendil, and so on.
It was when I reached the splendid dome banquet hall surrounded by people that I heard it.
“That man is really…….”
I opened my eyes wide and looked back at the place where Ellenia gaze was directed, the tone of her voice was something that I had never even imagined would ever come out of her voice. And there’s…….
“Oh my, Iz?”
Freya’s startled voice echoes faintly.
Yes. Among the paladins who were having a serious conversation with each other as they roamed around in black plate armor near the small stage, there was my terrifying husband, whom, aside from the excuse that he might be late, I was uncertain about his attendance.
What’s he doing over there?
If it was done to embarrass me in earnest, I’d say it’s really commendable of him to do it.
Was it his nature to put effort into that kind of thing in the first place?
“Iz!”
At the sound of Freya’s welcoming shout, Isaac, who was having a serious conversation with his colleagues, glanced around and saw me sandwiched between his sister and childhood friend, paused and stared at me once again before turning away.
Tsk, the same thing, but it didn’t hurt me at all.
“Anyway… madam, shall we go and nag him?”
“It will only go through his ear and come out on the other side.”
Ellenia lamented at Freya’s suggestion.
Nevertheless, I bravely began to move toward my stubborn husband.
“Ruby?”
The interesting expressions of the people who split like the Red Sea were impressive.
It’s obvious what they were expecting, but they would not see what they wanted.
The fact that I had been disregard since the first night, and that Isaac was completely ignoring me, were already widespread.
No matter what I did here, Isaac would never get caught up or backed down.
It was rather on my side to be humiliated in such matters.
As I approached the paladins, which exuded an overbearing and solemn atmosphere, eyes naturally focused on me.
Their eyes were full of bewilderment.
Why? Do you think I’m gonna slap my husband here? I don’t even think that my height could even reach him. Huft.
“Oh, Lady Rudbeckia?”
Oh, weren’t you the pretty, foul-mouthed knight who pretended to know me at the arena?
I smiled at him and then greeted my husband who was standing opposite him.
“I’m so happy to see you again. You look great today, too.”
In an instant, the surroundings became quiet. My neck hurt a little as I looked up at Isaac with an ecstatic face, who was staring down at me with an expressionless face.
A kid [3] that had a full growth spurt.
A moment later, Isaac looked away from me and muttered out.
“My wife seemed to have no observational skill and no sense of decency. As you can see, I’m a little busy right now.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt. But, uh, if you don’t do this…….”
“I’m sure I was told that you wouldn’t bother me.”
“Y-You remember. Did you listen to me?”
“……what?”
“Thank you and I’m sorry. I won’t bother you next time. I’ll just hide and watch.”
And it was about time to slowly pull out the tail.
The guy who was glaring at me with an expression that was absurd itself grabbed my shoulder as I was about to run away.
***
[1] the Christian service, ceremony, or sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed.
[2] It is a Royal House of French origin that ruled both England and France in the 12th-13th century
[3] the kid here is Isaac