The engagement celebration was magnificent. The ballroom of the Royal Palace was long and spacious, and the hardwood floor was smooth, so it was a great place to dance.
Kyrie Buchanan entered the ballroom with her father. As soon as she entered, people began to gossip like hyenas.
âFinally, the topic of interest has arrived. What is it like?â
âAfter the engagement with the Royal Family, Count Buchanan was on the rise, but what will happen nowâŚâ
Cesar Buchanan acted calmly for his own self-esteem rather than for his daughter. Even so, there were plenty of greetings from all over the place that scratched the Buchanan family.
Cesar was disgusted and disappeared into a group of politicians so he didnât have to hear the talk. The only one left was Kyrie.
âBy the way, Kyrie Buchanan really doesnât make sense.â
âHow did the socialite snow queen come to be like this? If I were her, I wouldnât have come under the excuse of an illness.â
âYou couldnât help but come. Otherwise, it would become more ridiculous.â
âBut she is a great woman. Come to think of it, even when the relationship between the Crown Prince and Rubinia Cassner was a fixed fact, she treated them without a change during the day, right?â (T/N: âWithout a change during the dayâ it means Kyrie wasnât jealous/angered)
âVery aristocratic. She took her own rice bowl elegantly and without any mistake.â (T/N: Maintained her dignity and cut off her engagement w/o any scene)
Kyrie still ignored the murmurs around her. If she participated, theyâd laugh at her, but if she didnât participate, theyâd be better off with confidence.
It wasnât just the wives and young kids who were talking. Rather, they only made noise and did not touch her directly, but the young men harassed Kyrie more directly.
âHello, Miss Kyrie Buchanan. I said hello last time, didnât I?â
A blunt man came up to Kyrie and said hello.
âLord Alphyros Denverrow. Sure, I still remember talking about pheasant hunting.â
âI thought you would remember it.â
Alphyros Denverro was 16 years older than Kyrie. However, he thought it was worth considering her as a woman. Even though she was a Buchanan, she was also the woman who was dismissed by the Crown Prince and lost in value.
âHow are you doing after that?â
âWhat do you mean that?â
Kyrie said deliberately as if she did not know the English language. Viscount Denverro coughed in vain.
âThe breakup with the Crown Prince.â
âAlas. Are you talking about that? Iâve always been fine, and thatâs not really a reason to misbehave, Viscount.â
âYou are truly resolute. Such an appearance will set fire to the hearts of the men.â
Kyrie was cynical inside.
âThereâs a fire in the middle. I hope it rains soon.â
âHow are you going to put out the fire burning in the young manâs heart? The greatest joy that man can enjoy is the joy of the fire of love.â
âBecause I tend to leave my greatest joy to myself. Itâs not someone elseâs attitude.â
Viscount Denverro smiled deeply. He glanced at Kyrieâs neckline and breastbone.
âThatâs because Miss Buchanan didnât feel the true pleasure.â
âWhat did you say?â
âThe pleasure of love. Of course, itâs not mental, right?â
He giggled as he exchanged gazes with other men standing around like a folding screen. Overall, it was a very disgusting act.
âA woman whoâs broken off once looks easy. I canât stand low anymore.â
Kyrie didnât feel the need to be more polite. She raised her chin arrogantly.
âWell, at least itâs not the Lord of Denverro whoâs going to tell me the âpleasureâ, because the love of men gets really bad when youâre over 29 years old.â
Kyrie deliberately put emphasis on â29 years oldâ.
Rumors of him buying aphrodisiacs were famous. Viscount Denverroâs face stiffened. Kyrie simply gave him an innocent look.
âDid you just insult me?â
âWhy do you think so?â
âIsnât it too obvious an insult to talk about poor behavior at a specific age?â
[T/N: poor behavior = low stamina for intercourse]
âIâm so glad you felt that. It just gave me the greatest joy I could feel.â
âWhat?â
Viscount Denverro stepped in threateningly. He narrowed his eyes, pushed out his stomach, and smiled meanly.
âBecause you are such a proud person, Your Majesty the Crown Prince could not handle it. Of course not.â
That was also the meanest remark he could ever make. Whatever now she says could be tied up as âDo you dare insult the royal family?â
Of course, Kyrie wasnât stupid enough to lead to such a silly provocation.
âIâd appreciate it if you donât involve His Majesty when you realize that you donât have the ability to handle me.â
Kyrie glanced up and down at him.
âYou canât handle a woman for even 10 minutes. I guess you have a health problem, right? I hope you find a good medicine.â
âYou mean that nowâŚ!â
âIâm sorry, but Iâm afraid Iâll have to excuse myself because Viscount Denver finds me a difficult person to handle. Who can handle itâŚâ (T/N: âwho can handle it..â she means that she would go to that person who could handle her)
Kyrie turned around. From behind, she could hear the self-criticizing Denverro and some nameless idiots rattling around, but she ignored them.
âItâs only been 10 minutes? That means we have to do this for another 6 hours. Oh, thatâs great. Thatâs great. Yes.â
It was not surprising that Kyrie had to repeat the same conversation about six times while crossing the ballroom to find a chair to rest in.
Finally, she reached the end of the ballroom. It was far from the band and far from the entrance. It was a place where young men, who had no courage to talk to the Lady Buchanan, gathered.
Someone approached Kyrie who had sat down.
âKyrie! â
Kyrie turned her head. Laura, with her curly orange hair adorned with peacock feathers, smiled widely at her.
âYou were in a place like this?â
âLaura, youâre here?â
âHuh. Am I a little late?â
Laura stood out among the so-called wallflowers. Each of her movements was gorgeous. She looked around without worrying about her surroundings. (T/N: Many readers must have come across the term âwallflowerâ a term used to compare with the ladies who just stood and performed their duty as the young lady of their respective families)
âWhy are you in a place like this? Ah, no, donât tell me, I have a rough idea.â
âYouâre probably right.â
âWho bothered our cutie? Can you write it down later and let me know?â
âWhat if I tell you? â
âLet me tell you what kind of family FortDucane is!â
âIt doesnât sound like a joke when you say that.â
âIâm not joking!â
Laura laughed. It was a confident smile.
âIâm afraid Iâll just do it for you. Why are they so involved in someone elseâs marriage? Iâve been looking for you and Iâve heard your name about 17 times!â
âThatâs a good number.â
âWhat? You cutie. Come here! Stay with me today! Maria said sheâll be a little late because she has to greet the adults.â
âBy the way, is Maria going to take over soon? She looks fine.â
âItâs Maria!â
Since Kyrie was with Laura, it felt like the cloudy air was clearing. Laura had the talent to make the people around her feel good thanks to her unique youthfulness.
âSo, when is the main character of today coming? Do you know, Kyrie?â
âWouldnât they appear soon? They will want to make fun of me.â
âWhat are you talking about? Todayâs main character is not the two, but the Patriotic Lord!â
âAh, that way.â
Kyrie smiled awkwardly. It was only a few days ago that she met the legendary Patriotic Lord.
âAre you interested in the Patriotic Lord, Laura?â
âIâm not interested in a man whose face no one has seen. Itâs just because the Patrioticâs territory is close to the continent, so I wonder if I can open a port!â
It was a businessmanâs remark. Laura said that and looked around the main area of the ballroom. She was full of vitality and energy. Kyrie lamented unknowingly.
âI wish I was half as smart as you, Laura.â
Lauraâs head stopped moving here and there like a parrot at the helpless voice.
âWhat are you talking about? Whoâs as smart as you?â
âYou and Maria are doing their best, and I donât think I am.â
It wasnât a story to talk about at the ball, but it felt embarrassing to talk as if there was no one other than âthe princeâs fiancĂŠeâ in all the rooms.
Laura gradually opened her mouth as she heard the story. In the end, she didnât mind the shaking of her headdress and hugged Kyrie.
âWho the hell made you think that? Oh my gosh! Kyrie, you have no problem! Your strengths are elsewhere!â
âIs that so?â
ââYou said I will do my job well because Iâm quick on calculating the changes of the dough I bought on the market.â
âThat was really your strong point.â
âI didnât know! I didnât know! People told me every day that I was an extravagant woman with an empty head!â
âItâs from people who didnât know you.â
âThatâs exactly what I want to say, Kyrie!â
Lauraâs eyes sparkled with a serious light. She held Kyrieâs hand tightly regardless of her surroundings.
âThatâs your strength. To see what people donât see⌠You didnât know that Maria decided to become the duchess after listening to you, did you?â
Kyrieâs eyes wide open. At that appearance, Laura struck her chest with a fist.
âMaria is better than her brothers, but sheâs always been discouraged. You were the one who told me so!â
âThatâs because Maria is such a capable personâŚâ
âThat is true! At that time, Maria didnât talk much and wasnât talking about it? It was you who recognized it, Kyrie. So donât say that! Anyone who says that, Iâll teach them a lesson!â
âWhat if that was the Crown Prince?â
âThen I canât openly do it but Iâll defeat him from behind!â
Laura whispered so that only Kyrie could hear her. The two made eye contact and both giggled.
âDo you know weâre really funny?â
âYes, itâs funny. â
âI want to stop laughing, so stop saying weird things, cutie!â
âThanks, Laura. â
Laura smiled. She entered the dancing crowd holding Kyrieâs hand.
âLetâs dance, Kyrie! â
âIf the Marquis knew, what wouldnât he say?â
âMy dad hasnât said anything since I started making money!â
Just in time, a four-member dance that had no distinction between male and female roles began. The two danced between people who didnât know their faces.
By the time they were exhausted, the protagonist of the ball appeared. It was the Crown Prince Eden Orewinbridge and Rubinia Cassner.