At the age of twenty, Anastasia's debut party... should it be called a group matchmaking event?
The Shadelan family has three children: my older sister, myself, and our six-year-old brother. We somehow manage to maintain the appearance of nobility, but we are a poor baron on the verge of starvation. Before my brother inherits, they must marry off their daughters to wealthy families or high-ranking nobles to secure connections and restore the family's fortunes.
My birthday party is just a pretext. Both my parents and the guests were here for Anastasia from the start.
I see. So that's how it is.
Of course... I knew.
I quietly slipped away from the party. Of course, no one tried to stop me.
"Oh well..."
I wandered through the night garden. As I passed by the pond, I suddenly peered into the water. Under the moonlight, I sighed at my reflection in the water.
My appearance... tall like a man, with a narrow jaw and cold, upturned eyes. No matter when I look, my face lacks charm. Anastasia inherited the best traits from our parents, while I inherited the worst.
And my sparsely sunburned, dry skin, coal-stained nails, and messy red hair.
I gripped my gray dress tightly.
Why was I born so ugly?
"Excuse me, miss, you there."
"Wh-what!?"
I jumped and turned around.
A man was there. His face was hard to see... he was wearing a mysterious silhouette of clothing. He approached me while speaking, even though I was silent.
"Are you a servant of the Shadelan family? Excuse me, I was invited to Marie Shadelan's birthday party... but I got lost in the hedge maze after entering from the gate on the street and couldn't find the entrance to the mansion. This house is quite large, after all."
I remained silent and pointed behind me. The wall of the mansion was just behind the arch, and through the door, the party venue was right there. My parents, the guests, and Anastasia were all there.
When he understood, the man let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you very much, miss."
"... You're welcome."
"Sir, this person is not a servant."
A voice came from behind the man. A woman in black was blending into the darkness, likely his attendant.
"There are no maids of this age in the Shadelan household. They manage their estate on their own and only have one elderly woman over sixty as a servant. And all the guests today are male."
"Is that so? Then this lady is..."
"The Shadelan family has three children: an older sister, a younger sister, and a younger brother. There are two young ladies. One of them must be you."
"Oh, I see. I am terribly sorry. Please forgive me, miss."
The man bowed politely. His tied black hair fell smoothly, like a bird's tail.
Then he raised his head.
He had mysterious eyes. Bright green, they sparkled like jewels even in the faint starlight...
I gasped.
"Are you from the Republic of Ipsandros?"
He widened his eyes.
Yes, I was right. The silk-like black hair, the brown skin, and the bright green eyes—these features are unique to the people of that country.
He turned to his attendant and asked, "Did I accidentally speak in Ipsandrian?" When she denied it, he turned back to me.
"Yes, I'm a half-breed. My mother was a refugee from Ipsandros. But I've never had someone guess my country of origin before."
He spoke in the official language of Ipsandros. It's a completely different language from this country, but I can understand it. I switched to the same language.
"So those eyes are a gift from your mother, sir?"
"Ah, you can speak it too."
"Just a little. As you heard, I can only speak the common language. I know there are noble and merchant dialects, but..."
"No, it's enough. Merchants understand the common language, and the noble dialect is impractical. Besides, your speech is very beautiful."
"Really? That's great. I'm happy, it's the first time I've been able to converse with a native speaker. I'm so happy."
"I'm also speaking with someone other than my mother or merchants from there for the first time. But why?"
"I chose the culture of the eastern region for my school project. ...My father opposed it, so I studied on my own."
"Ah, indeed... people in this country mock the eastern region as uncivilized... and those glowing eyes are considered ominous, even cursed."
The sir smiled wryly. I shook my head.
"But that's just because they don't know. The idea of cursed eyes is a very outdated legend. The eastern region is not uncivilized; it has a culture that values history and harmony with nature. It's unique and charming, with many advanced techniques and technologies that surpass those in the capital."
"Ah... to know that... I order most of my clothes from the eastern region. Especially my undergarments, which must be Ipsandrian silk, no exceptions."
"Ha ha, you're quite fashionable, sir."
I couldn't help but laugh. The sir squinted his eyes. His good mood was encouraging me to talk more.
"I love the stories from Ipsandros. Have you heard of 'The Ragged Red Cat'? It's a story about a stray cat named 'Ragged' who is picked up by a traveler and travels across the country. It eats and wears all sorts of things and sometimes gets into trouble. It grows stronger with the care of the kind traveler. I have red hair and I'm ragged, so—"
I suddenly stopped talking, realizing what I had said. I quickly put some distance between us and bowed.
"I apologize, sir. I must have been inappropriate..."
"Inappropriate? What do you mean?"
I spoke in my native language, but he was still using Ipsandrian.
"...Why are you silent? Your stories are interesting. Let's talk more."
I shook my head. No, I can't. This is something my parents have forbidden.