A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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43.
“Ow!”
Something sharp pricked my cheek repeatedly, sending jolts of pain through my face.
I snapped my eyes open to brilliant sunlight flooding my vision, and there was a red mass with thick front paws raised—
“Ignis?”
“Yes, it’s me. Get up already.”
“Where’s Leonard?”
“That man’s been at sword practice since dawn, so he’s gone to the Training Ground. I told the handmaidens not to wake you, but sleeping this late isn’t right, is it? It’s eleven in the morning.”
“Oh no.”
I’d missed my morning greetings to the imperial family, and now it was time for lunch.
“I—I need to hurry.”
“Where are you going?”
“Where else? I need to pay my respects to the Emperor.”
“You don’t need to visit the Emperor and Empress. They’ve sent word that the formal greeting at the Banquet Hall counts as sufficient, and they’d prefer you not come. Instead, the Sincester luggage carriage has arrived—go check on that.”
“So Abigail, Dorothy, and Cedric have all arrived too?”
“How would I know all that? Figure it out yourself.”
Honestly, if you’re going to tell me something, tell me everything.
Exasperated as I was, I hastily dressed at Ignis’s urging and headed to where they were, carefully keeping the magically invisible Ignis perched on my shoulder.
Of course, with Ignis cloaked in magic and resting on my shoulder.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, how we’ve missed you.”
Dorothy and Abigail, now dressed in Blake’s attire, were sitting in the Reception Room.
“Dorothy, Abigail…!”
My voice trembling with emotion, I pulled both of them into my arms, and as always, Abigail’s stern voice cut through.
“Your Highness, this is the Blake Imperial Palace. You must maintain proper decorum. Embracing your maid like this!”
“But…”
“Mrs. Everhart, being in the Blake Imperial Family would make you want to embrace Her Highness even more, wouldn’t it? Let her be as she is.”
At Dorothy’s words, Abigail pretended to relent and patted my back gently.
After I’d been held for some time, a knock sounded from outside.
“Princess Charlotte, His Highness Alex has come to visit.”
At the knight’s announcement, Dorothy tilted her head curiously.
“Alex the Prince—isn’t he the Third Prince of Blake?”
“Leonard said he’d look after me in his absence.”
I called for him to enter, and Alex stepped into the room dressed in a golden military uniform.
Unlike Leonard, who needed only a sword, cape, and clothes, Alex was adorned with various accessories.
Earrings, a brooch, an ornately patterned belt, and a decorative cape made it abundantly clear that he enjoyed beauty and elegance.
“Good day, ladies. Does Sincester have only beauties? Your stunning appearances are positively dazzling.”
The tall, handsome man flashed a charming smile and presented each of Abigail and Dorothy with a bouquet of flowers from his arms.
Abigail spoke curtly, clearly unimpressed.
“Your Highness, I am not a lady.”
“My, Mrs. Everhart looks so young one might mistake her for a noblewoman.”
“Furthermore, I do not care for such honeyed words.”
“I, I do like them!”
Dorothy’s cheeks flushed crimson as she fumbled for words. Truly, my maid’s taste in handsome men remained consistent.
“Sixth Prince, your visit means Leonard cannot be at my side today, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
He handed me the final bouquet with a gentle smile.
“My elder brother is currently inspecting the Imperial Army’s readiness under the Emperor’s direct orders. Therefore, he has entrusted me with escorting you three. Of course, should anything urgent arise, he said he would teleport here immediately.”
“…The entire day?”
“Yes, as my brother is the Empire’s finest swordsman, he has long overseen the Imperial Army.”
“I see.”
As I nodded while burying my face in the bouquet, Alex laughed.
“You look disappointed.”
“What? That’s absolutely not the case.”
“There’s no need for excuses. My brother wore the same reluctant expression. Then again, being newlyweds, I can understand not wanting to be consumed by duties.”
“…”
When I said nothing, Alex, still smiling, commanded the handmaidens to bring refreshments.
“Then shall we pass the time comfortably until my brother arrives?”
“Hey, who is that guy?”
Good heavens…!
Suddenly, Ignis’s voice echoed directly in my ear, and I nearly fainted from the shock.
“He’s Leonard’s younger brother. He said he’d protect me until Cedric arrives.”
“Hmm, that bastard reeks of females. You’d better be careful.”
“Reeks of females?”
This is absolutely maddening. Why must he use such crude language?
I sighed and gave Ignis a stern warning.
“You are absolutely forbidden from speaking like that in front of ordinary people. If you do, I will never give you your bed or cookies again!”
At my threat, Ignis pouted slightly, but when I refused to budge, he eventually sulked and disappeared into the bedroom alone.
Deciding to soothe Ignis’s anger later, I spent time catching up on gossip with Abigail and Dorothy.
It was as we were about to take a walk through the garden after lunch to aid digestion.
A servant from the Empress Palace delivered a letter to me.
“The tea reception you mentioned previously is being held, and the Empress requests your attendance.”
“…!”
I had anticipated this since word spread that a tea reception would be held after arriving in Blake.
However, I had expected it to be called only after the wedding.
I sighed without thinking, and Dorothy immediately grasped my hand.
“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll make you the most beautiful woman in all of Blake!”
But Alex wore a serious expression as he stroked his chin.
“Dorothy, that’s not the issue. This is a kind of initiation. It’s dangerous.”
“I’ve experienced high society initiations before.”
“Your Highness, the coming-of-age ceremony in your homeland and the tea gathering hosted by the Empress are on entirely different scales.”
Abigail’s mention of “mother-in-law” suddenly struck me with vivid clarity.
So I had already acquired a mother-in-law… Weren’t daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law destined to be at odds?
‘Besides, I already embarrassed her once at the banquet. She’s definitely planning to put me in my place at this tea gathering.’
Alex opened his mouth with a worried expression.
“…Sister-in-law, please don’t go. I wasn’t invited, so I can’t accompany you. Of course, I can’t go as the Sixth Prince or as a guard either.”
“I’d love nothing more than to skip this—one hundred percent—but I can’t avoid it. As Abigail said, she’s my mother-in-law. Avoiding her wouldn’t be good for Leonard. I’ll go and come back.”
“But if something happens to you, I won’t be able to face my brother.”
“At least my handmaidens, attendants, and my guard knight Lucas can accompany me.”
Alex continued to object, but I stood up abruptly from my seat.
“Dorothy, Abigail. You know what I mean? The intimidation makeup.”
* * *
After Dorothy and Abigail applied makeup two or three more times, the same pre-emptive strike cosmetics were born as before.
Quite satisfied, I tilted my face this way and that in the mirror when Alex spoke with a smile.
“The makeup techniques of Sincester are truly dazzling in their beauty.”
“Your Highness Alex, are your eyes particularly keen, or do you find all women in skirts beautiful?”
“I suspect it’s both.”
“You don’t deny your fondness for women, then.”
“It’s the truth, after all.”
“Yet you still haven’t married?”
“I intend to enjoy everything there is to enjoy before I marry.”
Characters like this always end up meeting their true love later and regretting it.
I rooted for Alex’s eventual genuine love while inserting one more diamond hairpin into my hair.
“Perfect. Let’s go now!”
“How many diamond pins are in your hair anyway? One, two…”
Insisting that he had to escort me, Alex ultimately accompanied me all the way to the entrance of the Empress Palace.
“If anything happens, tell me. I’ll be nearby.”
“I’m not a child… but I understand.”
As I entered the Empress Palace, attendants and handmaidens were waiting for me.
They all wore smiling expressions, but the absence of genuine goodwill beneath them was painfully obvious.
“You’re late. Everyone is gathered on the Terrace waiting.”
“Late? Her Highness arrived exactly on time!”
Dorothy answered sharply to what the Empress’s Maid had said, and Abigail also frowned.
But all I felt was that this was inevitable.
A proper web novel initiation requires disrespect starting from the handmaidens themselves. Strangely, I even felt a thrill of excitement.
“The protagonist always makes a late entrance, after all.”
“…Pardon?”
I flashed a bright smile at the bewildered maid.
“Well? Aren’t you going to show me the way?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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