The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 46

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

Chapter 46

‘How brilliantly it would shine when the chandelier light hits it.’

Everyone’s gaze would turn to me.

“I’ll speak to Aunt myself, so don’t worry. As you said, it’s too precious to just leave like this. This dress would suit your hair color much better.”

“….”

Virna hesitated at this sudden stroke of luck.

“Come on, Virna. I think it would be better if you wore it.”

‘This is something Medeia suggested to me directly, so Mother won’t be able to blame me.’

Virna carefully picked up the hem of the dress.

Even the slightly rough texture of the diamond powder clinging to her hands felt delightful.

A moment later,

“My goodness, Virna. You look so beautiful.”

Virna’s appearance in the diamond dress was breathtakingly magnificent.

Sparkling jeweled ornaments embedded throughout her pink hair and a tiara decorated with diamonds and pearls atop her head.

‘More! More beautiful! So beautiful that someone like Medeia would look like my attendant!’

Though the maids earnestly tried to dissuade her, Virna wore diamond jewelry on her neck, ears, and even her slender arms.

Her reflection in the mirror was extremely satisfying.

Her mother’s warnings had long since vanished from her mind.

‘I suit it better. Your dress, and your place too.’

“How do I look, sister?”

Virna asked with her chin slightly raised, full of confidence. Medeia gently gave her the words she wanted to hear.

“You’ll be the star of tonight’s banquet. People won’t be able to take their eyes off you.”

* * *

The two girls, having finished their preparations, stood before the carriage to head to the banquet hall.

“Wait a moment, Your Highness. Please take this carriage. Tonight’s banquet is being held at the palace.”

Medeia frowned slightly.

“At the palace? I never received such a report.”

“Of course, it’s a surprise banquet! You have no idea how hard it was to prepare it without Your Highness knowing.”

Virna made a hackneyed excuse while glancing sideways at Medeia.

When Medeia stared at her intently, Virna became anxious.

If her foolish cousin got upset and declared she wouldn’t attend, all her elaborate preparations would be for nothing.

“Oh, Your Highness. I’m sorry for not telling you.”

She quickly softened her expression.

Then she clung to Medeia’s arm like a child, putting on a sweet expression and acting cute.

“I really wanted to see Your Highness surprised and delighted. Let’s go quickly. You wouldn’t leave Virna to get scolded by Mother, would you?”

Virna pulled Medeia’s hand.

“Let’s hurry. The banquet has already started and everyone must be waiting only for Your Highness.”

* * *

Valdina Palace.

The nobles invited to the banquet entered the banquet hall one by one.

“My goodness….”

The brilliant light of chandeliers greeted them.

The attendees’ eyes were busy taking in the splendid decorations and interior.

Ice crystals with gold trim were placed as ornaments on each pillar, and the sound of beautiful symphonies played by the orchestra filled the hall.

Golden candlesticks lit up the space, and fragrant flower scents wafted from every corner of the banquet hall decorated with hundreds of fresh flowers.

At the edges, champagne glasses forming towers of crystal and refreshments sprinkled with gold dust were piled up like mountains.

Most of those invited today were high-ranking nobles, but there were also quite a few from Districts 3 and 4.

“While people are freezing and starving to death in the streets… Fresh flowers and gold dust… How extravagant.”

Someone grumbled.

The royal family members were equally bewildered by the excessively lavish scale of the banquet.

The Queen Mother frowned.

“Medeia requested to hold a banquet?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Minister of the Royal Household said so….”

Lady Pinatelli looked at the Queen Mother with a rarely troubled expression.

‘Everything is going according to my plan.’

Catherine inwardly rejoiced at the growing cold reaction from the audience.

“Dear, come here.”

Prince Claudio, the Regent, called his wife. He was with a sturdy-looking middle-aged man.

“It’s been a while, Count Montega. Was your journey peaceful?”

Catherine offered an elegant yet warm greeting.

Count Montega had a stern expression.

“Yes, but is there a reason for holding such a grand banquet?”

The journey from the border to the royal palace had been arduous. Having witnessed the miserable reality of the people with his own eyes, he couldn’t help but feel resentful.

At Count Montega’s question, Catherine sighed.

“Today’s banquet is not my wish.”

Catherine put on a pitiful expression, saying how difficult it had been to fulfill everything the Princess desired.

“As you know, Count, how could we go against the wishes of noble blood?”

Catherine blinked her eyes.

“Moreover, since the Queen Mother cherishes the Princess, we had no choice to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“Montega, you must understand. Dea is young. She still has a long way to go before she matures.”

The Regent patted the Count’s shoulder, supporting his wife’s words.

“With the King’s seal and her mother’s protection, what would Dea have to fear? Still, if we humor her like this, she’ll be quiet for a while.”

“….”

Count Montega remained silent, as if pondering something.

The Regent couple exchanged triumphant smiles.

“What can we do? Since I agreed to look after the young Highness, I’ve endured this burden, expecting such a day would come eventually.”

The Regent spoke with affected resignation.

But Claudio didn’t know. The Montega he knew was no longer a sheltered royal.

‘What Claudio says and the situation seem plausible. But… those eyes bother me.’

As a border count, he had guarded the monster-infested borderlands for over ten years. His intuition had developed considerably through life-and-death experiences.

‘I’ll have to see with my own eyes and decide.’

He downed his champagne while thinking of the late king.

Just then.

“Her Highness Princess Medeia Casey de Valdina and Lady Virna Robin Claudia enter!”

At the doorkeeper’s resounding announcement, people momentarily stopped what they were doing and turned their gaze.

Two girls walked in under the chandelier light.

Virna was the first to catch everyone’s attention.

Her lively steps and freshly curling pink hair. The dress sprinkled with diamond dust sparkled incessantly under the chandelier light.

Catherine nearly dropped her fan.

‘Why is Virna wearing that-!’

Unaware of her mother’s shock, Virna lifted her chin at people’s gazes.

‘Everyone’s looking at me. They can’t take their eyes off me.’

Virna subtly quickened her pace to show off her presence. She walked a step ahead of Medeia.

The lighting illuminating her, people’s surprised eyes, their gaping mouths.

If she hadn’t received etiquette education, she would have laughed out loud with satisfaction.

‘I suit this place better. This Valdina Palace more than the Count’s family.’

Watching Virna walk majestically, Count Montega narrowed his eyebrows.

Looking at the blindingly sparkling dress, he guessed the girl’s identity.

“Your Highness Princess Medeia. I, Montega, have returned from the border to meet Your Highness.”

“Yes…?”

Virna was bewildered.

Who on earth was this man to suddenly—

“Virna!”

At that moment, Catherine, who had turned pale, unconsciously called out her daughter’s name.

Count Montega looked at the flustered girl and turned his body.

He soon noticed that the girl who had politely bowed to him bore a considerable resemblance to his sister-in-law Catherine.

“If this girl is not Princess, then who exactly is the Princess that you have been speaking of all this time?”

Catherine was flustered.

What would become of everything I said just moments ago?

With a face turning pale, Catherine barely managed to answer.

“This child is my daughter Virna. Since they’re cousins, she bears quite a resemblance to Princess in appearance.”

“Ha, surely it’s not just appearance?”

Count Montega replied with a raised corner of his mouth.

“Though I have been away from the capital for a long time, I can see very well how much my niece Virna wants to resemble Princess.”

Catherine’s face turned pale at his sharp sarcasm.

“Th-that’s originally Princess’s dress, so why are you wearing it, Virna? This child really, making Uncle misunderstand…”

A suppressed voice barely flowed out through her clenched teeth.

Catherine wanted to slap her foolish daughter who had ruined her plans.

“I, I just…”

Virna stammered. Even she could sense that something had gone wrong.

“Don’t blame her too much, Aunt.”

At that moment, Medeia stepped forward as if to protect her cousin.

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