CH 89

Subtly shining white hair, and contrasting copper skin.

His sharp beauty stood out even from afar.

Crown Prince Garou was casually chatting with people.

It was absurd. He was an uninvited guest.

Then Garou suddenly turned his head toward me.

Seeing the corners of his lips raised, he seemed to have noticed that I was behind him.

He mouthed some words to me.

‘You look beautiful today too.’

I was dumbfounded.

‘How does he know if I’m pretty or not?’ That sarcastic temperament of his, I was tired of it every time I encountered it.

I took my face away from the window.

Then, this time, my eyes met with Yuria, who was sneaking around as if she had something to say to me.

“…What, why?”

“That’s… over there… Although I recommended the Margrave…”

The glint in Yuria’s eyes when she chose her words was strangely greedy.

She swallowed her saliva and glanced sideways.

“Anyway, it’s such a waste for the Crown Prince.”

“You can have him.”

“Really?!”

‘Do you really believe it?’

“I’m sorry, I’m joking… I can’t give him to you even if I want to.”

The person he wanted was a girl from the Bauner family that didn’t even exist anymore in this world.

I leaned back on the sofa and sighed.

“But the Crown Prince… I didn’t know he would come. How can this happen?”

If a guest of the size of the crown prince had visited, it would have been normal for the entire ballroom to be buzzing.

In fact, four years ago, when the emperor suddenly visited, people’s attention was drawn to her.

“Ah, that’s because the Duke ordered it.”

Yuria raised her index finger. There seemed to be something I was unaware of.

“Order?”

“You had a sudden visit from Her Majesty the Emperor four years ago, right? I guess he didn’t like it when the attention that should have been given to the Princess was turned elsewhere.”

She glanced at the central hall as if it was expected.

“He gave a strong warning in the invitation. Don’t make a fuss even if Goddess Flora descends in the ballroom.”

…I couldn’t even imagine this.

I didn’t expect him to prepare my debutante so meticulously.

When I observed again, it wasn’t that the people weren’t interested in the crown prince, they were just looking around as if trying to hide their interest.

Then a fanfare rang in the hall.

The cluttered people all looked up at the central staircase at once.

On the right side of the stairs, Nike, in a blue uniform, shouted loudly, his voice resounding throughout the hall.

“The Duke is entering!”

The orchestra played magnificent music like a military song.

The door above the stairs opened and a man in a long cloak walked out.

Without realizing it, I was staring blankly at him.

Nice body and stylishly combed black hair. A flawless face as if sculpted by God.

The newly tailored suit suited him amazingly, as he boasted his majesty like a statue of a beast god.

Alan von Bauner.

A man who successfully succeeded in recapturing the Western Continent, and now had a land as wide as the emperor’s at his feet.

He glanced at the people in the hall with his cold jade-colored eyes.

With that alone, the ballroom became as quiet as a dead mouse.

“Princess, you must leave soon.”

I, who was also nervous, came to my senses at Yuria’s call.

As I left the waiting room and crossed the hallway, Alan’s voice was heard vividly through the intermittent window pane.

“There’s only one reason why you’re all here today.”

I soon reached the door decorated with black stones.

A mid to low-pitched voice was clearly heard from over the door.

“That’s to celebrate my lovely daughter’s 14th birthday.”

Alan spoke sternly, as if he was commanding a military operation.

Like he would scold them if they violated his instructions.

“You don’t have to think about anything else. If there’s anyone who makes a fuss…”

Alan’s tone became cold at the moment.

“I will not forgive you.”

I could see the guests shaking. No matter how I listened, it wasn’t just a word.

“All nominal greetings shall be omitted. Because my daughter will be bored.”

The door in front of me opened without any notice.

The light of the luxurious chandelier flickered white in front of my eyes.

Alan slowly turned to look at me in the unbearably bright light.

“Let me introduce you. My daughter, and today’s star.”

His expression, which had been as cold as ice, softened as soon as he saw me.

“It’s Lilietta von Bauner.”

Clap clap clap.

Applause spread throughout the ballroom. The shouts and cheers grew like thunder.

“Wooo!”

“Princess! Princess Von Bauner!!”

Although I hadn’t shown my face yet, the atmosphere was like they had seen a famous opera singer.

I gulped, swallowed dry saliva, and walked slowly out the door.

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

A regular embossed pattern engraved on the floor led me to the designated place.

The sound of applause gradually subsided, and there was silence.

Everyone down the stairs looked at me thoroughly.

The eyes pierced my skin like needles, but I didn’t stop walking.

Because Alan was a few steps ahead.

He didn’t take his eyes off me. It was as if he was looking at the most precious treasure in the world; his eyes were so sweet.

I finally arrived at the stairwell terrace.

Alan gently grabbed my left hand and raised his other hand towards the crowd.

“Congratulations.”

A word that was unfriendly enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

The guests followed Alan’s orders without any complaints.

“Happy birthday!”

“Congratulations, Princess!”

“May you always be full of luck!”

I was enveloped in a hazy feeling as I received the congratulations pouring in like a broken dam.

‘So you can be congratulated just because it’s your birthday.’

I had never been congratulated on my birthday when I lived in the ant cave.

Living like that, my birthday felt like an unimportant day to me.

It’s not important that I was born anyway, so it’s not worth remembering the date. That was what I thought.

However, it was the exact opposite in the Duke’s Castle.

Here, the birthday of the youngest daughter was the most important of all annual events.

I still couldn’t forget that Alan built a new greenhouse for me on Lily’s 11th birthday.

‘Even if we combined all the birthday banquets so far, it won’t be as glamorous as today.’

I thought I had to repay the celebration, so I smiled lightly.

People’s shouts grew louder. Still, Alan looked dissatisfied.

“The volume is low.”

I felt like my eardrums were going to burst. But, this was too low?

At Alan’s words, the guests looked at each other and raised their voices.

“Woooaahh! Congratulations!”

“Wahhhh!”

“Ahhhhhhh!”

At this point, it was not like cheering for a lady, it was like the world’s greatest shouting contest.

All the glasses in the hall would break if I left it be, so I hurriedly grabbed Alan’s arm.

“Dad, this is enough.”

“…….”

When Alan gestured, the guests who had been raising their voices stopped yelling and gasped.

“Let’s start the ball.”

Alan glanced at Nike. Nike gave a signal to his attendant, and the attendant relayed the signal to a servant.

After a few glances, the orchestra played a soft waltz.

This concluded the opening speech.

People gathered under the stairs scattered around and quenched their dry throats with champagne.

Alan gently grabbed my hand and whispered.

“…This will be your first dance in the social world.”

He looked like a man who was holding back what he really wanted to say.

I noticed his intentions and asked carefully.

“Dad, would you like to dance with me?”

Alan was noticeably brighter.

It would be the same expressionless face to others, but now I was able to roughly distinguish the happy expression on his face.

“Yes, my daughter.”

Alan gently held my hand, and we made our way down the central staircase.

Lily would have done this. This wouldn’t raise suspicions until the end.

I followed Alan, repeating my thoughts over and over again.

The crowds of nobles split like the Red Sea, creating a round empty space.

Alan stood in the middle of the ballroom, one hand holding mine, and the other around my waist.

The orchestra, which had slowed the tempo for a while, confirmed that we were in place and returned to normal rhythm.

Alan moved his feet gently. I didn’t intend to, but my body moved naturally.

It had been a long time since I danced with him. Unlike when I was a child, I was not just being led, but slowly taking steps.

I was a fake, but I had been a princess for four years. I was used to the waltz.

Every time my dress fluttered softly, an unfamiliar exclamation erupted from among the nobles.

“Oh, Princess. You are so beautiful.”

“It is as if Goddess Flora has returned.”

Somehow, my ears were burning. I didn’t know about the dance, but the gazes that poured out were unfamiliar to me.

Alan looked at me worriedly.

“Lily. Is something uncomfortable?”

“Ah, no.”

Even if I hastily denied it, Alan did not release his expression.

He held my back tightly and whispered bitterly.

“Is it because of the Crown Prince?”

His displeased gaze turned to Garou at a distance.

The white-haired prince was leaning against a pillar and looking at me.

“The power of the imperial family is on his back and they are tyrannical… But if you don’t like it, I’ll kick him out right now.”

“It’s okay. Don’t do that!”

I shook my head hastily.

If only the crown prince was chosen and expelled from a banquet visited by numerous nobles, there would be war at any moment.

“It’s not because of the Crown Prince. It’s just… I’m a little nervous.”

“Lily…”

“Ah! The steps have changed, Dad.”

I tried hard to smile and turn my feet around as if I were acting cute.

Alan then calmed down a little and pulled me in.

My body touched his wide arms. Since before, I was worried that he might hear my pounding heart.

‘Dad.’

I called Alan inwardly and closed my eyes. It was a name that I couldn’t dare to call even in my imagination.

‘…Alan.’

I looked up at Alan’s face gently. The face of a liar was reflected in the beautiful jade-colored eyes.

I smiled with all my might and spoke to myself.

‘I am not Alan’s daughter.’

Alan smiled softly. His smile was so sweet that I felt like crying.

‘Alan also knows that, right?’

I spun around once inside his sturdy arms. The white dress swelled up like flower buds and brushed against his legs.

Was it because the music was fast? My thoughts did not stop.

‘If I tell you that, won’t you hate me?’

I dared to harbor wild delusions. I bit my lower lip so that no words would come out by mistake.

‘Will you not kill me?’

These were words that would never be uttered. It was a wish that would never come true.

I knew it better than anyone.

The sound of heavy and light shoes echoed through the hall at the same time.

Our steps stopped. Soon the song ended. The surroundings were quiet.

Even after the duchy’s father-daughter’s dance was finished, the people surrounding us were wordlessly staring at us.