I smirked as I looked at him, appearing confused.
“Are you accepting me as part of the family too easily?”
“…Well.”
“I thought you were never going to accept me into the family?”
With a sigh, my brother scratched his head roughly and spoke.
“I was sorry back then.”
“It’s not because of the Count that you’re apologizing, right?”
“No. I genuinely think it’s okay for you to become family, sincerely.”
“Why?”
“Well, you’re talented, well-connected, you possess the power of the fairies like us… and… it just feels like family. We even look similar, you know, Missy, I don’t know, it’s something like that.”
Then he turned his body abruptly.
“Anyway, I’m leaving. Oh, it was because of you that the princesses gave me a madame, right? I’m benefiting from them. Thanks.”
As my brother awkwardly expressed his gratitude, his ears turned red. I watched him as he distanced himself, and the words that had bothered me throughout resurfaced.
‘’Madame’ given to me by the noble ladies.’
Since the noble ladies had an immense scale, it wouldn’t be strange to send me some gifts as a sign of gratitude. But to send a Madame to take care of stubborn Therid?
‘I’m not even family with my brother.’
Was there another reason? Or maybe they just liked him. Watching Therid’s back silently, I let out a sigh.
‘Ugh, I don’t know. Well, it’s probably nothing.’
Thanks to the noble ladies, I didn’t have to worry about the appearance of my brother and father anymore. So from now on, I had to prepare my appearance with my mother.
‘I should go to town quickly and find a suitable boutique.’
Even if I was behind the trend, I could find a skilled dressmaker or a Madame. I needed to find a dress quickly, so I had to hurry. I finished my preparations and headed outside.
* * *
In a secluded garden of the North palace, Adantito, Hierian, and Dianel were together. Hierian behaved as usual even after recovering from being injured at the Mage tower. Adantito was the same. The only thing that had changed was their attitude towards Dianel. They stayed close to Dianel under the pretense of surveillance while openly criticizing Dianel’s actions.
Dianel looked at them with a strange gaze but didn’t say anything else. As this strange confrontation continued, Siara appeared outside the palace. Hierian noticed her and muttered quietly.
“Siara is going out.”
“I have to accompany Lady Siara.”
“Would it be better to go secretly? Would she dislike it if we went together?”
While Adantito and Hierian discussed what to do, Dianel walked away from the group unnoticed. Immediately, Adantito furrowed his brows.
“…He’s not planning to follow her, is he?”
Hierian squinted his eyes and asked Adantito.
“Why don’t you kill him?”
“…Killing him wouldn’t change anything, would it?”
Hierian obediently nodded. Even if they were reborn, their souls remained the same. In other words, killing Dianel would mean that his soul would once again inherit the power of the Demon King.
“Well, it’s better to torment someone who knows their sins rather than killing someone who’s reborn and knows nothing.”
“…That’s not the meaning I intended. Anyway, I don’t have any plans to let Dianel wander near Siara.”
“That’s good. It agrees with my intentions.”
Their gazes collided. In the meantime, Dianel was right in front of Siara.
Immediately, Hierian sprinted towards Siara, his eyes filled with a different light.
“Sister!”
His energetic voice was so pleasant to hear. Adantito couldn’t help but wear a proud expression and followed behind him. Knowing that Siara, who had a particularly weak spot for Hierian, would focus on him, disregarding everything else.
As expected, Siara embraced Hierian as soon as he approached. Like a painting, Dianel slipped in between them like a shadow and spoke.
“I heard that you’re planning to attend the social circles this time.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“To commemorate becoming a noble, I’ve looked into the best boutique in the capital.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. Madame is currently at the palace, but I’ll bring her here.”
“Great! I’ll go get Mother! Hierian, I’m busy, so I’ll go now!”
With that, Siara released Hierian from her embrace. Even when Hierian discreetly grabbed onto Siara’s clothing and pleaded with his eyes, it was the same.
“Sorry, see you later!”
“S-Sister.”
Hierian called out to Siara with a bewildered expression, but she had already disappeared. Hierian stood there, unable to even consider following her. Adandito came and stood by his side, looking as if he had been let down.
“Now your cuteness seems to be at its peak.”
“…Shut up, Adantito.”
“Anyway, since she’ll be devoted to the social debut for a while, it seems difficult to separate Dianel from her. We don’t have any way to assist in that matter.”
Hierian bowed his head deeply. No matter how extraordinary Adantito and Hierian were, they were outsiders to the social circles. On the other hand, Dianel was well-versed in the imperial social circles. In other words, it meant they couldn’t be a match for him.
“Hmmm.”
Hierian wore a gloomy expression.
* * *
The person that Dianel was introducing was someone famous enough that I knew about her too.
“Oh my goodness, it’s Madame Lulu!”
“Oh, do you know me?”
“Yes!”
Madame Lulu, with a warm and cozy impression, blushed shyly and lowered her head.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
Madame Lulu was like my dream person. She followed the trends while perfectly embodying a cute style. She was incredibly popular among young girls, and it would take years of waiting to make a reservation with her. Even if you waited, being chosen by her was another matter.
‘I didn’t think I would ever get to wear Lulu’s clothes in this lifetime!’
I couldn’t understand how Dianel managed to bring Madame Lulu right in front of me. As I looked at Lulu, sparkling with excitement, Dianel asked me.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! No, I mean, yes! I love it so much!”
Even though I would normally speak informally to Dianel in front of others, I couldn’t do it now. Perhaps that’s why Dianel stiffened for a moment. Ignoring the complicated expression on his face, I accepted the brochure that Madame Lulu handed to me. It was filled with Madame Lulu’s designs, carefully drawn by an artist.
“These are designs prepared for the winter season. They should suit you, Siara.”
“Oh my goodness, they’re all so beautiful.”
But I didn’t feel entirely at ease. It was because of the money.
Madame Lulu’s clothes were of exceptional quality. They were crafted by the best tailors in the empire, using imported lace fabrics, and adorned with precious jewels. In other words, they were incredibly expensive, enough to make one’s eyes water.
The clothes depicted in the brochure also seemed to incorporate expensive elements here and there. Moreover, I needed a minimum of ten dresses for the social season. And that was just for the important festivals; attending smaller parties would require even more dresses.
‘Ten dresses from Madame Lulu… Should I ask Hieran for help?’
I thought that with the profits from the Calendula, I might be able to afford them. It would probably exceed the value of a couple of mansions, but…
‘How much is all this?’
While sweating and calculating the money, I heard a calm voice from behind.
“You can just make everything in that brochure.”
“Oh my! I’ll be busy from now on.”
Madame Lulu seemed satisfied, clapping her hands as if she had heard the good news. Immediately after, I turned around, grabbed Dianel by the collar, and whispered in his ear.
“What are you saying? I don’t have any money!”
Upon hearing that, he bowed his head and whispered back to my ear.
“Since when have you been so concerned about money?”
“Huh? I’ve always been like this.”
“From now on, you won’t have to worry about it.”
“Why? Are you going to give me money?”
After releasing my grip on his collar, Dianel straightened himself up and casually said.
“Of course, the imperial family will cover all the expenses.”
I asked in a voice that only he could hear.
“Why?”
“It’s the reward I’ll get as a member of the subjugation force.”
In that sense, I had no intention of refusing either.
“Madame Lulu’s dress is a bargain compared to the reward I was supposed to receive.”
Lost in my thoughts, Dianel swiftly turned around and disappeared.
“Well then, I’ll be going now.”
“Okay.”
As Dianel left, Madame Lulu approached me with sparkling eyes. It seemed that she had discovered something interesting from Dianel and my conversation, as her face was filled with
a capitalist smile, unlike before.
“Well then, Siara, shall we get started? I’ll dress you up in a very cute and beautiful way.”
Rubbing her palms together felt like the beginning of a battle.
‘Well, preparing for the social season is like preparing for a battle, they say.’
Although I couldn’t make my debut in the social circle due to the expedition, I picked up a lot along the way. Even hosting a tea party required a lot of preparation, so I wondered if a debut in the social circle would be more or less the same. Clenching my fist tightly, I made a resolution with Madame Lulu.
* * *
While the Astita members were busy preparing, a strange rumor spread in the social circle.
“I heard Madame Lulu is joining the imperial household.”
“The same goes for Madame Dorothy and Dirce.”
“How did they get all the big names? I don’t think there’s anyone else making their imperial debut.”
As the questions flowed, someone said something meaningful.
