Chapter 20
Quietly listening to the maids, Kitty asked,
“So… does that mean I can wear my glasses at official events from now on?”
As though they had rehearsed it beforehand, the maids answered in perfect unison.
“Of course!”
After the chorus of enthusiastic voices, Margaret added solemnly,
“From now on, we’ll take Her Majesty the Empress’s keepsake into consideration and help prepare Your Highness even more carefully.”
A keepsake…?
Kitty didn’t really understand why the maids had suddenly changed their attitude.
Still, she was simply relieved that she no longer had to take off her glasses like she had earlier.
As the atmosphere relaxed again, one of the younger maids cautiously spoke up.
“Besides, I think Lord Roengreen would still like our princess even if she wore a burlap sack instead of her glasses.”
Immediately, the room erupted into lively chatter once more.
“That’s right! He looked completely smitten.”
“If there had been just a little more time, he probably would’ve invited Your Highness to the Roengreen townhouse!”
“I don’t think he was even capable of thinking that far.”
Kitty honestly wasn’t very interested.
But she’d almost finished her pudding, and the maids seemed so excited that she figured she should at least play along.
“So… would Lord Patrick dislike me because I wear glasses?”
The maids immediately waved their hands in protest.
“No, Your Highness! Please don’t think that.”
“All that beauty is still there behind those glasses.”
“And besides,” Diana added gently, “if someone truly likes another person, they should accept them exactly as they are.”
Behind her lenses, Kitty slowly blinked.
“If someone truly likes them…?”
Diana smiled warmly and explained.
“At first, people might be attracted by someone’s appearance or the way they speak.”
“But as those feelings grow over time…”
“…eventually you come to love everything about that person.”
It was such a gentle explanation that even a child could understand.
Even so, Kitty still looked puzzled.
But…
Is love really something that matters in our situation?
“But this is just a political engagement between two families.”
Still holding her spoon in her mouth, Kitty thought for a moment before asking the question.
The maids, however, remained firm.
“Even so, it’s still Your Highness’s life.”
“Your own feelings are what matter most.”
“That’s right. Don’t leave everything to the adults.”
“We’re completely on Your Highness’s side now.”
…All of a sudden?
Caught off guard by the unexpected declaration, Kitty cautiously asked,
“…Because of the pudding?”
The kitchen burst into cheerful laughter.
Seeing that the little princess was genuinely confused, Margaret finally explained.
“You taught us how to make such delicious pudding.”
“This is simply our way of repaying you.”
Kitty still found it difficult to believe her pudding had accomplished something so remarkable.
But in the end, she had no choice but to accept it.
I see…
Katrina Sophiana Ortosia managed to win over the proud imperial maids with nothing but pudding… at only eight years old.
That truly is an extraordinary feat worthy of the future Saintess who will one day save the world.
As the days passed, the weather gradually grew warmer.
One by one, early spring flowers bloomed upon the once-bare branches.
Golden forsythias were soon joined by creamy magnolias and pale pink cherry blossoms.
Their arrival signaled one thing.
The annual session of the Noble Council was about to begin.
With it came the true beginning of the Theros Empire’s social season.
The Second Princess’s Palace, which had been quiet for so long, became lively once again that afternoon as Evan’s maids returned.
That evening, the Imperial Palace would host a grand banquet to welcome the nobles who had traveled from across the Empire to attend to affairs of state.
Because Princess Katrina was still very young, she wasn’t expected to remain at the banquet for long.
Even so, since the Emperor himself would be attending, making a favorable impression certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Gently touching her far more comfortable dress and shoes, Kitty murmured,
“It’s such an important banquet… Is it really okay for me to dress this comfortably?”
One of the maids she had recently grown close to answered immediately.
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“This entire Imperial Palace is your home.”
“It belongs to Your Highness.”
“All you’re doing is helping His Majesty and Their Highnesses welcome the guests who have come to the palace.”
“So you should make yourself as comfortable as possible.”
…But would Father think so too?
She was thinking of Theodore.
The tyrannical emperor who truly owned this palace.
Not wanting to dampen the maids’ spirits, Kitty quietly swallowed those thoughts.
By the time the preparations were complete, the sun had already set.
Accompanied by Margaret and Diana, Kitty left the Second Princess’s Palace.
Before leaving, however, she didn’t forget to tell the maids who had helped dress her—and her loyal maid Cindy—that she would return soon and asked them to take good care of the palace until then.
Until recently, Cindy had insisted she would become the perfect personal maid for Princess Katrina.
Lately, however, she seemed to have realized her own limitations.
She wasn’t nearly as skilled as the palace maids at dressing and preparing the princess.
Nor was she suited to accompanying Kitty to formal social events.
Instead, Cindy devoted herself wholeheartedly to cleaning the enormous Second Princess’s Palace.
Compared to the other royal residences, it was shabby.
Yet for two little girls to live in alone, it was still far too large.
“How do I look, Cindy?”
“You’re beautiful as always, Your Highness.”
Today as well, Cindy wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and wished Kitty a safe trip.
Beyond the narrow path leading away from the palace stood a large carriage sent by House Roengreen.
As Kitty approached, its door opened smoothly.
A young boy stepped out.
“I greet Her Highness Princess Katrina, the Empire’s most exalted star—”
“…Ah.”
This time, Kitty could clearly see the expression on the boy’s face as he froze mid-greeting.
His neatly combed dark hair blended almost perfectly with the night itself.
He wore an elegant black formal suit for the banquet.
Like the magnanimous princess she believed herself to be, Kitty graciously pretended not to notice the breach of etiquette caused by his interrupted greeting and simply waved.
“Hello, Patrick.”
Patrick seemed genuinely shocked by the sight of Kitty wearing her glasses.
He stood there blankly for several moments before finally receiving sharp looks from Margaret and Diana and hurrying to help her into the carriage.
Clatter… clatter…
As the carriage rolled slowly along the road, Kitty opened the window.
The breeze carried with it the gentle fragrance of spring blossoms drifting from somewhere nearby.
The occasional lanterns lining the road made the scenery feel even more picturesque.
“You’re not cold, are you, Your Highness?”
“No.”
“If you do get cold, please let me know at once.”
“We brought an extra shawl and plenty of spare gloves.”
As they drew closer to the Imperial Palace, more and more carriages appeared on the road.
Each traveled through the darkness illuminated by its own lanterns.
Together, they resembled countless fireflies.
Watching the beautiful sight, Kitty suddenly asked,
“Are all the nobles coming?”
“Only those who belong to the Noble Council.”
Margaret kindly elaborated.
For example, nobles without hereditary territories…
Or those who held only non-hereditary titles…
Or wealthy commoners who had amassed fortunes rivaling the nobility…
None of them belonged to the council.
Still, because this was one of the few occasions when the Empire’s greatest noble families gathered in the capital, even such people tried to stay nearby whenever possible.
If fortune smiled upon them, they might establish connections with great nobles they normally wouldn’t even dare approach.
With enough luck, those connections might even earn them invitations to small tea parties within the Imperial Palace.
“I see.”
After listening to the explanation, Kitty nodded quietly.
Even so, none of that had anything to do with her.
No commoner hoping to curry favor with the Imperial Palace would bother approaching Princess Katrina, whose influence had long since disappeared.
Before long, they arrived at the main palace.
Escorted by her fiancé, Kitty stepped gracefully from the carriage and climbed the stairs.
Margaret and Diana followed close behind.
Even if she accidentally tripped and tore her skirt, there was nothing to worry about.
After entrusting her coat, shawl, and hat to the attendants, they were just about to enter the banquet hall.
Making sure they had put a little distance between themselves and the maids following behind, Patrick finally spoke in a cautious voice.
“Um… about my rudeness earlier…”
“I truly had no intention of insulting Your Highness.”
