≈ Chapter 3 ≈
Emily’s cousin began explaining about the young lady who was the most beloved in Belfast’s social circle.
As a result, after only five minutes, Emily had a rough idea of who Anais Fleur was.
Most of it was praise for how beautiful and kind she was.
But mixed in with it were comments that sounded like compliments and insults at the same time.
“So… why is she annoying?”
“Well, for example…”
Her cousin talked about something that had happened before Anais caught her spring cold.
Someone had admired Anais’s beautiful blonde hair and asked how she kept it so lovely.
“She’ll talk in circles, but in the end, her answer is always, ‘I was born with it.'”
“I see…”
“And the way she talks about herself in the third person is annoying too. Though… she’s not doing that today.”
Emily laughed a little.
“I can understand wanting to smack her for that.”
Just then—
“Miss Anais, your cheeks are so soft.”
“You can touch them. I’ll give you special permission!”
“Really?”
“See?” her cousin whispered.
“If someone asks about her skincare routine, she’ll probably go around in circles and then say she was just born that way.”
“Oh.”
“She’s always like that. Someone once asked how she became so good at the Imperial language, and she said it was because her parents were good at it. Completely useless advice.”
Emily couldn’t help giggling again.
Just as expected, someone asked Anais how she kept her skin so soft.
But this time…
The answer wasn’t what anyone expected.
“Ah, my family recently started a new skincare lotion business. I’ve been benefiting from it too.”
“Oh?”
Her cousin’s eyes widened.
At Anais’s cheerful answer, the other young ladies immediately began asking questions.
“Really? Is it that good?”
“Of course. Would you like to try it? I’ll have someone deliver some to you.”
“Thank you very much!”
“Try it first. And if you like it… you know what to do.”
What’s gotten into her?
Her cousin covered her mouth.
People have been saying she changed after recovering from her cold… They were telling the truth.
She’s actually selling things now.
Looking around, Emily noticed that the other young ladies also looked strangely confused.
“Well… of course products from the Fleur family are high quality…”
“I thought you weren’t interested in your family’s business.”
Anais smiled brightly.
“Interested? Why would I be?”
“…You’re not?”
“What would I do knowing about the family’s business? It would only give me a headache! But the products really are wonderful!”
Really?
The young ladies looked uncertain.
Anais’s smile became even brighter.
She began talking smoothly.
How amazing the products were…
How she normally wouldn’t tell anyone…
How she could only offer them at a special price because they were friends…
She spoke so convincingly that—
By that very evening, skincare lotion had been delivered to nearly every large estate in Belfast.
Of course, the lotion itself was free.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
After hearing about the lotion, everyone somehow felt they also needed the soap that worked best with it.
And while they were at it, they should probably buy the special face cloth as well.
As a result…
Emily and her cousin accepted one bottle of lotion…
Then bought around ten bars of soap…
And about a hundred face cloths.
Emily only bought the products.
Her cousin spent much more money.
“It’s not like I invested that much.”
“But…”
“I’ve tried the lotion, and I think it’s really good. I only used a tiny bit of my dowry money.”
Her cousin hummed happily.
Emily looked uneasily at the pile of products.
Her cousin had even decided to invest in the business.
The business that belonged to the Fleur family—
Or rather…
The business Anais herself was running.
She had even paid in advance that very day.
Her reason was simple.
“Anais isn’t normally like this. If she’s personally recommending it, then it’s definitely going to be a huge success.”
“Don’t regret it later when I become rich.”
But Emily would never have a chance to regret it.
It was rather unfortunate.
If only her cousin had known one thing.
That Anais Fleur…
Was Number Thirty-Three.
Speaking of Anais Fleur…
She hadn’t always been the beloved young lady of everyone around her.
The Fleur family was what people called the most successful family in the small kingdom of Belfast.
They weren’t dukes or marquises.
They were counts.
So why were they the most powerful family in such a small kingdom?
The reason was simple.
Originally, Belfast had been a naval city built by the Empire to fight the pirates that ruled the eastern seas of the continent.
But as the pirates were gradually wiped out, the Empire found the enormous naval budget difficult to maintain.
The Marquis of Malone, who was the admiral at the time, carefully made a proposal to the Empire.
“I’ll pay all the expenses. We’ll continue serving the Empire and defending the coast. In return… let Belfast become an independent kingdom.”
The Empire answered simply.
“Deal.”
That was how Belfast became a kingdom.
The Marquis of Malone became its king.
Then he married the eldest daughter of the Fleur family—the family that had earned the most money through the harbor.
The Fleur family poured enormous amounts of money into Belfast under the name of a dowry.
That money flowed not only into Belfast…
But into the Empire as well.
The Emperor rewarded the Fleur family with an Imperial title.
It was a count’s title.
In fact, it was two count’s titles.
That was about fifty years ago.
They had money.
They had honor.
Now all they needed was an outstanding son.
Unfortunately…
That wasn’t so easy.
Anais’s grandfather, who was the brother-in-law of the King of Belfast, always wanted a fine son.
Instead…
He had five beautiful daughters.
So he placed all his hopes on welcoming an excellent son-in-law and eventually having an excellent grandson.
Naturally, when Anais’s parents—the eldest daughter of the Fleur family and her husband—learned they were expecting their first child…
They felt more pressure than joy.
Anais’s mother suffered from severe morning sickness throughout her pregnancy.
After all that hardship…
The child she gave birth to was Anais.
It was obvious that Anais wasn’t especially welcomed at first.
But once she entered the world…
She was an incredibly lovely baby.
Sparkling golden hair.
Beautiful green eyes that shone like the finest emeralds.
The midwife who delivered her couldn’t stop herself from exclaiming,
“Goodness! She’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen!”
Even her grandfather, who had come to see his granddaughter with a reluctant expression, was completely charmed.
As he watched the tiny baby wrap her little hand around his finger…
For some reason, his eyes became wet.
Seeing tears gather in her father’s eyes, Anais’s mother finally relaxed.
Naturally…
Anais grew up surrounded by love.
She was beautiful.
And because she was loved so much, she also developed a warm personality.
Still…
She wasn’t simply a gentle and sweet young lady.
Everyone assumed that the finest things in Belfast would naturally end up in Anais’s hands.
But that wasn’t always true.
Her grandfather was a strict man.
Even though he adored his granddaughter, he always tried to treat her firmly.
As a result…
Anais grew into a somewhat spoiled teenager.
But she was also quick-witted enough that no one around her ever truly disliked her.
For example—
Before her sixteenth birthday, during a tea party, her grandfather asked,
“Anais, is it true that yesterday you refused to eat because you wanted kingfisher feather shoes?”
It was true.
In fact, it was even worse.
It was a secret…
But she had thrown herself onto the floor in front of her mother, kicking and shouting,
“I want kingfisher feather shoes! Anais is the only one who doesn’t have any! Buy them for me! I won’t eat until you do!”
But clever Anais quickly compared two things in her mind.
Her strict but loving grandfather…
And the kingfisher feather shoes that were the latest fashion in the Empire.
Then she blinked her long golden eyelashes and answered sweetly,
“I’m ashamed to admit that the childish Anais really did behave that way. But when I woke up this morning, it all seemed meaningless. Those shoes may be very expensive, but once they’re on my feet, they’ll just be hidden under my dress anyway. Besides, fashions disappear so quickly, don’t they?”
“Then what would you do instead?”
Her grandfather asked with interest.
Anais rested her chin on her hands and smiled sweetly.
“Wouldn’t it make my birthday much more meaningful if that money were donated to Belfast’s soldiers instead?”
Her grandfather burst into hearty laughter.
Her father, who had spent the previous night begging her to at least eat a piece of fruit, laughed in disbelief.
Her mother simply wrinkled her nose.
In the end…
Anais received not one…
But two pairs of kingfisher feather shoes.
And on top of that, her grandfather donated an amount equal to the price of one hundred pairs of those shoes to the Belfast army in her name.
Naturally, not only the King of Belfast but all of high society remembered Anais as an exceptionally wise young lady.
Her mother often shook her head and said,
“If only people knew what was really going on inside that girl’s head.”
Yet whenever she was outside, she secretly boasted about her eldest daughter’s charming personality.
Before long…
People began calling Anais…
The Princess of Belfast.
The Belfast royal family didn’t have a real princess.
So no one objected.
And it wasn’t exactly wrong.
After all…
Wasn’t Anais’s great-aunt the Queen of Belfast?
Many people gathered around Anais.
Whenever someone flatteringly called her “Princess,”
Anais would simply smile brightly and reply,
“Please just call me Miss Fleur.”
And perhaps…
It was only natural…
That the Thirty-Third Possessor would choose Anais as her host.
