I have never personally attended a banquet, but I still understand what must be done.
Probably because Giovinetta had told me countless times about the first debutante ball where she entered the upper class. Listening to it made my ears feel like nails were stuck in my ears, but it was those stories that helped me somewhat imagine the atmosphere at the banquet.
Then suddenly, her words appeared in my mind.
‘Many gentlemen have asked me to dance.’
The image of her in a dream seemed as vivid as if it were just yesterday. At the same time, I also suddenly felt a little confused and disappointed.
Is it... jumping? This is when we have to officially appear in front of everyone, so we definitely have to dance.
I looked down at my feet. With these legs, not only jumping but even walking straight is still difficult.
Jump... How can I do it? Looking closely, it turned out that I was the bigger problem than Cesar.
“Yes… what should I do?”
My mouth is dry. Jump? Since my leg was injured, I have never thought about dancing. Have I ever studied?
Of course there is, but that was a long time ago.
Suddenly old memories returned. The first days I entered the house of Duke Flores.
The cold and lonely days, when I lost Annalisa, had to wander the streets. An orphan with no support can do so many things. I can only sell flowers to earn a little change, both to live and to beg for the pity of passersby, couples or families with children.
Before dawn, I woke up, avoided the eyes of the security guards, washed my face, and combed my hair at the fountain in the square. Then go up the mountain to pick flowers, wrap them into small bundles to sell.
Among the street children, many are in the same situation as me. Most of them were dirty, some were still sick so they were sent to relief camps.
The important thing is to keep it “just right.” Not too clean to lose pity, not too tattered to be avoided.
Luckily or unfortunately, I always wear flimsy clothes and old leather shoes. The leather shoes were the only thing Annalisa left behind, but they were too big, tied with tight laces and still left open, dragging on the ground looking pitiful, perfect for gaining compassion.
Then one winter day, when the wind and storm made my hands numb, a servant of the Flores family came to me and asked:
‘What is your name?’
‘Irenea, do you need a flower?’
The servant smiled, his mouth twisted as if mocking.
'No need for flowers. You are a descendant of Cosimo Flores.'
He said I had the blood of a great archmage. The Flores family is one of the three founding families of the empire.
'Really... I'm from the family of Duke Flores?'
I couldn't imagine, Annalisa used to be a maid in a magnificent villa, but now I know it was the Flores house. Hearing that I was that divine descendant, how could I not tremble in fear?
Recalling the innocent memories of the past, I laughed softly. Now that I think back, it was probably because I was hungry for three days that I was so nervous.
But all that happened when I was eight years old.
‘That is the illegitimate son of Duke Gasparo…’
‘Through the relationship with the kitchen maid…’
The whispers of the guards standing behind me had no effect on me. I admit, at that time I lived in false dreams. How can a beggar child know anything?
Among the street children, many are illegitimate. This word is familiar to me, but I cannot fully understand its strict meaning.
After some confirmation procedures and checks with magic tools, when I entered the hall of the Flores house, I thought:
‘I feel like I have become a princess in a fairy tale!’
No longer worried about hunger or cold, I believe all suffering has ended.
The first time I met the Duchess, I was indescribably surprised. A gentle, elegant lady, completely different from what I had imagined.
Green eyes, pale blonde hair, she reminds me of Annalisa. An indescribable feeling of harmony makes me happy. Having been starved for love for so long, I couldn't help but be drawn to it.
‘Hello, madam.’
I bowed my head to greet the person who adopted me. There was a moment of silence, then footsteps approached. She lifted my chin, turned it to the side, then coldly said:
'You're so much like your mother that it's... terrible.'
Of course, Celestina cannot love me as evidence of her husband's sins.
But the disdainful eyes and humiliating words are not important. Celestina sent me a strict tutor, teaching me not only to eat and sleep, but also to be a true lady.
'You were born lowly, you can't break the habit of begging, you need to fix it from root to tip.'
I don't mind. I thought the duke's house only took me in as a maid, but they unintentionally gave me the opportunity to study. I vaguely thought:
‘Sometimes they treat me like a real daughter.’
I try my best. Try to become a worthy lady, a child who is not inferior, not ashamed.
Before long, I was allowed to study with the eldest and youngest girls—Giovinetta and Bernadetta.
Royal etiquette, art of speech, history, foreign languages, arithmetic, geometry, painting, musical instruments... All were given to a lowly person like me.
Little did I know at the time that it was all for me to become the mate of a cursed prince.
Then I had an accident and had to limp because of my leg. Of course, I couldn't learn to dance or ride a horse after that. I just watched Giovinetta absentmindedly. I think I'm not destined for those things, and that's okay.
This attitude extends to thinking about marriage. I was vaguely aware that when I was old enough, I would have to get married according to my adoptive mother's arrangements. I just didn't expect to marry the royal family.
It's unimaginable that now I will be a member of the royal family, having to dance in front of the prince and everyone.
"Lace?"
I stopped. Cesar stuck his head out, his eyebrows drooping as if he wanted to say something.
“Ah, it's nothing.”
I grabbed his hair, trying to calm him down. A soft, warm feeling flows through each finger, bringing unexpected comfort.
"Not yet…."
There are three more months until the banquet day. I remembered that it's not just about dancing. There is still much to be resolved. Just worrying in advance is useless.
“Not yet… it will be fine.”
This time, 'fine' doesn't come from certainty. Feelings of frustration and heaviness pile up in my heart, like a stone pressing on my heart. I tried to speak cheerfully to reassure myself.
Surely there will be a solution. Just haven't thought of it yet.
“Hey, Cesar.”
"YES?"
“Let's go out to eat something.”
He had been sitting in his room for several days, he must have been very hungry. Cesar looked at me and nodded vigorously.
Sitting on the floor for a long time makes it difficult to get up. As I lifted my leg, he suddenly put his hand under my armpit and lifted me into the air.
“Ah!”
I shouted, the sound echoed outside.
“What's going on?”
The knights standing at the door asked.
Before I could answer, I was picked up again. A bit dizzy because the visibility suddenly changed.
“Let me down!”
Even as a child, I had never been held like that. Annalisa has never been either. I'm small but this is too much. It's like being treated like an object.
Outside, the sound of a metal lock creaked. The knights are preparing to intervene.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
“I… I'm fine―”
But my answer doesn't change anything, they still lead Mercedes in first.
“Your Highness?”