The day of the party.
"It's been a while since I wore formal attire…"
Wrapped in an unfamiliar sensation from head to toe, Ermes murmured in the waiting room.
The servant's uniform he had grown accustomed to since coming to the Trackia house was quite refined in its own right, and since he was attending only as a servant, he had thought that would be sufficient.
"Ermes, this is a matter of appearance. Even if they know you're a servant, being escorted by a man dressed properly only enhances a woman's charm, you know?"
Leila explained this to him, and he accepted it with a "so that's how it is." If it was for Katia's sake, he couldn't very well refuse.
While he was thinking about this, there was a knock at the door.
"…May I come in, El?"
"Lady Katia. Yes, of course."
It seemed Katia had finished getting ready as well.
He mused that it must have taken quite some time, even for a woman's dressing up, as he watched her open the door and step inside.
A fairy stood there.
Her outfit was a purple off-the-shoulder dress. The daringly exposed line from collarbone to shoulder accentuated the precarious charm that straddled the border between girl and woman. Moreover, the ruby necklace adorning her neck and the black ribbon on her wrist made her fair skin stand out all the more, achieving a magnificent golden ratio between loveliness and beauty.
Smooth fabric covered her slender frame from chest to waist—so delicate it seemed it might break at a touch—and from there the skirt spread out, adorned with countless small golden embellishments. Together with the color of the fabric, it gave off a radiance like the night sky, and the gradient that gradually lightened toward the hem lent it an air of elegance.
Her hairstyle was a half-updo, with part of her hair brained and adorned with a charming floral ornament. Her amethyst eyes gleamed, and her beautiful features seemed further enhanced by the understated, meticulous makeup.
The fairy of the night.
He had heard that this was how Katia's appearance was whispered about in certain circles. Now he understood exactly why.
"…W-Well? How is it?"
"A—ah, um…"
How many seconds had his gaze and his thoughts been stolen away?
Katia's voice, shyly seeking his impression, pulled him back to reality. Ermes let his eyes wander for a moment.
"…I'm terribly sorry," he said with an embarrassed smile. "In times like this, one ought to search for every word of praise… but I couldn't find the words to express it properly. All I can say is—you are beautiful."
"!"
She understood precisely what those words implied.
Katia tried to say something in return but couldn't form the words, and in the end she simply turned bright red and looked down.
"…That's the best possible reaction. Good job! It was worth staying up all night designing that outfit…!"
The voice of Leila, who alone had gone to extraordinary lengths to create today's Katia, echoed from behind them.
Despite that little scene, Ermes entered the party hall with Katia on his arm.
This was a party celebrating the achievements of the Trackia house, and particularly of Katia. As the guest of honor, she had to make the rounds of greetings, and he accompanied her while keeping an eye on her.
From across the hall and all around them, what they heard were, as expected, voices of admiration.
"…Lady Katia, is it? Seeing her again—what stunning beauty…"
"She's fifteen now, isn't she? To already look like that—she'll surely become a peerless beauty in the future."
"And her education is said to be flawless, too. What a waste—if only she could use magic, that would make her perfect…"
"Wait, no. I hear she's actually overcome that flaw as well. Apparently, she drove off Earl Eldritch, who tried to steal her credit, using nothing but the pressure of her Bloodline Magic."
"What!?"
It seemed that, in addition to the achievement of bringing back the Ancient magical tool, her confrontation with the Earl had also spread as a rumor.
The assessment was far from what one would expect of someone who had been sneered at as the "Flawed Lady." If anything, given how recently Ermes had returned to the Royal Capital, he found himself wondering just how low Katia's reputation had really been here.
"…Was Lady Katia really held in such low regard in the Royal Capital…?"
"Low, without question. But nobles are easily swayed, and this time the achievements were significant enough to turn things around completely."
The response came from an unexpected direction.
He turned around to find a tall, slender gentleman in a tightly fitted formal suit, with purple hair—Katia's father, the head of Duke Yurugen's house.
"Your Grace. …That formal suit suits you very well."
"Haha! Save that compliment for Katia."
At Ermes's offhand remark, Yurugen laughed and tilted the wine glass in his hand.
"Have you finished greeting the King?"
"His Majesty doesn't attend these things. He's a busy man—occupied with external affairs and dealing with Monsters, so matters like these are left entirely to his retainers and the other royals. …Unfortunately."
Yurugen's voice dropped slightly darker for a moment.
Ermes didn't know much about the royal family, but he had indeed heard rumors that Monsters had been growing more active recently.
As Ermes nodded in thought, Yurugen changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, I heard—Katia's magical flaw. You helped her overcome it?"
"Ah, no. I merely gave her the push. That was a power she already possessed."
"But without you, it never would have blossomed. I'm grateful. …My judgment in taking you in was correct, it seems."
"…"
Those words, along with the exchange from the day he first came to the Duke's house, flashed through his mind.
A vague sense of unease surfaced, and since it seemed like a good moment, Ermes decided to ask.
"Your Grace."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Why did you trust me so much?"
It was true that Yurugen knew about Ermes's early life and had some understanding of his circumstances and character. But to make the snap decision to hire Ermes on the spot—that felt rather rash for the head of a Duke's house.
"As Your Grace yourself said that day, there was every possibility I was a spy from the Frenbreed Marquis House. Yet you accepted me without hesitation… Of course, I'm grateful, but I've wondered—why?"
"…Indeed. As I said, it was largely because you believed in Katia purely and sincerely. But if I were to point to one more significant reason—"
There, Yurugen took a sip of wine and spoke with an unfathomable smile.
"—I have a fairly good guess as to the true identity of your 'master.'"
"!"
"In our generation, 'she' was quite famous. Someone capable of giving you magic that extraordinary—there aren't many candidates."
Ermes had followed his master's instructions and never spoken a word about her identity. Not even her gender.
Which meant that the Duke's words—at the very least—were not mere bluffing.
"Judging by your expression, I've hit the mark. …In that case, all the more reason that accepting you was the right choice."
And as expected of a Duke's head, he read Ermes's psychological state from the slightest flicker of expression.
"Rest assured. This is something I—rather, something my wife knew because she had a connection with 'she.' Even in our generation, there are very few people who could immediately link your magic to 'her.'"
"…I see."
"Yes. So please, don't worry about it and continue supporting Katia as you have been. …Look, she seems to be in trouble already. Go help her out."
With that, Yurugen gave Ermes a light pat on the back and vanished into the crowd.
"…That was quite a surprise."
He hadn't expected anyone to trace his magic all the way back to Rose.
According to Yurugen, he was an irregular case, but it was better to be cautious than not—as Ermes thought this, he headed toward Katia as instructed.
"Lady Katia! Please, I beg you—just consider it!"
"I'm afraid I cannot entertain such a proposal at this time."
"Don't say that—please, there must be something—"
There she was, being pestered by a low-ranking man who was bowing and scraping desperately.
Since she was clearly troubled, Ermes thought of a quick solution and approached.
"—Lady Katia. Your father is calling for you."
"Oh, El. …I understand. I'll be right there."
Katia seemed to grasp his intent instantly, nodded, and rose to her feet. She turned to the man who had been pestering her.
"…Well then, what will you do? Will you repeat the same request in front of my father?"
"In front of Duke Trackia!? I—I take my leave!"
The man broke into a cold sweat and scurried away on the spot.
Katia let out a sigh and walked over to Ermes.
"That was a lifesaver, El."
"You seemed to be in trouble. Sorry for the deception—"
"I know, it was a lie. Father basically lets children handle these situations on their own."
This was something Leila had told her—at social gatherings, Yurugen was greatly feared by other nobles.
Well, given the intimidation he had felt the day he arrived at the Duke's house, and the sharp insight he had just witnessed, that was hardly surprising. Nobody wanted to play a game of wits against a man like that.
It was an evasion tactic using that fact, but it had been even more effective than expected. And if the man had followed anyway, Yurugen would have dealt with it regardless.
"So, what were they talking to you about?"
"…Marriage proposals."
"Marriage proposals?"
"Yes. During the greeting rounds, you heard it too, didn't you? People asking me to get engaged to their son—and in the worst cases, proposing themselves as a suitor directly."
"Ah…"
"When even people who had openly looked down on me until now started making proposals, I could hardly believe my ears. …How can I be with someone who doesn't believe in me?"
She must have been inundated with such proposals—many, and persistently. Katia spoke with a fed-up expression.
But it made sense.
Until now, she had been called a beautiful and brilliant, perfect duke's daughter—with the sole exception of her inability to use magic.
If rumors had spread that her one and greatest flaw had been overcome—
"—It's only natural that you'd be flooded with suitors, given your situation."
"Hmph."
At Ermes's words, however, Katia pouted with dissatisfaction.
"Why do you sound so detached about this?"
"Huh? I'm just—"
"Would you really not care if I accepted a proposal?"
She leaned forward, looking up at him with a glare.
"I'm warning you—if, by some chance, it happened. You might not… be able to stay with me anymore."
"What?"
"Having a servant close in age to a noble gentleman isn't automatically a problem, but to avoid bad rumors, it's better to keep your distance. If the other party is strict, it's almost certain. Even so… would you say you don't care, El?"
Katia's final words carried a tinge of sadness. Ermes thought for a few seconds.
"…The treatment at the Duke's house is unbelievably good. Being cast out would be problematic… and besides."
"And besides?"
"Being separated from you again would certainly be… very lonely."
Softly but unmistakably, those words escaped his lips. Katia's eyes widened.
"Th-that's… right. As long as you understand."
She turned away to mask the expression threatening to soften, speaking slightly too fast.
"A-Anyway, that's how it is."
"Y-Yes."
"Rest assured—I have no intention of considering marriage proposals for a while. So I'm going to turn down every offer that came today—"
"Lady Katia!"
But the tenacity of a noble who had sniffed out a good match was a fearsome thing.
Yet another noble approached from a different direction.
"…And you are?"
"My name is Karl von Hartnet! I operate the Earl's estate in the western region. Please remember me!"
Despite his clearly reluctant demeanor being plain to see, the man—Earl Hartnet—introduced himself without the slightest consideration for her obvious disinterest.
"I am truly in awe of Lady Katia's tireless effort in finally overcoming her flaw of being unable to use magic! The matter I wish to discuss is—"
"Another marriage proposal, I suppose?"
"W-Why, Lady Katia is as perceptive as ever! Exactly so! And so, the thing is—"
"I'm sorry."
How many dozens of times had this exchange played out by now? With practiced, minimal words, Katia declined.
"I'm unable to entertain such matters at the moment. So I must respectfully decline every proposal made today."
"P-Please don't say that—at least meet my son! He's my second boy, but—"
"…Let me be clear."
But the man refused to back down—no, he disregarded her words entirely and pushed forward with his own agenda.
His attitude finally pushed Katia's patience to its limit, and she said what she had been hesitating to mention.
"Earl Hartnet.
Last month, I received a
marriage annulment
from His Highness the Second Prince."
"!"
"Do you fully understand what that means? With that in mind, I ask you to reconsider once more—"
"Y-Yes, that's true, but!"
But.
This man's foolishness exceeded even Katia's expectations.
"Even if it was His Highness the Second Prince, Lady Katia awakening at such a young age must have been unexpected! It simply proves that Lady Katia's talent exceeded His Highness's expectations!"
"Now you, that's enough—"
"Yes! You are without question a beautiful, talent-filled, God-blessed mage—a perfect duke's daughter! For His Highness, for Prince Aster, to annul his engagement with you is surely—"
"Oh? What about me?"
A polished voice cut through the air.
Even amid the crowd, it carried with enough clarity for everyone to hear. Every person who heard it perked their ears, and in an instant the hall fell silent.
Through that silence, steady footsteps rang out—click, click, click—as a figure approached.
Everyone parted to make way, and in the center of the crowd, the figure was revealed.
Hair like molten gold, eyes like rubies holding captured flame.
Features so refined that the word "handsome" seemed to have been coined for a face exactly like this—upon which sat an expression of absolute confidence underlying unyielding arrogance.
And this was no mere facade. The opulent clothing, and the magic power rising from his entire being, made it unmistakable.
Standing there, he made everyone in the room feel as though he were the center of it all.
A man of such presence—the second prince—reigned in the center of the hall.
Earl Hartnet, face pale and trembling, was rendered speechless by the prince's aura.
Katia, by contrast, spoke his name.
"…Aster. Your Highness."
Aster Joseph von Yustia.
The second prince of this kingdom—and the man who had been the final cause of Ermes's banishment.
At last, Ermes met him for the very first time.
Next time: Prince Aster, finally appearing, goes wild in every sense of the word! New characters appear!