SLDS 15

The treasurer left behind a notice bearing his handwritten signature.

Cecil handed it to Leo and ordered him to go and receive the budget, and after that, courtiers began to visit the reception room in a continuous line.

The Chief Court Musician, the Cellar Master who managed the wine within the imperial palace, a patissier, a first-class gardener, a sculptor, and even an interior designer with a knack for color combinations and decorations. He had gathered all the experts necessary to hold a ball.

Finally, by meeting with the administrator who oversaw all the attendants within the imperial palace, the long series of audiences came to an end. They were each given a weighty task by Cecil. It went without saying that their faces turned pale at the demanding instructions.

Now that all the urgent matters were finished, he could have afforded to relax, but Cecil immediately stood up and headed for the office. Because his one and only pleasure was there. Even if he were to rest, it was better to rest while looking at Alexis.

When Alexis returned to the office after finishing his scheduled appointments, the first thing he saw was Cecil, asleep with both feet propped up on the desk.

Alexis asked his chamberlain, who was helping him remove his waistcoat.

“How long has he been like this?”

“It has been about two hours since he fell asleep.”

The chamberlain lowered his voice and whispered in the Crown Prince’s ear.

“He came back this morning after meeting with people related to the banquet and has been sleeping like that ever since. I heard that he stayed in the office until dawn yesterday.”

“…”

Alexis’s gaze turned to Cecil once again.

His skin, which had become sallow in just a day, and his disheveled hair were likely the result of the previous night’s hard work.

He was sleeping so soundly in a posture that was uncomfortable even for the onlooker that it seemed he wouldn’t wake up even if the ceiling collapsed.

“…Your Highness, shall I wake him?”

“Leave him be. Just put a partition in front of him. It won’t do any good for him to be seen by others.”

Alexis tossed out the indifferent words and returned to his seat. He, too, had a mountain of work to deal with. It was more beneficial to pour the attention directed at Cecil elsewhere.

✽ ✽ ✽

The debutante ball was now a week away. The capital was abuzz with the invitations from the imperial palace. The social season had truly begun.

Salons and dress shops were already swamped with customers. Jewelers wore out their doorsteps visiting the mansions of the nobility. Since it was such a long-awaited event, no one declined the invitation. On the contrary, the place was overflowing with people trying to secure connections with the families who had received invitations in order to attend as their companions.

Especially in places where noblewomen gathered, the topic of the debutante ball invariably came up. And in their conversations, there was one person who was always mentioned.

“I heard His Highness the Crown Prince is in charge of the ball this time. Then he will surely show his face at the banquet, right?”

“I am concerned for Her Majesty the Empress’s health. Goodness, she must have been so stressed…”

“It’s understandable that she’s bedridden. I myself have been so worried about Her Majesty the Empress that I can’t sleep at night. It’s not a matter to be taken lightly, is it? Male love, how scandalous.”

Every time they waved the fans covering their mouths, the lush feathers fluttered gracefully. Unlike their mournful eyes, the noblewomen’s voices were all overflowing with interest and laughter.

Cecil’s unusual preference was the hottest piece of gossip in the capital these days. Until just a little while ago, they had been whispering about the ‘lewd saintess,’ but now the target had changed.

“His Majesty the Emperor’s favoritism is truly great, they say. I heard he still lets him sit on his lap!”

“Good heavens, he’s not a concubine, what is that!”

“Perhaps it means he plans to live in the imperial palace his whole life without getting married?”

“That makes sense. If he marries, he has to leave the imperial palace. My great-uncle, Count Milo, was planning to put his youngest daughter forward as a match for Mr. Cecil, but he was greatly surprised by this incident.”

“At this point, shouldn’t one be pushing forward a young man instead of a young lady?”

“That would be more certain.”

Bursts of cackling laughter erupted. The fans that covered half their faces were merely a tool to hide their smirking lips. Their voices were so loud that the noblewomen’s slanderous talk spread to every corner of the shop.

“What do you all think you are doing!”

The velvet curtain was flung open, and an enraged voice echoed. The woman with salt-and-pepper black hair had her characteristic red eyes wide open.

“Of all places, in a public space, what is this conjecture and nonsense? And to insult a member of the imperial family, no less!”

At the Duchess of Vandel’s roar, the noblewomen stood up in fright. In their surprise, some got their dress hems tangled, and some dropped their fans.

“Gasp! Duchess. We didn’t mean anything by it…”

“I don’t want to hear it! How can noblewomen, who should be role models for others, engage in slanderous talk fit for common ruffians! I am very disappointed in all of you!”

The noblewomen’s faces turned pale as if they would suffocate at any moment. It was only natural for a chill to run down their spines, having been firmly marked by the mistress of the Vandel family, famous for its high-handedness within the Empire.

“I-I’m sorry. Duchess of Vandel. It was a slip of the tongue… Please forgive us.”

“You should be asking for forgiveness from Mr. Cecil, not me.”

“…”

“I have memorized all of your faces. You will all be showing your faces at this banquet, won’t you? I will watch with my own two eyes to see exactly how you behave.”

An icy wind blew from the Duchess of Vandel. Even though they were indoors, a chill ran through their entire bodies, and the noblewomen had to clutch the lace shawls draped over their shoulders tightly.

The men of the Vandel family were famous for their fierce tempers. Although he had now retired from the front lines, the Duke of Vandel had made a name for himself as a chief justice, and his legitimate eldest son, Claude Vandel, was the Knight Commander at the young age of twenty-three. As the Crown Prince’s closest aide, he was a prodigy who would lead the Empire in the future.

And Duchess Olike Vandel was the only person who could control these two men. No matter how much the Empire’s customs were steeped in male chauvinism, in the House of Duke Vandel, the Duchess’s word was absolute. It was due to the family tradition of holding women in the highest esteem.

Not only that, she was the one who had fed, clothed, and raised the Crown Prince. She held a position as influential as any nobleman, so no one was to get on the Duchess’s bad side.

Now the noblewomen, not content with just shedding tears, began to tremble. They bowed their waists incessantly, their carefully coiffed hair becoming a mess. What use was pride? They could only repeat that they were wrong.

“That’s enough apologies! Anyone would think I was bullying you.”

The Duchess of Vandel cast a scornful glare and turned away. The stern woman’s harsh expression finally softened when she discovered Yuria hiding behind the curtain.

“Yuria. Let’s go now. It seems it will be difficult to choose a dress any further today.”

“…Yes, Duchess.”

“Madame. I know you’re busy, but I’d like you to come to the mansion sometime tomorrow. I don’t want to have such an unpleasant experience again, so I’d appreciate it if you could go to the trouble.”

“Of course. I will visit tomorrow with the fabrics. I will make sure the dresses for the Duchess and Lady Beatrice are made without any problems.”

Madame Rosé, the owner of the dress shop ‘Étoile,’ which was the most popular in the Empire for combining long-standing tradition with the latest trends, was inwardly relieved that she had not lost the Duchess, who was responsible for a significant portion of her shop’s annual sales, due to such an unpleasant incident.

Had she not been on the verge of suffering a loss herself due to the noblewomen’s loose tongues? She resolved to make this dress as satisfactory as possible, if only to soothe the Duchess’s feelings.

The Duchess and Yuria left Étoile and boarded the waiting carriage. Olike’s expression as she looked out the window was still stiff, and Yuria nervously fidgeted with her fingernails, watching her mood.

“It’s truly absurd. What do they know to spew such nonsense?”

“Don’t be too angry, Duchess. I’m sure they learned something today. They seemed to be genuinely remorseful.”

Yuria said softly by her side. At the delicate voice, like a baby bird chirping, the Duchess’s anger dissipated.

“Yes. I suppose I got too worked up. You must have been very surprised too, I’m sorry.”

“I’m fine. I’m just worried that Mr. Cecil is being talked about by people.”

“Tell me about it. He must be having a hard time in the imperial palace as well…”

The Duchess’s warm sigh fogged up the carriage window.

She could meet Cecil next week, so she put aside her overwhelming worries for a moment with the thought that she must convey her belated thanks then.

✽ ✽ ✽

As the Duchess had predicted, Cecil was experiencing serious trouble.

Instead of rampant rumors and ridicule, Cecil was inundated with letters. They were all partner applications from nobles of marriageable age.

The first to send a letter was Baron Patrick, one of the young nobles. He was thirty-two years old. He held the title of an old bachelor, but rumors were rampant throughout the Empire that he was well-versed in the new trends and quite a handsome man.

As soon as Cecil read the letter, he tore it to shreds.