I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 71

This was my first time wearing a full dress tailored to court standards. Although I felt a bit excited during the fitting, once the actual dressing began, all the good feelings I had from the past were forgotten.

The dress was undeniably beautiful. White silk fabric adorned with white floral vines from the neckline decorated the entire dress, with puffed sleeves rounding out the shoulders.

However, in terms of practicality, it was a complete failure. The satin train attached to the back to create an elegant atmosphere made every step a struggle.

The newly tailored white shoes were also incredibly high-heeled. Moreover, the dressmaker insisted that the dress was designed to look complete only when the large feathers stood stiffly at a certain angle, so I had to keep my neck straight to maintain the pretty angle of the feathers and lace.

At least the bustle trend had passed, so I didn’t have to wear padding around my lower body. But for someone who didn’t usually wear bracelets, holding various accessories, gloves, and a fan was a significant labor. If I had to wear an outfit like this every day, I would never want to enter the palace again.

Nevertheless, thanks to my mother’s bold investment for this season, the modest and ordinary girl transformed into someone who could at least fit in at any ball. According to my dad, it was ‘the prettiest I’ve looked since I was born.’

Since it was too much to use both a carriage and a magic circle in such a cumbersome state, I stayed overnight at Lindsay’s townhouse in the capital before heading to the palace.

Although my dad praised me greatly, he would have said the same thing even if I were wearing rags, so I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Despite everything, I was a country bumpkin who had never attended such a large-scale ball.

Perhaps worried about me, Lindsay had been busy giving me various advice and nagging from last night’s dinner to the carriage ride.

“Viscount Lesprey seems quite decent. He’s the nephew of Grand Duchess Shogeten of Patria and has a considerable inheritance. His elder brother is not a Stella but a respected priest.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t even look at those little brats who hang around with nothing to their name. Start with Viscount Lesprey, the Young Duke Olfin I mentioned earlier, or Count Miloton. And make sure to talk to Young Duke McBennan, the nephew of a Cardinal!”

“…Okay.”

“Remember, even if you don’t have a striking background, you’re a Stella. You’re a capable person who doesn’t lose to any young lady.”

“……”

“You were even ordained summa cum laude. That’s a huge deal. The noblemen probably already know your name, but if they don’t, subtly mention it. But don’t say it too overtly. It’ll seem frivolous. Got it?”

“Yes.”

My ears were practically bleeding from the constant advice. Regardless of my gratitude, it was still overwhelming.

Having gone through a similar process last year and just gotten married, she certainly had a lot of information. Nad she was very enthusiastic about helping me.

Mom said I should treat her like a mentor, as no other cousin would care this much. She wasn’t wrong, but…

“By the way, wasn’t there anyone decent at the temple? You even served at the Grand Temple. The combination of a noble family scion and a promising Stella is the best. The grand temple is the best place to find such people.”

“…Yeah.”

“Of course. You just worked hard again, didn’t you? You’re so naive, how will you survive this tough world?”

“…Sorry.”

I didn’t know why I was apologizing, but it came out naturally. Perhaps because it was so natural, Lindsay accepted it without any issue.

The long lecture continued. By the time I felt like I was losing my mind and becoming an inanimate object, the coachman finally announced our arrival at the palace. I never thought the place that had made me so nervous for days would feel like a savior.

“Countess Moulton. And this is…”

“Duna Valorem. She’s my cousin.”

“Ah, Lady Duna. Please come in.”

After receiving the sealed invitation from Lindsay, the royal servant let us into the hall. Seeing the crowd through the wide-open doors, I began to realize I was truly at the ball.

Standing among the dazzlingly dressed people, my heart pounded. I stuck close behind my cousin, who moved through the hall as if it were her own home.

We soon arrived at the reception room, where young ladies with flushed faces, similar to my situation, were lined up. They were waiting to be presented to the king and queen, most of them looking much younger than me.

I realized how long I had delayed this. Repeatedly sighing into the air, my turn quickly approached.

“Countess Moulton presents Lady Duna Valorem.”

With the servant’s announcement, the doors to the audience chamber opened. Lindsay and I walked slowly and stopped in front of the throne where the royal family sat.

I was as nervous as when I stood before the Pope during my ordination. If I weren’t a Stella, and if the influential Countess Moulton hadn’t cared so much for me, I wouldn’t be here.

“Summa cum laude.”

The queen, having been informed about me by her maid, murmured my credentials in a quiet voice. When I bowed my head as if it were an overpraise, she spoke with an intrigued expression.

“If it were me, I would have aimed for the position of Great Saint.”

“……”

The Great Saint is always accompanied by a Guardian. Although the Guardian doesn’t necessarily have to be of the opposite sex, there wasn’t a single citizen of the Holy Kingdom who didn’t know that the next Guardian was Peidos Carmel.

No matter how prestigious the position is, no noble would welcome their wife being constantly with another man and acting as the face of the Holy Kingdom. Knowing this, coming to this place was practically the same as giving up the candidacy for the position of Great Saint.

“It’s a position too high for me.”

In reality, Primis Starring leaves the ball after much deliberation to run for the position of Great Saint. Successfully concluding this season and entering the candidate competition were incompatible goals.

“Yes, it’s not a position that suits everyone.”

With those words, the Queen gestured for me to leave. I bowed politely and, as I had learned, kept my gaze down while stepping backward out of the audience chamber.

[It’s not a position that suits everyone.]

The Queen likely didn’t say that to belittle me. It probably meant that everyone has different values.

Nevertheless, to me, it sounded like she was saying it was a position not permitted for me. Because I was nothing more than a supporting character.

I lifted my gaze and looked around the luxuriously decorated hall. It was certain that I would meet Prim here, but for some reason, her pink hair was nowhere to be seen.

“There he is, Young Duke Olfin. I’ll guide him over here, so try to exchange a few words. Got it?”

Lindsay’s words brought me back to my senses.

Right, I came here to find my future husband.

Of course, avoiding Prim was also one of today’s goals, but it was secondary. I sighed and nodded.

And shortly after,

“If you’re a priest, you must be a virgin, right?”

“……”

That was the first thing the genius who graduated second from the Royal Academy said. I thought I did well to restrain myself from smashing my wine glass over his head.

“Sister, which division are you in? Should I put in a good word for you with my uncle?”

“……S-sister?”

“Oh, maybe you don’t know because you’re old? Nowadays, no one calls people ‘Miss So-and-So’ anymore. It’s not like you’re a fossil.”

Young Duke McBennan, the nephew of the Cardinal and four years younger than me, had a conversational pattern I couldn’t keep up with.

It wasn’t just Young Duke McBennan who had a generational gap with me.

“I am also a Stella. It’s already been twenty years, haha.”

“……You’re a great senior, haha.”

Count Miloton was a kind gentleman but twenty years older than me. Naturally, our interests and common ground were non-existent.

At this point, I was ready to give up and withdraw, but Lindsay’s strong insistence made me agree to meet Viscount Lesprey.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Duna.”

Fortunately, he was much better than Young Duke Olfin or Young Duke McBennan. He was reasonably handsome, appropriately polite, and knew how to continue a conversation without making it uncomfortable.

However,

“So, if it’s as you said, there’s a little over a year left until your mandatory service ends.”

“Yes.”

“Then, shall we set the wedding for next fall?”

“Yes… what?”

What?

“Aren’t you planning to get married?”

“……Viscount, we just met.”

The conversation we had was nothing more than introductions and a brief update on our current statuses. We hadn’t even shared a meal outdoors, watched a performance together, or even danced once! Not that I wanted to dance since I’m not good at it.

“I’m fine with it.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m fine with you, Miss Duna. I want to marry you.”

“……Ah.”

But I’m not fine with it?

I thought I had built a strong resistance to absurdly straightforward advances while dealing with Keene’s baseless flirting. But the world is truly vast and wide.

Yet, on the other hand, I wondered if this person might be the best I could get.

[He’s the nephew of the Duchess of Shogeten in Patria and has a considerable inheritance. His older brother isn’t from Stella but is a respected priest.]

Peidos Carmel was not someone I could have. Keene was a villain among villains, and it would be fortunate if he didn’t die in the future.

Of course, I believe my feelings for him were just a fleeting moment of infatuation during the tumultuous expedition in the ruins.

So among the choices left for me, maybe this person was the best. With these conditions, he might not match Peidos Carmel, but for a supporting character like Duna Valorem, he seemed like a fairly good second option…

“Big, big trouble, Your Majesty!”

At that moment, a chamberlain in court attire rushed into the hall. Following him with my eyes, I saw the King and Queen, who had entered the hall at some point, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“What is it, Sir Cherk?”

“Well, the, the Magic Tower, the Master of the Magic Tower!”

……The Master of the Magic Tower?

At the unbelievable words, not only the King and Queen but also everyone in the hall began to murmur anxiously. The chamberlain, with a tense face, took a deep breath and shouted again in a loud voice.

“The Master of the Magic Tower has come to the palace!”