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I diligently tuned out the Ten Commandments of Adulthood, which were so boring they made my feet cramp. They were damn long. No wonder young people these days skip the coming-of-age ceremony and pour all their time and effort into the debutante ball. To make matters worse, I had eaten a hearty breakfast, and with the fierce wind and rain raging outside the window, it was the perfect setting to drift halfway out of consciousness.
“Princess Larisa.”
“…….”
“Princess, are you dozing off while sitting?”
I snapped back to attention and answered.
“No, I am not.”
“Congratulations on becoming an adult. As a member of the Imperial family, you must serve as a role model for all minors in Ohala.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Count Mikhail, pass the wine.”
Finally, the last step of the coming-of-age ceremony approached me. I took the golden wine glass offered by Mikhail.
“Princess Larisa. I wish for nothing but your health.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed the wine in one gulp. No sooner had I swallowed it than a second glass was lowered. This time, my mother spoke.
“Larisa, I hope everything you desire comes true.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed the second glass of wine. Next was Vasily.
“Larisa, take care of yourself above all others.”
Then Tatyana.
“Lara, repay favors by half, but tell this older sister of yours about any need for revenge.”
And finally, Ivan.
“Grow up already.”
Worry about yourself, I thought. Instead of answering, I gave him a fierce glare and swallowed the final glass of wine. With that, all the procedures of the coming-of-age ceremony were complete. After Mikhail stepped back, I slowly stood up with the help of the ladies-in-waiting.
‘Hmm. Having many siblings definitely makes this part a hurdle.’
After slamming back five glasses of wine in a row, the world felt like it was tilting sideways as I tried to stand.
However, thanks to practicing a few times following Tatyana's advice, I was able to withdraw without stumbling. Passing through the gazes of those who whispered that I was truly tenacious, I made my way toward the hall where the debutante ball was to begin.
After sitting in my seat blinking blankly for a few minutes, someone tapped my cheek.
“Wake up, Lara. So many people have come to celebrate your coming-of-age ceremony today. You'll probably have to accept at least twenty glasses at the banquet.”
“Don't scare her, Tanya. Lara? You don't need to drink everything they give you just because your siblings do. You absolutely must not.”
“Right. I'll push aside anyone who arrogantly pressures you to drink, so choose wisely. Got it?”
Damn this coming-of-age ceremony. A filthy tradition that encourages one to become a drunkard the moment they become an adult.
Before I could express my dissatisfaction, the doors swung wide open.
Unfortunately, the real beginning was only now. Outside the Imperial Palace, as many as 150 ladies were waiting for the chance to make their names known to us. My vision scattered dizzily. It was truly a time of hell.
I'll be honest.
I dozed off a bit in the middle. Perhaps because I slept while sitting, my energy didn't recover; instead, my fatigue only intensified.
An even more terrible reality was that a short tea time awaited me as soon as all 150 ladies finished their debutante presentations. The people I met, carving out such precious time, were my maternal cousins.
“I heard rumors spreading here that Her Highness Tatyana is searching for a marriage partner for Her Highness Larisa.”
“Tanya is trustworthy. She'll pick the best husband for Lara.”
“Thank you. I'm sure everyone thinks so, Auntie.”
“Seeing you like this... Princess Larisa looks more like Her Highness Tatyana than the Empress. Though anyone can see her eyes definitely resemble the Empress.”
My maternal cousins were fluent in the language of the Ohala Empire, so they felt familiar and comfortable, to the point where I felt no cultural difference regardless of when or where we met. Even after reuniting after several years, the joy was greater than the awkwardness, so from my perspective, my cousins' visit felt like a great gift.
‘It's a relief that Mother has so many sisters.’
Even while my mother stepped away for a moment, the drawing room remained boisterous.
Watching the harmonious scene, I thought of one person I hadn't seen in a long time. My father's only brother. Until I was five or six, I had followed him as if he were my own brother, but at some point, he became a figure whose portrait could not be found anywhere within the Imperial Palace.
“...I wonder if Uncle Anto is doing well?”
At my brief remark, everyone's gaze turned toward me. Among them, the smiles of the older adults faded. It was as if someone who must never be mentioned had been brought up.
‘As I thought, matters regarding my uncle are not ordinary.’
I stared at the firmly closed door of the drawing room and then spoke with a regretful face, pretending not to notice.
“Ah, sorry. Was that too sudden? It's just that it's been a long time since I've seen Uncle Anto. Being gathered like this made me think of him.”
I saw Tatyana's eyes narrow, but I ignored it. My eldest aunt, the eldest daughter of my maternal family and the consort of Argelsk, asked me with a subtle look.
“Princess Larisa... do you miss that man?”
That man. It was an expression that could not be considered favorable.
“Ah, it's not to the extent that I miss him.”
“I understand your feelings, but it is best to sever any remaining affection quickly. Is that man not the leader of the rebels? He is a reactionary who would pose a great threat to Princess Larisa. You must not think of him as family.”
‘What?’
I was so surprised that I almost failed to maintain my facial expression for a moment.
In my confusion, I blurted out something stupid like, “Thank... you,” and looked back at Tatyana.
My wise sibling was observing my reaction with an incredibly sharp gaze. Thanks to that, I could be certain of one fact that my family had been keeping strictly hidden.
‘Uncle Anto was a reactionary. That's why...’
His records were being erased from the Imperial family.
But why had they kept it a secret from me?
‘Because I was too young?’
I didn't feel a surge of anger or disappointment that I was the only one who didn't know. There was no way my family would have hidden the truth from me for impure reasons. It was simply a bit unbelievable. To think that my uncle, who remained only as a peaceful memory from my childhood, was a member—and the leader, no less—of the rebel army.
Just then, a maternal elder who had been intently studying my face spoke cautiously.
“Princess Larisa, if I'm not mistaken, you look quite surprised...”
Tatyana's change of subject was a beat faster than my denial.
“Please don't apologize, Auntie. Lara is an adult now; how could she not know the family's great traitor? However, on a day like today, I think it would be more beneficial to have a more interesting discussion. For example, candidates for Lara's husband.”
“What? My goodness. It seems Princess Larisa's marriage partner has finally been decided! Who on earth has gained such great fortune?”
As Tatyana started the new topic and the cousins tactfully followed her lead, their conversation naturally shifted to the new subject.
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