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“Many will show interest in you, Lara. Do not be flustered and act wisely, as you always do. I simply mean you should be a bit less aggressive. Be especially careful when you are beside Sergei Nikitin.”
However, the reaction of Vasily, my companion for the banquet, was cold. It was already freezing; I felt like I was getting goosebumps on my arms.
“Everyone in society will know that you, a Princess, have gone out of your way to attend the Duke Nikitin family's ball, and that the reason is Sergei. Therefore, you must prove to them that the relationship between you and Sergei is nothing more than a pure friendship.”
“Well, fine. So how exactly am I supposed to show off this 'pure friendship'?”
“For starters, you must not be completely absorbed in each other's conversation inside an isolated balcony, as you did at the Imperial Palace. For a full hour.”
“Hmm. Did that happen? I don't quite remember.”
“I am not too worried about you, as you understand quickly once cautioned. The problem will be Sergei.”
“Seryozha?”
Just then, the carriage, which had been running without pause, came to a slow stop. Only then did Vasily's gaze, which had been fixed on a letter, turn toward the window. In the box beside him lay a pile of letters he had been skimming through throughout the journey. They were letters that were tossed aside within ten seconds at most.
As soon as the door opened, Vasily stepped out of the carriage and skillfully escorted me, his partner for today's banquet. Amidst the pouring attention, a small whisper reached me.
“Yes, Lara. I believe today's Sergei might very well propose to you.”
“...How could he, as the young Lord Nikitin, propose to me?”
“Because rumors are rampant in Makhachkala that Tanya is searching for a groom for you within the country. He might think himself a perfect fit. You know that Tanya introduced him to you with that very intention.”
I understood well what he meant. Nevertheless, it was not easy to speak.
To be honest, I was quite flustered by Vasily's blunt way of speaking. This was because he had never once used language that belittled others or dug into hidden intentions in front of me.
Has he finally started treating me as an equal adult rather than a child? If so, I should respond with maturity as well.
“Ahem. Is Seryozha not good enough?”
“I am the one who wishes to ask. Do you have any desire to become the Duchess of Nikitin, Lara?”
I answered while staring at the Nikitin family, who were approaching with quick steps as if they had been waiting.
“If the status of a Duchess would be helpful to Vasily, I have no reason to refuse.”
At my words, Vasily, for once, shook his shoulders and laughed loudly.
“The day such a grand duty is bestowed upon you will never come. What this older brother is curious about is whether you have romantic feelings for him or not. Lara, are you confident that you could marry Sergei, have children with him, and love him for a lifetime?”
Just as I was organizing my thoughts to answer seriously, I came face-to-face with the Nikitin family. As I closed my mouth and gave a thin smile, Duke Nikitin let out a boisterous laugh and bowed his head.
“That there is no greater honor for our family than having the two of you attend our banquet! It is a pleasant night, Crown Prince Vasily and Princess Larisa. This is the first time I have seen the Crown Prince laugh so heartily. You must have been sharing a most interesting conversation.”
“Conversations with Lara... are always pleasant, regardless of the time or place, are they not?”
“Princess Larisa, this is the first time I have seen you outside the Imperial Palace. I cannot tell you how nervous I was knowing Your Highness would attend the banquet. Phew. I hope I do not disappoint Your Highness.”
“The first impression is quite satisfactory. I look forward to the ballroom.”
Only after Duke Nikitin and the Duchess introduced their eldest son and daughter, their first through fifth aunts, cousins of cousins, and nephews of distant relation did they guide us into the banquet hall.
As we walked, every noble who locked eyes with us hurriedly bowed their heads in awe. If it were the me from the days when I knew nothing, I would have felt gloomy, wondering if I had thrown cold water on an exciting festival, but not anymore.
Looking at the faces of Duke and Duchess Nikitin—filled with tension yet brimming with pride—various complex thoughts surfaced again.
'Are they hoping for a union between me and Seryozha?'
Accepting a Princess of Ohala into the family comes with great advantages and disadvantages. The head of a noble house is inevitably lower in status than a Princess, and the Imperial family's interference acts directly upon the inner workings of the house, weakening the head's power.
However, there is also a massive advantage that offsets these drawbacks: the descendants of a Princess are granted a legitimate right of succession to the throne. Though one step lower than the direct line, it is a legitimate right that no one can deny.
'Is Duke Nikitin a man of great ambition?'
Or is he a man who desires the stable survival of the Nikitin family? Considering Sergei's nature, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
As if spoken of, Sergei immediately approached my side and smiled at me.
“You have a very different aura today, Lara.”
“I dressed as an unmarried lady attending a banquet, so of course it's different. You look dazzlingly handsome too.”
“Hmm.”
Sergei gave a small cough and subtly turned his head away. He looked shy to anyone watching, which made me feel slightly strange. Have I been too stingy with compliments? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever used the word 'handsome' to describe Sergei.
'But Seryozha was more of a comfortable and funny friend than someone "handsome." But now...'
How should I put it? To exaggerate slightly, it felt like the fact that he was a candidate for my marriage partner was hitting home for the first time.
[Lara, are you confident that you could marry Sergei, have children with him, and love him for a lifetime?]
At the voice that suddenly echoed in my mind, I reflexively pushed Sergei's shoulder.
"...Don't get too close, Seryozha. Walk one step away. For today, secret whispering is also forbidden. No, please refrain from it in the future as well. It would be best to keep this distance."
"What?"
Sergei furrowed his brows with a look of disbelief.
"I am a Princess of marriageable age. I don't want to get exhausted by being too intimately entwined with this man or that man unnecessarily."
At those words, Sergei's face stiffened for a moment before relaxing.
"Ah... how disappointing. I'm really hurt, Lara. Why are you suddenly acting all formal just because you've become an adult?"
Instead of a straightforward answer, I consoled his disappointment with a playful smile. However, despite my warning, Sergei kept his place by my side, standing on the opposite side of Vasily.
And soon, as we crossed the night sky and stepped into the banquet hall where golden chandeliers hung like suns.
“Ah, it's the Princess.”
“Princess Larisa has arrived.”
Dozens of pairs of eyes, shot like arrows, began to pay their polite respects. The heavy silence, so thick it felt suffocating, felt sharper and more stinging than the gazes of the crowd.
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