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I hadn't realized that the information shared among the noble ladies was this meticulous.
However, our conversation couldn't last very long. Shortly after a few words were exchanged, Vasily naturally wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me toward the balcony.
“Your face is flushed, Lara. You need to cool down. Let’s step away for a moment.”
My face doesn't get hot from just two glasses of champagne. Isn't he worrying excessively just because it's my first banquet? As I stood before the balcony, bewildered, Vasily popped a thumbnail-sized piece of chocolate he had picked up nearby into my mouth and asked.
“How were Iyen and Shkurkov?”
Ah, he used a convenient lie just to get me away from them.
I looked at the two men who remained standing not far away, their gazes fixed on me.
“Hmm, I don't know. I think the conversation was too short to get a feel for them.”
Vasily gave a short nod and vanished abruptly, telling me to wait a moment. In the meantime, the Duchess, who had suddenly pulled me out onto the balcony, closed the window and bowed her head politely.
“My apologies, Your Highness. It may be chilly, but please bear with it for a moment. If we don't close the door, unnecessary bugs might swarm in.”
Bugs. I pondered the blunt expression for a moment before speaking to her.
“This isn't a place where such things happen only once or twice. Is there a need to be this cautious?”
With a thin smile, she gazed beyond the window and replied.
“Of course. One must be careful. We cannot allow inappropriate people to linger by Your Highness's side. The more it is a first experience, the more care must be taken.”
I almost asked her if this was to link me with Sergei, but I kept my mouth shut. There was no need to lose her goodwill with a question that might offend her.
“Ah! As I thought. Prince Vasily didn't leave for no reason. This time, it's not a dud.”
Before I could confirm what she meant, the balcony door swung open.
Stopping a passing servant to obtain a third glass of champagne, she gestured toward Vasily, who had approached, and the man standing beside him. The man, who was of a similar height to Ivan, was not entirely unfamiliar.
“Igor Evgenyevich Tolstoy... he is a fine young man. Yes, very fine. He is the eldest son of the historic Count Tolstoy family, his conduct is upright, his features are harmonious, and his family has a hereditary abundance of hair. For a man, it is truly the greatest blessing.”
Considering her previous harsh critiques of the two men, this could be seen as a quite generous evaluation.
“He is a popular young man, but perhaps because his standards are so high, rumors of his flaws are occasionally heard. Ah... Your Imperial Highness was close with Miss Emma. You likely already know him?”
‘Yes, I do know him.’
However, the number of times we had met face-to-face was countable on one hand. During the time I spent frequently with Emma (specifically, until Emma became pregnant), Igor had been abroad for his studies, making him hard to see. After his return, Emma always came to visit the Imperial Palace, so I had even fewer opportunities to see him.
And yet, to think I would meet him as a potential marriage partner chosen by Vasily.
Maintaining a public smile, I waited for Igor to arrive. Perhaps because of a stony expressionless face that rivaled Vasily's, he gave off an aura of being dragged here against his will, but since he was Emma's brother, I greeted him with a voice as welcoming as possible.
“It's a pleasure to see you, Young Count Tolstoy. It's been two years.”
Igor gave a quiet nod and greeted me by kissing the back of my hand.
“It has been a long time, Princess Larisa. You have grown into a beautiful lady in the time since I last saw you.”
For me, his greeting was the first kiss from an adult male who was neither a friend, nor family, nor an acquaintance.
“Indeed. Young Count Tolstoy, you've grown taller as well.”
Igor's calm gaze lingered near my cheekbones.
“As I told you back then, please speak informally, Your Highness.”
“Don't be so formal. I'm much more comfortable this way.”
To begin with, among our siblings, Vasily was the only one who spoke down to subordinates. In this day and age, one shouldn't even treat members of the Imperial family with such condescension.
“How is Emma doing? I haven't seen her in a while because I've been preoccupied with various things.”
“She is doing quite well.”
“Does she not wish to see me?”
“When I visited her recently, she and I spoke about Your Highness for a long time. I believe she would like to see you.”
“Spoke? What did you talk about?”
“...Ah.”
A slight crack appeared in Igor's expressionless face.
“It wasn't a grand conversation. We simply reminisced about the day we first met, as Your Highness was becoming an adult.”
Despite his cold impression, the sight of him momentarily flustered touched the streak of playfulness I had suppressed throughout the ball.
“Why did you talk for a long time about me becoming an adult?”
“It wasn't that long of a conversation.”
“Did it exceed five minutes?”
“No, five minutes... not quite...”
“What about three minutes? You know that even three minutes is long, right?”
“Pfft.”
While dry greetings were being exchanged, a small laugh erupted from the side.
“Ah! This is truly amusing. It's my first time seeing Young Count Tolstoy stutter!”
Duchess Nikitin swallowed a mouthful of sloshing champagne and suddenly grabbed Igor's arm.
“If it's alright, would you mind stopping by that table with me for a moment? There is a superb curry eel jelly I want to show Princess Larisa; it's a masterpiece by our chef who turned a subpar delicacy into a gourmet treat... Ah! You'll only know for sure once you taste it. Come along.”
“...Yes, I shall follow, so please move slowly.”
Igor politely escorted Duchess Nikitin, who was slightly tipsy. Once they had moved a certain distance away, Vasily turned to me as if he had been waiting.
“Lara, what do you think of him?”
Again, it was a question of how he was as a marriage partner. Knowing that Vasily was seriously considering my marriage partner, I answered earnestly.
“He's a decent person. He never ignored me, even when we were children.”
“Any discomfort?”
“Hmm, not particularly?”
Perhaps because I was comfortable with Emma, her brother also felt relatively comfortable.
“But he doesn't seem interested in me.”
At my words, Vasily wore a meaningful smile.
“I'm curious which part gave you that impression.”
“Which part... his expression? He doesn't look particularly happy talking to me.”
“If even you say so, Igor must be very nervous. He is a man who is confident even before me and His Majesty. Interesting.”
Nervous. Now that he mentioned it, it did seem that way.
“He is a rare, honest, and upright man. How about spending some time together?”
“...Hmm. Sure, alright.”
It wasn't a proposal I would awkwardly decline. For me, who had just become an adult, getting to know potential marriage partners while weighing them at a banquet was practically my most important mission.
Moreover, was it because Vasily had started helping out after Tatyana had been so exceptional about it? A new sense of duty and ambition to find a wonderful husband welled up within me.
Vasily asked as he took a plate from Igor, who had returned after the eel jelly.
“I am too busy to escort Lara. I would like to entrust my sister to you for a while; would that be alright, Igor?”
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