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“It seems Anna didn't show you the mirror. If you had seen it yourself, you would have thought the same; you are beautiful enough to make anyone feel that way.”
The Duke, delivering such blatant praise with a face more serious than anyone else's, looked a bit... no, a lot like a madman.
For a moment, Yevgenia had a vision of a flood of petitions pouring in, claiming that Duke Martir had lost his mind and was unfit for the position of Chancellor.
The only times the Duke lost himself to this extent were almost always related to the Duchess—that is, Yevgenia's mother.
Yevgenia closed her eyes briefly and opened them again to steady her dizzy head before asking.
“Father, did Mother ever wear a dress similar to this one?”
“The design was entirely different, but she did wear a dress of a similar color. It was at Count Nemeda's summer banquet, two years before you were born. Rose wore a ribbon in her hair back then, just as you are now, and seeing that, those blind beasts...”
“Stop. Please stop, Father.”
Yevgenia raised both hands first, cutting off the Duke's romantic tales of him and the Duchess, which had begun to flow as if he had been waiting for the prompt.
‘I forgot that Father was like this since I was young because I was so obsessed with Raymond during my academy years that the actual time I spent physically with my father was so short.’
Though they were family who had lived together their whole lives, it had only been a short while since Yevgenia and the Duke had truly begun to converse and spend time together.
Recalling this bad habit of the Duke's that she had forgotten for a while, Yevgenia wore a look of exhaustion.
As a daughter, it was nice to see her father still longing for and loving her deceased mother, but listening quietly to that love's serenade was not an easy task.
Unfortunately, it was undoubtedly a very easy and enjoyable task for the Duke.
“The next part is the most important.”
“Anyway, the next part is just the story of how you defeated all those beasts and protected Mother.”
“Have I ever told you this story before?”
“No. But it's predictable. Every story you've told me about Mother ended that way.”
“Hmm.”
The Duke let out a low groan at Yevgenia's scathing assessment.
Seeing him look deep in thought, it seemed he was reflecting on whether he truly had only told her those kinds of stories.
Sensing the mood, Yevgenia hooked her arm into the Duke's as if snatching it, and gestured with her chin toward the coachman who was standing blankly.
The coachman immediately opened the carriage door, and Yevgenia managed to board safely before the Duke could snap back to his senses.
Rattle— rattle—
Once the carriage began to move, the Duke let out a deep sigh.
“No matter how much I think about it, I feel you should change your dress, change your hair, or perhaps tone down the adornments...”
“Honestly, Father. You didn't say anything until now, so why all of a sudden?”
“Because until now, you had a ‘fiancé.’”
Yevgenia pressed her lips tight at the words that poked right at her weak spot.
Seeing how he deliberately emphasized the word ‘fiancé,’ it was clear the Duke hadn't said it without thought or simply following the flow of conversation.
Now it was Yevgenia's turn to sigh.
“Thanks to the various things that happened with that ‘ex-fiancé,’ there shouldn't be any guys mindless enough to hit on me.”
“...Hmm. Certainly, unless they are exceptionally fearless...”
The Duke, who had acted as if he wanted to tear off Yevgenia's adornments right then and there before boarding the carriage, seemed to have completely vanished.
The fact that this was due to Yevgenia's own various behaviors made her feel dizzy.
To think her ‘behavior’ was so notorious that it couldn't be covered up even by her dressing up to look exactly like the Duchess.
Yevgenia wondered if it could really be to that extent and asked defensively.
“In times like this, shouldn't you be saying something like, ‘Still, you are that beautiful,’ or something like that?!”
“Hmm. Yevgenia, I respect and love you, but I simply cannot defend the things you've done regarding your ‘ex-fiancé.’”
To Yevgenia's great sadness, the Duke was a very realistic person.
Closing her eyes tight, Yevgenia spoke in a voice that sounded like a sigh.
“I can just show a changed side of myself from now on, right?”
“Perhaps.”
“Yes, right, ‘perhaps.’”
Yevgenia gritted her teeth at the Duke's addition, which deliberately threw cold water on her attempt to find hope.
The Duke, who had been watching Yevgenia quietly, suddenly asked as if he had just remembered something.
“Yevgenia, are you planning to enjoy the Huya Festival today before returning?”
“Yes, I think so. I should start getting acquainted with the young ladies of my age.”
“The friends you made at the academy...”
“...”
“Friends aren't actually necessary in life, Yevgenia. Devoting one's life to the Empire as a Duke is a proud thing.”
“You don't have to comfort me, Father.”
There was no way Yevgenia, who had lived consumed by Raymond, would have friends.
The same went for the Huya Festival following the Imperial Crown Prince's birthday banquet.
The Huya Festival, enjoyed only by the young ladies and young nobles of a similar age to the Crown Prince, was a venue designed for the next generation to easily familiarize themselves and build relationships.
However, Raymond had abstained from the Huya Festival to keep Yevgenia away, and Yevgenia had followed suit and abstained as well.
‘That bastard probably thought there was no reason to make acquaintances since everyone would be of a lower rank than him once he becomes Duke Martir. He valued avoiding me more than receiving praise from those people.’
Seeing how he had clung to her, insisting on escorting her, she wondered if Raymond would attend the Huya Festival today.
Thinking about that, the thought that it might be better to just not attend flickered through her mind, but...
“By the way, Father, why do people wear masks at the Huya Festival? They'll recognize each other by their clothes or hair color anyway, so why bother?”
“I wonder. I heard His Highness the Crown Prince established that rule after he became an adult. He claimed it was so people could spend time comfortably without worrying about others' perceptions, even if they became a bit disheveled after drinking, but who knows the truth.”
“Well... if he's truly sincere about that, he'll become a sage king.”
“I hope so. If my daughter is to avoid suffering.”
Yevgenia smiled softly at the words filled with affectionate concern.
‘The Crown Prince... I don't remember ever seeing his face properly because I was always looking at Raymond during the main ceremony. I was bowing my head to greet people when entering, and there was no reason to face him directly.’
Some people might feel a sense of pride just by knowing the faces of the Imperial Family, but Yevgenia didn't feel that way at all.
However, now she felt almost annoyed at her past self for having zero interest in the Crown Prince's face.
It wasn't that she had suddenly felt a surge of loyalty toward the Imperial Family or that she wanted to aim for the position of Crown Princess.
‘Yulan's brother... I wonder what he looks like?’
Considering that there were quite a few people gossiping about the Crown Prince's beauty, he must certainly be handsome.
But no matter how she thought about it, she didn't believe he could possess beauty on the level of Yulan.
Yulan certainly had a twisted personality, harbored an unknown darkness, and sometimes seemed crazy, but...
‘At least when it comes to his face, he's the best in the Empire. Yes.’
If Yulan ever stepped forward as the Second Imperial Prince, women would overflow, claiming they would become the Second Imperial Princess.
Perhaps even more people would flock to him than when the Crown Princess was being selected.
When she imagined Yulan standing beside a perfect woman selected in such a way, for some reason...
‘...Why do I feel bad?’
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