Chapter 55
Étoile Dessert House was located on the outskirts of Bayrn’s bustling district. Since it wasn’t in the city center, fewer customers passed through, but it had plenty of regulars.
Eleanor and Stella were among Étoile’s regular visitors. Ever since attending the academy, on days they went out, they would stop by to enjoy sweet cakes and juice.
For the first time in a while, faced with the luscious cakes and fragrant black tea before them, the two began to eat. After finishing about half of their plates and taking a sip of tea, they finally felt ready to talk.
“The rumors about Crown Prince Lyraraple’s visit aren’t very good,” Stella whispered, her expression unusually serious.
Even though the tables were spaced out and it wasn’t a particularly busy time, the topic of the crown prince coming with an envoy made them cautious.
“Why? What kind of rumors?”
“They say the crown prince is thirty-one years old and hasn’t married yet.”
Eleanor was surprised by this unexpected fact.
In the Tritan Empire, the average marriage age was 21, and in the Lyraraple Kingdom, it was 20.
Even by the empire’s standard, a single crown prince was well past the ideal age for marriage.
Even accounting for men marrying slightly later than women, thirty-one was old enough for a common man to be married and have a child.
“Why hasn’t he married?”
“No one knows. The reason hasn’t been revealed, but apparently, it’s not because of his looks.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They say he looks quite charming, but who knows until you see him in person.”
Rumors were always exaggerated, especially about the appearance of royalty. People’s desire to be aesthetically admired could transform even a plain face into one of striking beauty.
However, if the crown prince resembled his mother, the rumors might not be entirely false.
As far as Eleanor knew, the emperor’s sister and Lyraraple’s queen had been a beauty who dominated Tritan’s social scene in her youth.
A strikingly elegant and aloof woman, nicknamed “Black Rose.”
She didn’t know what the king of Lyraraple looked like, but the queen’s beauty was well-known within Tritan.
The emperor, her younger brother, was also considered a distinguished man even in middle age, and Leopold, resembling him, was famed as one of the most handsome men in the empire.
Given that bloodline, the queen must be beautiful, and if the crown prince inherited that beauty, he would certainly be handsome.
“Anyway, since a single crown prince is coming, the rumors are a bit… uneasy.”
“Are they afraid someone might try to snatch him away?”
Eleanor’s comment was meant as a joke, but Stella took it seriously.
“They actually say so,” she said.
“Huh?”
“You know how all the daughters of the capital nobility were invited to the envoy’s welcoming ball, right?”
Eleanor nodded, and Stella continued.
“They say it’s to find a bride for the crown prince.”
“What?!”
Insane. Why would the thirty-one-year-old crown prince of another country look for a bride in Tritan?
Seeing Eleanor’s shocked expression, Stella nodded, as if to say she understood her feelings.
“So they gathered all the noble daughters.”
“…Hah, they should gather them in their own country. Besides, a crown prince should already have a political marriage arranged since youth, right?”
“Exactly. But the position of the fiancée for our crown prince is also vacant…”
Stella muttered unconsciously and quickly realized her mistake, clamping her mouth shut.
She rolled her cherry-colored eyes, glancing at Eleanor for a reaction.
Eleanor looked past her, smiling faintly, pretending not to notice.
“Sorry.”
“For what? Anyway, even though our crown prince doesn’t have a fiancée, he’s the same age as us.”
“That’s true.”
Eleanor continued naturally, and Stella awkwardly followed her lead with a small smile.
Whether Leopold had a fiancée or not wasn’t the point. The important fact was that even if Leopold’s fiancée position was vacant, he was ten years younger than the crown prince.
Leopold’s age made sense, but the crown prince’s didn’t.
“Is there something wrong with him?”
“Maybe he has a principle of not wanting to marry?”
“Someone like that would come all the way here to find a bride?”
Exactly. If he had never thought of marrying before, he should have started in his own kingdom first. If he couldn’t find a bride there, that itself would be a problem.
A crown prince who can’t find a wife in his own country implies there’s something wrong with him.
“There must be some problem,” Stella said confidently. Eleanor imagined Leopold in the crown prince’s position.
The thought of him failing to be with Lydia and searching for a crown princess in another country seemed serious.
There really was something wrong.
“In any case, it would be better not to catch the crown prince’s eye at the ball—unless someone has ambitions of becoming Lyraraple’s future queen.”
Stella’s voice lowered as she warned Eleanor.
“Would anyone even have that ambition?”
“Probably a few. Lyraraple is a wealthy kingdom, and the geography and environment aren’t bad either.”
Indeed, Lyraraple was fine, but Eleanor didn’t know. She had once wanted to leave Bayrn, but never Tritan.
Independence and emigration were different concepts.
Technically, Tritan wasn’t her homeland either, but after living there for eleven years, it had become familiar enough to feel like one.
So Eleanor had no desire to leave Tritan for an international marriage. And as an extra character, such an event was unlikely to happen to her.
Instead,
‘Isn’t Lydia in danger?’
A foreign crown prince searching for a bride was a scenario more suited for a female protagonist.
Had this happened in the original story? Eleanor vaguely remembered, but the details were hazy.
Sipping her slightly cooled tea, she shrugged.
‘Lydia has Leopold.’
A crown prince of another nation was no match for the power of the empire’s crown prince. She needn’t worry—Leopold would protect her.
Stepping out of Étoile Dessert House, each of their family carriages awaited.
Eleanor noticed a man leaning against the Marquis Maxil’s carriage. Purple hair, a beauty mark, and the uniform of the Royal Knights.
Kain Maxil.
He stood there with the flimsy excuse that he had come to fetch his sister.
“What’s he doing here?”
Stella noticed her mother’s third son and clicked her tongue. The intentions of her older brother were obvious, and the younger sister frowned.
Embarrassed, Kain cleared his throat and pressed the top of Stella’s head.
“Hey!”
“I came to escort, so just get in the carriage quietly.”
“That’s ridiculous! You came to see someone else’s friend!”
Stella sharply swatted his hand away. Her carefully tied hair had puffed slightly. Holding a grudge, she stomped on the heel of Kain’s boots.
“Ah!”
He jumped back at the force, grateful for his sturdy boots; otherwise, he might have broken a bone.
“Don’t overreact.”
Knowing his boots were thick, Stella shot him a cold glare.
He couldn’t argue—he had indeed embarrassed himself.
“Say what you want to Eleanor quickly.”
“Cough, um… first, get in the carriage…”
“Why should I? Who’s the one intruding on someone else’s plans?”
Stella crossed her arms, glaring mischievously.
“If you feel wronged, set up another appointment to meet Eleanor.”
The younger sister’s tiny threat left him speechless.
The plan was over once they left the dessert house, wasn’t it?
Kain felt a surge of objection but it faded. He knew Eleanor would refuse if he tried to arrange another meeting.
‘So embarrassing.’
Even after being caught in a crush by his sister and scolded, he still felt embarrassed. But seeing his cute sister’s determined face, Kain gave up.
“Eleanor, how have you been?”
He smiled awkwardly, taking in her entire presence—soft milky hair, deep blue eyes like the ocean.
It had been almost a month and a half since they last met after coming up from Oclama.
They had spent more time apart than together in their lives.
Yet, seeing her face, Kain’s heart leapt with joy.
“I’ve been well. And you, Kain?”
Remembering their promise to treat each other normally, Eleanor asked calmly.
“I’m always well.”
His asymmetrical smile was refreshing. He placed a hand on his waist.
“You’re coming to the envoy’s welcoming party, right?”
“Yes. That’s why I came up to Bayrn.”
Had she not, she wouldn’t have come until next year at the earliest. Damned timing.
Eleanor gritted her teeth internally but kept a smile outside.
Looking at her face, as if a portrait of a beauty painted by an artist, Kain rubbed his ear and spoke.
“Do you… have a partner to go with?”
Even asking, he blushed, his face, neck, and ears all the same color.
A partner? Eleanor had none.
Usually, a partner at such a party would be a fiancé, husband, or someone close.
Sometimes, a brother like Stella accompanied her, but Eleanor only had a younger sister and no particularly close male companion.
“No.”
Her simple answer brightened Kain’s face slightly.
“Want to go with me?”
Eleanor gave an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry.”
She politely refused—not because she disliked Kain or had another partner. She simply didn’t want to give him false hope.
“It’s okay. Don’t apologize.”
Kain smiled kindly, not hurt. He had asked knowing she might refuse—he just wanted to speak since she came to Bayrn.
He had learned in Oclama that asking once made a difference.
“I’m the one making things awkward. Sorry.”
“No. Thank you for asking me to be your partner. But…”
Eleanor hesitated slightly before continuing, not wanting Kain to think she disliked him.
“I don’t want to give you false hope, and it hasn’t been long since my engagement was broken. I’d rather not cause rumors by going with you.”
It had been about three months since her broken engagement.
Given her reputation for dramatic engagements, going with a male partner would draw immediate attention.
Bayrn was full of gossip-hungry eyes waiting for such a chance.
The next morning, headlines like “Eleanor Stikov’s New Man? Will the Fourth Time Succeed?!” could appear.
She didn’t want to tarnish his clean record as a journalist.
“I don’t usually care about that, but I understand it would make you uncomfortable.”
Even if his face appeared in newspapers, Kain wouldn’t mind. But he didn’t want to ignore Eleanor’s discomfort.
“Thanks for considering me, Eleanor.”
He smiled, and his face looked incredibly beautiful.
Eleanor stared blankly at him. It wasn’t something to be thankful for, yet he spoke sincerely.
Stella, who had drifted behind with Eleanor’s older brother, finally acknowledged Kain this time.
‘Well done.’
She had wanted to kick him if he said something foolish, but it wasn’t necessary. She quietly left and got into the carriage.
Shortly after, Kain waved and got into the carriage after bidding Eleanor goodbye.
“Alright? Some people didn’t even get to greet a friend.”
“Don’t worry, I did it for them.”
Seeing her older brother laughing so widely, Stella, true to her younger-sister nature, felt a bit envious but held back.
She had done well today, so she’d let it slide.
