Chapter 58
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’m not teasing you — you’re just so cute. I really did make a great purchase.”
The tomato outfit was something Hilvenzia had bought for Jeina before they left the shop.
If she had picked the tomato outfit from the start, I probably would’ve told her not to buy it… but I didn’t get the chance.
Jeina, her cheeks faintly flushed, lowered her head. She wiggled her toes inside her shoes, but the embarrassment refused to fade.
But it would’ve been such a waste not to wear something we already bought.
Behind her, Hilvenzia nodded in satisfaction.
With the tomato outfit matched with red shoes, Jeina walked as briskly as she could — but from behind, it looked as though a plump little tomato were bouncing along.
“Oh my, that girl is so adorable.”
“I want to have a daughter like her someday.”
Hearing such comments from passersby, Jeina did something uncharacteristic — she hunched her shoulders slightly.
Hilvenzia, who’d spent enough time with her to know her habits, recognized it immediately. Jeina always shrank her shoulders a little when she was embarrassed.
If she were alone, she would have stripped off that red outfit this instant.
With a soft smile, Hilvenzia smoothly changed the subject.
“Well then, shall we go to the cotton candy shop? It’s about time.”
She had no intention of letting Jeina’s shyness win that easily.
“Welcome, welcome!”
The cotton candy shop was filled with pastel-colored clouds of spun sugar.
Despite the high prices, the treats sold out quickly — business was booming.
So, Jeina and Hilvenzia had to wait a little while, though Jeina didn’t mind at all.
The mechanism’s different from Earth’s cotton candy machines… but at least they both use sugar.
Her heart pounded as she watched the magical machine spin its glowing strands.
“Thank you for buying me cotton candy, Lady Hilvenzia,” Jeina murmured softly.
Having never been to an amusement park or festival before, she’d never once tasted cotton candy. Watching the soft, fluffy confection come to life was enough to make her eyes sparkle.
“Here you go — two cotton candies.”
Hilvenzia paid for them, and Jeina reached out eagerly to take hers—
“Hey!”
A boy suddenly stepped in front of her and snatched the cotton candy before she could touch it.
“Excuse me, that cotton candy belongs to this young lady—”
“Quiet. Shoar, toss the man a few coins.”
“Yes, young master.”
The shopkeeper, startled, froze when the knight beside the boy pulled out a heavy pouch and handed over several times the price of the candy.
Jeina pursed her lips.
“That cotton candy was meant for me.”
“Bleh! Blehhh!”
The boy stuck out his tongue mockingly instead of apologizing.
He didn’t just take mine — he took Lady Hilvenzia’s too…
As Jeina stood her ground, the knight growled.
“Do you know who you’re talking to? This is Lord Albert Nevin, son of Count Nevin! Best keep that mouth shut before you regret it, girl!”
Hilvenzia let out a quiet laugh — cold, sharp.
“So what?”
“What do you mean, ‘so what’? Are you crazy, woman?”
“I must’ve been living too gently lately, if pests like you dare lift your heads at me.”
The cotton candy machine here was powered by magic, so it took much longer to make than the mechanical ones on Earth.
After all that waiting, someone like him ruins it — and he dares act offended? No way this ends quietly.
Jeina tugged on Hilvenzia’s hand.
“Please don’t kill him or torture him too much. It’s not that bad a crime.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t do that, not with you here — you should only see nice things, after all. What a pity.”
Hilvenzia sighed theatrically.
“Honestly, it’s astonishing how different children can be. My Jeina’s so well-behaved.”
Albert’s face flushed red with anger.
“W-What did you say?! How dare you insult a viscount’s son! Do you want to die?!”
At his glare, the knight stepped forward menacingly.
But instead of backing away, Hilvenzia leaned in, her face inches from his.
“…!”
Under the light, her silvery hair shimmered faintly; her emerald eyes gleamed like flawless jewels, her gaze curved into a dangerously alluring smile.
“You— you’re rather…”
Before he could finish, something flickered deep within her pupils.
That was the end of it.
“Hee… heehee…”
The knight’s eyes glazed over, the light gone from them.
Hilvenzia tilted her head slightly, as though she’d expected this outcome.
“You don’t belong here. Go on — do what you really want to do.”
The knight moved like a puppet, his body jerking unnaturally as he stepped toward his young master.
“W-What the—?! Why are you coming over here, you idiot?!”
Albert paled as the man advanced on him instead of the women.
“I told you to punish them!”
But he had no idea that he was about to be the one punished.
Whish!
“Huh?”
The two cotton candies Albert held were ripped from his hands — crushed under the knight’s boot.
“You lunatic!”
It didn’t stop there.
The towering knight grabbed Albert with one arm and, with the other, began spanking him.
Smack! Smack!
“AAAAGH! You filthy commoner, how dare you—!”
He kicked and screamed, but the blows only came harder.
“AAAH!”
The knight, now little more than a puppet, repeated the same words over and over, like a broken machine:
“Young ones these days have no discipline!”
“AAAH!”
“Young ones these days have no discipline!”
By the time the cotton candy was finally ready, Albert’s cries echoed through the whole street.
“Let’s go, Jeina.”
Hilvenzia took the two new cotton candies from the trembling shopkeeper and walked out calmly.
Behind them, Albert’s shrieks rang out.
“Who are you people?! Aagh! What trickery is this?! Aagh! I’ll tell my father!”
His voice faded into the distance, but neither Hilvenzia nor Jeina gave him a second glance.
Lady Hilvenzia seems so much gentler now. In the novel, her punishments were far crueler.
Still holding her hand, Jeina looked up at her.
“But how did you control him just by making eye contact?”
“It wasn’t control,” Hilvenzia replied. “I just made the desire buried deep inside him explode outward. That knight must’ve had quite a lot of resentment toward his young master.”
The imperial palace’s rear garden was, as always, breathtakingly beautiful.
Jeina sat with Princess Ellia, sipping tea amid a sea of blooming roses.
“How have things been with Diamid lately?”
“Well…”
Jeina trailed off, unable to think of a clear answer.
She had seen Diamid quite often since gifting him the topiary and cookies, but that was just coincidence — or so she told herself.
“About the same as before.”
If I tell her we went to a recital together, she might get the wrong idea and start hoping for something.
Ellia frowned slightly.
“So he hasn’t even mentioned your social debut?”
Her delicate brows knit in concern.
“At thirteen, most girls your age have already attended small gatherings to introduce themselves. In fact, you’re a bit late.”
“It’s fine. I’m not very good at socializing anyway.”
“For someone who says that, you get along quite well with picky Michael… and, well, the temperamental Hilvenzia Rotien — though I can’t say I like her much.”
“That was just luck.”
Jeina tilted her head, her eyes growing distant.
In her past life, she had been surrounded by nothing but hostility — hatred so sharp it pierced to the bone.
—You shouldn’t have been born!
Her gaze fell softly.
There’s no point preparing for a debutante ball I’ll never live to see…
The so-called “preparations” — all those lessons — felt meaningless.
“Aren’t you sad to waste everything you’ve learned so far?”
“Well…”
It was true — Jeina had been learning various arts, including the harpsichord.
She enjoyed it, but not for the sake of her social debut.
When she didn’t answer, Ellia spoke again.
“You should have more confidence in yourself. It’s rare for me to take such interest in someone. If a formal debut feels too heavy, how about attending a small tea party hosted by one of my close attendants?”
“A… tea party?”
“Yes. Think of it as a friendly gathering, nothing more.”
So, by Ellia’s invitation, Jeina found herself headed to the palace for a social tea event.
Inside the gently rocking carriage, she looked down at her unfamiliar dress.
Her Highness personally arranged this for me…
The gown was a soft pastel blue, with delicate silver embroidery — clearly made with care.
Even the carriage… it’s so grand.
As a girl without noble title or family, she was little different from a commoner in this world.
Without Ellia or Diamid, she wouldn’t even have the chance to study etiquette, let alone music.
And now, she was riding in a royal carriage bearing the imperial crest.
To refuse would have been a grave insult.
Besides, Ellia had once been her mother’s old ally.
Even if she felt nervous, Jeina couldn’t bring herself to say no.
I’ll treasure her kindness properly.
Her round eyes gleamed with quiet determination.
“We’ve arrived, young lady.”
When the door opened—
“Jeina, it’s been a while.”
Bathed in sunlight, Rosian smiled brightly and extended his hand toward her.
