The moment I spoke, the atmosphere turned icy, like someone had poured cold water over the room.
Even so, Joshua quietly chuckled behind his hand, and Designer #3 looked like he was on the verge of tears.
“Pfft!”
Just then, Hale let out a hearty laugh, breaking the silence.
He then gently patted my head and said, “Alright, let’s go with what you want.”
And just like that, the opinions of Designers #1 and #2 were dismissed, and the dress I’d wear to the banquet was decided.
The room was tidied up, and after washing up, I noticed the sky outside had turned red with the setting sun.
Though I hadn’t had dinner yet, sleepiness washed over me and I began nodding off on the couch.
“Are you very sleepy, my lady?”
Rita, who had just entered the room, asked with a concerned voice.
“Jusst a lil…”
“Why don’t you rest properly in bed?”
“I waited ‘cause I had somethin’ to say.”
“What is it?”
I’d stayed up to tell Rita what Designers #1 and #2 had done earlier.
So I told her everything, embellishing it just a bit, especially the part about being scared, even though I wasn’t scared at all.
Rita’s expression turned serious as she listened, like she was already thinking about how to deal with them.
“Understood. I’ll take care of them myself. For now, shall we get you to bed?”
“Yup.”
She gently picked me up and placed me in bed, tucking the blankets around me with great care.
My body soon relaxed and felt like it was melting into the mattress, sinking into unconsciousness.
***
“All the families arrived just moments ago.”
The sun was already setting. It was twenty minutes till six—the official start time of the banquet held for me.
The closer it got to six, the more nervous I became. The platinum dress that was adjusted to fit me that morning, started to feel suffocating. I wanted to undo my tightly tied-up hair to cover my face.
“My lady, your face is red.”
“‘Cause I’m nervuss…” (Cause I’m nervous.)
“Just be your usual self.”
That’s the hardest thing to do in moments like this.
Sigh… Why was I so nervous? Just a month ago, I had been thrilled at the idea of speaking in front of the Empire’s citizens.
Maybe confidence is something I have to grow from scratch in this new life. Otherwise, there’s no reason for me to feel this nervous now.
“Today, you’re more beautiful and radiant than anyone else in the world.”
“Even more than Daddy?”
“…Of course!”
What was with that hesitation? Did she mean I was less dazzling than Daddy, but was lying to calm me down? I glared at her through the mirror, and she laughed awkwardly while brushing invisible dust off my shoulder.
“Senika.”
Just in time, Hale appeared, as if to rescue Rita. He had come to personally escort me to the banquet hall.
I hopped down from my chair and grabbed his hand. His eyes widened a little, probably because my palm was damp with sweat.
“You’re nervous.”
“Yeah…”
“I thought you’d enjoy this kind of thing. That’s unexpected.”
Unexpected? What exactly did he think of me? I’m a kid, I can be nervous!
“What are we gonna do in there?”
“Say hi, eat some good food.”
“That’s it?”
“…Do you want something troublesome to happen?”
I knew all too well what he meant by “something troublesome.” I had dealt with plenty of nobles as a princess. I knew how exhausting and annoying that could be. I never wanted to go through that again.
I shook my head firmly. Hale chuckled and led me to the banquet hall.
Even though we walked as slowly as possible, we were soon standing at the entrance. My heart pounded so loudly it echoed in my ears.
“Why are you nervous when I’m right here?”
Right before we entered, Hale gently teased me, perhaps sensing the strong pulse in my hand.
Okay, yeah. He’s right. He’s right next to me, so I don’t need to be nervous. Just relax. I can trust Dad. He’ll be by my side, protecting me.
“…I’m good now.”
“Shall we go in?”
“Yeah.”
The doors opened, and we stepped inside. I squinted at the sudden burst of light.
Once my eyes adjusted, I was finally able to take in the full view of the banquet hall.
My mouth dropped open. It was my first time here, and the place was even grander than the Imperial Palace’s ballroom.
I’d heard that not many guests were invited, but judging by the size of the hall, there must’ve been quite a few.
Thankfully, I could tell which family each guest was from. Just as Eve taught me, each family had a distinct color they wore.
“You can look around once we’re downstairs.”
“Ah!”
Hale’s voice brought me back to reality. He began slowly walking down the stairs, and countless eyes turned toward us.
The only difference from my past life was that those eyes didn’t see me as a spectacle. They were filled with reverence and sincere congratulations. I’d never felt anything like it before.
Once we reached the bottom, the bright chandelier lights dimmed and multiple spotlights lit up, focusing solely on me and Dad.
Wait, no one told me this was going to happen! This is… kind of overwhelming.
Am I really that important to deserve this much attention?
“I am Hale Evienne, head of the Evienne family. Thank you all for coming from far and wide.”
Unlike me, who was tense, Hale was calm and composed, no, he was even more firm and dignified than usual.
Another difference? He wasn’t even using a microphone, yet his voice reached every corner of the hall.
With a calm smile, he stood not as my warm father but as the unshakable head of a great family.
“But I’m not today’s main character, so I’ll keep it short. I hope you all have a wonderful evening.”
His speech was shorter than I expected—simple and impactful.
Now, every gaze in the room shifted to me. Even Hale looked down at me encouragingly.
I met their eyes, then looked straight ahead.
“Huuu…”
Because of the focused spotlight, I couldn’t see much beyond a sea of black. Only a few dresses and shoes shimmered faintly near the edge of the light.
Don’t be nervous. No one here can say anything bad to me. And more importantly…
No one here can kill me like before. Not this time. Because this time, someone is here to protect me!
“…I’m Senika Evienne.”
I tried my best not to stutter, but I couldn’t stop the slight tremble at the end of my sentence.
“I’ll be doin’ lotsa cool stuff from now on, and I’ll be a big help to the Evienne family! Thank you for comin’ to see me today! Hope you have fun!” (I’ll be doing lots of cool stuff from now on)
As I finished in the calmest voice I could manage, applause thundered through the hall. I didn’t need to bow in response.
I was the star of tonight’s show!
If there was one thing to regret, it was my pronunciation. My babyish speech slipped through here and there, but that wasn’t something I could control.
Still, I made sure to pronounce the very last part clearly, and that was a win. Next time, I’ll say every line crisply without a trace of a lisp!
***
The banquet proceeded smoothly. After wetting my dry lips with my tongue, I followed Hale to greet the Four Dragon Families.
First up was the Cheongryong family who is said to be the closest to ours. Fittingly, their hair was the color of a clear, cloudless sky mixed with a hint of silver.
In contrast, their deep violet eyes gave off a mysterious vibe.
“Khan, it’s been a while.”
“Haven’t we agreed to be formal at official events, Lord Evienne?”
The head of the Habrael family was a man with short hair, unlike Hale.
His gentle eyes could look sharp depending on the angle and it’s almost catlike. I found it fascinating.
“Nice t’ meetcha.” (Nice to meet you.)
“Pleasure, Lady Evienne. I’m Khan Habrael. Hope you have a good time.”
The way he smiled reminded me of Hale. They really must be close.
After greeting him, I turned my eyes to the children standing beside him. A boy who avoided my gaze, and a girl staring straight at me.
“I’m Shirea Habrael.”
“…”
Shirea introduced herself first, then glanced at the boy. He said nothing, only fidgeting. Judging by that, I figured she was the heir.
I waited about ten seconds. Then, when Shirea had clearly had enough, she scowled.
“Hey.”
“…”
“You gonna be rude or what?”
She gave his arm a few casual thumps. For someone with such elegant looks, she acted surprisingly tough. I found it kind of cool.
Maybe because it’s something I lack?
I wanted to be someone with an elegant look who acted differently than expected but the face I saw in the mirror leaned more toward a gentle bunny than a haughty beauty.
“Leon.”
Even after Shirea spoke, the boy didn’t budge. But the moment his father called his name, he flinched.
He clenched the hem of his pants with trembling hands and finally stammered out.
“L-Leon Habrael…”
“Nice t’ meetcha.” (Nice to meet you.)
“…Y-yes.”
His voice was so quiet, I wouldn’t have caught it if I hadn’t watched his lips closely. Geez, how’s he gonna survive being that timid?
Shirea let out a sigh, clearly thinking the same thing.
After the short greeting with the Cheongryong family, we moved on to the Hwangryong family.
What’s waiting for us was a woman who looked like gold personified and two smiling boys.
Usually, seeing someone with such a warm expression should make you feel at ease—but for some reason, this family made me feel… uneasy.
