Chapter 59
Liriana’s Partner.
The moment he heard those words, something heavy seemed to settle in Sieghart’s chest with a thud.
Unlike Sieghart, Andre was looking at him with a face full of anticipation and excitement.
Lost in his own emotions and unable to read Sieghart’s expression, Andre continued speaking.
“It’s embarrassing to admit… but recently, I saw Lady Liriana at the palace and… I fell in love at first sight.”
Andre recalled that day.
On the stairs leading up after being summoned by the emperor, he had seen Liriana descending, holding a pure white curtain. It felt as though his future bride was walking toward him.
From that moment, Andre began learning about Liriana.
He discovered that she was the chief maid to Princess Angelina and the older sister of Jaina, the royal guard of the crown prince.
If Jaina had been present, things would have been easier, but she had gone with the crown prince to hunt a giant monster.
By chance, Andre overheard the palace maids talking about Liriana attending the debutante ball.
He never wanted to miss this opportunity.
After tracing it all the way back, he even learned that it was Duke Sieghart who recommended her as Princess Angelina’s chief maid. Overcoming his hesitation, Andre came to ask whether the position of Liriana’s partner for the debutante ball was still vacant.
“The maids said that a partner hasn’t been decided yet, but I thought perhaps Your Grace, being Lady Liriana’s close friend, might know. So I risked being rude and came to ask.”
“…Why should I tell you that?”
For a moment, Andre sensed a kind of danger emanating from Sieghart’s face.
Sieghart was always composed on the bloodiest battlefields and had never lost his temper with any knight or soldier.
This was not the usual Sieghart.
Surprised at having shown anger to a subordinate, Sieghart quickly returned to a neutral expression.
Yet an undeniable ominous aura radiated, signaling his displeasure.
Before he could even think, words came out.
Having regained his composure, Sieghart looked at Andre. He was an excellent commander and a good man.
He remembered worrying whether Liriana, the duchess’s friend who had started her debutante preparations late, would find a proper partner.
Though he wanted to be her partner, he was already set to partner with Angelina.
Liriana was a precious friend, and he loved Angelina.
The answer was simple.
Introducing this man before him as Liriana’s partner would solve everything.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized Andre was a good man—it was strange how that made him angrier.
He couldn’t bring himself to say that Liriana’s partner hadn’t been decided yet.
“…I’ll ask her myself.”
Before finishing his sentence, Sieghart turned and left.
Unsure whether Sieghart’s action was out of anger or advice, Andre could only watch Sieghart’s swaying cloak as he walked away.
Liriana carefully handed Princess Angelina the dress list for the debutante ball.
Angelina could hardly believe it.
Seeing Liriana arrive early in the morning, she had a faint hope.
Liriana had actually managed to find out the dress colors of the thirty-one debutantes attending the ball.
How had she learned the highly confidential colors of the debutantes’ dresses?
After Liriana left, the other maids jokingly remarked that it would be a miracle if she didn’t even get a slap for this daring act.
Apart from her slightly flushed cheeks, Liriana looked perfectly fine.
Probably out of nervousness, she kept staring at the floor.
Through this effort, Liriana hoped to gain Angelina’s approval.
“…You really did get it!”
Angelina’s voice, high and pure like a morning lark, made Liriana lift her head.
Placing the list beside the sofa, Angelina beamed at her.
“Duke Sieghart wasn’t wrong to recommend you as my chief maid! This is amazing!”
“Y-You flatter me…”
Overwhelmed by Angelina’s praise, Liriana couldn’t gather her thoughts.
She had heard that Princess Angelina was bright and kind, but she hadn’t expected such warm and heartfelt praise.
“Liriana, may I hug my benefactor?”
“…Excuse me?”
Caught up in the praise, Liriana didn’t understand the question and responded absentmindedly.
Then she felt Angelina’s warm embrace.
It smelled of roses, fragrant and sweet, like walking into the gardens of Lepia Palace.
By the time the scent made her dizzy again, Angelina stepped back and faced Liriana.
“From now on, please continue to be my chief maid!”
“I-I will! Please take care of me!”
Liriana nodded vigorously.
Angelina called to her maid Marisol standing behind her.
It seemed she had prepared something.
Marisol nodded and brought a box.
Inside were limited-edition rose perfumes from Herbient, lip colors, and face powder.
The colorful lipsticks in jewel-encrusted glass containers were rare shades unavailable in Lepia.
“This is a gift for new maids. I can finally give it to you, Lady Liriana.”
“…It’s so beautiful! Thank you so much!”
Liriana couldn’t take her eyes off the cosmetics.
“Lady Liriana, you will also stand on the debutante stage with me, right?”
She had heard that news traveled fast in Lepia Palace, often reaching everyone before breakfast the next morning—but she hadn’t imagined that the rumor of her own debut would spread in a single day.
Blushing, Liriana nodded.
“That’s wonderful! I’m so lucky to debut at the ball with you!”
Angelina’s radiant smile made a corner of Liriana’s heart ache.
It was clear why Sieghart could fall in love.
She was utterly charming.
Before meeting Princess Angelina, Liriana had envied her from afar, consumed by ugly jealousy.
Unlike her, Princess Angelina seemed never to have harbored such negative feelings in her life.
Realizing she could never win, Liriana felt she could no longer even be jealous of her.
“I’m also very happy to debut at the ball with Princess Angelina.”
Holding back tears, Liriana forced a smile.
She accepted her complete defeat.
She felt she could entrust Sieghart to her.
“Your Highness, what should we do about this?”
After Liriana left, Marisol looked at the document left on the sofa.
It was the dress color list for the debutante ball that Liriana had brought.
If leaked, it could ignite conflicts among the empire’s nobles.
This was a highly sensitive document that could not be left just anywhere.
“…Well, none of the colors overlap with mine anyway, so Marisol, can you handle it?”
Marisol nodded and took the list.
As she skimmed it, she noticed Liriana’s name written at the bottom, as if added later.
Marisol already knew the rumor.
That Lady Liriana, the new chief maid of Princess Angelina, would participate in this year’s debutante ball.
From the corridor, she had overheard palace servants joking that they were eager to see Liriana, usually inconspicuous, dressed up elegantly.
Liriana had an odd appearance that was unnoticeable yet hard to miss.
The servants also pitied her for debuting at twenty-two, stealing attention from other young ladies.
Marisol felt inexplicably irritated.
Why, at twenty-two, had she still not debuted and now diverted attention from the other young ladies?
This year’s ball also celebrated Princess Angelina’s birthday.
Celebrating the birth of the beautiful and graceful princess was already enough, yet the chief maid’s presence seemed to Marisol to steal some of that attention.
She unknowingly blurted out her thoughts.
“Lady Liriana is really lucky… she’s chief maid and even gets to debut late at the ball…”
“What? Mar, are you jealous?”
Angelina laughed, teasingly.
Marisol was speechless, her face flushing red.
Marisol was the daughter of Baron Atamorte in Herbient, who had already held her debutante ball in their castle, not on the scale of Lepia’s social scene, but grand nonetheless.
Jealousy? Who would be jealous of a fallen noble lady?
Though Liriana was now chief maid, Marisol remained closer to Princess Angelina.
With Angelina fully adapted to palace life, the balance could shift at any moment.
Marisol concluded that this wasn’t jealousy—it was vigilance.
Like a loyal dog barking at a suspicious stranger.
