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77 Chapter

Everyone making a ruckus, none had the courage to speak directly to the Princess of Kashmir Crisis, who emanated a chillingly overwhelming presence every time she appeared.

Thud.

Amidst the clamor, a carriage carrying the protagonist of the chaos appeared.

“……It’s the carriage of the House of Crisis.”

Everyone tensed. The carriage that would arrive just before the delegation from Atara Kingdom and the royal family, along with the Temple members, was uniquely that of the Crisis family.

As the carriage door opened, the first figure to emerge was Kaiser Crisis.

With extraordinary beauty, an aura of indifference, a single glance could overwhelm a crowd, and a flowing semblance of color. The black harness worn over the white shirt under his black uniform jacket created an odd atmosphere simply by existing.

Next to step out of the carriage was Karl Crisis.

He resembled his father with astonishing beauty and an untamed, sharp demeanor like a wild beast. The arrogance emanating from him was as if he were wearing nothing but a simple black shirt, in contrast to Kaiser’s formally dressed appearance, with just a black harness adorning his figure.

Following him was Aria Crisis.

While she possessed a completely opposite vibe to the previous two, her beauty was equally remarkable, exuding purity reminiscent of a fairy, with inherent strength felt in the midst of her etherealness. Dressed in riding trousers and a tailcoat, her hair was styled up, and a body chain entwined with pink diamonds lay beneath the tailcoat.

Then came the center of controversy.

“Ah.”

The chillingly bright fluorescent pink eyes swept across the crowd, and gasps escaped from various corners.

It wasn’t something that could be evaluated as simply ‘beautiful’ or ‘not beautiful.’

It was intensely striking.

Permeated with a dreadful pressure, the moment she appeared, everyone had no choice but to avert their gaze, unable to evaluate her beauty.

Struggling to overcome that pressure, if one dared to observe carefully, they would first notice her calm eyes, devoid of any ripples.

A color so artificial and unique that nothing could compare. Similar to the indifferent eyes of the Crisis family, yet sparkling softly with a deep pink hue unlike theirs, which lacked glimmer.

Under sunlight, they shone with an unusual gleam, and in darkness, they seemed to glow fluorescently; just gazing at them was both eerie and captivating.

Having stared at her eyes for a while, I slowly began to take in other features, and my mouth involuntarily fell open.

A crisp white bishop’s shirt. Suspenders over a pair of knee-revealing shorts. White knee socks covering her calves. Shoes with long sword forms dangling from them. A scabbard at her waist and a bow slung over her shoulder.

It was undoubtedly an ordinary outfit. Plain to the point of being excessively mundane.

Yet, an odd aura radiated from her entire being.

The complexly shaped harness around her bishop shirt accentuated Kashmir’s slender yet sturdy upper body. Jagged scars adorned the knees peeking between the shorts and knee socks, secured with crossing black sock garters.

Dressed like a young noble, Kashmir Crisis presented an odd charm that stirred an unsettling feeling in onlookers.

Thud.

The polished black shoes touched the grass, and the ground seemed to rumble underfoot, amplifying the pervasive oppression.

She lifted her head to survey the forest beyond the grassy field—her rapidly rolling pupils meticulously examined the woods.

How much had those peculiar pink eyes observed?

“It’s been a while.”

Kashmir murmured softly, smiling contentedly as if returning as a wild beast to her territory.

“Excuse me. Is the Young Lady Kashmir Crisis present?”

Called forth by the Emperor just after Kaiser and the Young Lady Aria departed, someone outside called for me.

I breathed a heavy sigh, wishing to calm the scowling Karl who’d interrupted our tea time, and stood up.

“What’s going on?”

The person outside was a young man dressed in royal livery. He politely bowed and greeted me.

“I apologize for disturbing the Young Lady’s personal time, but the Crown Prince wishes to summon you to the barracks.”

‘Did he?’

I tilted my head, surprised he would call for me, but given it was a formal invitation from the Crown Prince, I had no choice but to comply.

“I’ll be ready shortly. Please wait a moment.”

The attendant nodded, and I turned back into the barracks.

“What’s going on?”

“The Crown Prince has summoned me.”

Karl’s expression crumpled entirely.

“Do you have to go?”

“You know I must.”

“Lately, I’ve been going to the palace often…”

He appeared dejected. Glancing at Karl’s sulking face, I gingerly ruffled his hair. His fine, soft strands woven between my fingers.

“I’ll be back soon. Just wait a little.”

I offered a gentle smile towards Karl. As he gazed at me, he sighed heavily. A pitiful expression surfaced on Karl’s face.

“I have no friends, so if you’re not around, I’ll be all alone. I really hope you don’t leave me lonely.”

Seeing his once sharply focused gaze droop was heart-wrenchingly pitiful. I frowned as I gently tousled his hair again.

“I won’t take long. I’ll be right back.”

He accepted my touch with a hopeful little shake of his hand. I turned back one last time, glancing at him just as I stepped outside.

Bang!

And as I took only two steps outside the barracks, I was startled by a loud explosive sound, glancing back at the barracks. It definitely sounded like something breaking.

‘Did Karl… drop a cup?’

I hesitated, contemplating whether to return, calming myself with the thought that Karl, being a considerable level magician, wouldn’t be injured from such chaos, while urging the similarly startled attendant to move forward.

“Looks like the prince dropped a cup. I’d appreciate it if you led the way.”

“Ah… yes.”

Following the attendant’s lead, we passed the other barracks. Ignoring the scrutinizing gazes that trailed with each step, I made my way toward the grandest and most extravagant barracks of the royal family.

“Finally, we meet.”

Just as I neared Diego’s barracks, a soft, melodious voice seized my ankles. I noticed the attendant’s body tense up immediately as I turned my head.

A lilac-scented atmosphere wafted from pale lavender hair. She exuded a sweet, melting charm and graceful beauty. One could tell her large hands wielding the sword were quite rugged.

Meeting the deep blue eyes that appeared significantly dulled compared to Diego’s vivid gaze, I bowed politely.

“I greet His Highness, the Second Prince.”

2nd Prince Serenon Odyssey of the Helios Solarit Empire.

“Right. You’re the Young Lady Kashmir Crisis, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Jumping down from the rock he was sitting on, Serenon strode toward me. As he walked, the tip of the sword he held dragged across the grass, leaving a mark.

‘Serenon is a swordsman on the verge of becoming a Sword Expert, right?’

At 20 years old this year, he was surrounded by brilliant talents; young Sword Experts seemed like a norm. Yet, for a member of the royal family who merely trained in swordsmanship as a formality, approaching Sword Expert status at such a young age was quite an achievement.

‘I heard he would participate in the upcoming Hunting Tournament too. He seems quite popular among young ladies.’

Rumor had it that Serenon was remarkably frugal. Yet, seeing him adorned with numerous accessories contemporary to potential participants highlighted his elevated status.

Merging the incoming rumors with information from the original, I slowly deciphered the approaching man.

If Diego resembled a bright sun, Serenon resembled a moon casting a subtle glow at night. His overall pale hues and relaxed demeanor spoke volumes.

‘With a slight gap to Diego, still objectively remarkable; possesses enough royal qualities.’

The narrative about Serenon from “Fairy Tale Night” ended there. I momentarily threw my gaze at his pale lavender hair, narrowing my eyes.

‘Not the golden hair that symbolizes the royal family.’

Until now, the royal family traditions favored golden hair. Both Diego and the current Emperor Helios boasted resplendent golden tresses. Aristocrats, who prioritized prestige and hustle, considered Serenon’s hair color a significant hindrance to his ascension.

‘It’s my first time seeing it up this close… so fascinating.’

For 18 out of my 19 years of life, I lived as a commoner, unable to even glimpse his toes. Even after becoming part of the Crisis family, I had few opportunities to meet Serenon since I was too focused on training.

“Try not to be too wary of me. I harbor no malice towards you. I was merely curious about someone so close to my brother.”

‘Seems like he’s not a bad person.’

Seeing his gentle smile, I blinked slowly. Even for someone practiced at reading malice like me, Serenon bore none. Just pure curiosity glimmered in his eyes.

‘For him to be friendly toward me, who is close with the Crown Prince competing for the throne…’

I frowned slightly.

The union between the House of Crisis and the Crown Prince would undoubtedly be a significant threat, yet he bore no signs of caution toward me. Just then, as I peered intently to gauge Serenon’s intentions, the anxious attendant interjected.

“Your Highness, I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but the Young Lady has been summoned by Crown Prince Diego.”

The tense attendant slipped slightly between Serenon and me, bowing deeply. This attendant was practically Diego’s shadow, seemingly wary of Serenon, who contended for the throne.

Serenon frowned and scratched his head. His action seemed markedly informal compared to Diego, whose every gesture exuded polished grace.

“Oh dear. So he’s summoned you. I wanted to have a chat… How unfortunate.”

‘Hmm…’

Glancing at Serenon, who wore an expression of disappointment yet seemed willing to let me go easily, I narrowed my eyes.

Serenon was important enough to continue chatting with me against the attendant’s objections. Yet, as soon as Diego’s name was mentioned, he retreated without an ounce of displeasure.

‘He doesn’t seem to dislike Diego after all.’

I assumed he would dislike Diego, being rivals for the throne, yet his attitude was unexpectedly cordial.

 

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