The Beginning of the Party

Translated by: ME

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「Have you heard of Lady Magnolia of the Margrave's house?」

「I heard she is unable to walk.」

「...I was told her speech is impaired.」

「Oh? I heard her appearance is so hideous one cannot bear to look twice...」

Among the nobility of Azenda, few knew the truth about Magnolia.

Part of this was due to her being a mere toddler, making social interaction almost non-existent. Furthermore, both her grandfather and uncle had refrained from projecting her presence to the noble society to honor her dislike of socializing and to prevent various meddlesome interferences.

...It was not that the two were neglecting her out of laziness; rather, it was a deliberate consideration. They knew that being known would only bring annoyance, and they believed that keeping her face hidden for now would allow her to move more freely in the businesses she championed without hindrance.

...While no brave soul would dare say such things to the faces of those two men, if such rumors ever reached their ears, it would lead to several terrifying outcomes. Yes, several.

Additionally, the stigma of being a daughter forsaken by her parents was a reason the nobility avoided seeking active interaction with Magnolia.

The Marquis Gilmore family was one of the premier houses of the great Ascald Kingdom. It was said that despite being a legitimate child of that house, she had been raised in hiding without a formal debut, only to be moved to the borderlands where her grandfather lived two years ago.

A daughter so troublesome that even the Marquis family, with all their prestige, found her difficult to handle.
—Just what kind of failure of a daughter was she?

Vicious, unfounded rumors swirled: that she was so violent one could not communicate with her, or that she was completely mute. The noble ladies kept their distance, fearing they would be burdened with the task of chaperoning such "baggage" in their social circles. The young noblemen, meanwhile, shut their eyes to her existence, terrified that the Margrave or the Marquis might force them to marry a "monster" born into a family otherwise known for its beauty.

The invitations to the debutante ball sent by the Margrave's house a few months ago sent a shiver through the Azenda nobility... yet, for those very reasons, there had been absolutely no social invitations—the kind that would usually come flooding in—once her existence was made known.

---

However, there were also rumors trickling up from the commoners.

They said the Margrave's house held a daughter of exquisite beauty. That she was incredibly kind and approachable. That she was laboring for the poor and launching new industries. That she had solved an incurable disease of unknown origin.

「There is no way that is true,」 the nobles scoffed. It sounded less realistic than a fairy tale.

If she were truly that beautiful, the Marquis family would have flaunted her instead of hiding her. If she was kind and friendly to commoners, it must be because only those of the lower classes would tolerate her company.

As for running a business—logically speaking, a toddler couldn't possibly do such a thing. At most, she likely "helped" by sealing an envelope or counting the contents of a single box.

Regarding the redevelopment of the slums, the general opinion was that the Margrave or his son were desperately trying to win the favor of the people to improve the standing of an unfortunate young lady.

Solving an incurable disease? When doctors and scholars had failed for ages? A mere toddler?

The foster son and heir to the Margrave, Claude, was a man called a genius during his student days. No one of his generation or their parents' generation was ignorant of his brilliance. If a clue to a solution had been found, it must have been his work.

「What a tragedy to have to work so hard to scrub away the flaws of a hopeless daughter...」 was the prevailing sentiment.

---

Servas and Claude were beyond exasperated; they were almost impressed by how people could twist things so thoroughly.

「Humans tend to cut out the parts of reality they want to see and recognize them in whatever way is convenient,」 Magnolia remarked.

She spoke with a composed air while bringing food to her mouth, as if it were nothing. Whether she was truly indifferent or simply possessed nerves of steel despite the outrageous rumors about her was anyone's guess.

At the Margrave's estate, Magnolia's presence was never flaunted, but it was certainly never hidden.

Servas constantly carried her on his shoulders when they went out, and he spent his days writhing in agony because his granddaughter was "too cute." Claude, for his part, wandered around the capital and various regions with her, supporting her literally every step of the way.

Since she disliked restrictive dresses, her everyday clothes were simple, but the tailoring and fabric were of a quality equal to Servas's and Claude's own. She occasionally wore clothes made at her parents' home, but those were reserved for times when she didn't mind getting dirty.

She used the Margrave's carriage, was accompanied by servants, and was guarded by knights. The two men found it difficult to understand how anyone could fail to recognize her as the princess of the Margrave's house.

「Isn't it because they've convinced themselves the child is a stupid, ugly girl? Besides, I'm sure there are plenty of other children from relatives and kin around,」 Magnolia mused.

The servants waiting on them wore complicated expressions, wondering what the nobility would think once they actually saw the young lady, who could only be described as incredible in a completely different sense.

---

Early in the morning, Magnolia was put into a bath, her body massaged and rubbed with fragrant oils before being dressed.

「...I'm already exhausted, and the day has barely started...」

Does Wisteria-san really do this every day? In a way, it's impressive. I'm not respectful of it, but I am amazed. I feel like I've been turned into a ball of bread dough.

Lily carefully combed Magnolia's hair, which now reached below her shoulders. The milky-pink strands were fine and soft; it felt as if a brush stroke too strong might snap them. She braided it gently yet firmly to ensure it wouldn't come undone.

The style was set in a half-updo fitting for a child. The top half was braided, loosened in places, and gathered into an intricate floral pattern. The lightly waved bottom half was left to flow naturally down her back.

Her plump cheeks were a translucent white, needing no makeup. Only a bit of beeswax was applied to her pink lips to give them a healthy sheen.

「It's chilly, so let us put on your wrap.」

The stone palace on the lakeside in the mountains felt somewhat cold now that late autumn had arrived. Because it was a distance from the manor, they had arrived the day before, but the place was so beautiful Magnolia couldn't settle in at all.

A chalk-white castle standing amidst a forest of lush evergreens.

The palace she had seen from the carriage yesterday remained in a state so hauntingly beautiful it looked like a castle from a fairy tale. Its presence was so ethereal that one would never guess it had been the site of gruesome events at the end of the war.

Though it was not used regularly, it was kept impeccably clean, and one could feel that this, too, was a place being returned to the people of Azenda.

The Northern Garrison was in charge of guarding the palace. Magnolia caught the eye of a knight patrolling the garden and waved. The knight’s expression softened as he waved back. Having visited every fortress to conduct her business, Magnolia was a familiar face to many in the knightly order. Furthermore, as the daughter of the Gilmore house, she was a primary protectee of the Gilmore Knights.

The black uniforms of the Gilmore Knights stood out against the white palace. However... these uniforms were black so that any blood spray would be less noticeable, a tradition from when the order specialized purely in combat. It was a rather disturbing origin.

...At any rate. In a few hours, this ghostly, quiet palace would be bustling with people. How long had it been since the palace was last filled with so many voices and the heat of a crowd?

Magnolia felt as if she had become part of a fairy tale herself. Feeling terribly restless, she stared intently at the surface of the lake, which was as still as a mirror.

---

Light music and the murmur of a crowd. Laughter and sighs. The great hall of the palace was packed with people.

「Colette, have you ever seen the 'Hidden Princess of the Gilmore House'?」

The speaker was a tall woman. At a glance, one might not even take her for a woman. She possessed a beautiful, androgynous face with sharp, almond-shaped eyes, and her long, rich blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail. Above all, she wore a blue military uniform.

This was Marchioness Perronsch—the Marquis of the East Wolf. Her name was Iris Kana Perronsch, the fourth daughter of the previous Marquis Perronsch.

The woman she addressed was, by contrast, petite with a cute face. Her hair, a brunette so dark it was almost black, was cut in a blunt bob at the jawline. In a world where it was accepted that "a woman's hair should be long," she wore a very rare hairstyle.

She looked like a formidable opponent. Anyone who felt that way would not be wrong. Her supposedly "cute" face held a certain bewitching quality upon closer inspection. Blue eyes, crimson lips, and lily-white skin. Her rich bust stood in stark contrast to her slender, cinched waist.

This was the businesswoman feared by the foul-mouthed as a "she-fox"—Baroness Orsay, also known as Colette Orsay. Her true name was Colette Campbell.

Indeed, the two "Iron Ladies of the Ascald Kingdom" were gathered together.

People watched them from a distance. The two women, famous even here in Azenda, stood quietly at the edge of the room, discussing the star of the day: Magnolia. Of course, at this moment, the entire hall was buzzing with talk of the "Hidden Princess."

「The thing is, she hasn't appeared in public until now. According to my brother-in-law, she's an incredibly cute and clever girl.」 Colette said, hiding her mouth behind a black lace fan.

「Hmm」 Iris replied, placing a hand on her chin thoughtfully. She was thirty-one, the same age as Magnolia's father. Colette, whose age was a mystery to many, was five years older at thirty-six, though she didn't look it at all.

There were rumors that she used her vast wealth like water to maintain her youth, or used magic, or even drank fresh blood. She simply laughed those off as nonsense.

「...Why wouldn't they debut such a prime asset until now? Was the 'Golden Boy' having a breakdown?」

"Golden Boy" was the nickname Iris had used for Gerald since their days at the Royal Academy. Only someone born of a similar house and standing could get away with teasing the exceptionally brilliant Gerald like that.

...Incidentally, she called Gerald’s brother-in-law, Claude, the "Genius Boy," a name he loathes.

「Who knows? Perhaps he just didn't want to get too close to the Royal Family?」

「...At this late stage?」

Iris shrugged at Colette's words. It was indeed a bit late for that. Colette let out a lovely yet bewitching laugh at her younger friend. The eyes of the men in the hall were fixed on her... no doubt a few fell into a fleeting, hopeless love. It was quite a sin.

...Of course, while she didn't broadcast it, she was a married woman and a mother of two.

---

Servas and Claude, both clad in black military uniforms, entered the waiting room where Magnolia was.

「Oh! Magnolia!! You are even cuter than usual today!」

The rugged "Demon General" wiggled his massive frame and scooped up his dressed-up granddaughter. His bearded, stern face was melting into a puddle of affection. In a sense, it was an extremely alarming expression.

「............ Father, if you swing her around too much, you'll ruin her hair and outfit. We don't have time to redo them, you know.」

Claude, holding back a sigh, offered a calm warning.

「Right, of course. Magnolia, happy sixth birthday.」

Gently set back on the floor, Magnolia was presented with a small brooch shaped like a lovely flower along with the birthday wishes.

Oh.

「It's lovely... thank you very much.」

She stared intently at the brooch, which was made of stones the same ibis-pink color as her eyes. Servas spoke with a serious face.

「It's a magic tool made from magic stones. If you are ever kidnapped, I, Claude, and Gai will be able to tell exactly where you are.」

「............」

...Wow. Just when I thought it was a rare, normal gift for a girl, it turns out to be a GPS!

「...Thank you very much.」

Magnolia’s expression turned complicated.

「Happy sixth birthday. This is from me... Let's put it in your hair.」

Claude's gift was a delicate hair ornament featuring several small flowers that looked to be made of various colored gemstones. He tucked it in near the floral patterns made of her hair.

...This, too, was likely some kind of magic tool. Almost certainly.

「Thank you very much.」

This was also lovely, but her expression remained complicated considering the likely effects. Furthermore, she worried if he had once again troubled Victor-san to make it or procure it...

「It's a miniature magic tool bomb. The blast isn't that large. It's designed not to react to the wearer even with some vibration, so if anything happens, throw it at the assailant and run.」

「............ Roger that.」

What kind of flags are these two trying to set...? Magnolia swallowed a sigh and thanked them again.

---

「Lady Magnolia of House Gilmore is entering!」

Graceful music flowed through the hall, and the head butler, Sebastian, announced her name. The sheer pomposity of it nearly made Magnolia trip.

The heavy double doors swung open, and first, Servas, the Margrave and active Knight Commander, entered and began to walk. Behind him, as if sandwiched in between, was the figure of a small girl. Bringing up the rear was the tall Claude, serving as the Vice Commander.

The entire hall caught its breath at the sight of the girl protected between the two giants—a girl who was still young enough to be called a toddler.

Her hair, tied in the shape of flowers, was a lovely pink, and the soft, loose ends swayed with every step. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, and her slender back was as straight as if it had a steel core. Her dress, made of many layers of pale, thin fabric, made her look like a flower spirit.

The rumors of her being a mute, violent child were clearly just rumors; her presence was calm and composed, radiating a sense of impeccable upbringing.

(......Actually, everyone is staring like crazy.)

With a smile drilled into her by Rosa plastered on her adorable face, she proceeded slowly toward the center. Magnolia’s inner self was twitching.

Eyes of curiosity. Eyes of investigation. Eyes of appraisal.

(You guys are being really blatant, hey.)

Her inner voice grew increasingly rough. She scanned the hall casually and spotted several familiar faces.

The guests grew deathly silent at the sight of the day's protagonist. Who had said she was too hideous to look at twice? Though she was still a child... she was likely the most beautiful person in this entire hall.

The older guests in particular would find her face familiar. She was the living image of Princess Azelia, the legendary beauty said to have captivated the men of the entire continent.

「Well, well... the Golden Boy really messed up, didn't he?」

「...The Fairy Princess. She looks exactly like Lady Azelia...」

Iris and Colette whispered the words under their breaths.

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