Chapter 11

“Hey, Rora…”

“Yes?”

“What have you done this time?!”

“I haven’t done anything… I think.”

“Then, how come you received an invitation to the evening party hosted by the House of Loomis?! And you even personally received it! What will you say to Clavis-dono? Don’t you know that the House of Clavis and the House of Loomis are from two different factions?!”

“Why is that?”

Luminox, the acting head of the House of Porta, massaged his churning stomach while his trembling left hand stretched out to the two golden thick envelopes. From the smooth texture of the paper to the scent of roses drifting from the envelopes with bright red wax stamped with the emblem of the House of Loomis. The letters were address to Felix el le Clavis and Aurora el le Porta, respectively.

As if marking the start of summer season, even in the dusk, the sun was still high in the sky.

＊＊＊

—Going back in time half an hour ago.

“Yes, I am. My name is Aurora el le Porta. How may I help you, Loomis-sama?”

“I’m on a walk!”

Aurora asked Yule who’s still holding her hand. Yule answered her dramatically with a delighted face, while she shot him a questioning look for stopping her behind the fountain. Surprisingly, his face is still as beautiful as when they first met.

“I only wished to see the rumored lady in the palace, Clavis-dono’s fiancee, by all means.”

“The rumored—?”

“Yes.”

Yule crept up a beautiful smile but what is the rumor about her when she now hardly appears on social gatherings since the evening party of Duchess Laetus. Apart from Felix visiting the House of Porta and being invited to a friendly tea party of his parents, Aurora hasn’t left the house since she’s busy with her embroidery.

If there was a rumor about her, it would be when Felix threw a ring at her face or her last visit to the Order of Knights. The latter happened during the day time, so if there’s anything to talk about her, that evening party would the latest news anyone would know.

However, Aurora has little memory of that evening party. She was just relaxing like a flower in the wall, observing the beautiful embroideries on the dresses, and she remembered Felix face only because she was caught in the waves of anger when he sent a ring flying right to her face.

“I don’t remember that much.”

“Don’t be so modest—Golden Princess, the only one who received the love of the Silver Knight, with a golden curly hair that shines brightly in the sun, jade green eyes, and her porcelain skin was as white as a snow. Rose colored lips arched up enchantingly and peach-like cheeks that makes her look like an angel—you were quite popular, as if a troubadour sang about you.”

“Who’s that?” At what part of me says like that?

sfx: coldhearted

“Who is that?”

Aurora said instantly without concealing her disgusted expression.

The colors, he was only right about colors. Half of what he said might be talking her brother, Luminox, but Aurora know well that it wasn’t her appearance being told in this ‘song’. Her curly hair was egg-cream colored, her eyes were big like a fish, along with her skin that rarely gets sunburned—overall, it just makes her look like a domestic cat.

She wasn’t being pessimistic, though, as she knows she isn’t beautiful but not so ugly, too as she thinks she just have those casual face that can be reasonably covered with makeup.

“Isn’t that you, Lady Porta?”

“Do I look like that?”

“I think you look lovely…”

“That was very thoughtful of you.”

Aurora returned a smile, she was admirable to be able to laugh in front of her enemy. Perhaps someone with inflated ego was spreading such rumors to tease and ridicule Felix, it must be someone who knew about the two or saw them together.

“Then the rumoured lady isn’t you?”

“If the lady’s eyes were blue, I think that lady might be Luna Mare-sama.”

If it were the Duchess, that praise would be insufficient. If Auror were to say it, Luna Mare was like a lady made of jewels or a Celestial Maiden. She was very beautiful that calling Aurora with such names would be a mistake.

“Then, is he with someone else…?”

“I believe… I can’t say much about Clavis-sama before we got engaged.”

“Isn’t this the recent rumor?”

“Clavis-sama is a faithful man.”

Aurora may have said that Felix is a faithful man but if she could, she’d rather say 「Clavis-sama is a clumsy man」.“ Aurora sighed inwardly.

If Felix had a fiancee before and had the personality of having a tryst with another woman then he would never be in such a state of temporary engagement. If that’s the case, with that looks, status, diligence, body and having little prospect of marriage, then there must be some fault in his character.

His stoic, cold-looking features, deep voice, his magic and swordsmanship—in other words, he may looked perfect in every way save for his clumsy character.

He escapes when he’s surrounded by ladies in evening parties, doesn’t discriminate between his peers in the Order of Knights, he remain silent when being called for a tea party by his mother and sister (Aurora thinks she might also included in this), and so, Felix had immunity to beautiful ladies.

This was Aurora’s self-evaluation only after a few days of meeting her fiancee since that evening party and his reputation hasn’t changed at all. Since this invitation is for the Aurora and Felix, she would need to bring these letters to the House of Clavis herself and talk to Marquis Clavis.

For a clumsy man like Felix, can he even voice out his affections without making a fool of himself? He certainly can’t do that. To rate it, Aurora could probably do it 3 times, and Yule could do it 10 times or more. This is isn’t surprising because he seems to be more popular amongst the ladies in the Order of Knights.

“You sure have faith in him.”

“I simply know what kind of gentleman he is.”

Yule looked strangely at Aurora and humped at her unexpected answer.

“Is there anything else you needed?”

“Ah, yes… It seems the rumors did you wrong.”

With a grin creeping up on his beautiful face, Yule fished out two letters with wax seal.

“I don’t know the truth of the rumors, but since the last mock battle you have been the talk among the knights and I, too became interested in you. That’s why I was wondering if I should send a letter of invitation to Clavis-sama who have been absent from parties for many years… I’ll leave this to you, Lady Porta. Please come with him.”

—I hope to see you in the party.

With an overly graceful courtesy, Yule dropped a kiss on the back of her hand and met Aurora’s gaze with a wolfish gleam in his eyes.

＊＊＊

“I don’t understand, what was Loomis-dono thinking?”

Luminox, who appeared late at their meeting place, had one of his hand on his stomach and the other on his head which was filled with unanswered questions as Aurora grumbled from the outset. Aurora nodded at what her brother said.

“Things aren’t looking good.”

“He’s not the kind of man to be around us.”

“How did you caught the attention of a man who only wait upon beautiful ladies?

“Perhaps, if you kept on eating beautiful cuisine, you will sometimes want to eat something different?”

“A field cuisine, huh.”

“At least, choose plain cuisine—but, I can presume from how I first saw him that Clavis-sama and Loomis-sama doesn’t get along well with each other in the Order of Knights… Or that Loomis-sama is simply one-sidedly hostile to him.”

“What a pain!”

With a ghastly face, Luminox stirred his egg-cream colored hair and breathed deeply.“

“It will be your fault if I go bald.”

“It’s all right, niisama. Once you turned bald, no one will treat you like a fairy.”

“That’s not a good reason for me to like it!”

Wah—Luminox couldn’t count how many times he sighed already. He played with the two envelopes in his hands before glancing at the two guards.

“At any rate, I must deliver it to the Clavis-dono. Will you come with me and visit the House of Clavis for the first time?”

“Ha—”

“My bad, this isn’t your job… Ah, I have to prepare myself. I should go back home and change my clothes before going to the House of Clavis.”

“Ha… How troublesome.”

The two saw off the back of the bodyguard, who was leaving with light steps, while the two siblings sighed with an indescribable expression.