CH 2

“Nell? Why is your face so pale? Are you not feeling well?”

“Did you get a stomach ache after you ate this cake?”

“Shall we go to the break room? Or would you like to sit down and rest for a while?”

I looked at my family, they surrounded me and gave me a worried look.

In the novel, Lily was able to avoid the disaster at the Count’s house because she had changed her last name after getting married. 

However, My two brothers with his wife and children are killed by the sub male lead. 

My older brother died with a single knife because he was not a knight. 

My younger brother died brutally while running away with the desire to rebuild the Howard family.

All of them were killed by a sub male lead who has been relentlessly pursuing.

“Does it really hurt?”

“No… it doesn’t hurt.”

I shook my head.

Yes, it’s all in the novel. It’s a story that hasn’t happened yet!

“Uh, why do you shake your head so hard? What if the flowers fall?”

“That’s not going to happen. Lily fixed it for her. Right?”

“Then. If you’re worried, would you like to try it yourself, Alex?”

“No… I will decline.”

My younger brother took a step back as if imagining that was terrifying.

In the meantime, the one who started talking was Lily’s fiancé, Benjamin, the second son of the Marquess Theord.

“If you ever need the magic of recovery, feel free to tell me, Nell.”

“I appreciate what you say, but I’m really okay.”

After saying that, I looked at Benjamin quietly.

As the second son, he inherits the title of Viscount from Marquis Theord and spends his time studying magic with his wife in a small castle.

Then, his brother, who inherited the rank of Marquis, died without a successor, so he returns to Theord and inherits the title.

And after the destruction of the Howard family, he planned to assassinate the sub-male lead to help his wife for revenge…

‘But he died when he was protecting his wife.’

Lily, who has gone completely insane, curses the sub-male lead based on all her magic power and vitality but she dies next to her husband.

“Lady? Did I get something on my face?”

“No, just… Now that I see it, you and my sister Lily looked really good together.”

“Oh, is that so?”

His cheeks turned red because he was shy.

Pigments pale hair and eyes. I was worried about Lily’s life because her fiance has a soft personality…

“As long as Lily is the only one.”

“Brother-in-law.”

“Yes…?!”

“Please take good care of my sister, Lily.”

“Of course, lady! Trust me!”

“Huh? What did the two of you talking about that made my man’s face so red?”

“Lily!”

Benjamin looked back at Lily, and his face instantly turned red like an apple.

In the past, I didn’t like it because I wondered what kind of guy would be so shy, but now that I see it, he’s just cute.

Anyway, a man should be cute.

“Looking at it again, I think the two of you get along really well. I was talking about that.”

“Oh, are you finally recognizing?”

“Yeah, I know because he came here today. My brother-in-law is a lily that bloomed in the weeds.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Nell… What the hell are you talking about to my fiance?”

Next to my older brother, who was groaning

Lily said “What’s wrong with you?’ To my older brother and laughed.

I also laughed with Benjamin, whose face was red.

—Creak!

“Duke Khalid has arrived. Finally, the banquet will begin.”

“Nell, your stomach didn’t come out, did it?”

“Don’t talk to me because I’m trying hard.”

After Duke Khalid’s greetings, and then introduction of the young ladies and young mens, who are making their debut in the social world today, the banquet began.

After I went up to the podium and greeted him with a trembling heart, I took my older brother’s hand and went out to the center of the hall.

At the banquet that doubles as a debutante dance, only young ladies and young mens who are debuting today can perform the first dance.

‘Is the father of the sub male lead aware of my existence for the first time here?’

I don’t know the details because it’s not written. 

But what was certain was the fact that it didn’t take more than 15 days for the father of the sub male lead to first find out about my existence and propose to me.

‘Let’s not do anything that stands out. I should enjoy it quietly.’

“Nell, aren’t you really straining your stomach?”

“Will my older brother do the same too?”

My older brother burst into laughter. And then the music started.

After lifting up the hem of the white dress that Lily had made pretty by messing with the tailor, I held my older brother’s hand and moved my feet to the music.

* * *

Once the banquet begins, no one whose rank is higher than the host is called.

The host of this banquet was held at the residence of Duke Khalid.

So unless the royal family came, their names were not called.

That is why the Marquis of Ajas was deliberately late for the banquet he was invited to.

“Really the captain is also funny. Why did the person who came to look for a fiancée go in so quietly like a secret guest?”

“Then shall we declare it publicly?  I’m looking for a fiancée?”

“Why not? Captain, even if you don’t look good, dozens of people will volunteer”

“I hate that. She is gonna be Noah’s mother right? I want to look closer.”

Besides, if I made a fuss like that, what would the Young lady and Young man who are debuting today think?

I had heard that the number of young ladies and young men who were new to society today was young. 

They must have been excited about today’s banquet, but he was not a cold-hearted man enough to ruin it.

“Captain, I want to ask you a serious question…”

“Noah will be my successor.”

As if I knew all the questions he was going to ask, so I answered before he even asked a question. 

Robert let out a small sigh.

“Young master Noah and Captain have different looks, so they won’t be suspected of being illegitimate children… But, would any family send their daughter to the Captain if you said you would make an unknown child your successor?”

“If you look for it, there will be one. The family that will give me his daughter.”

“Why are you going so far as to make Master Noah your successor?”

Five years ago

When the Marquis of Ajas suddenly disappeared, and then appeared a week later with a baby, the people in Ajas were both surprised and relieved.

First of all, the fact that the Lord returned safely was the most important thing.

But the next day, when he announced that he would make the child his successor, the entire Ajas turned upside down.

At that time, he was only twenty years old. 

Does it make sense to say that a man who is supposed to marry a young lady of the right age soon and start a family chose his successor even before the engagement.

* * *

“I told you. Noah has the relation of Ajas.”

“Yes, and if the captain gets married and has a child, the child will also have that relation.”

“Robert.”

In a strict voice, Robert pretended to wipe his tears with his clenched hands…

“It’s because I’m upset. Your decision is stubborn to a very big scratch on the blue diamond for auction.”

“It seems that all the oaths of loyalty and honor to me were lies. How dare you compare your lord to an auction.”

“It’s a blue diamond instead. Please forgive me.”

“Okay, I forgive you.”

The feet of the master and his knight who were exchanging jokes, arrived at the banquet hall where the ball was held.

Before entering, the attendant checked the invitation one more time and quietly opened the door. 

There were no eyes when the Marquis Ajas entered.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the dancing people, so the two were able to enter quietly.

“Hmm, looks like the first dance is over.”

“First dance?”

“Yes. The people standing in the center over there must be Young lady and Young man, who are debuting this year.”

After the orchestra played, the sound of people clapping their hands poured out. 

After the dance, Young lady and Young man gracefully bowed to their partners and greeted the people who were watching them.

Moving to a place where there were no people, Robert’s mouth opened quietly.

“It looks like the Royal Rose for this debut date has already been decided.”

“Royal Rose?”

“Yes. Didn’t the attendant give you roses when you entered earlier? As a gift to the person who showed the most beautiful dance. What…”

Robert blinked at the scene unfolding before him.

I am not sure because I arrived past the climax of the dance, but quite a few people saw the young lady with pale pink hair decorated with real flowers.

However, at this moment, most of the roses were falling into the hands of the blonde young lady, not her.

The light pink haired lady received only four roses.

The other ladies received a small number of roses as well, but thanks to the roses conceded by the other young ladies, they collected enough roses that they were not ashamed of.

However, it was not the young lady with light pink hair.

Those who seemed to be from the Young lady family were making angry faces as if they realized the fact.

The young lady, who should have been more upset by that fact, was rather than her family.

“Robert.”

“Come to think of it…?”

“What?”

“That young lady, she looks a little different from her family.”

“If my guess is correct, Probably that lady is the youngest daughter of Count Howard. She kept putting off her socialite debut, but I heard that she was participating this time.”

“So it must have been because of that.”

“Are you saying that the young lady knew that she would not receive a rose?”

“Yes. That young lady is also an adopted child.”

“Adopted child?”

“Yes.”

The blonde young lady, who was selected as the Royal Rose of the Year, came out to the center of the hall again to everyone’s applause.

The numerous flowers in her arms fell into the hand of the attendant. 

Now that rose will be her beautiful bouquet, which she will receive as a gift when she returns.

The host of the banquet, Duke Khalid, escorted the blonde young lady and started dancing.The glory of being able to dance alone at a banquet but so crowded is not easy to enjoy. Even with the Duke.

“Such a beautiful young lady showed off a dance as elegant as her appearance, but she is not enjoying the honor she deserves just because she is an adopted child.”

“If master Noah becomes the successor, he will… Captain? Where are you going, Captain!”

Robert ran away in fright when he saw the Marquis Ajas, who had moved far ahead, and the youngest daughter of the Howard family, a little ahead of him.

The story of the adopted child should not be brought up.