CH 19

‘She doesn’t seem like a real person….’

Lost in admiration for her beauty, I was momentarily speechless before responding belatedly.

“No, not at all. We just finished our meal, so please don’t worry.”

“Oh dear, Eila. You don’t need to be so formal. We’re friends, after all.”

Sylphia held both my hands tightly as she spoke.

“…I apologize, Your Highness.”

“Again with that.”

Sylphia pursed her lips slightly.

For some reason, Sylphia seemed to have taken a liking to me.

When I turned sixteen, I made my official debut and greeted the Emperor and Empress.

Crown Prince Raphir was also present at the occasion.

Raphir, who had been sitting with a bored expression, suddenly stood up when he saw my face.

「You, that time…!」

I broke out into a cold sweat but blinked as if I didn’t understand what he meant.

「What’s the matter with you, prince?」

In response to the Emperor’s question, Raphir hesitated for a moment before sitting back down.

「It’s nothing, Your Majesty. I mistook the young lady for someone」

Raphir looked at me with a meaningful expression and winked slightly.

‘From that day on, my days of suffering began…’

Raphir would call for me whenever he had the chance.

There were various occasions like tea parties, balls, and hunting events. It felt like he was inviting me to any gathering I could possibly attend.

It was an invitation in the name of the royal family, so I couldn’t dare to refuse it.

Rumors had spread that I was already engaged to the Crown Prince, and it seemed to be widely known.

And on most occasions when I met Raphir, Sylphia was also present.

Despite our age difference, Sylphia was always happy to see me as if we were sisters.

Unlike Raphir, who seemed to have the main purpose of finding my weaknesses and teasing me, Sylphia genuinely seemed to follow me.

Just as her character was openly described in the original novel as “The most beautiful person in the empire and just a saint,” Sylphia possessed an irresistible charm.

With Sylphia occasionally trailing behind me, calling out “Eila, Eila,” I couldn’t help but be captivated by her loveliness.

It made me think that it was only natural for Clyde to fall head over heels for her.

‘Come to think of it, he took this angelic lady and did all these things to her, that beastly child….’

As I had those thoughts without even realizing it, Sylphia smiled brightly and spoke.

“Since we’ve met like this, why don’t you join me for tea, and of course, your colleague?”

“I appreciate your invitation, but it’s about time for me to return to my position…”

“Oh, come on, just for a moment. I’ll send someone to the Magic Department separately. You can rest assured that Eila won’t get into trouble.”

Cecile’s pupils seemed to wander around, unsure of where to focus, upon hearing Sylphia’s words.

Given Cecile’s personality, I knew very well that she was extremely uncomfortable in such situations.

“Your Highness, I apologize. However, there is a crucial task researcher Ohene and I cannot postpone. If you permit, Your Highness, at least she alone could be allowed to return…”

“Oh, really? That’s a shame, but if that’s the case, then there’s nothing we can do.”

In response to Sylphia’s words, Cecile quickly lowered her head.

“Your Highness, if you’ll excuse me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Cecile swiftly left the room.

“Shall we go, Eila?”

“…Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”

Humming a tune, Sylphia took the lead, and I quietly followed behind.

*****

We sat facing each other in Sylphia’s room, with a small spread of refreshments between us.

“How are you doing these days?”

“Thanks for Your Highness’s concern, I have been doing well without any problems.”

Sylphia slightly furrowed her delicate forehead.

“Why do you keep doing that? I told you there was no need to be so formal. It’s making me upset.”

“…I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“No ‘Your Highness’.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No apologies.”

“I’m sorry…?”

My voice inadvertently rose.

“No apologies.”

“…….”

I should have started with those words.

It seems that due to what happened in the past with Raphir during our first encounter when we were young, I developed a peculiar habit of being overly cautious in front of the royal family.

Fortunately, Raphir hasn’t brought up that incident to others or directly mentioned it…

“Please stop calling me ‘Your Highness’ too. We agreed that when we’re alone, you’ll call me Sylphia.”

To be precise, it was Sylphia who asked me to do so, and I didn’t recall agreeing to it.

“…Yes, Sylphia.”

However, without any objections, I obediently complied with her request

Sylphia’s face brightened up.

“Say it one more time.”

She said, holding my hand tightly.

“Sylphia.”

“One more time.”

“…Sylphia.”

“Hehe.”

Sylphia laughed as if she were delighted.

‘How is it possible for such an adorable creature to exist in this world?’

The lukewarm affection I felt while reading the original novel, which was overshadowed by Clyde, now seemed to intensify.

“So, nothing special happened lately? Are you still spending all your time in the workshop?”

“Yes, because that’s my duty.”

“It must be boring.”

I answered with a smile.

“Sometimes, I attend parties to change the mood. It has been difficult to catch a glimpse of Eila’s face at social gatherings these days.”

My father limited my attendance at such events when I entered marriageable age.

Nita took the lead and voiced his opinion several times, saying, “It’s a pity that Eila can’t have proper social opportunities at her prime age.” However, my father remained indifferent, stating that “it’s still too early.”

During the past few years, I had only attended one or two events per month.

The only banquets I could go to were the ones that I couldn’t refuse because they were organized by the royal family, and even then, only on the condition that my father was present.

Especially in the past six months, my father has been busy with work, so I haven’t attended any social gatherings at all.

Even when my brothers volunteered to go on his behalf, he never approved.

“It seems that the parties often continue until late at night, and it would interfere with my duties the next day.”

“But work isn’t everything in life…”

As I looked at Sylphia, her words trailing off in disappointment, I smiled quietly.

“Oh, how about the masquerade ball at the palace this weekend? The next day is a holiday, so it shouldn’t interfere with your work in the department of Magic.”

Sylphia said, as if she had just remembered.

“The invitation has already been sent to the Duchy of Rojasis. And it’s a masquerade ball. Everyone will wear masks and assume pseudonyms to conceal their identities. What do you think? It sounds fun, right?”

“…Oh, yeah. That sounds fun.”

“I’ll use the name Lea. She’s the protagonist of a novel I read recently, a half-elf with a secret heritage of being the offspring of a fairy king and a human. It’s supposed to be a secret, but I’ll tell it only to you, Eila.”

Sylphia whispered in my ear, her face close to mine.

The masks used at the masquerade ball covered only the upper half of the face, like opera masks.

Considering that Sylphia’s beauty was far too captivating to be concealed by such a mask, and that information such as her hair color and the dress she was wearing would be fully revealed, it was safe to assume that no one would fail to recognize her true identity.

However, I didn’t feel the need to point out such an obvious fact.

“What do you think of using the pseudonym Delphina for Eila? She’s Lea’s best friend in the novel. Oh, or how about Julian, the male protagonist? He cross-dresses quite handsomely. Coincidentally, Julian also has platinum blonde hair just like you. It would be so cool. I think it would suit you perfectly.”

Sylphia’s eyes sparkled as she began to unfold her imagination.

I was trying to figure out how to break the news that I might or might not be able to attend the ball, let alone dress up.

“Were you two having a secret meeting in a place like this?”

A sweet and mellow voice came from behind me like honey.

Looking back, Prince Raphir was standing at the entrance of the room.

“Your Highness.”

“It’s alright. Stay seated.”

As I stood up, preparing to show proper respect, Raphir spoke saying ‘You don’t have to be so formal.’

Raphir, who had turned twenty this year, four months earlier than me, had grown into an unrecognizable man compared to the first time we met.

While he still had the same emerald-green eyes and captivating smile that resembled Sylphia, but his overall appearance and build were unmistakably that of a young man.