CH 149

Warren’s thoughts derailed for a moment, but he soon realized a certain thing, and his brow furrowed in bewilderment.

He wasn’t the only one with the old insignia.

“Damn, Hyde and the others’ insignias are also the old ones…”

Hyde was Warren’s old friend and one of the paladins who were currently guarding this dormitory.

The paladins who guarded this dormitory—except for Warren—all claimed to be bearers of two black stars, but in reality, they were all four black stars.

They were all retired and no longer active in the frontline, but all of them were people whose heroic names spread wide.

Like Warren, they also carried the insignias of their youth in their chest, so their insignias had one less petal compared to Gerald’s.

Warren began to worry.

Other than Warren, nobody else had a chance to talk with the purple star girl. In that case, Sophie most likely didn’t pay attention to their insignias yet.

Warren was considering telling them to switch their insignias to the new one.

But that would mean Warren would be the only one wearing his old insignia.

Since Sophie was likely to have more chances to see many people of the black star, especially older ones, then she might feel skeptical about the unnaturalness.

At this rate, before someone told her their true status, that girl was more likely to reach the answer on her own, considering her intelligence.

Warren personally wanted to avoid having their status revealed early.

Rather, the first prince had reminded them three times to make sure they kept their identities hidden, and the last one was especially strong.

[“—Make sure she doesn’t find out you are actually Warren Forsius, the bearer of five black stars, no matter what! Otherwise, she might strangl— I mean… she is still a fourteen-year-old girl. She might not help but feel awe if she finds out the pinnacle of the black star is actually serving as her escort…”]

Ferio’s voice back then was filled with unrelenting desperation, which was unlike his resolute self that always suppressed his own emotions.

Because Ferio already warned Warren and the others to be careful, it would be very awkward if they were caught early. Especially since it was Warren himself who eagerly volunteered to escort the girl who bears the purple star.

However…

Among the many things that the first prince reminded him of, there was one detail that didn’t make sense.

“Would that person really feel reserved?”

Warren only had a few conversations with the purple star girl, so it wasn’t like he knew her well.

Even so, there was still something he could feel from her.

Warren stopped and stared in the direction of the room he had just left.

Sophie’s belongings, which were brought along with her from the girls’ academy as they were, were all beautifully decorated with elaborate designs, which were sufficient indications of the financial strength of the Linier family.

However, if one paid attention, they were all furniture that emphasized their functionality, hidden beneath the gorgeousness of the decorations, and their colors were paler than others he’d seen.

Warren felt incompatibility when he entered the room for the first time.

Even though the sculptures for decorations were all in the shape of flowers and trees that women liked, the room felt familiar to Warren somehow.

Warren tried to figure out what was familiar every time he entered the room and finally noticed.

It resembled his own room.

Both the room layout and the furniture layout.

The furniture was also delicately carved to make it look suitable for women, but without it, all of them were simple items.

Among the aristocrats who preferred luxury, there were male aristocrats who emphasized functionality with calm colors for their personal rooms, but most of them were paladins or high-ranking aristocrats that had no need to show off their authority and power anymore. Such a style wasn’t popular with women.

—Things there might be covered with girlish cuteness, but perhaps she actually preferred it was unadorned?

Warren had such a thought, but was he really thinking too much about it?

Such a strange feeling was also felt from what she wore.

The dress that was worn by the purple star girl was finely arranged with time-consuming embroidery, and the fabric itself was also a luxurious and high-quality one. However, its structure was different from a dress that normal girls would wear.

As expected, Warren wasn’t well informed about the ever-changing trend of girls, but Warren remembered his wife would say, “It might make it easier to move if this part were made like that, but it would look poor as a result.”

The purple star girl’s dress seemed to incorporate all of them.

The joints were made of smooth material so it could be moved in easily, but the laces and embroideries were sewn on after, yet it wasn’t so apparent at a glance. Her rear view was pleated and the cloth was used abundantly to produce a plump and luxurious appearance, but the front volume was reduced instead and adjusted to make it easier to walk.

Even her shoes, which were peeking below her dress, were adorned with pearls, but the heel was so low that it didn’t seem much different than wearing flat shoes, which barely produced the peculiar sound of footsteps normally associated with women.

Warren’s wife told him that focusing on ease of movement would make the dress look poor and out of fashion, but the costume the purple star girl wore always had bright colors, embroidery, lace, and frills. All of them were the result of the effort of a first-class tailor who had a strong commitment to produce the best piece possible.

Above all, her imposing behavior would make the dress she wore a trifle.

Although she was still before the age of entering the social circle, worthy of the woman who managed to enroll into “The Queen’s Rose” as the best entrant, her trained behavior was as lithe as ladies dancing in the ballroom.

While prioritizing her own lifestyle and taste over fashion, she concealed that as much as possible and had the strength to deceive others with her lovely smile.

In any case, Warren couldn’t see the purple star girl being afraid or frightened.

How would Sophie appear if she were compared to the fiancée of the first prince, the daughter of a duke family, Christina Wellin?

From Warren’s perspective, although the two women had different appearances, they didn’t feel much different in temperament.

If anything, their methods of using a smile to make others work for them were very similar.

Warren made the suggestion of having the director of the Institute of Medical Science visit her instead, thinking she didn’t understand the worth of the purple star, but he immediately realized that wasn’t the case.

When they were talking about Lorenzo Forsell, her jewel-like green eyes seemed to say,

—Eh, if I did that, things would become troublesome later…

For just a moment, they reflected such a strong annoyance. 

Aah, she was neither reserved nor had no idea how to use her power. She was just judging where to use it and its necessity.

Now I think about it, recalled Warren.

Didn’t she say such words when the instructor of the silver star gave the purple star an unscrupulous gaze?

[“Just in case of emergency—“]

The girl’s quiet voice showed she wasn’t blindly being considerate toward the older man.

She would use her power when it should be used and when it was the most effective.

That was the smile she had back then.

Warren thought the consideration toward Lorenzo Forsell was out of feminine compassion, so he told her it would be a problem since it might reduce the value of the purple star, but it seemed that was just needless worry.

No, it was not just a needless worry, Warren realized when she mentioned the rose petals of the insignia.

One shouldn’t talk to her while thinking of the first prince’s words of “fourteen-year-old girl” and “awe” in mind.

If one were deceived by her innocent, fresh green eyes and thought they were dealing with a child, their initiative would be taken away by her without them realizing it.

That was something Warren wanted to avoid out of his dignity of bearing five black stars and for living much longer than she had.

Warren wore a wry smile and said, “Well then, what should I do with this?” as he looked at the insignia of his younger days in his palm, then he heard footsteps and presence approached so he raised his gaze.

As Warren looked around, he saw his youngest son Gerald coming up from downstairs.