Chapter 65: Entrance

“Everyone, attention! Attention!”

The sparkling crystal chandeliers poured golden beams of light, softly illuminating the vast hall.

The marble floor gleamed like a mirror, and atop it lay an intricately woven carpet, spreading smoothly beneath.

Filling every corner of this space was – the fragrant scent of flowers mingled with the rich perfumes of nobles.

“What’s going on?”

“Someone important, I hear.”

The nobles of all ranks and colors packed the magnificent ballroom, their gazes fixed intently to one side.

Even the orchestra, which had been playing a light melody, now sounded somewhat grander.

“From this moment, the entrance of the Stauffen House will commence!”

The massive doors, adorned with luxurious gold decorations, swung open, revealing two figures.

A noble gentleman with light brown hair and a lady with beautifully curled crimson locks.

Just by looking at them, their nobility was unmistakable.

“First to enter are Princess Britani Stauffen, the first princess of Arian, and Prince Alexius, the first prince! Glory to their noble bloodlines!”

Clap, clap, clap—!

“Waaaah!”

As expected, their appearance captured the attention of many.

It was only natural—Alexius was regarded as the next king.

As nobles of Arian, whether one liked it or not, there was no need to incur his displeasure.

“Glory to the noble bloodline!”

“Long live Prince Alexius!”

Moreover, his well-known handsome appearance captivated countless young ladies’ eyes.

And naturally, those gazes soon turned into envy directed at Britani.

Everything was unfolding just as she had anticipated.

“That’s enough.”

Dressed in a gorgeous red gown, Britani gave a slight toss of her head and inwardly rejoiced.

Usually, royalty only make their entrance in the last part of such balls.

And the final entrance is reserved for the most important person among them.

But the last moment cannot be changed.

“Because father will be entering next.”

Of course, the order might have been different under normal circumstances.

Except for the very last position, the sequence of royal entrances is usually similar.

Still, one thing was certain.

With her having drawn everyone’s eyes so completely, naturally the expectation for the next entrance would be at its peak.

The order had been deliberately altered for that exact reason.

Isabelle, who was placed between her and their father’s entrance, would inevitably be asked about it.

Just as predicted, a frown was already visible on Isabelle’s face.

“Hmm?”

“Sorry, brother. It’s a bit hard for me to walk… could we go a bit slower?”

“… Fine, take it slow then.”

Britani purposely slowed her pace.

Naturally, to attract even more attention.

Alexius seemed to quietly understand her intention and did not refuse.

“This place’s protagonist is me.”

Yes, not her, but me.

The flower of the kingdom? Ridiculous.

What kind of flower could a bastard like that be? A viper, maybe.

Tonight would be the first night I reclaim what was stolen from me.

“Looks like it will be a beautiful night, brother.”

The fresh smile Britani gave was strikingly similar to that of a victor.

***

“Waaaah!”

“… What a magnificent entrance.”

From inside the doors, Glenn calmly gave his impression.

Soon it would be time for Isabelle and himself to enter, but he wasn’t particularly nervous.

“Princess?”

Isabelle did not respond.

She seemed to be deep in thought.

Soon she called out for Sasha.

“Sasha, go and quietly fetch the Court Announcer.”

The loyal Sasha moved silently towards the exit without asking why.

“Is there a problem?”

“… We need to check now.”

The dim surroundings made it hard to see expressions clearly.

But from her tone, a hint of displeasure was evident.

Glenn made a deduction.

“… Seems Princess Britani did something.”

“That’s right—switching the order of entrance, fine, one can accept that. The problem is that she’s not someone to just overlook.”

Britani had already entered, so it would be at most ten minutes until it was their turn.

Even this amount of time was given because it was a royal entrance.

Not long after, Sasha returned with the Court Announcer.

Isabelle looked rather flustered by the summons.

At this moment, her intuition spoke up.

Court Announcer, did you say anything specific about my or the princess’s entrance remarks?

“Eh—yes? Well…”

Before the announcer could answer properly, he growled a warning as if a wild animal was nearby.

“If you don’t tell the truth, you’ll be charged with slandering the royal family. Are you confident in that?”

“A—No, it’s not like that… I’m sorry, but the fact is—”

Prince Glenn is a distinguished guest from Lepent.

He is also a significant figure who contributed to the Niran Civil War.

Therefore, a special entrance announcement is necessary.

Use a well-known and widely recognized title that highlights his reputation.

This is essential to properly receive a noble guest who traveled from afar.

This concerns the honor of the Arian royal family.

“… Princess Britani was so insistent on this.”

“That insolent—”

Isabelle growled again, her voice low but sharp.

No matter how bad their relationship, this was excessively petty.

If it’s a well-known title for Glenn—obviously, it’s “Dissector,” “Butcher,” “Demon,” and other fearsome names.

To have him enter the ballroom with such titles?

It was clearly an attempt to disgrace him openly.

Glenn, who overheard the conversation, also showed signs of displeasure.

“This is nonsense. Just introduce him normally.”

“S-Sir, but—Princess, that is—”

“What? Are you trying to defy me now?”

“N-No, never! But… um…”

Faced with Isabelle’s stern tone, the announcer was still hesitant.

From his perspective, it looked like an absurd sibling quarrel.

“If so… then you would be disregarding Princess Britani’s insistence.”

Glenn quietly noted this.

Isabelle exhaled a deep sigh.

“Could it be that those titles please her?”

“What nonsense. Anyway, announcer—this is my direct request. Tell Princess Britani that I will decide my own entrance speech. Who can object?”

Come to think of it, she was right.

Britani had acted on her own authority, claiming to take Glenn’s side.

But what if the person concerned opposed it?

That would leave no grounds for Britani to keep insisting.

“Y-Yes! Then should I just introduce you normally?”

“Exactly, that’s all I ask. Sorry for calling you out.”

Glenn concluded the matter.

But Isabelle still felt bad.

She had not expected Britani to act this petty.

“Haa… this is exhausting.”

What kind of trouble is she plotting now?

Isabelle’s fingertips trembled faintly.

After a brief hesitation, Glenn spoke up.

“Why worry? Princess, you’re obviously much more beautiful.”

His tone was blunt, almost teasing.

Isabelle was a step late and was naturally startled.

“… What did you just say?”

“I said Princess Isabelle is far more beautiful. What’s there to worry about?”

“… That’s surprising. I didn’t expect you to say that.”

What kind of image do you have of me?

Glenn grumbled.

At this, Isabelle chuckled quietly.

Has that taciturn man ever called her beautiful before?

Probably not—it must be the first time.

“Alright, thanks. You’ve improved my mood.”

“… That’s fortunate.”

Then—

Slowly, the ballroom doors began to open.

Bathed in the flowing golden light, Glenn quietly extended his hand.

“Would you honor me with an escort, Lady?”

A slight smile tugged at his lips, tinged with mischief.

He didn’t seem nervous at all.

“Now you’re acting differently than usual today.”

Gently reaching out, Isabelle took Glenn’s offered hand.

Her tension disappeared along with his touch.

And what filled the space was—

“Very well. Let us proceed.”

An overwhelming confidence.

The proud arrogance of the true protagonist of this place.

The belief that no one could be more beautiful than herself.

Such things began to fill Isabelle.

***

“Next—Princess Isabelle Stauffen, second princess of Arian and flower of the kingdom, will now enter! Accompanied by Prince Ron Glenn Lepent of the Republic of Lepent!”

Screeeech—

With the Court Announcer’s loud call, the massive doors slowly opened.

Simultaneously, countless nobles’ gazes—without exception—focused instantly.

“… Huh?”

“… Uh, what?”

The spectators’ eyes widened.

As if struck by a hammer, shock overwhelmed the crowd.

The two figures were frozen in the spotlight.

“Is that… that man? Completely different from the rumors.”

“Wow.”

A worthless scoundrel, a cold-blooded killer who enjoys murder.

These were the rumors that followed Glenn.

But at this moment, no one could recall such nicknames.

His contradictory appearance brought a small shock to many nobles.

Naturally, the gaze shifted to Isabelle.

Pure admiration escaped from the onlookers.

“By the world… that is the flower of the kingdom—”

“I’ve heard the rumors, but this is…”

Her elegant black off-shoulder dress emphasized her pale skin.

The luxurious embroidery at the hem clearly showed her royal status.

Her overall black-and-white color scheme harmonized perfectly with Glenn.

In addition, a large ruby set in a platinum necklace and long drop earrings adorned with diamonds and rubies accentuated her neckline.

Finally, she wore a Silver Tiara; if she were the queen, she would have donned a more extravagant golden crown tiara.

Her long, wavy black hair was draped over one side of her neck, leaving the other side of her neck and shoulder exposed.

Her makeup was a smoky style, bold and expressive, with lips painted in a subtle red.

“Shall we proceed now?”

Glenn quietly asked Isabelle.

They had paused at her request.

To draw even greater attention.

As expected, the plan was quite successful.

In the eyes meeting hers, many emotions flickered.

Admiration, shock, disbelief, jealousy, envy, longing.

Amidst those gazes, Isabelle felt an electrifying thrill.

Yes, this feeling.

It was truly addictive.

“… Let’s go.”

She boldly linked arms with Glenn and began to walk.

Click, click.

Silver high heels met the marble floor with a distinct sound.

This was proof the ballroom had fallen silent.

Everyone watched them with astonishment.

With every step Isabelle took, her provocative perfume added the finishing touch to her impression.

Walking side by side with Glenn, the two appeared like a single work of art.

They forcibly stole the viewers’ gaze and never gave it back.

Slowly and steadily, they moved toward the center of the hall.

The quieter the surroundings, the more people focused on admiring them.

Isabelle smiled brightly and glanced toward the orchestra.

By now, the music had stopped.

“Please continue playing.”

Only then did the musicians regain their composure and resume the performance.

Isabelle led Glenn to the waiting figure.

Her smile darkened.

Or rather, it became a smirk.

“Britani? Thanks for the gift. Though it didn’t seem very effective.”

Britani clenched her lips tightly.

Her instincts had already sensed who the real victor was.

“… Really? I don’t understand what you mean.”

But it was not over yet.

Britani’s eyes still burned fiercely.