“What, what are you doing!”
“… I saw you were about to fall. Is there any problem?”
Cecilia slightly tilted her head. Bianca swatted her away in a flurry.
‘She’s trying to humiliate me, but what was that movement? It’s abnormal. Is she even human?’
Intentionally knocking someone over was a trick Bianca used frequently.
Being a victim of this had the effect of leaving one confused. But it had no effect on Cecilia.
‘Her reaction is interesting.’
This was because Cecilia was unconventional to begin with.
“Hmph, still, a knight is a knight. You have excellent talent for catching falling food.”
“It’s an honor to receive such praise.”
Cecilia smiled warmly and bowed her head.
‘That wasn’t praise!’
Just before Bianca collapsed from real hypertension, Charlotte stepped in.
“Isn’t that going too far? How can you say such harsh words….”
That was the reaction Bianca wanted, but she didn’t want Charlotte to say it.
Bianca looked at Charlotte with a cold stare. It was outrageous for a count’s daughter to behave this way towards a duchess lady.
“Lady, I am fine.”
Cecilia dusted off the wrinkles in her dress and stood up.
As she walked away unscathed, Charlotte’s gaze fixed on something.
“Uh, Lady Cecilia… There’s a stain on your dress.”
“Oh, this.”
“Bianca! Apologize!”
This was the stain from when Edward had spilled wine earlier.
But Charlotte shouted without giving her a chance to explain.
Bianca narrowed her eyes.
“Can’t you tell colors apart? This is not my doing.”
“How can you lie so blatantly! Does Bianca have no shame?”
“Shame? Hah, are you talking to me right now? That is so impolite!”
“Lady Bianca’s behavior was seen by everyone here! Don’t try to pretend nothing happened!”
“Who are you pointing a finger at? You, from that insignificant family, have some gall! Did the count teach you manners like this? I will formally protest!”
With a blow from Bianca (17), Charlotte (18) took critical damage!
It was very difficult for a noble young lady to endure such a devastating insult.
Pew.
Eventually, Charlotte started to cry. She had lost this battle…
‘That was a fierce battle.’
Cecilia pulled out an incense and offered condolences. Beatrice looked at her as though she had seen a ghost.
‘Where did she pull that from?’
“It’s a bit much to bring up one’s father, don’t you think?”
“Your words are too harsh, Lady Charlotte. Perhaps you should formally apologize to Lady Bianca?”
But this battle wasn’t over yet.
Charlotte’s friends started to join in one by one.
Even great generals are no match against superior numbers.
“Really laughable. No matter how much you commoners make a fuss, it won’t reach Lady Bianca Eisenberg. Cry some more if you like. I could maybe make a small space in my chicken coop for you.”
Even while being ganged up on, Bianca remained composed.
It was evident from the way she half-covered her face with a fan and smirked.
Cecilia was impressed by Bianca’s mental fortitude.
“It’s really too much.”
Charlotte rubbed her reddened eyes. The surrounding young ladies consoled her.
“Lady Charlotte, please stop crying. The fault lies entirely with Lady Bianca, not with Charlotte.”
“Yeah! Don’t give in, Charlotte!”
“Is there no sense of guilt in making someone cry, Lady Bianca?”
Bianca frowned with red eyes and then looked down at them disdainfully.
“Hmph, there’s a limit even to nonsense. The eyes of a young lady are worse than rotten mackerel. Do they look like crying to you? It’s clearly acting.”
But Bianca was right.
‘My eyes cannot be deceived.’
Cecilia glanced at Charlotte who was being consoled.
At first glance, she looked like a pitiful crying character, but upon closer inspection, there was a hint of green on her fingertips.
That was definitely the herb that causes severe eye irritation upon contact.
It was not as though Cecilia herself used it habitually.
“….”
Anyway, it was clear that Charlotte was definitely acting.
However.
“Betty, can you really just speak to the duchess’ daughter this way? I feel like she might k*ll you.”
“… Lady Cecilia, you truly have no heart.”
“….”
Cecilia glared sleepily at Beatrice.
She stood on her tiptoes, draped her arm around Beatrice’s neck, matched her eye level, and said coldly,
“Answer.”
“!”
Beatrice, sensing a threat to her life, quickly said,
“… Well, although the influence of a house in society is undeniable, it doesn’t determine everything.”
“Why?”
“Of course, unless it’s the duke himself, as heirs without title, one must be more careful. After all, bad reputation doesn’t help in succession.”
Beatrice looked at the young ladies whispering around Bianca and said quietly,
“And sometimes, ten counts of lower nobility wield more power than a single duke.”
In short, the human world is different from the demon world.
Power alone does not decide everything.
Reputation and legitimacy matter.
In this context, those were more important.
“I can’t take it any longer. I had no choice but to follow due to my father’s urging, but I can’t condone such wickedness.”
“… I, me too. Sorry, Lady Bianca.”
“To be honest, I’m disappointed. I didn’t know you were this ruthless.”
The young ladies surrounding Bianca one by one left, declaring their withdrawal.
Even though there were young ladies who usually stayed by her side, she was left completely alone.
But Bianca didn’t seem to care.
“Hmph, you came here fawning, and now it’s embarrassing. I don’t need you. Even with all your fawning, Eisenberg would never protect your insignificant families.”
“Lady!”
Bianca spun around and exited the scene.
However, why…
Walking alone, Bianca looked very lonely.
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
“…”
Lonely? Just keep her company!
Cecilia quietly followed Bianca.
She had also left Beatrice behind.
‘I’m the only one who can comfort her.’
It was a selfish reason.
“… What.”
Finally, Cecilia followed her all the way to the terrace.
Bianca turned around, trembling her lips.
“Exactly why have you been following me from just now!”
“It was merely that our paths coincided, Lady.”
Cecilia respectfully joined her side.
Bianca looked at Cecilia with an incredulous gaze.
“… This terrace is for one person.”
“So it seems.”
“No! It’s for worn-out nobles to relax… Ugh, it’s for resting the neck.”
“Lady, getting angry is dangerous for people with high bl**d pressure.”
Bianca gave up at this point.
She belatedly realized that Cecilia was not someone to be reasoned with through words.
“Do as you please. People should see that this noble maiden has nothing better to do.”
In fact, most people already knew.
Because Cecilia, when bored, would quietly sit at the fountain with the highest number of visitors in anticipation of someone talking to her.
A brief silence ensued between them.
Cecilia did not speak, and Bianca leaned against the terrace railing as if lost in thought.
Bianca was the first to speak.
“… Do you, like Charlotte?”
“Only to say whether I like women, there is a chance, except…”
“No, how can there even be a chance…! Never mind. Do you like that fox-faced woman more than me?”
“I’m sorry, but it is troubling to harbor affections for me…”
“Not that! Since you’re a knight, I figured you might understand a knight’s heart, hence the question. You’re in the same division as Sir Edward, right?”
‘How cute!’
Cecilia barely refrained from hugging and nibbling her, instead doing a dry cough.
“Do you have affections for Sir Edward?”
The straightforward question left Bianca momentarily stunned,
but she found herself preferring it to the roundabout approaches typically employed by noble young ladies.
She nodded slightly.
“Regarding Sir Edward…”
‘That person, who might they like?’
She wanted to say confidently, ‘Me’, but realistically, the chances were low.
First of all, everyone inside the knight’s order saw her as a cute younger sister, or at best, a daughter.
Even if there was a chance,
that person would probably be dangerous. There’s no way Edward had fallen that low, even if he was a bit sinister.
“I may not be the deputy commandant, but Sir Edward prefers wealthy people.”
“… We, wealth?”
“Yes. Just looking at how he nitpicks every budget submission, it’s clear.”
‘A miser.’
Cecilia shook her head.
Bianca merely sighed.
“That’s it. It was my mistake to ask you. So, why did I follow you here anyway?”
“I simply wanted to be friends with Bianca.”
Cecilia tilted her head in genuine confusion.
“Is there any problem with that?”
Edward was drinking wine under the moonlight alone on the terrace.
‘Well, I didn’t truly believe I could contain things at this level, but…’
Edward felt inwardly disappointed.
He expected some resistance, and it would have felt somewhat refreshing.
‘There’s a reason why typical nobles avoid scheming like this. Isn’t it because of things like this?’
Apparently, even political maneuvering couldn’t hold a candle to Cecilia’s evasive capabilities.
‘No, I chose the wrong hunting dog. I didn’t take Bianca Eisenberg’s reputation into account.’
Edward clicked his tongue and took a sip of wine.
“Deputy Commandant.”
Edward nearly sprayed his wine when Cecilia suddenly poked her head from upstairs.
“What is it? Cecilia, come down here and talk.”
But Edward quickly regained his composure and asked.
Cecilia gracefully hopped off the terrace railing and descended, looking up at Edward and speaking.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Oh? A favor from you? That’s unusual.”
“Would you please dance once with Lady Bianca?”
Taken aback by the unexpected request, Edward furrowed his brow.
‘You still have such unique tastes. Did Bianca Eisenberg catch your eye?’
Having quickly grasped the situation, Edward smirked.
“Well, as it’s your request, I can’t refuse it entirely.”
Edward turned away from the terrace with a haughty gait.
“But you do realize what you’re asking?”
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
“I asked you to dance.”
“….”
Edward barely managed to restrain himself this time.
“Debutantes dancing signifies the possibility of engagement. Naturally, I don’t plan on marrying. Why should I get dragged into this kind of scandal just for you? Try to persuade me.”
“I will pay a price.”
Looking at Cecilia’s red lips, Edward said,
“Price. It had better be something very valuable.”
‘This is something I really don’t want to do, but.’
Cecilia wanted to be friends with Bianca.
She believed that making friends required a gift.
And this was the greatest gift Cecilia could offer.
Therefore, Cecilia decided to pay a great price.
“Cecilia’s Diner one-time use pass.”
“!”
“Of course, secretly from the captain.”
“….”
Edward paused in a long silence.
He shifted his gaze slightly before looking back at Cecilia and speaking.
“… If it’s two, we’ll have a clean deal.”
“Hmm.”
Cecilia hesitated for a moment.
Two was a bit annoying.
But,
it was unavoidable since she didn’t prepare a gift today.
“Alright. I’ll carefully prepare it twice for you.”
“… Make sure to keep your promise. When should we dance?”
“Right after we go back.”
‘As expected, the deputy is a genius!’
Cecilia giggled.
Would he like a granola bento box?
