Chapter 44: First High Society Gathering and a Template Development
Chapter 44 - First High Society Gathering and a Template Development
*splash*
A red liquid is splashed on Emma.
"Oh my, my apologies."
A noble daughter is standing in front of Emma, not looking any guilty, contrary to her words. She is Francesca Delacour, a daughter of a Marquis. Behind her, a slightly plump Count daughter, Matilda Filch, and a tall, slender Count daughter, Hailey Malamud, are seeing the situation smirkingly.
The villainous daughter and her entourage... Those words suddenly pop into Emma's head.
・・・
Today is the party hosted by the royal family before entering the academy.
The three Stuart siblings who would enroll in the academy are also invited. Emma got off the carriage while being escorted by George and William to their first social gathering.
A pure white Emma Silk dress with fine special purple threads embroidery adorned her body, and a thin veil covers the scars on her face.
The trend of dresses in the royal capital has been getting more exposed by the year, but Emma's dress barely exposes any skin. Her breast growth is unfortunately pretty lagging behind, and her body is still as slender as ever.
George and William are also dressed in black formal wear with purple embroidery of the same pattern as Emma on their shirts. George has grown much taller this past year and looks good wearing a suit. William, too, stays a pretty boy.
Upon entering the venue hall, George searches for a drink while William sees his friend from a neighboring territory and heads over to say hello.
Emma instantly became alone, and red wine was poured on Emma's dress as if aiming for the time when she is standing idly.
Dress poured by wine on the first party.
Emma, who realizes it's a development she often read in her previous life, holds back her laugh. When she looks at the noble daughter in front of her, she has a triumphant look with an empty wine glass in her hand.
Emma thought the surroundings would be shocked at what's happening inside the venue before the party even started, but she could see resigned and fed-up faces here and there. The invited guests are limited to the academy's students, and although some adults also attend for supervision, all of them are pretending not to see.
Perhaps, it's an event that happens every year.
As if proofing that, some of the waiters approach calmly and swiftly and hold out a cloth to wipe Emma's dress.
"Thank you."
After thanking the waiter, Emma began wiping the dirty carpet of the venue first. Seeing that, the Marquis daughter Francesca, who splashed the wine, opens her mouth.
"Are you stupid?"
Usually, she should've worried about the dress first. The party hosted by the royal family is a big moment for noble daughters, and if their dresses are ruined, they will return just like that.
The servants, who were calm seconds ago, also flusteredly try to stop Emma, who is wiping the carpet.
The pattern of "crying while wiping the dress and going home without being able to do anything about the red stain" collapsed quickly.
The baptism of the First Prince faction is known to all the nobles around the royal capital. It was speedy bullying that started before the royal family came and ended before the royal family came.
The First Prince faction has many high-ranking aristocrats, and the noble daughter who received baptism can only accept it frustratedly.
Because the daughters of the Second Prince faction's families are targeted, every year, either each of those daughters is tearfully absent or acts in groups and never separate to escape hardships.
Wherein it could be said that Emma, who was standing idly alone, will be targeted.
The Stuart House is rumored to be the head of the Second Prince faction in the royal capital, but the people themselves are not aware.
With an empty glass in one hand, the Marquis's daughter, Francesca Delacour, talks to Emma, who is still battling with the red wine stain on the carpet.
"Are you stupid?"
She is irritated at the different state from the other daughters until now. There is still time, but she wants her to leave the venue quickly. She said it as nastiest as she could, so she should just cry.
The Marquis's daughter Francesca can't see Emma's expression because she's wearing a veil.
"Are you alright, Emma-san?"
"Did something troubled you? Emma-san."
"Emma-san, pour thing! It was scary, wasn't it?"
Several noble sons force their way through in between.
They are the children of nobles around Palace who participated in the tea parties the Stuart house regularly held over the past year. After Emma's face is wounded, she seemed more fragile and vulnerable. It further incited the noble sons' desire to protect, and unexpectedly, the noble sons continued to be taken down by Emma at the tea parties.
In the eyes of those noble sons, who are wearing such filter, the figure of Emma holding back her laugh looks like she is shaking from fear, and her crouching figure to wipe the carpet is seen as collapsing from anemia.
"I'm just alright?"
Emma calms the noble sons that came gathered worriedly. Even though her mother has given her an earful not to cause any problem, she met this sort of situation before the party even started.
"W-What is it, aren't you misunderstanding something? I just accidentally splashed wine on her dress! I have properly apologized too!"
Francesca starts to hastily explain to the suddenly came reinforcement. No one has ever come to help until now... She just apologized for staining the dress with red wine, and that's it.
The noble sons from around Palace lived far away from the royal capital, and nobody knew about the First Prince faction's baptism. And so, they are different from other invited guests.
In their eyes, Emma is a quiet, introverted girl. As they always want to protect her whenever there's a chance, they have been keeping an eye on her situation and have no hesitation whatsoever.
However, the noble sons who heard Francesca's words all catch their breath. Some even have cold sweat.
"W-What?"
Francesca becomes anxious seeing the noble sons' states.
"...red wine on Emma-san's dress?"
"T-To the Stuart House's dress?"
"H-How much will the compensation cost?"
"If it's Emma Silk... eh? 100 gold coins are... not even enough, right?"
The faces of the noble sons change from worrying Emma to pitying Francesca.
Emma Silk... Francesca's face turns pale when she hears that. She remembered the finest silk made in Stuart's territory, Palace.
"I-I already apologized!"
Francesca also has cold sweats. 100 gold coins is not an amount she could afford.
"What's wrong?"
Joshua, who arrived at the venue late, noticed the disturbance at Emma's side and came.
He got a Baron title in exchange for a large amount of money recently and could go to the academy together. After one year, he became remarkably taller, and his skinny body now has well-balanced muscles as a result of training secretly.
George and William also rush over to see what happened during the short time they took their eyes off Emma.
"Yo, Joshua! You come at a good time! How many gold coins is Emma-san's dress today!?"
The noble sons want to know how frightening it is and ask Joshua.
Looking at the red-stained cloth in Emma's hands, Francesca, and the noble sons' faces, Joshua, as the one who laid out the information network throughout the kingdom, figured out what had happened.
"Nee-sama, even though you have been told not to cause any problem..."
William sighs while wiping Emma's dress with a handkerchief.
"William-sama, Emma-sama was only dragged into this. Rather, it's you two's faults for taking your eyes off Emma-sama!"
Joshua's indulgence knows no way of stopping.
"I-It's about time I excuse myself."
The guests continue to gather at the venue.
It's not a good plan to stand out any more than this... Francesca was about to escape, but then, the guests inside the venue suddenly became noisy. When she moved her line of sight to see what it was, the Second Prince Edward came in sight.
The royal family was planned to enter after all the guests are present, but only the Second Prince entered the hall earlier than usual. He stopped the nobles who are about to bow, then look around the surroundings. He found the group of Emma and the others and walked straight there. All the guests move away from the prince's path, making way for him.
Not able to escape, Francesca lowers her head for a bow and bites her lips at the upcoming condemnation.
After affirming that the prince is coming this way, the three Stuart siblings, Joshua, and the Palace noble sons, also bow following Francesca.
"Lady Francesca Delacour. I have heard the rumor that you have been bullying young ladies with lower standing than you every year? Is this what the commotion about?"
The Second Prince questions Francesca with a cold voice.
The beautiful black-haired and cold-looking prince has been working hard for the past year to become a man worthy of Emma. To his appearance of dealing with people earnestly, performing public duties seriously, and never neglect his self-discipline, even the King has come to acknowledge his excellence.
The talk of the First Prince's faction's baptism happened to also reach the ears of the Second Prince, Edward. He is tired of the factional strifes they unfold on their own accord even though he has no desire for the throne. He heard that the baptism happens every year, and this time, the prince himself show up.
"I-I do not remember what you are talking about."
He has unpleasant feelings towards her attitude of making excuses for the obvious.
There's a wine stain at the feet of the young lady who has been quietly bowing near Francesca. It's pitiful if she can't participate in the party, so he calls out to her.
"I will prepare a replacement dress so you can change."
The young lady who raised her face is wearing a thin veil so he can't make out her look, but since the dress splashed with wine has splendid embroideries, she must be very shocked.
"No, it's alright, Your Highness. This dress is waterproof."
Edward's heart pounds at the familiar voice.
It's the voice of the girl he has been eager to meet this whole year.
"Is it Emma?"
He peers at the face of the young lady who has been on her knees this whole time.
Emma lifts the left side of her veil and smiles.
"Long time no see, Your Highness."
The green eyes reflect Edward.
The prince's cold expression softens, and he sweetly smiles as if being drawn to Emma.
"Ah, it's been a while... Emma."