Chapter 11: The Crown Prince's Birthday Party

A cloudless blue sky. Today, which seemed as if the heavens themselves were celebrating, was the Sinfonia Empire Crown Prince’s birthday party. With the Founding Festival just one week away, the Imperial Capital was immersed in a festive mood. I love this kind of atmosphere, but honestly, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about today’s birthday party. The capture targets and main characters are definitely going to be here… Elliott himself is a capture target. I don’t want to incur strange resentment, and conversely, I don’t want to pique their interest either. It’s difficult… If I could just slip through that gap, that would be ideal. So, the best solution is to not meet them. That’s the core of it.

The Crown Prince’s birthday party carried the significance of him turning seven and being publicly recognized as the next king. Therefore, most nobles from across the country, along with their sons and daughters, gathered here. However, attendance was not mandatory, so there was no need to come if it was difficult. For those in remote or frontier areas, the travel and lodging costs alone could be substantial. Sending a polite congratulatory letter and a gift was sufficient to save face. This would likely be the case for the protagonist Estelle, a Baroness from a frontier region. She had just become a Baroness and probably needed money for various things. But the story is different for nobles with territories near the Imperial Capital or wealthy high-ranking nobles. If they can gain favor with the Crown Prince, who is the next king, their sons might become aides, and their daughters might achieve a prestigious marriage. Originally, I would have been his fiancée at this point. The announcement might even have been made at this party. I’m so glad I refused back then.

Putting that aside, I have been thoroughly dressed up by Mother and the maids since the morning. Is there still more? Isn’t this enough…? I don’t think a child needs all this jewelry and decoration…

“Absolutely not! Today is also your debut, Sakura, so we can’t cut corners! We have to make you look exceptionally cute!”

Even if I look cute, there’s no one I particularly want to impress, so it doesn’t matter… Ostensibly, today’s party is the first public appearance for me, who had supposedly been weak and recovering from an illness until now. My debut in society as a full-fledged adult is still some way off, but today is my debut as a noble lady. I understand why Mother and the others are putting so much effort into it, but… The party, which includes noble sons and daughters, is held from morning until evening. Because the children are the main focus. I was finally able to board the carriage heading to the castle after being relentlessly embellished with dresses, makeup, and accessories right up until the party began. Incidentally, I firmly refused the vertical curls. I’m not doing that hairstyle; it’s practically the villainess’s symbol. It’s bad luck! Honestly… I’m already mentally exhausted before the party even starts…

“Ojou-sama. Do not forget to smile once we arrive at the venue. Please avoid the expression you are making now.”

“Yes…”

Arisa, the maid who boarded the carriage with Father and Mother, gave me a stern reminder, and I forced a smile.

“That is sufficient. Your smile is passable, as always.”

Well, that’s because I was constantly made to practice it! A Ducal Daughter must not show her inner feelings. Hide your true intentions behind a mask of smiles… that’s the idea. Although the Sakuraile in the game was openly angry, scornful, and wore her emotions on her sleeve. I wonder if she really received proper lady’s education. I don’t want to befriend the capture targets, but I want to build good relationships with the other noble children. For that, a sullen face won’t do. I must approach them with a smile. But I need to seal away the villainess’s mocking smile.

“I hope you can make new friends. Try speaking to many people. You are sure to find someone you get along with.”

“But be careful with the boys, okay? There are those who approach with ulterior motives.”

Does Father’s mention of ulterior motives refer to coveting the Ducal House’s status? Or is it the “men are wolves” kind of thing? Well, I have no interest in younger boys, so there’s no need to worry. I even turned down the Crown Prince! Yet, Father kept listing various precautions, as if he was still worried. Eventually, Mother scolded him for being persistent. I can’t really say anything, you see. My kidnapping must have made Father a worrywart. It’s understandable. How could I dismiss such a father?

In any case, the carriage arrived at the Imperial Castle. Like a roundabout centered around a fountain, carriages stopped in front of the stairs leading into the castle, dropped off the nobles and their children, and then drove off in the opposite direction. When the carriage stopped and we (excluding Arisa) stepped down to the bottom of the stairs, a security guard standing nearby suddenly raised his voice.

“His Grace, Claude le Philharmonie, the Duke; Her Grace, Ashley le Philharmonie, the Duchess; and Lady Sakuraile le Philharmonie, the Duke’s Daughter, three persons entering the Castle!”

Ehh… They do that!? They didn’t do that the last time we came… Was it because it was just a family gathering last time? Wow, I’m standing out… Of course I am. After all, Father is the Emperor’s younger brother. It would be impossible not to draw attention. Although Father inherited the le Philharmonie Ducal House, he was not stripped of his Imperial status. He retains his place in the Imperial Family registry, so he has a right to the throne. If anything were to happen to His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince, the next Emperor would be Father. That is one reason why he is still a member of the Imperial Family. This means I am also a member of the Imperial Family, and if something happens to Elliott and Father, I would be the next Empress. Please spare me.

Incidentally, the prefixes like le or la inserted between the given name and the family name indicate the noble rank. To put it simply, the fewer the characters, the higher the noble’s rank. The le Philharmonie family, being of Imperial blood, uses the top rank’s single character. The difference between le and la (as with Mother, me, and Father) is the distinction between male and female. This is only for the Imperial Family; other nobles use the same prefix regardless of gender. The Imperial Family and Dukes use one character, Marquesses and Margraves use two characters, Counts and Viscounts use three characters, and Barons use four characters. Knighthoods and Baronetcies, which are single-generation titles, do not use a prefix. In short, by the way they are addressed, you can generally tell what rank of noble a person is. Incidentally, once children grow up and leave home, these middle-name-like prefixes are dropped. This applies to children who are not the eldest son or daughter of a noble family. They are considered members of the nobility until adulthood, but since they won’t inherit the house, they cease to be nobles as adults. They are called quasi-nobles, a better status than commoners, but their social standing is not significantly different. Furthermore, that status lasts for only one generation. However, they can become nobles again through marriage or by achieving some meritorious deed and receiving a title, thus becoming an independent noble. For a noble’s second son or younger, the quickest way would be to become a knight. A knight is also a quasi-noble for a single generation, but their status is higher than that of a commoner or a mere noble’s child.

“It’s His Imperial Highness, the Emperor’s brother…”

“It’s the Duke of le Philharmonie.”

“He had a daughter…?”

This is bad. I’m attracting attention. From here on, I cannot show my true face. Smile, smile. I straightened my back and ascended the stairs gracefully. …It’s long. I wish they had an escalator… No, my dress hem might get caught, so that’s impossible. After climbing the stairs and entering the castle, several nobles were already conversing in the lobby. I saw quite a few children around my age. Today is, after all, His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday party. They seem to have brought children of a similar age. I saw almost no teenagers (the equivalent of high schoolers in my previous life). A few were present, but they were probably the head of their house or acting as a proxy. Father approached one of the nobles conversing there, a man in his forties with a long white goatee. Wait? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…

“Hello, Marquess Ténor. It has been a long time.”

“Why, if it isn’t His Grace, Claude le Philharmonie. It has been a long time indeed.”

Mother quietly informed me that in such settings, it is proper etiquette for the person of higher rank to initiate conversation. That’s why I thought those people who had been glancing at us earlier weren’t approaching. Though, this apparently doesn’t matter much for us since we haven’t officially debuted in society yet. For example, I am the ‘Duke’s Daughter’ but not the ‘Duke,’ so there is no superior or subordinate rank with me. Thus, it would not be rude for this Marquess Ténor to speak to me. Conversely, it’s fine for me to speak to him in this case, because I am the daughter of a ‘Duke’s’ house, which is higher than a ‘Marquess.’ This would be an issue if I were the daughter of a ‘Baron’s’ house. Because of the family’s standing, if a child from a lower-ranking family speaks to a ‘Marquess,’ their parents would face repercussions. How tiresome, truly… I can’t help but think people should just talk to whomever they like. Well, it is merely a breach of etiquette, so it’s not something to be heavily penalized, but some people are very strict.

“Is this young lady the one I heard rumors about?”

“Ah, this is Sakuraile. Sakuraile, this is Jace Van Ténor, the Marquess. He is the Chancellor of this country.”

So, he was the Chancellor. Ah, the reason I felt like I had seen him was because he was the person who stood next to His Majesty the Emperor in “Starlight Symphony.” Since he only appeared in one illustration with no dialogue, I didn’t recognize him immediately. I greeted the gentlemanly Chancellor, who wore spectacles, with a practiced curtsy.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Chancellor Ténor. I am Sakuraile le Philharmonie. I have returned to the Imperial Capital this time. I look forward to making your acquaintance.”

“How very polite of you. I am Jace Van Ténor.”

The Chancellor apparently did not have children who were the same age as the Crown Prince, so he was attending alone. Since no noble would interrupt the conversation between the Chancellor and Father (the Emperor’s brother), we proceeded straight to the party venue.

“It’s enormous…!”

The party venue was so large that the word slipped out inadvertently. A great number of nobles had already gathered there. They were greeting each other and discussing in various groups. Naturally, the nobility has factions, which seem to be formed based on military or civil positions, friendly relations spanning generations, or the opposite, and various other connections. Father, despite being second in line to the throne, is close to his brother, His Majesty the Emperor, so he is, so to speak, of the “Imperial Faction.” Because of Father’s position, there were many nobles he needed to greet, and each time, I also had to exchange greetings as part of my debut. The sheer number of them was overwhelming… Honestly, I don’t remember who was who after the first two or three people. Since I didn’t hear any names or see any faces from the game, I figured there was no need to be particularly careful.

“Are you tired, Sakuraile?”

“No, well, just a little…”

After greeting the nobles, all I had to do was watch Father and the noble converse with a smiling face, but it was subtly painful. That’s because seventy percent of the conversation was Father boasting about me… Isn’t Father a little too much of a doting parent?

“The greetings to our close noble friends are over, so Sakura, you can go talk with the other children over there. The rest are guests invited from abroad.”

Mother gestured toward a corner where noble children were gathered. It is unusual for children to follow their parents during the greetings to the nobles. In my case, it couldn’t be helped since I had never attended such an event, but the truth is, I wanted to be released earlier. In any case, finally freed, I moved away from Father and Mother and walked toward the area where the children were gathered.

“Ah… I’m tired and the party hasn’t even started yet… I want to sit down for a bit…”

I spotted a long bench against the wall and sat down. Phew… Although I felt exhausted inside, I still kept a smile plastered on my face. I can’t let my guard down… I hope this ends soon… Scanning the party venue, I saw a few people dressed in somewhat different attire. Those must be the international guests. Since I also lived outside this country for several years, I can somewhat tell. It seems the King is very keen on making Elliott’s existence known both domestically and internationally.

“My dear, I commend you for having the audacity to come to His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday party in that dress.”

“Honestly. Isn’t that design quite ancient? I heard that the trends in the frontier are slow to catch on, but this is beyond belief…”

“It cannot be helped; she’s just a country bumpkin, a social climber. Well, she should use today to learn the Imperial Capital’s fashions. Although by the time she visits next, it might be out of date again.”

Hm? That conversation reached my ears as I was deep in thought. I turned my gaze and saw three young ladies, who appeared to be two or three years older than me, covering their mouths and laughing at someone standing in front of them. Ooh, real villainesses? Those types are everywhere, I guess… Well, children of the nobility are raised by people fawning over them, so perhaps it’s unavoidable in some ways. I was like that in the game, too… Even so, it didn’t feel good. Just as I stood up to intervene, I saw the face of the person the three young ladies were laughing at.

“Estelle?”

“Eh?”

Standing there was Estelle Klein Euphonium, the protagonist heroine of “Starlight Symphony.”