Penelope sipped champagne while watching the corner where the noble ladies had gathered. She didn’t mind that most people in the hall viewed them as outsiders. After all, they viewed the nobles as outsiders too.
If they had ever intended to mingle or become friendly with the noble gentlemen, they wouldn’t have wasted years wrestling with the Norkan tribe in the Land of Snow. It would have been easier to succeed by becoming a private soldier under some noble or living as a mercenary. At least then they wouldn’t have had to worry about freezing to death. ―What irritated them was the unsettling attention focused on Sahara that filled the hall.
In the right corner of the hall, where the more ostentatious guests often gathered, elaborately adorned noble ladies were freely gossiping about the rumored Monster of the North.
“She’s certainly clever. By being this late, she ensures everyone keeps staring at the entrance. I heard she was skilled in dancing, but I hadn’t expected her to be so versed in these matters too.”
One lady spoke with a tone weary of waiting, subtly treating Sahara as a fox desperate for attention.
“Oh my. Given that she moved His Majesty the Emperor to tears, such calculations must come easily to her. Obviously.”
“You mean that story about her origins? Having kept His Majesty’s cufflink while living as a poor commoner―how could that be possible? All the commoners I know say it’s nonsense.”
While their tone suggested the keeping of the cufflink was remarkable, it also seemed to imply it was a lie. The suggestion being that a poor commoner would never have kept such a valuable item without selling it. Despite the Emperor’s recognition of the item, they were questioning its authenticity.
“Well, for someone who supposedly chews on human eyeballs, perhaps hunger was never an issue?”
“Oh my!”
“Ah, now I understand what the Baroness means.”
They all burst into shrill laughter at the exaggerated tone of realization. When the rumors first circulated, reactions were mostly of shock and disgust, but after much discussion, they had transformed into mockery.
“They say crows survive any famine.”
Crow. The nobles, who loved their metaphors, compared her to a bird that pecked out eyes from corpses.
“But I heard she’s a delicate lady. Is that true?”
“They say she wore a uniform. She must be hiding a robust body. How else could she wield a sword?”
Baroness Paul fluttered her fan, saying how naive it was to believe the talk of delicacy.
“Even considering everything, I heard she’s quite beautiful. My brother was completely mesmerized.”
At the dissatisfied remark of one lady, everyone turned to her in surprise. This was because the speaker was the younger sister of Duke Giskar. Duke Giskar was a young and talented man who, after losing his wife two years ago, had not been seen with any other woman since.
“Duke Giskar? His late wife was truly beautiful as well…”
A classic case of ‘beauty meets tragedy,’ she had passed away before turning thirty. Even her frailty had been considered charming, inspiring many women to mimic her pale complexion and delicate cough.
“He’s known for his high standards… Is this Countess Illoud truly that beautiful?”
“He’s not one to speak at length, so I didn’t hear much detail, but that was the impression he gave. ―Thanks to that, I can’t help but keep glancing at the entrance out of curiosity.”
At the Duke’s sister’s comment, the group exchanged glances, half in doubt and half in tension. It was difficult to immediately shift to words of praise, as the momentum of their earlier gossip still lingered.
“Indeed, she does seem to be a rather captivating person in many ways.”
At the soft voice, everyone turned to look at the speaker. Arriving fashionably late, as if she were the main character, was Viscountess Holt.
Viscountess Holt was a well-known figure in the capital’s social circles. While her husband, Viscount Holt, was a fairly successful man, his reputation paled in comparison to hers. To thrive in the social world, one needed to be exceptionally attractive, eloquent, well-informed, and politically savvy.
Though there were several other prominent and influential noblewomen who met these criteria, what made Viscountess Holt stand out was the fresh and scandalous spice she brought to the news she shared.
“According to the rumors I’ve heard…”
She covered her mouth with her fan and glanced around. After confirming that everyone was listening, she spoke in a conspiratorial tone.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is said to be treating her quite specially.”
As if revealing a grand secret, she whispered, causing everyone to widen their eyes and look at her before bursting into laughter.
“She’s being treated specially by His Highness?”
“Well, it’s not as if she’s the first to receive such treatment…”
“He’s always been a kind person. That’s part of his charm, after all.”
Everyone scoffed at such an unexpectedly mundane revelation. They hadn’t expected Viscountess Holt, of all people, to bring such ordinary gossip. This was the same Viscountess who had first brought news of Sahara’s barbaric behavior in the Land of Snow, and now she was talking about ‘special treatment from His Highness the Crown Prince.’ ―Of course, the Viscountess wasn’t finished.
“I wouldn’t mention it if it were just the usual kindness. I heard she’s been given the Crescent Moon Room. They say she’ll be staying at the Crown Prince’s residence for the entire month of the party, and she’s even been assigned personal servants.”
Everyone knew that the Crescent Moon Room had traditionally been the Crown Princess’s bedchamber, though none had seen it themselves. They were more intrigued by the Viscountess’s additional information.
“Given how unique she is, perhaps he’s developed some interest.”
“The Crescent Moon Room is special, but… isn’t it simply because His Majesty the Emperor ordered she be treated with particular care? Though I’m sure his characteristic kindness played a part.”
“Hmph, what’s so special about the Crescent Moon Room? Without a Crown Princess, it’s just an elaborate room now.”
“Now, if she were staying in the Full Moon Room for a month, that would be something else.”
Someone slyly added, triggering another round of laughter. The Full Moon Room was the Crown Prince’s bedchamber.
“Still… coming straight from a place like the Land of Snow to the capital and experiencing the Crown Prince’s kindness must be quite overwhelming.”
“Oh, how pitiful. The Emperor’s favor, the Crown Prince’s special treatment… She must feel like a princess now, don’t you think?”
Mockery disguised as sympathy flowed from behind their fans. The Viscountess adjusted her hair ornament, as if dismissing such talk.
“Surely the kind noble ladies can explain the situation to her? That would spare her heart some pain.”
“Indeed. Just because she’s skilled with a sword doesn’t mean her heart is equally strong.”
The longer Sahara’s appearance was delayed, the sharper the ladies’ barbs became.
Of course, not all women were hostile toward Sahara. Viscountess Holt’s group had always been known for their excessive gossip and drama. Countess Colodova sighed, wondering how such difficult people managed to maintain friendships with each other.
The noblewomen gathered around Countess Colodova, whose husband was the Minister of the Imperial Household, frowned at the laughter coming from Viscountess Holt’s group.
“She is a bit late, considering she’s the main guest.”
It wasn’t a criticism of her tardiness but rather a comment on the increasingly tense and unpleasant atmosphere spreading through the hall.
“She must have only started preparing late. She arrived in uniform, and it must have taken at least a couple of hours to get ready in a dress.”
“That’s true. Still, it would be nice if she appeared soon. The remarks are becoming sharper by the minute.”
If the dancing began, the atmosphere might improve, but for now, with men and women separated and idly chatting, the tone of the conversations was growing increasingly pointed. And it wasn’t even that late into the evening.
“I’m quite curious myself about what kind of person she is. My husband said she’s rather unique.”
Countess Colodova smiled gently. Of course, her husband had described Sahara as ‘a country girl who knows nothing but knightly manners,’ but his tone had been relatively favorable.
“She seems likely to make many mistakes, so please look after her. I’d rather not see any embarrassing incidents at the celebration.”
For someone who despised impoliteness, the fact that he had spoken positively about a ‘country girl’ suggested he had taken a liking to her.
“But did His Highness the Crown Prince really give her the Crescent Moon Room? Viscountess Holt’s stories often turn out to be exaggerated upon closer inspection.”
“Well, they did travel together for several days, so perhaps they grew somewhat attached. And with His Majesty’s orders, it’s not entirely surprising. It could simply be an act of kindness.”
“True. His Highness personally went out to greet her.”
“That alone is already special treatment. He’s not one to involve himself in such matters, after all.”
Crown Prince Cheshire was known for executing his duties with meticulous perfection, but he wasn’t the type to volunteer for additional tasks. In fact, he often ignored things that one might expect a Crown Prince to handle. Despite being at an age where he should be welcoming a Crown Princess to strengthen the imperial authority, he was instead entangled in meaningless scandals.
“One way or another, this is quite the event. ―What kind of person could she be?”
Whether out of curiosity or disdain, everyone in the Hall of Joy was waiting for Sahara.
What kind of woman was she? Was she truly as beautiful as the rumors claimed? What was her relationship with the Crown Prince?
Just as the crowd was brimming with anticipation, the announcements rang out.
“His Highness, Crown Prince Cheshire Wi Solante, is entering.”
“Her Highness, Princess Chloe Ance Solante, is entering.”
“Countess Sahara Illoud is entering.”
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