Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Their response was better than Eve had expected, much to her relief. Two in the group answered.

“Ah, Seventh Princess. Is wine ok?”

“I prefer the weaker wines, Lord Reindel.”

“It’s quite crowded over there. Please come stand by me, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Lord Kalix.”

The son of Count Reindel offered her a low-alcohol drink, and Kalix, the son of Marquess Remitiello, made space for her.

I didn’t expect this.

Eve was surprised that Lord Kalix had been the one to invite her over to his side. He was the de facto leader of this group and was well-known for being rude. Eve apparently wasn’t alone in this. The other school friends looked at Kalix oddly.

“What’s with the look?”

“Nothing...”

No matter—she’d succeeded in using her feminine charms to gain entry to the group. Now all she had to do was listen to a bit of their conversation and take her leave not long after—that would be more than enough to accomplish her goal of making a social connection.

“I believe you were just talking about the Gnosis Academy, right? Would you mind if I listened in? I’ve only taken one-on-one classes in the palace, so I’m curious about things at the academy where students take group lessons.”

“Ah, the academy? Hmm, where should I start...”

Since this was a topic they knew a lot about, the conversation continued smoothly and Eve could mostly just listen. But there was one problem.

“Your Highness, your glass is empty.”

“Please take a glass from me this time.”

“And take one from me next...”

The young men all had mischievous looks on their faces as they continued to hand Eve glass after glass. Even though Eve had not yet finished hers, one of them placed a glass in her other hand.

They’ve even switched the alcohol.

Experiences from her previous life allowed Eve to immediately notice the difference in the wine. Eve had finished her third glass of a cocktail that had been wine diluted with tonic. The fourth and fifth cups—both now in her hands—contained brandy instead of tonic, a drink with a much higher alcohol content.

According to court custom, it was rude to put down the first glass offered by someone without drinking all of it. Of course, a workaround existed—the glass could be passed off to an individual of the opposite gender who’d offered no drinks yet. However, that then required some favor to be given in return for them accepting the drink.

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?” asked Lord Kalix with an innocent air, running his hand through his blond locks. Eve found him despicable.

Wow, the rumors did not lie.

This all suddenly brought back a memory from her past life— Eve’s siblings had tortured her in a similar scenario. The older princesses had forced drink after drink upon her, and the princes had all refused to take any of her glasses for her. Frustrated by the situation, she’d attempted to increase her alcohol tolerance, but her body just didn’t have a strong enough constitution.

“Your Highness, you may pass me a glass if that is too much for you.”

“...?”

Eve was taken aback by Kalix’s comment. She’d assumed they had all ganged up together to play this prank on her and thus thought there was nobody she could pass her glass off to.

Eve narrowed her eyes slightly.

Come to think of it, only Kalix has not offered me a drink. According to custom, then, he is the only one I can ask to take my glass. Was this his plan all along? Does he want a favor from me?

Eve pondered if she should pretend to fall for the trap, searching Kalix’s blue eyes. Then someone else spoke.

“Your Highness.”

A low baritone, evocative of a well-tuned string instrument, rang in her ear. Eve turned and found Mikael standing beside her.

“Allow me to drink those for you.”

“Oh!”

Mikael gently wrapped his hands around Eve’s and took the glasses, downing the two cocktails in one gulp each. Even when drinking wine he cut an extraordinary image, his shapely lips kissing the glass rims delicately and his swallows showing off his powerful neck muscles.

Eve gazed at Mikael, concerned.

“Sir Agnito, will you be all right?”

“I will be just fine.”

He meant it. Mikael didn’t show the slightest hint of a flush, despite having just drunk two glasses of very potent alcohol. Kalix frowned, his plan now foiled.

“I heard that homunculi were trained to build a tolerance against poisons in the training center. I guess that also covers alcohol.”

“It is all to protect our masters.”

There was something cold about the way Kalix and Mikael spoke to each other. Eve realized she would have to step in.

“Well, gentlemen, this has been fun. After all that alcohol, I am in need of some air. If you’ll excuse me.”

Eve left with Mikael and went up to the gallery on the second floor. They stepped out onto a marble balcony that offered a view of a rose garden below. She closed the curtains, giving them some privacy. Mikael, who had been waiting for a private moment, spoke immediately.

“You told me to stand by and wait, but then you acted as if you completely forgot that I even existed.”

“Well... I’ve never really had a partner who could help me before... It actually didn’t even occur to me to ask you for help.”

“The last two glasses purposely contained stronger alcohol. Did you know that?”

“Yes. People have tried that prank on me before,” Eve said with a shrug and a small smile.

“I see.”

His visible purple eye took on a somber light. Perhaps because of the imprint, Mikael found he couldn’t take the idea of any harm or negative intent towards Eve lightly.

“I have a high tolerance for alcohol. If anyone gives you a strong drink like that again, pass the glass to me.”

“All right, I’ll do that. I was truly grateful earlier,” Eve said sincerely.

Though it had seemed that Kalix did not have any ill intentions, she hadn’t wanted to fall prey to the same bullying her family members practiced. Considering all that, Mikael’s protection served as a balm to help heal some of the emotional wounds of her past. It was a significant moment for Eve.

I guess it’s pretty nice to have someone on my side.

Eve felt her cheeks turn red at the feeling. She leaned with both arms on the railing, trying to cool her cheeks. A night breeze, carrying the scent of grass and flowers, tickled her lime blond hair while Mikael watched her quietly. As she rested, Eve noticed a change in the air. Though the opera music had ended earlier, the orchestra seemed to be taking too long of a pause between songs.

“Has something happened inside?”

She thought she could hear some murmuring. It was at that moment that someone shouted inside the hall,

“The eighth princess Rosenitte Nadia Hadelamid and her personal knight, Sir Sylvestian Millard!”

A chorus of cheers greeted the belated stars of the show.

❇

The hall featured a separate entrance for whoever the banquet was being held for. Rosenitte and Sylvestian appeared on the second floor of the hall and came down the spiral staircase. Rosenitte, with Sylvestian escorting her, elegantly descended, looking so beautiful as a pair that they could have been a painting. All the aristocrats’ eyes were on them now.

“My goodness, the eighth princess seems to be getting prettier by the day. Tell me, is she even human?”

“Since her debut, she grows more beautiful with each passing year. She’ll melt many a young man’s heart, she will.”

“Take a look at her personal knight— That silver hair! That’s rare for a homunculus, isn’t it?”

“But of course, only a unique homunculus like that could be fit to serve her.”

“Of course. I mean, she is the White Rose of the Empire, after all.”

Rosenitte’s ears perked up at all the gossip going around that favored her. Though she pretended to put all her attention on Sylvestian, her new partner, she did not miss a single whispered word.

Yes, very good.

The praise she could overhear was sweeter than a thousand roses and more delightful than a full orchestra. She was beyond pleased at how people were admiring her personal knight as well. The special silver hair of this homunculus was the perfect accessory to boost Rosenitte’s prestige and stature.

I did well to choose Sylvestian Millard after all.

Though she was still upset that Sylvestian had not submitted willingly to the selection ceremony, making the whole ritual take as long as it had, everything was fine now—the Emperor had secretly brought her a fragment of the Philosopher's Stone, which had covered up the whole issue.

Rosenitte decided to be generous and forget the recent past. After all, she was the White Rose of the Empire. She looked into Sylvestian’s blue eye—the other eye was covered by a lace eye patch—and asked, “How does it feel to be the personal knight of the White Rose, Sylvestian?”

“I am greatly honored, Your Highness.”

“I thought you might say that.”

She raised her chin slightly in satisfaction.

“As you are my personal knight now, you’ll have to get used to this attention.”

“I shall take your words to heart and make sure I do nothing to tarnish your image.”

“Just avoiding something bad is not enough. You must be the best knight in the palace and make me the star of high society.”

“I will not disappoint, Your Highness.”

“Of course you won’t. You are the special knight selected by me, remember?”

Though the words seemed encouraging and trust-inspiring on the surface, there was an underlying threat that she would accept nothing but the best. Whichever way he interpreted Rosenitte’s words, Sylvestian escorted her silently down into the hall.