Chapter 57
Want to sulk?
If it’s the Empress’s order, what choice do I have?
It’s not like I ever had the right to refuse in the first place.
“There’s a dress code? A violet-colored dress?”
When a family isn’t a prestigious noble house, they often come up with unique themes to make an event more enticing and increase attendance.
This must be one of those cases. Unfortunately, I’ve never been particularly fond of violet, so I couldn’t think of a single outfit I’d want to wear.
“Ha. What should I do? I don’t have a dress to wear.”
Still, as the prospective crown princess, I couldn’t just throw on anything and embarrass Aiden.
“Your mother’s already booked an appointment at a tailor. It’s the most renowned in the empire.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. So why don’t you move into the count’s estate while you’re at it? You’ll be getting flooded with invitations soon, and it’s a hassle to keep going back and forth like this.”
“I don’t find it that troublesome.”
“Siena!”
Ignoring the count’s sharp outburst, I got up from the sofa on purpose.
“Well, I guess I’ll just throw on whatever I have and go.”
“You, you…!”
The count trembled, taking several deep breaths to suppress his anger.
He must really want to make me the crown princess. He’s definitely changed.
In the past, he would have dragged me straight to the attic or thrown something at me.
“I was just saying.”
“You’re showing a lot of restraint these days, Father.”
“What?”
“Which makes it all the more suspicious. Be honest. What did the Empress give you in exchange for this engagement?”
“Give me a break. You still think I’m the kind of scoundrel who would sell off his own daughter?”
As if there’s any doubt. That’s exactly what you are.
When I shot him a narrow, skeptical look, the count coughed awkwardly.
“It’s all for your sake. Once I make my unworthy daughter the crown princess, I can finally sleep soundly at night.”
“……”
“The biggest stain on my life—and on House Hargreaves—is you. I’m just trying to clean that up. What’s wrong with that?”
His condescending words no longer shocked me.
But one thing stuck in my mind—he specifically said “crown princess,” not “empress.”
You’d think he’d aim higher, given that he’d be the father-in-law of the first in line to the throne.
“I understand your noble intentions, Father. I’ll make sure to attend the banquet looking my absolute best.”
“Of course you should.”
“But don’t get involved. Tell Mother she doesn’t need to come with me to the dress shop.”
“What?”
“Oh, and I’ll put the dress on the count’s tab.”
I waved the invitation playfully, deliberately provoking him.
As expected, his face turned all shades of red and blue, but he somehow managed to endure it and even forced a smile.
“If it’s my money, we might as well get the best of the best.”
Something worth enough to resell later.
A sly smile crept across my face.
After choosing a design and getting my measurements taken at the tailor, I hurried home.
I didn’t like leaving Leonardo alone.
I’d only been gone all morning to visit Knox, but he must have gotten grumpy at being left alone because he had torn through the entire house.
“Leonardo, I’m home—whoa!”
Leonardo charged at me with his front paws raised, knocking me backward.
It was sweet how he wagged his tail so hard and licked my face, but handling his size was always a struggle.
“Want to go for a walk?”
“Woof!”
“All right, let’s go.”
I clipped on his harness and we headed out.
As we walked along the sidewalk, we neared Hyperion’s house.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since I’d seen him.
I couldn’t even remember when I’d decided to target him as my second choice, after realizing his favorability score was rising fast.
But with my life on the line and missions piling up, I’d been far too complacent.
“I wonder if Hyperion likes dogs?”
“Woof woof!”
“Of course. Our Leonardo is so handsome, everyone likes him.”
“Woof!”
“Shall we go say hello to the neighbor, Leonardo?”
I subtly turned his leash toward Hyperion’s house.
When I rang the bell, it was quiet inside.
Maybe no one was home. I pressed it again.
“Oh—Lady Siena. What brings you here? Did the heat tire you out?”
Hyperion had opened the door absentmindedly, but when he saw me, he suddenly flustered.
His skin was so pale that the flush in his face was painfully obvious. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Ah, yes.”
“We’re neighbors, after all.”
“Ah, right. We are. Would you like to come in?”
“No, I actually came to introduce you to a friend.”
Only then did his gaze fall to Leonardo.
Leonardo wagged his tail and panted happily, brushing his head against Hyperion’s thigh.
That was unusual—Leonardo usually didn’t even let strangers get close.
“You’ve decided to keep a dog?”
“Yes. But he’s big, so his bark is quite loud. Since we live so close, I thought I’d apologize in advance if it bothers you.”
“It’s fine. Even if he barks a lot. I’m not very sensitive to noise.”
“…Huh?”
“A dog’s bark is an instinct given by God. How could we stop that?”
I appreciated the understanding, but did he really have to bring God into it?
Sometimes Hyperion had a tendency to exaggerate.
“And I really like dogs. The only reason I don’t have one is because of circumstances.”
He leaned in so close and spoke with such emphasis that it caught me off guard.
I hadn’t realized he liked them this much.
“Then, would you like to join us for a walk?”
“I’d love to.”
Hyperion hastily shut the door and came out.
Leonardo looked up at him and bounced on his front legs.
“His name is Leonardo.”
“Ah, Leonardo.”
As soon as Hyperion petted him, Leonardo flopped onto his back, belly exposed.
Wow. Incredible.
He’d told me I had to approach Leonardo slowly every day to earn his trust—yet with Hyperion, he was showing his belly right away?
“He seems very friendly.”
“He’s not usually like this. I guess he just likes you.”
“I see. She’s a female?”
“Huh? She’s a girl?”
Why had I named her Leonardo then? No wonder it was confusing.
Her round, fluffy face made it hard to tell her gender at a glance.
‘So you like handsome men too, huh?’
I understood. With someone like Hyperion, it’s worth rolling over immediately.
Still, as a fellow female, I had my pride. Tone it down a little.
I gave Leonardo a sidelong glare as she continued to roll around and act cute for him.
Not that I had any right to judge, considering I was chasing the male leads myself.
“Shall we go?”
When Hyperion stood, Leonardo hopped to her feet, trotting a few steps ahead before giving a short bark as if to say, Hurry up.
“See? Even a small bark is pretty loud, right?”
“This is no trouble at all.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear it. Let’s start with a loop around the neighborhood. Leonardo’s new to walking here, so she probably can’t go too far yet.”
Following Leonardo’s lead, we set off.
Even though I could walk this neighborhood blindfolded, bringing her along made me notice things I hadn’t before—
like how those bushes had sharp branches that could be dangerous, or how the water sprayed on that path might dirty her paws.
“Would you like to take the lead, Hyperion?”
He gave me a steady look, and I wondered if he actually wanted to, so I asked.
Without hesitation, he reached out his hand.
“If it’s all right, I’d like to try.”
“Of course. Leonardo likes you anyway.”
I cheerfully handed him the leash. He wrapped it once around his wrist and held it firmly.
His golden eyes shone brighter than the midday sun—he was clearly excited.
“Have you ever kept a dog before?”
“No, never personally. But at work—well, at the temple—we have dogs, so I’ve cared for them often.”
“Ah, then you’re probably more experienced than I am. I’ll take the chance to ask you some things, if that’s okay?”
“Of course. But how did you end up taking her in?”
“A couple had her—the wife passed away, the husband is bedridden, and their son was badly injured in an accident. No one could take care of her, so I brought her home.”
Hyperion’s eyes softened with what looked like admiration.
“Lady Siena, you truly have a kind heart.”
“No, it’s nothing worth such praise.”
It was strange.
Hyperion tended to see me as far more virtuous than I actually was.
I’d only helped him a few times because his awkwardness reminded me of when I’d first lived alone.
And yet… his favorability score was suspiciously, excessively high.
