Chapter 81
Even as Everton screamed, I pretended not to notice and scratched my ear with my hind leg.
No one dares badmouth Eloise in front of me.
Hmph. I snorted and lifted my head, seeing Everton’s fuming face.
“You little cat!”
She stomped her foot in frustration.
Damn it, the extras in this world don’t know how to treat a cat properly.
I had been avoiding using magic in front of others, but this was an emergency. I had no choice.
I blew on the tip of my tail, setting fire to the frayed edge of her dress.
“Ah!”
The foot aimed at me hastily stepped back.
I had only intended a tiny spark, but the fire grew, burning half of her dress.
“Uh… huh?”
I looked at Eloise in panic. Sure enough, she smiled at me and then sneered at Everton.
“Oh my, a mistake. As you know, I just barely awakened, so I can’t control it yet.”
A lie. Eloise had been adept at controlling her magic shortly after awakening.
The proof? Everton’s petticoat hadn’t burned. She looked like she might cry at any moment.
The surrounding nobles naturally turned their attention to us. Just then, a familiar voice rang out.
“What’s all this commotion?”
“Your Highness, the Second Prince.”
Marcel had appeared among the nobles, returning from the North.
Dressed more formally than usual for the Founding Festival, he looked quite unfamiliar.
Why are you only showing up now! I tapped his shoes with my front paw, full of dissatisfaction.
“Why is Lizette so angry again? Huh? Will the Montclair Princess tell me?”
“Today, too, Your Highness’s dazzling eyes seem blinding.”
“Meow.”
Rumors of the demon cat had surely reached even the North, where he stayed.
He had promised to take responsibility but hid up north, so my anger was justified.
Marcel surveyed the scene and smiled.
“Miss Everton, it would be best for you to move. I’ll have a maid send a proper dress.”
“…Thank you, Your Highness.”
Everton thanked him in a trembling voice and headed to a prepared lounge with one of her friends.
The nobles’ attention still hadn’t left us, and the murmur grew louder.
“I’ve only heard rumors, but this is my first time seeing the princess use magic.”
“Maybe the Duke or Duchess of Montclair helped her secretly?”
Hearing voices mixing awe and suspicion made me twitch. I wanted to shout about how amazing Eloise was, but I restrained myself, knowing she wouldn’t want that.
Instead, I raised a paw toward her.
“Eli, hold me.”
“You’re such a spoiled brat.”
Saying that, Eloise chuckled and picked me up.
It wasn’t just for play—it was for mutual stability.
If I wandered alone, I’d get trampled, and Eloise would get anxious if separated from me.
“Montclair Princess, th—”
“His Highness, the Crown Prince, and Miss Lonsble arrived!”
Just as Marcel was about to speak to us, a servant’s announcement cut him off.
All eyes in the hall turned toward the entrance at the top of the stairs.
Marianne, dressed in strawberry milk–colored silk embroidered with gold thread, contrasted sharply with Eloise.
The Crown Prince looked arrogantly down at the banquet hall and descended the stairs leisurely.
“Long time no see, Princess Montclair.”
The Crown Prince stopped in front of us and greeted Eloise brazenly.
This was the first time she’d seen him since the annulment. What was there to be happy about?
Eloise, holding me, lightly bent her knees and straightened.
“Greetings from the Star of Calenia.”
“Princess, shouldn’t you also greet Marie? She will soon become Crown Princess.”
I hadn’t heard that the Crown Prince and Marianne were engaged. What was this about?
I wanted to believe he hadn’t come over just to pick a fight.
“Your Highness Arno… Crown Princess?”
Even Marianne seemed unaware, widening her eyes at the Crown Prince.
He glanced around meaningfully and smiled.
“Since everyone is here, it’s not a bad time to announce. About our marriage, Marie.”
I pressed my paw to my forehead.
In the original story, Arno had made a proper proposal even without realizing his feelings for Marianne.
But the Crown Prince before me showed no consideration for her at all.
“Surely the princess will also offer congratulations? As your former fiancée.”
Of course, there was no consideration for Eloise either.
It had only been a single season since their annulment, yet the Crown Prince provoked her again.
Eloise simply patted my fur and let out a small laugh.
“Congratulations on finding a suitable Crown Princess, Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
Even after hearing the response he wanted, the Crown Prince remained unsatisfied.
It seemed Eloise’s counterattack was about to come, so I perked up my ears.
“Apparently, news from Montclair no longer reaches the Crown Prince. I thought you would be the first to congratulate me. You wished for me to awaken the most, after all.”
The Crown Prince’s smug face twisted as if he had bitten into a lemon.
Seeing that, I felt as if a decade’s worth of frustration had vanished. I had been waiting for this moment!
Surely he had heard about Eloise. Recently, gossip in high society suggested the princess had awakened and annulled her engagement with the Crown Prince.
Montclair’s silence made the Crown Prince look ridiculous, and it was true.
“You’ve only now become a woman worthy of Your Highness, what a shame.”
Eloise delivered the final blow in a voice completely free of regret.
As the Crown Prince’s expression cooled, Marianne beside him anxiously glanced around.
Though the story had diverged greatly, it was about the time the heroine’s emotional struggle would begin, so I worried.
“Oh my, Miss Lonsble. You look pale, are you all right?”
“Marie is a light-attribute mage, so she won’t be affected. But the princess, I don’t know.”
The Crown Prince aggressively interrupted Eloise’s caring words for Marianne.
What had Eloise done to Marianne to deserve that?
She ignored him and extended a hand just above Marianne’s wrist.
“Princess, what are you doing—”
“That bracelet seems too heavy for Miss Lonsble.”
Indeed, Marianne’s fair skin had reddened from the heavy bracelet.
Eloise’s mint-colored magic restored it to its original tone.
Marianne gasped softly, feeling the magic.
“Ah…!”
“They say light magic is twice as effective on a light-attribute mage. It’s true.”
Eloise said casually, and the nobles who had been watching silently began whispering again.
“Did you see that?”
“Could the Montclair Princess have awakened light magic too?”
“Tyler Viscount said…”
Though Eloise hadn’t liked Marianne much, it seemed she had changed after escaping her villainess fate.
Still, I suspected this was Eloise’s deliberate move.
She had been practicing light magic the most before the Founding Festival. Clearly, it was all for this.
Her effort became the decisive revenge against the Crown Prince.
“Princess Montclair. Truly, ha.”
The Crown Prince’s eyes hardened in anger, but he swallowed it and forced a smile.
Watching his once-cold face shift constantly was extremely satisfying.
Marcel, watching the mental sparring from the side, subtly pulled Eloise aside.
“Brother, if you’ve finished talking with the princess, may I take her away? We need to deal with the earlier incident. Is that alright, Eli?”
His words and actions were polite, but the affectionate nickname at the end showed he didn’t care much about his elder brother.
Eloise nodded and gave a brief curtsey to the Crown Prince.
“My earlier mistake ruined Miss Everton’s dress, so I’ll go help her. Your Highness.”
“It wasn’t a mistake; it was intentional.”
The Crown Prince tried to argue to the end, but Eloise had grown able to handle that calmly.
I wanted to wag my tail freely and be happy, but something still nagged at me.
Glancing back, I noticed Marianne looking anxious, watching the Crown Prince.
“Lizette, don’t worry. Your Highness will take care of it.”
Eloise said bluntly, knowing the Crown Prince and Marianne were supposed to be a couple.
Together with Marcel, we headed to the rest area set up in the banquet hall.
I wanted to look back again at those lingering stares, but Eloise stopped me.
“Lizette.”
“No, as you said, Eli, the Crown Prince will handle it.”
