🌷 Chapter Eleven
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The dining hall was empty, as Karina had yet to arrive.
It hadn’t been long since Evelina had taken her seat when the door opened once more and Karina entered.
Her expression was stern, as always, but the moment she laid eyes on Evelina, it softened.
Taking a seat across from her, Karina asked,
“Sweetheart, did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Did you sleep comfortably too, Mother?”
“Indeed. Surprisingly, I haven’t had any nightmares since you came into this house, my dear. What’s more, the insomnia I’ve suffered from has disappeared.”
Arsene added with a warm tone as Karina spoke joyfully,
“That’s true. Mother’s complexion looks so much better lately. It’s all thanks to you, Evelina.”
“Absolutely. No matter how many physicians or mages tried to cure my insomnia, there was never any improvement. So thank you, dearest.”
Karina wasn’t exaggerating.
The nightmares that had tormented her every night vanished completely the day Evelina stepped into the mansion, as if they had never existed.
Despite undergoing treatment and taking numerous remedies, her chronic insomnia had never improved.
In the past, Karina had relied on strong scented candles just to fall asleep. But now, she rested soundly even without them.
There was no longer any reason to credit the doctors—this was, without a doubt, thanks to Evelina.
“That can’t be. It must be the medicine finally taking effect—just a bit late, perhaps.”
Evelina smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
If her presence were to affect others, she would only have worsened their nightmares, not erased them.
But Karina seemed almost certain.
“No, this isn’t the medicine’s doing. It’s you. So, hold your head high and take a little pride in yourself.”
Karina smiled and placed a bit of salad onto Evelina’s plate.
“Eat plenty. You’ll need energy to move around once the dancing begins.”
“Yes, Mother.”
After a leisurely breakfast, they all made their way to the grand ballroom within the mansion.
As they approached, Karina said,
“I’ve also brought in an orchestra to help you practice.”
“An orchestra? I— I can dance without m—music…”
Evelina stammered, surprised that a full orchestra had been arranged for what was simply a practice session, not an actual ball.
“What do you mean? How could you possibly dance without music? Don’t worry—it’ll actually help you learn more quickly.”
Arsene gently opened the ballroom doors.
Despite their massive size, the doors opened effortlessly without a sound.
“Wow…”
A gasp slipped from Evelina’s lips as she stepped inside.
The ballroom was enormous—far larger than the hall at the Duke’s residence where Adrian’s coming-of-age ceremony had once been held.
Evelina looked around with childlike wonder, only to quickly bow her head in embarrassment when she noticed Karina and Arsene watching her.
Karina chuckled softly.
“Aside from the Imperial Palace’s ballroom, this might be the largest in the Empire. But… I’ve never held a proper celebration here.”
“Now that I think about it, you never really liked crowds. Even when you were Empress, you rarely attended balls or tea parties, Mother.”
Karina’s eyes narrowed, and she clicked her tongue.
“Arsene, stop speaking foolishly. While it’s true I dislike parties, I don’t mind teaching my daughter or hosting a celebration for her.”
This time, it was Arsene who clicked his tongue at her firm words.
He had hoped to sneak off and have some alone time with Evelina, but it wasn’t so easy.
Karina glanced around the ballroom thoughtfully.
“I’m considering holding the wedding here. What do you think? It’s spacious and beautiful—perfect for both the ceremony and the reception.”
“I— Isn’t it a bit too big…? I don’t think a wedding needs to be on such a grand scale.”
Evelina shook her head hastily.
The ballroom was far too vast for a wedding.
More than anything, what troubled her most was the guest list.
Even if it were the Archduke’s wedding, she doubted anyone would attend—for she was a cursed princess.
But Karina clearly had very different thoughts.
“All the nobles will be coming. Doesn’t that make this hall seem a little small? Arsene, what do you think?”
“What about a wedding without guests? Let’s just host something small. I think that would be better.”
“Hmm…”
Karina folded her arms and pondered deeply.
Though she had envisioned something extravagant, Arsene’s suggestion had merit.
Considering Evelina’s discomfort around crowds, a smaller ceremony did seem more fitting.
“For once, you’ve said something sensible. Let’s revisit the topic later. Sweetheart, come with me.”
“Y–Yes.”
Evelina hurried to follow Karina.
She had practiced briefly with Arsene the day before, but she had been clumsy, and now she was quite nervous.
Sensing her unease, Arsene leaned in and whispered reassuringly,
“Don’t worry too much. What you did yesterday was perfect. Remember how it went?”
Evelina, trembling with anxiety, merely nodded.
As Arsene said, the memory of their dance was still vivid in her mind.
“Darling, have you ever danced before?”
“Actually… I danced with Arsene for a while in the greenhouse yesterday.”
Karina paused in thought upon hearing those words.
She, too, knew that Evelina’s memory was unusually sharp.
If that were the case, she likely still remembered the steps from yesterday.
After a brief silence, Karina smiled warmly.
“Then, would you like to dance now? I’ll observe your movements and offer corrections.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Though her nerves remained, Evelina nodded obediently, unable to refuse.
Moving to the center of the ballroom, Arsene extended his hand to her.
Karina kept her distance to watch them closely.
Taking a deep breath, Evelina placed her hand in his.
“Just do what you did yesterday. Mistakes are fine—just take it easy.”
“…Okay.”
Arsene’s calm and steady voice eased Evelina’s tension slightly.
Karina gave a subtle nod to the orchestra, and soon the musicians began to play.
Just like yesterday, Arsene whispered softly into Evelina’s ear.
“One, two, three.”
They stepped in unison.
Evelina worried about making a mistake—but to her surprise, not once did she falter.
As the flowing melody came to an end, so too did their dance.
Silence filled the vast ballroom.
With no sound following, Evelina looked up at Arsene anxiously.
But he merely smiled, completely at ease.
Then Karina approached them, her eyes sparkling.
“Oh my~ Darling, are you sure yesterday was your first time dancing? You truly are a prodigy. I never imagined you’d pull it off so flawlessly! What can I even say? Your dancing is absolutely perfect.”
“Huh? N–No, that can’t be…”
Evelina looked at Karina in disbelief.
But Karina meant every word.
“How can you move so gracefully, so elegantly…? I used to be quite the dancer myself, but I daresay you’re even better than I was in my youth.”
“Th–Thank you…”
“This is more than enough for your debut in high society… Would you like to learn other dances, too?”
Evelina looked flustered by Karina’s offer.
She hesitated, and Arsene was about to step in and suggest that they continue later—but Evelina spoke first.
“I… I’d like to learn more. Please teach me, Mother.”
“Wonderful~! I have nothing scheduled today anyway. When I used to teach the other princesses to dance, I nearly burst from how hopeless they were. But you? You’re the first to bring me such joy.”
Arsene remained silent, pleased to see Evelina enjoying herself.
After several hours of dancing, they finally left the ballroom, thoroughly exhausted.
“Oh, I’m so tired…”
Back in her room, Evelina yawned.
The dancing had been enjoyable—but it had also been physically demanding.
Still, she had no regrets.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d felt so happy and full of life.
Her heart was still fluttering.
With Berry’s help, she bathed and changed clothes.
When she glanced out the window, the weather seemed warm and pleasant. So Evelina decided to take a short walk before bedtime, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.
She picked up a lamp lit with a glowing mana stone and quietly made her way to the garden, her steps as soft as possible.
The moonlight was so bright that the lamp felt unnecessary.
She turned its lever and extinguished the light.
Evelina walked slowly through the garden, her mind adrift in thought.
The Foundation Day celebration was drawing near.
‘Father and my brother will be there too.’
How would they react upon seeing her?
Would her father look at her with his usual disgust… or with a trace of regret?
By now, it was well known throughout the capital that she would be attending the Foundation Day celebration.
In order to attend, one had to inform the Imperial Family in advance. By this point, everyone would have seen the list of families planning to attend.
This would also be Evelina’s first official appearance.
And not just any event—it was the Empire’s founding anniversary and her debut in society.
If she made even the slightest mistake, she would bring disgrace upon the Archduke’s name and be mocked for a long time.
Though Evelina had long since accepted her flaws, she could not bring harm to the Archduke or his mother.
The garden was empty, and in that quiet solitude, Evelina continued her walk, lost in her thoughts.
Then suddenly, she remembered spying on Arsene that morning.
‘He didn’t see my eyes… did he?’
Thankfully, he hadn’t mentioned anything about it, so she assumed he hadn’t noticed.
Still, Evelina resolved to be more careful from now on.
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