Chapter 56

"An invitation to attend the welcoming ceremony for the envoy from the neighboring country?"

Cordelia, holding a cup of tea, asked Leonhardt. She was enjoying tea at his mansion in the capital.

"A new envoy from the neighboring kingdom of Erturia is coming. They have proposed that you attend the welcoming ceremony, which will be held in ten days' time."

"Ten days from now, you say. That's rather sudden, isn't it?"

Cordelia placed the teacup back on the saucer and pondered for a moment. Invitations to such ceremonies are usually sent a month in advance. Ten days was the bare minimum to avoid being considered impolite.

(And, the envoy is not from our own nobility, but from the Kingdom of Erturia...)

The Kingdom of Erturia is located to the east of this country, the Kingdom of Riolbern. While Riolbern is stronger in terms of national power, Erturia was established earlier.

The nobles of Erturia, with one of the longest histories on the continent, are very proud, in proportion to their accumulated history.

Even though they are neighbors, the etiquette and manners are different, and any slight mistake could lead to being looked down upon immediately.

"…What form will the welcoming ceremony take?"

"They will be received in the throne room, and you will observe their audience with my father. They also want you to say a few words as the 'Holy Lioness.'"

"As the 'Holy Lioness,' you say."

Cordelia is being courted by Leonhardt to be his fiancée. However, they have not yet formally engaged. She has not been asked to attend public events as his fiancée.

(…That is probably why the invitation to the welcoming ceremony came at the last possible moment.)

While she is praised as the 'Holy Lioness,' Cordelia comes from a minor baronial family. Many people are not pleased with her becoming Leonhardt's fiancée.

(The foremost among them being Lady Daria and her family, the Dauls Dukedom...)

Lady Daria is now under house arrest in a palace, and the Dauls Dukedom is in a position where they cannot defy the royal family. Thanks to this, the biggest obstacle to Cordelia becoming Leonhardt's fiancée has been removed.

(The matter with Lady Daria has not been made public, but… the house arrest and the change in the tax collection destination for the Dauls Dukedom must have left traces. The people of Erturia must have caught wind of this information somewhere.)

The relationship between Erturia and this country is not bad, but as neighboring countries, there have been records of conflicts dating back decades. Erturia likely has multiple layers of information networks within Riolbern.

(And they must have asked for my attendance at the welcoming ceremony because they now see a high possibility of me becoming Prince Leonhardt's fiancée.)

They want to directly assess her character and value.

(A little anxiety, but…)

If she is to become Leonhardt's fiancée, she will face similar tests many times. She cannot avoid them, nor does she want to.

"…If possible, I would like to attend. Could you please confirm if there are any issues with my etiquette when welcoming the people from the Kingdom of Erturia?"

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"Phew, I finally finished going through everything, I think."

Cordelia closed the thick book and lightly massaged her temples. The candlelight cast an orange glow on the pages, which detailed the political landscape of the Kingdom of Erturia over the past few decades.

(I thought I had a decent grasp of the geography and history of the neighboring country…)

But she realized that what she knew was just the surface. As a baron's daughter, that might have been enough, but to stand by Leonhardt's side, she still had much to learn.

(I received a seal of approval from Prince Leonhardt regarding etiquette, and I managed to cram in some knowledge, even if it's just a surface-level understanding.)

For the past few days, she had been engrossed in books. While she doesn't mind acquiring knowledge, she was admittedly a bit tired.

(And the matter I wanted to discuss with Prince Leonhardt has been put on hold.)

Cordelia, like Leonhardt, has been busy. She decided it wasn't the right time to bring up her request.

(Tomorrow, I'll rest and do a final check. The day after tomorrow is the actual welcoming ceremony.)

She resolved to not make any mistakes and rekindled her determination.

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The next day, Cordelia was dressed in a lavish white silk dress.

(I'm still not used to such formal attire…)

She felt as if she was being worn by the dress. The luxurious draping of the pure white silk, the intricate gold and silver embroidery that sparkled like stars, and the golden chain around her neck that jingled with every step.

Her hair was styled with a strand hanging on each side of her face, the rest lifted with pearls. A sheer veil covered her head, gently flowing behind her. She was adorned in white and gold, a fitting appearance for the 'Holy Lioness.'

(Despite the elaborate look, the dress is comfortable and easy to move in…)

But this comfort made her body tense. The dress, made with advanced techniques and expensive materials, was a high-end piece. It was undoubtedly very expensive, and Cordelia found it quite intimidating.

(I need to get used to such attire.)

She would have many more opportunities to dress up in the future. As a former minor baron's daughter, it was daunting, but she had to wear it well.

Cordelia gripped the veil lightly, trying to hide her unease. She was in a dressing room prepared for the royal family within the palace. Once outside, she would be exposed to many eyes, and showing any weakness was not allowed.

Cordelia calmed herself and headed towards the door with her maid. The throne room where the welcoming ceremony would take place was in a different building, accessible through a corridor overlooking the courtyard. She was to meet Leonhardt in front of the building and enter the throne room together.

(Straighten your back and walk steadily. Move at a steady pace to make the veil flow beautifully.)

As Cordelia stepped out into the corridor, she squinted slightly. It was a clear day. As she walked down the path with her maids, where the shadows of the pillars fell,

"!"

Suddenly, a strong wind blew in from the courtyard.