Chapter 46

Stepping out of the carriage behind my stepmother’s elegant dress, which was white with a touch of calm blue, I wore a simple brown dress, much like the one I wore on the day I first married.

The gatekeeper of the castle was taken aback. My hair was not neatly washed and styled, and my makeup was minimal, with just a bit of dull color on my lips and the corners of my eyes. The dress had a few brown frills, a high collar, and an antique brooch at the neckline, but that was the only piece of jewelry I wore.

This is me. My past self. The me who was trapped inside myself when I was Mimosia Norton.

I had already informed Lord Percival of the tea party. Normally, it would be impolite to attend the Queen’s invitation in such attire, but today’s plan has been communicated to the Queen through my stepmother.

The men, still walking a bit behind the youthful and fashionable stepmother, probably mistook me for a maid or something.

I had undone all the careful hair styling and makeup I had learned from my stepmother and her maid, and I wanted to see if the Crown Prince would recognize me despite this.

...I laughed a little, thinking he probably wouldn’t. To him, I was just Lord Percival’s trophy wife, and he had only ever seen me in my best-dressed form.

Besides, I no longer felt scared or anxious today. Lord Percival would be here, and if I remained calm, I would realize that it was an 'unrealistic and unattainable' joke. However, I also wanted him to understand that such a joke could make one’s character questionable.

Everyone has their limits, and I knew that. Even when I first met Lady Media, neither of us could control ourselves.

And then, in Casablanca... I didn’t expect to be splashed with drinks twice.

To the Crown Prince, that was Lord Percival. As for me, I wanted to be recognized and respected by the Crown Prince as myself, and I wanted to respect and revere him as well.

"Ah, you both came. Please, have a seat."

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

"Thank you for the invitation."

In the salon where we were led, the Queen, as always, looked stunning, and Prince Frey seemed confused by the "both of you" comment. The Queen didn’t seem surprised, but Prince Frey was staring at me, as if to ask, "Why is a maid sitting here?"

He still hasn’t recognized me, I thought. I’ve improved my posture, but perhaps without the fancy dress, it’s hard for men to tell.

"To the Crown Prince, it seems you are in good health today, which is a great relief."

"...Percival’s...?!"

It was only after I bowed and greeted him up close that he finally recognized me.

"What... what is this attire...?"

"Oh, aren’t you going to make that joke about me being a concubine today?"

"No, I... I’m sorry about the other day."

Even in an informal setting, the Crown Prince bowed when he saw me seated. Yes, he must have been thoroughly scolded by the Queen for going too far with the joke and for his questionable character.

"Excuse me."

At that moment, there was a knock, and Lord Percival, dressed in light armor, entered. He was standing near the entrance of the salon, but when he saw me, he widened his eyes in surprise and then smiled at me.

Yes, Lord Percival is the one who proposed to me even when I was not polished... no, even when I was much less polished than this. I believed he would recognize me in this state and that he would smile at me.

I smiled back and then turned to Prince Frey.

"In the future, please refrain from such remarks, regardless of the woman. I was scared too. Moreover, if a noble with a secret were to hear such a word as 'concubine' when there is no official wife, it could lead to a scandal. Both Lord Percival and Your Highness are adults, so such behavior is not appropriate."

Even in this plain, unpolished, and potato-like attire, my back was straight, and my voice did not waver.

I have people who protect me and love me. I cannot show them an embarrassing appearance.

"...I understand. I sincerely apologize. I swear I will never do such a thing again."

"Yes, I believe you. Your word as the one Lord Percival serves is enough."

Still, his gaze was curious, wondering why I had come to the palace in such a 'rude' outfit. I smiled bitterly.

"Prince Frey, I was seen and chosen by Lord Percival and my stepmother when my hair was longer, I was plain, I didn’t wear makeup, and I hunched my back. It was just my letters, my handwriting, my embroidery, and the happy face I made when I bought books I loved. That was enough, even without any adornment."

"...Is that true?"

"Yes, it is."

When Prince Frey asked Lord Percival, he smiled faintly, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed slightly.

"He chose me. And as I was polished by my stepmother, Lord Percival found my changes adorable. I was happy and dressed up, but I never thought of anything with any other man. Therefore, I am not suitable for a man who is only confused by my appearance."

I thought it was good that I swallowed my words and kept quiet. He must be used to seeing beautiful ladies-in-waiting and maids, so this must be the first time he has faced and spoken to a plain woman like me.

I decided to dress up and try hard because Lord Percival found me adorable after I was polished by my stepmother. The only man in the world I want to think of me as polished is Lord Percival.

And over time, thanks to my stepmother’s care, I wanted to be a person I wouldn’t be ashamed of in front of my stepmother, stepfather, and my father.

"Women dress up because they want to. There are various reasons, such as wanting to be found by a wonderful person if they are unmarried and looking for a fiancé, or because they enjoy polishing themselves. I... dress up because I want to be thought of as polished by those who polished me, like my stepmother, and by Lord Percival, who found me adorable. Today’s dress is also of the highest quality. It’s not the latest fashion, and it’s a design that’s about 30 years ahead of my time. Please forgive my hair; I wanted to show you what kind of me he fell in love with, and recently, it has been well-maintained..."

When I said it was better this way, Prince Frey’s eyes widened in surprise.

He still couldn’t reconcile the me from the first time I attended the Queen’s invitation with the me now.

I smiled again. This was the final blow in my battle.

"Please stop competing with Lord Percival and me. I want to respect you, Prince Frey. I apologize for my lengthy and presumptuous speech, but this is my response to your 'joke' from the other day."

I bowed and said, "Please forgive me."

"I understand. I really... I’m sorry. Please, raise your head."

"It seems we have come to an agreement. My son is also reflecting as you can see. Mimosia, your true excellence lies within, and he will eventually realize it. Now, let’s have tea. I have prepared a special cake."

I raised my head, fixed my hair into a half-up style with a barrette, and nodded at the Queen’s words.

When I glanced at Lord Percival, he was covering his mouth with his hand, his face turned away. His ears were red.

I thought he would either praise or scold me, but it seemed something had made his brain freeze. However, after a few deep breaths, he bowed and left the room, probably to return to his training.

I wondered what the prize for the martial arts tournament was. If I could find out today, I would ask the Queen and the others. I took a sip of the tea that was poured for me.

When I looked at my stepmother, she returned a look that said, "You won," and we smiled at each other.