Chapter 28

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"

Just as I was about to enter the venue, I encountered a tense situation near the entrance. The venue for the evening event wasn't a regular building; it had almost no walls. Only the upper part where the throne was located had walls, but these walls were also part of another building. The king seemed to enter the venue through a door behind the throne. The door was so wide open that there was no place for intruders to hide. Still, to avoid being seen, the tense voice started a conversation not too close to the throne but in a less crowded passage.

Two women and one man.

My eyes were drawn to the woman speaking. She was beautiful! With golden hair and green eyes, her curly hair covered her shoulders and back, complementing her crimson dress. Her hair, which was more accurately described as golden, was magnificent, but her perfectly composed face was expressionless, reflecting the woman in front of her. If she smiled, she would be incredibly beautiful.

The red-haired woman, on the other hand, had a bit of heavy makeup and a flashy appearance. She had a somewhat cute face, but the makeup overshadowed her natural beauty, and her expression was rather ugly. The dresses of the two women were almost the same color and design.

"What do you mean, what about what?"

The uneasy atmosphere made us stop in our tracks, and the voice echoed towards us.

"Oh!"

The voice, a bit grating to the ears... and that hair color. It resembled the features of my mother in this life, or rather, the direction of her flashy makeup.

"What's wrong, Lady Yui?"

"Oh, that's the daughter of the Nier family, they don't look alike at all," Stohl and Mimachi said thoughtfully.

"Eh?"

Stohl looked back and forth between me and my sister.

"Lady Yui, you're clearly a throwback to your ancestors."

This is more like a path or a garden walkway. The venue has no walls, so it seems you can enter from anywhere, but there is a designated entrance. Several large pillars, draped with fabric hanging from the ceiling, mark the boundary.

Ah, this is also enchanted stitching. It's probably an old work of the Nier family. It's a magnificent piece. Ah, it seems to have a protective effect.

"That beautiful lady over there must be Lady Hania! Fulk Hania, the noble with dyeing skills."

"The Fulk family! Come to think of it, the heir looks just like them, despite the gender difference."

While grabbing Mimachi's head and pressing it down, Stohl spoke in a cheerful voice. Her brother, it seems, is a good-looking person.

"Do you have no pride as a craftsman?"

"Kyaa, that's scary. What are you talking about? I'm a noble! It's rude to call me a craftsman."

I was exasperated by my sister, who clung to a knight, glass in hand. The Nier family is a noble family of craftsmen, and they should be proud of their superior skills, which surpass those of the nobility. Yet, she looked down on craftsmen, which was exasperating.

"Hmm, can you stop making false accusations against my companion, miss?"

The knight who was admiring Lady Hania's beauty tried to join the conversation, putting on an unnecessary show. Ah, he has a decent face, but he seems like a disappointing person. Lady Hania paid no attention to him. He seemed annoyed. What is it? His face showed a sense of entitlement, and his well-composed features looked either mediocre or pitiful because of it. He and my sister are a perfect match.

Is Lord Rodan no longer good enough for you, sister?

Even as a replacement for Lord Rodan, he's a disappointment.

Well, with Stohl around, no matter how much he struggles, he won't be taken seriously.

"That dress is supposed to be one that the family commissioned for enchanted stitching."

...Hey, are you embezzling, sister?

I feel dizzy from a mix of exasperation, shame, and anger. My sister... in just five years, she has truly become like those people on our parents' side. The last bit of affection I had for her snapped.

No matter what my sister says, Lady Hania's words are correct. Despite the alterations, the dress is clearly Lady Hania's size.

"That dress is the color the family prepared for me today. If you can, change into a different dress."

"What do you think you're saying? I'm the heir of the Nier family! I won't do enchanted stitching for your family's clothes in the future! If you want to change, you change!"

My sister poured the contents of her glass onto her.

"What!"

"Hmph, a low-ranking noble wearing such a dress is beyond her station."

"Let's go, quickly, to the entrance."

"Lady Yui! Are you going to have her do the enchanted stitching?"

Stohl asked reproachfully, and I tilted my head.

"Is it not allowed?"

The contents of the glass hit the hem of the dress. I planned to dry it by giving magic power to the spirits and, if there were any stains, to do enchanted stitching embroidery. Most importantly, there was no time. My sister's dress was more meticulously made.

I never imagined that even the Nier family, no matter how corrupt, would wear a dress they were commissioned to make as their own. For the rightful owner of the dress to wear a second-rate version and be further soiled... I absolutely cannot allow it!

"I want to do embroidery to highlight that color!"

"Lady Yui is supposed to make her debut as an enchanted stitching artisan with the outfits of Lord Arjitt and the king."

But...

"But, I cannot allow it."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Stohl, it's fine to do enchanted stitching for her."

"Mimachi?"

"She is the next queen."

Whispered quietly, and in the next moment, I was lifted into Stohl's arms, as if sitting on her lap.

"Mimachi, I'll leave the message to you."

"Understood."

And I was carried by the beautiful legendary female knight, drawing attention as I entered the venue.

Mimachi, well-informed?