Chapter 67

......

Why did it come to this.

With five days left, Emma managed to finish the dress and attend the ball. She was supposed to just follow her grandmother quietly, eat dinner, and that would be it.

"Emma, today's dress suits you very well."

Prince Edward, the second prince, smiled and spoke to her. He was being considerate of her, as she was not used to such formal gatherings.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Her grandmother's gaze was piercing.

"Emma, that's a really cute dress. The fresh and new design with the grass green pattern matching your eyes is wonderful."

Arthur, who attended as a member of the Bell family, also praised her, perhaps at Marion's request, with a smile twice as sweet as usual.

Today, Emma's dress featured a botanical pattern with white as the base, adorned with grass green and small flowers. She had caught Harold, who had come to Joshua's shop to draw, and had him paint the dress directly with the special ink. Recalling that botanical patterns were popular just before the earthquake in her previous life, Emma had come up with this design as a last resort when she couldn't think of anything else. In a world without printing technology, such vividly patterned fabric was unheard of, so the dress was a huge hit.

To match the color of Emma's eyes, it would have taken about 30 rounds of dyeing and washing, but Harold easily created the color by mixing a few of the inks he had brought. He then painted the dress directly with a brush. They hadn't even had time to make a prototype, but the family was so relieved that they all felt drained, thinking, "This is already complete!!!"

As usual, Emma's dress had a low level of exposure, so it had received a passing grade from her grandmother.

Most importantly, there were no "Nyan" patterns here, so she wouldn't be told that the botanical pattern looked like "Nyan curtains." This was crucial.

However, even though her dress was being praised, Emma's tension did not ease.

She was seated at a different table from her grandmother, guided by a waiter. At first, she thought it was lucky...

But then Arthur sat to her left, followed by Prince Edward to her right. And now, Robert was being guided to the seat directly across from her, looking extremely displeased.

"..."

The Stewart family is a viscount family. The noble ranks are in the order of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron, below the royal family. Yet, she was seated in a position that seemed completely out of place.

Both Arthur of the Bell family and Robert of the Lance family are from ducal families. Next to Robert, a young lady with a lavish, chest-enhancing design that embodied all the current trends of the capital sat down.

"Hello, Lady Beatrice. You're shining tonight."

Arthur, as a matter of etiquette, offered a well-phrased compliment to the young lady. The lady cast a suspicious glance at Emma.

"Oh, this is Emma, the daughter of the Earl of Stewart. She started attending the academy this year. Emma, this is Lady Beatrice, the daughter of the Duke of Spencer."

Arthur, being considerate, introduced them, but Lady Beatrice turned her nose up and looked away. Clearly, as someone of a lower rank, Emma couldn't even speak to her, so she performed the highest form of bow while seated, which she had just learned from her grandmother.

Bowing her head gracefully at an angle that prevented her long hair from touching the table, Emma's perfect etiquette earned sighs of admiration not only from the prince and Arthur but also from people at other tables.

Emma, who was sitting out of place among the prince, the children of ducal families, and the young lady, was unknowingly drawing attention. Her etiquette, taught by her grandmother Hilda, known as the "etiquette demon," was flawless.

"Why is the daughter of an earl sitting there? But what beautiful manners..."

"Oh, did you know? Emma's mother is from the Duke of Sullivan family. If she were to become engaged to the second prince, the rank of an earl wouldn't match. She would likely be adopted into a ducal family, wouldn't she?"

"I heard a rumor that Prince Edward is quite fond of Emma. I thought it was unlikely, but with those manners, it makes sense."

"So, this table is where the future leaders of the kingdom are gathered. The second prince, the children of the four great ducal families. And among them, the prince's companion is also here..."

The whispers of the adults were inaudible to Emma. She was just relieved to see her grandmother Hilda nodding in approval from a distance.

"Emma, don't be too nervous. Think of it as coming here to enjoy the food. The royal chef has prepared a special meal tonight."

The prince, who was used to formal dinners and the gazes of adults, spoke kindly to Emma, who was worried about her grandmother's gaze. He smiled, assuring her that he would cover for her no matter what.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I look forward to the meal."

The usually three times more reserved Emma answered with a lowered gaze, suitable for a formal setting when speaking to a prince. Her long, light-colored eyelashes cast a shadow on her pale skin, and her slender neck made her look delicate, causing an involuntary gulp from not only the prince but also Arthur, Robert, and even the noble gentlemen watching from the sidelines.

The large scar on her skin, visible in the candlelight, only added to Emma's delicate beauty.

Emma is capable when she tries.

Music began to play in the hall, and as she raised her head, she saw the king and queen entering with the prince of a neighboring country. The formally dressed king made Emma gulp again. He was always the epitome of a handsome man.

"Everyone, thank you for gathering tonight. I would like to introduce Prince Taku Hinomoto of the Empire. As you know, our kingdom has just established diplomatic relations with the Empire, and Prince Taku will be studying at our kingdom's academy to promote friendship between the two countries."

Taku Hinomoto... What a name that sounds so Japanese...

Yes, the king's voice is always so good, Emma thought, but the prince's name brought her back to her senses.

"Thank you for the introduction. I am still learning the language and may be unfamiliar with some customs, but I hope everyone will be kind to me."

The prince bowed in a beautiful, Japanese-style manner and was welcomed with applause and guided to his seat. The last empty seat at Emma's table, between Prince Edward and Robert.

...No, this table... This is the main table of the banquet. It feels like being the only high school baseball player among Major League players.

"Thank you all for sitting with me."

Before sitting down, the prince bowed slightly with a shy smile, looking like a good-natured high school baseball player.

"Welcome to the kingdom. I am Prince Edward Trous Royal. Shall I introduce the others at the table?"

The prince, accustomed to such situations, took on the role of host. After confirming that Prince Taku nodded, he introduced everyone smoothly, so Emma only needed to bow as she had done earlier. Even the aloof Lady Beatrice, being a duchess's daughter, bowed perfectly and managed to smile.

Robert and Arthur also seemed at ease, showing no signs of nervousness.

Ugh... This is so out of place and uncomfortable.

After the king confirmed that the introductions were complete, he began the dinner with a greeting.

"Tonight, we have prepared special dishes from the Empire. I hope everyone will enjoy the cultural exchange, just as Prince Taku will. ...Prince Taku, is there a custom in the Empire to observe before eating?"

The king turned to Prince Taku, who stood straight and answered.

"Yes. We place our palms together and say, 'Itadakimasu.'"

"Itadakimasu?"

"No, 'Itadakimasu.'"

"I see. Then everyone, let's join hands and say... Itadakimasu."

Following the king, everyone placed their hands together and said in unison:

"Itadakimasu."

As she joined in, Emma was drenched in cold sweat.

...It's perfect Japanese!!!

' ' indicates that they are speaking in Japanese.

I started writing the character of the neighboring country's prince without a plan, and it turned out like this.

I was really surprised by the opening, "Why did it come to this."