Chapter 42

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there. The guests entering Ariadne's ballroom were amazed by the indoor decorations that made the place look like a fairy party in a meadow. The live orchestra, hired from outside, played sweet melodies non-stop, making the ballroom feel like another world. Alfonso, who had arrived early, unlike a distinguished guest, greeted his debutante partner, who looked like a fairy queen, with a surprised expression in the waiting room next to the main hall. Ariadne, glowing from head to toe, exuded an elegance that was hard to believe for someone making her debut at a debutante ball.

"Really beautiful. As elegant as the legendary Queen Guinevere."

Ariadne, who had ignored the praises of the servants and maids, blushed a little this time.

"Don't say things you don't mean."

"No, you really are beautiful."

Their brief reunion was interrupted by an uninvited guest. As a 'debutante partner,' Janobi strutted into the waiting room to escort the debutante of the day.

"What is this?"

Janobi's aggressive tone filled the room. Dressed entirely in white, expecting to be the debutante partner, Janobi looked around the room and immediately started a quarrel upon seeing Alfonso, who was also dressed in white.

"Where did you bring this pretty-boy with a face like a courtesan?"

The hostility from the first meeting was intense.

"Men are about ability, you know? Why would you look elsewhere when you have a handsome knight like your brother?"

Though it was said as a joke, it was a sentence filled with sharp thorns and inferiority. Janobi, who found it hard to bear his diminished self, unconsciously attacked the outside to ease his pain. His small eyes swept the room and landed on Ariadne's attire. Ariadne was stunningly beautiful today, but Janobi mentioned something else.

"Hey, didn't your brother tell you not to wear high heels?"

Ariadne had come out wearing high heels about 2.5 ditto (about 9 centimeters) to enhance the train of her dress.

"You really are stubborn, aren't you? You don't even listen to your brother?"

Ariadne looked at Janobi with a bewildered expression. Seeing that Ariadne was neither scared nor intimidated, Janobi took a step closer and lowered his voice.

"Change your shoes while I'm being nice."

When Janobi's head was almost touching Ariadne's nose, a low male voice interrupted.

"You don't need to change them. I won't be entering with you."

"Who are you?"

Janobi, who had been trying to ignore Alfonso, finally exploded. Janobi, who had only lived in a rural estate, did not recognize the prince and had a vague resentment towards handsome men. Janobi raised his fist.

He thought he could beat up a pretty-boy like Alfonso. However, when Janobi raised his fist to subdue Alfonso with the fighting skills he boasted of, Alfonso's ceremonial sword was drawn at the speed of light and pointed at Janobi's throat.

"Don't make a fool of yourself."

Janobi was helplessly subdued by Alfonso. But Janobi blamed the tools, not thinking that the prince was stronger than him or that he had been lazy in training.

"What, what are you? Are you crazy? You should request a duel before drawing your sword! Who can defend against a sword with bare hands?!"

A private duel without a formal request, or drawing a sword to threaten someone, was a serious crime according to the law. Alfonso's face was grave, and he seemed very angry. Seeing that Alfonso had no intention of revealing his identity, Ariadne decided to kindly inform Janobi.

"Janobi, greet him. This is Alfonso de Carlo, the Prince of the Little Sun of the Kingdom."

Duels were only between people of the same status. If a commoner defied a noble, the noble could punish the commoner without mercy as long as they kept them alive. Alfonso was royalty, and Janobi was at the bottom of the lower nobility. A duel between Alfonso and Janobi was impossible. Janobi, who could be severely injured by Alfonso or face a long prison sentence for insulting the royal family or even treason, had no choice but to remain silent.

"Ah!"

Janobi jumped back and almost fell over a decorative branch. Alfonso did not chase the fleeing Janobi with his sword. Janobi, who had not been told to do so, immediately prostrated himself and paid respects to the prince.

"J, Janobi de Rossi of Taranto greets the Prince of the Little Sun...!"

Instead of the proper one-knee bow, Janobi prostrated himself like a frog. He trembled like a frog in front of a sparrow, desperately begging for mercy.

"I didn't know you were a prince...!"

Alfonso was still angry. He suppressed his anger and asked.

"If I weren't a prince, would you have regretted your behavior?"

"What? What?"

"Threatening a good lady, attacking a stranger, would you have apologized if your opponent wasn't a prince?"

Janobi was speechless. In fact, he could only answer positively to the prince's question. He would have apologized to a prince but might have done worse to a commoner. Ariadne, trying to suppress her laughter, noticed that Alfonso was still upset.

"Apologize to Lady de Mare first."

Even though it was a command from the prince, Janobi's pride made it hard for him to apologize to Ariadne. He got up from his prostrate position and, with a twisted expression, spat out an apology to Ariadne.

"I'm sorry."

He barely held back the urge to add, "It's not my fault; it's because you're tall."

Ariadne smiled and asked Janobi.

"What are you sorry for?"

Janobi was speechless again. In fact, he didn't feel sorry for anything.

After a long moment, Janobi, rummaging through his small mind, tried to apologize for what he thought was his biggest mistake.

"I'm sorry for speaking loudly and scaring you..."

Ariadne corrected Janobi carefully.

"It seems you have no idea. If you don't know, just memorize it. Whether someone wears high heels or not is none of your business. Whether you like what someone wears or not, keep it in your head and don't say it out loud."

And she added, as if she had forgotten something.

"And don't speak informally to someone you just met."

Ariadne kindly guided Janobi.

"Now, apologize properly using the six elements of a good apology."

Janobi, frozen in shock, couldn't continue. After Janobi failed to respond for over 30 seconds, Alfonso coldly dismissed him.

"I hope you've learned something from today. You can go now."

For Janobi, it was a relief, but Alfonso didn't seem to be doing him a favor; he just didn't want to be in the same space as Janobi anymore.

"I am deeply honored, Your Highness!"

Janobi got up from his prostrate position and hurriedly fled the waiting room. Alfonso still looked unhappy after Janobi left. Ariadne, feeling relieved with Janobi gone, playfully teased Alfonso.

"Why are you still upset? If anyone should be angry, it's me!"

Alfonso stared at Ariadne, his youthful face dark with a mature expression.

"Ariadne, you're not being treated like this at home, are you?"

Alfonso, worried, tucked Ariadne's hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered near her ear, reluctantly falling away.

"Don't put up with such treatment. You're 'Ariadne the Amazing.' You deserve much more respect."

Ariadne was surprised by Alfonso's sudden words. She thought she hadn't been putting up with anything, but it was confusing to see something different through Alfonso's eyes, who had only known love. After a long silence, Alfonso, thinking he might have made a mistake, asked Ariadne.

"A... By the way, did you do this on purpose, or did I mess it up?"

Ariadne looked at the mirror on the wall. The side hair that Anna had skillfully left out was now neatly tucked behind her ear by Alfonso.

"Hehe."

Seeing Alfonso's confusion, Ariadne playfully messed up his hair. The prince's carefully styled hair, perfumed for the palace, became naturally messy. Alfonso, surprised, tried to mess up Ariadne's hair in return, but she had already anticipated his move and stepped back. They laughed, facing each other.

Just then, a servant from the de Mare family announced that the time had come.

"Right now, Cardinal de Mare is giving a speech to the guests. It's almost over, so when I give the signal, you can enter with the music."

Alfonso and Ariadne quickly tidied their hair and clothes and straightened their posture.

"Please welcome my second daughter, the debutante of the day."

- Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Cardinal de Mare, who had not known that the prince was his daughter's debutante partner, only mentioned his daughter in his speech. The prince, without any fuss, fulfilled his role as the debutante partner, escorting the debutante of the day.

"Shall we go, Miss?"

Ariadne, smiling brightly, placed her left hand on Alfonso's right arm and nodded. Dressed in dazzling white, they took their first step into the main hall, accompanied by the orchestra's music.

- "Look, the second daughter is also very beautiful."

- "The man next to her is really handsome. Who is he?"

- "Isn't that Prince Alfonso?"

A murmur of surprise spread among the guests who recognized the prince as the debutante partner. Some commented on how much the de Mare family was investing in their second daughter, speculating that it was due to a personal relationship between Queen Marguerite and the second daughter, not Cardinal de Mare's connections. The main hall was quickly filled with such gossip. Among those who belatedly recognized Alfonso as Ariadne's partner was Isabella. Isabella almost broke her fan in her hand.

'How dare she!'

She had been quietly staying at home, and no one knew when she had charmed the prince. Camellia de Castiglione, a noble lady standing next to Isabella, whispered with a thin smile.

"Isabella, isn't the 'Top Student of San Carlo' title now going to your sister? Your parents must be very proud with both of you excelling."

Despite the seemingly apologetic addition, it was clear that Camellia's intention was to upset Isabella. It was such a well-placed jab that Isabella had no response. The ball continued smoothly, regardless of Isabella's shock. The debutante and her partner were to walk down the blue carpet in the center of the main hall to the stage at the end, greet the guests, listen to a brief introduction by Cardinal de Mare, toast with fruit wine, and then dance the first waltz.

Just as Alfonso was helping Ariadne up the stairs to the stage, a royal official announced:

"The King's congratulations have arrived—!"

A royal official announced the arrival of the King's congratulations and envoy with a loud voice. Ariadne and Alfonso, standing on the stairs, looked at each other in surprise. Ariadne, having received everything from the palace by the early morning hydrangea and the morning prince, mouthed to Alfonso.

"What's going on?"

Alfonso shook his head.

"I don't know."

The prince's presence here was unknown to his parents. Alfonso, worried that the news might have leaked, looked at the royal envoy. The royal envoy blew a horn to draw the guests' attention. The guests, startled by the horn, bowed to the incoming envoy as if greeting the King. Ariadne quickly knelt on one knee and bowed her head. Except for Cardinal de Mare and Prince Alfonso, who nodded, all the guests were on their knees. The royal envoy slowly entered the main hall. The royal envoy was a handsome man with bright auburn hair, dressed in bright cream, Cesare, the Count.