I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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Chapter 40

The winter ball at the Imperial Palace of the Sun Empire, Solarithine, was one of the grandest events of the year, lavishly and perfectly prepared.

Dishes made from winter specialties. A hall intricately adorned with ivory and gold. Nobles dressed gloriously like peacocks.

“Did you hear that the House of Crisis has taken in two adopted daughters, my lady?”

“Oh my, of course. It’s the biggest issue in the Empire.”

The talk of the glamorous nobles was undeniably centered around the two adopted daughters of the House of Crisis.

“I heard both are from commoner backgrounds… I’m worried about whether they have proper social etiquette.”

“Right? To adopt commoners as daughters, what on earth is the Duke of Crisis thinking?!”

As the debutantes approached, numerous scandals arose about the two sisters suddenly stepping into the limelight. Most nobles were curious about the intentions of the Duke of Crisis, who adopted two common-born daughters, yet they were busy mocking the sisters’ origins.

“The Duke of Crisis, His Grace Caesar Crisis, and Prince Cal Crisis, along with Princess Kashmir Crisis and Princess Aria Crisis, are entering the banquet hall!”

The entrance to the banquet hall followed the order of nobility, typically with those of higher rank appearing later. As befitting their power, the announcement of the Duke’s family came just before the royal family’s entrance.

The hall fell silent as the giant doors opened, revealing the protagonists of this debutante ball.

“Gasp.”

Sighs echoed from various corners.

A girl, resembling a spring fairy, stood beside Prince Cal Crisis, smiling softly.

Her light pink hair was adorned with fresh white roses. She had white, translucent skin. Her watery, sky-blue eyes sparkled like the sky, with drooping eyes that held a touch of melancholy. She wore a flowy shmiz dress in mixed shades of sky blue and white, seemingly comfortable without a corset.

And a silver chain intricately covered her upper body.

“What… is that?”

Someone murmured.

What covered Aria Crisis’s upper body was a chain studded with diamonds. While it was simply a chain, the way it bound her upper body and wrapped around her knees along the dress’s fabric gave off a rather peculiar atmosphere.

Crack.

“Oh my.”

The next protagonist who appeared alongside Caesar Crisis stirred the entire banquet hall.

“Is that princess wearing a uniform?”

Someone’s mutter resonated loudly.

Long, cascading black hair.

Drooping, gentle eyes. A slightly flushed gaze. Half-lidded eyelids, lazily closed, with dazzling fuchsia eyes sparkling in between. An overwhelming aura radiated from her fitted black uniform.

And black straps wrapping her body over a white shirt.

“Wow…”

Gasps filled the air. Though her uniform was extremely modest, each black strap binding her generated a peculiar atmosphere.

In her world, they were commonly referred to as ‘body chains’ and ‘harnesses.’

“It’s quite noisy.”

I expected it, but the gazes touching my skin felt uncomfortably prickly. However, I adjusted to the stares and whispers thanks to Mir and casually picked up a wine glass.

“If anything happens, use the name of Crisis. If necessary, unsheathe your sword. I’ll handle the aftermath.”

Caesar, with a graceful tone, said something alarming, lifting a wine glass as well. I glanced at the sword hanging at his waist with a smirk.

Typically, nobles were not allowed to bring weapons into the dance, but the power of Crisis deviated well beyond the norm, allowing him to enter with his sword.

“My Duke.”

Within just a few minutes of entering, a servant approached Caesar. His cool, expressionless demeanor twitched as he raised an eyebrow.

“His Majesty the Emperor requests your presence.”

“Damn it.”

He sighed and cursed under his breath. Seeing him so dismayed at the Emperor’s summons made me blink in surprise, and then he turned to me.

“…I won’t be able to join this debutante ball after all. I’m sorry.”

Seeing the annoyance and regret in Caesar’s expression, I hurriedly smiled and reassured him.

“I’m fine. Have a good time.”

Cal and Aria, watching Caesar’s retreating figure with disdainful laughter, seemed to share the same sentiment—in a way, it was good karma for him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll always be by your side…”

“Prince Crisis!”

Before Cal could finish his sentence, a group of nobles burst in, and his face instantly hardened. Their greedy gazes seemed to wonder if they could snatch something away from him, but seeing the crowd, Cal appeared somewhat intimidated.

“Are these the younger siblings of Prince Crisis?”

“It’s an honor to meet you! Prince Crisis, may I request an introduction?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Cal.”

I shot a subtle look at Cal as he coldly brushed the nobles aside. He flinched.

Refusing to introduce someone when asked about their elder sibling was rude and could potentially lead to rumors of family discord.

“…This is my older sister, Kashmir Dorema de Caesar Crisis. And this is my younger sister, Aria Postel de Caesar Crisis.”

Cal introduced us with a discontented expression. The nobles, who had been intimidated by Cal, quickly brightened upon hearing our names and began to chatter away. As I casually pasted on a social smile learned from Lady Hela, I half-heartedly tuned into their clamor.

“By the way, where did you buy those black accessories that both Prince Crisis and Princess Crisis are wearing?”

At one noble’s question, the rest expressed their curiosity too. I smiled in satisfaction, feeling I had gained their attention.

“Cal.”

I sent a telepathic message through mana.

“What is it?”

Cal’s brow furrowed slightly. Though not as stable as the communication between a sword master like myself and Caesar, he, as a seasoned mage, had no problem understanding.

“Could you take these nobles away and do a bit of product promotion for me?”

I smiled and tilted my wine glass towards him. I felt a bit guilty towards Cal, but with the chatty nobles causing my ears to ache, it would work out perfectly to send them off while simultaneously promoting the products. Cal, who had been casting contemptuous glances at the nobles, seemed to think of something and quickly turned to me.

“Fine. But when we return, you must promise me I’ll get to see you wielding a sword soon.”

“…? That’s not a problem.”

I tilted my head, slightly puzzled by his sudden condition, but nonetheless agreed. Cal grinned.

“Do let me know where you got those. Now, let’s move to a different location.”

“Oh! Of course!”

As Cal took his leave, the nobles hurriedly followed him. A few glanced back at Aria and me, expressing regret, but I waved my hand with a social smile.

“They’ve finally gotten lost.”

“Aria…”

“…The nobles have finally left.”

As I watched the back of Cal’s head while smirking, Aria rushed to change the subject at my calling.

“I want to stay with you longer, but… I should see to my own business.”

After chatting with me a while longer, Aria noticed the noble ladies gradually approaching and began to leave.

Before departing, Aria grabbed my hand tightly.

“I’ll definitely let you shine in this social circle.”

With a strange resolve, Aria’s eyes glimmered with enthusiasm made it hard for me to add anything else, so I awkwardly waved her off.

“It’s just me left.”

I waited for someone to approach me, but perhaps because of the shocking outfit of the uniform and harness, even though I was the focus of many stares, no one came forward.

“I need to do something.”

Clicking my tongue, I gulped down more wine. Failing at the debutante would be troublesome, but initiating conversation first as a princess seemed too degrading.

As I pondered whether to just grab someone and start a conversation, the hyenas hovering nearby began to approach slowly.

“Hello, Princess Crisis! Congratulations on your debutante!”

“…So it started from the beginning.”

I sighed upon seeing the three noble ladies come forward, their smiles of invitation hiding malicious intent.

“I had hoped someone with goodwill would approach first. Guess that’s not happening.”

“Nice to meet you, ladies. May I request introductions?”

I was already prepared for the nobles’ power struggles. With a social smile painted on my lips, I greeted them.

“I’m Lily Ilium, the second daughter of Count Ilium. This is Lady Fleur, daughter of Baron Baronica, and over here is Lady Melody, daughter of Baron Terrarina.”

“Hello, Princess. Congratulations on your debutante.”

“It’s a pleasure, Princess. I hope you enjoy this ball.”

“Watch out for Lily Ilium. She’s the second most prominent noblewoman after Lady Hela de Cardo, who dominates this social scene. She’ll surely try to overshadow you.”

I recalled Lady Hela’s warning as I scrutinized Lily. The curly, light brown hair and mild sky-blue eyes of Lily held a heavy malice toward me. Feeling annoyed, I managed a smile.

“Thank you. I wish you all a delightful evening as well.”

I elegantly raised my glass. They began to circle, observing me keenly.

“By the way… your outfit is very unique, Princess Crisis.”

“Indeed. A black uniform is quite unconventional.”

“To wear such clothing at a ball, you must be really modest, Princess.”

“Just say you dislike it.”

They laughed among themselves, taking pleasure in their scathing remarks about my attire. I slowly offered a smile.

“It’s quite embarrassing. I usually wear a uniform because I wield a sword.”

“A sword… you say?”

I threw out a large bait while pretending to know nothing, and the ladies flinched in surprise.

In the Empire, noblewomen were expected to be protected by male knights, so the belief was strong that a woman wielding a sword was a penniless commoner. Their shocked expressions quickly morphed into scathing remarks.

“Oh my! A sword? Noblewomen don’t wield swords in the Empire!”

“Oh dear. It seems the princess grew up among commoners and lacks the virtues required of nobility. As your seniors in this social circle, we might need to offer you some assistance.”

“My goodness, let’s take a look at the princess’s hands! You seem to have suffered quite a bit. Your palms must hurt. Would you like some cream good for moisturizing?”

“Yes. Go ahead and nail me down with your taunts.”

As I watched their excited expressions, I leisurely sipped my wine. While I overheard others eavesdropping in the vicinity, I smiled inwardly.

“My identity as a sword master must not be revealed, but the rumor of me being someone who wields a sword should spread.”

It was all for my future plans.

“A noblewoman wielding a sword? That’s utterly shameful for the House of Crisis!”

I stayed silent as the ladies continued gabbing, becoming increasingly exuberant in their gossip.