"You look beautiful!"
"Thank you, Myrin. But we both know you'll always be the more beautiful one."
The two girls were chatting in Seila's room while she finished getting ready.
"That's just not true," Myrin replied, shaking her head.
"Oh, please. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the way eyes follow you around wherever we go. Hehe!
Honestly, I feel more relaxed when I'm with you—no one even bothers "secretly" eyeing me then."
What Seila said wasn't wrong. Elves were naturally beautiful, whether male or female.
Myrin, being an Elf, always stood out—her presence effortlessly drawing attention, even when Seila was beside her. Of course, it was just looking, nothing more.
Still, Myrin gave a small, bitter smile. "I can think of at least one person who doesn't look at me when you're around."
Seila blinked.
"Say... do you still feel the same?" Myrin asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... after everything that happened. Did you change your mind about him?"
Before Seila could answer, her mother's voice called from outside her room.
"Seila! It's time to head down!"
---
The Springold mansion's hall was filled with people.
Normally, adults didn't attend birthday parties for children—but this was different.
For one, this was more of a coming-of-age ceremony than a simple birthday celebration.
In truth, what was happening was that the Springold family was presenting their daughter to society.
Of course, they wouldn't frame it that way—but it was tradition.
Still, even with that in mind, it was rare for so many families to attend.
But since this celebration was hosted by one of the kingdom's more influential figures, most noble families came, bringing their children along.
The only time a birthday celebration drew more guests was during a royal coming-of-age ceremony.
Not even Hei's own coming-of-age had this kind of turnout.
Then again, he wasn't a girl, and he hadn't exactly shone at the academy.
The people here were either scouting Seila for a potential marriage match or trying to see if she was truly the genius the rumors claimed.
Or perhaps both.
The hall was perfect for such gossip. Since it was big, the tables were apart from each other.
The entrance at the back opened wide every time someone came in, everyone could easily see who they were.
All the nobles were chatting among themselves, waiting for the main character of the evening to appear, when Colt and Hei entered the hall.
"Colt, let's greet Uncle Landon and the others first," Hei said.
"Should I come with you? Is that appropriate?"
"You're a guest of the Count. It would be inappropriate not to greet him," Hei replied.
"I see. Let's go, then."
At the head table on the other side of the room, Count Fera Ramgan was speaking with Count Landon and his wife.
"The time is getting close. When should we tell them?" Landon Springold asked.
"I know you've had to turn down a lot of offers, but let's at least wait until the next break," Fera answered.
"I'd prefer that, too. But you know there's one person I can't refuse if we don't announce it soon."
"Hmm... you're right. But I doubt he'll make a move. Not even the first prince is engaged yet."
"True. Alright, we'll wait until the next vacation. Hehe, I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they find out they've been betrothed since birth," Landon said, chuckling.
His wife, Elsei, interrupted. "You two seem awfully confident they'll accept it. Did either of them actually say anything?"
"Do they need to? They're always together. Don't you remember? Even before the academy started, Sei insisted I send her early so she could travel with Hei."
Just then, Hei and Colt arrived.
"Uncle Landon, Aunt Elsei, Father. We're here."
Elsei was Seila's mother, and since Hei's own mother had passed away a few years ago, she'd always treated him like her own. Hei had never felt distant from her.
"Hei, welcome. I called Sei—she should be down any minute," Elsei said, then her eyes shifted to the young man standing beside him.
"I greet Count Springold," Colt said, his voice a little more formal than usual.
"Colt! Welcome. I told you, you don't have to be so stiff around me," Landon said with a laugh. He turned to his wife. "Elsei, this is the young man who saved our Seila."
He didn't look as scary as before, maybe because he had been freed of the fear of her daughter being abducted.
"Really? Thank you so much. You have no idea how scared I was. We're both deeply grateful," Elsei said warmly.
"Madame, there's no need to thank me. I'd do it again without hesitation."
Well, Colt was trying to make a good impression. After all, he couldn't afford to look bad in front of his future father-in-law and mother-in-law.
And perhaps Elsei sensed that, because her smile grew softer. "Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. I'll do my best to make it happen."
At the same time, Colt was thinking that Seila looked a lot like her mother.
Elsei was taller than most women, with the same elegant azure hair as Seila. And of course, she was beautiful.
He knew as a fact that Seila would grow to look just like Elsei in the future.
Just then, a guard approached. "Sir, the first prince, Asher, and the second prince, Antoine, have arrived."
"You two should go and enjoy the party," Landon said. "Seila will come down once the princes enter. We can talk more about your requests after the party."
Colt and Hei nodded and did as they were told.
"Landon, which family is Colt from?" Elsei asked after the boys had left.
"Huh? He's a commoner. Why?"
"...I see. Never mind, then," she said with a quiet sigh.
Not long after, the first and second princes entered the hall.
The moment they stepped in, the room fell completely silent.
No one spoke until they reached the head table, where the counts were waiting.
Count Landon was the first to greet them. "Prince Asher, how have you been since we last spoke?"
There was always a delicate balance in how and when nobles addressed the princes.
While nobles never openly disrespected the them, speaking first sent a subtle message—that the noble did not consider himself beneath them.
Landon was a seasoned politician. Years of managing his domain had taught him how to navigate these moments.
"Thank you, Count Landon. I've been doing well. And you and your wife?" Prince Asher replied.
He used Landon's first name instead of his full title, suggesting familiarity and that he didn't mind being addressed first.
It was a subtle exchange, but it said a lot.
The only one left out was the second prince, Antoine, standing silently beside his brother while all attention went to Asher.
Of course, no one had truly ignored him. This was simply how things worked in their world.
In a strict hierarchy, the higher ranks spoke first. The lower ones waited—and listened.
But Antoine hated being the one who had to listen.
Still, he wasn't foolish enough to act on that frustration. A misstep here would only damage his reputation.
That was when he noticed something that caught him completely off guard.
"What? What is he doing here?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
His eyes had locked onto Colt, who stood across the hall, calmly smirking back at him.
"Antoine, what is it? Is something wrong?" Asher asked.
"The boy over there. The one with white hair. He's not a noble. Why is he here?"
Count Landon and Count Fera exchanged a glance, trying to understand Antoine's sudden outburst.
"Ah, we'll be announcing something soon," Landon said smoothly. "I'd appreciate your patience until then, Your Highness."
Even Asher looked mildly curious about his brother's reaction, but he let it go.
"This isn't the time," he said. "Count Landon, I won't take up any more of your or the guest of honor's time."
"Of course, Your Highness. Please, take any seat you like," Landon replied.
Though naturally, there were already special seats reserved for the royal family.
Asher made his way there without another word.
Antoine lingered for a moment, glaring at Colt's smirking face before finally turning to follow his brother.