Love & Poison (8)
‘Rachel is nowhere to be seen.’
Edwin was briefly flustered by the overwhelming attention directed at him, but he soon adapted to the banquet atmosphere. While answering the endless stream of questions, he suddenly realized Rachel had disappeared.
‘Where did she go without a word?’
His expression clouded for a moment, and in that gap the noble children launched another wave of questions at him.
“That’s enough, everyone. You’re making His Highness uncomfortable.”
“Us? Make him uncomfortable? When? We just wanted to get to know him, so we spoke first……”
The young ladies of House Crown turned to Edwin in unison.
“Your Highness, did we make you uncomfortable?”
“N-no, it’s fine.”
“See, Brigitte? He said it’s fine.”
Brigitte Crown let out a long sigh and narrowed her eyes at her cousins.
“Do you really think everything is fine just because someone says so? And address him properly as the Third Prince. Don’t be so familiar.”
“Hmph, Brigitte’s so mean~ You just want to keep Edwin all to yourself, don’t you?”
“What are you even saying! Be quiet, all of you!”
“It’s true! If there was such a beautiful prince, you should have introduced him ages ago! Honestly!”
Beautiful.
Edwin scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.
‘Catherine says it, Brigitte says it…… Everyone keeps calling me pretty. I don’t really see it.’
Perhaps it was because he had heard “Shabby Prince,” “worse than a mangy horse,” and “pathetic sight” countless times since childhood. No matter how long he stared into a mirror, he could never bring himself to think he was beautiful.
“Hah, he’s still just the Shabby Prince in the end.”
A whisper reached him from a distance.
“Right. My father told me not to even acknowledge him if we cross paths.”
“He’s got no backing anyway. What’s the point of getting close? We’d just get blamed for nothing.”
The group glaring at him with unfriendly eyes were none other than the young noble boys. They clearly disliked how Edwin was monopolizing every young lady’s attention.
“……Haha.”
Edwin let out a hollow laugh. He was used to such words; they had long since worn calluses into his ears. Yet every time he heard them, a corner of his heart still stung as though an old wound had been scratched.
‘When will I be able to hear things like that and feel nothing?’
Edwin spent the time caught between the group that favored him and the one that opposed him. Eventually, the official birthday banquet began with the luncheon.
“Everyone, gather at the table.”
Empress Melanie called the children who had been scattered about enjoying their free time. She took the highest seat, with Brigitte on her right and the First Prince on her left.
“Tsk.”
The Second Prince, Lloyd, looked displeased at having to sit beside the First Prince. He clicked his tongue while glaring at Edwin, who sat directly across from him.
‘My face feels hot.’
Edwin smiled awkwardly and averted his gaze, yet inwardly he was delighted. His seat happened to be right next to Brigitte’s.
“On this occasion, I sincerely congratulate Lady Brigitte Crown of House Crown on her birthday. I also extend my thanks to everyone who has gathered here to celebrate with us.”
At the Empress’s brief speech, all the invited children applauded.
“We cannot have a birthday celebration without a few words from the guest of honor.”
Melanie looked at Brigitte with warm eyes. Brigitte rose from her seat, wearing a confident smile.
“First, I thank my aunt, Her Majesty Empress Melanie, for allowing me to spend my birthday at the Empress’s Palace. I am also grateful to Their Highnesses the Princes for attending despite their busy schedules and gracing us with their presence.”
She smiled even more brightly as she looked around at the children seated at the table.
“And thank you to all my friends who came to my birthday banquet. I hope you eat plenty of delicious food and enjoy yourselves. That will be all.”
Brigitte offered an elegant bow before taking her seat again. The Empress’s attendants promptly began placing freshly prepared dishes on the table. Everyone praised the banquet fare and continued their meal.
When dessert was finally served, the Empress spoke once more.
“Now the moment Brigitte has been waiting for has arrived.”
“Oh, Aunt, really! I wasn’t looking forward to it that much!”
Brigitte waved her hands in embarrassment, yet her eyes sparkled with anticipation. The Empress raised her hand with a smile.
“Well then, shall we open the presents?”
The moment she finished speaking, attendants wheeled in carts piled high with gifts. The presents were stacked like mountains.
“Goodness!”
Brigitte covered her mouth with both hands at the sight.
“Are all of those really for me?”
“They are.”
“To think everyone here thought of me this much…… I’m truly moved.”
Melanie smiled faintly as she watched her overwhelmed niece.
“Go ahead and open them.”
“Yes!”
Brigitte answered energetically and reached for the nearest box among the towering stack. She hesitated for a moment before beginning to unwrap the gifts one by one.
The birthday presents for the most powerful duke’s daughter in the empire were no different from ordinary ones.
“Oh my, they’re all so lovely! Thank you, everyone!”
Most of the gifts were typical items for young girls—handkerchiefs, hair ribbons, shoes, dresses. Of course, they were the highest-quality versions that ordinary wealth could never hope to obtain.
“Now it’s the princes’ turn.”
Unlike the nobles, the princes presented their gifts to Brigitte in person. The first to do so was the First Prince, Adrian.
“Happy birthday, Brigitte.”
Along with his simple congratulations, Adrian offered a set of magic books and custom-made magical writing tools.
“A self-writing magic fountain pen and an inkwell that never runs dry.”
Magical items were truly rare treasures that even vast fortunes could not easily acquire. The noble children’s eyes widened.
“That’s very much like you, Brother. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Brigitte accepted her cousin’s gift with a soulless smile. She stuffed the pen and case into the gift cart as politely as possible. Clearly, she was not particularly impressed.
Scolding her for treating a prince’s gift worse than trash would have been justified, yet Adrian merely turned his head indifferently, as though it did not bother him in the slightest.
“Next is my turn.”
The moment his turn arrived, the Second Prince Lloyd raised his chin with confidence. He beckoned to the attendant waiting behind him.
“Bring it.”
At the prince’s command, the attendant dashed off and returned with several others, carrying a large box.
“Heavens, is that made of gold too?”
“It seems so. Look how it shines.”
Just as one noble girl remarked, the golden box gleamed so brightly under the light that it hurt the eyes. Satisfied by the attention, Lloyd wore a triumphant expression.
“What are you waiting for? Open it already.”
At Lloyd’s words, the attendants grunted as they pried open the golden lid.
“Wow, isn’t that Eastern Continent silk?”
“I’ve never seen real porcelain before.”
Inside the golden box lay a hundred bolts of the finest Eastern Continent silk, dozens of porcelain pieces, and several sets of jewelry crafted from Eastern gems.
“I prepared this because it seemed the Duke’s daughter was interested in Eastern culture. Do you like it?”
His voice brimmed with confidence, as though asking how she could possibly dislike it.
Even Brigitte, who had found everything Lloyd did distasteful, widened her eyes, visibly moved this time.
“……Ah, yes.”
She stared blankly at the contents before quickly lowering her head.
“Thank you, Your Highness the Second Prince.”
Her gratitude was sincere. Regardless of her personal dislike for Lloyd, the gift itself pleased her greatly. Seeing the color rise in Brigitte’s cheeks, Lloyd’s shoulders lifted until they nearly touched his ears.
“Now for the last one.”
Instead of Brigitte, whose gaze remained fixed on the Eastern porcelain, Empress Melanie turned to Edwin.
“What has the Third Prince brought?”
“Ah, well……”
Edwin offered an awkward smile at the Empress’s question.
“Would it be all right if I gave it later? It seems the attendant who was carrying my gift stepped away for a moment.”
It was a blatant lie. The gift Edwin had prepared rested quietly inside his robes. He simply felt too embarrassed to take it out here.
‘Compared to those, my gift is……’
Edwin clasped his hands beneath the table and fidgeted with his fingers. He glanced at the First and Second Princes’ gifts, then lowered his head.
‘I should tell Rachel to send a proper gift separately later.’
Meanwhile, Brigitte looked at Edwin, whose head was bowed and face flushed, and smiled brightly.
“I wonder how long Your Highness intends to keep me in suspense. Still, waiting can be enjoyable, so I shall continue to look forward to it.”
At her words, Edwin’s face grew even redder. The young prince thought of the small jewelry box and silk pouch hidden in his robes. His master Seiji had claimed it was a gift beyond compare, but the words brought him no comfort.
‘Anyway, it’s smaller and fewer in number than the other princes’ gifts.’
Edwin swallowed a sigh and lifted his head again.
‘But where on earth did Rachel go?’
Before he knew it, the young prince’s mind was filled with thoughts of his still-absent nanny.