The Prince's Birthday Banquet
The night air was warm and fragrant as Argon chose the currently fashionable outdoor banquet format.
Mana stones crafted into glowing orbs hung from the tables and scattered among the trees, illuminating the darkness with soft, ethereal light.
It's beautiful. Like stars have bloomed on the branches.
And there, inside an Eastern Continent-style pavilion, Prince Argon lounged lazily against a massive golden silk cushion, receiving his guests.
That's... a bit too casual, isn't it?
Argon looked like some indolent beast.
His shirt had two or three buttons undone at the collar, and his platinum hair fell in wild, unkempt strands.
The shockingly relaxed appearance immediately told Canna one thing.
Prince Argon has absolutely no interest in the throne.
If he did, he would never allow his image to slip like this.
"Just look at His Highness the Prince. He's so handsome!"
"Kyaa, isn't he just adorable today?"
"That messy hair... I want to comb it for him myself."
Strangely enough, his disheveled look seemed to hold a peculiar charm for some of the noble young ladies.
"Happy birthday, Your Highness."
As Canna approached, Argon's mouth fell open.
"Oh."
"Pardon?"
"You're beautiful."
"It is an honor, Your Highness."
Canna replied without missing a beat.
"You might want to be careful walking through the garden. I'm terrified the flowers I painstakingly prepared might wither because of the Duchess."
Now that's the greater compliment. Though goosebumps rose on her skin, Canna responded with perfect composure. "Thank you."
I did put in some effort today, after all.
She had left her hair loose and flowing, adorned with a delicate headpiece woven with dozens of tiny pearls. The white pearls scattered across her black hair looked like stardust.
"Why don't you sit here for a while and chat? These are chairs imported from the Eastern Continent. They're incredibly soft. Care to try one?"
At that moment, Kallen, standing beside her, drew a clear line without bothering to hide his displeasure.
"We shall take our leave now, Your Highness."
"Very well, you may go, Sir. The Duchess and I would like to spend a little more time..."
"Your Highness, forgive me, but—"
"I wasn't asking you, was I?"
Argon narrowed his eyes in a smile and brought a water pipe to his lips.
"Besides, unless I'm mistaken, Sir Kallen is not the Duchess's nanny, but her younger brother."
"As you know, my sister is not accustomed to parties. As her younger brother, it is only natural that I offer what assistance I can."
"Ah, really? Is that so? In that case, Duchess, would you care to dance with me? This piece happens to be one of my favorites."
"My sister has only recently recovered from a long illness. She is not yet well enough to dance. I must ask for your understanding."
Kallen was putting up an iron wall of defense.
This is too much.
His blatant protectiveness was almost embarrassing for Canna.
"Impressive. If someone didn't know better, they'd think you were her husband."
"Then we shall wish you a pleasant evening, Your Highness."
A little later, once they had moved a good distance away from Argon, Canna asked,
"Kallen, do you not get along with Prince Argon?"
"He is notorious for having filthy hands. There is nothing to gain by getting close to him."
"......"
Ah, I see. Canna gave a slightly awkward smile.
Still, thanks for driving him off for me.
She had no intention of getting close to Argon either.
But this overprotectiveness does seem a bit excessive.
She had already thought it was going too far when he named the perfume 'Canna.'
It seemed that ever since that day she had nearly died—the day of the hunt—something had become deeply imprinted in him.
Guilt, a protective instinct, or some other trivial emotion.
I wonder if he'll still cling to me later when I've used him up and thrown him away.
It would be annoying if he became clingy once her own capital was secure and she had to discard him.
Well, I'll just throw him away when the time comes.
If he clings, I'll shake him off. If he sticks, I'll kick him away. Since it would be Kallen who gets hurt, it doesn't matter to her.
Ugh, just thinking about it is annoying.
For a moment, sparks of imagination flickered in her mind.
Since he had opened his heart so completely to her now, betrayal would wound him deeply. That would be just as troublesome.
But it might be fun to see him hurt by me. He might even cry.
Kallen, crying?
It was unlikely, but the image was so ridiculous that Canna let out a playful giggle.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Duchess."
At that moment, someone approached who was the very picture of a proper prince.
Unlike the loose-screwed Argon, Prince Crescent had every strand of hair perfectly in place.
"Your Highness."
"Have you been well?"
Well? Of course she'd been well.
After nearly having her wrist severed and nearly being hunted like an animal. Yet Canna laughed brightly and answered,
"Yes, thanks to you. I am grateful."
"As always, but today you look especially beautiful."
"You flatter me."
Then Kallen, who had been watching, asked in a stiff tone,
"Your Highness. Forgive the impertinent question, but are you acquainted with my sister?"
"Yes, we are."
Was it her imagination? For a moment, it felt like a wave of cold air had rolled off Kallen.
Why? Don't tell me Crescent is a womanizer too?
He doesn't seem like that type.
Canna glanced at Kallen with a slightly uncomfortable expression. His face was expressionless, yet somehow it felt chillingly cold.
"About the perfume recently released by the Adis Trading Company."
Fortunately, Crescent smoothly changed the subject.
"It has a truly captivating scent. The first night I smelled it, I couldn't sleep at all."
He smiled gently.
"I gave some to my sister Amelia and to Mother. Both of them loved it."
"Thank you."
Kallen answered. Crescent gazed at Canna with mysterious eyes.
"The perfume is named Canna, isn't it? The scent is every bit as enchanting as the name."
"Thank you."
Once again, Kallen answered in her place.
Is he trying to stop me from speaking to him? Or am I imagining it?
A short while later, Crescent eventually left without having exchanged more than a few words with Canna.
"Kallen."
Canna asked more seriously than before.
"It seemed like you were blocking my conversation with Prince Crescent. Or am I mistaken?"
"You are mistaken."
"......"
"I'm sorry. That was a lie. You are not mistaken."
Kallen let out a sigh and rubbed his face with both hands.
"Please forgive me. However, Prince Crescent had other intentions."
"What?"
"Otherwise he wouldn't have spouted that nonsense about not being able to sleep... Excuse me. He wouldn't have said such rubbish."
Canna looked up at Kallen with complicated eyes.
The one spouting nonsense seems to be you, Kallen.
"It was about the perfume. The perfume. Not about me."
But Kallen refuted her with crystal-clear logic.
"That scent was one that had only ever come from you until now."
"Well, yes, that's true."
"Prince Crescent had already met you before the perfume was released, and he said that the first time he smelled it, he couldn't sleep."
"......"
"In other words, he was indirectly saying that the night he first met you, he couldn't sleep."
She had wondered why he was being so long-winded, but it turned out to be crystal-clear nonsense.
"That's not it. I told you I had given the perfume to Her Majesty the Empress before. So he must have smelled it long before meeting me."
"No matter how pleasant a scent a family member gives off, no sane person loses sleep over it."
"......"
There was no getting through to him. Had Kallen always been this stubborn?
"Anyway, that's impossible. Prince Crescent is much younger than me. There's a five or six year age difference, isn't there? Besides, I'm a married woman."
"However, you are a great beauty. Truly extraordinary."
Having said that, Kallen seemed to realize his mistake and quickly added,
"If that displeased you, I won't interfere next time. I'm sorry, sister."
"......"
Canna did not bother to tell him it was fine.
I want to avoid Argon, but there's no harm in getting close to Crescent.
It might be too early to conclude, but from what she could see, Crescent seemed likely to become the next emperor.
He was also the Empress's son. There was nothing to lose by becoming friendly with someone in power, was there?
This guy Kallen has a tendency to overthink things.
If she kept him around like this, it seemed he would block every single conversation she tried to have with others.
Just then, a convenient excuse appeared. She spotted a group of noble young ladies gathered beyond the pond bridge.
At a glance, one of them was holding a bottle of Canna's perfume, while the others were sniffing it and exclaiming in admiration.
If she approached now, she would have a perfect topic to join their conversation.
"Kallen, I'll head over there now. Thank you for escorting me."
"What? But..."
"You're not thinking of intruding on a conversation between women, are you?"
"...Understood. I hope you have an enjoyable time."
Finally, freedom! Afraid Kallen might try to stop her, Canna hurried away with quick, light steps.
"Ah."
While crossing the bridge over the pond, she ran into Isabel right in the center.