Now that I saw more clearly, the two noblewomen glaring at me were from the group who had earlier looked like they wanted to tear me apart with their eyes.
The crowd that had been watching from the sidelines while I spoke with Ferry, silently hoping someone else would step in first, now listened intently, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
‘What am I supposed to say?’
I didn’t even have an easy answer to that question.
So I recalled what His Majesty had told me earlier.
“This is unacceptable!”
“You should’ve just kept seeing Lord Samuel. Why choose someone who’s basically a criminal—like that beastkin?”
“Don’t tell me His Majesty has some kind of twisted fetish? Like falling in love with a woman who tried to assassinate him…”
They were letting their imaginations run wild now.
Once again, I smiled gently, just like the emperor advised.
They responded by clenching their fists with frustrated signs.
“I knew it. So that’s what he’s into.”
“Does that mean we should start practicing assassination too?”
“I’ll look into which teacher would be best for that.”
The conversation was spiraling into absurdity.
Still, I figured this was something I could leave for the emperor to deal with later.
That fleeting moment of carelessness was all it took.
From the distance, I saw Prince Sharnice of the Grand Duke’s household approaching.
He stood before me, ran his eyes slowly over my body, then curled his lips into a smirk.
“So this is His Majesty’s type? I mean, pretty women like you are a dime a dozen in Hamilton.”
The man beside him, likely a knight or attendant, added with a sneer:
“You never know—maybe she’s got a special charm in bed. Especially since she’s a beastkin.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
To say such vulgar things openly to someone’s face—this went beyond rudeness.
It was animalistic.
‘Why do I have to listen to this garbage?’
But I held my tongue.
This man was none other than the Grand Duke’s only heir—said to be the most likely successor to the imperial throne, should anything happen to the emperor.
That also meant he was a highly probable suspect in the assassination plot.
I barely managed to suppress my rising shame and forced a smile.
“Hello, my lord. I’m Mayhen, from Medderland.”
“You know who I am?”
“Of course. No one in Hamilton could not know of you, Your Grace.”
His eyes lit up with smug pleasure.
He stroked his chin and looked at me with an unreadable expression.
“So what’s going on with Samuel? Are the three of you in some kind of love triangle?”
“I wouldn’t presume to comment on such personal matters, sir.”
“No need to lie to me. It’s long been rumored that my brother prefers men. I just didn’t think he was into women too.”
The look in his eyes made me deeply uncomfortable.
No—disgusted might be a better word.
“Are you really so good in bed that even a man-lover like him flipped? If that’s the case, I’m quite curious to try for myself.”
He licked his lips, giving me a lewd grin.
The sight made my skin crawl.
And just then, a warm voice, like a spring breeze, cut through the tension.
“I think that’s quite enough, Prince Sharnice.”
I turned to see a blond-haired man in a red hat approaching.
He was one of the delegates from Tessere.
“Ah, the noble bastard child arrives.”
“Call me what you like, Your Grace. But I couldn’t stand by any longer—it’s clear your words were no longer befitting a gentleman, especially toward a lady.”
Eyes the color of a flawless, clear sky turned toward me.
At a glance, they seemed similar to the Emperor’s, but they held a brighter and warmer aura.
“Are you alright, my lady?”
“…I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
For a moment, the young lord’s face twisted in a grimace.
Just as he was about to shout something, the spectators, who had been watching, began to speak one by one.
“Lord Kerif is so kind, isn’t he?”
“Look at him even now. He doesn’t need to bother with a criminal like that, but he has such a kind heart he can’t overlook rudeness.”
“If it weren’t for his birth, I might have tried approaching him… it’s such a shame.”
As all attention focused on him in an instant, Prince Sharnice ground his teeth.
Seeing this, his escort glanced around cautiously and whispered to him.
“He’s here as part of the Tesser delegation. You must maintain basic courtesy, young master. Didn’t the lady of the house warn you to behave for a while?”
“I know that much, so stop nagging.”
A low curse, quiet enough for only nearby people to hear, slipped from the prince’s mouth.
“I’m not avoiding you because I’m scared—it’s because you’re filthy. Being around you makes me feel dirty too.”
His irritated gaze landed first on the blond man, then turned to me.
Then he turned on his heel.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Prince Sharnice.”
As the two disappeared, peace returned as if nothing had happened.
The blond man offered a polite smile to Lord Veratri.
“It’s been a while, Lord Veratri.”
“Nice to see you, Lord Kerif. I seem to recall you don’t usually like events like this.”
“I’m not particularly fond of them. But the delegation I came with was curious about Hamilton’s royal ball.”
His gaze shifted to the people wearing red hats strolling around the ballroom.
They each had a drink in hand already and were laughing cheerfully with those around them. Lord Veratri nodded, seemingly understanding.
Then, as if belatedly realizing, he introduced the blond man to me.
“This is Lord Kerif of the Tesser delegation. He’s also the Emperor’s half-brother.”
‘The Emperor’s half-brother?’
But how could someone like that be part of a delegation from Tesser?
Before I could ask, Lord Kerif spoke first.
“You must be the lady who recently caused quite a stir in Hamilton, the sheep beastkin?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
Could he be regretting helping me in that difficult situation?
I naturally expected a look of criticism.
But the words that came from his mouth were different than I imagined.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you for some time. I’ve always been curious about Medderland, the place where only sheep beastkin live.”
It was the first time someone here had shown interest in Medderland. I felt both surprised and excited.
“Oh, what are you curious about?”
“What it looks like, how people live there, and the cultural practices of the sheep beastkin.”
“Well, Medderland is in a high mountainous region. Despite that, the weather is nice all year round, and it’s a great place for sheep beastkin to run around freely. Um, what else should I say…”
Trying to explain everything at once jumbled my thoughts with all kinds of words.
Lord Kerif smiled as he watched me.
“You can just tell me little by little. No need to feel pressured. Oh, by the way, is it true only sheep beastkin live in Medderland?”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I was so surprised when I came to Hamilton. It seemed like not just wolf beastkin, but all kinds of beastkin were living together.”
“Hamilton has many allied nations. Not only Tesser, the land of tiger beastkin, but also other countries we interact with. We even send students abroad to academies to broaden their knowledge.”
“I hope Medderland can change like that someday too. Actually, I have a younger sister, and I’m not just saying this because she’s my sister—she’s really smart. I hope she doesn’t stay confined in Medderland and gets to see a bigger world. She’d learn and experience so much more…”
Lord Kerif quietly watched me as I spoke.
Then I realized I had been rambling alone.
“Oh, I’ve been talking too much, haven’t I?”
“No, it was nice. Actually, I have a younger sister too, so I understand how you feel. You must be close with your sister?”
“Hmm, surprisingly, Cherrybell and I aren’t that close. We growl at each other just at the sight of our faces. She puffs up like a cat beastkin, all her fur standing on end. If it weren’t for the sheep horns on her head, you might not even realize she’s a sheep beastkin.”
Before I knew it, I was badmouthing Cherrybell.
What on earth was I saying in front of someone I just met?
“Ah, please forget what I just said. That was terribly rude of me…”
“Not at all. I’d love to talk more, but I think I should return to where my delegation is.”
He looked genuinely disappointed.
Then he asked me carefully,
“If possible, may I ask you to tell me more about Medderland next time? There’s so much I’d like to hear.”
“Of course! I also enjoyed talking about Medderland. I’ll tell you all the stories I didn’t get to share next time.”
With just that one reply, his face instantly brightened.
After saying goodbye, Lord Kerif returned to where the delegation was.
Even after that, many people approached me.
But most of them were trying to gauge the Emperor’s intentions regarding business or were seeking personal gain by getting close to me.
“Has His Majesty said anything specific about the mining business?”
“Please, I beg you, just once—could you mention the Meldon weapon shop to His Majesty…?”
In those moments, I could only repeat the same parroted response with a troubled face.
“I’m sorry. I’m not privy to those matters. You’ll have to ask His Majesty directly.”
Sometimes, a few people would ask strange questions.
“This is just out of curiosity… but do all sheep beastkin look like you?”
“What do you mean ‘look like me’?”
“I mean, very soft-looking, cute, and lovable…”
Just as he said that, someone approached me.
The man in front of me instantly turned pale.
“Do you have business with my companion?”
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