Seeing that the young lady was nearly unable to suppress her anger, Lian wanted to speak up and stop her.
But before he could open his mouth, the princess standing behind the Prince stepped forward first:
“Please do not be angry, Princess. My brother is simply a competitive fellow. Since our father has compared him to you since he was a child, he has always viewed you as his greatest rival.”
“…You are Eleanor, the one I met at the bathhouse that day.”
“I am glad the Princess remembers me. Please forgive my stubborn brother. To brazenly provoke someone despite such a clear difference in ability—I will certainly give him a proper lecture on this childish behavior when we return.”
Princess Eleanor smiled as she grabbed her brother’s arm and pulled him behind her.
The Prince’s expression shifted instantly after being so easily displaced from his social position:
“Eleanor… you…!”
“Brother, please compose yourself. This is an important occasion… please save the childish bickering and tantrums for later, shall we?”
The Princess fanned herself as she spoke, leaving him speechless and stifled. Seeing him humiliated like this made Milin feel quite gratified.
She took the Princess’s hand of her own accord and then smiled triumphantly at the Prince:
“Exactly! Just look at this brat who only knows how to talk big… I can’t even tell who is supposed to be the older one anymore!”
“Oh my, actually, I sometimes feel like I am the older sister as well… compared to this bratty brother of mine. Hohoho~”
“Hohoho~”
Their high-pitched laughter at the Prince’s expense immediately drew the attention of everyone in the Banquet Hall.
Many people looked over and began whispering among themselves. Bathed in their gazes, the Prince’s face quickly flushed between pale and red—
“Hmph!”
He let out a cold snort and sat back in his seat, refusing to say another word.
The guests who had originally intended to come forward to offer greetings and conversation after his talk with Milin saw his extremely displeased state and chose not to court disaster, carrying their milk and coffee elsewhere.
Thus, for the next few minutes, the two princesses remained close, talking with their arms linked.
Just watching Milin’s happy expression made a sense of happiness well up in Lian’s heart. Furthermore, in the current setting, this sight actually held another meaning—
Since these two children seem to get along so well… those people should be able to set their minds at ease a little, right?
Although it was not yet time for Milin to speak as the host, many guests in the Banquet Hall had already noticed the single primary seat and Milin standing beside it.
“The Princess is alone…?”
“The Duchess has not arrived yet even at this hour. And the Royal Princess is nowhere to be seen…”
“Could something have happened? They have never been absent in the past.”
Aside from some local nobles of the Northland, most of the guests were whispering their guesses and concerns. Lian took in all of these uneasy voices.
The main event is next… I hope she can successfully take control of the situation.
At this thought, the warm happiness in Lian’s heart was inevitably disturbed by a wave of anxiety.
***
“Lady, it is almost time.”
The Breakfast Gathering was nearing its end. Chief Steward Wright quietly approached Milin, who was chatting happily with Princess Eleanor, and spoke to her in a low voice.
“…I understand. Lino, wait for me a moment.”
Milin just started to release Princess Eleanor’s arm, but the other girl immediately linked hers back in:
“Are you going to address everyone? Would you allow me to stay by your side? You seem a little nervous.”
“That… that would be embarrassing…”
Although Milin was somewhat pleasantly surprised, she felt a bit uneasy that her expression had been seen through so easily by the Princess. However, Chief Steward Wright interjected:
“I believe it is very appropriate. Lady, you have noticed as well, haven’t you? Some guests have already realized that the Duchess and Vera Her Highness are not present. Your speech needs to provide them with reassurance. If Princess Nolan is by your side… I believe it will be much easier to achieve that. I will also be right there to assist you.”
Milin fell silent for a moment—she knew Chief Steward Wright was right.
No matter how disinterested she was in Court socialities, the experiences of receiving visitors with her mother since childhood had given her a significant ability to observe people’s reactions.
She could see that among the banquet tables, even the uncles and aunts under her mother’s command whom she had met before were occasionally casting worried glances this way—they were actually just like her, feeling deep unease because Mother and Teacher had not shown up.
“Yes. I cannot suffer from stage fright and disgrace Mother and Teacher Vera. I’m counting on you—Lino, and Grandfather Wright.”
“It is my honor to hold your hand like this.”
“Please leave it to me—Honorable guests! Please allow me a moment of your time!”
Chief Steward Wright clapped three times, the sound clear but not sharp.
At the same time, his deep voice cut through the noise of the Banquet Hall, causing everyone’s gaze to turn toward them instantly.
“Next, the host of this banquet—Princess Milin Klauschel will offer her greetings to everyone.”
After successfully drawing everyone’s attention, Wright stepped back behind Milin.
Faced with the gazes gradually gathering upon her, Milin felt her spine instantly pull taut like a bowstring.
This was not her first time attending such a social occasion.
But in the past, the one standing in this position guiding everyone was always her most respected and beloved Mother; she only had to stand by and watch.
Her gaze quickly swept across the Banquet Hall, meeting eyes that were uneasy, worried, suspicious, or dissatisfied.
She had never feared meeting the eyes of others before… but at this moment, she felt for the first time that such a thing was terrifyingly nerve-wracking.
Because this time, she had to respond to the emotions carried by those gazes, whether good or bad. Has Mother always shouldered this kind of pressure?
She can neither deal with it casually nor throw a tantrum like I used to…
Milin’s heart pounded. She opened her mouth slightly, wanting to begin her speech, only to find that her throat was so dry she couldn’t make a sound.
“…?”
The bewildered gazes of the crowd intertwined with this sudden situation, washing Milin’s mind into a total blank.
She suddenly realized that she couldn’t remember a single word of the formal speech she had memorized earlier.
“Lady? Lady? The opening remarks, the opening remarks!”
Chief Steward Wright’s usually steady voice was tinged with a hint of anxiety. But she still couldn’t remember anything.
She wanted to pull Princess Eleanor closer, only to find that the other girl’s arm had been released at some point.
“Lady!”
In the middle of that solemn silence waiting for her to speak, someone suddenly called out to her loudly.
Such a shout was quite rude and inappropriate. The crowd followed the sound and discovered that the person speaking was actually a youth in the Maid Team.
“Is this an occasion for a servant like you to be noisy? Throw him out!”
A few serious nobles present even demanded that their attendants remove the maid.
But amidst their words of condemnation and gazes that felt like needles, the maid who had called out to Milin—Lian—remained neither humble nor arrogant as he stepped forward, looking directly into her eyes from where she stood in the primary position.
He did not speak, but Milin could hear his voice.
Just say whatever is on your mind… just like when you comforted me that day. My Lady Milin, my most precious treasure.