“Elena Glacia…? This young lady is Elena Glacia…??”
Darkin Lunamic, who had high standards for women’s appearances, had always dismissed Elena as unattractive, just like the other noble sons.
That’s why he couldn’t believe what was happening right now.
Had she really been hiding such breathtaking beauty all this time while letting herself be treated as an outcast?
“Then, I’ll be off now.”
“W-Wait…!”
Without realizing it, Darkin grabbed Elena’s arm as she turned to leave.
“…? What is it?”
“Do you have time…?”
“I just said I have a prior engagement.”
With that, Elena firmly shook off his hand and began walking toward the exit of the banquet hall.
However, she didn’t get far before she was surrounded by a group of noble sons.
“Young Lady, do you remember me?”
“I found our previous discussion on estate management truly fascinating.”
“Ahem… I, too, wanted to express my gratitude for your insights…”
“You finally look like a proper noble lady. Oh, I mean that as a compliment, of course. Hahaha.”
Elena, along with the other noble ladies watching from the sidelines, was utterly speechless.
These men, who had previously ignored her with every excuse—claiming she was incomprehensible or had no sense of fashion—were now suddenly desperate to talk to her after one proper application of makeup.
As Elena cast them a cold, disdainful glance and attempted to walk past them.
“W-Wait, wait, wait!”
The noble sons hastily blocked her path.
With a frigid tone, Elena spoke.
“Move. I’m busy.”
Darkin watched from behind, stunned.
His pride took a serious hit, and he gazed at her in disbelief.
What kind of prior engagement could possibly be more important than a conversation with me, the heir to the Lunamic Marquess family—the ruling house of the Northwestern Noble Alliance?
His competitive spirit flared.
He refused to let her leave just like that.
“Lady Elena. Since this banquet is being held by the House of Glacia, as its lady, don’t you think it’s your duty to remain and represent your family?”
At Darkin’s words, all eyes turned to him.
The other noble ladies, who had been watching with growing jealousy, sneered.
“So what if she’s pretty? Her behavior is hardly fitting for a noble lady.”
“She must have dumped every ounce of makeup she owned onto her face.”
“I feel sorry for the servants who must have worked all day to make her presentable.”
The noble sons ignored the bitter remarks of the ladies and quickly sided with Darkin.
“That’s right. My lady, a banquet is no place to leave so soon.”
“Indeed. Is there truly a more urgent matter than this event?”
“If you leave now, my lady, I’m sure everyone here will be terribly disappointed. Hahaha…”
Elena slowly turned back to Darkin and narrowed her eyes.
“Did you just say it’s my duty as the Count’s daughter?”
“Yes. It would be unwise to act in a way that disgraces the honor and dignity of House Glacia.”
“Hah… Unbelievable.”
Elena let out a breathless laugh.
And then, she launched her ruthless counterattack.
“Tell me, Lord Darkin. Where do you think a noble’s honor comes from?”
“…? Well, it comes from the Celestials—”
“Exactly.”
The only reason our ancestors received titles from the imperial family was that they were chosen by the Celestials.
They were entrusted with sacred relics and divine power to protect and nurture the people of their lands.
“Darkin’s father, Marquess Lunamic, who had been silently observing, now focused intently on Elena’s speech.”
But look at you.
Instead of caring for your people, you waste time hosting banquets at every opportunity.
You enjoy every privilege of being a noble while neglecting your responsibilities.
And yet, you have the audacity to speak of noble honor?
“Lord Darkin, do you feel no shame?”
“……!”
Darkin was utterly speechless, unable to counter her rapid-fire argument.
“If you have time to attend frivolous events like this, perhaps you should visit your own estate more often”.
Do you even know what life is like for the powerless, impoverished people under your rule?
“Even as this extravagant banquet takes place, there are those who are starving to death.”
“…There are those who are starving, those who are freezing to death, and you dare talk about the honor of a noble lady hosting this banquet? Instead of worrying about such meaningless honor, you should focus on fulfilling your duties as a noble properly.”
With her sharp and piercing words, Elena finished her speech.
Marquess Lunamic, who had been observing, looked more and more pleased.
“She’s grown to be intelligent and sharp-witted.”
In contrast, Darkin’s expression was now filled with bewilderment.
“What… What kind of woman is this?!”
After catching her breath, Elena shot a cold glare at the noble sons blocking her path and nonchalantly said,”Well? Are you going to move or not?”
At her icy words, the crowd parted before her like the sea.
As she walked through the newly opened path, she grumbled under her breath.
“I was already in a hurry, and now I have to deal with these useless idiots…”
The banquet hall, which had suddenly fallen into an awkward silence, echoed only with the crisp sound of Elena’s glass heels clicking against the marble floor.
Then, as she pushed open the doors and left the hall, Marquess Lunamic suddenly burst into roaring laughter.
“Hahahahahaha!!”
Beside him, Count Glacia stood sweating profusely.
“Hahaha! My son just got schooled by the Count’s daughter! Hahahaha!!”
“I-I deeply apologize, Marquess! I will make sure to speak with her.”
“What? Speak with her about what? She didn’t say a single thing that was wrong. Right, son? Hahahahaha!”
Unlike his father, Darkin’s expression remained grim.
He felt as though he had been humiliated in front of the entire noble society.
Never in his life had he felt such shame.
Just when he thought he had finally found a lady worthy of standing by his side, she not only rejected him but outright humiliated him before countless nobles.
“One day… One day, I will make you kneel before me and regret this, Elena…!!”
***
“There are three children in this household, Sage. Have you recorded their names?”
“Yes. What are their ages?”
“The eldest son is five, the eldest daughter is four, and the youngest is two.”
“Understood… One moment… Alright, let’s move on.”
The sage and the lord were personally going from house to house, leading soldiers and conducting a census.
With the influx of thousands of people into the territory, there were not enough buildings within the castle to accommodate them.
Thus, they were planning large-scale residential expansions to provide proper housing for their people.
Elena, who had just arrived at the castle, watched them with a satisfied smile.
“The more I see him, the more interesting he gets.”
Unlike those who spent their time indulging in banquets, everything he thought, said, and did resonated with her deeply.
“You two should take it easy. If you keep working like that, you’ll collapse.”
At the sound of Elena’s voice from behind, the sage and the lord turned around.
“Who…?”
“It’s me, me. The acting lord.”
“W-WHAT?!?”
The lord let out a near-scream.
Having known Elena for twenty years, he had never seen her like this before—he was completely taken aback.
Her delicate glass heels sparkled under the light.
She wore a sleek, elegant white dress, perfectly complementing the snowy landscapes of the north.
Adorning her were rings, necklaces, earrings, and various other dazzling jewels that enhanced her beauty.
But even beyond the jewelry, it was her breathtakingly radiant face that truly captivated.
Her long silver hair gleamed with an elegant luster, cascading gracefully down her back.
She looked as if she were the incarnation of a celestial being descending upon the earth.
“Ahem. Ahem. Ahem.”
Clearing her throat, Elena composed herself.
“I apologize for my rudeness last time, Sage. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Elena Glacia, daughter of Count Glacia and acting lord of this territory.”
With that, Elena gracefully lifted both hands and bowed slightly in a refined curtsy.
The sage was at a loss for words.
“Could it be that she has a hidden twin?”
She seemed like an entirely different person.
“I came straight from the social gathering and didn’t bother changing—it was too much of a hassle.”
A blatant lie.
“So… how do I look? Do I look… okay?”
Elena blushed slightly, glancing at the sage’s reaction.
But behind the crimson mask of the sage, no response came.
“S-Sage…? Sage…??”
“Ah, ah. My apologies, acting lord. You look splendid.”
“Really…?”
Elena giggled softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as if embarrassed.
“So, what brings you here, acting lord?”
“Ah! I have something important to inform you about. But this isn’t the place—we should move somewhere more private.”
***
“What?! The Imperial Princess is leading a demon subjugation army to the northwestern borders?!”
“Yes. She will arrive in the Count’s territory within a few days. She’ll likely use the castle as a forward base.”
“So, after the northeastern border demon subjugation, she’s coming here… Wh-What should we do, Sage…??”
At the mention of his former fiancée, the sage unconsciously lowered his head.
“Violeta…”
Five years ago, Violeta awakened an immense amount of divine power.
Since then, she had been on an almost obsessive warpath, leading campaigns against enemy nations and eradicating every demon in the north.
Before her awakening, she had been a gentle, delicate flower—soft and fragile.
But now, the girl he had grown up with, the one he had known so well, was nowhere to be found in the woman she had become.
This became even clearer to him when he saw her at her father’s funeral not long ago.
But what did it matter now?
They were no longer engaged.
They were nothing more than strangers.
“…So? What exactly are you worried about regarding the princess’s army?”
“Do you really think she’ll just pass through this territory without issue? There’s going to be war.”
“Naturally.”
The sage’s calm response made Elena sigh in frustration.
“I don’t know how confident you are, but if you need help, just say the word. I’ll do what I can?”
“I don’t need it.”
“…What?”
Was he serious?
No matter how strong he was, saying he needed no help against the imperial princess’s massive army was absurd.
“It’s fine. I don’t need the young lady’s help.”
“B-But…!!”
“Don’t try to interfere. I’ll handle everything myself.”