LSOV Chapter 05 — [R15]

 005. It Must Have Been Bewilderment

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It was the day Duke Cedric Deirton arrived in the kingdom.

Shade and I were standing in front of the Central Leyla Palace to welcome him.

According to usual protocol, there was no need for the crown prince and the princess to personally greet a duke. However, Shade had chosen to come out because Duke Deirton was to be the one assigned as my escort.

Rachel was with us as well. Her face was completely expressionless.

A single carriage approached from afar. No family crest was visible, but at a glance, it was clear that it did not belong to the Kingdom of Lundra. Unlike Lundra's extravagantly decorated carriages, this one was almost entirely plain.

Clack.

With a crisp sound, the carriage door opened. A knight who had been sitting beside the coachman stepped down and opened the door.

The first thing that caught my eye was hair the color of the deep night sky. Then came long legs, followed by elegant fingers resting lightly on the knight's arm as he descended.

And then, our eyes met.

Cherry-colored eyes.

"Ah?"

When I let out a small sound, Shade slightly turned his head to look at me.

"It's, nothing, brother."

The man's vivid eyes were beautiful. They resembled perfectly ripened cherries. But before admiration could take hold, something else struck me first.

A sense of déjà vu.

I found myself gazing at the eyes of this foreign duke as if drawn in, strangely feeling no sense of unfamiliarity.

Then I looked at his face again, and my emotions finally made sense.

On second thought, what I had felt wasn't déjà vu, it was bewilderment at something completely unexpected. I hadn't imagined that a man who was both a knight and a duke would be so young and well-built.

He was among the tallest people I had ever seen, younger than any duke in the Kingdom of Lundra. More than anything else, he was overwhelmingly handsome at first glance.

Young, tall, handsome, and possessing honor, power, and wealth, a duke of the empire who had it all. This was the sort of man people would describe as someone who "lacked nothing."

"Your Highness Crown Prince Shade, Your Highness Princess Daisy. This is Duke Cedric Deirton of the Owen Empire."

A knight from Owen introduced the duke.

"Duke Deirton, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Shade Lund."

"I have the honor of meeting the crown prince of the most beautiful land. I am Cedric Deirton of the Owen Empire."

The duke delivered a flawless greeting in the traditional Lundran style.

"Good afternoon, Duke Deirton."

"I have the honor of meeting Her Highness Princess Daisy of the most beautiful land."

As Cedric extended his hand, I placed mine atop it. He briefly clasped my fingertips before releasing them.

In the Kingdom of Lundra, greetings do not involve physical contact. Touching fingertips was likely the style of Owen.

Aside from that brief touch, everything about his greeting was straight out of an etiquette textbook. His movements were flawless, and his voice was delivered at a pleasant pace and tone.

Even so, the duke's expression was so restrained it bordered on being cold. It didn't seem malicious, but compared to his impeccable manners, the emotional detachment on his face stood out.

People in positions of power can be like that. I didn't find his indifference particularly troubling.

Rachel, who had been standing beside me, took a step forward toward him.

"Cedric. It's been a while."

"Rachel."

Rachel and Cedric exchanged greetings without formality. She placed a palm lightly against his arm. For the first time that day, emotion appeared on her face.

Seeing how familiar they were, even in front of foreign royalty, was surprising. It made me wonder if they were usually close.

Rachel then turned to me and spoke.

"The empire tends to be less strict about formal etiquette than the Kingdom of Lundra."

"I've heard that Owen places a high value on familiarity. I think there are times when friendly words are better than long-winded formalities."

I had heard as much from Daimond, who took a great interest in foreign cultures and political affairs. The empire, he said, favored speaking directly over indulging in lengthy ceremonial exchanges.

Since Owen had risen to become an empire through advanced martial prowess and conquest, its culture was also said to be pragmatic. In places where swords and bows are drawn, one must speak only what is necessary.

Rachel smiled faintly. The mischievous expression she usually wore was nowhere to be found. I thought she was deliberately composing her expression.

"Of course, it's not like that all the time. Cedric and I are an exception, we're particularly close."

Rachel covered her mouth with her folded fan and laughed softly. For a fleeting moment, my eyes met Cedric's cherry-colored gaze.

What did she mean by particularly close, I wondered. Considering that he had rushed over immediately for the escort duty of a visiting imperial princess… were they lovers?

My thoughts drifted to a scene I had witnessed years ago between Daimond and Rachel. Daimond's feelings, whether back then or now, seemed destined never to be returned.

Of course, it didn't seem likely that Daimond still held onto those old emotions. It was something from his academy days, and he had already been rejected once.

I recalled Daimond from just a few days ago, insisting that they were merely good friends. He hadn't appeared to harbor any personal desires, only discomfort with the current situation.

"Duke Deirton, we would like to invite you to this evening's banquet. Would that be agreeable?"

Shade spoke.

"Thank you for the invitation."

"You've traveled a long distance, so we'll take our leave and allow you time to rest. We've prepared accommodations for you in the West Lyric Palace. A palace attendant will guide you."

Rachel was staying within the royal palace, and Cedric, who had come as her escort, would also be residing in the palace for several days.

"Thank you for Your Highness's consideration."

Cedric bowed politely once more. He inclined his head toward me as well. His cherry-colored eyes remained emotionless. A palace attendant who had been waiting behind him led him away. After offering her own farewell, Rachel returned to her quarters.

I watched Cedric's retreating figure for a moment.

Even during greetings, his expression never changed. It was a face rarely seen, one that was difficult to fabricate. Dry, polite, and perfectly measured.

I turned toward Shade. Relaxing my body, I leaned into his arm. He accepted my weight without hesitation.

"Brother, do you think I should start learning about Owen's culture now?"

"It's alright, Daisy. It's unlikely that our kingdom's customs would be considered rude."

Shade placed his hand atop my head and pressed down gently. It was his way of being considerate, trying not to ruin the hairstyle that had taken effort to arrange. Even so, my hair was messed up, but I merely stiffened my neck slightly and endured it.

"Duke Deirton doesn't know yet that I'll be going to the empire, does he?"

"He does. We've already communicated with the Owen imperial family through magical correspondence. The duke only knows that the princess suggested you study abroad."

"That was fast."

Shade didn't remove his hand from my head.

"I really didn't expect Duke Deirton himself to come."

Shade spoke about someone else in a way that was unusual for him.

"Why? Didn't you say Princess Rachel called for him? Is it that surprising that he came in person?"

"No. Duke Deirton is known for being a recluse. Even within the empire, he rarely appears at official functions."

"Oh?"

I turned around and looked once more at his figure, now reduced to something as small as a distant star. The duke strode ahead with long, confident steps, while the palace attendant guiding him nearly had to jog to keep up.

"Could he be Her Highness's lover?"

"Princess Daisy, don't say things like that out loud."

He pressed down on me a little more firmly than before. I had to stiffen my neck even more to endure it.

It was something I would never have said in front of anyone else. From my earliest memories, Shade had always been mature beyond his years. Long ago, he had truly become an adult, one who indulged all of my childishness. Even improper remarks were things I could say freely in front of him.

Shade was another adult in my life, second only to our parents.

"Okay. I'll flatten myself out. Princess Flatty."*

Clearly, I would need to redo my hair properly now. I raised my hand and poked the back of Shade's hand resting on my head with my finger.

After returning to my palace to fix my hair and spend some time alone, I made my way to the Central Palace's banquet hall. As I walked, thoughts of Duke Cedric Deirton lingered in my mind.

His jet-black hair, like the night sky, and those cherry-colored eyes had left a strong impression. Then there was the shape of his eyes, neither too sharp nor too soft, or perhaps it was the elegant bridge of his nose. Or was it the proportions of his long limbs paired with a pleasantly small face?

It was an appearance one would never forget after seeing it only once.

In short, he was extremely handsome.

I thought of my brothers' faces. Having lived mostly within the palace without close peers, the only men my age whose faces I could easily recall were Shade and Daimond.

Both had golden hair and amber-colored eyes—princes who shone like gold and gemstones. I often overheard the palace maids whispering in corners of the palace about how both of them possessed appearances befitting princes, radiant and resplendent.

Compared even to those two princes, Cedric did not fall short. No, he might even surpass them.

This time, I imagined Rachel standing beside the duke in my thoughts. The red-eyed duke and the red-haired princess looked as though they had been painted with the same shade of pigment.

Hmm. A pleasing picture.

"I will announce the princess's arrival."

The attendant guarding the banquet hall entrance spoke. While lost in thought, I had already arrived at the hall. 

The emotionless duke I'd been thinking about must be here, I thought.

🍓; *About this part… maybe he's saying it as a joke, calling her "Princess Flat" as a playful nickname that matches his comment about flattening himself.