And then, as planned, the day of my fateful first encounter with the imperial family arrived. Apparently, Chris had been to the imperial palace many times before, so Alan and I were the only ones meeting them for the first time.
I was woken early in the morning, forced into a bath after breakfast, subjected to a hairstyling session, and then shoved into a dress.
“You look truly wonderful.”
“Just like a fairy.”
Dana and Cynthia were sighing in satisfaction, but I was already getting annoyed, glaring at the mirror in contempt. Was it really necessary to braid my hair this carefully when we would be going outside? They knew I didn’t like my scalp being pulled tight, so they’d at least been kind enough to tie it loosely at the back, but the ribbons... So many frilly ribbons...
No. Don’t forget. I’m four. Of course they would be covering me in ribbons. My fluffy white dress also featured pink ribbons—that had to be cute too.
“Who bought this dress?” I ventured to ask.
“It was a souvenir from His Lordship the Margrave’s visit to the capital,” Cynthia informed me.
So my father’s to blame!
“Uh... It really does suit you,” Rex said.
“No running around today, okay, my lady?” added Brad.
Be quiet, my valets! I can see the way your shoulders are shaking. If you want to laugh, then laugh already!
“Oh?” said Chris with a raised eyebrow. “I see you’re playing the young lady today. What a transformation.”
“You shouldn’t run around,” Alan warned me. “Shall we help you onto Ifri?”
My brothers knew me well, but was that really something to say to your sister?
Ifri was the name I had given to my fire spirit. My water one I called Levvy. My wind one was Jin, and my earth one was Gaia. As for where I’d taken those names from...well...y’know? I was an otaku so I’d taken them from all over the place.
In any case, I had to get to the end of my first meeting with the imperial family and the court mages without drawing too much attention or leaving a bad impression. That was the objective of this quest!
We would meet our guests in the room just outside the teleportation array. I had never been in here before, so I looked around curiously at the minimalist room whose furnishings seemed mainly focused on security.
We were left waiting for about ten minutes before the two doors to the teleportation room opened, and the first to step out were two knights of the imperial guard. Alan wants to join them when he grows up, doesn’t he? Their navy blue uniform with its black-and-white lines was very cool.
So Alan will get to wear this one day, will he? It’ll suit him.
The two knights spoke to my father, but I didn’t really listen to what they were saying. When I stared up at the knights while hiding a little behind my father, their eyes started to wander uncomfortably.
Next, Empress Ephenia entered, escorted by General Maximilian.
The general was as big as I’d thought he’d be. Big! Tough! And scary! I had to practically look straight up just to see his face.
The one who really caught me by surprise was the empress. I’d thought she would be much more imposing, but she didn’t feel all that different from my mother. She looked like a strong-willed woman with vibrant wavy red hair and light brown eyes that looked gold when the light hit them. She was wearing something like a suit jacket with a narrow waist and splayed collar, and a finely pleated ankle-length skirt made of a double layer of thin cloth. It was the kind of outfit that working women tended to wear.
Naturally, there was no need for a corset—that was for official tea parties, soirees, or balls only. That, or for when meeting someone of much higher status than you, which was why my mother was wearing a proper dress.
The first prince, Prince Andrew, was around the same age as Chris, and they’d met many times before now. They’d be classmates starting this winter and appeared to be good enough friends that, when they were introduced, they exchanged little smiles.
Stop it—my inner fujo’s gonna freak out.
The princes had inherited their father’s bulk, both being quite big for their ages. Prince Andrew wore his long red hair tied at the back, his masculine face resembling his father’s while his piercing golden eyes matched those of the empress.
And there right beside him stood my brother, a beautiful boy with silky platinum blond hair.
This is so damn gorgeous. Can I go hole myself up in my room and write for a while?
Ah, wait, wait, no! I’m not rotten! I’m a healthy young girl. I’m a cute little four-year-old.
The second prince was Prince Eldred. He was one year older than me—in other words, he was just a kid. He was big for his age, though, and with his red hair and golden eyes, he’d probably be surrounded by girls when he grew up, but as for me, I’d prefer it if he kept his distance.
A prince? And beautiful to boot? I wanted him nowhere near me. I’d rather not have to focus on remembering to breathe. If he ended up thinking I thought he smelled or something, I’d never recover.
“And this is our daughter, Deirdre,” my father said.
Suddenly, I was being introduced. This wasn’t the time to be thinking such terrible thoughts.
“I am greatly honored to make your acquaintance. My name is Deirdre Abel von Belisario.” Pinching my dress between my fingers, I dropped a curtsy. When I looked up again, everyone was staring at me as if I were some rare species of animal.
“So, this is the Deirdre I’ve heard all about? She’s adorable.” Empress Ephenia took in first my face and then the balls of light representing all four elements lined up above my head, smiling all the while. Mother was always saying that the empress was a wonderful lady, but that was because they were friends. I had little doubt that what lay behind those piercing eyes was a mind firing on all cylinders to scheme all sorts of plans.