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“I’m tired. I’ll leave first.”

She left the ballroom without hesitation, trying to maintain her graceful composure. It was true that she felt really tired – all the more so because nothing seemed to be going her way.

Why am I always pushed into a corner by that vulgar princess’s calm words?

After Adelai stood up, Belinda picked up an hors d’oeuvre and muttered a goodbye under her breath, knowing she wouldn’t hear it. Knowing that maybe her half-sister wouldn’t even want that greeting.

Adelai’s angry steps faded into the noise of the party. Phillip was still standing right beside Belinda.

“I’m sorry, Duke Phillip.”

“What for?”

He glanced at her quizzically.

“For causing friction on your birthday.”

“That’s not your fault, Princess.”

“Is it Princess Adelai’s fault, then?”

It was quite a straightforward question. Phillip shrugged and shook his head.

“No, it’s mine for inviting the both of you without expecting this would happen.”

“…….”

Belinda gulped down a walnut tart lost in thought, before quickly reaching for another. Phillip looked on with his eyebrows slightly raised, as if the sight of Belinda gulping down dessert was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Well, you’re braver than I thought.”

“Brave? In this situation? …It’s just because I’m used to it.”

“Used to it?”

Phillip’s eyes caught hers.

Belinda, not paying attention, continued eating tarts while going over the events in her head.

She could laugh off the twins’ comments and pretend they didn’t affect her, but on the inside, it wasn’t that simple.

She wasn’t that shameless or tactless. However, she thought it would be the best way to deal with the situation. She was tired of dealing with their pointed words, but definitely not weak enough to be disgraced by mere words from Adelai.

“You already know my descendance is not great, don’t you?”

“…….”

“I know of all the rumours going around about me. How everyone sees me. Amusing… Loathsome.”

“I don’t despise you, Princess.”

“All that doesn’t mean that noble-blooded people have the right to ignore me and trample on me.”

Phillip just looked at her as she talked. She moved her hand over the table, trying to decide between the almond cookies and cherries.

“Actually, I’m very happy with my life now. I can eat as much as I want and have a comfortable place to sleep.”

I don’t have to wash the inn’s sheets in the freezing cold or go to sleep on an empty stomach crying.

That alone was enough to satisfy her. The bar for her happiness was that low.

She chose the cherries, picking some up from the dish.

“Anyways, I like things the way they are. It’s not like I’m threatening Adelai’s position or so absorbed in mine that I ignore my surroundings.”

“…….”

“I want you to know how I feel, but it’s not easy.”

She muttered to herself, taking another handful of cherries. It wasn’t easy, not having anyone but herself to confide in.

Belinda looked up again as if she had come to a decision.

“Phillip, if you want to visit me or invite me to parties in the future… please be careful with these things.”

“…What?”

“I understand Adelai. You’re trespassing over into my world. So I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline your goodwill from now on.”

It was the manners of someone that grew up in a back alley. In any case, their relationship forming was as simple as picking up a tissue from the floor.

She could see it in Adelai’s eyes, trying to get her away from Phillip. Her feelings for him.

Her half-sister obviously had feelings for the boy, and no intention of sharing him with her.

She was the only one hurt here, but she was too satisfied with the life she had built to be disturbed.

Duke Phillip was trying to gather his words.

Don’t visit me. Don’t invite me.

Rejection was a brand-new feeling for him.

Belinda grinned at him, still with a blank expression. Her last words just rubbed salt into the wound.

“May today be the last day we meet.”

“…Yes, Princess.”

Phillip muttered his simple answer looking away – he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He’d just been rejected, but… somehow his heart was still beating like crazy. The overwhelming sadness washed over the emotionless boy’s heart.

***

Princess Adelai stepped into the carriage, fuming. Next to her, Lart was chattering endlessly.

“Adelai! Adelai, I’m sure she spoke in the ancient language! She did, right?”

“…….”

“Where could she have learnt!? It’s not written down, so there are no books! She sounded really fluent though, right? Even the vulgarities.”

“…….”

“Maybe the emperor himself-”

“Shut up! Please!”

Adelai, who’d been ignoring the prince all along, finally squealed. She’d been trying to control her anger all evening, but Lart kept adding fuel to the fire.

She finally calmed down and looked around. Luckily, there was no one around except for some guards. A relief for her – it was a disgrace to use such casual words as an imperial lady.

She turned around again to see Lart with his shoulders lowered and a sullen look.

“I’m sorry, Lart. I couldn’t control my feelings for a moment. I shouldn’t have snapped at you…”

“No, it’s fine. I guess I’ve been a bit too excited.”

She patted him in consolation. As mad as she was, he was still the next emperor and her brother.

Until she could become the ruler herself, she had to build up her strength by pretending to encourage Lart.

A guard approached them.

“There’s something wrong with the carriage’s wheels, so I don’t think we’ll be able to leave right away.”

Adelai walked up to the bottom of the carriage with a furious expression. She just wanted to return to the palace already and relax, so why was everything making things difficult?

She bent down and examined the wheel. It had deep scratch marks across it as if an animal had damaged it.

If only the wheels were damaged, the problem could have been solved easily, but that wasn’t the biggest problem. The joint between the wheel and the carriage was crushed by what had to be a terrifying amount of force.

The guard tried to explain himself awkwardly.

“I don’t know what happened. It couldn’t have been done with human power. This is a fenced private garden, so there’s no way a wild animal could come in…”

Adelai couldn’t even think of a way to criticize the guard. Everything was stacking up horribly.

“You know the problem, so solve it quick!”

A nervous voice came from inside the carriage.

“Princess! I’m afraid you’re having a very bad day today-”

“Shut up, you idiot!”

She again took her anger out on Lart, who’d stepped in suddenly.

He looked down with a somber face.

It really was the worst day ever.

***

It was a sunny day. Belinda absentmindedly listened to Lucy’s story and sat down at the table.

“…and Aymon’s ears pricked up when he smelled the flowers the other day.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, even his tail did. It was so cute. I wanted to grab it.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Lucy shook her head.

“How could I dare…”

It wasn’t a concern for Belinda, who was used to touching him all the time.

However, unlike her, who was brought up as a commoner, Lucy had been hearing about the Shinsu’s notoriety all her life. She’d become very close to Aymon, but never quite as much as Belinda – the fear of the Shinsu was still engraved in her brain.

“By the way, Lucy, are the Shinsu on good terms with people?”

The answer came from Mazetto who looked up from the cookie basket.

“Of course not! Why would you ask such an obvious question?”

He jumped onto the table, sending crumbs flying everywhere as he flapped his wings and chirped excitedly.

“It’s a hell of a bad relationship! Humans fought the Shinsu in bloody battles! Everyone remembers it with horror!”

Belinda wiped some crumbs off the bird.

“Why did they fight?”

“I don’t know that! I didn’t learn! Sparrows don’t go to school!”

“…….”

Mazetto, proud of his smart comment, hopped back into the cookie basket. He only liked the chocolate chips, so he was picking all of them out with his beak.

Belinda turned to Lucy.

“Do you know why they fought?”

“Yes, princess. When the gods in control of the Shinsu disappeared, it caused a war to erupt between humans and the Shinsu.”

“A war? But the humans aren’t a match for them, are they?”

Hearing Belinda’s remark, Mazetto hopped out of the basket again. His beak was covered in chocolate.

“Of course not! They’re no match! Humans are stupid and Shinsu are very strong!”

“…….”

Belinda put away the basket. Surely, stupid man-made cookies wouldn’t be good for him then. Mazetto didn’t hesitate to run after it, twittering.

“The cookies are baked well! Humans are much better at baking than Shinsu are! That’s for sure!”

Lucy laughed at the spineless sparrow before continuing.

“Humans may not be strong, but there are a lot of them. Anyways, after a lot of meaningless conflicts, we came to an agreement. Both sides just ended up hurt by the war.”

Mazetto butted in again.

“The humans were just annoying ants to the Shinsu! Easy to step on and kill, but annoying!”

“…….”

Belinda grabbed him and carefully threw him out the window, as Aymon usually did.

“Hey! Belindaaa!!”

The shrill scream sounded from afar, accompanied by a smattering of crumbs. Only then did the table finally quiet down.

Belinda turned to face the awkwardly laughing Lucy again to ask one more question.