C116
[Isidor Visconti to Deborah Seymour]
While I proudly skipped the academy and spent time at home like an unemployed person, a large bouquet of roses arrived in front of me with a letter.
"Oh my God, Sir Isidor is so romantic."
"There is no gift that suits our beautiful princess more than this."
Seeing the fully bloomed roses, the maidens burst into heartfelt exclamations.
Their blushing cheeks reminded me that it felt more romantic because it was a bouquet of flowers sent by the most handsome man in the empire.
Isidor's popularity made them momentarily forget the fear of their teacher.
"Honestly, isn't that a bit too much?"
The symbolism of the red rose was so blatant that I felt deeply embarrassed.
If Isidor's intention was to clearly remind me of what happened in the Subspace with that gift, he succeeded.
Some scenes that felt as distant as a dream came to mind so vividly that I began to shake my head wildly.
Due to the peculiarity of that strange space, when I recalled the scene where my lips touched his large palm, my face blushed on its own.
I looked at the roses with a strange and confused feeling and opened the envelope he sent me.
"What else is this?"
Inside, the performances to be held in the capital this week were clearly listed, and a somewhat absurd message was written about choosing the one that attracts me the most, as he has secured royal seats for all the shows.
"Do all the high-ranking nobles here boast about their power?"
Although I had already experienced it because of the Duke of Seymour, as a former ordinary person, I felt uncomfortable.
I looked at the various performances written in the letter for a while with a feeling of perplexity, and then I wrote him a response quietly.
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—Master Isidor. Honestly, you look good in anything because you're so handsome. You said the face completes the style, so why are you suddenly so concerned?
Miguel, who was watching his master's unusual fashion show before the meeting with the princess, murmured with a tired expression.
"How many hours has it been?"
The master's whims seemed to explode today.
Obviously, some time ago, he firmly said that he had settled on that ultramarine frock coat, and he was now reselecting a pair of cufflinks, saying that a natural style seems to be the answer now.
"Yes, everything is fine, but why does he keep asking for an opinion?"
What's even worse is that all of Miguel's careful opinions were ignored, and in the end, his master is just trying on the clothes he likes.
With a serious expression, he took off the obsidian cufflinks and replaced them with platinum diamond-shaped cufflinks.
"Miguel, my belief that the face is the culmination of style is solid.
"...
"But thinking seriously about what's best. Even with the same diamond, the feel of the ring varies a lot depending on the material and design of the ring. Isn't that so?
When Miguel began to tremble at the audacity of comparing himself to a diamond, he finally took a coat.
Because of the appointment time, it seemed that there was no way to compromise.
"Kara's design is a bit disappointing, but there's nothing I can do about it.
Thinking that he had to match a few more items, Isidor casually picked up the matching leather gloves, but instead of putting them on, he simply tucked them into his pocket.
"Because the princess likes it..."
It was clear that Princess Deborah was particularly interested in his bare hands.
But apart from that, despite being an informant, he didn't actually know much about her. There was no important information about how cute she is when she drinks, how adorable she is when she loudly smiles, that she likes to play the piano and often makes funny sounds.
And more and more, he just wants to know that kind of thing and curse because he wants to see them.
"The princess asked us to get to know each other more..."
As soon as he heard those words, Isidor somehow felt that it was like Princess Deborah.
He felt surprised and ironically thought that it made her more attractive.
"Let's get to know each other...
He extended his defenseless exposed hand.
Without gloves, he looked at his unfamiliar hands, as if they belonged to someone else, and then stood up to go to the meeting place.
------------------------
Today, my reflection in the mirror was twice as beautiful as usual. I just asked them to bring clothes that fit the theater's dress code, but all the maids suddenly mobilized all their forces.
"You can't lose in the name of women.
"He is very powerful, but you still have the pride of Seymour.
They murmured with somber faces.
Normally, they tremble a little when they look me in the eyes, but where did this kind of courage come from suddenly? It was strange.
The preparation time was surprisingly long, so I barely arrived just before the play started.
Fortunately, the meeting point was in the Yones district, so it wasn't too far from the house.
"There he is."
I got off the carriage and immediately found Isidor.
He was standing in front of the theater, looking at the brochures with an expressionless face.
If you look at him like that, he seems very aloof.
Standing alone, he exuded an atmosphere that was difficult to approach and talk to.
Now that I think about it, Isidor is popular among young women at the level of an idol, but no one treats him comfortably except the fifth princess.
Because he has a calm and reserved aura, I thought he would be more approachable.
"Oh..."
Isidor, who had been flipping through the brochure, suddenly raised his head and looked into my eyes, five or six steps away.
I involuntarily clenched my fists at his smile that naturally spread across his lips like a painting.
"Oh, this is a big problem. He's too handsome."
"Have you arrived already?"
With a sweet smile, he quickly approached me.
"Yes, as you can see."
Isidor slowly blinked his long eyelashes and looked at me for a moment.
"What is it?"
"In reality, you look very beautiful today. Especially with the curly bangs."
That's because the maids made a fuss even with the hot iron.
"You also look great today."
I complimented him, but his expression was not refreshing.
"What do you specifically like? ... So that I can consider it next time."
"It's hard to pinpoint."
After thinking for a while, I opened my mouth.
"Broad shoulders?"
He seemed to see a hint of embarrassment on his face, but he must have been mistaken.
"Hmm, first of all, shall we go in? We arrived at a good time. The play will probably start as soon as we enter."
"Why?"
"You'll see."
Kara is the largest shopping street in the Yones district, and around the theater, it was crowded with nobles, so he extended his arm as if trying to escort me through the crowd.
I hesitated for a second, then firmly took his arm and entered the theater.
"Come this way."
Surprisingly, there weren't many people inside the theater because the play I chose wasn't very popular.
In particular, the area around the most expensive Royal Box was completely empty.
<The Secret of the Grand Duke of the North> has an intriguing title, so I honestly thought there would be a lot of people.
"...it's nice to be comfortable."
"I already knew."
Did you know that the play wasn't fun? Why didn't you say it earlier?
"...but I'll still watch it."
He assumed that the play wasn't successful, but the seats were good enough to see the actors' pores.
As I had never enjoyed such luxury in my past life, I gradually began to look forward to it.
"Princess Deborah, after watching this, shall we go to dinner? What do you think?"
"It seems Sir Isidor likes to plan the future."
"I don't know where the princess will go. There are many variables."
"Regardless, I never skip dinner."
He and I whispered a bit, then closed our mouths.
The orchestra began to move as if the play was about to begin, and soon the room gradually darkened.
Finally, a light came on in the center of the stage, and the actor who claimed to be playing the role of the Grand Duke of the North came out.
The actors' voices and performances were excellent, so I could immediately immerse myself in the play.
"Oh? It's very entertaining."
Although there wasn't a large audience, it was worth watching, and the content was interesting.
During the day, he is a polite knight, but at night he becomes the prince of the night called "Rexton" and leads a double life.
And the heroine, naturally, falls in love with the affectionate archduke who takes care of her.
However, in reality, the Grand Duke is the same person as Rexton, whom she despises for being cruel, and he continues to lie because he doesn't want to lose the female protagonist, who looks at him kindly.
The sense of crisis that the Grand Duke could be revealed gradually increased, and the play gradually reached a climax with a magnificent orchestral performance.
I was frantically immersed in the play, and as soon as it ended, I looked at Isidor with a bit of excitement.
"Sir Isidor, it was very enjoyable..."
I made eye contact with him immediately because he was watching me.
