Chapter 1383. An Unexpected Debut (18)

“Do you think Peneloti is alright?” Lady Pastel asked.

“Doesn’t she seem the same as usual?” Lady Palette asked.

“No, Palette. She’s definitely different from usual. Ever since that day, something has changed,” Lady Pastel remarked.

“Exactly what’s changed?” Lady Palette asked.

“I-I don’t know!” Lady Pastel yelled out.

“What?”

“It’s hard to explain, but something’s different! She’s out on the balcony right now, too. Lately, she has been staring blankly at the sky and looking around the garden. She'd sigh deeply for no reason as well. Then, she'd lower her head like she’s thinking about something serious.

"It's like she’s burdened with heavy thoughts,” Lady Pastel explained.

“Lady Pastel, you’ve been watching all that? That’s a bit...” Lady Palette trailed off.

“No, I’m not trying to be weird...

Ugh!

Palette, you just didn’t notice because you go out to smoke every day! Anyone nearby will notice it! She hasn’t been smiling much lately, either. Remember when those scoundrels came to our salon last time?

"She wasn’t herself. It was like her mind was somewhere else... Yeah, even when she's with me, she can't seem to focus on our conversation. Something definitely happened. I’m sure of it,” Lady Pastel explained.

“Yeah... I can’t say she’s acting like her usual self either. Considering the Duke Pinkrain incident... and Peneloti’s sisters...” Lady Palette said.

“S-so she really is being ignored by her family,” Lady Pastel muttered.

‘It’s not as simple as being ignored, you know.’

“That’s probably very likely,” Lady Palette said.

“Isn’t that strange? What did Peneloti even do wrong? All that talk about being cursed or unlucky is just really strange. And even if that were true, do you really think how they treat her is normal? She’s family! How can they treat her like a stranger?” Lady Pastel complained.

“...”

“I can’t just sit by like this. Palette, I’m going to see Karina Peneloti myself and ask exactly what’s going on, why they’re so eager to tear her down,” Lady Pastel added.

“You’d better not. I understand how you feel, Lady Pastel, but this is a private matter of the Peneloti Family. Something you say or do without thinking can put Lady Peneloti in an even worse position,” Lady Palette warned her.

“B-but we can’t just do nothing! Don’t you think that’s too cold, Palette? Imagine if it were you!” Lady Pastel shouted.

“If it were me, I’d wish that no one interfered. Once Lady Peneloti successfully finishes her debutante ball, she’ll naturally drift away from the Peneloti house,” Lady Palette remarked.

“But still... she’s family! Do you really think that’s right?! Shouldn’t they support her and comfort her?! Palette, you really—” Lady Pastel argued.

‘You guys are too loud. Guys, everyone can hear you, you know.’

“I only spoke the truth, Lady Pastel,” Lady Palette said.

“B-but... B-Brush! Say something! You agree with me, right? Don’t you?” Lady Pastel asked.

“Well...” Lady Brush mumbled.

“Wh-what? Brush, not you too...” Lady Pastel muttered.

“No, that’s not what I meant, Lady Pastel," Lady Brush replied. "In fact, I agree with you. If there’s a way we can help solve the problem, then of course we should. We offered her some comfort, but honestly, it doesn’t feel right."

“Right? But...”

“What I'm saying is that the reason Lady Peneloti has been acting strangely lately is neither Duke Pinkrain nor the Peneloti Family’s second daughter,” Lady Brush added.

“W-what? What do you mean by that?” Lady Pastel asked, sounding flustered.

As usual, Lady Brush’s voice sounded energetic as she revealed. “Haven’t you heard?! Lady Peneloti met with Count Kim Hyun-Sung in the garden...”

“

Huh

? P-Peneloti never told me about that...” Lady Pastel mumbled.

“She’s probably feeling out of it to mention it... In fact, Lady Peneloti came to my room late at night,” Lady Brush said.

“W-what?! What did you say?!” Lady Pastel shouted.

Lady Pastel looked completely startled. It was probably an overreaction, but...

'It makes sense.’

Lady Peneloti had always stayed closest to Lady Pastel, and the latter believed that she was Lady Peneloti's dearest friend. However, Lady Peneloti had apparently shared something personal with Brush instead of her.

Considering Lady Pastel's sensitive nature, it was only natural for her to feel hurt.

It was akin to hearing from someone else that her two "good" friends had gone out together without her.

In truth, Lady Peneloti had only gone to Brush’s room, as she was the only one still awake after the late-night meeting with Kim Hyun-Sung in the garden, but of course, Lady Pastel had no way of knowing that.

Even if that weren't the case, Peneloti would still go to Brush first, anyway.

‘She’s the best at making a big deal out of everything.’

Sure enough, Pastel saw Brush warming up with her lips fluttering.

Brush was clearly itching to talk about it.

“

Huh?

C-can you tell me exactly what happened, Brush?” Lady Pastel asked.

“Well, that night...” Lady Brush paused and repeated. “

Uh-huh

. That night..."

“Yes,

that

night. The night Karina Peneloti took Lady Peneloti away. Apparently, something happened in the garden that day. Lady Peneloti didn’t go into detail, but it clearly wasn’t something good,” Lady Brush continued.

“R-really?” Lady Pastel asked.

“Yes. Anyway, while Lady Peneloti was hiding alone in the garden, Count Kim Hyun-Sung showed up, can you believe it?” Lady Brush said.

“What?”

“He personally comforted her when she was heartbroken and feeling down! I don’t know exactly how he comforted her, but one thing’s certain—Count Kim Hyun-Sung has stolen Lady Peneloti’s heart,” Lady Brush explained.

“...”

She was doing really well.

“Well... I don’t know... that seems a bit...” Lady Pastel muttered.

“You mean it’s too soon? No! Absolutely not! The very next day, Lady Peneloti came to me again and...” Lady Brush trailed off.

“Yes?”

“She said her chest felt tight!” Lady Brush exclaimed.

“

Huh?

”

“She said her face kept flushing, her heart ached right in the middle, and she couldn’t stop thinking about someone... Anyway, Lady Peneloti asked me about it,” Lady Brush said.

“What did she say?” Lady Pastel asked.

“She said she didn’t know why she was feeling that way,” Lady Brush answered.

“So what did you tell her?” Lady Pastel asked.

“What else? I told her it was love!” Lady Brush exclaimed excitedly.

“What?!” Lady Pastel shouted.

“Of course, it can only be love! Ever since that day, Lady Peneloti has been staring up at the sky, gazing into the garden, and sighing deeply... Isn’t it obvious who she’s thinking of? She's not the Marchioness of Jayce, but the Countess Kim-to-be!

"Sure, it’s unfortunate for the House of Jayce, but for Lady Peneloti, it’s wonderful! We’re talking about a

Count of the Empire

! A Count of the Empire! It’s revolutionary! A debutante like this has never existed in the history of the Union of Kingdoms!”

“

Uh...

”

“In that sense, who cares what the Peneloti Family says?! Becoming happy is the most revolutionary revenge of all! No matter what they say now, Lady Peneloti is practically promised to marry the Count of the Empire! And if, afterward, she wants to take her revenge in blood, she can always do that, too!

"If we lend her a bit of help, turning the lives of the Peneloti Family and Karina Peneloti upside down will be as easy as taking candy from a baby!” Lady Brush exclaimed.

‘Uh, that’s... a bit much...’

Lady Palette was nodding along, and Lady Paint sighed heavily. Brush went on and on, while Lady Pastel still looked at me with a face full of disbelief and lingering hurt.

When I finally stepped inside, she was looking at me as though she was about to burst into tears. It seemed she wanted to say something, but she simply couldn’t find the words.

Lady Paint had been quietly observing the situation, and she was the first one to speak, saying, “Lady Peneloti. We know everything.”

“

Ah

... what? Lady Paint?” I asked.

“Is it Marquis Jayce or Count Kim Hyun-Sung?” Lady Paint asked.

“Pardon?”

“Depending on what decision you'll make, Lady Peneloti, we can determine the direction of our salon more clearly. Personally, I hope you’ll choose the House of Jayce. The Empire is just so far away... so it'll be hard for us to see you often.

"Of course, Count Kim Hyun-Sung isn’t a bad choice, either. You could become a symbolic bridge for an alliance between our nations... and besides, the Empire

is

the Empire. But still... what matters most is your heart, Lady Peneloti,” Lady Paint explained.

‘She’s really going all in. I’ve definitely benefited a lot from these ladies.’

It meant she was determined to give her full support as soon as she had decided to stand behind me. If I were to choose Kim Hyun-Sung, she’d no doubt arrange brunches, salon meetings, and even gatherings with nobles from the Empire or with those in the Union of Kingdoms with close ties to the Empire.

The debutante ball itself was important, of course, but this was her way of saying she intended to prepare connections for me

after

the debutante season as well.

Although the Duke Pinkrain incident had somewhat dampened the salon’s momentum, she clearly still believed that she could handle

this

much.

“You don’t have to think about marriage or the future so seriously right now. Just tell us which way your heart leans a little more, that’s all...” Lady Paint clarified.

“

Ah

... honestly, I’m not really sure myself,” I answered.

Of course, balance had to be maintained.

‘I still have things I need to find out about Kim Hyun-Sung...’

After all, the lore was that First Life Commander Jin was here to stir something up. I needed to know exactly when and what he was planning.

“There’s no need to rush a decision, is there, Paint? You can see Peneloti’s confused,” Lady Brush said.

“...”

“...”

“You’re right. I might’ve sounded a little impatient,” Lady Paint said.

‘You did.’

Still, her feelings were understandable. From Lady Paint’s point of view, there was no guarantee that all this buzz and attention would last forever. Even though the Black Rose Salon was filled with strong personalities, maintaining such popularity indefinitely was impossible.

At their core, the ladies of the Black Rose Salon were from relatively modest noble backgrounds, and their style didn’t quite fit the conventional image expected in the Union of Kingdoms’ high society.

To put it bluntly,

this

was the peak of their influence. The fact that she wanted me to quickly establish ties with either the Marquis Jayce or Count Kim Hyun-Sung only showed how much she genuinely cared about me, Lady Peneloti.

“For now, I think it’s best to get to know both gentlemen a little better. We’ll narrow down the candidates and turn down all the others. You agree with me, don’t you, Lady Peneloti? Do you still want to meet the others?’ Lady Paint asked.

'Hmm...'

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I shook my head anyway. There was still the Duke Pinkrain incident, and casual socializing could easily be done within the salon.

“

Phew

... I’m glad. If you had insisted on continuing with everyone, I would’ve tried to stop you. For now, it’s best to focus on those two. I’d normally suggest narrowing it down to one, but since your heart’s undecided, I suppose we’ll wait,” she suggested.

“Okay.”

“Then from now on, I’ll set a slightly more

aggressive

schedule,” she said.

‘I don’t even have to lift a finger. They’re doing everything for me.’

Now this was what friends were for. They were even holding a debate about who would be the better match for me.

“Let’s go over this one by one. The most important thing, of course, is looks. Revolutionary looks,” Lady Brush suggested.

“Personally, I think Marquis Jayce is more handsome, Lady Peneloti,” Lady Palette said.

“Pardon?”

'Well... I’ll respect your taste. There are all kinds of people in the world, after all.'

“

Oh

? Marquis Jayce is dashing, sure, but... o-objectively speaking, isn’t Count Kim Hyun-Sung... a little more... handsome?” Lady Brush asked.

“I agree with Lady Brush,” Lady Paint chimed in.

“So Lady Paint thinks so too? What about you, Lady Pastel?”

“M–me? I... I guess, if I

had

to choose, Marquis Jayce... I mean, not that he’s

that

handsome or anything, but... Count Kim Hyun-Sung just feels kind of... cold, I guess... a bit... unsettling...” Lady Pastel answered.

'Wow. A perfect two-to-two split.'

“Personality-wise, it’s Count Kim Hyun-Sung for me. It’s still hard to fully understand either of their characters, but Count Kim Hyun-Sung’s virtue is well known throughout the Empire. They say he’s fair and upright, and that he can never stand to see injustice.”

‘He seemed fine with injustice to me.’

“Compared to him, Marquis Jayce... how should I put it... seems like the type who won't hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve his goals. However, it's a given, as he’s the shadow protecting the kingdom. Of course, that’s not necessarily a flaw, and it could even be a strength.”

“As for wealth, Marquis Jayce definitely has more! Sure, Count Kim Hyun-Sung has substantial support from the Empire, but the House of Jayce has been a prestigious family for generations. There’s no way a recently appointed count can outmatch that.”

“...”

“...”

“The one who’d be kinder to children would be Count Kim Hyun-Sung, right? He might look cold, but that gentle smile he shows sometimes...”

“Actually, people like Marquis Jayce tend to be more attentive to their families.”

'That’s true.'

“...”

“...”

“Count Kim Hyun-Sung used to be an adventurer, right? That’s something to consider, too. He must have a tough side...”

“What are you talking about?! Count Kim Hyun-Sung must’ve been a noble even before he was summoned to this world. Can’t you tell just by looking at him? His aura and grace... he was

born

a noble.”

'Well, if we’re talking modern nobility, he does fit the part.'

They kept going on and on about every little thing—from who spoke better to the tiniest details about manners and demeanor. There was no sign of the discussion ending anytime soon.

“

Kyaaaaaaaaaah

! Oh my goodness! It’s definitely Count Kim Hyun-Sung!”

“Agreed. Just this once, I’ll vote objectively and vote for Count Kim Hyun-Sung.”

“Me, too... Count Kim Hyun-Sung for me.”

“It’s obvious! Completely obvious! It’s revolutionary!”

By now, they were talking entirely without me. If that letter hadn’t arrived in the middle of it, they would have gone on until morning.

“...”

“...”

“A letter’s here! Lady Peneloti! From Marquis Jayce! And Count Kim Hyun-Sung, too!”

“...”

“

Oh

wow, there are more letters than usual today,

huh

, Peneloti?”

Indeed, there were more letters than usual.

My eyes drifted toward the stack of envelopes.

“...”

‘Nice.’

I saw letters from my guild members.