Who Could Have Loved the Monster Princess? - Chapter 6
I had slightly envied the life of an ordinary noble lady, but I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. I hadn’t even mentioned wanting to wear a dress for the coming-of-age ceremony.
“How did you know?”
“You were contemplating what to wear for the coming-of-age ceremony, and you were eyeing the dress,” Mir replied.
Me? I didn’t realize it at all.
“Was I really that obvious?”
“Not really, because I know you have a wide field of vision.”
Apparently, Mir had been watching me closely and noticed. I felt a little embarrassed.
‘A dress for a monster like me.’
I wondered how ridiculous people would find it. I regretted ordering the dress.
‘No one else noticed, right?’
Thankfully, apart from Mir, no one else talked about the dress. However, Mir seemed quite disappointed, gazing at my attire with a look of regret.
“I was hoping…”
They seemed genuinely let down. She may have strange tastes, but Mir’s reaction made me feel better. Feeling uplifted by her presence, I involuntarily tried to justify myself.
“It just didn’t fit…”
It was a lie. I didn’t say more, but he dress did really suit me well. If I didn’t like the veil, I should have just not worn it. But that was just an excuse for not wearing it. The dress was just too awkward for me; I couldn’t bring myself to be seen in public in it.
Mir looked at me with confusion. However, she didn’t call me out on my excuses and called me beautiful. She was a friend who always complimented me no matter what I wore, but she was also wise enough to respect my wishes for now.
I gained a bit of courage from her, honestly. Perhaps it would have been fine if it were a smaller event rather than this grand affair.
I finally spoke up after a while. “Next time…”
But someone cut me off with a question before I could finish speaking.
“Belienne, still not feeling human yet?”
It was rude to ask a lady, and an insulting thing to say to the acting Duchess of Staedt. It didn’t matter if he was the future ruler of the empire.
Prince Carnelian Latropole. He was a kind-hearted attractive man with honey-colored blond hair and green eyes. Today, he dressed very handsomely, perhaps finally trying to pick out a future princess at the coming-of-age ceremony. The sable fur on his shoulders especially looked like something an aristocratic gentleman would wear on a garden stroll to enjoy the evening breeze.
But I didn’t care how nice he looked. The words coming out of their mouths weren’t nice at all.
‘He’s so kind to other ladies.’
He was only rude towards his friends. I have no idea why I’m categorized as one of his friends.
“Exactly as you see.” I shrugged it off, and he laughed heartily. If he was treating me like a friend, I was treating him like a not-quite-friend.
“Your outfit today suits you very well.”
Thinking he might be trying to mock me again, I squinted at him. The seriousness in his eyes looked like he was being genuine this time.
‘Is this really a compliment? Or is it just a nice thing to say because it’s my coming-of-age ceremony?’
I truly appreciate sincere compliments, so I tried to return it gratefully, but Carnelian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“But why would you wear the skin of your own people?”
It wasn’t a genuine compliment at all, that pompous *ss!
I was dumbfounded and speechless. Mir, who was beside me, spoke up.
“If you’re calling reptiles with scales her kin, then considering the mammalian carcass draped on Your Highness’s shoulders, that could also be seen as wearing one of your own people.”
There was no sarcasm in Mir’s tone. It was very matter-of-fact.
Carnelian glanced somewhat uneasily at the sable fur he was wearing. I chuckled silently.
‘What a clever answer to a foolish question. Related but not relatives.’
Carnelian apologized to Mir. “I was joking about the kinship.”
“I see. I wasn’t joking, I was stating a fact.”
Since Mir didn’t understand what was wrong, it seemed like she was asking Carnelian to explain. Eventually, Carnelian’s head dropped in embarrassment.
“Belienne, it wasn’t a joke about the clothes suiting you. Let’s talk again when we’re without the sage.” Carnelian leaned in closer, speaking to me almost in a whisper. “I have something to say. Just the two of us.”
“……?”
