Violet’s works, unfinished, had just been strewn out all over her studio, but they were soon collected and hung in the walls of the gallery. Despite being unfinished, they matched and harmonized with Violet’s art style, giving off a strange atmosphere, so they were still placed in the gallery.
Roen continued to be terribly busy, but he always made sure to make time for dinner. He was not technically the duke’s representative, but he was already being treated as such. His life was as hectic as the duke’s, but he always made time.
Roen finally realized. He came to understand why their father persistently continued having their desolate family dinners, and the reason behind why a family should gather and eat meals together.
Faint sympathy was formed within him for the duke, who remained at the duchy right now.
“Brother, you know you’re acting like an old geezer right now, yeah? You resemble Father like that.”
“Just sit down, will you.”
“Ohh~ So you wanna be the next duke, huh?”
“……”
“Haa.”
Dinner usually never ended amicably. There was always something the brothers would squabble about, but Violet herself did not care about the brothers who were arguing half-heartedly.
She wondered why she was always being called here. However, the question would soon dissipate into the air because the next question after that would be, ‘Even if I’m being called here, why did I come?’
It was a peaceful time.
* * *
The crown prince had sent a formal request, asking Violet to be his partner.
The imperial family and a ducal household. It was an established fact that these two families had limitless power. If members from those families would appear at the crown prince’s birthday banquet as partners, it might cause a bigger stir than one could expect.
Violet ruminated over whether this move was politically motivated, but she soon banished the train of thought. She’d leave this matter to Roen.
In any case, the crown prince had already been turned down.
The formal request had been rejected from Roen’s side.
“Looks like they want to use you as a decoy.”
“Decoy?”
Violet wasn’t particularly curious, but Roen took the time to give her an answer.
“Everyone’s attention would be on you. What do you think would happen if ‘Violet S. Everett’ would become the Crown Prince’s partner in that ball?”
“I’ll be branded as the Crown Princess.”
“Exactly. And in high society, they’ll talk only about you. You know this too, don’t you?”
“How annoying.”
“They’ll go and say, ‘You’ll become the Crown Prince’s consort, so be a decoy this time’. That’s what that guy’s up to. But well, I can’t possibly know everything that’s going on in that crafty punk’s head.”
The snake was talking smack behind the back of his fellow snake. Violet thought languidly, Is this kind of like how politicians cover up their corruption with celebrity scandals?
“So, why don’t you be my partner instead? That’ll temper the gossip.”
“Should I even care about such gossip?”
“…No.”
Just because Violet would instead be accompanied by Roen wouldn’t mean that those people would stop talking about the matter.
On the bright side, there would be new rumors about how the wicked woman had become much closer to her family.
But when considering it negatively, people would say that she must have signed a contract with the devil and succeeded in bewitching her family.
That’s just how dirty rumors were.
In the end, the fact that Roen was only looking out for Violet’s best interest had not changed.
“Then, who are you going with?”
“Sir Aldin. He already agreed.”
“…What?”
The newspaper crumpled sharply in Roen’s hands. Sure, he thought of Aldin positively, but outside of his individual self, there were many problems with his background.
One might wonder what’s wrong with being an illegitimate child, but there’s a big problem when the other half of the child’s lineage was of blue blood.
The wicked woman and the bastard son, both of them known as the disgrace of their respective ducal households.
Where in the world did they meet? Why did they have to become partners? There’s no need to doubt, because it was quite certain that all the busybodies buzzing around would flap their mouths nonstop.
“Does it have to be him?”
“Is there a reason why it can’t be him?”
“The reason for that is—”
But Roen stopped himself from continuing that sentence. Even if those busybodies would break their mouths from relentlessly talking about House Everett and House Aesir, they could do nothing to those great households. No, rather, they should be the ones who’d be more careful about catching the duchies’ attention.
This was what power was all about.
Determined to protect his younger sister, Roen no longer opposed.
“Violet.”
“Yees.”
“The celebration will last for seven days.”
“I know.”
“Then, I don’t believe you should be with the same partner for all seven days, yes?”
“……”
Roen was whining.
At this, Violet narrowed her eyes. What did he mean by that.
In return, Roen smiled when Violet looked at him like that instead of answering.
“Won’t you allow me to accompany you for even just one day?”
“No thanks.”
“Just one day.”
“No.”
“Even if I just accompany you until the entrance…”
“I refuse.”
“…I can’t?”
“Yes. You can’t.”
“…Are you sure?”
His humble request was, naturally, shot down.
Anyway, Violet had no intention of participating in all seven days of the celebration. She’d have to put on different ball gowns on each day while dolling herself up to the point of perfection. Just thinking about it made her terribly annoyed.
If she’d have to go, her pride wouldn’t allow herself to show a less than stellar appearance. That’s why it’s best not to go each day.
“…Okay, I understand.”
“Young Lord, you must be very popular anyway.”
“No one in particular has shown such attention towards me though.”
“My, my.”
Roen was saying a lot of things that would make the young noble ladies cry. Roen, too, was quite dashing as he had inherited their mother’s beauty, so all the ladies were swooning over him.
And, apparently, they’re crushing on him because he seemed to be a very kind man.
With absolutely no intention of intervening in her older brother’s love life, Violet had no other comments.