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The banquet welcoming His Highness Prince Mikhail concluded without incident.
Many of the invited guests had managed to exchange words with Mikhail, to meet his eyes and receive a smile, or to obtain some form of personal memory. They departed for home in an elevated mood. For them, this night would become a lifelong remembrance.

In one of the carriages making its way back, the following conversation took place.

.

“Reflect more deeply than the sea.”

Pointing her fan sharply at her younger brother, who sat stiffly across from her, the elder sister spoke in a voice like steel.
Incidentally, her husband sat beside her, but reading the atmosphere, had become one with his seat.

“Why do I have to reflect just because I called you…?”

The younger brother muttered sulkily. His sister was a fearsome presence, but also an object of indulgence. Or perhaps he was simply incorrigible.

“Because it was entirely obvious that you intended, if possible, to have me introduce you to Lady Ekaterina and then invite her to dance. You fool. After watching the first dance, you should have understood that His Highness Mikhail holds special interest in the young lady.”
“That’s exactly why! I just wanted a small memory—being able to say I danced one song with the future Empress. That much is fine, isn’t it?”
“Understand that such a ‘small memory’ carries the risk of incurring the displeasure of the future Emperor! The fact that you cannot make even that level of judgment is why I call you a fool. And besides—”

The sister spread her fan to conceal her mouth and cast a thoroughly contemptuous gaze at her brother.

“One song for a ‘small memory’? It is entirely transparent that you were thinking of deliberately brushing against her to enjoy the ‘sensation.’ To speak plainly, that is all you were thinking about. If someone so transparent were to dance with the young lady, His Grace the Duke would surely cut you down on the spot!”
“I-I wasn’t thinking that! …Well, maybe a little, but that’s just normal, and besides, that’s how men admire beauty…”

His eyes darted, and he sent a pleading look toward his brother-in-law. But the perceptive brother-in-law was so perfectly attuned to the atmosphere that he might as well have been invisible.

“That is precisely why you are without a suitor.”

Slash———!
A clean cut, once more.

“As the heir to the Viscountcy of Novaras, after flitting about endlessly at the academy and failing to secure a betrothal, losing repeatedly in the territory, and finally making a blunder at your great-grandfather’s last service as butler to the ducal house—this is intolerable.”

Indeed, these siblings were the great-grandchildren of Novaras, the elderly butler of the House of Jurnova.

“‘Great-grandfather’s last service’… he says that every time.”
“In some circles, he is called ‘the Weathercock Phoenix.’”

In truth, the old butler Novaras was famous as a weathercock, shifting the direction of his loyalty according to the prevailing winds. That was precisely why he had managed to retain his position even under the severe Aleksandra. His vitality was such that people joked he might never die. Whether that was truly what a phoenix was like was another matter.

“But now that Lord Aleksei has established an unassailable regime, we are running out of time. For the Novaras family not to lose its connection to the main house, either Grandfather or Father must secure a position within the ducal household. At such a time, if you do something to incur His Grace’s displeasure, it would be better to disinherit you.”
“Ugh…”
“And furthermore—”

The sister exhaled.

“That wonderful first dance… it would have been unthinkable in Lady Aleksandra’s time. I felt the era had truly changed, and nearly wept. Even we, protected by Great-Grandfather’s weathercocking, were glared at and criticized endlessly if we wore so much as a slightly eye-catching dress…”

She gripped her fan tightly, then regained herself and cleared her throat.

“That first dance was the young lady’s idea. The new mistress of Jurnova will surely bring an open wind to high society. Even today, she expressed her wish that everyone enjoy themselves and took various thoughtful measures. She is kind. And she is the one His Highness holds dear—the future Empress! For the glory of Jurnova, we women of the branch families shall support the young lady with all our strength.”

She clenched her fan.

“From what I observed today, the young lady seems very intelligent—but exceedingly naive in matters between men and women. Though she appears mature, she is in truth a sheltered, pure-bred princess. It is unforgivable for a vulgar creature like you to cast sullied eyes upon such innocence. Remember that well.”
“You didn’t have to go that far!”

The younger brother yelped, but fell silent at a single glare from his sister.

.

“So the young wives are united in supporting the young lady as well?”
“Yes, Mother.”

Margarita answered her mother Adelaine, barely containing her smile.
Her father Novak, her brother Andrei, and Margarita’s husband were returning in another carriage, engaged in private discussion. Incidentally, Margarita’s husband was a friend of Andrei’s and someone whose abilities Novak had recognized. After Aleksei inherited the title, he had been appointed commander-in-chief of the capital guard. In carrying out the purge of opposing forces, Aleksei had fully secured control over both the knightly order and the capital guard.

“Everyone felt that things would change greatly from Lady Aleksandra’s era and were invigorated by it. And the young lady’s sense is wonderful. That Celestial Azure she always incorporates somewhere in her dresses—apparently a newly discovered dye makes it far more affordable than before. She encouraged us to try it. Mother, you should consider it as well.”
“Oh my! That would suit women of any age. I shall recommend it to my friends.”

Thinking of her recently increased number of “friends,” Adelaine smiled knowingly.

“And above all, that first dance. The future Emperor dancing our local dance as though he were one of Jurnova’s own—it moved everyone deeply. And all four were so beautiful, their dancing magnificent. Most of all, to think one could glimpse true love in a dance about love! It is far more thrilling than watching a play at the theater. And yet the young lady truly seems unaware. I tried several times to allude to it, but she either did not grasp the meaning or misunderstood. And she simply adores her elder brother, His Grace the Duke.”

When Ekaterina had spun and entwined the ribbon around Mikhail’s hand, Margarita had admired her as a masterful tactician, stringing along his heart. Yet it seemed to have been done without calculation, in pure innocence—which was perhaps even more formidable.
Margarita sighed softly.

“To speak frankly, I find the young lady somewhat unbalanced. She is intelligent, with astonishingly mature aspects, yet in other respects far too childlike. And she does not seem to know many of the unspoken rules of society—those matters between houses that must not be touched. Though, given her unfortunate circumstances, that is only natural…”

Realizing she was approaching a forbidden subject, Margarita hastily fell silent.

“Yes, when I instructed her in dancing, I tried to teach her as much as possible. But such unspoken rules are too varied to systematize. They must be learned through practice, case by case. And since they differ between men and women, His Grace cannot teach them either… besides, he approves of everything the young lady does.”

This time Adelaine smiled wryly and fell silent.

“Nevertheless, the young lady is intelligent and kind, capable of persuading those around her through her own judgment. She possesses innate charm. Oh yes—she spoke with Lady Zoya. I was so pleased.”
“Oh? You were close to her in your youth, though she feels quite different now.”

Zoya was the widow who had attended the banquet in bold attire.

She had been Margarita’s friend since girlhood. Raised in a strict household, as she matured and her figure became more womanly, she had grown ashamed, wearing loose, unfashionable clothes and walking with a stoop, eyes downcast.
Her father and brother were the type to look down upon women, mocking and berating her; it seemed close to abuse. She had been married off, almost sold, to a much older man.

Fortunately, her husband had been kind, teaching her the joy of dressing in clothing that suited her, and rejoicing greatly when their son was born. Though their marriage had been short, he had taken every measure to ensure his vast fortune would belong to his son and wife.

At once, Zoya’s father and brother had attempted to intrude for the sake of the inheritance—but it was Zoya who drove them away. It was from that time that she began wearing provocative, challenging attire. For naturally shy Zoya, those clothes were battle garb—a means to become another self and fight. It was her resolve to be reborn for her son’s sake.

Though her father and brother scorned women, they were womanizers and, in a sense, feared women. Perhaps Zoya unconsciously perceived this. Seeing them flustered before her feminine allure gave her immense confidence.

Since then, acting as head in place of her young son, Zoya continued to fight in her battle attire.
Her father and brother, estranged from her, had been associates of Novadine and were recently exposed and arrested for wrongdoing. Their estrangement had proven fortunate.

After hearing Zoya’s brief account, Ekaterina had said earnestly:

*“You became strong for your child. Stories of such mothers truly move the heart.”*

At those words, the ladies gasped. They remembered how Anastasia, Ekaterina and Aleksei’s mother—the tragic duchess—had not been able to become as strong.

“The young lady spoke kindly to Lady Zoya. What I found skillful was that afterward she asked about the hardships of child-rearing and drew the surrounding ladies into the conversation. They grew animated over stories of struggles and proud boasts… Lady Zoya, who often finds herself isolated among married women, was able to laugh together within the circle. For so young a lady, it was masterfully done.”

This was thanks to Ekaterina’s previous-life experience in her late twenties, knowing which topics most animated her married friends.

“To support the young lady is to support Lord Aleksei. We shall, in the way of women, support His Grace’s regime together with Father and Andrei.”
“Yes, Mother.”