◇11 The Crown Prince's Birthday Party
A cloudless blue sky.
It feels as if the heavens themselves are celebrating.
Today is the Crown Prince of Symphonia Empire's birthday party.
In exactly one week, there will be the Founding Festival, and the capital is already filled with festive cheer.
I love this kind of atmosphere, but honestly, I’m not too excited about today’s birthday party.
After all, the target characters and main characters are definitely going to be there... and Elliot himself is a target character.
It’s troublesome if I make someone dislike me, and even more troublesome if I attract too much interest.
It’s tricky...
It would be great if I could just slip through that gap unnoticed.
So, the best strategy is to avoid meeting anyone.
That’s the key.
The Crown Prince's birthday party is a celebration of the fact that the Crown Prince is now seven years old and officially recognized as the future king.
As such, almost all the nobles from across the country gather, along with their sons and daughters.
However, it’s not mandatory to attend, so there’s no pressure.
For nobles from rural areas or the outskirts, travel and accommodation costs alone can be quite high.
Sending a polite congratulatory letter and a gift is enough to maintain face.
For someone like the protagonist, Estelle, who is the daughter of a newly minted baron from the outskirts, that would probably be the case.
After all, her family just became barons, and they would likely need to save money.
However, for those with territories near the capital or wealthier higher-ranking nobles, the situation is different.
If they can win the favor of the future king, the Crown Prince, a man might become a close aide, and a woman could end up marrying into wealth.
At this point, I’d probably already be engaged.
They might have made the announcement at this party.
I’m so glad I turned it down back then.
Anyway, since this morning, I’ve been dressed up by my mother and the maids.
How many more times do we have to do this?
I really don’t need all these jewel-encrusted accessories...
I’m just a child, I don’t need this.
"No, no! Today is also Sakuraile-chan’s debut, so we can’t slack off! We have to make sure you look absolutely adorable!"
Even if I look cute, I don’t have anyone I especially want to show off to, and I don’t really care...
Today’s party is the occasion where I, who have been in poor health and undergoing treatment, will finally make my public debut as a noblewoman in front of other aristocrats.
My debut as a socialite and being treated as an adult will come later, but today is my debut as a noble daughter.
I understand why my mother and the maids are putting so much effort into it...
The party, including the noble sons and daughters, is held from late morning to the evening.
After all, the children are the main guests.
Until just before the party starts, I’m piled up with dresses, makeup, and accessories, and finally, I can get into the carriage heading to the castle.
By the way, I firmly rejected the idea of vertical curls.
There’s no way I’m going to wear a hairstyle that looks like a villainess’s signature style.
It’s bad luck!
Seriously...
I’m already mentally exhausted before the party even starts...
"My lady, once we arrive at the venue, don’t forget to smile.
Please, no expressions like the one you have now."
"Yes..."
Alisa, the maid who got into the carriage with my parents, gave me a stern reminder, and I forced a smile.
"That’s fine.
As always, your smile is passable."
Of course, it’s because I’ve been made to do this constantly.
As a duchess’s daughter, I must not show my true feelings.
Hide them behind the mask of a smile... you see?
In the game, Sakuraile was always angry, sneering, and expressing her emotions openly.
But did she ever really receive proper lady training?
I don’t want to get too friendly with the target characters, but I do want to build good relationships with the other noble children.
To do that, I can’t act with a sulky face.
I need to approach them with a smile.
But I must keep the villainess’s sneering smile locked away.
"Hopefully, you'll make some new friends.
Try talking to lots of people.
I’m sure you’ll find someone you get along with."
"But, be careful with the boys, okay?
There are some who will approach with ulterior motives."
What my father means by "ulterior motives" is probably related to our title as Dukes.
Or perhaps it’s just the typical "men are like wolves" thing.
Well, I’m not interested in younger boys, so I’m not worried.
After all, I even turned down the Crown Prince himself!
Still, my father seemed concerned, listing out a lot of cautions.
In the end, my mother had to scold him for being so persistent.
I can’t really say anything, though.
After I was kidnapped, my father probably became a bit of a worrywart.
I can’t really blame him for that.
How could I dismiss him when he’s so worried?
Anyway, the carriage finally arrived at the royal palace.
Like a roundabout with a fountain at the center, the carriage stopped in front of the stairs leading into the castle, where the nobles and their children got out, and then the carriage continued in the opposite direction.
When the carriage stopped and we, excluding Alisa, got out and walked down the stairs, a guard who had been waiting suddenly raised his voice.
"Cloud Li Philharmonie, Duke; Ashley La Philharmonie, Duchess; Sakuraile La Philharmonie, Daughter of the Duke, entering the castle!"
Eh...?
They’re announcing us like that?!
This didn’t happen last time...
Was it because that time was just a family gathering?
Ugh, we’re standing out now...
Of course, that makes sense.
After all, my father is a royal prince.
It’s impossible not to be the center of attention.
My father has inherited the title of Duke of Philharmonie, but he hasn’t renounced his royal status.
He still holds his position in the royal family and has the right of succession to the throne.
In the unlikely event that something were to happen to the Emperor or the Crown Prince, my father would become the next Emperor.
For this reason, he remains a member of the royal family.
And because of that, I, too, am considered part of the royal family.
If something were to happen to Elliot or my father, I would be the next female Emperor.
I really hope that doesn’t happen.
By the way, the "Li" and "La" that appear between the first and last names indicate nobility.
To put it simply, the fewer letters in the middle name, the higher the rank of the noble.
The Philharmonie family, which has royal blood, has a one-letter title.
The differences between "Li" and "La" for my mother, father, and me are based on gender.
This only applies to royalty; other nobles have the same gendered titles.
Royalty and Dukes use one letter, Marquises and Barons use two letters, Counts and Viscounts use three, and Barons use four letters.
Knights or temporary nobles like baronets don’t use these prefixes.
The titles indicate roughly what rank the person is in noble society, just by their name.
By the way, once an adult leaves their family, these middle names, like a surname, are dropped.
This is the case for noble children who are not the firstborn.
Until they reach adulthood, they are considered part of the noble family, but since they won’t inherit the family title, they lose their noble status once they become adults.
They are still in a better position than commoners, but their status is not much different from that of other nobles' children.
Furthermore, this status is only for one generation.
However, they can regain their noble status through marriage or by achieving something that earns them a title, thereby becoming independent nobles.
For younger sons of noble families, the quickest route is often to become a knight.
Knights are one-generation nobles, but their status is higher than that of commoners or just noble children.
"The Emperor’s younger brother..."
"It’s Duke Philharmonie..."
"So, the daughter is here..."
Uh-oh. All eyes are on me. I can’t let my true face show now. Smile, smile.
I straightened my back and ascended the stairs gracefully. ...This is taking forever. I wish it were an escalator... No, wait, my dress might get caught. That wouldn't work.
Once I reached the top of the stairs and entered the castle, I saw a few nobles already mingling in the lobby. I noticed quite a few children around my age as well.
Today is the Crown Prince’s birthday party, so it makes sense that many of the children brought along are around the same age.
At least, I don’t see many teenagers, like those in high school in my previous life. There are a few, but I suspect they are the heads of households or acting as their representatives.
Among the people talking, my father approached a nobleman in his forties with a long white beard. Hmm? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before...
"Ah, Marquis Tenor. It's been a while."
"My, my, Duke Philharmonie. It’s been a long time."
When speaking in these kinds of settings, it’s proper etiquette for those of higher rank to speak first, my mother had quietly taught me. That’s why I noticed he had been glancing our way but hadn’t spoken to us.
It seems this doesn’t really apply to us yet since we haven’t made our social debut.
For example, while I am a "Duchess’s daughter," I am not a "Duke," so I have no subordinates or superiors in this regard. In other words, it’s not rude for Marquis Tenor to speak to me. Conversely, it’s not a problem for me to speak to him either, because I am a "Duchess’s daughter" and thus outrank him, as a "Duke’s" family.
If I were a "Baron’s" daughter, though, it would be an issue. Because of the family’s standing, if a child of a lower-ranking house speaks to someone of higher rank, it can reflect badly on their parents.
It’s really such a hassle... Sometimes I feel like, why can’t everyone just talk freely?
Well, it’s only a minor breach of etiquette, so it’s not something to be seriously reprimanded for, but there are those who are very strict about it.
"Is that young lady the one everyone’s been talking about?"
"Ah, yes, that’s Sakuraile. Sakurailel, this is Marquis Jace Van Tenor. He’s the Prime Minister of this country."
The Prime Minister, huh? That explains why I felt like I’d seen him somewhere before. He’s the one who stood by the Emperor’s side in Starlight Symphony. Since he only appeared in a still image with no lines, I didn’t recognize him at first.
I gave a curtsy, as I had been taught, and greeted the gentleman-like Prime Minister, who wore glasses.
"Nice to meet you, Prime Minister Tenor. I am Sakuraiel La Philharmonie. I’ve just returned to the capital. I look forward to working with you."
"Ah, my, how polite. I am Jace Van Tenor."
The Prime Minister didn’t have any children around the Crown Prince’s age, so he came alone. No other nobles interrupted the conversation between him and my father, who is a royal prince, and we continued on our way to the party venue.
"Wow...!"
I couldn’t help but exclaim at how large the party venue was. There were already so many nobles gathered.
Everyone was exchanging greetings while dividing into several groups to chat.
Naturally, there are factions even among the nobles—military and civilian, those who have been close to each other for generations, and those connected in various other ways.
As for my father, though he is second in line for the throne, he is close to his older brother, the Emperor, so in a way, he is part of the "Emperor’s faction."
Because of this, there were many nobles my father had to greet, and each time, I had to greet them as well as a first-time attendee. There were so many, though...
To be honest, after the first two or three people, I couldn’t remember who was who... None of the names or faces were familiar from the game, so I didn’t think I had to pay much attention.
"Are you tired, Sakurailel?"
"No, um, just a little..."
After greeting the nobles, I just stood there with a smile on my face, watching my father chat with them. It was actually quite draining. About seventy percent of the conversation was about my accomplishments... Really, my father’s a bit of a doting parent, isn’t he?
"We’re done with the greetings from the close nobles, so Sakuraile-chan, you can go over there and talk to the other children. The rest are invited foreign guests."
My mother gestured toward an area where a group of noble children were gathered.
It’s not typical for a child to follow their parents around greeting other nobles, but since I’ve never attended such an event before, it couldn’t be helped. Still, I honestly wished they’d let me go a bit earlier.
Anyway, finally freed, I separated from my parents and walked toward where the children were gathered.
"Ugh... I’m tired and the party hasn’t even started yet. I want to sit down for a bit..."
There was a long bench near the wall, so I sat down. Phew...
I was exhausted on the inside, but I kept a smile on my face. I can’t let my guard down... I hope this ends soon.
As I glanced around the party venue, I noticed a few people wearing outfits that were a bit different from the others. They were probably the invited foreign guests.
Having lived outside the country for several years, I could kind of tell. The king really wants to make sure everyone knows about Elliot, both inside and outside the country.
"You, how dare you wear such a dress to the Crown Prince’s birthday party. I’m impressed."
"Really. That design looks quite outdated, doesn’t it? I’ve heard that fashion is slow in the outskirts, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad..."
"Well, what can you expect from a daughter of a nouveau riche family from the outskirts? You might want to learn the capital's fashion today. Though by the time you visit again, it might be outdated once more."
Hmm?
As I was lost in thought, I overheard this conversation. When I looked, I saw three young ladies, probably a few years older than me, standing in front of someone, laughing while covering their mouths.
Oh, a real-life villainess? It seems like they’re everywhere...
Well, I suppose it’s understandable. Noble daughters are raised with flattery, so it’s not surprising. I was the same in the game...
Still, it doesn’t feel good. I stood up to confront them when I finally saw the face of the person they were laughing at.
"Estelle?"
"Huh?"
Standing there was none other than Starlight Symphony's protagonist, the heroine, Estelle Kline Euphonium.
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