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“I figured the Empress would notice if I reached out to you through Bill, so here I am.”
“Did the Empress make a move?”
“That’s right.”
It was just the two of us in the parlor now, but I kept my voice low. If he went on his way to come to me like this, it had to have something to do with the Empress.
The crown prince’s voice followed my own.
I then sat down.
“During this morning’s cabinet meeting, Count Olette expressed his opinion on the matter of the knight selection test.”
A shade of color passed over the crown prince’s handsome face immediately.
“We were told that the final examination might be delayed.”
“That is not what Count Olette proposed.”
His golden eyes, which held a melancholic light, turned to me. He held his gaze for a while, and slowly opened his mouth.
“Count Olette wanted to dismiss the rescheduling of the imperial knight selection test because of a conflict with the Debutante season.. He insisted on strict application qualifications.”
“Qualifications?”
“Yes. He said that only those who had already made their debut will be allowed to take the Imperial Knight Selection Test.”
“
What?”
Thud.
My heart immediately plummeted. If they only allow people who have taken the Debutante to apply, then I can’t take the selection test.
“You mean
 That they’ve approved this proposal?”
I was unable to wait for the next words, So I asked about it immediately, and the crown prince lowered his eyes as if to avert his gaze.
That was the answer.
“No way!”
I exclaimed in disbelief. I was choked up, and my anger rose.
“This isn’t fair, and I’ve already filled out the application!”
I’m so pissed, and angry.
I feel like I was about to fall down, and collapse. My head snapped up as if I’d been slapped across the back of the head with the hilt of a sword.
“I’m sorry.”
The crown prince bowed his head, and his face became somber.
“I objected to changing the qualifications now, and told them that it was against equity, but there were more people in favor of it than I thought, so
 I didn’t have enough power to influence their decision.”
His long lashes fluttered, and his sunken golden eyes flashed.
“It’s all because of me,” He said,
“I don’t have the strength to help you properly, and none of this would have happened if I hadn’t summoned you there in the first place.”
“It’s not your fault, Your Highness.”
I quickly cut the self-pitying crown prince off.
He looked like he was about to kill himself with poison. At this rate, his eyes would get wet like dew on a leaf.
“It was inevitable anyway.”
As long as I stayed in the capital, I would have bumped into the Second Prince or Countess Olette at some point.
If I hadn’t bumped into them on the road, I wouldn’t have known that they had committed adultery, but now that I think about it, I’m rather glad I did.
Whether I knew about it or not, there was no way the empress, who was determined to make her son emperor, would allow me to affect her plans.
“There are many among the nobility who value the debutante more than the coming-of-age ceremony, and it was unfortunate that the Emperor still agreed with Count Olette.”
The crown prince muttered in a somewhat gloomy way, he then bowed to me again.
“I don’t know how to apologize to you, I’m so sorry.”
“Your Highness
”
He looked like he was going to burrow himself into the ground like a mole.
My mouth turned bitter as I saw his fair face sunk into a pitiful pout.
“Don’t apologize.”
“Young Lady.”
“Your Highness has already done his best, and it is not for you to apologize.”
The one who should be apologizing is that seaweed-head who was always hiding up his mother’s skirt and can’t even blow his nose. His mother would even tolerate everything he does!
The more I thought about it, the more anger burned inside my chest.
“Next time I see him, I’m going to rip all the seaweed out of his head.”
“What?”
“No. Nothing.”
I shut my mouth before I could say anything harsher.
I can’t make a fuss about it, it already happened anyway.
It’s best to find a solution now, than to get angry.
“Hmmm.”
I’m going to find a way to fix this.
There was nothing to worry about. If only those who had already had their debut could apply for the knight selection, then there was only one way to do it.
It was to hold my own debutante.
The Marquis of Bright had also mentioned that he wanted to hold a debutante ball for me before, and he had promised to support me generously, so if I pushed myself a little too hard, it would be fine.
I decided to think positively about it.
“Your Highness, I have a question
”
“Ask me anything.”
“What exactly does it mean to have a debutante? Do I have to attend every single ball or tea party throughout the season?”
The crown prince shook his head at my question.
“No. There are certain balls and banquets you must attend, but other than that, you are free to do as you please.”
“And what are the balls and banquets that you must attend?”
“The Imperial Ball, which marks the beginning of the debutante season, the hunting competition hosted by the Emperor, and the end of the season boat race, which was held on the Imperial Lake. That’s three.”
Three, sounds doable.
I nodded while listening to the crown prince’s kind and detailed explanation.
“Of the families attending the Debutante this year, how many have applied for the selection test?”
“Quite a few. The good news is that families in a similar situation to yours have pushed back so hard that we’ve decided that if you only attend the Imperial Ball and the Hunting Competition, you’ll still be recognized as having passed your Debutante.”
“That’s a good thing.”
As long as I attend the imperial ball and the hunting tournament, I’ll be eligible for the selection test. That’s good enough for me to try.
I quickly organized my thoughts and asked him for clarification.
“So I can take the first and second exams at the same time, if I attend the imperial ball and the hunting tournament, will I be able to qualify to take the third exam then?”
“That’s right. The imperial ball is after the first exam, and the hunting tournament is after the second exam. The last exam, which was the third, is before the boat race.”
Okay, screw it, I’ll do it. I looked at him with determined eyes.
“Then I’ll attend the imperial ball and the hunting tournament.”
“Will you be okay about it?”
The crown prince gave me a worried look after he heard my words.
“It’s fine, the Marquis, or rather, my father, had already asked me if I would like to take this opportunity to make my own debut.”
“Once you set foot into society. I’m sure it’s going to get noisy.”
“Of course.”
The appearance of young lady Bright’s identical twin sister’s debut will surely cause a stir.
The loudmouths will gossip excitedly, and the rotten waters of society will try to bully me like they did my mother and Archie.
I could see it even if I didn’t take a look.
That’s all there is to it. The newspaper reporters would light up and rush in.
They would make up things about me, just as they had made up things about my sister
It was obvious.
There was a reason I hadn’t answered Marquis Bright’s proposal right away.
“To make a debutante at this point would be like declaring war on the Empress. It will be more dangerous than it already is.”
“That doesn’t mean I can just quietly turn tail and run off to my estate, does it?”
“My Lady
”
“Don’t worry.”
I pressed the corners of my lips together, and partially gave off a bright smile. I know what the crown prince is concerned about, but the fight is already on.
“House Sabrina does not shy away from a fight after all.”
The Empress is one of the most powerful people in the Empire.
For me, a young viscountess without a clear title, to stand up against her was like trying to hit a rock with an egg, but I was too proud to back down.
Perhaps the Empress wanted me to go back to my estate with my ass out of the way before I started talking about the second prince’s affairs in earnest.
But I had no intention of bending to her will.
No matter what.
‘Such a dirty trick? Does she really think I’d back down?’
“I’m not running away.”
If they think I’d break down because of this, then they underestimate me too much. I will definitely run over anyone who stands in my way, no matter who it is!
“You said you would help me if I got into trouble because of the Empress.”
This is war.
And to win this War, I would always need reinforcements. I can’t easily win a war alone. So I need a back up.
It would be better if that person is someone powerful enough to contend against the Empress.
I hate being indebted to anyone, but this time I have no choice.
I locked eyes with the crown prince and opened my mouth again,
“I need your support, your Highness.”
His golden eyes flickered at the word ‘Support‘. He then looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze.
“I need your help.”
‘He’s not going to tell me no now, right?’
I swallowed hard dryly while waiting for his response. It was only a few seconds, just a few, but my heart was already pounding so hard.
“With pleasure.”
A moment later, the words of assurance slipped from the crown prince’s lips.
His stern eyes curved like a crescent moon, and his lips, red as cherries, drew a gentle arc.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure you have a successful debutante.”
Thank God.
I didn’t think he’d decline, but at least he didn’t sound reluctant.
“Thank you.”
I felt a little strange though.
The crown prince was beaming and smiling. He seemed genuinely pleased.
‘What? Why is he happy?’
“I promise.”
“?”
I bowed my head to the crown prince once more, thanking him, and when I raised my head, a long, pretty finger suddenly appeared in front of me.
“Your Highness?”
As I blinked, unable to understand the crown prince’s intentions, his pinky had already gently wrapped around my pinky.
“Promise.”
The crown prince playfully touched my pinky.
He then laughed softly, like a child. His face, which was uncharacteristically shadowed, glowed like a spot on a sun star.
“Iris.”
As if conscious that he was currently in the Marquis’ estate, he didn’t call me by my first name, he would always address me as Young Viscountess Sabrina.
So for the first time today, he finally addressed me with ease.
He seemed to have a habit of using titles.
“Since you want to make your debut to the inner circles, do you know what you need to do right?”
He smiled and asked, spraying me with cold water like a freshly bloomed flower.
“A Cavalier.”
( T/N : Cavaliers are what people often call a debutante’s partner in a ball.)
That’s the problem, I suppose.
I don’t mind it, but I’ll have to ask the Duke of Bright or the Marquis about it.
“My Lady?”
“Ah, I beg your pardon. I was lost in a moment’s thought
 But you seemed to have mentioned something about a Cavalier?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Why is he smiling like that?
I gulped hard, while watching the crown prince’s eyes twinkle as sweetly as sugar melts.
For a moment, I seem to have heard my heart drop with a thud.