The Calm Before the Storm

“Are you all ready?”

Abel, walking into the room, covered his mouth the moment he saw me. “You’re so… so…” Unable to even finish his sentence, he wiped away a stray tear. He proceeded to shower me with praises, claiming I was perfect from head to toe, though I tuned out half of his analogies because they were so hard to follow. I didn’t quite know how to react to things like: “Even when Andrew Reps proved the theory of Jamalek’s consolidation phenomenon, it wasn’t this moving.”

I had the necklace; I had the pin. I was also wearing the brooch Elliot Dylan had given me. Checking my list item by item, I smiled and took Abel’s hand.

Today’s banquet was centered around the young children of the nobility, and the directive was to minimize the number of guardians as much as possible. It was recommended that guardians stay behind if possible, but if one was absolutely necessary, an untitled sibling was preferred. Thanks to that rule, the Count was disqualified immediately, and my eldest and second-oldest brothers—who work at the Imperial Palace—declined. Only the third brother was thrilled. I told him I’d be fine going alone, but the words didn’t seem to reach the ears of a man who had already picked out his outfit.

“What am I going to do with our youngest being this cute?”

“What’s wrong with me being cute?”

The time for denying the ‘cute’ label had long passed. Llewellyn Edwill looked like an angel, and I was quite good at playing the part to leverage that appearance.

“There are a lot of strange and dangerous people in this world.”

“Strange people?”

“Yeah. Dirty bastards who’ll hit on you regardless of how young you are… no, I mean, ‘peculiar’ people. Anyway, if a stranger acts excessively friendly, tell me immediately.”

Abel, unable to find a polite word to replace ‘perverted bastards who hit on kids,’ only looked satisfied after we crossed pinky fingers and made a promise. Ah. So that’s why he was so hell-bent on coming along. He’s under the impression that everyone except family is a wild animal. Well, looking at Llewellyn’s face, it wasn’t far-fetched to think a creep or two might be drawn in. In fact, a bit further down the line, wasn’t this a body that attracted men regardless of his own intentions? Up until now, only kids had attended the gatherings, but since there would be guardians today, it made sense for his guard to be up.

Even after that, I moved to the Imperial Palace with my third brother, who kept repeating, “Strange people often act strange, but many of them look perfectly normal. Understand? Llewellyn, you must tell me.” The aura he radiated at intervals was so fierce it felt like any pervert caught in his grip would face a future so catastrophic they’d never be able to stand tall again.

Everything was smooth, except for Abel’s brief moment of sorrow when told guardians had to enter through a separate entrance. I felt a surge of tension as the doors slowly opened after my name was announced, but I soon relaxed upon finding familiar faces to mingle with.

“My goodness, Lin. You look so beautiful today.”

“Thanks. You look even prettier today, Ella. That dress really suits you.”

Helena, who had finally worn me down into allowing her to use a nickname, twirled around to show off her dress. The pale pink fabric and the pearls decorating it were a perfect match. Her choice to tie her hair up—which she usually left loose with just a pin or ribbon—and secure it with a butterfly-shaped pin was an excellent decision. It was the very pin I had bought to share with Lucia on the day I bought Elliot’s gift. Lucia was probably wearing hers today too.

If my own daughter were as lovely as Helena, I’d probably dote on her just as much. People said the Marquis’s love for his daughter was excessive, but I could understand him. Actually, for Llewellyn to call another parent ‘extreme’ was a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.

“What’s that brooch? It’s exactly the color of your eyes.”

“Ah.”

Helena, her attention captured by the brooch sparkling under the brilliant lights, praised it. I smiled awkwardly. Even if it was just a case of childhood puppy love, it felt a bit embarrassing to admit it was a gift from Elliot, her unrequited crush.

But a promise is a promise. I spoke as if it were nothing.

“Elliot gave it to me.”

“Ell?”

Blink, blink. Her eyes, which had been full of energy just a moment ago, remained fixed on the brooch, unmoving. This is it, isn’t it? This is jealousy, right? A cold sweat ran down my back. Damn you, Elliot Dylan. If you were going to bring me a brooch, you should have at least given Helena a gift too. Though, if the Marquis found out, he’d probably be fuming.

“Ella?” I called out, feeling self-conscious as she stood there frozen. Why is Elliot so late? I almost suspected he had anticipated this exact situation.

“Because we’re friends. Yeah. That’s why he gave it to me.”

“…Yeah.”

Her slumped shoulders were pitiful; her mood had clearly soured. I felt a sense of duty to fix this somehow. After a moment of internal debate, I thought, ‘Oh, to hell with it,’ and pulled a box from my coat.

I’m sorry, Sissi. I’ve prepared a necklace for you, so please don’t be upset.

I also sent a brief apology to my eldest brother. The owner has changed, but since the purpose is still a gift, please forgive me.

“I actually prepared a gift for you too, Ella.”

“For me?”

“Yeah. You can open it now.”

Her pouting lips retracted instantly as she unwrapped the box. Seemingly falling in love with it immediately, Helena broke into a smile, repeating “Oh my god” over and over while clutching the hairpins with both hands.

“Thank you so much, Lin… but I didn’t prepare anything for you, what should I do?”

“If you use them well, that’s a gift in itself.”

After giving me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, Helena left, saying she had to go brag to Lucia. I just hope this doesn’t lead to a situation where I have to give Lucia another gift just to soothe her.

Fortunately, judging by the ongoing noise, the Imperial family hadn’t appeared yet. Because it was a formal banquet rather than just throwing kids into a room, it had a heavier atmosphere than usual, but a banquet without adults is ultimately a children’s party. The kids who had adapted to the mood were as excited as wild horses let loose in a meadow. It was a relief that the average age was slightly higher and that guardians were present. Otherwise, it would have turned into a kids’ cafe.

Since the House of Suenil was sponsoring, the Princess would attend, and since the Crown Prince asked to meet at the banquet, he would show his face too. If those two were coming, the younger siblings would inevitably follow. I’ve caught a glimpse of the 2nd Prince, but this would be my first time seeing the 3rd Prince. I was curious to see what he was like. If he was intimidated by his strong-willed siblings, I’d need to pick him up; if he was smart, I’d need to recruit him. There were less than seven years left until the original Erkel’s death.

Annette seemed to quite like Erkel—someone who was obedient but didn’t grovel excessively. Their meetings were more frequent than expected, and Erkel had firmly established his place among his peers. The hierarchy among children might not translate directly to adults, but according to Elliot, the volume of gifts entering the 4th Prince’s palace had already changed.

If he continues to handle himself well, they’ll start to think he’s too valuable to waste as a disposable pawn. But even that isn’t enough. If his power grows too large, Annette will personally cut down the Erkel she raised; if it’s insufficient, she’ll discard him without hesitation. Erkel needs a shield to replace him.

“You’re here.”

Elliot’s way of speaking was becoming increasingly casual. I didn’t mind when it was just us, but to be so informal at an Imperial banquet where so many people were watching… I was about to criticize his tone, but the words died in my throat when I saw his haggard face.

“What… what happened to your face?”

He should have been here with a face as smooth as a peeled egg after resting for ten days. Instead, Elliot looked parched, as if he hadn’t slept for four days. His eyes were unfocused, and his condition seemed dire. Elliot’s maturity extended to his self-management—he was the type of person who took pride in strictly following his workout, study, and sleep schedules, and even fussed over a single stitch of embroidery on his clothes. He was absolutely not the type to show up looking like this on such an important day.

“Don’t even ask.”

“Tell me. Who was it that told me to dress up properly?”

“My brother brought home a bourgeois woman as his marriage partner.”

“What?”

“He announced he’s marrying into a family with no estate, let alone a title. My mother collapsed, and my brother talked back, asking if honor isn’t something protected by money anyway.”

Good grief. This was jaw-dropping news. It was only natural he couldn’t sleep with the household in such an uproar. Elliot loosened his tie slightly. As the sleek navy silk came undone and lost its shape, he looked too drained to even care.

“I thought your family followed a policy of non-interference.”

“My father does. If it were me, my mother wouldn’t have been this angry. The problem is that my brother’s fiancée is Lady Rosebell, and the bigger problem is that she’s the niece of Duke Suenil.”

“Oh…”

Being the Duke’s niece meant she was the Empress’s niece. If they talked about breaking the engagement to that high-and-mighty lady who had been raised like royalty, the fallout would be unimaginable. If her pride was wounded and she appealed to the Empress with tears, things would spiral out of control. Isabel had a history of pestering the Empress specifically to push for an engagement with Elliot’s brother, Orion Dylan.

I could already imagine Erkel clutching his neck in stress upon hearing this.

Elliot downed a glass of non-alcoholic champagne like it was water, his face looking like it was about to crumble. Even those scenes in dramas where someone drinks soju at a street stall after a breakup didn’t look this tragic.