“Congratulations, Tina!”
On a sunny afternoon, with gentle sunlight embracing the garden, an elegant round table was adorned with intricately crafted teacups and dishes, crowned by a dazzlingly beautiful cake.
Surrounding the cake, young ladies with charming smiles were showering light praises.
Softly, like the fragrance of flowers carried by the breeze, they were giving their compliments.
None other than to me.
“Thank you all so much… a person like me receiving this…”
A submissive smile lingered on my face, with an innocent grin settled there.
Through that mask-like expression, I could see the countless young ladies blushing.
“No, I thought you’d be more than enough, Tina.”
“That’s right. Of course, Mardian is no slouch either, but frankly, Tina deserves this.”
“Hehe, Mardian, you’re not jealous, are you?”
All eyes naturally turned to the woman gracefully crossing her legs and holding her tea.
The blood-red eyes, revealed among her flowing blonde hair, emitted a cold aura that belied her serene smile.
“Of course not.”
Mardian wore a light smile.
“If it were a different young lady, I might not feel pleasant, but for my Tina, I can be nothing but happy.”
With a sultry smile, Mardian playfully caressed my chin. I leaned into her pleasant touch comfortably.
“Congratulations on becoming the flower of High Society, Tina.”
“…Thank you, Mardian.”
Since Lilian had suddenly vanished, it had been three years since I began charming the upper echelons.
Now I had gained some notoriety—enough that no one in High Society could claim ignorance of my name.
Those who once ignored me were gradually losing their standing, while the people I had my eye on easily stepped into powerful factions.
As the tides changed, the number of young ladies observing me began to rise steadily.
Amid growing interest and affection, I was finally selected as “The Flower of High Society” this year, surpassing Mardian.
As a reward, I received priority access to the empire’s most popular boutique and the current trend in High Society—a pink diamond.
Honestly, the boutique access wasn’t much use, but the pink diamond was a gift worth welcoming with open arms.
It might take years to dispose of it, but surely I could convert it into a massive pile of gold coins if sold.
The tea party taking place in the vast garden was a celebration in my honor, as the newly crowned flower of High Society.
“How does it feel to be this year’s flower?”
Versha asked with curious eyes.
“To be honest, it doesn’t feel real yet… There are so many people much more beautiful and graceful than me; I’m not sure I deserve this.”
“What are you talking about? There’s no one more lovely than you in this empire, or even in the world.”
At Sharione’s words, other young ladies nodded in agreement.
“Thank you for saying that.”
With my shy voice, the garden resonated with the cheerful laughter of the young ladies.
“By the way, Tina, aren’t you about to have your coming-of-age ceremony?”
Mardian elegantly sipped her tea and asked. I tilted my head with a soft smile.
“Yes, it’s planned for next month.”
Three years had passed, and I was now nineteen.
However, despite being of age, my frame still remained delicate and fragile.
Compared to the mature aura exuding from beauties like Mardian, I felt more like a cute little girl, and my breasts, which I had hoped would resemble my mother’s, remained disappointingly lacking.
Not that they were completely absent.
Even my height, which I had once hoped would change, remained the same. Honestly, I thought I would exceed 160 cm, but I barely just surpassed 150.
That made it uncomfortable to talk to others, as I had to look up at them, but I held no significant dissatisfaction with my physique.
In fact, such an appearance triggered a protective instinct from the young ladies, and the thought of having larger breasts only brought up inconveniences.
I had never thought while glancing at my mother’s voluptuous breasts, ‘I hope mine will be like that one day…’
Really.
“If you can’t find a place for your coming-of-age ceremony, just let me know, I can lend our family mansion.”
With Mardian’s words, Sharione and Versha followed suit.
“Oh my, how stingy, Mardian! Our mansion is also always open to you.”
“Tina, please remember that I’m also an option for you.”
Overwhelmed by their kindness, I beamed a bashful smile.
“Hehe, thanks to you ladies, it feels like I’ll have a truly happy coming-of-age ceremony.”
So much had changed, but the young ladies before me remained, as ever, my solid water… no, my supporters.
The state of my family had greatly improved.
Thanks to my mother’s tireless efforts, the Baron Blanc family had escaped financial woes and regained stability.
We were now able to afford servants, and recently we even hired gardeners to spruce up the mansion’s ambiance.
It was a peaceful and cozy life.
Mardian seemed to have completely changed her mind now, no longer attempting unnecessary physical contact with me.
Frankly, I had pondered what to do about Mardian time and again, but with this level of relationship, I was more than willing to get along.
Sharione, Versha, and even the young ladies I didn’t know by name all looked at me with warm gazes.
In High Society, no one now stood in my way.
‘I wonder if Viviana is doing well in the battlefield?’
I had promised to forgive her once the war concluded.
It was only half-hearted.
I had no intention of letting go of Viviana’s crippling guilt, plus it would be quite a while before the war ended.
In the prologue of [Princess Growth Simulation], it took at least ten years to conclude the war, so it would be at least five more years before we saw signs of peace.
Until then, Viviana would likely be fighting desperately to protect us.
‘Of course, if she were to die in the midst of battle, that would be that.’
If she died, I’d at least have to attend her funeral. She had been my sole master, even if for a time.
“Tina, ah—open your mouth.”
Versha spoke to me with a bright smile.
As I parted my closed lips, a small piece of cherry was placed at the edge of my mouth. Enjoying the burst of sweetness with each bite, I swallowed it down.
Well, all in all, my High Society life was smooth sailing.
And it would likely remain that way.
If I continued to live this peaceful life—
“Mardian!”
Amid the cheerful laughter of young ladies, a deep male voice resonated.
A knight clad in silver armor dashed toward Mardian with an urgent expression. Mardian furrowed her brows at the rude interruption, but the displeasure didn’t linger long.
The knight covered his mouth with his hand and whispered something lowly into Mardian’s ear.
With each word he spoke, Mardian’s expression transformed in real-time.
Seeing her blood-red eyes flicker, it seemed the news wasn’t just simple.
“Excuse me, but I must leave.”
At her words, the surrounding young ladies began to panic one by one.
“What’s going on?”
“…”
Versha asked in a worried tone, but Mardian merely stared at the ground in silence for a moment.
‘Did she receive bad news?’
Feeling puzzled, I speared a piece of cake with my fork and popped it into my mouth.
Mardian gazed at me intently for a moment before finally opening her tightly shut mouth.
“The war ended this morning.”
Mardian’s short and straightforward words.
“Our empire has won.”
In an instant, the news raced through my mind.
I couldn’t help but drop the fork I had been holding.
“Wow! They’re coming!”
“Hooray! Long live the Solatis Empire!!”
Under the towering walls of the empire, countless crowds had gathered.
People held hands, embraced one another, and cried tears of joy.
Fathers called out for their sons, mothers for their daughters, and old men waved their arms, shaking off the sorrows of many years.
“Long live the Saint! Hooray!!”
A blood-stained past was eclipsed by a bold red flag shining as a symbol of victory.
Following the giant flag, a multitude of soldiers marched over the wall.
“May the goddess’s blessings be with you all your lives!”
“Long live the empire!!”
“Hero!!”
“May the crown prince be abundantly blessed!”
As the brilliant sunlight bathed the walls, the crown prince was the first to cross over.
Before long, two women appeared riding horses.
The two heroes looked almost divine, as if goddesses from legend had descended.
The Saint, adorned in a white clerical robe, flaunted her pure beauty with her bright pink hair dancing in the wind.
Her face bore a luminous smile, and she waved her slender hand to greet the citizens of the empire.
Beside her, the princess walked elegantly in a lavish uniform, maintaining a noble grace.
It was, quite literally, a triumphant return.
The streets were filled with shouts of praise and celebration.
People threw flowers in tribute. Some sang praises to welcome them back.
Commoners, priests, and even several nobles welcomed their return.
Amidst all the jubilations, my face twisted into a grimace.
“How…”
I muttered under my breath, clenching my fist.
The more I looked at Viviana and Lilian, the more the tightening pressure around my throat suffocated me.
Turning my back on them, I fled as if to escape the scene.
How far I ran, I didn’t know.
“Haa, haa…”
When I finally gathered my wits, my face was drenched in sweat.
Having hardly run much, my legs felt powerless and trembled as if they couldn’t move anymore.
“…No.”
I covered my face with my hands, and through the cracks between my fingers, a bitter smile crept out.
Why am I running away?
Like a sinner.
What have I done?
Ignoring the anxiety and loneliness squeezing my heart, I wore a foreign smile on my face.
Yes.
I did nothing wrong.
