CH 44.1

The doors of the audience chamber open accompanied by majestic music.

A knight, holding a sword upright in front of him with both hands, enters the room first. He moves forward slowly, taking one step at a time.

Next to walk in is Reynaldo, dressed in formal attire.

His golden, slightly elongated bangs are neatly combed back.

He was dressed in a predominately black cloak made of thick fabric, a formal attire befitting of a duke, and embellished with rarely-used decorations that glistened. The intricate embroidery on the collar of the long-sleeved garment resembled a painting come to life, eliciting sighs from the young ladies nearby.

And in the center of the procession, Prince Risel slowly walks forward.

Today, through this coronation ceremony, he will become King Risel.

In contrast to Reynaldo, the royal attire is dominated by white, and the long gown made of red fabric is a formal attire used only for the king.

I was thrilled by its beauty, which I had rarely seen even in Rosemary’s time.

Embroidery adorned with shimmering golden threads. With each step, the gown, sewn with golden threads that glimmered as they reflected the light of the chandeliers, exuded an aura of brilliance. In Prince Risel’s hand, he holds a scepter fashioned after the divine ruler of the world. The scepter, which chimed and belled with each step, was used only during grand occasions of national significance, such as the coronation ceremony.

I occasionally strain my ears to catch the sound of the bell that Rosemary used to hear. The delicate and beautiful chime of the bell blends harmoniously with the accompanying music as the procession proceeds.

The vassals lined up from behind Prince Risel and moved to their prepared seats.

Prince Risel stands at the front of the audience chamber.

The Chancellor and the Chief Cardinal, acting as the High Priest, come in while carrying the crown. Since they cannot touch it directly, they wear gloves on their hands.

Next to the Chief Cardinal who offers his prayers, Reynaldo, while wearing black gloves, takes the crown and presents it to Prince Risel.

Prince Risel bends his knees and lowers his head.

His long red hair, usually tied up in a bun, now cascades down from his shoulder as he lowers his head.

“May prosperity be bestowed upon the Kingdom of Diresias.”

With Reynaldo’s words, the crown is placed upon his head.

It was the birth of King Risel.

I was participating in such a miraculous coronation ceremony, despite the fact that I was out of place.

Due to the great urgency, the coronation ceremony took place a little more than a month after the abdication of King Gray.

I was surprised at how quickly the coronation took place, but it seems that they decided to conduct the ceremony only within the country and to hold a separate event for inviting foreign dignitaries as part of diplomatic protocols.

And, despite the fact that normally only the vassals and members of the royal family should be allowed to attend the coronation ceremony, I was also present.

It was truly an awkward situation, but both Prince Risel and Reynaldo personally asked me to attend, so I ultimately ended up joining.

I was initially hesitant and felt it was too presumptuous, but after the ceremony was over, I realized that it was a good decision to participate.

Observing the regal appearance of King Risel and witnessing the stability of the country, I felt a sense of reassurance.

While I probably won’t have the opportunity to speak to him directly, I expressed my gratitude to King Risel in my heart.

Speaking of which, as a baron’s daughter who attended the ceremony in an unconventional manner, I caught the attention of many. Furthermore, at the end of the ceremony, Reynaldo cast a rare smile toward me.

By the time the ceremony ended, various absurd theories had emerged about me, such as the “woman favored by Duke Rose” or the “secret child of Lady Rosemary.”

The ceremony didn’t end with just the coronation.

In the evening, a ball was held to celebrate the coronation. I was asked to participate in that as well.

As a maid who had come to work, I initially intended to decline attending the ball since I didn’t have a fancy dress. However, Reynaldo gave me a dress that he had already ordered, so I had no choice but to attend.

Reynaldo, who was always thorough in his preparations, offered to be my escort at the ball, but I politely declined, understanding that he was one of the organizers and would be too busy to spare the time. Just like during my debutante days, I requested my brother to be my escort.

My brother, who worked at the castle, was naturally invited to the ball as well. He seemed slightly dissatisfied when I asked him to be my escort, but reluctantly agreed to do so.

As for Alberto, he will also be on the organizer’s side, as he will have the task of guarding the castle.