by Funa
Marcela who, on top of not having made her societal debut, would never have been invited to such an upper-crust party even after her debut, had no clue what to do with herself. Therefore she lingered by the wall, staring in a daze.
However, there were many young men there who couldn’t overlook her.
“Dear Fräulein, if it pleases you, might I make your acquaintance and speak with you a while?”
Marcela’s eyes had drifted toward the floor, but when she raised her gaze, she saw a tall, slender, and fairly attractive young man of seventeen or eighteen smiling at her.
“Oh? U-um…”
This was the first time in her life someone had flirted with her! Not counting the time she had swapped with Mile for her duties as a cashier at the bakery.
No suspicious characters would have been invited to such a function. Even as the daughter of a lesser noble, she was a girl of some reputation, and even if only a small portion noticed her, most of the people here were high-ranking nobles and royals of high esteem.
Plus, this man was fairly handsome. Marcela, who only knew her male classmates, couldn’t help blushing.
However other young men came pouring in from the sidelines.
“No, I shall be the one to take Lady Marcela’s arm.”
“No, please leave that duty to me, the son of a marquess.”
“No no, this is a job for…”
One after another, the sons of influential nobles flocked to join the tug-of-war for Marcela.
Naturally, not a one of them raised their voices. They were elegant to the last, with a gentlemanly air, but in the back of her mind, Marcela envisioned the sparks flying.
Indeed, though Marcela herself was not aware of it, she had become something of a celebrity. At least among the royals and a portion of upper-ranking nobles, who possessed certain information. Even those who didn’t, however, could see that a young lady who been invited to this party despite not being of the age of adulthood, and had throngs of influential nobles flocking to her side, was more than some consolation prize. So naturally, these young men belatedly threw themselves into the fray as well.
“U-um, uh…” Marcela was panicking, her eyes wide, when a voice called to her from behind.
“What are you doing all the way over there? You’ve yet to even make greetings to my father, who invited you, or to Vince, the birthday boy. Come, at once!”
The one who grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away was the first prince and heir to the throne, Adalbert. Marcela couldn’t utter a complaint.
Were it the son of a count or a marquess who had attempted this, the other young nobles would likely have tried to stop him, but none of them were willing to stand up to the crown prince. Though none of them had even been on the verge of claiming the prize, they could only watch, grumbling to themselves, as Marcela was escorted away.
“I-I must humbly th-thank you f-for inviting me here on th-this momentous day…”
“Now now, today is Vince’s birthday. There’s no need to be so dreadfully formal,” said His Majesty the King to Marcela, who had been pressed to stand before him and greet him awkwardly by Prince Adalbert. He added, pushing Vince, the star of the show, Marcela’s way, “Now, you need to get out there and introduce her to the other guests.”
“Uh…” With a smile, Vince grabbed Marcela by the hand and dragged her along.
“U-umm…”
Marcela was dragged around the ballroom by His Highness, the second prince Vince. And, for some reason Adalbert followed close behind, as well.
She was conspicuous. She was incredibly conspicuous. From all around, she could feel stares from scores of single young ladies. They cut into her as tangibly as knives.
Gah! G-give me a break, please… As her fortitude crumbled, Marcela pondered. Why would Prince Vince be taking her around to introduce her to all of these people? This was just like…
Then it dawned on her.
I-I’m on the path to becoming his loveeeeeeeeeeerrrrr!!! Marcela was flabbergasted!
And, her father, who saw the whole thing, was rendered speechless and slack-jawed as well.
This hellish torture dragged on for Marcela.
Vince kept her by his side for the entire party, even when he was greeted by the other guests and when he gave his speech.
All the others present couldn’t help but get the impression that this party had actually been organized for the sake of announcing the prince’s engagement.
Marcela cast her gaze about, searching desperately for Morena, who she was now good friends with, but Morena’s entire family had sternly warned her before the party that she, who saw Marcela all the time, was not to approach her, so that someone else might have a chance—and that she should spend time amongst the other guests, particularly all the young men, instead. Morena dutifully obeyed, of course, so there was no sight of her anywhere near Marcela.
P-please, someone, anyone, save me! A large, strained smile was plastered across her face, but Marcela was half in tears in her heart. It was then that Vince landed the coup de grâce.
“I think it’s about time for us to cut the birthday cake! Lady Marcela and I will make the first cut together!”
Are we cutting a wedding caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake?!?!
Even the court ladies—who had watched not only the way that Prince Vince clung to Marcela’s side but also how Prince Adalbert followed so closely, and who had written Marcela off as some little girl who hadn’t even come properly into society and happened to be invited because of some connection of her father’s—now realized this was the girl who was going to stand in the way of all their dreams.
Ow!! Their eyes are like knives!!
As they stood there, the great door opened and an enormous cake was carried out.
The cake, nearly two meters in height, was atop a wheeled pedestal about seventy centimeters high itself. The entire display was about two and a half meters tall, all told—a cake so enormous Marcela had to crane her neck to see the entire thing.
Naturally, not every part of the cake was edible. If it were, it would lose its structural integrity and crumble. It was framed with wood or metal, with sponge cake, fruit, and such around it, and frosted in a thick buttercream.
The wedding cakes often used in ceremonies in modern day Japan and elsewhere were mostly made of synthetic materials, with only a small portion where the knife could sink into built in, affixed with white gel. Such a thing, however, would never be used for an occasion such as this. Outside of the frame, the rest of the cake was edible.
Slowly, the cake advanced. Finally, it was near, so close now to Prince Vince and Marcela, whom the prince had dragged to the front of the hall.
Only five meters left. Now four meters, now three…
Just then, something caught in the pedestal’s wheels. The cake began to teeter in the direction of a girl in her mid-teens who was standing nearby, watching the procession.
“…!”
The next moment, Prince Vince let go of Marcela’s hand and dashed forward.
“Your Highness!”
“Vince!”
By the time Marcela and Prince Adalbert shouted, Vince had already intercepted the giant, falling cake with his body, huddling over the girl. Near where the girl stood were tables lined with dishes and serving plates, knives and forks, and the like. If he pushed her that way or threw them both into the tables with her in his arms, she might be hurt. Therefore, the prince had little choice.
As enormous as the cake was, outside of its frame it was crafted entirely of sponge cake, fruit, and buttercream. Even if it hurt them a bit, it wasn’t enough to kill anyone. Therefore, he acted simply to save the young lady from any pain or humiliation, or at least the shame of having to walk around with buttercream all over her dress. The prince would rather face the threat of humiliation himself, than allow it to befall a young lady at his own birthday party.
Plus, he couldn’t allow his elder brother, the crown prince, to put himself in
such a position. It didn’t matter if he became a laughingstock; he wasn’t next in line to the throne. In his heart he would wear this not as a mark of shame, but as a badge of honor.
But what sent the strength coursing through his body was the thought of how unfortunate it would be to allow such a disgraceful scene to unfold in front of dear Marcela.
It was impossible to shield the girl entirely from the frosting, but he folded himself over her so that at the very least, her face, hair, and bosom would remain unsullied. He waited for the cake to strike.
…………………
After several seconds passed and nothing happened, Vince looked back to the cake to see…
“S-someone, please lend me a…” Marcela, both hands thrust out and trembling, held the massive cake suspended in mid-air.
“Wh…”
Witnessing this unbelievable sight, Vince, Adalbert, and everyone else assembled stared in stunned silence.
There were a million and one kinds of magic, but there wasn’t a single one that could stop a falling cake without destroying it. Or at least, there shouldn’t have been.
Was she stopping it with wind? No, a wind that strong would have sent the buttercream, sponge, and all the rest flying everywhere.
To enact this spell in an instant, without any incantation, wasn’t something any normal magic user could achieve.
Could it be done at all with regular magic? If no, then what was this?
The Goddess at work…? Divine protection? A heavenly blessing?
Then that meant, the rumors were…
Here and there, whispers began to rise from the silent hall.
And, once again, Marcela’s cry rang out. “I said, would someone please hurry up and do something?!”
When everyone took a closer look, the lowest part of the cake’s framing had cracked when the cake began to fall and could no longer support itself. Marcela wouldn’t be able to support the cake forever. And when Marcela’s power finally ran out…
“Oi! Will someone hurry up and help her?! When Marcela’s magic runs out, that cake is going to fall!” That was the crown prince for you. Adalbert, the first to grasp the situation, issued his command.
The cake porters, who were also frozen in shock, were professionals. The moment Adalbert’s voice brought them back to their senses, they raked up all the knives, forks, and serving plates and wedged them together in one section, building it up to the height of the pedestal. Once they had formed it into something self-sufficient, they brought it over.
“Carefully now, do you think you can tilt it back? And move it over to the stand we constructed over here, yes, just like that, so it’ll support the reinforced part. Yes, just like that now, slowly…”
Following the porter’s instructions carefully, Marcela slowly persuaded the cake to right itself and then gently released the gravity spell.
Finally, the cake stood safely on its own again.
“Whoooooooooaaaaaaaa…” A wave of cheers rose throughout the hall.
Among the many spells that Mile, er, Adele, had taught the Wonder Trio, gravity magic was one of them. When teaching them, Adele, who wished to see the trio live long and healthy lives, had prioritized spells that would lower the probability of their deaths as much as possible. What she determined was that most accidental deaths in this world were caused by incidents related to gravity.
This wasn’t limited to death by falling, such as slipping from a ledge, falling off a horse, tumbling down some stairs, or falling in a river, but also falling rocks, building collapses, or spears and arrows that bandits launched from high places.
In any case, the threat that gravity posed was simply far too great. Therefore, it was only natural that Adele would teach the three some spells related to it.
“Phew, it’s finally over… How long are you going to keep holding her?!” When Marcela, finally released from her cake-supporting duties, looked behind her, she saw Vince still clinging to the other girl.
“Oh! S-sorry!”
“Ah…”
Vince hurriedly extracted himself from the embrace. The girl stared at him a bit mournfully. She then turned to Marcela, shooting a glare that suggested the young prodigy had said something quite unnecessary.
“Eep!” Marcela, who was unused to having others glare at her, let out a small shriek.
That was when she finally noticed nearly everyone in the room was muttering to one another and looking her way.
I’ve done it now!!! I must say nothing about Miss Adele regarding this! Wh-what should I do…?
As she racked her brain, Marcela suddenly recalled a conversation she had with Adele some time ago. In that conversation, the term “sacrificial lamb” had popped up.
Th-that’s it! I just have to turn their attention to someone else!
“Your Highness, that was absolutely remarkable! The way you used your own body as a shield to protect a young lady, nay, a citizen of your country! Truly, you are someone who walks the path to true royalhood!”
Vince seemed thrilled to be praised by Marcela, but he uttered, rather bashfully, “No, I mean, I’ve been a royal from the moment I was born, so it’s not like I’ve exactly worked towards it. Doing something like this is only natural!”
“No, that is not entirely true, is it?”
“Huh?” Vince was stunned at the refusal of what he thought was a completely obvious notion.
Marcela continued, “Everyone is nothing but an infant when they are born. Whether you are the prince yourself, or some nobleman’s daughter, that fact does not change.
“After we are born, we receive an education and are raised watching what our parents do. Then we become aware of our own position, our own duties, and responsibilities. We move forward with our own beliefs and goals and become a person befitting our station.
“Indeed, no one is born clad in the clothing of their status. Just because a child is born to two impressive people does not automatically make that child impressive, as well. It is because they are raised by impressive people that they grow into an impressive person themselves. You are not amazing because you are born into a noble household, or even into a palace. That’s no different from having a name tag affixed to your chest. No matter what sort of person you are on the inside, having that tag does not automatically change you into a person befitting a bestowed title. A human’s worth is not such a trifling symbol. What’s most important is what sort of person one is inside.
“And so, Your Highness, what you just showed us all was that you are someone who is becoming a splendid royal in his own right, befitting of being called His Majesty’s own blood…”
As Vince listened, he blinked in surprise. Then he gave a merry grin.
All the others in the hall gazed at the pair, deeply moved. There might have been some who would dismiss the girl’s speech, feeling it was a rejection of nobles and royals, to whom lineage was of such importance. However, these were the words of a girl who was only twelve years old, the words of a girl who had received the favor of the Goddess, who was likely a friend of the Goddess herself. There was also the immense power she had just displayed to them all.
As such, no one raised a cry of protest. Everyone understood the meaning of those words well and was deeply moved.
Marcela, who had borrowed words Adele herself had used, hoping to deceive everyone, had overdone it yet again.
“Thanks to Marcela, we avoided a disaster here, but someone is going to have to take responsibility. If we don’t punish whoever made the misstep, we won’t be able to maintain order, which would be a blow to our dignity as your employers.”
One moment, Adalbert’s face was filled with admiration. The next, he was spewing cold words to the cake porters, who were wheeling the cart away.
There was no helping it. Without Marcela’s intervention, the party would have been a disaster. The prince might have been hurt. If the kitchen employees, who were commoners, were forced to take responsibility for such a thing, they wouldn’
t get off with a light punishment. Just thinking about it made the staff’s faces go pale.
“Please wait!” Marcela interjected.
Raising an objection to the words of Adalbert, the crown prince, wasn’t something a baron’s third daughter had any right to do. However, there wasn’t a person present who would reproach her.
“The one who was nearly injured was Prince Vince, and what’s more, the one being honored at this party is His Highness as well. So, if I might, I humbly wonder whether it shouldn’t be up to His Highness to decide what should be done about this.”
“Huh?” The conversation having suddenly turned toward him, Vince stood shocked.
“Don’t you think so, Your Highness?”
However, when Marcela spoke to him that way, he couldn’t refuse. His elder brother Adalbert watched silently, amused.
“Y-yes, I suppose that is true… Well then, the punishment shall be…”
Having somehow or other had the burden of deciding the punishment thrust upon him, Vince was troubled. With Marcela addressing him thus, and his brother and his parents watching but making no moves to interject, it seemed the decision truly was up to him.
However, these commoners’ lives hung on his every word.
Never once until now had he felt such a weighty responsibility upon his shoulders.
He didn’t want to levy an especially severe punishment, but if it was too light, people would begin to take the royal family’s other rulings lightly as well. When he thought of it that way, he couldn’t will himself to speak another word.
Seeing how he froze, Marcela called out, “That reminds me of something a friend of mine once said. I believe it was a phrase from a story that she loved about some wise old men, called ‘The Hard-boiled Egg’…”
A friend of Marcela’s… Was she speaking about that silver-haired girl?
Everyone listened closely, their ears pricked.
“It went like this: ‘Without strength, you won’t survive’…”
Huh? So is she saying I should have the strength of heart to lay down a strong punishment without hesitation? Vince wondered, shaken.