Chapter 77

After that, Torre hoisted the unconscious Paul over his shoulder and carried him to a guest room.

I couldn’t just leave my brother floating in front of the gate.

The people of the Eventail territory were used to seeing him like that, but to the people of the Sutrena frontier, he really might be mistaken for an exhibitionist.

After explaining the situation to Lord Nazel, who had just returned from the fort, I fretted over what to do with Paul.

“Still, I wonder how he even got here?”

Having finished changing, I entered the spacious living room. Lord Nazel pulled me toward him and had me sit between his knees as he relaxed on the sofa. This had recently become my designated seat, to the point where even Kelly and Torre no longer found the situation strange.

There wasn’t a single person in this mansion who could stop Lord Nazel.

“Perhaps someone from the Eventail house brought him here?”

“But he was floating all by himself in front of the mansion… and I don’t think House Eventail would ever let their heir go to another territory alone. Paul hasn’t even attended a party by himself before.”

“We’ll just have to wait until he wakes up and ask him directly.”

“Yes. Though I’d prefer to have as little to do with my family as possible.”

A while later, the maids came to inform us that Paul had awakened.

I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I couldn’t just leave him be, so I headed toward the room where my brother was staying.

“Agnes, I’ll go with you. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“Thank you very much.”

Having Lord Nazel by my side was reassuring.

It felt a bit strange to need protection from a twelve-year-old brother, but Lord Nazel’s sentiment made me happy.

When Paul Eventail opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling spread out before him.

A moment later, he remembered being tackled by a muscular man and losing consciousness.

“What was with that guy… he was terrifying.”

Suppressing his irritation, he considered his current predicament.

Unable to endure the increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere at the Eventail estate, Paul had impulsively run away from home. He had relied on the help of other nobles to make his way to the Sutrena frontier.

After being kicked out of the Second Prince’s party, Paul had begun attending noble gatherings without his parents.

While his parents remained banned from public venues, Paul had been pitied because he was still a child; combined with his status as the heir, he had been exempted from the ban.

Since the family name had been tarnished, he had to secure a fiancée as soon as possible.

Paul was determined to find a partner properly so that he wouldn’t end up in a desperate situation like his sister.

His parents, who were only permitted to correspond via letters, picked out houses with daughters of a similar age and made contact; Paul then attended events where those candidates would be present.

At a party held in a neighboring territory for children who had yet to make their social debut, young boys and girls learned how to carry themselves in public through such gatherings.

Attending a gathering of his peers for the first time in his life, Paul felt elated, dressed in his traditional formal wear. However, his expectations were quickly betrayed.

“Whoa, what’s up with that? Look at those clothes.”

A young noble boy pointed at Paul, raising his voice with a mocking expression.

Then, the other boy—likely a friend—started snickering as well. Their eyes were glued to Paul’s tights.

“No way, did he forget his pants? Imagine coming to a party in just tights.”

Paul was indignant; what a rude bunch.

This was the proper attire of House Eventail. Wearing those flimsy, flapping things called “pants” was what was truly strange. His parents always said so, and his relatives all favored tights that showed off the lines of the body.

A lovely young lady who happened to be passing by smiled as she scolded the two noble sons.

She didn’t wear the “good old traditional makeup”, but she was a beautiful, glamorous girl and one of Paul’s potential fiancée candidates.

“You two, you shouldn’t say such things. That is also formal noble attire.”

For a moment, Paul’s heart soared at her words. He thought that, as expected, those who understood what was right would recognize it.

However…

“Even if it’s formal wear from about a hundred years ago,” she added.

Her next sentence sent him plummeting into an abyss.

“Now that you mention it, my great-grandfather’s portrait looked just like that!”

“Is that so? Why go for a hundred-year-old look? To stand out?”

“No, silly. That person is of the Eventail clan. Eccentric and bizarre appearances are the trademark of House Eventail.”

“House Eventail… I’ve heard of them! My older brother told me before that all the men wear tights and the women look like monsters! Plus, I heard the head of the house and his wife were rude to the Second Prince and got banned from noble gatherings.”

“Why is a member of a family like that even here?”

“He’s just a child, and since he’s in a position where he has to find a fiancée, people took pity on him and exempted him from the punishment.”

Unable to stand it any longer, Paul picked up his pace, moving away from them in a state of confusion.

Behind him, the laughter of the trio echoed.

“Trying to find a fiancée looking like that? Impossible. He’s totally out of place.”

“You’re right. No one would ever want to join the Eventail clan.”

Paul was utterly bewildered. That girl was supposed to be a candidate for his hand.

It felt as though the world he had lived in until now had been turned upside down.

He was supposed to be a perfect human being, constantly praised by his parents, relatives, valets, and servants.

“Why? How?”

None of the children his age were wearing “proper attire.”

On the contrary, taking advantage of his parents’ absence, they insulted him openly.

No matter where he walked in the venue, the reaction was the same; everyone treated Paul with cold indifference.

He had been looking forward to this party so much, but now everything looked dull and faded.

Suddenly, Paul remembered his sister’s behavior.

Back when she was at home, she had always hated the traditional Eventail style. She would constantly beg their mother for even one new dress or pair of shoes. She would tell the maids she wanted her makeup kept light, only to be rejected every time.

He used to wonder why she wanted cheap new things when they had Grandmother’s vintage clothes, or why she was so obsessed with light makeup, but…

He felt like he had just caught a glimpse of why his sister had been so rebellious against House Eventail.

But admitting her opinion was right felt like surrendering to those foolish nobles.

Unable to bend his pride, Paul began cornering participants to preach the virtues of the Eventail style.

Just like his father and mother used to berate his sister while lecturing her on the legitimacy of House Eventail.

However, that only served to deepen Paul’s isolation.