A few days later, at the debutante ball.
I unfolded the portable table. Fixed the legs and spread the cloth.
Right in the middle of the debutante ball venue.
"Are you really doing this here?"
Celine's voice dropped low.
I nodded and pulled out wrapped packages of Cheonghongcho from my bag. One by one. Neatly arranged.
The small boxes lined up in rows.
The social debut stage for noble young ladies. The venue that every noble girl under fifteen eagerly awaited—and here was someone shameless enough to set up a merchant's stall.
That was me.
"Aren't you embarrassed?"
"I'm ten years old."
"If you're ten, then I must be five."
A snicker escaped. I wasn't sure from whose mouth.
Even while answering, my hands didn't stop. I organized the packages, adjusted the angles, and completed the perfect stall.
Murmuring began.
"What's that?"
"Look over there. In the corner..."
"Did they set up a table?"
"Are they putting out goods?"
"That's just a child."
Whispers passed behind fans. Eyes gathered.
"That crest... isn't that a ducal house?"
"Which duchy?"
"Krustein."
A brief silence.
"...That thug family?"
The blunt words came from a girl about to make her debut.
"The kid will hear."
"It's far, they won't hear. There are lots of people too."
How unfortunate that I can hear everything...
But well, it wasn't wrong.
And right now, I was planning to do something even worse than a thug would.
Footsteps approached.
Two attendants. Respectful posture. But their eyes were firm.
The front attendant spoke.
"Excuse me, but commercial activities are not permitted here."
"It's not a commercial activity."
"Pardon?"
"It's free distribution."
The attendant's eyebrow twitched.
"Even so, within the ballroom..."
I pulled an envelope from my pocket. Unfolded it and showed it.
"Will this do?"
The attendant's gaze moved to the envelope.
The moment they confirmed the seal, their face hardened.
"Princess Clara's seal."
The two attendants looked at each other. Their eyes met.
What will you do?
When a power player in central politics has given permission.
The bowing attendants stepped back.
Yes, go on. Go.
"Excuse me."
I looked up at the voice.
A young man. Early twenties or so. Neat suit with gold buttons. Seemed to be a young master from some family.
He looked down at the table with curious eyes.
"What is that?"
"It's good for your health."
"For health...?"
"Yes."
"What kind of health?"
It's good for men's lower health. But even I felt self-conscious about saying that outright.
"Overall health. Fatigue recovery, blood circulation, stamina enhancement. It's really famous among men. If you give it as a gift to your older brother's father, he might like it."
The young master's gaze moved to the package. An expression like he'd caught on to something.
"If you're interested in this... please take it."
I reached out and picked up a package. Held it out to the young master.
"It's free."
"...Free?"
"It's a sample."
The young master's hand stopped in midair.
Should I take it? Or not?
The hesitation showed plainly on his face.
"Please take it without burden. If it doesn't work, you can just throw it away."
"...Is that alright?"
"That's why I'm giving it to you."
The young master's hand moved. The package passed into his hand.
"...Thank you."
"Oh, this too?"
"This is?"
"A coupon. For a limited time, if you buy ten, we'll give you one more for free."
And so I handed over the first sample, and another man approached.
He was older than the previous young master. Around thirty or forty. A face with a neatly trimmed beard.
"This... is this Cheonghongcho by any chance?"
"You recognize it."
"This color, this packaging... no doubt about it."
"That's right. Please take it. It's free."
"Free?"
"It's a sample."
The man's hand moved quickly. He picked up a package and put it in his pocket.
"Thank you."
The middle-aged man nodded and turned around.
Toward where his friends were waiting.
I greeted the next customer while keeping my ears open.
The ballroom was spacious, but voices carried better than expected. Especially excited voices like those.
"Hey, look at this. It's Cheonghongcho. You know it's hard to get these days, right? I got it for free."
"What? Where?"
"Over there. From that silver-haired kid."
"You're fearless."
"What?"
"Approaching that kid."
"It's just a child. No matter how much of a monster the father is, it's just a cute kid."
A cute kid.
Right, I'm ten years old. It's because I know that that I can do something this embarrassing.
That thought made me chuckle inwardly.
But another voice cut in. A low, serious tone.
"That kid's a monster too."
"What?"
"Haven't you heard? The illegitimate child of Krustein. The young monster of the North. Annihilated five hundred orcs with fire tactics. Zero friendly casualties. And the Kuman tribe. Defeated two thousand with a small force. Thanks to that, the Knight Slayer gave him equal status with his only legitimate son—a monster of a kid."
"You're joking, right? It could be another son of the duke."
"The rumor spread all the way to the Imperial Capital. He's ten years old. And a silver-haired beautiful boy. That kid for sure."
"A ten-year-old in war? And an overwhelming victory in an unfavorable situation?"
"That's why they call him a monster."
I felt the gazes again.
I smiled calmly and handed a package to the next customer.
"Yes, it's free. Please take it."
An hour passed.
The boxes on the table were decreasing. Half. More than that.
But there were those who didn't approach.
Young nobles gathered in a corner. Their eyes turned this way, but their feet didn't move.
I could read their minds.
Krustein.
The thug family of the North.
The family that destroyed the most noble houses.
That young child recently destroyed two count families too.
Resembling his father, unspeakably cruel.
The strange rumors about me couldn't be helped.
Our family's reputation was in that state.
But that didn't mean I could just sit idle.
I raised my voice. Loud enough to echo through the ballroom.
"What the Krustein family cuts down are only rebel nobles."
Murmuring spread. Eyes gathered.
"Nobles who are loyal to the Imperial family like us are all our friends."
In short.
Anyone who doesn't approach is a traitor.
Of course, I didn't say it that bluntly. But the nuance was sufficient.
One young noble in the corner flinched. Made eye contact with a friend beside him. Whispered something.
And walked over.
"Um... may I have one?"
"Of course."
I handed over a package. A coupon too.
"This is?"
"If you buy ten, we'll give you one more for free. Limited time offer."
"Ah, yes..."
When he returned, people moved like a broken dam.
"Me too."
"Me as well."
"What's this thing called a coupon?"
My hands got busy. Handing out packages, explaining coupons, maintaining a smile.
The coupons were drawn stitch by stitch by a servant with good handiwork.
Actually, the precision was such that forgery wouldn't be impossible.
But it didn't matter.
Even if they forged it to buy ten and get one free, it would still be much more expensive than the wholesale price.
More than the originally planned price too.
I wasn't the one losing out.
"Thank you. Please come again."
The last box went into a customer's possession.
The table was empty.
Celine approached. Arms crossed.
"All gone."
"Yeah."
I folded the portable table. Folded the cloth and put it in the bag.
First objective achieved.
Now what remained...
I looked toward the center of the ballroom.
Musicians were taking their positions. The first song wasn't far off.
The dance with the princess.
The music stopped.
The murmuring subsided. Hundreds of nobles closed their mouths. The entire ballroom became quiet.
The master of ceremonies stepped onto the platform. A white-gloved hand rose.
"The first dance will be with the flower of the Empire, Imperial Princess Celestial, and..."
My heart skipped a beat.
I knew. It was already decided. The deal with Princess Clara. The price of the invitation. Still.
"From far to the north, Adrian Von Krustein from the Krustein family will join her."
Hundreds of gazes poured down at once.
"That kid? The first dance with the Imperial Princess?"
"Sharing precious herbs wasn't for business but... was the purpose to make us recognize his face?"
"In the competition with his brother, he'd lack connections within the duchy, so he's trying to build central connections."
Whispers spread like waves.
Celine beside me said quietly.
"You should go."
"I know."
I left the table with Celine and turned around.
Walked toward the center of the ballroom.
Only my footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Nobles parted to the left and right.
Like Moses parting the sea. Or like avoiding a plague patient.
A pure white dress caught my eye first.
Pearl decorations around the waist. A lace veil covered the entire face.
And silver hair.
Hair flowing down between the veil.
The same as mine. The same as Lise's.
The princess slowly descended the stairs.
The entire ballroom held its breath.
There was a gaze I could feel without turning my head.
Princess Clara.
What expression was that old viper making now? Probably a satisfied smile. Thinking everything was turning in the palm of her hand.
The princess stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Extended her hand.
White, slender fingers emerged from beyond the veil. Rested on my hand.
The music began.
First step. Second step. Third step.
Honestly, I can't dance. Not in my past life, not in this life. But my feet didn't falter.
The princess was leading.
Naturally.
Imperceptibly.
Making it look like I was dancing well.
She dances well, just as Princess Clara said.
That's when it happened.
The motion of clasping hands again. Something strange brushed against my fingertips.
It wasn't body heat. Something beyond that.
The moment I wrapped my arm around her waist, I was certain.
This sensation. Where have I felt this?
It was mana.
I might not know other things, but I was confident in my sense for detecting mana.
Though my ability to manipulate it was completely lacking.
It wasn't the mana of an ordinary human. It was suppressed.
Forcibly. Artificially.
The same feeling as when I held Lise's hand.
Enhanced human.
My steps wavered. Just slightly.
"Are you alright?"
A whisper came from beyond the veil.
"Yes. I'm fine."
I kept my voice calm. My feet got back on beat too.
But my mind raced.
Enhancement surgery. Loss of sensation. Shortened lifespan. Physical deformation. Superhuman strength gained in exchange.
Lise was like that. Lost her parents to an orc attack, became a test subject.
Such surgery on the real princess?
It doesn't make sense.
Then...
I looked beyond the veil while stepping.
Who is this woman?