31 consorts gathered, surrounding each one of them, are their relatives and supporters.
Feria is the only consort who is alone, but that doesn’t mean that she cares about it.

For Macron, neither, it is the opposite, for him she is the only real person in the middle of a show of puppets.
In his eyes, she looks bright, like the sun.

At Macron’s nod, Bins send a signal to the orchestra.

It is the beginning of the evening party.
If the previous tea party was like a storm, then what can this evening party be likened to?

“It seems … everyone is allowed to attend as long as they have a dress, even the peasants.”

“It’s borrowed, that’s obvious”

“What an old-fashioned dress!”

“The cloth is so low quality! And what is that? Did she try to hide the holes the moths did on it with patches? Ha ha ha”

“No, the dress is too old, that’s why it has so many holes. Do you think that a moth would want to eat that? Ha ha ha”

“Speaking of which, did you hear? The 31st mansion was burnt down.”

“Serves her right. It was time already, someone taught her a lesson.”

Gossips, gossips, gossips, “ha ha ha”, more gossips.

Several audible whispers coming from the other consorts, mocking Feria, fills the hall.
But she doesn’t react, what is more she doesn’t even look worried about them.

What really matters to Feria, right now, is standing.
— My legs are trembling! Hold on, until King Macron sees your dress, hold on!

For Feria, who has never worn heels, the biggest problem is to be standing.
That’s all she is concerned about.

“Good Evening, everyone.
King Macron is waiting in a private room, I ask the royal consorts to follow me there, in order, one by one, according to your assigned number.
The King wants to interview each of you about what is your motivation to become Queen.
Each consort can come accompanied by as many people as you want, except another consort.
Now, it’s the turn of the First Consort, Your Highness, please follow me.
Everyone else, please enjoy the party.”

According to what Bins said, King Macron went to another room.
Now, the First Consort, the Princess is following Bins accompany by some adults.

After they left the hall, the music of the orchestra changed.

Everyone starts moving.
It’s coming… The conversations in the aristocratic society, and the social circles formations.
Introductory exchanges battles begin in different places, and words such as “ho ho ho, I know you” mark the beginning of the ladies’ war.

However, no one approaches the area around Feria.

No one wants to “know her”.
They don’t speak with the consort of the lowest ranking, this is because she isn’t a target profitable.
If someone starts a conversation with Feria, will be signaled as belonging to Feria’s group, will be secluded and made fun of.
Only mocking laugh envelops Feria.
This is a situation that makes her stand there just to be despised, as an existence that everybody takes distance of.

There’re some advantages of it, like for example, cleaning the path for her.

Feria takes a step onward.
Curie told her before, if she has nobody to talk with, she can go to talk with Curie.

To reach her destination, Feria has to pass through a crowded reunion of people but… When they see her walking in that direction, everybody disperses.
Eventually, the path that leads to Curie, is clean.

Curie glances at Feria, who cleaned her path through the crowd and quickly opens her fan to hide her mouth. Ufufufu.

But the other consorts understand it as an indication that she doesn’t want to talk with Feria, and they start to gossip and criticize Feria again.

However, Feria get closer to Curie regardless of their comments.
She folds her knees lightly and bows to Curie, disgusting all the other consorts who start to criticize her even louder.

“Thank you so much for choosing this wonderful dress for me.”

The laughter stopped suddenly.
All the consorts that said that her dress was low-quality, ugly, old-fashioned, eaten by the moths, and other very audible whispers.
They all turned pale at once, the dress chosen by a high-ranking noblewoman, the Princess of the neighboring country, was criticized by them.

Sounds of fainting girls can be heard all across the hall.

As always, Sabrina’s face doesn’t show any expression, but she is startled.

“Really? Sadly, it seems my taste isn’t appreciated here, even when the King in person asked my opinion and agreed with my choice, saying it will look good on you… Maybe the King’s likes are also considered old-fashioned by his subjects present at this party?”

Lady Curie’s harsh remarks, said with an innocent look on her face, were followed by several more fainting sounds.
The complete hall felt into silence for several minutes, only interrupted by the footsteps and voices of relatives trying to catch the fainting women.

“Second Consort, Royal Princess Curie, please follow me.”

… Until the voice of Bins appeared.

“Are you happy? Thanks to you, I’m the laugh stock of all the consorts and their relatives now.”

Curie despises Feria? No, exactly the opposite.
With those words, Curie becomes the sword of Feria, who insults Feria, insults Curie.
The consorts nor their relatives or even servants, never again, will dare to say or do something against the friend of the Princess Curie.

“No, of course not. Curie’s taste for fashion is perfect.”

“Ahh! Laa… Lady Feria, you look great.”

Mimili enters the hall and joins the war, siding by Feria, but after noticing Curie’s presence her voice trembles, she didn’t hear it all and isn’t sure if she is an ally or enemy.
Both Feria and Curie are surprised, but Feria smiles and greets Mimili as normal.
Then she uses her powerful voice to make it echo through the complete hall.

“Mimili, don’t you think? That any woman wearing a dress like that will look gorgeous!!! I think so too! Therefore, “whispers” are something of petty flowers. “Whispers” from other flowers are declarations of defeat, because they are really fascinated by the other flower’s appearance. This flower is better than me, I hate her! If you are proud of your flower, you can’t focus on the flowers of others. Right, Curie?”

Feria’s poetic remarks made the faces of the already pale noblemen’s daughters flush at once.

“Well, yes. But when it comes to flowers… The flowers that grow inside the castle can’t compare with many others, so they think they’re the prettiest. Until they see the fields and see there’re many more flowers prettier in this world… Oh, it will be rude to make the king wait any longer, please excuse me.”

Lady Curie says so and walks behind Bins.
They are really wonderful, a sword and a shield.

This time, it was Feria who laugh, “Fufufu.”

---

Macron’s face relaxed when he heard from Curie what happened in the party after he went away.
He was a little worried for Feria, but it seems, she knows very well how to defend herself.

“Reporting”

Following the protocol, the maid hands the documents to Curie, she places them on the table and lifting one paper, she gives it to Macron.

“This is a side report. Felia’s sleeping face is cute, and her sleep habits aren’t bad. She sleeps with over her right side, so the King can use his left arm as a pillow for her. Also, it leaves your right arm free, you should be able to grab a sword in an emergency right away, if you put it under the bed. You are very compatible, so there’s no need for any of you to change your sleeping positions.”

Macron opens his eyes wide, he doesn’t understand a single word, he didn’t expect to get such a report.

“Oh? Doesn’t the people of this country change the sleeping position in order to be more compatible with your couple after marrying? It’s for security too. Attacks in the middle of the night are very common after all”

For the first time, Macron was scared of the neighboring country.
No, maybe… Only of Curie, it’s better to not have someone like her of enemy.

“The second part of the report begins, after the incident, I’ve confirmed her body is…”

Macron’s face changes to a serious worried look.

“White cream color, very soft. She has a firm skin, also the form of her clavicle is beautiful, and she has a mole on the left side of—“

“Please wait!”

Of course, it was Macron who begged her to stop.

“Isn’t that somewhat of a misdirection in your reporting?”

“Oh my, is that so?　So… you don’t want the text of the report here, right?”

Curie challenges the King in a subtle tempting way, she places the 3rd and 4th sheet of paper, that form the complete report, side by side on the table.
For Macron to see and to chose if he reads them or not.
Macron doubts… His eyes don’t obey him.
Minutes after, the inner battle is over, Macron is done for and surrenders to Curie.

“The soles of her feet were red and worn, probably because she had to ran too much.
Also, I guess she bumped somewhere, there is a bruise on her right ankle.
Both are no big deal… but wearing heels, it may be painful for her to stand up.
A gentleman would notice and hurry to finish the interviews, then would go and offers her a seat.”

Macron immediately understood and his face’s expression became serious again.

“Thank you for your cooperation”

“The doctor didn’t check that much, but one of my maids did, as I instructed her.”

“Does she need a maid to help her?”

“I think it’s okay with my maids, they are enough for the time being. A sudden change can be noticed by the other consorts that will not hesitate to act. In this same moment, some of them can be planning a counterattack, be prepared. Also, I would like to confirm, after the evening party, Feria’s will stay at my mansion.”

“A temporary hut is already built, but I think it’s better for her to stay with you until her house’s reconstruction is done, we cannot lower the guard.”

“I think so too.”

Macron and Curie smiles at each other, and she places the last paper over the table.

“I’m sorry for asking you to investigate how she is. But I’m worried that if she sees me, she will remember the disaster and suffer. Please check she doesn’t have any trauma about– No! I’ve to do it, I’ll talk with her after the party. I promised it to Feria!”

Curie hides her mouth again. Ufufufu.
The King deserves a reward for his hard work, she thinks so, that’s why she already “gave him a gift”.
Ufufufu.
She really wants to see his face when reads the last paper sheet of the report.

---

“11th Consort, please accompany me”

Sabrina, the 11th consort candidate, the daughter of the duke of this country, enters the interview room.
Behind her, her parents, the Duke and the Duchess.

After seating, it was the Duke who first spoke out.

“I was so worried, I heard there was an incident in the house of one of the consorts living in the Palace. Your Highness, I think it’s better that you choose a Queen already, before another thing like that happens. It’s too dangerous for the Consort candidates, I’m worried about my daughter safety.”

He says so and stares with a worried parental expression at Sabrina.
He’s trying to say, it’s obvious my daughter is the best choice, hurry up and make it public!

“The 11th Consort’s maid was one of the criminals captured, it seems she hired the kidnappers”

Bins exclaims.
The duke and his wife and Sabrina opened their eyes wide and showed an expression of surprise.

“How! How is that possible! I fired that maid when I knew she insulted the 31st Consort with her suspicions.”

“Oh darling, did you do that? It must have been a terrible moment for you.”

Macron looks at this scene, but it’s like watching a humorous farce.
Sabrina and the Dukes repeat each words as following a script, whose lines they memorized a million times.

“When I heard that she was so rude to another consort. I was so embarrassed… I– I got so sad and angry that couldn’t calm myself and I dismissed her.”
SobSob

“Oh, my dear, don’t worry. Don’t worry, I understand. Your Majesty, that maid probably has a grudge against our daughter and is trying to ruin her name.”

The Duke turned to look at Macron, with eyes like a father that’s trying to save his poor child of a monster.

“I want to ask your motivations… for becoming Queen”

Macron does not react to Sabrina and the dukes’ play.
He’s trying to not show his anger in front of the persons that tried to commit a crime in his castle, and planned to kill an innocent woman using another person’s sword.
He focuses on the document in front of him, if he looks at the face of Sabrina probably will lose control.
He needs that they, themselves, reveal their true intentions, before he can act.

“King, I…I’m grateful, all the people in the castle is like my fa–“

“Bins”

Macron interrupts Sabrina’s words, without even looking at her and calls Bins.

“Yes, Your Majesty.
I’ll continue to confirm her motivations later, please go back to the party’s hall. The King is tired and can’t take a long time to ask each consort. They’re 31 ladies in total. Also, having to hear their parents and relatives, it’s taking too much time. Originally, the King intended that the elders’ council were the one in charge of asking these questions to the consorts. After all, the King is only one person, sadly it wasn’t possible. Please forgive me, but I’ll continue the interview from here on.”

Bins explains to the dissatisfied duke and bows deeply, but it means nothing, the duke only looks at King Macron.

The duke’s face shows his fury, but Macron doesn’t lift his gaze from the papers.
— Should I overthrow the first minister of my country?
That is what Macron is thinking and really wants.

“Oh, it reminds me, why the maids of the 11th Consort are always wandering around the castle? Are they looking for something that they lost?”

After saying that coldly, Macron looks at the face of Sabrina and the angry duke, who froze in place.

Translated by Djurasico (dot) home (dot) blog