Celebrity Lady

… It was really Rubette.

She was taller than the last time he saw her, her face had lost its baby fat, and…

As soon as his gaze moved further down, Lark immediately turned around and fumbled over the empty air, laughing hahaha.

“What’s with the outfit that’s in between of wearing something and nothing, Princess?”

“Aah…”

Lark quickly took off his coat and put it on Rubette’s shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’ve been working out in this outfit.”

“I wore this outfit after the weather got warmer. It’s comfortable.”

“What?”

“Nobody’s on the exercise course anyway.”

Rubette shrugged indifferently, and Lark shook his head.

“But, still…”

“It’s been a really long time!”

“…”

He was met with a welcome smile.

Lark, who was looking at Rubette quietly, smiled. “I know. Long time no see.”

“Aren’t you too much? You can at least write me a letter saying you’re busy…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you done with your busy work?”

“No, I’ll busier in May. I only sleep three hours these days.”

As if complaining, Lark playfully pouted. Rubette, who was leading him along, was startled.

“Oh, really? So what are you here for?”

“I feel like I’m about to forget your face, so I gave up sleep and came here.”

“Oh, dear… Then, while you are here, would you like to sleep in my room?”

Walking side by side, Lark paused and moved only his eyes to look at Rubette.

“…?”

He was met with a look of pure innocence.

Lark laughed and shook his head.

“… That’s alright. Why would I embarrass someone without malice…”

“Yes?”

“By the way, I don’t know where to look because you’ve changed so much since we last met.”

“Hehe, I grew a lot, right?”

Rubette stopped walking and looked at him, putting a hand over her forehead and smiling. Lark smiled along.

“Yes.”

“I also lost a lot of weight. No more death at 45 from complications of being overweight.”

“I was worried you’d overdo it because of that…”

Lark, who was scratching his forehead, held out his palm. “Give me your hand.”

“Hmm?”

Rubette raised her hand, and Lark wrapped his fingers around Rubette’s wrist. He could cover her wrist with his middle finger and thumb. Lark raised his eyes disapprovingly.

“There are only bones left.”

“It’s because your hands are big.”

“No, you’re too skinny.”

“Of course, I took a little more care to look good. I’m the owner of a clothing store, you know.”

“Does the boss have to be thin too?”

“Of course. The time has come to reveal the identity of Madame Ruby, which has been hidden in a veil.”

Lark was surprised.

“… Really?”

“Yes. The people of the capital are very curious about me right now.”

“Right. When I go out these days, people only talk about ‘Madame Ruby.’”

“Ahaha…”

Rubette covered her mouth and smiled contentedly.

“Are you enjoying it?”

“Of course. Being famous is very exciting.” Rubette took the lead and twisted her body as if showing off. “I want to live a life where everyone knows I am famous and wonderful!”

Because that’s what celebrities are!

Lark, who had been quietly watching Rubette smiling, said in surprise, “I thought you didn’t like noisy things.”

“I was just waiting for the right time to do well. I’m going to model the new dress for this summer myself.”

“What? Then, will it finally be revealed that Madame Ruby’s true identity was actually Lady Diollus?”

“Hmm.”

Rubette, who pressed her finger to her cheek, shook her head slightly.

“Not to that extent. I won’t complain if it’s discovered naturally, but I don’t intend to spread rumors that I’m the same person on purpose.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s nice to be famous, but I don’t want to tire. I have to become independent as soon as possible and enjoy the leisurely life of raising a tricolor cat in the forest area…”

Rubette’s muttering expression seemed bitter for a moment, which puzzled Lark.

“Anyway! Be sure to check out my video later. No one will know that the two are the same person.”

“I look forward to it. By the way, will Sir Victor recognize you? In fact, I wouldn’t have recognized you if you had pretended to be someone else.”

“Hmm? Why brought Brother Victor up out of nowhere?”

“Maybe because he managed to get the visitor’s ticket this time?”

“Ah, right! He’ll be here tomorrow!”

As if she’d just remembered, Rubette clapped her hands.

“He’d piled up a lot of gifts in his dorm, saying he’d finally see you.”

“Haha, Your Highness. Speaking of Victor, I have an amusing story. Father has used up all the visitation tickets so far, right?”

Lark laughed as well as if Rubette’s smiling face was lovely.

“So I heard.”

“He gave way to my brothers for the first time this time, and the two attacked each other.”

“I heard that too. Sir Victor played rock-paper-scissors with the young duke as if facing some kind of battlefield—” As if trying to imitate Victor, Lark frowned and added, “I have to negotiate with my older brother. Please give me an early leave.”

“Puhaha…!”

“He returned and said that men like fists, and then got scolded for wanting to fight because of the visitation right. Then he said, ‘That’s not it. We play rock-paper-scissors.’ I heard he won with his fist.”

[T/N: Fist. Rock. Get it?]

“Hahaha, that’s right, that’s right.”

“It was so funny.” Lark laughed and shook his head.

Rubette, watching Lark’s face for the first time in a while with an excited expression, continued walking and said, “Do you have anything interesting to tell me? How is the capital these days?”

“It’s always the same, well. Tell me more about you. I barely made time to come here, so I’ll listen to your pretty voice as much as I want.”

“Ah, stop talking like that! You came more evolved than before.”

“Hahaha!”

Rubette playfully pushed Lark’s shoulder.

For quite some time after that, the voices of a man and a woman mingled in the scent of Lubon’s spring.

***

The next day.

At the tea table in the front yard of the villa.

Victor, who won his first visit right after Rubette’s isolation sentence in almost half a year, has arrived in Lubon. Sitting cross-legged on a chair prepared with the table, he wiggled his toes.

“This girl. It took me half a day just to prepare…”

Unable to bring all the piled-up presents into the villa, he was waiting outside for a grand gift-opening ceremony in the front yard.

‘She’ll be touched, right? This older brother has poured all his knight’s wages for three months, you punk.’

Unlike the other roughly stacked gift boxes, there was one that Victor held dear in his hand. It was a jewelry brooch from the <Blanc de Ruby> accessory shop, the most famous in the capital these days. It could be said that this was the pinnacle of the gifts.

“Hahaha!” Victor raised his nose proudly.

At that time.

All five new knights brought with him stared at one spot and hesitated.

Were they really the ones who stood in line with discipline? The way they opened their mouth wide as they blinked was foolish.

Victor frowned and turned his head to follow their gaze, “You punks, what are you looking at—”

And then he was surprised.

A strange silver-haired woman suddenly appeared across the front yard of the villa.

The moment he saw her walking by with her right hand raised lightly as she greeted him, Victor stiffened with wide eyes.

Wh-what should he say? It felt like the choir’s sacred hymn resonated in his ears.

The woman’s appearance was unfamiliar but somehow familiar. Victor soon remembered where he had seen her.

‘That…’

The magnificent royal palace that he saw every time he went to work. On the mural painted along the wall of the spacious corridor door…

‘…is an angel.’

Yes, the woman looked exactly like the angel in the mural, from the delicate silver hair that fluttered around the waist and the flowing white dress to the slender body that stimulated protective instincts and pale white skin. Regrettably, her entire face couldn’t be seen because of the white half-mask covering the left side of her face.

The woman came closer to Victor, who stood still as if possessed.

“Ah.” An exclamation escaped Victor’s mouth because he had found the woman’s golden eyes.

‘Is she a member of the imperial family?’

When the enlightened Victor noticed the new knights standing behind him prostrating, he quickly bent his knees and bowed his head. It was the custom of knights when dealing with the imperial family.

‘Wh-why is there a princess here out of nowhere? I mean, it’s a face I’ve never seen before…’

Before long, he saw the lower hem of the princess’ dress.

“Victor Diollus, a member of the Imperial Knights of the great Descarde Empire, greets Her Imperial Highness.”

The princess’ toes flinched.

Victor slowly raised his head, examining the princess’ face, and quickly lowered it again.

Gulp, nervous, he swallowed dryly.

‘Oh, what an amazing beauty…!’

[T/N: I’m 55 kilos, 160 cm, and I can cover my own wrist with my middle finger and thumb, and I’m telling you, I have small hands and fingers even by Asian standards. Lark is a man, so what’s weird about him being able to cover Rubette’s wrist with his? What is this author on about?]