True Love's Seventh Kiss

Ch.40 Proper Ladies

[Corsair advises that you not get too comfortable, you have company incoming.]

Marion flinched and tensed as he turned around back towards the mansion. At least seven girls were coming from the mansion led by the violet rose herself, princess Prudence.

She and the other girls were dressed in red training uniforms with white and black accents; they weren't nearly as bold as Irina's previous outfit, which was basically a pair of short shorts and a training bra. This new style was bold in a different way but was more modest. The pants were vertically striped red and white and tucked into boots. Over a light cream shirt with open sleeves was a vest-styled gambeson with folded lapels. And to complete the look was a stylish red sash knotted around their waist to cover up the bottom of the blouse and acted as an extra layer to protect the young ladies' modesty should they bend over at the wrong time. But mostly it was just for style.

[Corsair is quite pleased with the countess's style choice and advises you to let her dress you and others more often.]

Marion rolled his eyes at the Corsair's comment and then noticed two things. First, there was a girl present that wasn't at the ball last night. A knightly young lady with silver blonde hair wearing a fiendish death glare. The second thing she noticed was that Henry was petrified.

Henry swallowed and then hid behind Marion.

"Mate, be cool. What's wrong with you?" Marion slapped Henry's thigh with the flat of his Starbrand.

Henry jumped and hissed. "Aigh, quit it cap. Thems proper ladies and I'm just a mana-touched sky brat. What do I say, do I bow? What if they hate me... worse, what if they like me then find out I'm a commoner? By thunder and blasted roots what do I do?" Henry panicked. And grabbed Marion by the shirt. "I've never even spoken with a proper dame asides my mum and the pretty counter girl at the trade commission."

Marion gave him a dull look and then gave the poor boy a titty twister.

"Yaouch!" Henry jumped back and grabbed his chest. "Not cool, Rion."

"And the beatings will continue until morale improves." Marion chuckled.

Henry clicked his tongue and shoved Marion away, which only made it funnier.

Marion turned back to the ladies approaching. It was a bit odd under normal circumstances for several of these ladies to approach him like this who was only the son of a count. Even if marriage was on the table, the Violet Rose of the Empire would never condescend herself to marry the son of a count when there were several duchies, earldoms, and marches with plenty of affluent scions to choose from. Even if they were the same age that meant little in a culture where marriageable age was as young as 15. Of course, that didn't mean every 15 year old was married off, but many with arranged marriages established in their youth were married by 17 and 18. Only in emergencies were people married around 15 or younger depending on the circumstances.

For now, Marion didn't have to worry about anything but maybe being made the 'Playmate' or 'personal guard candidate' for the Violet rose. But that didn't mean that he was safe from the others.

He recognized most from last night. There was a young lady with brown hair that was constantly at the edge of her seat when he told his story and made all the best expressions, that was how he remembered her. There was a particularly pretty blonde with short curly hair who he could have sworn had long red hair last night. Marion fancied long red-hair and when he caught sight of the red eyes, he was sure he was going to have to watch out for her. But now her eyes were yellow, and he cursed himself for forgetting that magic was used cosmetically in this world, so nothing was certain. Then the only other one he recognized was a blonde with drill hair straight out of an anime trope. This blonde drill hair did have red eyes, so he was wary of her and her unsettling smile.