The Kingmaker System-Chapter 443 - 442. Debutante Drama (2)

I stood still in front of the full-length mirror, staring at a version of myself that I had come to see after a rather long time.

The gown clung to me like it belonged, its shades of blue, violet, and soft pink cascading into a train of embroidered peacock feathers that shimmered like they held secrets of old. Drapes of sheer fabric fell from my shoulders, fluttering with the movement of air I hadn’t felt. My collarbones were framed by delicate beadwork that caught the soft golden glow of the room.

But it wasn’t the dress that made me pause.

It was me.

My silver-white hair had been swept up and pinned with an elegance I never thought suited me—half up, the rest trailing down my back in soft waves. A few strands curled along my jawline, brushing against my skin like a whisper. And my eyes... they didn’t look like mine. They glowed too brightly. Too... divinely. The extent of how much the Dragon’s bloodline would make me beautiful was still a fascinating mystery to me.

I tilted my head, watching the way the faint light caught in my irises, how my expression seemed calm, regal even—but not quite present. Like a portrait painted to impress.

"Is this really me?" I murmured, not expecting an answer.

And yet, the silence that followed seemed to echo with a quiet affirmation. That this—this was the girl they would all see tonight. The girl I was meant to become and also the one who would turn the tides of attention from Princess Colette to myself and to the Princes who deserved today’s celebration.

Penny opened the lid of the trinket box that I didn’t know I had and picked out a bracelet.

The bracelet gleamed like a fragment of the cosmos—its smooth, opalescent stones swirled with stardust-blue light, encased in delicately twisted silver strands that made me envision the flowing mana energy. It felt more like a celestial artifact than mere jewelry—ethereal, quiet, and endlessly elegant.

"Archmage left this for you, My Lady." She said as she showed me the bracelet and then handed me a card which was with it.

It read: "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Reina.

Congratulations on your debutante. I know there are a lot of things going on and you’re handling a lot.

The bracelet is made of the special mana stones of high quality that I had saved , it will conceal your mana presence and also cast invisibility spell whenever you want, I had also laced it with the teleportation spell so, it has everything that you would need in case of emergency.

I’m making a similar device for Kai, I’ll give it to him when I’m done.

Enjoy your day and try not to create a big scene."

I almost chuckled as I read it before I reached my hand out letting Penny place the elegant mana bracelet on my wrist. It glowed radiantly for a moment before its glow faded and it resembled to just a piece of jewellery.

Just then there was a knock on the door and my maid rushed over to see who it was.

It was Rune. He had arrived to pick me up since he was my escort for the day.

Rune stood at the doorway, frozen mid-step, his golden eyes wide with something close to awe. The soft hues of his suit—midnight blue, and dusky violet—mirrored mine, but he barely seemed aware of it. His gaze was fixed solely on me. For a moment, he didn’t speak, just watched, as if trying to make sense of the fact that the girl standing before him was his sister. There was no teasing in his expression, no smirk—just quiet wonder, like he was seeing me for the very first time.

"Isn’t My Lady looking so beautiful, My Lord?" Penny asked with an excited smile, clasping her hands together as if she might burst from pride.

"Beautiful?... Huh. Yes..." Rune echoed, his voice oddly flat, like a broken record. He didn’t even blink, just stared—and I couldn’t help but smile.

"You look quite dashing yourself, Big Brother," I said, gently teasing, hoping to nudge him out of whatever daze he’d sunken into. "I might have to protect your dignity just so I can become a proper sister-in-law to Lady Celestia."

That seemed to work. He blinked, as if snapping out of a trance, and then his expression twisted into something stern.

"Right," he said slowly—and then straightened with sudden resolve. "You’re not going to the debutante."

"...Say what?" I blinked. Around me, the maids dropped their combs and brushes. Penny’s jaw hit the floor so hard I could almost hear it.

"Yes," Rune continued, already turning on his heel. "I’ll go tell Father. This debutante is off the table."

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t even make it three steps before stopping short. Father stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes locked on me. He looked stunned—and maybe even a little misty-eyed.

"Agreed," he said before Rune could say another word.

"B-but why?!" Penny stammered, glancing helplessly between the two of them like someone trying to mediate a war they hadn’t signed up for.

"Well, can’t you see?" Rune said, jabbing a finger in my direction.

"My little girl is so beautiful!" Father declared, already worked up. "What are we supposed to do if some creep tries to kidnap her or—heaven forbid—woo her?!"

"At this rate, I don’t even want anyone to look at her!" Rune added dramatically.

"But even if we dressed My Lady in rags, she’d still look beautiful!" Penny cried out, clearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Exactly!" Rune barked. "Which is why we must protect her from every sight. No man could ever come close to deserving her."

"You’re basically saying she’ll remain unmarried her whole life!" Penny yelled, exasperated.

"So what?!" Father shouted. "I can take care of my daughter forever!"

"And the decision is made!" Rune declared triumphantly. "We’re not going to the debutante!"

And that was the last straw.

My Dragon’s Presence surged out in a ripple of quiet authority, making the air hum and sending a shiver down everyone’s spine. I crossed my arms, fingers brushing against my lips as I smirked, my eyes sharpening with quiet power.

"Father. Brother." I said calmly—and they both flinched as if struck.

"Do you really think we can cancel the debutante?"

"We–we can—" Father began, voice faltering.

"We can’t," I said, voice firm.

"Why are you two so worried about something as ridiculous as someone wooing or kidnapping me? Have you forgotten what I’m capable of?"

"That still won’t put us at ease!" Father argued.

"Yes! What if you ended up liking someone?!" Rune added in horror.

The repulsed look I gave them over that ridiculous thought must’ve been enough to kill that possibility, because they both froze. But their expressions remained stubborn.

"Fine," I said at last, exhaling. "I’ll stay close to people I know."

"No! You’ll stay by our side!" Rune insisted like an overprotective brother he was.

I sighed. They were sulking like children, and even though their worries were wildly misplaced, it was... kind of cute.

"All right, all right," I said, giving in just a little. "But I still need to move around and speak with people. I have to spread the word about your and Prince Eric’s valor, remember?"

"Do it while standing by our sides!" Father huffed, arms crossed.

Suppressing a smile, I gave them a gracious nod as if indulging a pair of stubborn boys.

"Very well. I’ll stay by your sides."

"Good."

"Then shall we go?" I asked with a soft smile.

They exchanged a look and then nodded in unison.

"All right."

Both stretched out their arms toward me, and I gently placed my hands into theirs.

We were going to be late anyway, so our little squabble at home turned out to be perfectly timed. Even on the way to the royal palace, Father and Rune didn’t stop fussing over me.

"Don’t talk to strangers," Father said for what had to be the fifth time.

"If anyone offers you food or drink, don’t take it," Rune added sternly.

"It’s my debutante, not a kindergarten field trip," I muttered, more to myself.

But no matter how much I chided them, they still looked dead serious—so I gave in with a sigh and a small smile tugging at my lips.

It was strange. Normally, I hated being nagged. But with these two, I was powerless. They could lay down the most absurd rules, and I’d follow them without protest. It was... a weird feeling. But I didn’t hate it.

We arrived at the royal palace nearly an hour late. The royal family was already inside, as were most of the nobles, including Prince Eric and his band of eligible young masters.

Father and Rune held onto my arms on either side like bodyguards as we walked toward the grand ballroom.

"Reina, no matter what happens, don’t leave our side. Understand?" Rune murmured.

"If you’re tired, just say the word—we’ll bring you food. But don’t go anywhere alone. Got it?" Father added, barely giving me space to breathe.

"I understand," I sighed, smiling patiently. For what must have been the umpteenth time, I repeated the line like a well-trained child.

As we approached the enormous double doors, the palace guards posted there paused, their eyes widening slightly when they saw me. One of them even stared a moment too long—until Rune’s glare and Father’s deliberate throat-clearing snapped him back to reality.

"M-Make way for Duke Arthur Aurelius, Young Lord Rune Aurelius, and Young Lady Reina Aurelius!" the announcer stammered, his face flushing a bright crimson as he fumbled with the words.

The gilded doors swung open.

We stepped inside—and like clockwork, heads turned.

Every pair of eyes followed our slow procession across the ballroom floor. We passed through parted crowds, leaving behind flushed cheeks and stunned expressions. I could practically feel their whispers vibrating through the marble.

"I feel like I’m about to cause a massacre here," Rune muttered beside me.

"Control yourself, Brother," I said under my breath.

"Do it discreetly," Father added, eyes deadpan.

I nearly burst out laughing. Hearing something so uncharacteristically violent from my usually kind and soft-hearted father? That was new.

"Do we greet the Golden Serpent and the King first?" I asked softly, keeping my gaze ahead.

"Don’t want to," Rune grumbled immediately.

"I agree," Father said.

I smiled. "Which is exactly why we have to."

I lifted my chin slightly, eyes scanning the ballroom—and that’s when I met her gaze. Those sharp, venomous green eyes narrowed instantly, staring daggers at me from across the room.

Oh yes. This debutante was going to be fun.

Princess Colette Vanesa Jun Marismus stood across the ballroom, clad in an extravagant blood-red gown laced with golden accents. Her scowl, however, dulled the brilliance of her attire, souring her beauty like wine left too long in the sun.

And the reason behind that scowl? It wasn’t hard to guess.

I hid my amusement behind the gentle curve of a polite smile as I curtsied before the Golden Serpent and the King. My blood simmered beneath my skin, and my Dragon’s Presence coiled restlessly, itching to surge forth and make them bow to me instead.

"You have grown up to be quite beautiful, Young Lady Reina," King Roger remarked, his voice regal but tinged with intrigue.

"I’m honored to receive Your Majesty’s kind words," I replied, each syllable calm and polished, though I felt the heat of three very sharp gazes piercing through me.

If looks could kill, I’d have been reduced to ash already—courtesy of the Queen and her charming daughter. As for Prince Carlos, his thoughts might as well have been written across his face in glowing letters. Rune clearly noticed too; his glare could have incinerated him on the spot.

"You’re pretty late though," Carlos commented with a smirk, stepping forward. "The debutantes have already finished their first dances."

He stretched out a hand toward me, his intentions obvious—but before he could voice any foolish offers, Rune cut in, voice firm.

"That’s fine, Your Highness. Reina and I will still have our dance and enjoy the evening."

The remark teetered on the edge of rudeness, but Rune didn’t seem the least bit concerned about that.

To our mild surprise, King Roger only chuckled and clapped a hand on Rune’s shoulder.

"Congratulations," he said, and Rune blinked, clearly wary.

"I heard you recently got engaged to the Princess of Konstantinos from Denril."

"...Pardon? Ah—yes." Rune answered after a beat, visibly thrown off.

"I’m looking forward to the future of Aurelia Duchy." Roger said with a smile.

We didn’t linger after that. Politely excusing ourselves, Rune led me away from the dais and toward the center of the ballroom. freewebnoveℓ.com

He bowed smoothly and took my hand with practiced ease, and I allowed a smile to grace my lips as we stepped into rhythm. Around us, the gazes never stopped—men and women alike watched, whispered, speculated.

Rune looked down at me with a brotherly smile before muttering, "I wish I could gouge their eyes out."

I bit back a laugh. "As Father said—do it in secrecy."

"Ah, yes. I’ll be subtle about it next time," he mused. "And for the record, don’t dance with anyone but me or Father."

I sighed lightly, smiling up at him. "All right, I won’t."

"Shoot them down, whoever they are," he added with deadly seriousness.

"But what if Prince Eric asks me?" I asked, feigning innocence.

Rune hesitated. "Well... he’s an exception. You can dance with him—but no one else."

"Not even your friends?"

"Especially not my friends!"

I laughed softly, unable to hide my amusement at his overprotectiveness. Still, I couldn’t entirely brush off the weight of those lingering stares. I’d have to grow used to them now. Because from this moment on, as Reina Aurelius, my real work was only just beginning.

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