The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!

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Author Notes:

  Finally, tomorrow marks the beginning of March.

  I have written about the SS to be published in the first volume in the activity report.

  If you are interested, please check it out.

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"That's not right. It's over there."

I was heading towards the wrong building, almost leading Duke Powell in the wrong direction as well. Camille and the guards stopped me, and we quickly changed direction, following my parents to the spirit carriage waiting at the edge of the square. There were crowds of people around us, with guards spaced out to keep them from getting too close. I was getting the VIP treatment, as expected.

"The people of Luftanen know that it's thanks to the Fairy Princess that the spirit kings appeared. They also know that it was thanks to you that the Nicodemus cult was driven out. The Empire and the Fairy Princess are very welcomed here," Salomon said.

"And since many people in North Island work in trade, they feel close to the people of the Empire," Elliot added.

Inside the spirit carriage, which was spacious due to spatial magic, Salomon and Elliot were already waiting. The carriage had sofas facing each other by the window, where my family was asked to sit. Our job was to smile and wave at the people outside.

Meanwhile, Duke Powell was relaxing with the Luftanen members on the other side, enjoying a tea break. Even though it was just a ten-minute ride, they were already eating snacks! But the conversation was serious, discussing the upcoming schedule and strengthening alliances. During our stay, many meetings at the deputy minister level were planned, with Duke Powell being the person in charge. He was going to be very busy. My parents' job was to attend social events as representatives of the Empire, celebrating the wedding and promoting a positive image of the Empire to the nobles of Luftanen.

Ten minutes may not seem like much, but it's still significant. Although we could have used teleportation magic to go directly to the guest house, showing the people of Luftanen that they have important guests from a foreign country helped to enhance the celebratory mood. Next year, the crown prince would visit for the coronation, and this time, the Fairy Princess was here to celebrate the wedding. It was a way to show both Luftanen and other countries that the Empire valued its relationship with Luftanen.

It felt strange, though. Here I was, in a foreign country for the first time, welcomed by people with black hair who had never seen me before. It's easy to get carried away or develop a misunderstanding in this kind of situation, but I felt more apologetic than anything. Sorry, but I am not the Fairy Princess you all imagine. What I've done for Luftanen is mostly buy a lot of cacao—for chocolate, of course. Everything else has been handled by the spirit kings and the adults. I've done nothing to deserve this welcome.

Oh, but Fairy Company is going to open a new store here. Delicious food and sweets can make people happy! We will offer dishes unique to Luftanen, which might attract tourists and benefit the island. If that happens, I will accept this welcome as a form of investment. Besides, I have the job of being the bait.

Eventually, the spirit carriage passed through an impressive gate and arrived at our destination. A straight white path led from the gate to the building, flanked by symmetrical square ponds. The contrast between the green lawn and the white ponds and paths was beautiful. The guest house had orange roofs, white walls, and dark brown wooden terraces and balconies. It really had a Thai vibe to it. At the entrance, a large group of people was waiting to welcome us. The officials and diplomats in front wore black traditional attire, while the staff behind them wore matching aloha shirts. It felt more like arriving at a resort hotel than an official visit. Those aloha shirts seemed quite out of place.

The formal attire for women here was not the heavily decorated dresses like in the Empire. They wore simple white dresses with subtle embroidery in light colors or silver threads. Instead, they took pride in the cloth they wore over the dress. It was brightly colored with intricate patterns in gold and silver threads, often inspired by the attributes of the spirit kings. The cloth was worn in various ways: belted at the waist like a dress, draped over the shoulders with long ends trailing behind, or even over the head. The cloth wasn't just for fashion. When sitting on the floor with cushions, unlike on chairs, the cloth was spread out to cover the legs and dress hems, showing off the patterns. 

Impressive, right? Wiki-kun really comes in handy. It's like having a travel guidebook.

We were to make a brief appearance at the lunch reception while Rex and Nelly prepared our rooms. Brad would help as well. Since Rex and Brad are commoners, their actions were somewhat restricted. Chris-oniisama's butler, Cavill, who is an earl, would be handling things here. Sebas must have had his share of struggles, which is why he insisted his son become a baron.

The same members from the spirit carriage moved to the lunch reception, which, although short, was filled with familiar faces. After the reception, we had free time until dinner. But it wasn't really free; my schedule was packed.

When I returned to my room, Nelly greeted me with a bright smile. The men were sent to the antechamber while I had to change. All my clothes came off, my hair was undone, makeup removed, and I even took a bath. Was this necessary? Couldn't I just change clothes? I'm only eleven, with fresh skin. Isn't over-cleaning bad?

For the evening reception, I chose a sea green dress with a simple shape, inspired by the flowing water, embroidered with images of flowing water. The skirt had many pleats to spread out nicely on the floor, hiding my legs. You couldn't tell if I sat cross-legged. Instead of a vibrant cloth, I had a light lavender cloth with floral lace, looking like flowers floating on the river or blooming on the riverbank. I draped it over my arms like a celestial robe, as I wasn't sure how else to wear it.

As for my hair, I had no idea what Nelly did. She was busy braiding it while Gemma briefed me on the attendees for the dinner, so I couldn't focus on both.

The dinner was held in a grand hall with an open balcony area. The dark wood floors and intricately carved pillars were a style unseen in the Empire, reminding me I was indeed in a foreign land. All the furniture was made of rattan, with round tables and cushions on the balcony. I thought the space would be entirely open, but except for the view of the courtyard, the rest was enclosed with thin curtains, creating a cozy atmosphere separate from the outside.

By the time the Empire's representatives arrived, the Luftanen members, including the crown prince, were already there. The Luftanen side included Elliot, Salomon, Keith's father, Earl Harle, and Salomon's family, the Marquis of Mantester, along with other prominent nobles of North Island and Camille's maternal relatives from West Island, Marquis Rintonen. The average age was quite high.

Crown Prince Radek, who would turn twenty-five in two months, was a slender man with shoulder-length black hair. Our crown prince has a commanding presence that suits his royal status, making him seem unapproachable. But this crown prince had a gentle, elegant aura.

"So, you must be the Fairy Princess. I hear you've been taking care of Camille. Thank you," he said, like a guardian meeting his sibling's friend, with a dazzling smile but an intimidating gaze. His eyes were a pale amber, almost like glass beads, which is unusual for a Luftanen native. Camille's eyes were a deep brown. The Empire's royalty had golden eyes, but his were redder, reflecting light. The Wise King had similar eyes. And his magical power was strong, his spirit beast a dragon larger than Camille's. This man had overthrown his father, the previous king, who sought only self-preservation. The former king was later declared dead from illness. It's unclear if the second queen, Radek's biological mother, was poisoned by the first queen or if Radek himself ended the conflict. But he clearly cared deeply for his brother. After the second prince died and Camille went missing, he became expressionless, barely eating or sleeping, focusing only on his duties. His brother might have been his only family.

"This is my fiancée, Tatiana," he introduced, and the woman beside him had large, striking black eyes. She was a beautiful, sensuous woman with glossy black hair and slightly full lips. Her slender frame and elegant demeanor exuded a refined allure. She clearly adored the crown prince, with no interest in other men, not even my handsome father or Duke Powell.

As we dined, I noticed the crown prince barely ate or drank while engrossed in conversation. Tatiana constantly filled small plates with food for him.

"Is Radek completely hopeless outside of work?" I whispered to Camille.

"Already figured that out, huh?" Camille replied quietly.

That dress suits you," he suddenly said, catching me off guard.

"...Thank you."

Why say that now? I don't know how to respond. I was in work mode.

Since I was the only girl present, besides my mother and Tatiana, this reception was unusual. Normally, these gatherings included spouses, meaning there were topics not suitable for women or only for a select few.

"I'm truly sorry for involving you in such danger when you came to celebrate my wedding," Radek said.

"We are just here for the wedding. The Fairy Princess merely responded to the spirit kings' request, right?" Duke Powell turned to me, so I nodded with a smile.

"Yes, so no apologies are necessary."

"Thank you. Now, let me

 explain the current situation. Elliot?"

"Yes, I'll explain. We identified the person who broke out the third prince. It's the previous Earl Bosuman."

"The previous one?"

"Yes, he had already retired and passed the title to his son. A valiant warrior, he played a significant role in the fight against the Nicodemus cult."

The Empire's side exchanged glances at Elliot's explanation.

"We assumed it was Count Geisel..."

Count Geisel was the youngest sibling of the third prince's mother, the first queen's brother. He had severed ties with his family to marry into the Geisel family.

"He's too intelligent to break out the third prince, knowing it would be meaningless. The spirit king didn't trust the nobles of West Island, so we had Marquis Rintonen from North Island represent them."

So they moved him to West Island in exchange for immunity.

"To the people of West Island, we are outsiders," Marquis Rintonen, Camille's uncle, said, looking older than his years. He had endured much, with his sister assassinated and his heir using Camille, resulting in banishment to West Island.

"Initially, many West Island nobles resented my presence. But Count Geisel mediated between us. However, Bosuman, a hardliner, killed two nobles, broke out the third prince, and escaped."

"He killed two more during the escape," Radek added, silencing the room.

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Author Notes:

  Thank you for reading.

  I appreciate the typo reports.

  If you found it even slightly interesting, I'd be happy if you could rate it below.

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