The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 81

Crown Prince Marquis Varnum arrived at the count’s estate last of all, just as Cedric had expected.

With the appearance of the young lady from Lotas followed by the crown prince himself, Cedric’s appointment ceremony could already be called a resounding success on that alone.

Those seeing the crown prince’s broad-shouldered, manly figure for the first time all let out sighs of admiration.

Watching people fall for the crown prince’s outward appearance, Cedric and Sylvia each let out quiet scoffs of their own.

At the crown prince’s arrival, Alfonso kept a safe distance. His usually gentle face stiffened with tension.

After the commotion of paying proper respects to the crown prince settled down, Bernard Calley, the host of the banquet, began his welcoming address to the assembled guests.

“Thank you for traveling such a long way to attend an event of House Calley. It has already been several years since the eldest son of our family, Cedric Calley, came of age. However, in accordance with my son’s own careful and prudent wishes, we postponed the heir’s appointment ceremony until he completed his studies abroad. Now, at long last, we are able to hold that appointment ceremony, and I can’t express how pleased I am. As for Cedric Calley, who will become my heir, he is the grandson of the late Count Solomon Calley, the eldest son of Marisa Calley and myself, Bernard Calley, and a bird of the same feather as His Highness Marquis, the crown prince, the proud son of our present king….”

Bernard once again quoted the same line Alfonso had used after returning from the royal palace.

He went on at length, introducing the crown prince and Sylvia, who had come as Cedric’s guests, and then continued his greetings by mentioning each of the other high-ranking attendees one by one.

After that, he emphasized how many different events and performances had been prepared, and how abundant the food and drink laid out for the guests would be.

By the time everyone was growing weary, Bernard’s address finally came to an end, and the full-scale performances began at last.

It was the performance that marked the first day of the appointment ceremony.

People ate and drank as they enjoyed the antics of the jesters and the songs of the singers.

The ball, where guests would properly feel each other out, build connections, and flirt freely between men and women, was scheduled to begin the following day.

***

After the official events that lasted late into the night ended, Cedric and Sylvia gathered in the room assigned to Marquis.

“Hahaha! Did you hear what Count Bernard said when he introduced us earlier?”

At Marquis’s teasing, Cedric wore an expression that said he’d expected it.

Earlier, when Bernard went on about them being ‘birds of the same feather,’ Cedric had seen Marquis put on a benevolent expression while failing to control the twitching of his nostrils.

“That description was meant for me, not us, Your Highness.”

Cedric calmly corrected the facts. His tone made it clear he didn’t want to be lumped together with the crown prince as ‘we.’

“Eric, stop it. What’s wrong with that? He’s his father, of course he’d say something like that.”

Sylvia shot the childish Marquis a light glare as she spoke up.

At her command to stop, Marquis fell silent, and in an instant his gaze softened into that of a gentle lamb. It was the look he wore when he played as a ‘sub.’

“Eric, don’t. We’re not ‘playing’ right now.”

Reading his eyes, Sylvia warned him again, and Marquis put on a pitiful expression as he spoke.

“Is it really not okay? You know it’s hard enough just to gather like this anymore.”

Unlike Sylvia, who still lived enjoying her freedom, Marquis and Cedric had both returned to lives bound by their respective duties.

Especially now that Marquis’s identity as the crown prince of Beloica was fully known, there was no longer any hope of meeting freely like they once had at Club Alaina.

And so Marquis was making one last proposal to Sylvia and Cedric.

The ‘play’ the three of them had shared, which he had begged for constantly back when they were studying abroad.

Unlike Sylvia, who stayed seated despite her obvious distaste, Cedric abruptly pushed back his chair and stood up.

“You must be tired, Your Highness. I’ll excuse myself first.”

“Ugh, are you serious!”

As Cedric rose, Sylvia openly blamed Marquis.

Marquis responded in a dignified voice, “Sit down. That’s an order as the crown prince.”

Just as he said, it was the voice he used when he wore the mask of the crown prince.

Cedric, still standing, looked down at Marquis. His gaze was nothing but scornful.

Startled by that look, Marquis hurriedly shed the mask and said in a sulky voice, “At least when it’s just us, talk comfortably. That’s a real order this time.”

“Fine. Why not?”

Sylvia stepped in as well, mediating between the two of them.

“But if you spout nonsense one more time, then it’s really over.”

Warning Marquis, Cedric sat back down.

It meant that if he suggested ‘play’ even once more, they wouldn’t remain friends.

Marquis reluctantly agreed, though he licked his lips in regret.

The three of them were, to be precise, partners bound together as partners.

Even before becoming crown prince, Marquis had gone abroad under the alias Eric. Advancing a year early due to his excellent grades, he entered the academy in the same year as Sylvia, who was a year older than him.

However, the place where the two met wasn’t the academy, but Club Alaina. It didn’t take long for them to become partners.

However, the place where the two met wasn’t the academy, but Club Alaina. It didn’t take long for them to become partners. Marquis, a genuine masochist, took the role of ‘sub,’ while Sylvia, who practiced free, unrestrained play, took the role of ‘mistress.’ That was how their play partnership began.

Their relationship continued smoothly for a time, until it came to an end when Sylvia was confined to her home by her parents, Duke and Duchess Stacy.

After a year of confinement was lifted through a fight she risked her life for, she returned to the academy the following term. By then, Cedric Calley had already come to study abroad. Moreover, at Club Alaina, he was already reigning like a king.

During the period when Sylvia was absent, Marquis enjoyed himself with other partners, so she pursued Cedric without hesitation.

To become partners with Cedric, who reeked unmistakably of a dominant to anyone who looked at him, she voluntarily became a sub.

Preferences were classified in many ways depending on their traits, but no one possessed only a single inclination.

Some people even possessed opposing inclinations at once, such as dominant and submissive, or sadist and masochist. Sylvia was one such case.

Watching Cedric seize control of Marquis with just a few words, Sylvia once again solidified her resolve at his decisive demeanor.

With him, she could live as a submissive for the rest of her life.

***

“Miss, you really packed very lightly.”

While looking through Sylvia’s wardrobe ahead of the formal ball that evening, Sheila spoke as if she couldn’t believe it.

Judith, who loved clothes, changed outfits several times even on days without parties.

On top of that, she was fickle, so by now Molly and Anne were surely exhausted from tending to Judith’s dresses.

“Did I overdo it?” Sylvia replied with concern.

From the start, she’d planned to travel without bringing a maid, so she had kept her luggage minimal.

Sylvia, the only daughter of a ducal household who had grown up wanting for nothing, had instead become even more independent during the period of confinement she endured without a maid, contrary to her parents’ intentions.

She realized just how foolish the life of a noble young lady was, one who couldn’t even put on a single dress by herself despite having perfectly good hands and feet.

Even so, coming to a foreign country without even a single maid was a first for Sylvia as well.

What she’d overlooked was that, even without a personal attendant who acted as her hands and feet, many servants around her still fulfilled various roles.

In other words, even if she could handle most things on her own, it was unreasonable to manage every small detail and all surrounding matters entirely by herself.

Fortunately, thanks to the count’s consideration, a maid named Sheila, who suited her perfectly, was helping her with those tasks.

“Not at all. All your clothes are top quality, and you’ve brought all the essential accessories too. I can guarantee there won’t be anyone more beautiful than you at this party, miss.”

She was a perceptive maid who also knew how to speak sweetly.

“Just trust me, miss. With a change of accessories, a single dress can look like several different ones.”

Sheila tried matching Sylvia’s clothes and accessories, making plans for how to dress and style her throughout the appointment ceremony.

After some deliberation, Sheila laid out the dress and accessories for that evening and said, “How about wearing this for the evening ball? When you dance, the hem of the dress and this shawl will flutter and sway. You’ll look absolutely beautiful.”

“All right.”

Sylvia replied cheerfully. She liked both the maid’s eye and her sense of taste.

“Come here, Sheila.”

Sylvia picked up the clutch she had left on the bedside table.

In Lotas, where tipping culture was firmly established, Sylvia had grown accustomed to always carrying a few coins with her.

“Ah, no, miss. You already gave me some earlier.”

Sylvia had tipped her earlier as well, both when the bedding was arranged in the morning and when she was served a light meal.

“That was that.”

When Sheila hesitated, Sylvia spoke.

“Ah, my arm hurts. Who refuses a tip like this? You’re making things awkward.”

Unable to refuse any longer, Sheila accepted the tip.

“Thank you, miss.”

Sheila wondered if she was taking too much money from such a generous and kind young lady. At the same time, she felt a renewed determination to serve her with all her heart.

***

As evening fell, Bernard began a lengthy speech announcing the evening banquet. His greetings were marked by their sheer length and lack of any real point.

Marisa forced a smile as she tried to hide her twitching forehead, Allen openly looked away in boredom, and Judith yawned repeatedly.

Fortunately, most people’s attention was focused on Cedric, the star of the event, and Alfonso, who had grown into an equally impressive figure.

Since it was a ball, the unmarried young ladies’ minds were filled with anticipation over whom they would dance with.

As the hosts’ eldest and second sons, Cedric and Alfonso of House Calley were, without question, the top two choices as dance partners.

At last, the long-winded speech came to an end, and the ball began.

Everyone’s gaze turned to Cedric, the star of the evening. Since it was customary for men to invite women to dance, all attention focused on whom Cedric would ask for the first dance.

In the midst of that anticipation, the first to step forward was not Cedric, but Eloise Vivarini.