Eldest SS8

Side Story 8.

—Crown Princess Hera. Would you care to help me prepare Belladi’s evening dress?

It was none other than Sion, Belladi’s other closest friend.

Hera tilted her head slightly in surprise.

—I thought the Viscount of Agla would make separate preparations.

Everyone assumed Hera would compete fairly without relying on her status.

This belief stemmed from Hera’s upright conduct over the years.

For this reason, no one had offered her assistance—except for Sion, who thought differently.

—There’s no need to deliberately choose certain defeat in a match where the winner is obvious.

He meant that he did not see Hera as someone naive enough to leave her advantages unused.

Pushing his glasses up with a graceful hand, Sion spoke warmly.

—I’m familiar with all of Belladi’s preferred dress designs. If Your Highness can simply discover her measurements, everything else will be handled smoothly.

Hera, who had been agonizing over the design, found herself reassured. With Sion’s trustworthiness, she accepted his invitation without hesitation.

—Let’s give it our best.

—Let’s create the perfect dress, Your Highness.

And so, the Hera & Sion alliance was born.

‘Under the guise of running away, I’ve smoothly infiltrated House Alton.’

It really was perfect timing, even by her own reckoning.

Her brother had conveniently exasperated her today, and Mostyn had told her about Nesia as well.

‘I must quickly find out my new sister-in-law’s measurements.’

Hera giggled to herself.

‘I wonder if the Agla Viscount managed to acquire the right fabric.’

Everyone assumed Sion had traveled south to open a new trade route. That was only half true.

Sion had learned that the silk of Khan Principality—a Magala Empire vassal—was renowned for its beauty.

For that silk’s sake, he had set out to establish a new trade route to Khan.

‘If the Viscount is working that hard, I should do my part as well!’

Resolved, Hera walked lightly down the corridor of the Alton mansion.

She’d visited often enough to have a rough idea of its layout.

Belladi had, more than once, shown her the dressing room, displaying new trousers and shirts she’d acquired.

‘Still, I’d rather not sneak into the dressing room alone… Maybe I can ask Stia for help?’

Since she’d just seen Dorothy at Belladi’s side, Stia must be elsewhere.

Thinking as much, Hera wandered the fifth floor in search of Stia.

Click—

A door ahead opened.

‘Perhaps that’s Stia?’

Smiling, Hera approached, only to halt in surprise.

“…Huh?”

It wasn’t Stia who emerged—it was a massive tiger.

The great beast sauntered out and met Hera’s gaze head-on.

She had never encountered such a large animal before. Hera’s breath caught in her chest.

“A-ah…”

Fighting for composure, she darted her eyes around, steadying her breathing.

‘Does House Alton keep a pet tiger?’

She’d never heard of such a thing, but somehow it felt fitting for this family.

‘That must be it. Otherwise, there’s no way a beast would be wandering the heart of the capital.’

While Hera sought logical explanations, the tiger seemed more startled than she was.

“H-hey, relax. I’m not fierce at all. I am genteel and well-mannered.”

“You—can speak?”

Had tigers always been so?

While Hera doubted her own knowledge, the tiger nodded.

“Yes. I am not an ordinary creature, so I can converse with humans.”

“And who are you?”

“I am—”

At this point, the black-furred tiger, Taudin, stopped and hesitated.

‘Damn, how could I make such a mistake…’

Belladi hadn’t summoned Taudin during her swordsmanship research.

He had spent that time plagued by boredom.

It was a strange thing. Before contracting with Belladi, he had spent ages alone in the Monster’s Forest but had never felt bored.

Yet now…

‘This is why I wanted nothing to do with human contracts.’

Spirits who contract with humans become all too aware of time’s passage—yet their contractors inevitably leave them behind.

But what can you do, when you’re already enchanted by Belladi?

Taudin, captivated, waited endlessly for the moment when she would summon him again.

And today! He had sensed that Belladi had finally concluded her swordsmanship research.

He knew right away, since the spirit sword and his own energy had at last been fully synchronized.

‘But no—I shouldn’t have rushed here like this.’

Annoyed that Belladi hadn’t summoned him with the work now complete, he had decided to seek her out in person, intent on giving her a stern scolding. So focused on that, he’d forgotten to consider that he might run into someone.

—Taudin, you must never let anyone except those I have specified discover your presence.

—Not that I care particularly, but what will you do if it happens?

—…Would you like to find out?

—I certainly would not.

“Graaah!”

Remembering his promise to Belladi, Taudin unconsciously let out a mournful roar.

Startled, Hera flinched back.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but…’

At this rate, she would never get any answers, so Hera took the initiative.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I am not!”

“Are you—a spirit?”

At Hera’s question, Taudin whipped his head around.

“How did you know?”

“I know another animal that talks—like you.”

A few years ago, after her eldest brother’s execution, she had been introduced to Aining by Killian to cheer her up.

Spirits were not unfamiliar to Hera.

Her answer made Taudin’s eyes flash.

“Oh ho.”

With piercing eyes, the beast studied Hera.

“Now that I have time to think—your hair. That color seems very familiar.”

Instinctively, Hera patted her hair.

Taudin regained his composure and nodded.

“You’re related to him, aren’t you?”

“If by ‘him’ you mean Killian, then yes.”

“You’ve met Aining, then?”

“Of course.”

So that’s it…

While Taudin mulled this over, footsteps approached from down the hall.

Taudin lumbered back into the room he’d just left.

“Come this way.”

“Oh, sure.”

Following Taudin into the room, Hera discreetly closed the door behind her.

Looking around, she saw one thing first: the large spirit sword mounted on the wall.

‘No matter how many times I see it, that sword is such a perfect match for my sister-in-law.’

Drawn to it, Hera was staring at the blade when Taudin plopped down and spoke with authority.

“Let me introduce myself again. I am Taudin, spirit of darkness. Far from an ordinary tiger.”

“And you’re contracted to Duke Belladi Alton, right?”

Taudin’s speech, his uncanny resemblance to Belladi, and those mannerisms—Hera had guessed the truth.

“They say contracted spirits and their humans come to resemble one another.”

“You’re quite perceptive.”

Pleased by the comparison to Belladi, Taudin flicked his tail.

“What is your name?”

“Hera.”

She kept it brief—knowing from Aining that spirits could rarely remember full human names.

Taudin, satisfied by the succinct introduction, flicked his tail once more.

“Hera, I have something to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“You must keep my existence a secret.”

“Well…come to think of it, I never knew Duke Alton was a spiritist. You’ve been hiding it all this time?”

Murmuring to herself, Hera looked Taudin in the eye.

“So then, I have to keep today’s encounter secret too? Even from my sister-in-law?”

“I don’t dislike clever children.”

“What will you do for me, then?”

“I’m used to sharp-witted ones as well.”

Already accustomed to Belladi’s many demands, Taudin took Hera’s request calmly.

“What is it you want? Whatever I can do, I will.”

“Really? Then… can you tell me Duke Alton’s dress measurements?”

She asked on a whim.

But Taudin answered more cheerfully than expected.

“You’re curious about Belladi’s measurements? That’s easy.”

“Really?”

“My affinity for nature has enveloped Belladi so many times—I could tell you right this instant.”

“Perfect.”

To secretly tailor a dress for that shrewd Duke of Alton—what better surprise?

‘And I can show off my sense and skills to both my sister-in-law and my brother at the same time…!’

In her mind’s eye, she saw Belladi and Killian praising her, saying, “You even managed to surprise me—no wonder you’re my sister-in-law,” or, “If you rule the Empire as well as you make dresses, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Overflowing with satisfaction, Hera beamed.

“I won’t tell a soul I saw you.”

“A fine bargain, Hera.”

Thus, in a quiet corner of House Alton, a secret pact was forged.

---

After a rare massage and a bit of leisurely reading, Belladi arched her eyebrow at a sudden sensation coursing through her body.

It was such a seamless, gentle movement—as natural as breathing—that the old her might never have noticed.

But lately, sharpening her skills while developing swordsmanship, Belladi had ascended another level.

She could now rightly be called a transcendent—nothing could escape her awareness.

“Hm…”

Belladi rose from the sofa and left her bedroom.

“Duke.”

“My spirit sword?”

“It is kept in its usual place.”

At Stia’s reply, Belladi strode unhesitatingly toward the room where her spirit sword was kept.

But by then, Hera and Taudin, who had been scheming inside, had already parted ways.

‘That was a nature affinity…’

And aside from Taudin, there was no one else who could envelop her in that way.

As Belladi stared intently at her spirit sword, something occurred.

“Yahoo!”

A small fox popped out of the spirit sword.

“Belladi!”

“Aining.”

Aining launched herself into Belladi’s arms, lavishing affection.

“I missed you! I missed you so much!”

Rubbing her cheeks furiously against Belladi, Aining gazed up at her, eyes sparkling.

“Is your swordsmanship research finished?”

“More or less.”

“Then Killian can finally come see you now?!”

Kyahaha!

Aining laughed gleefully.

Belladi laughed too.

“Unfortunately, it won’t be easy.”

“What? Why? You know how much Killian’s been missing you!”

“I have, too… but I made a promise.”

“What promise?!”

At Aining’s question, Belladi slowly tilted her head.

“A promise to scold him.”