These clothes were incredibly uncomfortable.

My mother made me wear a white shirt, black pants, and a separate black and yellow coloured dress in two pieces, one that was tied around my stomach like a corset and the other was like a little jacket. She also gave me a small black cloth starting from my waist and falling down to my knee level behind my leg and a long cloak with black furs on the shoulders because the weather was getting colder towards night. Lastly, she put two long silver necklaces around my neck and a black ring on my index finger, and sprayed a strange smelling perfume on my neck and armpits. And all the time she was dressing me, I stood expressionlessly staring at the wall like a shop mannequin.

“You are so cute that I can't stop!” After my mother said this, she put her hands on my cheeks, squeezed them and kissed my right cheek repeatedly within seconds.

“Are you ready to go?” As soon as we heard my father's voice we looked at the door to my room and my mother looked my father up and down and raised one eyebrow, “Are you ready?”

My father was dressed in a long thin black jacket with black trousers and a black tunic underneath, “Yes?” he said and my mother got up, grabbed my father by the wrist and they left my room. It shouldn't be too hard to guess what happened next.

Mama dressed Papa just as she had dressed me. Papa's new clothes were a long brown coat and black trousers. My mother wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a grey thin jacket and black tight pants underneath, with a lot of bracelets and jewellery on the exposed part of her left arm.

And finally, after a journey in which I almost fainted from the smell of perfume in the carriage, we arrived at the palace at the very centre of the Rosarium. It was on top of a huge stone structure that could be seen from all sides of the huge city, and as we went up for a while in a stone, huge, circular elevator, I was able to look at the city from a very different perspective. It was a beautiful view, but it seemed like it was getting colder as we went up, so I quickly wrapped my fur coat around me.

When we finally reached the top, we saw an amazing garden with hundreds of roses in different colours everywhere. They were around the paths we travelled, in the gazebos, in the columns, everywhere. The gardeners here must make good money because apart from the roses, there were also many shrubs with special designs.

As we were heading towards the palace, I think we were passing by the statues made for the deceased members of the imperial family.

Maximillian ‘The Lawgiver’ Pollius Summus Augustus

Marcus ‘The Fair’ Vibenius Summus Augustus

Viria ‘The Unforgetteable’ Summus Augusta

Quintus ‘The Lazy’ Acilius Summus Augustus

Rose ‘The Unifier, Dread and Terror, Rose of the Empire, Empress of the Dragons’ Luciana Incekan Augusta

That’s a lot of titles, and also “Surname changed.”

When my mom heard me, she stopped and looked at the statue and said, “Yes, it's her husband's surname.”

‘’Unexpected move from a woman called Dread and Terror.‘’

Mom chuckled at my words, ‘Still the best duel I've ever watched.”

“Where is her husband?” I looked around and mother pointed to the statue opposite.

Felix Incekan

It was a statue of a man with long hair and a bird on his shoulder resembling a phoenix. Only the man's name was inscribed, there was no title.

As I continued onwards I saw 8 more statues, the rosarians seemed to love this title thing, they managed to give every emperor a title of some sort. I wondered what they called the current empress. As we approached the palace, a huge mansion surrounded by white pillars, the crowd grew. There were dozens of nobles here, each dressed in their finery. Purple coloured furs, monster patterned jewellery and so on, everyone had their own style.

After a few steps, my mother stopped and whispered in my ear, “I don't know why, but you have a habit of hanging with older women, I will not interfere, but I want you to know that there is a culture, especially among elven women, of seducing young noble boys and raising them to be suitable husbands for themselves. Be careful who you talk to and how you talk to them, and again, stick to people your own age.”

Rich and influential people turned grooming into a culture?! Wow!

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“And get that smirk off your face, I know you're too smart for them, but be careful.”

After my mother said that, she pushed my shoulder and while I looked around, she and my father went over to a group of nobles who were calling out to them.

I looked around at the tables, each with a variety of desserts and drinks. My parents were against me drinking alcohol, at least for the time being, but I wondered how my mother would react if she knew I regularly drank poison. I had the chance to taste wine and beer a few times, but I never had the chance to drink it completely.

I approached the table and managed to get a glass with a yellow liquid in it, and as I was about to drink it, someone took it from me.

“Does your dad know about this?”

I turned around and saw a stunningly beautiful girl with short purple hair, wearing a long, loose dress in purple and white. She had purple nail polish on her nails.

“Rea?” Her name came out of my mouth.

“You remember me.”

“We exchange letters every month, of course I remember you.”

“I meant my looks.”

“You're prettier than I remember.”

Rea paused for a moment, then giggled and petted my head.

“What are you doing here all alone?” She said, and another familiar voice answered her, “Isn't it obvious? Aurelia wants to see how much attention her son is getting.”

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Mira and she continued, “And the first girl has already appeared.”

Rea looked at her mother and me, then suddenly said “Me?” and laughed.

Worst she can say is ‘No’.

Meh, “She doesn't have to worry, I'm attracted to older women anyways."

Mira paused for a moment, “Oh, really?” She said and I took her hand and kissed it. “I may be older, but I'm old enough to be your mother, Altevia,” she giggled and I replied instantly, “I assure you, you're not.”

“How old do you think I am?” She smiled.

I said “100?” and her smile got wider, I said “200?” and she tilted her head slightly, finally I said “300?” and she replied “314.”

She thought I was going to take a step back, but I smirked and said “I can make you feel like 100 again.” Mira suddenly laughed ‘AHAH!’ and asked “Look at this little monster, who taught you how to talk like that?”

“Lady Eralith said, ‘I like a man who respects my time. Women can see your intentions, so just be honest, and know you should back off when you heard ‘no’’” I bowed my head and let go of her hand.

I realised that Rea was looking at me with a strange expression and I I scratched the back of my head and smiled, then turned to Mira.

“But I'm curious, what was that a few hours ago?”

As Rea looked at her mom, Mira smiled and said, “It's nothing important, your dad helped me,” and added, “I have to go, you guys enjoy yourselves.” She walked away as she heard someone calling her.

After she walked away, Rea patted my head again and said, “I have to go too, I just came to say hi, see you later,” and she walked towards a group of girls looking in her direction.

And I was all alone again.

What should I do now? Should I talk to girls around my age like my mother said? Romance was a big part of life, but the whole reincarnation thing was just a morale test.

I've never been lucky with love life, and now I had zero chance.

“Where did you get that?’ A delicate hand took the drink from me and put it on the table. I turned round and saw my cousin Orea.

“Oh, cousin.”

“Yes, cousin, how handsome you look. Every girl around here is staring at you.”

I chuckled, and she frowned.

“What, you don't believe me?”

I smiled and glanced down at my glass that she had left on the table.

“I mostly don't believe that anyone can love me.”

She was surprised, “Why is that?” and I answered,”I'm just a kid, I'm not that interesting, I don't understand what girls want and I'm weird.”

“Who told you that?” When I looked at her carefully, it didn't take me long to realise the expression on her face, she was angry, I couldn't understand why she cared so much, but I chuckled, “It was a joke.” It wasn't a joke, but she seemed to take what I said too seriously, so I took a step back.

She caressed my head and cheek with her hand, “I don't know exactly what you think, but you are cute, I am pretty sure someday love will find you-

“Break those chains that bind you-”

“What?”

“What?

Anyways, thank you.”

Wow, it rhymed even in rosarish.

“You're weird Altevia, Julian says that all the time, but it's not a bad thing, have fun.”

“Thank you.”

Orea hugged me and she went to her friends and I was alone again.

I reached for my drink and was about to take it when someone tapped me on the shoulder and I don't know what expression I had on my face but I turned round and saw Julian jumping back in fright.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I nodded and put the drink on the table, “I'm great.”

“I thought you weren't coming,” he said, and I replied, “Mother forced me.”

“So your parents can make you do things.”

“Did you forget the day we met?

But, normally she only asks once, but this time she didn't give me a choice, what's so important about this event?

Apart from the fact that the Empress is organising it.”

Julian's eyes widened, he looked around and a puzzled expression came over his face.

“You really don't know why you're here?”

I shook my head and he said, “Look around at all the boys,” I looked around, there were a lot of people my age and even older, looking at me, some of them had disgusted expressions on their faces, some of them angry, I could easily notice the ones who were looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. I looked at each of them one by one and frowned and shook my head and they looked away in surprise.

“You don't have to be so threatening, they're just jealous.”

“Jealous? Why?”

Julian took me by the shoulders and led me towards a girl with long red hair, a little taller than me, and when we made eye contact she blushed and averted her gaze.

Ooooh, that's why. Sometimes I forget I'm a sweet little boy, and my father is Lord Eliar. Though I suppose the nobles here think he's just a simple count.

“Your mother wants to use your attention to show off to the other noblewomen, and find someone who's interested in you for the engagement.”

“Oh- Wait, what?”

I turned to look at my mom and she took a sip of her wine and winked at me. I quickly turned to Julian, “You've been coming here for a few years and you still don't have a fiancé, do you? How do you do it?!”

Julian's eyebrows furrowed.

“I'm sorry.”