DYBAR - Chapter 72 Ethella's Counterattack
Do Your Best And Regret
"Is that possible? Unfulfilled plans can often look similar. You may not know this because you rarely attend tea parties or banquets, but the summer banquets held by Her Highness always surprise us."
The daughter of the Marquis of Liveorn hurried to protect the Princess. Her cunning was clearly revealed as she wondered what a Princess who did not engage in many social activities would know. Only then did the other daughters add their words.
"That's right, Princess. If you take your debutante next year, you will come to the summer banquet. Please join us at the banquet that year."
"There is only one year left until the Princess's debutante. You always couldn't come to the tea party due to health problems. Wouldn't you have a year to be healthy by the time of your debutante?"
"Why do you say that? It's not like the Princess did it on purpose."
Among the ladies, there was an alternation of hospitality and rudeness towards Ethella. She continued to walk the tightrope back and forth between being the Princess of the same Emperor's faction and Princess Madeleine, but Ethella just smiled. Then the direction of their conversation became increasingly strange.
"Have you found a chaperone to accompany you to the debutante? I already heard that the Little Duke was looking for a chaperone."
One of the ladies spoke subtly. Everyone's eyes twinkled, pretending not to be like that. The position of Princess Madeleine's chaperone was a coveted position. It is also a chance to make a mark on the single Conrad and Jade Madeleine.
Ethella, who was smiling elegantly, slowly opened her words.
"My brother too. I just need to go with my sister."
Sister.
Someone took a deep breath.
Everyone looked at Ethella for a moment. No one was able to say anything while looking at her face and asking what was going on. Everyone here remembered what happened last time to Olivia, with a face that showed she knew nothing, and Ethella Madeleine, with her eyes sparkling as she took the side of her illegitimate child.
"How can you treat the daughter of the dancer who killed your mother like your own sister?"
She even had an empty face, as if her world was falling apart.
As they looked at each other, the Princess frowned. She couldn't understand. Why did Ethella Madeleine suddenly change her stance?
After learning the truth, the relationship between Ethella Madeleine and her half-sister was clearly strained. After that, Olivia received a marriage proposal from the Grand Duke and left for the Vikander Territory, so there would have been no change in their relationship.
The Princess hurriedly got her words out.
"Sister. No way, that green-eyed woman."
"No way."
A low voice interrupted the Princess.
"You are probably not talking about my older sister, Olivia Madeleine, who is listed as the eldest daughter of the Madeleine duchy in the noble encyclopedia approved by His Majesty the Supreme Emperor."
In an instant, the table became quiet. Even the daughter of the Marquis of Libeorn, who had stood up fiercely at the cruel action, froze. An encyclopedia of nobles approved by the Emperor. The Princess's eyes wavered.
Looking at that, Ethella bit the flesh inside her mouth. Her nails dug into the inside of her closed fist, but she felt no pain anywhere. Instead, she felt sick to her stomach, as if she were going to feel nauseous. Just mentioning the Emperor made her speechless on this topic. That day, she cut her sister to pieces with her tongue.
Haha.
Ethella suddenly burst into laughter. The Princess and the daughter of the Marquis of Libeorn were nervous, but in the eyes of others, it seemed like she was laughing to lighten the mood.
"But Princess, then."
Seeing the Young Lady cautiously speaking in the relaxed atmosphere, the Princess quickly signaled for her to stop speaking. But the daughter took that signal as her support and spoke to Ethella with a slightly more confident look on her face.
"At that time, you clearly seemed like you would never see me again."
Ethella tilted her head for a moment as she looked at the Young Lady. And then she muttered as if she had realized something.
"You are the daughter of Count Charmin."
"Yes, Princess!"
The Lady of Count Charmin smiled brightly and answered. The moment the Princess's eyes fell on her, the Lady of Count Charmin remembered her as a member of the Madeleine family. But, when her amethyst eyes cooled down, goosebumps appeared on the back of her neck. At the same time, a dry voice fell.
"How can I forget the person who insulted the Duke of Madeleine?"
"Well, when will I!"
Countess Charmin's face turned pale.
"How can you treat the daughter of the dancer who killed your mother like your own sister?"
When Ethella saw the Young Lady stuttering in embarrassment, the words that were stuck in her mind automatically replayed. The scenes of that day that she had replayed in her head hundreds of times always ended with the Princess's words.
"The reason the Princess'smother died."
"..."
"It's because of that green-eyed girl."
The daughter of Count Shamin hurriedly ran to Ethella's side. Her perfectly painted lips trembled. The same was true for the other ladies. Ethella Madeleine, the legitimate daughter of a Duke in name and reality, referred to Olivia, the illegitimate daughter as 'sister'. She was nothing like she had been in the past, when Olivia was alone, without the protection of the Duke, and without the protection of Conrad and Jade.
What is this?
The Ladies were momentarily confused. However, Ethella did not protect the daughter of Count Charmin, who was shaking, nor did she give a kind answer to the Lady. She was Ethella. She wondered for a moment if she had looked like that last time.
However, her memories of that time were difficult to recall, as if darkness had fallen. Suddenly, she wondered what her older sister was like.
Ethella's breath caught in her throat as she thought of dozens of eyes looking at her with hostility and mockery in the spacious garden of the Princess's palace. Ethella, who had bowed her head for a moment, suddenly wrapped her arms affectionately around the shoulders of the Lady of Count Charmin.
"...!"
"As you know,"
A voice as sweet as honey was directed to the Princess behind Count Shamin's daughter.
"Madeleine is quick to calculate."
Be thorough in repaying the favor, and be more specific in your revenge.
While everyone was remembering the iron rules of the Madeleine duchy, Ethella smiled brightly.
"Shall we stop talking about the past and return to the original purpose of the Tea Party? I heard there was a really unique and pretty flower decoration at the last tea party. It is said that Her Royal Highness made it 'herself."
The word 'herself' was somehow pronounced more clearly. A flower decoration that was very popular at tea parties.
Is she saying this knowing that Olivia made it?
It was impossible to guess what kind of hand Ethella was holding. So, even though she was provoked to do as much as she could, the Princess could not say anything. The ferocious anger trapped in her bright blue eyes only swelled.
Ethella Madeleine was still smiling brightly. But the excitement that had already broken did not come back. In that uncomfortable atmosphere, the Princess raised her teacup.
"Oh my, it's not rose tea anymore. Ah, indeed. Roses should be used for floral decoration, right?"
The Princess's eyebrows sharply rose when she saw Ethella whispering as if she were looking into the teacup. She should have known when she texted back saying she would come to her tea party. The sight of Ethella talking about the flower decorations Olivia had made, as if teasing her, made the Princess feel sick. She was even annoyed that the tea was hot.
The Princess put down the teacup roughly. Then she glared at Ethella Madeleine, who was furious. She pretended to be innocent and said she didn't know anything. Her eyes became as cold as a snake every time they met hers. If only she hadn't mentioned His Majesty the Emperor earlier. If only Olivia hadn't made that flower decoration!
No. At least, if Maria Ethel had prepared the summer banquet well, she wouldn't have even had time for Ethella Madeleine to climb up to her. In the Princess's eyes, the sight of Ethella bowing her head in despair was still good.
Suddenly, her teeth ground apart. Maria Ethel. Does she make things happen like this?
The plan for this banquet was clearly copied from Olivia's banquet last year. She wondered where she saw this?
Ethella, who didn't even attend last summer's banquet, knew about it, so not only the daughters here, but even the local nobles would know this fact. Just thinking about it made her face heat up. She was not going to leave Maria Ethel alone once the tea party was over.
By the way, is there any way to hit that Ethella Madeleine?
It was a time when the Princess could barely contain her boiling anger. Suddenly, a maid approached. The maid, who was momentarily conflicted by her sinister mood, said to the Princess with her fists clenched.
"Well, Her Royal Highness."
The Princess's face softened as she listened to the maid's whisper. Then she spoke loudly to the quiet table.
"Oh my, that kind of thing needs to be delivered directly. Tell him to come in for a moment."
The ladies looked at the Princess for a moment as she heard her elegant voice as usual. The Princess smiled like a saint from her previous days.
"I have a guest here for a while. Would you like to meet everyone together?"
Whoever that guest was, Ethella thought, it didn't matter. However, as soon as a man with a familiar face approached from afar, Ethella realized where the malice shining over the Princess'smother smile came from.
"Huh, Lord Huxley?"
It was Ethella's father's adjutant, Lord Huxley. Lord Huxley showed courtesy to the princess.
"Meet Your Royal Highness, the Little Moon of the Empire."
"Yes. Let me deliver it directly to the princess."
Lord Huxley looked at Ethella in resounding permission. Lord Huxley's gaze towards her felt strange today.
"Princess. The Duke is urgently looking for you. There was a message to bring you home after the tea party."
"Oh my goodness. It seems the Duke is not busy today."
The Princess's words became a signal. Subtle laughter passed around the table. Ethella knew those laughs well. Before the Princess told her about her sister's birth the Ladies were reunited.
"I guess you are truly a beloved daughter,"
"The first Princess has never been called."
"No matter how coldly he looked away, his eyes were much warmer when looking at me, a stranger."
"It was really sad to see it."
I thought I was fully prepared. The appearance of Lord Huxley was an unexpected variable. but. Despite the voices of the ladies coming and going, Eshela spoke with strength in the corners of her lips.
"Yes. My father loves me very much."
It was a relaxed affirmation. Ethella, who did not lose her smile despite the mockery, slowly looked at her table. Only when their loud voices died down did Ethella look at the Princess and continue her words.
"There are times when I feel embarrassed because he listens to all my wishes. Now I'm curious."
The princess felt a shiver run down her spine. Eshera, smiling brightly, continued her words.
".... To what extent can he truly grant my wishes?"
Princess Madeleine's gaze, looking at her with the corners of her mouth raised, was exactly the same as Olivia's last time, when she took over her abandoned mine.
***
"The Princess has arrived."
Duke Madeleine's office in the imperial palace. At Lord Huxley's words, the Duke hurriedly got up from his seat. Then he went out into the drawing room outside the office. Ethella, whose face he had not seen recently, was sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Ethella, seeing the Duke, stood up. Although her hair and eye color came from Madeleine's blood, Ethella looked just like Hazel. The Duke cleared his throat loudly at the overwhelming feeling of affection.
Ethella's complexion looked dark.
"You're late. I sent Lord Huxley on purpose to tell you to get out quickly. Did anything happen to you?"
In the middle of the day, the Duke heard that Ethella had entered the Princess's palace. The Duke's heart sank at those words. Since the last time she visited the Princess's palace, she had been unable to eat or drink for several days. She wanted to hurry up and send Sir Huxley to fetch her, but Sir Huxley went to the Princess's palace and returned alone.
"Yes. The story isn't over for a moment."
It was the same answer he received from Lord Huxley. What happened could be told little by little. Until this time, the Duke had not been able to call the Empress and Princess to the palace to keep an eye on them.
"This is your first time in my office. Let's have some tea first."
Lord Huxley understood immediately and went outside. But Ethella did not sit down and avoided eye contact.
"... No. You called me, so I came just to see you for a while."
The Duke's heartfelt chilled by the cold tone of her voice. Ethella, who always smiled brightly and called him "Father!", no longer looked at him.
"Is something going on these days, Ethella? Please tell this father anything."
Ethella unconsciously raised her head at the sound of concern. The face of genuine concern was the father she knew. Father. Her father cherishes and loves her more than anyone else.
"Ethella. Our Princess. When you smile, the world becomes brighter. Hazel too...."
Ethella still vividly remembers the lullaby she heard as a child. Her father's sadness as he shook his head every time her mother's name was inadvertently brought up. So she tried to avoid encountering it. Because whenever sees his father, he keeps wanting to ask him why. It was still like that now.
If it weren't for the imperial palace's eyes, he would have just gone back to the mansion. Ethella pursed her lips.
"By any chance, has this father done anything to make you sad, Ethella? I was going to make time to prepare for your debutante together."
However, the moment Ethella heard those friendly voices, she could not bear it.
"Father...."
“Yes, Ethella.”
Her father smiled brightly. Looking at his face, Ethella could not swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"Why did you do that?"
"What do you mean?"
Her father looked like he genuinely didn't know. So Ethella clenched her fists. For the first time in a while, her feet hurt from the high heels she was wearing, but now she didn't even feel the pain. Was it really nothing to her father?
When the reality of what she didn't want to know hit, she muttered. Something she couldn't bear to say even to her older brother Conrad, the person she felt most comfortable within the family. She simultaneously said the words she tried never to say to her beloved father.
"To my sister, why are you like that...'
For a moment, a chill filled the living room so much that she couldn't speak. Her father's face turned cold. Only then did Ethella realize one fact that had not changed. The moment when her father, who always loved her, got angry.
That was always when she mentioned her older sister.
"Because that kid said something to you..."
Ethella burst out laughing. Her father's expression darkened. The place where her father turned his arrow was once again at her sister.
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