DYBAR - Chapter 86 < A heartwarming Gift To Your Fiancee >
Do Your Best And Regret
Early morning at the Prince's Palace.
Count Hodges headed to the Prince's bedroom carrying two large pink velvet boxes. These two boxes that came from Marquis Ethel's residence a little while ago contained the Prince's formal clothes and shoes. A card sprinkled with sweet perfume was also attached to the large ribbon decoration on top of the box.
"I will finish preparing and enter the palace soon.
Your Maria."
The card content was the same as at any other banquet. It had been a long time since Maria Ethel entered the palace every day of the banquet, and then she dressed up with the Prince and accompanied him to the banquet. However, Count Hodges stopped for a moment. And he looked at the garden through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
There was unusually heavy dew last night. The water fog that had bloomed over the garden was slowly clearing, and the dreamy atmosphere was enough to make the garden mysterious. Definitely yesterday. It was an atmosphere that reminded him of Princess Madeleine, who was proud as the host of a banquet.
Count Hodges, who had been staring blankly at the garden as if fascinated, opened his eyes wide in the dim sunlight. Under the narrow sunlight, the blades of grass in the garden reflected and sparkled silver. Like the silver Tiase Palace. With a bitter smile on his face, Count Hodges walked back to the bedroom.
Last night, the Prince, who went out to the balcony, did not return to the banquet hall until the banquet was over. Rumors that the nobles seemed quite heartbroken over Princess Madeleine's rejection quickly covered the banquet hall. Thanks to this, the Prince was able to return to his bedroom only after all the nobles had left the palace.
As he approached the Prince's bedroom, the attendant at the door carefully opened the door. In a bedroom with little light coming in, Count Hodges familiarly approached the bed. Yesterday, the Prince drank strong alcohol even after entering the bedroom. No matter how strong the Prince is at drinking, he would have fallen asleep by now.
"Have you received any letters for me?"
A low voice was heard. Count Hodges, startled, looked back. The Prince, who rarely wakes up early the next day after being drunk, was sitting on the sofa. Count Hodges calmed his surprise and answered.
"Well, the ceremonial clothes came from the Lady of Ethel. As always, there is also a card announcing the entrance to the palace,"
"From Olivia?"
The Prince's voice through gritted teeth cut off Count Hodges' words. Normally, a response would have come quickly, but the silence became longer. Leopold turned his head and looked back at Count Hodges. To Leopold's eyes, accustomed to the dark, he could clearly see Count Hodges hesitating with a puzzled look on his face. It was truly a definite answer. It's so ridiculous.
At the same time, Leopold's heart relaxed, the calm voice that had been ringing in his head all night repeated.
"I'm sorry, but I hope you don't use nicknames when you call me from now on."
This made no sense. As the pitch-black night passed, Leopold persevered. At least, be thought that the Olivia he knew would at least provide an excuse or reason for this incident. In that case, this...
"It will end up like a bad dream."
Leopold muttered in a deep voice. Seething anger fiercely clawed at the inside of his neck, but Leopold couldn't even feel the pain. Yes, he thought, it could be dismissed as a nightmare. It's just a dream that disappears after he sleeps. Because it would be impossible for Olivia to pass him by, reject her nickname, and wear the same ring as someone else.
But there has been no contact until this morning. The moment he became more and more convinced that something was wrong, Leopold's mind became tangled with yesterday's events.
Olivia rejects her nickname. Olivia appeared wearing the same ring as the Grand Duke. And Olivia, looking at someone with a sparkling face...!
An eerie intuition passed through Leopold's heart. Olivia has changed. And that too in a very bad way.
"Hmph,"
Leopold took a deep breath. A terrible pain came over him. Even though he knew it was a ridiculous assumption, he couldn't erase the premonition that arose.
"I, Your Highness! Are you okay?"
Count Hodges, panicked by the deathly breathing, hurriedly ran to the window. And pulled back the curtains. Immediately, brilliant sunlight filled the room.
Leopold frowned under the blinding sunlight. As his eyes gradually became accustomed to the light, the garden spread out beyond the floor-to-ceiling window caught his eye.
"My garden shines silver."
Count Hodges, who was about to pull the rope turned around when he heard a new voice. Unlike the sound of breathing in the darkness a moment ago, His Royal Highness seemed perfectly fine. His handsome face, not even showing that he had stayed up all night, was looking at the garden with strange eyes that made it difficult to guess what he was thinking.
Wherever he looked along that line of sight, a spectacular sight that could easily be described as silver unfolded. But Count Hodges had no answer. Because no one in this imperial palace did not know who the 'silver light' was pointing to. Count Hodges' heart pounded strangely. Right now, it seemed like Count Hodges could predict what words would come out of the Prince's slowly falling lips.
"Olivia is."
And Count Hodges's thoughts were exactly correct. He answered by lowering his head.
"The Princess returned home to the Grand Duke's residence with the Grand Duke yesterday."
It was a place he had guessed, but it made Leopold feel even more dirty than he had heard before. Olivia's residence had to be changed immediately to Tiase Palace, or rather, to the Crown Prince's room in this Prince's palace. With Olivia back in the system, now was the right time. He only had to hold on for a few more months and it would be a year, and then, as soon as his engagement to Maria was over, he would marry Olivia and everything would be back on track.
Impatience consumed Leopold. The sight of yesterday's Olivia, who seemed to disappear at any moment, caught his eye, so Leopold let out a dull sigh.
"Bring Olivia here so I can see her briefly before the banquet today."
"I'm sorry, but Your Highness's schedule before the banquet is full."
"Take it out."
Count Hodges, a capable alde, would have been able to adjust the time as much as he wanted. But unlike usual, Count Hodges lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. The first face-to-face greeting of the Heferti delegation is difficult to coordinate. Afterward, a greeting from an envoy from the Kingdom of Orang awaits."
In response, Leopold cursed under his breath. There was a moment of regret at the end of his sharp eyes, but it was no use. No matter how hungry he was, Leopold was a Prince. It was his first encounter with Heferti after the war. Since the Grand Duke had chosen negotiations with Heferti as his first official task, today's greetings were not just greetings but would become the cornerstone of negotiations.
Instead, Leopold's smart brain chose a different option.
"Send the dress to Olivia."
A dress. Count Hodges hesitated for a moment. He had sent dresses to the Princess many times in the past, but the Crown Prince's orders now seemed a little different.
"Can I send her a dress?"
"That's right."
Leopold, who was about to talk about the fancy dress she wore yesterday, fell silent for a moment. That outfit, as beautiful as a fairy, was not for her. Although she wore a dark-colored dress, he remembered Olivia with her eyes sparkling as if he were the only one in the world.
If only Olivia could go back to normal with her ambiguous dresses, even if they were less on his mind.
He was thinking for a moment.
"How are you, Your Highness?"
Beyond old memories, a slightly trembling voice appeared, as if she was very nervous.
Leopold traced his memories with a frown. He thought it was a very hot day. It was definitely one of those days when he was preparing for the engagement ceremony with Olivia. That day, Olivia asked him. She wore a dazzling white dress.
Only when the image of Olivia, who was looking at him with a youthful face filled with anticipation, became clearer, did Leopold open his tightly closed lips and answer.
"White. White would be nice."
As if reminiscing about an old memory, Leopold's sea-colored eyes became saddened. With memories like that, Olivia would definitely recall the feelings she had for the past 11 years. But unfortunately, in those old memories, Leopard had completely forgotten what answer he gave to Olivia's question.
"...I thought it would be bad, but I didn't know it would be this bad. The Princess is not the flashy type."
"...I understand, Your Highness. As you said, the white dress from now."
The face that kept blinking its big eyes as if it was trying not to cry, and the small hands that were tightly gripping the hem of the dress. Leopold couldn't remember any of it. As if he had completely forgotten his current lover, Maria Ethel...
Meanwhile, after Leopold went into the bathroom. Count Hodges, who had informed the chamberlain about the dress, sighed lightly.
A white dress. He was fortunate to have a wide range of options. In addition, there were no orders regarding His Highness's own formal attire. Count Hodges popped open his box. As always, the robe presented by Maria Ethel was of a shape and material that best suited the Crown Prince.
Count Hodges, who was carefully inspecting the robes, let out a small sigh without realizing it. It was an exquisitely embroidered royal family pattern and a perfectly tailored robe. No, this was not only a well-made formal dress, but it was also an overly formal one. It would definitely be used at an engagement ceremony or wedding.
Count Hodges hastily shook his head. It looks like he was too preoccupied with the 'white dress' that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince mentioned a moment ago. An engagement ceremony in the attire of a summer banquet. Count Hodges put down his robes, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that was coming his way.
He was overwhelmed just thinking about the Prince's changing heart.
***
"I don't know about other days, but I will definitely attend tomorrow!"
The sound of angry shouting lingered in my head. From the resentful eyes that looked at me as if I were a bad person, to the energetic look as if he believed that something would change if he attended the banquet today. If I go to the banquet today, what will change?
"Via. Olivia?"
A soft voice called me. I lifted my head in surprise, breaking out of my self-deprecating thoughts.
The drawing room of the Grand Duke's residence.
Edwin, who was sitting right in front, looked at me while holding a letter. Then he looked at my face and he shook his head.
"I can't do that. Olivia."
"Yes?"
"We have to return to Vikander territory quickly. There's too much here to take my girl's attention."
Sobel, who knew how hard the Grand Duke was gritting his teeth beneath his soft, concise words, said nothing. But to me, it was just a pretty funny joke.
Looking at my brightly smiling face, Edwin tried to suppress his rising emotions. And he spoke in a pained voice as if he were pleading.
"It's not something to laugh about. I'm really serious. I don't know Olivia, but just know that I'm really holding back."
"If you don't hold back,"
I, who was trying to continue joking cheerfully, stopped talking for a moment. When Edwin's bright red eyes flashed darkly as he was acting pitiful when he saw me, I continued the conversation, thinking that perhaps Edwin's words were only half sincere.
"I won't ask you such a stupid question."
"It's perfectly okay to do it. I am."
Maybe I'm holding on more than half...
Edwin's voice was low, as seductive as it was tempting. I, who had been looking at Edwin in a voice so wonderful that my cheeks heated up, looked at Sobel with regret.
Sobel, who had been observing the pink atmosphere without being noticed, lifted his hour hand and lowered his gaze to me.
"After checking the letters, please reply and I will send someone right away."
Letter...?
I, who had been confused by his sudden words, realized not only the letter Edwin was holding but also the existence of letters filled with letters on the table.
"Are those all letters from me?"
A letter with the royal family's seal was thrown carelessly on the floor, but neither I nor Edwin pointed it out.
"Yes. What?"
Edwin, who was looking at the letter as if it were nothing, immediately waved the letter he was holding.
"By the way, if there's a letter that Olivia would care about, is this one?"
My face brightened as I saw Ethella's personal seal on the pretty pink envelope. Edwin, who was looking at me with his loosely curved eyes, straightened his expression and quickly hid the letter behind him.
Uh?
As I blinked my big eyes, his coy voice turned to me.
"If I give you this letter, what will you give me?"
"Isn't this letter sent to me anyway?"
"It's in my hands now."
The languid eyes did not miss me. My inevitable gaze became increasingly yoyo. My cheeks are flushed, my neck is flushed, and my lips are pouting. At the same time, Edwin's expression gradually relaxed as he continued to look into my eyes as if he didn't know what to do.
"It's shameful."
"Sometimes I have to be petty to do more than the girl who gives me attention."
He won't lose even a word. Although it was unintentional, the pouting lips were very seductive to the man with the appearance of a gentleman. Edwin slowly wrung his neck and slowly got up. Of course, he didn't forget to wave his hand as if telling Sobel to leave. This level of complaining was very mild considering that his attention had been taken away.
Edwin swallowed his laughter.
***
At that time, the main gate of the imperial palace was blazing with sunlight.
"I beg your pardon?!"
Viscount Katanta, who was looking ecstatic as if he was overwhelmed by the large and magnificent castle, asked back in confusion.
"Look again. Clearly, Her Highness the Princess...!"
"Unfortunately."
With a face that did not show any regret, the knight repeated what he had said.
"Your names are not on the banquet invitation list."
Viscount Katanta's face soon turned bright red.
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