DYBAR - Chapter 91 < The Princess's First Crisis >
Do Your Best And Regret
Numerous eyes looked at the Princess. Subtle suspicions and doubtful looks were mixed together.
The Princess wore a sad expression, hiding the dizzying sight before her eyes.
What should she say?
It was as if her mind was blank and she had no thoughts.
If she said she knew, she would have tolerated Maria Ethel's absurd engagement ceremony, and if she said she did not know, she would have lost her control over the summer banquet.
Whichever of the two she chooses will tarnish her otherwise perfect reputation.
Maria Ethel, she should have found that idiot and locked her up somewhere.
Her teeth were clenched with anger. She felt terrible regret, but she couldn't even show it in front of the nobles.
The Princess had to choose her lesser evil.
"The Lady of Ethel said she wanted to do something to help my brother... No matter how earnestly she begged, I should have taken a closer look. I caused trouble to everyone."
Ah. Only then did expressions of understanding appear on the faces of the nobles surrounding the Princess.
Lady Ethel, who had always been jealous of Princess Madeleine's achievements, could easily have done so.
It was a story that could have been heard straight from the nobles of the empire who knew the situation.
Although she was worried about the banquet tomorrow, if she could get through today, things would be fine for now. If only her mother, the Empress, would appease Olivia Madeleine.
Right away, this poor banquet would be replaced by a sophisticated banquet!
"Meet Your Highness, Princess of the Empire."
It was then.
"Thank you for inviting me to your wonderful banquet. This is the Duke of Kiwal, representing the delegation from Heferti."
A respectable man wearing a monocle showed respect to the Princess. The Duke of Madeleine followed behind the man who introduced himself as the Duke of Kiwal.
"I came from Heferti, so I couldn't follow the story. If you don't mind being rude, may I ask what your helping the Crown Prince has to do with the Lady who left earlier?"
The Princess closed her mouth for a moment. Everyone had embarrassed faces.
Today's incident was no different from having Marquis Ethel being kicked out of the imperial family. In the midst of this, there was no need to reveal to foreign countries that Maria and the Crown Prince were lovers.
However, the rudeness towards other countries first started at the previous banquet.
The Princess looked around appropriately.
"As a noble at the center of the empire, it is only natural to want to provide strength to His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Thank you for your words, Your Highness. It was widely rumored that Her Highness the Princess was excellent at overseeing everything at the summer banquet, and it seems like the lady who left earlier was quite a close associate whom Her Highness could trust and entrust to her."
Entourage.
The nobles of the empire tilted their heads for a moment at that one insignificant word. There was something quite different from the gossip that spread among nobles...
"Her Royal Highness wasn't happy with Maria Ethel, right?"
"I know. She did not share any credit for the banquet even with the Marquis of Libeorne, whom she loved so dearly. Have you become that close before you know it?"
"Uh, I don't know who the Marquis of Libeorne was, but who she used to be. Why, didn't Her Royal Highness suddenly go out on a carriage parade during the summer banquet to restore the retail estate during the spring recession? I heard that someone briefly checked on the banquet on your behalf."
"Oh, that's right. Princess Madeleine."
The Princess's face turned pale when someone snapped her fingers and answered absentmindedly. Her insignificant whispers were mixed with keywords that could uncover the truth.
The Princess hurriedly looked around her surroundings. This whispering had to just disappear.
She was able to comfort the daughter of the Marquis of Libeorne, who was looking at her as If she was a little upset.
What was urgent now was Olivia Madeleine, who suddenly appeared, and that half of the story.
If she doesn't have that thousand things, she can change the flow of the story as much as she wants.
At that moment, the Princess's thoughts of consoling herself stopped. Not far away, a group of people were sitting on a soft sofa looking at her as if they were watching an opera, and among them was Olivia Madeleine.
A sneer was evident above the penetrating, calm green eyes.
She had never been laughed at like that by anyone before. In an instant, the Princess's heart fluttered.
Fear and fear of reputation. The foundation of everything that made up the Princess was shaken to the core. If Olivia steps forward, everything is over.
Her fingertips were trembling. The Princess, who had lost even control over herself, tried to somehow get Olivia out of the way.
So she answered randomly.
"I can't believe there is someone, Is that possible? It's just that, as everyone knows, Lady Ethel really wants to officially stand by my brother's side. So..."
"Your Highness."
Appearing out of nowhere, her nanny, Baroness Rujas, called out to the Princess. The Princess was startled by the urgency in her soft voice and looked at her surroundings.
But it was already too late.
"Ah, then. So you're saying that she wasn't just a lady who was 'unwell'."
The Duke of Kiwal, who subtly twisted the Princess's words, nodded at her and spoke. The nobles of the empire looked at the Princess with puzzled faces.
The Princess, who was always perfect, revealed the faults of the supreme Prince. What is this?
In an instant, the Princess faced the Duke of Kiwal with a pale face as if all her blood had drained out.
Please, he shouldn't have realized what she meant. Before any earnest hope could bloom, the Duke of Kiwal bowed his head politely.
"We were busy with post-war recovery, so news from our Hefferti was slow. Unfortunately, I have only heard that His Highness the Crown Prince's fiancée is Princess Madeleine."
It was a confirmed kill. What was known publicly, but no one had confirmed, was confirmed by the Princess.
The Princess closed her mouth as if she had applied glue. She looked at the Duke of Madeleine, who was behind the Duke of Kiwal, but the Duke, who was always capable, did not say anything.
There was a heavy atmosphere. There was nothing she could say that could resolve this situation.
"Ah, I guess I misread the mood here too."
The Duke of Kiwal laughed awkwardly, just like when he first spoke to the Princess.
The Princess, who had been staring blankly at that scene, finally smiled after a while.
"For a moment. I need to get some air."
The Princess slowly turned her body. Only when the graceful steps left did the nobles realize that for the first time since the summer banquet was held, no royal family was staying in the banquet hall.
Now the Grand Duke, the most noble person in the room, was escorting his Young Lady, smiling contentedly.
"I think it's all over, shall we go back now?"
***
The lukewarm night wind touched her cheek. The Princess let out an exasperated breath between her teeth. Sea-colored eyes flashed menacingly.
"That snarky Duke Hefferti. Even though you know everything about me...!"
"Your Highness!"
Baroness Rujas was startled by the harsh words and looked around.
It was a summer banquet.
Her face looked like she was worried if someone passed by and heard it, but the Princess didn't have the energy to worry about it.
"Why did a delegation from another country come to this banquet...?!"
At one time, she was proud that a delegation from another country was attending the summer banquet, but the Princess expressed her anger by completely erasing that fact.
"Because Olivia Madeleine was there...!"
It would have been better if she hadn't made eye contact at that time. Why did the Duke of Hefferti say those words to her at that moment?
No matter how she looked at it, it was clear that Olivia Madeleine had done a dirty trick. Otherwise, Olivia couldn't have been watching her at that exact moment.
Her wheezing breathing became rough.
Following Maria Ethel, the Duke of Hefferti and Olivia Madeleine.
"I can't do that, nanny. I really won't leave anything alone. Everything."
"Meeting Her Highness the Princess."
A quiet greeting fell across the night sky. The Princess, venting her anger, blinked her eyes in embarrassment.
A rather handsome knight with gray hair. The Princess knew who he was.
"You are Vikander's knight."
"My Lord had something to say to Her Highness."
Without even permission, the knight brought up the business. This was something that could not have happened to the Princess, who had taken the oath of all the knights.
The following princess turned around without listening to the knight.
"Where, without even asking for permission! Are all Vikanders this rude?"
"Your Highness will face three crises. What happened a little while ago was the first crisis."
"What?"
At that moment, the Princess's body, which was trying to walk, froze like ice. The first crisis.
Three crises? What does this all mean?
The Princess's heart was pounding irregularly, and she was racing. Her mouth went dry. Could it be that this is all a ruse planned by the Grand Duke?
"What nonsense."
"Did you rest comfortably in Katanta?"
The Princess's face, which was trying to laugh, became stiff. A chilling wind slipped down the Princess's spine.
"How dare you"
A trembling voice shouted sharply. The face of Baroness Rujas behind her was as gray as the knight's hair, but there was nothing in the Princess's eyes.
"Are you trying to threaten me, a Princess?"
Her voice was harsh as if she was chewing on her teeth.
When the sparkling eyes met the knight, the knight answered with a calm face as he had from beginning to end.
"I am merely carrying out the orders given by my master. Okay then."
After giving a light bow, the knight walked away with great strides.
She will tear him to death. That chivalry, Grand Duke Vikander, who gave orders. Olivia Madelaine, who is hiding behind it and watching her...
The Princess's vision turned bright red with anger.
***
A reception room in the banquet hall.
Maria couldn't believe this situation. Apart from the tattered hem of the dress, the painful earlobe that felt like it was torn, or anything like that
"What were you thinking when you did this!"
The sea-colored eyes that Maria loved so much were glaring at her. Her body froze in fear.
Maria stretched out her hands towards Leopold as if pleading.
“Le, Leopold.”
Although her blue eyes were filled with tears, Leopold did not hold her hand.
"I told you, Maria Ethel. You only have to work hard for one year. But why did you do something like this without even being able to do it properly for a year? You either have a thought or you don't! And that in front of all the delegations from other countries!"
Anger spread out in all directions, stabbing Maria without mercy. Maria gritted her teeth, holding on to her pride that had already been cruelly torn away.
"I'm your lover. Why am I your fiancee of one year?"
"What?"
Maria's eyes became blurry. The sadness and despair she had been holding in hit Maria like a tidal wave.
Her despair over the situation, her lover's miserable attitude towards her, and the shame of being humiliated in front of all the nobles burst out. In the end, Maria put the words she hated more than death into her mouth.
"Why are you treating me like a mistress? Just because of that now!"
But even greater anger stopped Maria. Maria became dizzy before her eyes. Her breathing became heavy, and it felt strangely like everything was a dream.
Barely, just barely. Maria thought about it several times, but nothing changed. Strangely enough, her tear ducts became dry in an instant. Meanwhile, beyond her clear vision, she saw Leopold looking out the window.
"Let's talk about it later."
Without any chance of being caught, Leopold left the living room. There was a glimpse of knights standing on strict guard, and then, boom.
The door was closed.
The uneasy premonition has always been a good fit. Maria stood up, strengthening her wobbly legs. Then she approached the spot where Leopold stood and she looked outside.
Haha.
Maria burst out laughing. This may not be reality. Maria shook her head like a loser.
The underside of her unfocused blue eyes began to turn red.
***
"How is it? Are you okay?"
Red eyes full of anticipation twinkled at me. Under the pitch-black night sky, I paused for a moment.
"To be honest, yes."
Ha ha ha.
Edwin laughed softly. I Shrugged my shoulder.
Wow, it was an interesting time.
I got to see firsthand that the reputation of the Princess, who had always been loved by everyone, was being shaken.
I felt strange. In the past, I was the one whose reputation was always shaken. Looking at Leopold's back, I was surrounded by rumors in social circles, and I was asked sharp questions.
It was strange.
My position, which was so natural in Vikander, was extremely unfamiliar at today's banquet. The person I am today is in a position that Olivia Madeleine of the past would have envied.
I was loved, protected, and watched others suffer. Now what is the next step?
"Olivia!"
At that moment, I heard the Prince's voice anxiously calling my name. I unconsciously raised my head.
Under a night sky filled with moonlight, the Prince was jumping down. And it was like seeing a face for the first time.
Is it the magic of moonlight? Or has my position really changed?
The Prince seemed to have run after me.
The Prince, who had come a short distance away, chewed his lips for a moment. I smiled brightly as I looked at his sparkling sea-colored eyes as if he wanted to say something. And I gave him my first word.
"...... Congratulations on your engagement, Your Royal Highness."
that's my girl
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