I couldn't sleep at night. Yes, I was nervous. I had already done my debutante, but back then I had a chaperone and my father and brother were firmly behind me. And now...
“Do I really have to go?”
“...”
“...I guess I should go, yes.”
Only Count Acacia, who was about to die.
Suddenly he began to recite a prayer. How sincere. I sat up straight and watched Count Acacia clasp his aged hands together and recite the prayer.
“Madam, since you are already married, everyone will understand even if you don’t have a chaperone.”
“I know, too.”
I only said that I knew, but he returned with a look that said, “How could you know that?”
'Crazy.'
It was the man who had cried as if the world was falling apart in front of my tombstone a while ago!
"Ha-."
Ten years of patience. Contrary to my worries, he did not recognize me. By the way, the person in the graveyard at that time was the veiled Second Prince Rhodnes...
“Do I really have to go?”
“...”
“...I guess I should go, yes.”
Only Count Acacia, who was about to die.
I couldn’t go to such a big party with most of the direct royal family without a partner. Many young ladies would be here today as debutantes. A handsome gentleman to escort me to the party was essential, but that was also out of my options.
I wore the most unremarkable green dress among the dresses that Blie ordered. Of course, since it was one of the dresses that Blie ordered, it didn’t fit what I thought of as a normal debutante dress. The back was cut open to the point where there was almost no fabric, and the front was no better, so Jonah had to sew and hang the decorations that were on the other dresses all night.
If Margie hadn’t gotten me a decent shawl early in the morning, I would have gone dressed like I would wear a debutante at an evening party. I also dressed up in a way that I would never have done in the past. I asked them not to be shabby, but the maids, who were excited about their master’s first debutante, did a great job of dressing me up. If there was something that bothered me a little, it was that since I asked them to do it 'as usual', they put on a little too much makeup, which was what Blie preferred.
Blie must have thought her charm was sensuality. The kind of alluring feeling that you get from a theater actress on the cover of a gossip magazine or magazine. It was makeup that I would never have done if I were my natural body, but it suited Blie's 'as usual' look. With this makeup, even if someone who knew Adrienne's face to some extent saw this appearance, they wouldn't immediately think of Adrienne. It was the perfect way to sneak up on Noevian while avoiding the few nobles who might recognize me.
As soon as I got on the carriage, Marge, Jonah, and the other maids clenched their fists and cheered me on. Even the old butler stood from afar with shining eyes. It was a different level of hospitality than when I first saw them. Occasionally, he would ignore me or approach me excessively as if he was crossing the line because he couldn't get rid of his past memories, but overall, he took good care of me as he gradually began to realize that I was his master.
'The biggest reason is probably that I was invited to the victory ceremony called 'Glory of the Family.'
I waved my hand lightly to them. Jonah jumped up and down in joy. For some reason, my heart felt strangely tingly. As I watched them moving away from me through the window, I heard Count Acacia sighing deeply as he looked at me. When the carriage passed through the central square of the capital and reached the entrance to the palace where the road was starting to get blocked, the sighing reached its peak. And as he got closer to the palace, his face became paler.
“Madam, if I happen to collapse... please don’t worry about me and just have fun.”
"...Yes?"
“Hoo, hoo, hoo-!”
Count Acacia, who had been taking several short breaths, took out a small cylindrical tin case from his bosom and poured it into his mouth. Judging from the sweet smell, it seemed to be a drug that relieved tension. It was familiar to me because I had taken it when I had a shallow seizure very occasionally.
“Are you nervous?”
“You call that a word...!”
Count Acacia's amber eyes, filled with resentment, were turned toward me. I was no longer nervous or polite in his presence, for he had never once treated me like his wife.
“Lord, please take all the glory... and forgive the sins of your Lamb...”
'The biggest reason is probably that I was invited to the victory ceremony called 'Glory of the Family.'
I waved my hand lightly to them. Jonah jumped up and down in joy. For some reason, my heart felt strangely tingly. As I watched them moving away from me through the window, I heard Count Acacia sighing deeply as he looked at me. When the carriage passed through the central square of the capital and reached the entrance to the palace where the road was starting to get blocked, the sighing reached its peak. And as he got closer to the palace, his face became paler.
“Madam, if I happen to collapse... please don’t worry about me and just have fun.”
"...Yes?"
“Hoo, hoo, hoo-!”
Count Acacia, who had been taking several short breaths, took out a small cylindrical tin case from his bosom and poured it into his mouth. Judging from the sweet smell, it seemed to be a drug that relieved tension. It was familiar to me because I had taken it when I had a shallow seizure very occasionally.
“Are you nervous?”
“You call that a word...!”
Count Acacia's amber eyes, filled with resentment, were turned toward me. I was no longer nervous or polite in his presence, for he had never once treated me like his wife.
“Lord, please take all the glory... and forgive the sins of your Lamb...”
Suddenly he began to recite a prayer. How sincere. I sat up straight and watched Count Acacia clasp his aged hands together and recite the prayer.
“Madam, since you are already married, everyone will understand even if you don’t have a chaperone.”
“I know, too.”
I only said that I knew, but he returned with a look that said, “How could you know that?”
Blie wouldn’t have known. I just shrugged my exposed shoulders.
The victory party was quite grand, as carriages lined up from the entrance. After waiting for a long time, we finally set foot in the entrance. Blie wasn’t very tall, but Count Acacia was very short, and I wore high heels, so we were about the same height. A servant was ringing a bell at the entrance to announce our entrance, and he glanced at us with a very unfamiliar expression. The coachman handed us an invitation, and the servant looked back and forth between the invitation list and the bell for a while before ringing the bell and calling our names.
“The Count and Countess Acacia, enter!”
Indeed, the party hall was bustling with activity, as if no one was interested in Count Acacia and his wife. When I had appeared with Noevian at a couple of parties I had attended before my health deteriorated, everyone had been paying attention to us, so it had become quiet for a moment.
“The Count and Countess Acacia, enter!”
Indeed, the party hall was bustling with activity, as if no one was interested in Count Acacia and his wife. When I had appeared with Noevian at a couple of parties I had attended before my health deteriorated, everyone had been paying attention to us, so it had become quiet for a moment.
Now, I could feel the occasional glances at me, but compared to then, the attention was less than the champagne the servants were busily carrying.
We stood close to the wall, away from the attention of the people. The whole time, Count Acacia’s arm that I was holding onto was trembling. The tension that I had barely managed to suppress was slowly rising, and I was getting more and more stressed because the Count was like this.
“...Calm down, Count.”
“I guess the Grand Duke hasn’t arrived yet.”
I tried to calm him down quietly behind the fan, but instead of calming down, the Count was surprised by the word 'Grand Duke' that came out of his own mouth and shut his mouth.
“...Calm down, Count.”
“I guess the Grand Duke hasn’t arrived yet.”
I tried to calm him down quietly behind the fan, but instead of calming down, the Count was surprised by the word 'Grand Duke' that came out of his own mouth and shut his mouth.
When he was about to tremble and look pitiful, ding-! ding-! ding-!
The insolent servant standing at the entrance rang the bell three times. Those who had been sitting on their chairs for a while jumped up, and those who were familiar with them and those who had been laughing also shut their mouths and looked up at the distant stairs of the entrance.
“His Majesty the Emperor and Jer Majesty the Empress, the masters of the great empire, Ronta, enter! His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess, the hope of the empire, enter! And His Highness the Second Prince, who has achieved great feats by suppressing the western rebels and showing the might of the empire, enter!”
When the old Emperor and the young Empress who had recently ascended the throne entered at the same time, applause poured in. The applause continued with the Crown Prince and his wife who appeared next, and reached its peak when the second Prince, Rhodnes, appeared.
“Ahhh-! This is my first time meeting His Highness the Second Prince!”
“Me too. Wow... How did you get so carved and statue-like? But, your eyes...?”
“Shhh! Be quiet!”
Among the voices of the young ladies chattering, I looked up at the man with wide eyes and an overwhelming presence. As his gaze swept the entire hall as if searching for someone, I unconsciously hid behind Count Acacia and covered my face with my fan.
“His Majesty the Emperor and Jer Majesty the Empress, the masters of the great empire, Ronta, enter! His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess, the hope of the empire, enter! And His Highness the Second Prince, who has achieved great feats by suppressing the western rebels and showing the might of the empire, enter!”
When the old Emperor and the young Empress who had recently ascended the throne entered at the same time, applause poured in. The applause continued with the Crown Prince and his wife who appeared next, and reached its peak when the second Prince, Rhodnes, appeared.
“Ahhh-! This is my first time meeting His Highness the Second Prince!”
“Me too. Wow... How did you get so carved and statue-like? But, your eyes...?”
“Shhh! Be quiet!”
Among the voices of the young ladies chattering, I looked up at the man with wide eyes and an overwhelming presence. As his gaze swept the entire hall as if searching for someone, I unconsciously hid behind Count Acacia and covered my face with my fan.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
My already tense heart began to pound like crazy. It was my first time seeing the real face of the 2nd Prince of Rhodnes, whose name was all that mattered. And the problem was that 2nd Prince...
'Crazy.'
It was the man who had cried as if the world was falling apart in front of my tombstone a while ago!
I quietly peeked over Count Acacia’s shoulder. Rhodnes was the most outstanding among the glittering royal family. The Crown Prince was handsome, but Rhodnes was more than handsome; he was ‘beautiful.’
With his sparkling platinum hair, his red eyes that flashed like a beast were leisurely relaxed, and his arrogant expression and sensual lips were exactly like those of a prodigal son. There was no doubt about it. It was definitely the man I had seen at the graveyard.
“Then, may today be a day to celebrate the joy of victory and enjoy yourself to the fullest!”
The Emperor, who had been speaking words of hospitality and patting Rhodnes on the shoulder, raised his glass of champagne and exclaimed. At the same time, everyone in the hall raised their glasses of champagne and exclaimed.
“Glory to the Lord! Prosperity to Ronta! Loyalty to the Emperor!”
“Glory to the Lord! Prosperity to Ronta! Loyalty to the Emperor!”
Once again, applause erupted. Everyone laughed, sipping champagne. The Emperor and Empress, who had been looking at it with pleasure, nodded slightly and went up the stairs to the prepared seats. As the musicians who had been sitting at the bottom of the stairs tuned their instruments, people emptied the center of the hall as if they had been waiting to make space.
“Then, may today be a day to celebrate the joy of victory and enjoy yourself to the fullest!”
The Emperor, who had been speaking words of hospitality and patting Rhodnes on the shoulder, raised his glass of champagne and exclaimed. At the same time, everyone in the hall raised their glasses of champagne and exclaimed.
“Glory to the Lord! Prosperity to Ronta! Loyalty to the Emperor!”
“Glory to the Lord! Prosperity to Ronta! Loyalty to the Emperor!”
Once again, applause erupted. Everyone laughed, sipping champagne. The Emperor and Empress, who had been looking at it with pleasure, nodded slightly and went up the stairs to the prepared seats. As the musicians who had been sitting at the bottom of the stairs tuned their instruments, people emptied the center of the hall as if they had been waiting to make space.
The main characters of the victory ceremony, the Second Prince Rhodnes, and the Crown Prince couple came down to the hall in person. Wherever Rhodnes’ gaze lingered, low screams poured out.
“!”
I held tightly to the arm of Count Acacia, who was trembling without realizing it. When I met his bright red eyes head-on, I felt like I was being eaten by a wild beast. The arrogant and cold face of Rhodnes cracked slightly.
'No, no! Don't come!'
At this point, I couldn’t tell if I was trembling or the Count was. Although we were each afraid of different things, we shared the same emotions. I barely managed to hide my contemplative face with my fan and was already hiding behind Count Acacia, who was no different from an aspen tree, when people suddenly started to murmur.
“!”
I held tightly to the arm of Count Acacia, who was trembling without realizing it. When I met his bright red eyes head-on, I felt like I was being eaten by a wild beast. The arrogant and cold face of Rhodnes cracked slightly.
'No, no! Don't come!'
At this point, I couldn’t tell if I was trembling or the Count was. Although we were each afraid of different things, we shared the same emotions. I barely managed to hide my contemplative face with my fan and was already hiding behind Count Acacia, who was no different from an aspen tree, when people suddenly started to murmur.
Rhodnes, who had clearly seen my face, looked down at a young lady who had approached him and immediately asked her to dance. Even though his face was extremely, extremely stiff, a blonde girl whose ears were red quickly grabbed his hand and entered the middle of the hall. As the orchestra began to play, the Crown Prince and his wife, the second Prince, and their entourage all stamped their feet at the same time.
"Ha-."
Ten years of patience. Contrary to my worries, he did not recognize me. By the way, the person in the graveyard at that time was the veiled Second Prince Rhodnes...
As the waltz reached its climax, I quietly pulled my eyes out and cast my gaze toward the center of the hall. Although the girl occasionally stumbled, Rhodnes danced perfectly to the music. The young ladies around me let out deep sighs every time his hand brushed the girl’s waist or shoulder.
“Ugh-.”
And next to me was Count Acacia, wiping away his cold sweat and making a strange groan. We had to go dancing soon, too.
“Ugh-.”
And next to me was Count Acacia, wiping away his cold sweat and making a strange groan. We had to go dancing soon, too.
After the host's first dance, the guests would immediately pour into the hall with their partners and dance, which was the rule of the party.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Only after I found stability did I take care of the Count.
“Ah... Sorry, sorry.”
The Count showed an expression that seemed genuinely apologetic. The first dance was already over. The Count, who was staggering between the surging nobles, barely managed to wipe away the cold sweat.
“Your, Your Highness...!”
Count Acacia, who was raising his head towards a certain point, eventually...
“Gyaaaaak-!”
“Hey!”
“Count!”
In a small voice that only I could hear, he cried out, “Save me, save me...” and then fell down. The second dance was fast and magnificent, so there was a small commotion only on our side. I quickly tried to support Count Acacia, but he just sat there, leaning against the wall, dead, and unable to get up. No one was willing to step forward, and only the older ladies let out soft screams.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Only after I found stability did I take care of the Count.
“Ah... Sorry, sorry.”
The Count showed an expression that seemed genuinely apologetic. The first dance was already over. The Count, who was staggering between the surging nobles, barely managed to wipe away the cold sweat.
“Your, Your Highness...!”
Count Acacia, who was raising his head towards a certain point, eventually...
“Gyaaaaak-!”
“Hey!”
“Count!”
In a small voice that only I could hear, he cried out, “Save me, save me...” and then fell down. The second dance was fast and magnificent, so there was a small commotion only on our side. I quickly tried to support Count Acacia, but he just sat there, leaning against the wall, dead, and unable to get up. No one was willing to step forward, and only the older ladies let out soft screams.
A knight who heard them bravely approached and laid the Count down. Soon after, several of the knights who were with him carried the Count to the resting room. I should have followed, but I stood still and could do nothing.
“...!”
Amid the crowd, someone crossed my arms from behind and lightly grabbed me with one hand. The shawl fell off, exposing my spine, and I got goosebumps in an instant. It didn't hurt, but the man's strength was so overwhelming that I couldn't move. I was so surprised that I couldn't even scream and just froze.
The scent of lavender mixed with cigars suddenly invaded my nose.
“...found it.”
At the same time, a low voice that seemed to vibrate the floor penetrated my ears strongly.
“...!”
Amid the crowd, someone crossed my arms from behind and lightly grabbed me with one hand. The shawl fell off, exposing my spine, and I got goosebumps in an instant. It didn't hurt, but the man's strength was so overwhelming that I couldn't move. I was so surprised that I couldn't even scream and just froze.
The scent of lavender mixed with cigars suddenly invaded my nose.
“...found it.”
At the same time, a low voice that seemed to vibrate the floor penetrated my ears strongly.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment