I have been lying in bed since yesterday, hugging Blie's diary and crying. The tears that were tearing my insides out no longer came out. The anger that felt like my insides were going to burst turned into tears and soaked my poor pillow.
'I'll pretend I didn't hear that.'
His beautiful eyes as if shocked, clearly answered that way. Then he led me into the restaurant and personally removed the rose thorns and glass shards stuck in my palm and treated them. It must have stung, but I didn’t feel any pain because I had already been hit hard enough to burst the back of my head. Rhodnes’ face was frozen like a stone throughout the treatment.
'...'
'...Did you fight the Grand Duke?'
How much better it would have been if it had been like that. Rhodnes gritted his teeth and spoke to me like that. I can’t kill the Grand Duke. Just like Rhodnes said, I can’t help him except by betraying him and hurting him.
Tears poured out of my tightly shut eyes as if a dam had burst. Soon after, the bedroom door opened with Jonah’s careful footsteps. I hid the diary I was holding under the blanket and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to be with anyone right now. I heard Jonah putting a meal on the small table that I wouldn’t eat. I covered my ears tightly and prayed that this time would pass quickly.
How on earth did he kill me?
It had been a long time since he had left the mansion when I had a seizure, and although the seizure was severe, it was a symptom that appeared little by little when I was not feeling well.
“Um...”
I wiped my tears and turned around slightly. Jonah hesitated and then, as expected, handed me an invitation on a shiny gold platter. As usual, I looked at the bedroom entrance and saw Marge watching us from the corner of her eye, pretending to look somewhere else.
"...What?"
Jonah, who flinched at my deeply hushed voice, pushed it forward with a worried expression. I sat up with a shaky body, feeling as if all my energy had been drained, and leaned against the head of the bed. As I reached out to the invitation with my thinly bandaged hand, Jonah’s face became even more worried.
“Can I help you, Ma’am?”
“..."
“Um...”
I wiped my tears and turned around slightly. Jonah hesitated and then, as expected, handed me an invitation on a shiny gold platter. As usual, I looked at the bedroom entrance and saw Marge watching us from the corner of her eye, pretending to look somewhere else.
"...What?"
Jonah, who flinched at my deeply hushed voice, pushed it forward with a worried expression. I sat up with a shaky body, feeling as if all my energy had been drained, and leaned against the head of the bed. As I reached out to the invitation with my thinly bandaged hand, Jonah’s face became even more worried.
“Can I help you, Ma’am?”
“..."
I didn't answer and unfolded the invitation. At the end of it, there was clearly the signature of Noevian Trovica, whom I knew very well. This time, the name of Blie Acacia was also written clearly.
“I said I would give it to you in about an hour when your condition had improved a bit. But...”
Jonah whispered urgently, making excuses.
“Mrs. Marge said, a lover’s fight is like cutting water with a knife, so I have to tell you quickly...”
The mansion must have been reverberating with the sound of me wailing, calling out the name of Noevian Trovica. Jonah spoke hesitantly as if she really didn’t want to do it. But she couldn’t hear me sobbing.
“... I’ve been busy for a while and haven’t been able to contact you. I’d like to make a formal apology for the rudeness of my mansion’s maids to you at Adrienne’s birthday party.”
It was a dinner invitation. With still trembling hands, I placed the invitation back on the gold platter.
"Lady?"
“What time is it now?”
“What time is it? It’s around lunchtime. Are you busy?”
Jonah hurried to the table where the food had been placed earlier and pulled out a chair for me. But my eyes were still on the gold plate on the bed and the invitation on it.
“No, the Grand Duke invited me to dinner.”
"Ah...?"
A slight color came over Jonah's face. It seemed as if she thought that we, who had seemed to have fought, were reconciling.
“I’m going right now.”
“Yes? It’s just past lunchtime, Ma’am!”
“It doesn’t matter. Just send a message that I'm leaving now.”
I felt like I had to look at that gentle, beautiful, and shameless face.
"Lady?"
“What time is it now?”
“What time is it? It’s around lunchtime. Are you busy?”
Jonah hurried to the table where the food had been placed earlier and pulled out a chair for me. But my eyes were still on the gold plate on the bed and the invitation on it.
“No, the Grand Duke invited me to dinner.”
"Ah...?"
A slight color came over Jonah's face. It seemed as if she thought that we, who had seemed to have fought, were reconciling.
“I’m going right now.”
“Yes? It’s just past lunchtime, Ma’am!”
“It doesn’t matter. Just send a message that I'm leaving now.”
I felt like I had to look at that gentle, beautiful, and shameless face.
[Poor Adrienne Trovica. In the end, it wasn't really because she was sick that she died...]
[...I guess she didn't even know that her husband was killing her.]
Tears welled up in my eyes again. Jonah ran over and fidgeted, then took out a handkerchief and handed it to me.
'That won't stop it.'
If I don't let out all this despair and anger, I feel like I'm going to die. It's funny that I'm already dead and saying this. I felt like I would die if I didn't meet him right away and let out everything.
“I’ll put you on makeup right now! Don’t cry!”
Marge, who was watching the whole scene from outside the door, was greatly embarrassed and started making a fuss with Jonah. I added darkly to them who were getting ready to look good in front of Noevian Trovica.
“...Do it like Blie.”
"Yes?"
“Just dress up like I usually do. Flashy and loud.”
***
As soon as Count Acacia’s carriage entered the Grand Duke’s residence, it stopped. Even though it was quite far from the entrance, Jonah opened the door slightly and stepped out.
“What’s wrong?”
“There is a royal carriage at the entrance!”
I opened the window and stuck my head out. The butler, Gaspard, who seemed to be in a difficult position, noticed me while talking to the coachman and greeted me politely. I closed the window without looking.
“I guess we came too quickly.”
“Who came?”
“The butler didn’t tell me, but I’m sure someone from the royal family has come. He asked me to wait a moment.”
Jonah, who had been listening to their conversation from the window on the other side, also closed the window and said to me.
“What’s wrong?”
“There is a royal carriage at the entrance!”
I opened the window and stuck my head out. The butler, Gaspard, who seemed to be in a difficult position, noticed me while talking to the coachman and greeted me politely. I closed the window without looking.
“I guess we came too quickly.”
“Who came?”
“The butler didn’t tell me, but I’m sure someone from the royal family has come. He asked me to wait a moment.”
Jonah, who had been listening to their conversation from the window on the other side, also closed the window and said to me.
“I didn’t want to wait even a little bit out of consideration for Noevian. I’ll just get off and walk.”
"Yes?"
“You are guarding the carriage.”
"Yes?"
“You are guarding the carriage.”
Because I alone am enough to go to hell. Jonah hesitated and then remained quiet at my strangely firm attitude. As soon as the door of my carriage opened, Gaspard came running in.
"Ma'am!"
I held out my hand without saying a word. It was a signal for me to give him my arm. And when I gave him the expression that Blie might have made, Gaspard shuddered and quietly held out his arm. He was so gentle that I wondered if he was the butler who had been listening to me. In front of my carriage, there was a royal carriage, and also large horses with great skeletons that knights would ride.
“Who is here?”
“Ah, that’s...”
Gaspard trailed off as if he was having trouble answering, guiding me. I hated the sight of him so much that I grabbed his arm tightly and twisted it. It meant that he should answer. Gaspard opened his eyes wide in surprise and forced himself to open his mouth.
“We have a guest from the royal family. I didn’t expect you to arrive so early, Ma’am.”
“So, are you trying to lecture me?”
Just couldn't get the words out of my mouth.
"Yes?!"
His expression was apologetic, but Gaspard's words were arrogant to the core. He was using noble language, such as 'It's because you came early for the appointed time,' to address me. Blie, a commoner, thought Gaspard was simply apologizing for not being able to treat me properly, but he was not.
“You should have prepared for me to come early, right, butler?”
"Ah..."
“The relationship between you and me isn’t so strict that we have to strictly keep track of time, is it?”
How could a butler who manages such a large mansion be so unprepared? As I muttered as if I was talking to myself, Gaspard opened his mouth like an idiot and stared at me blankly. Then he quickly came to his senses and opened his mouth.
“Oh, yes... I’m sorry, Ma’am.”
As I walked across the garden, a red-haired man came out of the mansion's front door with Noevian. He was a little far away, but I recognized him at a glance. It was the Crown Prince Bardenaldo.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. Please stay here for a moment.”
I saw Gaspard running towards them at full speed, leaving me as if hidden behind the gardener. He lowered his head so that his head was stuck on the ground, and only after the last of the imperial knights following the Crown Prince had passed by him did he raise his head. In the meantime, the Crown Prince had a short conversation with Noevian, smiling warmly as always, and then boarded the shining golden imperial carriage. The Crown Prince and his party circled the large garden and disappeared into the entrance of the mansion.
When they disappeared and only dust remained, Noevian was gone, and only Gaspard stood there with his arms outstretched with brave eyes as if he could come to me now. As I endured Gaspard’s lingering gaze and entered the main hall, I saw Noevian sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. I had to suppress my urge to shout at him right away.
“You’re early.”
“...”
“Are you upset that I didn’t pick you up myself?”
He said that without even looking at me. He asked if I was upset, but I felt like he was upset instead. Why?
“You’re early.”
“...”
“Are you upset that I didn’t pick you up myself?”
He said that without even looking at me. He asked if I was upset, but I felt like he was upset instead. Why?
When I stood there without answering, he turned his head toward me. Long black hair tied neatly. Straight forehead and sharp eyes. Cool blue eyes turned toward me. The eyes behind the monocle he was wearing as if he was trying to read the newspaper for a moment, were shadowed as if he couldn’t sleep well. It was the face he had when he was tired. I thought I could slap him in the face if I saw him, but when I saw his appearance, which was even more shabby than mine after being betrayed, my mind grew cold, contrary to my trembling body. Noevian slowly looked me over from head to toe. I was dressed up more extravagantly than usual, so it would probably be a nice sight.
He slightly raised his eyebrows and let out a low sigh.
“You are beautiful enough even without all that makeup.”
“...I like things that are flashy.”
He slightly raised his eyebrows and let out a low sigh.
“You are beautiful enough even without all that makeup.”
“...I like things that are flashy.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
I guess he knows my tastes well. I held my trembling hand tightly. He nodded as if he could see me and stood up.
“And, I want to look beautiful to you.”
I glared at him and spat out. My heart was pounding. But Noevian, who didn’t even notice my nervousness, snickered and approached me, extending his hand. I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand on it.
“...What is this?”
My hand was still wrapped in bandages, and Noevian’s face was now clearly distorted as he saw it. I forced a smile and opened my mouth.
“It’s nothing.”
What the heck. This is the punishment I personally inflicted on your government.
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