From that day on, Noura didn't say a word to me and treated me like an invisible person. So we prepared for the event according to our own plans, and on the day before the event, at the Crown Princess Palace.
“Your Highness, are you worried about anything?”
Doris's deep sigh could be heard all the way to our table a little distance away.
“Is there anything else we can help you with?”
“Thank you, but I don’t think anyone here can help you with this.”
I looked at Doris with a worried expression at Irene's quick-witted voice. The area under her eyes was dark, perhaps from fatigue.
“Why are you doing that?”
Noura's ambitious eyes turned to Doris. Then Doris smiled and showed us the notepad she had been looking at.
“Are you studying Elacon?”
“I don’t know why I have to learn this useless Elacon language. Her Majesty the Empress wants to learn it so she can say something to the Elacon envoy who took such good care of her son, but I don’t know why I have to do it too.”
As Doris kept her eyes on the notepad while speaking coldly, I approached her and quickly copied it neatly onto a new sheet of paper. The messy handwriting from having been rewritten so many times was bothering me.
“Wow, it looks like a handwritten note, Ma’am!”
Irene's eyes widened. I continued to write the Elacon that I had been honing, in my original, elegant handwriting. This time, Doris's eyes also widened considerably.
“Wow, Madam has such talent. Where did you learn it?”
“...I had a maid at home who could speak Elacon, so I learned it when I was bored.”
I couldn't say that the maid was Rhodnes, so I just laughed. Doris seemed to see me as a savior and pulled my arm affectionately.
“Okay, Ma’am. Whether the event goes well or not, just stay by my side during the meeting with the ambassador.”
"Yes?"
“There are interpreters anyway, and in Elacon, we learn the Imperial language as a second language, so there isn’t much of a problem with communication.”
“But why...”
“The interpreter is a man with an old complex, so the nuances of Her Highness the Young and Beautiful Crown Princess’ speech will not be conveyed well.”
Doris seemed satisfied with Irene's quick-witted answer and quietly pushed the notepad away from the table with an expression that showed that her worries had been relieved.
“Madam will be my mouth that day.”
In short, it meant that I, who had just learned basic Elacon, would become the mouthpiece of the Crown Princess.
“What do you mean?”
“The scandal with His Highness the Second Prince is false.”
“!”
I looked back at Doris, who was whispering behind me in surprise. She was smiling sweetly. Did Doris read the gossip too?
“How did you come here?”
“While waiting to meet with His Majesty the Emperor.”
We whispered for a moment in the corner. Rhodnes' eyes turned straight to Noevian, who was watching us from afar.
“I want to smash that shameless face.”
“Rhodnes!”
When I was startled by the harsh words coming out of his beautiful mouth and let out a low cry, only then did he look down at me. His eyes were deeply sunken.
“I'm going to do one thing the King wants me to do, and I'm going to ask for you.”
"...What?"
“Just know that for now. If that son of a bitch tries to do anything to you, it’ll be your shield.”
“What do you mean? How can you help me when I’m not divorced yet? And my status is...”
“I have to go back. I’ll tell you the details later.”
“Wait a minute, are we going to keep going like this?”
“Adrienne.”
As I held on to him, wanting to ask him more questions, Rhodnes, who had always had a stern expression, forced a smile.
“...I don’t want to lose you again.”
"An?"
“I’ll do anything for that.”
“Your Highness, are you worried about anything?”
Doris's deep sigh could be heard all the way to our table a little distance away.
“Is there anything else we can help you with?”
“Thank you, but I don’t think anyone here can help you with this.”
I looked at Doris with a worried expression at Irene's quick-witted voice. The area under her eyes was dark, perhaps from fatigue.
“Why are you doing that?”
Noura's ambitious eyes turned to Doris. Then Doris smiled and showed us the notepad she had been looking at.
“Are you studying Elacon?”
“I don’t know why I have to learn this useless Elacon language. Her Majesty the Empress wants to learn it so she can say something to the Elacon envoy who took such good care of her son, but I don’t know why I have to do it too.”
As Doris kept her eyes on the notepad while speaking coldly, I approached her and quickly copied it neatly onto a new sheet of paper. The messy handwriting from having been rewritten so many times was bothering me.
“Wow, it looks like a handwritten note, Ma’am!”
Irene's eyes widened. I continued to write the Elacon that I had been honing, in my original, elegant handwriting. This time, Doris's eyes also widened considerably.
“Wow, Madam has such talent. Where did you learn it?”
“...I had a maid at home who could speak Elacon, so I learned it when I was bored.”
I couldn't say that the maid was Rhodnes, so I just laughed. Doris seemed to see me as a savior and pulled my arm affectionately.
“Okay, Ma’am. Whether the event goes well or not, just stay by my side during the meeting with the ambassador.”
"Yes?"
“There are interpreters anyway, and in Elacon, we learn the Imperial language as a second language, so there isn’t much of a problem with communication.”
“But why...”
“The interpreter is a man with an old complex, so the nuances of Her Highness the Young and Beautiful Crown Princess’ speech will not be conveyed well.”
Doris seemed satisfied with Irene's quick-witted answer and quietly pushed the notepad away from the table with an expression that showed that her worries had been relieved.
“Madam will be my mouth that day.”
In short, it meant that I, who had just learned basic Elacon, would become the mouthpiece of the Crown Princess.
***
The welcoming ceremony for the delegation was lighter than expected. The Emperor and his wife headed straight to the main conference hall with the delegation representatives, and only the attendants remained. As the momentum of Noura, who had been trying to make a great network, subsided, my heart was at ease. I followed Doris around and whispered greetings and exclamations that she had to say. When the Crown Princess of the empire personally greeted them in Elacon, the expressions of the delegation gradually brightened, and even I, who was standing next to them, took interest.
“Thank you for calling...”
“For Elacon and... for the friendship between our two countries...”
But what was really strange was that Elacon sounded much better to my ears than I had expected. Since I had hardly studied conversation, my plan to sit close to the interpreter and ask for the meaning went awry. There was no need for that. I didn't know the meaning of each word, but when I was Adrienne, those words sounded like an alien language, but strangely, they sounded like a dialect of Ronta, and the overall meaning came into my head.
'Blie might originally be from Elacon.'
A reasonable suspicion began to arise that Blie was not simply good at Elacon, but that she was from Elacon in the first place.
“Blie, you can rest now.”
"Yes?"
Doris became increasingly quiet when some of the envoys took an interest in me, and she tried to send me somewhere else.
“...I understand, Your situation.”
“How about going out and dancing?”
“Dancing...? Ah.”
Doris was holding my arm in a friendly manner and secretly nodding to me, and there was Noevian. Even though he was talking quietly while surrounded by noble ladies, his gaze was occasionally shining towards me. It seemed that the stinging gaze was not only Noura's.
“Thank you for helping me today. Isn’t Madam’s debutante season over yet? Since you're a partner guaranteed by the chaperone, wouldn’t now be the perfect time to approach him without any backbiting?”
The hand that gently pushed my back was incredibly affectionate.
“Go and appease the Grand Duke.”
“Thank you for calling...”
“For Elacon and... for the friendship between our two countries...”
But what was really strange was that Elacon sounded much better to my ears than I had expected. Since I had hardly studied conversation, my plan to sit close to the interpreter and ask for the meaning went awry. There was no need for that. I didn't know the meaning of each word, but when I was Adrienne, those words sounded like an alien language, but strangely, they sounded like a dialect of Ronta, and the overall meaning came into my head.
'Blie might originally be from Elacon.'
A reasonable suspicion began to arise that Blie was not simply good at Elacon, but that she was from Elacon in the first place.
“Blie, you can rest now.”
"Yes?"
Doris became increasingly quiet when some of the envoys took an interest in me, and she tried to send me somewhere else.
“...I understand, Your situation.”
“How about going out and dancing?”
“Dancing...? Ah.”
Doris was holding my arm in a friendly manner and secretly nodding to me, and there was Noevian. Even though he was talking quietly while surrounded by noble ladies, his gaze was occasionally shining towards me. It seemed that the stinging gaze was not only Noura's.
“Thank you for helping me today. Isn’t Madam’s debutante season over yet? Since you're a partner guaranteed by the chaperone, wouldn’t now be the perfect time to approach him without any backbiting?”
The hand that gently pushed my back was incredibly affectionate.
“Go and appease the Grand Duke.”
“What do you mean?”
“The scandal with His Highness the Second Prince is false.”
“!”
I looked back at Doris, who was whispering behind me in surprise. She was smiling sweetly. Did Doris read the gossip too?
Since gossip like that wouldn’t enter the royal family, it might have been through Noura’s mouth. I was frozen in place, wondering whether I should follow Doris’s touch, when suddenly the hall became noisy.
“Madam, you were working alone without your partner.”
It was the unexpected appearance of Rhodnes.
“Madam, you were working alone without your partner.”
It was the unexpected appearance of Rhodnes.
***
“How did you come here?”
“While waiting to meet with His Majesty the Emperor.”
We whispered for a moment in the corner. Rhodnes' eyes turned straight to Noevian, who was watching us from afar.
“I want to smash that shameless face.”
“Rhodnes!”
When I was startled by the harsh words coming out of his beautiful mouth and let out a low cry, only then did he look down at me. His eyes were deeply sunken.
“I'm going to do one thing the King wants me to do, and I'm going to ask for you.”
"...What?"
“Just know that for now. If that son of a bitch tries to do anything to you, it’ll be your shield.”
“What do you mean? How can you help me when I’m not divorced yet? And my status is...”
“I have to go back. I’ll tell you the details later.”
“Wait a minute, are we going to keep going like this?”
“Adrienne.”
As I held on to him, wanting to ask him more questions, Rhodnes, who had always had a stern expression, forced a smile.
“...I don’t want to lose you again.”
"An?"
“I’ll do anything for that.”
Rhodnes, who had been looking at Noevian with dark eyes again, lowered his lips to the back of my hand as if he was watching. Noevian must not have been the only one who was looking. Rhodnes was always the center of attention wherever he went, and he knew that better than anyone else.
When Rhodnes, who seemed anxious and uneasy, disappeared again, I pressed the back of my hand where his breath had touched. Rhodnes’ lips did not completely touch the back of my hand. And I knew that it meant, ‘I’m afraid you’ll be sad if my lips touch the back of Blie Acacia’s hand.’ I endured the pouring gazes of those around me, pressed my hand firmly to the area near my rapidly beating heart, and raised my head, only to meet Noevian’s cold eyes head-on.
I smiled at him without hiding my slightly excited face.
I smiled at him without hiding my slightly excited face.
***
The first day's event ended well despite a small commotion. After Rhodnes left, Doris's gaze became strangely cold, but I was too busy worrying about Noevian to pay proper attention to her.
“Madam! I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
“You’re here earlier than I expected. I sent word to you to take your time because the party is likely to end late.”
“I tried to come early and take a look around the palace, but it was too dark and spacious, so I gave up.”
As I came out of the hall, Jonah, who had been waiting outside, escorted me to the carriage. While we were whispering about who was wearing what, who had made eye contact, and such stories Jonah had heard, the air was cold as we reached the carriage. Where did all those carriages go? Only the Count’s carriage that I had come in was left standing there.
“You look happy.”
Noevian was leaning against the simple Count's carriage. I recalled that Noevian's gaze had been on me the entire time at the event. I also saw his eyes that seemed to sparkle whenever I whispered to Rhodnes. Jonah looked at me and Noevian and disappeared toward a nearby shabby building.
“I really can’t figure out what you’re thinking.”
I straightened my trembling body and calmed my mind. If I showed that I was afraid of him here, I would definitely get caught. He looked down at me with a very calm face, not angry like a fire. He raised his chin arrogantly and lowered his eyes, which was similar to the behavior of Rhodnes, who had previously despised me.
“I don’t usually read gossip magazines, but I find them quite interesting these days.”
“...Congratulations on finding something interesting.”
“I didn’t come all the way here and wait for you to make a joke.”
The voice that was quietly chewing was cold.
“You want to be a Grand Duchess, you love me... You’ve been saying things that don’t fit your status for a long time, but your actions are...”
He looked me up and down with contempt. I met his gaze more indifferently than I had expected. The bare face of Noevian Trovica. It was no longer shocking to me.
“You’re good at what street prostitutes do.”
The reason I can be indifferent is because of Noevian's attitude, which is always waiting for me with such anger and contempt when it would have been simple to just throw away this Blie if he didn't like her that much, that is why I can say this.
“Think whatever you want.”
I could see the corners of his mouth, which had been pretending to be relaxed, hardening coldly.
'You can't throw Blie away, right?'
“You remember well. The words that I said I wanted to be a Grand Duchess. The words that I said I loved you. I thought Your Highness had forgotten all of that.”
'He can't throw away this Blie, so he's just standing there listening to Blie's words.'
The world's best Noevian Trovica.
“You said you couldn’t figure out what was on your mind? I always said that. I just want to sit next to you because I love you.”
His stiff lips relaxed, and the sharp laughter that always felt unfamiliar brushed past my ears.
“Things that are bothering you. Would you like me to stop doing them?”
“Don’t make me say the obvious twice or thrice.”
"Then..."
I looked straight into Noevian's eyes and smiled.
“...When I say I am interested in the position of Grand Duchess, do it well.”
The deep blue eyes hardened as if he had misheard something, and then shook violently. I smiled even more and passed him by. As soon as I got into the carriage, Noevian grabbed my wrist, but I shook it off and closed the door.
“You’ve kept me waiting so long that I’m starting to take an interest in the position of Princess Consort.”
"...What?"
At the word Princess, Noevian's frozen face distorted as if it were collapsing.
“Madam! I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
“You’re here earlier than I expected. I sent word to you to take your time because the party is likely to end late.”
“I tried to come early and take a look around the palace, but it was too dark and spacious, so I gave up.”
As I came out of the hall, Jonah, who had been waiting outside, escorted me to the carriage. While we were whispering about who was wearing what, who had made eye contact, and such stories Jonah had heard, the air was cold as we reached the carriage. Where did all those carriages go? Only the Count’s carriage that I had come in was left standing there.
“You look happy.”
Noevian was leaning against the simple Count's carriage. I recalled that Noevian's gaze had been on me the entire time at the event. I also saw his eyes that seemed to sparkle whenever I whispered to Rhodnes. Jonah looked at me and Noevian and disappeared toward a nearby shabby building.
“I really can’t figure out what you’re thinking.”
I straightened my trembling body and calmed my mind. If I showed that I was afraid of him here, I would definitely get caught. He looked down at me with a very calm face, not angry like a fire. He raised his chin arrogantly and lowered his eyes, which was similar to the behavior of Rhodnes, who had previously despised me.
“I don’t usually read gossip magazines, but I find them quite interesting these days.”
“...Congratulations on finding something interesting.”
“I didn’t come all the way here and wait for you to make a joke.”
The voice that was quietly chewing was cold.
“You want to be a Grand Duchess, you love me... You’ve been saying things that don’t fit your status for a long time, but your actions are...”
He looked me up and down with contempt. I met his gaze more indifferently than I had expected. The bare face of Noevian Trovica. It was no longer shocking to me.
“You’re good at what street prostitutes do.”
The reason I can be indifferent is because of Noevian's attitude, which is always waiting for me with such anger and contempt when it would have been simple to just throw away this Blie if he didn't like her that much, that is why I can say this.
“Think whatever you want.”
I could see the corners of his mouth, which had been pretending to be relaxed, hardening coldly.
'You can't throw Blie away, right?'
“You remember well. The words that I said I wanted to be a Grand Duchess. The words that I said I loved you. I thought Your Highness had forgotten all of that.”
'He can't throw away this Blie, so he's just standing there listening to Blie's words.'
The world's best Noevian Trovica.
“You said you couldn’t figure out what was on your mind? I always said that. I just want to sit next to you because I love you.”
His stiff lips relaxed, and the sharp laughter that always felt unfamiliar brushed past my ears.
“Things that are bothering you. Would you like me to stop doing them?”
“Don’t make me say the obvious twice or thrice.”
"Then..."
I looked straight into Noevian's eyes and smiled.
“...When I say I am interested in the position of Grand Duchess, do it well.”
The deep blue eyes hardened as if he had misheard something, and then shook violently. I smiled even more and passed him by. As soon as I got into the carriage, Noevian grabbed my wrist, but I shook it off and closed the door.
“You’ve kept me waiting so long that I’m starting to take an interest in the position of Princess Consort.”
"...What?"
At the word Princess, Noevian's frozen face distorted as if it were collapsing.
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