“Misha. That day is Lorisha’s coming-of-age birthday. Didn’t I tell you in advance to prepare a present for her?”
“Count!”
The Countess got angry when Misha was startled by her father’s unusually loud voice.
I smiled bitterly to myself.
It was because of the Count’s words that Misha had to leave me with a dress that I didn’t wear.
Misha ran up to the Count and grabbed both of his hands as if she was desperate.
“But father. Some students follow Prince Kydel, but most of them are coming to meet His Majesty’s third messenger. How many times have they asked if they could meet my father when they come to the party! I can’t disappoint them all at once, right?”
That’s right. The nobles. The Count, who rarely shows his emotions, looked at his connections like sunflowers. It wasn’t just because of me that he got angry. My adulthood meant that Misha would be an adult in a few months. But there was something about Misha that didn’t seem to grow at all. She seemed like a child who was blind and deaf because the whole world was full of her. I couldn’t let the Count confront the next leaders of the empire all at once. Unless His Majesty called him that day, there were probably quite a few families who would take that as a personal insult.
“I’m fine, Count.”
I said as calmly as I could and returned to my room. Then I collapsed on the bed and muttered,
“If I leave it out in the sun, it’ll rot and fall over...”
I wasn’t insulting Misha. I was talking about my own luck. My birthday had never been meaningful to me in my entire life. I was poor in Tunbar, and I was oppressed at the Count’s. Normally, I wouldn’t have cared, but my heart ached a little when my mother got involved. I rolled over and tried to say, “It’s okay if I go alone, right?”
***
When Locard realized that he had encountered Misha Loire in the empty hallway of the Academy, he wanted to run away. It was a thought he had never had since he was born as a Kydel. No, except for three or four special occasions...
A woman who sent him a letter that he didn’t want to reply to was such an uncomfortable person. But there was no way out for him, and he could only move forward. He smiled and walked at the same speed.
“Miss Loire.”
“Prince Kydel.”
Misha smiled shyly and took out a white envelope from her bosom. Fear and anger were both in Locard’s eyes, but Misha looked down and couldn’t see it.
“Um... I’m going to have a party at my house. It’s to relieve tension before the final exam. Would you please come?”
Even if it wasn’t because of his aversion to Misha Loire, he was really busy. Living a double life, going in and out of the Second Prince’s Palace, he had to study whenever he could. He hated wasting time on things he had to do.
He looked at Misha’s face, searching for a word of refusal, and then suddenly realized that this was the opportunity he had been looking for. Misha Loire’s house was home to Lorisha Loire. At that moment, nothing was more important to him.
“Thank you for the invitation, Miss Loire.”
Misha’s face instantly turned red like a ripe apple and she ran away, saying, “Yes!”
That was all Misha had made for the party invitation. A handwritten one for Locard. She knew that if Prince Kydel moved, the entire Academy would move. That was why she had gone to get his approval first. But he had accepted without delay, and everything had been smooth sailing since then.
“Would you be able to attend the party I’m having at my house next week? Prince Kydel said he would be available...”
Then there were two answers.
“Thank you for the invitation, Miss Loire.” Or, “Would it be possible for me to meet His Majesty’s third messenger? I’m so happy!”
Kalin Ankart’s answer was the same. She answered elegantly.
“If it’s a chance to greet the third lion, I’ll be happy to.”
Misha had always found her difficult. In addition to her excellent grades and her ability to manage connections, she also had a sense of dignity that was unusual for her age. When Misha confirmed that her background was working for Kalin, she felt a sense of pride. However, Misha was completely unaware that no one had accepted her invitation to the party because of their friendship. She was just very upset that the Count treated her as if she had forgotten Lorisha’s birthday.
When she had informed him of the party schedule, the Count had gotten angry, so she couldn’t say anything.
When the party was held that day, the best chef would be the one to give Lorisha the party food. Shouldn’t she be happy about it? She had already given her an expensive gift as ordered by her father.
That’s why Misha Loire believed that he really liked Lorisha.
I spent my time at the apothecary from morning till night. I hated the atmosphere of the mansion, which was bustling with party preparations.
It was the eighth year of living in Count Loire’s residence, but this was the first time that the noise of preparing for a party was so annoying.
Maybe it was because I was an adult, but people were becoming more sensitive.
Finally, on the morning of my birthday, I went to the Count to leave for the villa.
Then, Misha, who had come back after leaving work early to prepare for the party, said as soon as she saw me.
“You’re here at the right time, Lorisha! Write a congratulatory speech for me to give at the party. I’m the host of this party.”
“Misha has grown so much.”
The Countess clapped her hands together as if she was touched.
“...”
I was so shocked that I didn’t even want to move my lips.
The thing came running and linked arms with me, acting cute.
“Who knows better than me that you’re good at this kind of thing? Right?”
Her words hinted at the love letter story. I looked at her in disbelief, and then I heard the Count’s angry voice.
“Misha!”
We all looked at the Count in surprise.
Misha didn’t know what was going on, and her eyes were filled with tears, shocked by the fact that her father was angry at her. The Countess glared at me fiercely.
I quickly said before the Count could continue.
“Would you like to wait? I think I need to think about it.”
“Yes! I’ll wait as long as I can!”
Misha happily replied with eyes that were about to cry.
I took Misha’s arm away and left. I was glad that the Count couldn’t get any angrier because I cut him off at the right time.
Honestly, I wasn’t even angry at that time.
Misha was like Misha, and I was like me.
A brat who doesn’t hesitate to do what she wants and a bastard who has to chew and roll it in her mouth for years before she can say what she wants.
It’s not that big of a difference in birth.
My daily life has been going on in that kind of difference, and today was just another day like that. Giving meaning to things and causing emotions is just eating away at me.
Instead of going to my room, I headed to the Count’s library.
As I looked around the bookshelf, a book caught my eye.
“Great Speeches of the Empire.”
I picked it out and returned to my room.
I never said I was thinking about writing a speech. What I was thinking about was which book to copy the speech from.
As I was flipping through the bookshelf, one caught my eye.
“We are living in a great time...”
A little later, when I handed her the paper I had written her congratulatory speech on, Misha went a step further and asked me to watch her practice.
She frowned, saying that she hadn’t decided which champagne would be better to read it with.
“Bengalue has a pretty color, and Kuriang has pretty bubbles...”
I asked very calmly,
“Misha, isn’t it my birthday today?”
“Yes. I know. I gave you a present. ‘We are in a great age’...”
That’s why Misha Loire believed that he really liked Lorisha.
***
I spent my time at the apothecary from morning till night. I hated the atmosphere of the mansion, which was bustling with party preparations.
It was the eighth year of living in Count Loire’s residence, but this was the first time that the noise of preparing for a party was so annoying.
Maybe it was because I was an adult, but people were becoming more sensitive.
Finally, on the morning of my birthday, I went to the Count to leave for the villa.
Then, Misha, who had come back after leaving work early to prepare for the party, said as soon as she saw me.
“You’re here at the right time, Lorisha! Write a congratulatory speech for me to give at the party. I’m the host of this party.”
“Misha has grown so much.”
The Countess clapped her hands together as if she was touched.
“...”
I was so shocked that I didn’t even want to move my lips.
The thing came running and linked arms with me, acting cute.
“Who knows better than me that you’re good at this kind of thing? Right?”
Her words hinted at the love letter story. I looked at her in disbelief, and then I heard the Count’s angry voice.
“Misha!”
We all looked at the Count in surprise.
Misha didn’t know what was going on, and her eyes were filled with tears, shocked by the fact that her father was angry at her. The Countess glared at me fiercely.
I quickly said before the Count could continue.
“Would you like to wait? I think I need to think about it.”
“Yes! I’ll wait as long as I can!”
Misha happily replied with eyes that were about to cry.
I took Misha’s arm away and left. I was glad that the Count couldn’t get any angrier because I cut him off at the right time.
Honestly, I wasn’t even angry at that time.
Misha was like Misha, and I was like me.
A brat who doesn’t hesitate to do what she wants and a bastard who has to chew and roll it in her mouth for years before she can say what she wants.
It’s not that big of a difference in birth.
My daily life has been going on in that kind of difference, and today was just another day like that. Giving meaning to things and causing emotions is just eating away at me.
Instead of going to my room, I headed to the Count’s library.
As I looked around the bookshelf, a book caught my eye.
“Great Speeches of the Empire.”
I picked it out and returned to my room.
I never said I was thinking about writing a speech. What I was thinking about was which book to copy the speech from.
As I was flipping through the bookshelf, one caught my eye.
“We are living in a great time...”
A little later, when I handed her the paper I had written her congratulatory speech on, Misha went a step further and asked me to watch her practice.
She frowned, saying that she hadn’t decided which champagne would be better to read it with.
“Bengalue has a pretty color, and Kuriang has pretty bubbles...”
I asked very calmly,
“Misha, isn’t it my birthday today?”
“Yes. I know. I gave you a present. ‘We are in a great age’...”
Misha answered dryly and began to read her speech in an exaggerated voice.
I looked at her, imagining myself burning that shabby velvet dress in front of Misha.
But what was the point of getting angry at this girl?
Then the servant came and told me what the coachman had said. He had tied the horse to the carriage for a long time and could not wait any longer. If we were not going now, we would have to send the horse back to the stable to rest.
Misha was busy reading her congratulatory speech, so the servant seemed oblivious to it, and then said,
“Where were you going? Well, that’s good... Lorisha. Lorisha? Where are you going!”
I got up and hid somewhere Misha could never find me. To the Count’s library.
There I fell asleep while reading a new book on herbal medicine.
***
I lay down on the desk for a moment, and when I thought I had woken up, it was dark outside. A beautiful melody could be heard from afar.
The party had already begun.
“This damn thing...”
I muttered quietly and looked outside.
Right now, all the servants would be busy organizing the guests’ carriages, so they wouldn’t have time to give me my carriage.
I walked slowly back to my room.
As I looked at the luggage that had been on the bed since morning, I wondered why I couldn’t go see my mother alone.
I took my bag to the balcony and put it on the railing. I threw my bag down and sat on the railing to jump down, but I heard a 'Ha!' of laughter that was so absurd.
Then my eyes met with his. He was sitting on a tree across from my balcony in the dark, glaring at me.
"Huh? Huh...!"
I was so surprised that my movements twisted, I lost my balance and fell off the railing.
The party had already begun.
“This damn thing...”
I muttered quietly and looked outside.
Right now, all the servants would be busy organizing the guests’ carriages, so they wouldn’t have time to give me my carriage.
I walked slowly back to my room.
As I looked at the luggage that had been on the bed since morning, I wondered why I couldn’t go see my mother alone.
I took my bag to the balcony and put it on the railing. I threw my bag down and sat on the railing to jump down, but I heard a 'Ha!' of laughter that was so absurd.
Then my eyes met with his. He was sitting on a tree across from my balcony in the dark, glaring at me.
"Huh? Huh...!"
I was so surprised that my movements twisted, I lost my balance and fell off the railing.
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