Episode 42. The Relationship between Macarons and Lorisha
But he couldn't stop his sudden appetite. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep today without eating it. He took a bite of the sweet cookie that he usually wouldn't touch, and looked to see if there was a secret there.
The small, round cookie from before was similar to Lorisha. It looked small and nothing special, but the shock it gave him when it entered his mouth was completely different from its appearance.
He laughed as he recalled Lorisha glaring at him from before.
Who would have thought that she would come to him in that serious situation and make a deal by talking about letters? In fact, his hair stood on end at that moment.
On the day he broke the jar with Lorisha—he tried his best not to recall the words "parasite of the noble Second Prince"—he caught a carriage for Lorisha as she left the palace at dawn and headed straight to the Third Palace.
Then he deleted the entry and exit record of "Lorisha Loba" from the entry and exit register.
His influence was always around. Half of it was his merit as a war hero, and half was the halo of being the eldest son of the first lion.
He had already made a deal with her on a list that no longer existed.
It was fortunate that Lorisha had not guessed that he had already erased her traces for the sake of the Second Prince.
If she had heard, she would have been furious and called him an unlucky man. The thought made him laugh softly.
However, the macarons the servant had brought him tasted different from the ones Lorisha had given him. They were sweet, but not fun.
So he only drank the tea that had been served.
He deliberately did not press any further on what had happened at the Princess’s tea party today. He tended to leave room for another question.
However, seeing Lorisha today had made him certain.
Lorisha Loire would steadfastly endure Princess Miliora’s rejection and become her maid.
And she would compete with him.
***
Karlin Ankart called Misha over. Her mansion was far from the Count’s residence, but that didn’t matter.
She asked Misha without telling her to sit down.
“Don’t you have anything to confess to me, Misha?”
Misha narrowed her brows and pursed her lips. Her heart was already in shambles after visiting the Princess’s palace, and meeting Kalin would push her to her limit.
But she couldn’t refuse Kalin. That was their relationship.
“How long did you think it would take for me to find out that you had met Her Highness?”
Misha couldn’t understand Kalin’s sharp tone.
“....I don’t understand why Miss Ankart is angry.”
“Ha! Are you serious?”
Kalin glared at Misha, her eyes trembling.
At that moment, Misha suddenly caught a glimpse of something.
She had never been interested in what kind of person Kalin Ankart was. All she knew was that Kalin was tormenting her.
But then Misha discovered Kalin’s desire. That intensity had been there from the beginning.
Power. The desire to approach the center of the world.
The money that was overflowing in the Ankarts allowed them to approach power, but that was it. The Emperor’s favor and power could not be bought with money. They were only granted permission.
Kalin was fiercely pursuing what her family did not have.
Misha said, half-sobbing with resentment.
“The invitation to Her Highness’s tea party was meant for me. I couldn’t take Miss Ankart with me.”
Kalin’s eyes were filled with anger. It was anger that came from the shame of having Misha find out about her own thirst, rather than from Misha.
At that moment, Misha opened her eyes, realizing that she had something that Kalin did not have and could not take away.
The status of the Count as the Third Lion and the power that came with it were still high and shining. That had not changed even while she was Kalin’s pet.
Misha had long been banished from the abundant and happy world where anything she wanted could come true.
Now she was a slave to goals and achievements that she could not reach, no matter how hard she tried, and her own incompetence was her shackles and whip.
Maybe that was why she easily gave in to Kalin. She didn’t know what she could do.
But Misha had just discovered it. It was because Keryl had destroyed something inside her today.
On the other hand, Kalin wanted Misha to quickly realize that she had to serve her.
Kalin snapped fiercely.
“You didn’t think about trying? Are you saying that because you don’t know how rare it is to attend the royal tea party? Well, you might not know. You don’t know what to study without my help!”
“I didn’t know! My father always comes and goes freely in the palace...”
“Ha! Are you teasing me now, Misha? You don’t know how to be grateful!”
Kalin’s words grew harsh again. But Misha managed to suppress her excitement.
All she had learned so far was how to hide her true feelings. The Countess had been her perfect example all her life.
“Consider it lucky that Miss Ankart didn’t come today. Considering what I was treated like there... If you had come along, you would have been terribly insulted!”
Misha added to the tension, slightly revealing her true anger.
“What are you talking about?”
“Miss Ankart’s party last time.”
“Why?”
“Miss Ankart was so desperate and vulgar that she had to drag me in and seduce the spirits... I felt so ashamed that I wanted to die!”
Kalin’s eyes widened, and Misha bit the flesh inside her mouth to keep her expression.
“How dare you say such things! Who would say such things in front of Her Highness?”
“No, Her Highness the Princess wasn’t there at that time. It was Miss Keryl of the Lisson family. She insulted my behavior and belittled the party. If Her Highness the Princess hadn’t shown up in the middle, I don’t know where the conversation would have gone.”
“Keryl Lisson said that...?”
Misha turned her head away, tears falling down her face, and Kalin closed her mouth as if she had made up her mind.
Misha didn’t pay attention to other people’s conversations at the party that day, so she didn’t remember exactly, but Viscount Ankart had an influence on the Lisson family for business reasons. Keryl had also come to the party with her father.
Misha was certain that her revenge had been achieved by the expression she gave Kalin.
“Let’s go back now. You’re not doing a good job, listening to such things.”
Kalin kicked Misha out, but she smiled as she left the mansion.
***
After Her Highness, the Princess, tried to use Misha to kick me out, I became distraught. It was so important to Her Highness Milliora to kick me out. I could have tried to talk to Her Highness the Princess, but that wasn’t easy.
Today, I went to Her Highness the Princess’s reception room with a heavy heart. I thought I would be kicked out, so I turned around without thinking, but Eria said,
“Please come inside.”
“Huh? Huh!”
When I entered the reception room, Her Highness the Princess was alone today. It was strange to see her without the Tea Party members.
Her Highness the Princess opened a small ring box and tried on the rings one by one, then closed the box with a thud when she saw me. She was so pretty as she glared at me. Her long, flowing silver hair made her look a little inhuman, but even more mysterious.
“Lorisha Loire meets Her Highness the Princess.”
“You’re here? My maid.”
It’s begun.
Her Highness’s tone was filled with hostility. But our relationship was just beginning.
My relationships usually start with hostility, so it’s okay. I can do it.
“Yes, Your Highness. This is the first time we’ve met.”
She closed the ring box and pushed it towards me.
“Would you like to choose? I said you were my maid.”
The box was lined with gorgeous rings.
What would I know about jewels? All I could see were rings and more rings.
“I don’t know much about jewels, Your Highness.”
“Then what do you know? What good would a maid be to me if she can’t even choose a ring?”
Oh, really.
I counted my fingers and stammered.
“I speak Agaelic without any trouble, and I can speak Smailan and Goldan at an intermediate level. I’ve also studied mathematics, history, and imperial law, and a little bit of pharmacy and botany...”
“Enough! Who wants to know about that?”
Her Highness Milliora glared at me, finding it ridiculous. I clenched my fingers into fists and averted my gaze.
“What I’m saying is that Your Highness knows a lot about jewels, but I don’t, and I might know something Your Highness doesn’t, so we can help each other.”
“Isn’t this really funny?”
She leaned back, resting her chin on her hand, and looked at me askance.
“What use would math be to me? Did I really think they’d ask me to solve math problems in a contest?”
“That’s fortunate. There are plenty of people who are better at math than me. I’m the only one who can be Your Highness’s comrade.”
“Are you speaking Agaelic right now? What are you talking about that I don’t understand?”
I can’t be satisfied from the start.
“I just mean, give me a little more of a chance, Your Highness.”
“Nabbabububub, nabbabubub. You bastard!”
“That part, there’s nothing I can do about it. It wasn’t my choice. But I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”
“What... this...”
Her Highness Milliora closed her mouth in disbelief and pressed the corner of the ring case with her fingertips.
Thanks to Misha, I knew exactly what that motion was. It was Her Highness preparing to throw it at me.
It was driving me crazy.
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