Episode 114. Then, Who Would You Marry?
“You can rest now.”
The head maid left Kalin with one of the Empress’s maids and went somewhere. The maid took Kalin to the Princess’s palace.
The maid took Kalin to a small, closed room that Kalin had never been in before, even in Ankart, and disappeared.
“This is the maid’s room?”
“You can rest now.”
The head maid left Kalin with one of the Empress’s maids and went somewhere. The maid took Kalin to the Princess’s palace.
The maid took Kalin to a small, closed room that Kalin had never been in before, even in Ankart, and disappeared.
“This is the maid’s room?”
She squeaked as she sat down on an old chair that seemed too good to be thrown away.
Only then did Kalin gasp in pain and frustration.
“I won’t let you all stay still. I won’t forgive you!”
That evening, Kalin went to see Viscount Rene.
No one had told her the way to the palace. She used her brilliant brain to connect the places she had visited so far to find the way. Then she grabbed a servant passing by in the hallway and told him to call Viscount Rene because it was urgent.
Viscount René, who came out into the corridor of the palace, was shocked at her cheek.
Kalin said fiercely.
“Yes. I suffered this at the Princess’s palace today. Your Grace, what on earth is going on? I clearly said that I wanted to be the maid of His Highness. So why am I locked up in the attic of the Princess’s palace?”
“Oh, Miss Ankart. I’m sorry.”
Kalin lifted her chin and glared at the Viscount, saying as if no one was listening.
“The land of Orfield that you took was enough to buy a building in the palace, wasn’t it? And why are you doing this?”
At that moment, when a servant passed by at the end of the corridor, Viscount Rene pushed Kalin against the opposite wall with his thick hand.
The middle-aged man’s threatening breath brushed against her cheek, making it even more bitter.
“So you came into the palace! You did that and stirred up the House of Nobles, and now you’re asking His Highness to take on the burden of bringing in more maids? How shameless!”
Kalin said through clenched teeth.
“Can’t you let this go? This isn’t what we promised!”
“You took the investment rights to the steel mill as you wished. If you want to stay in the royal family’s sights, you should take whatever you’re given, but you shouldn’t complain. How come Ankarts doesn’t know that!”
“You...! I won’t talk to you anymore. Let me see His Highness!”
“Ha! Do you want to die?”
“...!”
Kalin’s eyes turned red from the anger. Only then did Viscount Rene let her go, straightening his clothes and saying,
“From the beginning, didn’t you care whether you were the First Prince or the Second Prince?”
There was a sharp edge to what Kalin said. Kalin’s eyes wavered in excitement.
He spoke without mercy.
“You wanted to be a maid of the royal family, so I made you one. You may not be able to do it right now, but you should do something for His Highness the Prince. You are smart, so take the opportunity. Even an illegitimate child can do that!”
“Right now...!”
Kalin tried to protest, asking if he was comparing her to that illegitimate maid.
But Rene spoke first.
“You said a closet? I can take care of that. Then go back now before anyone sees you.”
Kalin had to lean on the wall to support her staggering body until she left the hallway.
That night, Kalin lay down in a small room with a window.
She had to realize that she was being exploited by the Prince who would come. And that there was no way to protest or take revenge on him now.
Prince Kydel came back in the evening. He even coughed as he entered ‘our bedroom’, as if he was careful not to jump out of the window in surprise.
‘Oh. That really happened.’
The day I became an adult. When I met his eyes outside the balcony of my room, I fell. Of course, he caught me, and I was not hurt at all.
“Prince Kydel.”
“Lorisha.”
I was speechless after that. I couldn’t think of anything to say to him.
Being alone in a room with a man was so suffocating!
He left me alone and sat down on the sofa to look at the book I was reading.
“Are you interested in tactics?”
“When I went to the study, most of the books were like this, so I had no choice.”
“Well, it’s different from the Count’s study.”
“A study? It’s a library, isn’t it?”
Only then did Kalin gasp in pain and frustration.
“I won’t let you all stay still. I won’t forgive you!”
***
That evening, Kalin went to see Viscount Rene.
No one had told her the way to the palace. She used her brilliant brain to connect the places she had visited so far to find the way. Then she grabbed a servant passing by in the hallway and told him to call Viscount Rene because it was urgent.
Viscount René, who came out into the corridor of the palace, was shocked at her cheek.
Kalin said fiercely.
“Yes. I suffered this at the Princess’s palace today. Your Grace, what on earth is going on? I clearly said that I wanted to be the maid of His Highness. So why am I locked up in the attic of the Princess’s palace?”
“Oh, Miss Ankart. I’m sorry.”
Kalin lifted her chin and glared at the Viscount, saying as if no one was listening.
“The land of Orfield that you took was enough to buy a building in the palace, wasn’t it? And why are you doing this?”
At that moment, when a servant passed by at the end of the corridor, Viscount Rene pushed Kalin against the opposite wall with his thick hand.
The middle-aged man’s threatening breath brushed against her cheek, making it even more bitter.
“So you came into the palace! You did that and stirred up the House of Nobles, and now you’re asking His Highness to take on the burden of bringing in more maids? How shameless!”
Kalin said through clenched teeth.
“Can’t you let this go? This isn’t what we promised!”
“You took the investment rights to the steel mill as you wished. If you want to stay in the royal family’s sights, you should take whatever you’re given, but you shouldn’t complain. How come Ankarts doesn’t know that!”
“You...! I won’t talk to you anymore. Let me see His Highness!”
“Ha! Do you want to die?”
“...!”
Kalin’s eyes turned red from the anger. Only then did Viscount Rene let her go, straightening his clothes and saying,
“From the beginning, didn’t you care whether you were the First Prince or the Second Prince?”
There was a sharp edge to what Kalin said. Kalin’s eyes wavered in excitement.
He spoke without mercy.
“You wanted to be a maid of the royal family, so I made you one. You may not be able to do it right now, but you should do something for His Highness the Prince. You are smart, so take the opportunity. Even an illegitimate child can do that!”
“Right now...!”
Kalin tried to protest, asking if he was comparing her to that illegitimate maid.
But Rene spoke first.
“You said a closet? I can take care of that. Then go back now before anyone sees you.”
Kalin had to lean on the wall to support her staggering body until she left the hallway.
That night, Kalin lay down in a small room with a window.
She had to realize that she was being exploited by the Prince who would come. And that there was no way to protest or take revenge on him now.
***
Prince Kydel came back in the evening. He even coughed as he entered ‘our bedroom’, as if he was careful not to jump out of the window in surprise.
‘Oh. That really happened.’
The day I became an adult. When I met his eyes outside the balcony of my room, I fell. Of course, he caught me, and I was not hurt at all.
“Prince Kydel.”
“Lorisha.”
I was speechless after that. I couldn’t think of anything to say to him.
Being alone in a room with a man was so suffocating!
He left me alone and sat down on the sofa to look at the book I was reading.
“Are you interested in tactics?”
“When I went to the study, most of the books were like this, so I had no choice.”
“Well, it’s different from the Count’s study.”
“A study? It’s a library, isn’t it?”
I said that with a face that was too happy for a moment. And then I averted my eyes because it was embarrassing. There was enough space between us for one person to sit down. I felt like I was sitting on a bed of thorns, but he was sitting comfortably as if it were his own living room, which made me feel bad.
Now that I think about it, it was really his living room. I sighed and pushed the book aside.
“I greeted the Duke today. It would have been nice if the Prince had been there too...”
If I said that, it would have seemed like I was relying on him!
I wanted to slap myself in the mouth, but the truth was true, and I felt even more depressed.
Then he turned his body slightly toward me and sat down.
“I’m sorry. His Highness Grayon asked me to come to the palace as soon as it was light.”
“You're on your wedding leave, so this is too much...”
“How was your conversation with my father?”
There wasn’t much to say about that.
The Duke was the same as when I met him in Zebron. He was as dignified and kind as ever. That actually made me feel even more distant.
However, I had to be thankful that he didn’t openly hate me.
“We didn’t really talk. He asked me if I slept well. He asked if I had eaten well. So I slept well and ate well... I asked if I could use the study. He told me to write... The Duke is so dignified... Haa. It’s pathetic. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Listening to my awkward and listless voice, I wondered what I was doing. It was so awkward to see myself struggling to somehow carry on a small conversation with him.
Let alone marriage, I even wondered if I didn’t know how to live with someone else.
“....”
I couldn’t stand his staring gaze and suddenly got up. Then Prince Kydel grabbed my wrist and pulled me down.
Not knowing what to do with my expression, I sat down with a thud and glared, and Prince Kydel turned his body completely to the side and rested his head on his elbows on the back of the sofa.
Look at me, look at me. He’s acting pretty again.
“I’m not pathetic. Keep talking.”
I made a face and then burst out laughing.
“Are you feeling sorry for me?”
“Affection.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
I didn’t feel like arguing with him. So I just mumbled without meaning to.
“When I asked the Duke what I should do in this mansion, he said I would find out later...”
“So you’re feeling discouraged? It seems like my father doesn’t acknowledge you because he didn’t tell you right away about your role as the hostess and kept putting it off.”
I snickered.
“No. Rather, if he acknowledged me, I would have been more scared.”
At that, Prince Kydel’s eyebrows tilted in displeasure.
I quickly made an excuse.
“That’s right. The Kydel family is the family that protects the empire.”
“You know that well. Like a mistress.”
But I didn’t find his jokes funny at all.
“Isn’t it the role of a mistress to protect the family while the Kydel family goes to the battlefield to protect the empire? But who here would trust and follow me? That makes no sense.”
Prince Kydel raised his hand and stroked my cheek. His expression was so dry that I didn’t even think he was doing something strange.
“If you know everything so well, why don’t you know the most important thing...?”
“Yes?”
My pupils shook wildly, and he belatedly lowered his hand and smiled. It was clearly a fake smile.
I quickly said to break the awkwardness.
“Anyway, while I’m here, I’ll act a little helpful. I’ll wake up early too. Sob. I’m really nocturnal...”
While I’m here.
When I said that, his eyes turned cold.
I wanted to avoid this conversation. But it didn’t seem right to just gloss over it with someone I would have to share a room with.
I looked at his expression and said,
“You’ve never imagined marriage with me, have you?”
“I plan marriage, not imagine it.”
I said, “That’s right .”
“See! That’s right.”
I sighed deeply, and he leaned back with his cold face.
Then he asked very softly,
“Then who would you marry?”
I said with wide eyes.
“I have no intention of getting married. I told you before.”
“...”
“Can you keep it a secret?”
When he nodded, I leaned back deeply against the backrest. We were sitting side by side on the sofa, looking very similar.
“Our Count loved our mother very much. Even when I hated him, I couldn’t deny that. My mother must have felt the same way. But look what was left in the end.”
“You.”
His answer was so serious that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You say that as if it were a good thing?”
“Because it is a good thing.”
At some point, his warm palm came to rest on my cheek. When I turned around to look at him, I felt strange. I didn’t realize it then, but his palm was big enough to cover half of my face.
I tried to awkwardly smile and pull my face back, but his upper body followed suit. “Uh-uh,” his upper body was looking down at me, lying long on the sofa.
I twisted my body and forced a smile. It was so awkward that I could hardly breathe.
“Your Excellency, don’t you think this is a bit uncomfortable?”
“I don’t think this is an uncomfortable position.”
“Um, please move, Your Excellency.”
“I don’t want to move, Lorisha.”
“Your Excellency...”
“I greeted the Duke today. It would have been nice if the Prince had been there too...”
If I said that, it would have seemed like I was relying on him!
I wanted to slap myself in the mouth, but the truth was true, and I felt even more depressed.
Then he turned his body slightly toward me and sat down.
“I’m sorry. His Highness Grayon asked me to come to the palace as soon as it was light.”
“You're on your wedding leave, so this is too much...”
“How was your conversation with my father?”
There wasn’t much to say about that.
The Duke was the same as when I met him in Zebron. He was as dignified and kind as ever. That actually made me feel even more distant.
However, I had to be thankful that he didn’t openly hate me.
“We didn’t really talk. He asked me if I slept well. He asked if I had eaten well. So I slept well and ate well... I asked if I could use the study. He told me to write... The Duke is so dignified... Haa. It’s pathetic. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Listening to my awkward and listless voice, I wondered what I was doing. It was so awkward to see myself struggling to somehow carry on a small conversation with him.
Let alone marriage, I even wondered if I didn’t know how to live with someone else.
“....”
I couldn’t stand his staring gaze and suddenly got up. Then Prince Kydel grabbed my wrist and pulled me down.
Not knowing what to do with my expression, I sat down with a thud and glared, and Prince Kydel turned his body completely to the side and rested his head on his elbows on the back of the sofa.
Look at me, look at me. He’s acting pretty again.
“I’m not pathetic. Keep talking.”
I made a face and then burst out laughing.
“Are you feeling sorry for me?”
“Affection.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
I didn’t feel like arguing with him. So I just mumbled without meaning to.
“When I asked the Duke what I should do in this mansion, he said I would find out later...”
“So you’re feeling discouraged? It seems like my father doesn’t acknowledge you because he didn’t tell you right away about your role as the hostess and kept putting it off.”
I snickered.
“No. Rather, if he acknowledged me, I would have been more scared.”
At that, Prince Kydel’s eyebrows tilted in displeasure.
I quickly made an excuse.
“That’s right. The Kydel family is the family that protects the empire.”
“You know that well. Like a mistress.”
But I didn’t find his jokes funny at all.
“Isn’t it the role of a mistress to protect the family while the Kydel family goes to the battlefield to protect the empire? But who here would trust and follow me? That makes no sense.”
Prince Kydel raised his hand and stroked my cheek. His expression was so dry that I didn’t even think he was doing something strange.
“If you know everything so well, why don’t you know the most important thing...?”
“Yes?”
My pupils shook wildly, and he belatedly lowered his hand and smiled. It was clearly a fake smile.
I quickly said to break the awkwardness.
“Anyway, while I’m here, I’ll act a little helpful. I’ll wake up early too. Sob. I’m really nocturnal...”
While I’m here.
When I said that, his eyes turned cold.
I wanted to avoid this conversation. But it didn’t seem right to just gloss over it with someone I would have to share a room with.
I looked at his expression and said,
“You’ve never imagined marriage with me, have you?”
“I plan marriage, not imagine it.”
I said, “That’s right .”
“See! That’s right.”
I sighed deeply, and he leaned back with his cold face.
Then he asked very softly,
“Then who would you marry?”
I said with wide eyes.
“I have no intention of getting married. I told you before.”
“...”
“Can you keep it a secret?”
When he nodded, I leaned back deeply against the backrest. We were sitting side by side on the sofa, looking very similar.
“Our Count loved our mother very much. Even when I hated him, I couldn’t deny that. My mother must have felt the same way. But look what was left in the end.”
“You.”
His answer was so serious that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You say that as if it were a good thing?”
“Because it is a good thing.”
At some point, his warm palm came to rest on my cheek. When I turned around to look at him, I felt strange. I didn’t realize it then, but his palm was big enough to cover half of my face.
I tried to awkwardly smile and pull my face back, but his upper body followed suit. “Uh-uh,” his upper body was looking down at me, lying long on the sofa.
I twisted my body and forced a smile. It was so awkward that I could hardly breathe.
“Your Excellency, don’t you think this is a bit uncomfortable?”
“I don’t think this is an uncomfortable position.”
“Um, please move, Your Excellency.”
“I don’t want to move, Lorisha.”
“Your Excellency...”
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