8. Breath
Viscount Hardy and Countess Meyer, who had been following Erna at a deliberately distant distance, turned around with bewildered expressions. They had never dreamed that a guest had yet to arrive. They even more so thought it would be Prince Bjorn.
They retreated for a moment. The red carpet that stretched from the entrance of the banquet hall to the opposite end, to the dais where the King and Queen sat side by side, was now Prince Bjorn's. No. That was all she thought. Until she discovered Erna, the troublemaker she'd forgotten about for a moment.
“Oh my god! Look at that kid!”
Brenda Hardy turned pale and clutched her husband's arm.
Erna, distraught, stood in the middle of the carpet, blocking the Prince's path. To drag her out, she had to outrun Prince Bjorn, but it was hard to tell which was more terrifying. Meanwhile, the distance between the Prince and Erna grew ever closer.
“What do you think of this? Yes?”
Brenda Hardy questioned Countess Meyer, the person responsible for this saga. She frowned, lost in thought, but quickly regained her usual calm expression.
“Let’s just wait and see. There’s no other way.”
“What did you say?”
Brenda Hardy let out a sigh of dismay. She was a disgrace, not only to the nobility of the entire country, but even to the royal family, yet she acted as if it were a great amusement.
Just as the suspicion began to rise that perhaps she had simply taken on the role of chaperone with the intention of ruining things, Prince Bjorn stopped walking, frowning.
Erna turned around in his shadow that fell over her.
What the heck is this?
Bjorn tilted his head slightly as he looked down at the woman engaging in such absurd acts. When he first discovered her, he hadn't thought much of her. Of course, she'd retreat, and if he passed her by, she'd be just another one of countless strangers.
Who would have thought she'd hold out so steadfastly and finally stop him? Whatever her intentions, he supposed he should at least acknowledge her spirit.
Bjorn lowered his gaze a little further to meet the woman's. Though her eyes were filled with him, she remained blank, as if blinded by anything. With each slow blink, her large eyes grew ever more transparent. Their pupils were unusually blue.
Bjorn, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, then glanced beyond the woman. The first thing he saw was his father and mother, their expressions of bewilderment.
Bjorn again!
It was a look that made it seem as if a sigh like that could be heard. The accusation contained in Leonid's frown was clearly even harsher. Louise, who was still serious, needed no further comment.
It's a relief that at least the beginning of National Day, which he's visited after so long, isn't boring.
Viscount Hardy and Countess Meyer, who had been following Erna at a deliberately distant distance, turned around with bewildered expressions. They had never dreamed that a guest had yet to arrive. They even more so thought it would be Prince Bjorn.
They retreated for a moment. The red carpet that stretched from the entrance of the banquet hall to the opposite end, to the dais where the King and Queen sat side by side, was now Prince Bjorn's. No. That was all she thought. Until she discovered Erna, the troublemaker she'd forgotten about for a moment.
“Oh my god! Look at that kid!”
Brenda Hardy turned pale and clutched her husband's arm.
Erna, distraught, stood in the middle of the carpet, blocking the Prince's path. To drag her out, she had to outrun Prince Bjorn, but it was hard to tell which was more terrifying. Meanwhile, the distance between the Prince and Erna grew ever closer.
“What do you think of this? Yes?”
Brenda Hardy questioned Countess Meyer, the person responsible for this saga. She frowned, lost in thought, but quickly regained her usual calm expression.
“Let’s just wait and see. There’s no other way.”
“What did you say?”
Brenda Hardy let out a sigh of dismay. She was a disgrace, not only to the nobility of the entire country, but even to the royal family, yet she acted as if it were a great amusement.
Just as the suspicion began to rise that perhaps she had simply taken on the role of chaperone with the intention of ruining things, Prince Bjorn stopped walking, frowning.
Erna turned around in his shadow that fell over her.
***
What the heck is this?
Bjorn tilted his head slightly as he looked down at the woman engaging in such absurd acts. When he first discovered her, he hadn't thought much of her. Of course, she'd retreat, and if he passed her by, she'd be just another one of countless strangers.
Who would have thought she'd hold out so steadfastly and finally stop him? Whatever her intentions, he supposed he should at least acknowledge her spirit.
Bjorn lowered his gaze a little further to meet the woman's. Though her eyes were filled with him, she remained blank, as if blinded by anything. With each slow blink, her large eyes grew ever more transparent. Their pupils were unusually blue.
Bjorn, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, then glanced beyond the woman. The first thing he saw was his father and mother, their expressions of bewilderment.
Bjorn again!
It was a look that made it seem as if a sigh like that could be heard. The accusation contained in Leonid's frown was clearly even harsher. Louise, who was still serious, needed no further comment.
It's a relief that at least the beginning of National Day, which he's visited after so long, isn't boring.
Bjorn lifted his head again, this time with a slightly deeper laugh. A faint hint of irritation permeated his gaze as he slowly surveyed the murals decorating the high ceiling and the massive chandeliers beneath.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember doing anything to deserve this kind of trouble. He quickly dismissed the possibility that this stranger had mistaken him for Leonid. The day paradise arrives on earth will come sooner than the day that boring Crown Prince starts causing trouble for women.
Bjorn lowered his gaze, which had been wandering aimlessly through the air, hoping the unidentifiable woman would simply disappear from his sight. But the unfamiliar woman still stood, blocking his path. She trembled, lost in thought, like a young animal driven into a hunting ground.
Just as Bjorn, no longer willing to participate in this farce, took a step forward, the woman's body, gasping as if her throat was being strangled, began to sway.
Even with a sigh, Bjorn nimbly supported the woman. It wasn't his business to babble about what had happened today, but he was unwilling to hear the rumor that the Grand Duke had even knocked a woman unconscious in the palace.
"Breath."
Bjorn whispered softly to the pale-faced woman. Slowly, she raised her head, her expression as if she were seeing him for the first time. Her bloodless face made her reddened eyes stand out even more.
Breath.
Like a child learning a new vocabulary, the woman repeated his words. Her small, smiling lips were red, like tears. Bjorn, stunned, let out a hollow laugh.
“Breathe, breathe.”
Bjorn lowered his voice a little and whispered slowly. The woman nodded, finally taking a deep breath. She was still shaking, but thankfully, she seemed to have avoided the danger of losing consciousness.
Breathe. The woman kept mumbling the words he'd given her, breathing deeply and steadily, then exhaling. Her pale shoulders, shaking to the rhythm, were impossibly small and thin.
As her breathing stabilized, the woman hastily backed away from him. Her face, previously blank, finally began to reveal something that could be called emotion: shame and wariness. It wasn't the kind of attitude one would expect from someone who had caused a commotion and blocked someone else's path.
“I am truly sorry, Your Highness.”
A middle-aged woman who had been observing the situation approached the woman with quick steps and helped her up.
Bjorn glanced at her, then quickly returned his gaze to the small woman. She tried to conceal her shoulders and chest, but her futile efforts only drew more attention.
Why are you pretending to be a young lady when you showed up wearing a dress like that?
A crooked smile tugged at the corners of Bjorn's lips as he surveyed the woman. Her face, once as pale as a corpse, was gradually flushing red. He cautiously raised his head, but when their eyes met, the woman jumped back in shock. Now, even her ears were a bright red.
"I sincerely apologize, Your Highness. Miss Hardy was very nervous and made a big mistake."
Another woman approached the two women, who were struggling. The moment he recognized her, who had raised her head from her hunched position, Bjorn understood the full extent of this absurd commotion.
It was Victoria Meyer. She was the top matchmaker in the Letzen marriage market.
***
The star of this ball was, no matter what anyone said, Erna Hardy.
No lady in the room had the buzz to beat her, with her late debut in the social world, her unconventional appearance, and the name of Prince Bjorn on top of that.
"As expected of Countess Meyer. She'd use the Grand Duke to make that young lady stand out."
"Surely that wasn't supposed to be a strategy. How could I have known Prince Bjorn would show up so late?"
"How else can you explain that if it wasn't a strategy? By the way, that girl is no ordinary girl. I thought she'd be naive since she came from the countryside, but how could she be so clever?"
The noble ladies' gazes, glancing at Erna, who was sitting quietly at the edge of the banquet hall, were filled with contemptuous curiosity.
A beauty who even caught the eye of Bjorn Dneister.
Thanks to the uproar, Erna Hardy quickly gained a reputation. Even Princess Gladys's husband acknowledged her, so the general consensus was that she was indeed a great beauty. Even those who criticized Viscount Hardy for revealing his vulgar greed to the world by selling his daughter for a high price could not deny Erna Hardy's beauty.
“Miss Hardy, how are you feeling?”
Countess Meyer, having made her way around the banquet hall, approached Erna. Erna instinctively grabbed her shawl and raised her head. Her eyes, filled with resentment, were quite impudent.
“She’s a girl with more personality than she looks.”
Countess Meyer laughed it off as if it was nothing, sat down next to Erna, and opened her fan.
***
While the other girls were busy dancing, Erna sat motionless on this corner bench. Many young men who had come to ask for a dance had to turn back without even making eye contact with Erna.
“How about dancing at least one song? You’re a debutante, after all.”
“...I can’t do it. I don’t like this kind of thing, ma’am.”
Erna's voice still trembled faintly. She glanced around anxiously, then lowered her head again. She was a timid, utterly devoid of sociability, but even this troublesome personality, combined with her pretty face, became a source of charm.
Countess Meyer lazily waved her feather fan as she examined Erna. The unsightly shawl was an eyesore, but she decided to leave it alone, knowing that if she snatched it away again, she'd tear open the palace curtains to cover herself. She'd already shown all she wanted, so the dress had served its purpose.
“Raise your head.”
Countess Meyer lifted Erna's chin with the end of her folded fan.
“When having a conversation, it is basic courtesy to look the other person in the eye.”
“Madam, please...”
“You did quite well in front of Prince Bjorn. Have you completely forgotten about him?”
In contrast to her gentle smiling expression, her voice was cold.
Prince?
Erna, lost in thought for a moment, unconsciously bit her lips and flinched. The man who called her by that name suddenly came to mind.
As the world spun and her breath began to suffocate, Erna lost all sense of judgment. It was only after she could finally breathe that she realized what she had done to whom. Just thinking about it made her feel like the terror was coming back.
"I respect your decision not to dance, but please maintain a minimum level of decency. Remember, that will also uphold the honor of the Baden family, who raised you, Miss Hardy. Do you understand?"
The honor of the House of Baden.
Countess Meyer, who had said those words that deeply cut into Erna's heart, leisurely left Erna's side.
Left alone, Erna squeezed her eyes shut and counted. Only after counting to twenty did she finally regain her steady breathing. This had never happened before in Burford. For a moment, she felt reduced to a helpless fool.
Just hold on a little longer.
Erna slowly opened her eyes, suppressing the urge to run away. Of all places, there he was. The Grand Duke of Schwerin. The Prince of Letzen, who had witnessed Erna Hardy's pitiful state from up close.
He was leaning against an ornate marble pillar, conversing. Across from him stood a man who looked just like him. His twin brother, Crown Prince Leonid, was strikingly similar in height, build, and even appearance. The only difference, perhaps, was that the Crown Prince wore glasses.
Burford was a remote countryside that felt isolated from the world, but even there, the twin Princes enjoyed considerable fame. Even Erna, indifferent to such rumors, remembered their names. Prince Bjorn, the eldest son, was originally Crown Prince, but his misdeeds had earned him the wrath and resentment of the entire kingdom, and the position was passed to his younger brother, Prince Leonid.
Erna, trying to avoid eye contact, sighed involuntarily. It was the sight of Prince Bjorn, his head held high, beginning to walk forward, that gave her a sense of deja vu.
Although they looked identical, the twin brothers walked with distinct differences.
Unlike the Crown Prince, who walked with a soldierly, upright posture, the Grand Duke moved as if enjoying a leisurely stroll. It felt as if the air surrounding him was flowing slowly. It was a sight she had seen before, both at the train station and on Tara Avenue.
"Poisonous mushroom..."
The Grand Duke suddenly turned his head toward Erna, who was mumbling absentmindedly. Their eyes met before she could even look away.
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