"What?!"
"Didn't you act as if you would do anything as long as you became the Empress? That's why you abandoned Calix and chose me, didn't you? Because you want to have that position!"
The Empress's face turned red. Perhaps she thought she had won the verbal fight, but the Emperor looked proud.
"Find out what he's thinking, or get in the way of her debut. If you fall, you and I will be in quite a headache."
It was Fabiana who looked at the back of the Emperor, who was leaving with a cover, and left. She bit her red lips and frowned, but soon she couldn't overcome her anger and tore the newsletter she was holding.
As if that wasn't enough, she overturned the wooden table altogether, and the cigarettes and refreshments on it fell violently.
In the mess, the maids pretended not to see it and left the room. There is not one or two maids who have been beaten while trying to clean up this situation.
"...I'm tired of it..."
Yes. If I had known this would happen, if I had known I would be in this situation now, I wouldn't have abandoned Calix in the first place and chosen you. Fabiana always regrets her choice that day.
Fabiana, who was gasping for breath and gasping for anger, gritted her teeth and called her aide.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Go and investigate that little folk, Odelia or Odette. Bring me facts that no one else knows, other than what is known on this piece of paper."
The woman Calix chose. Who is it?
***
The effect of the newsletter was amazing.
The nobles began sending Invitations to banquets in front of Odelia's house. Where is the invitation to the banquet? As men lined up to ask her out, the mailman dropped off a bunch of invitations to the best parties.
However, no one had ever met Odelia. Not only did the men in line go home in vain, but no one reported witnessing Odelia at the banquet.
It was natural. Odelia was in the midst of very rigorous training right now.
It was also because of the Grand Duchess, who was appointed as her tutor.
"Oh my God, how can that happen? The Grand Duchess teaches you directly."
"Something is unusual. If that's not the case, how can it be for such a lowly person... Isn't there some secret?"
"If it's a secret?"
"If you know it, there is a secret of birth."
"Maybe. For example, she was a fugitive, or she was the daughter of a fallen family..."
When she thought about it so far, the expressions of the nobles changed at once. Maybe, maybe if there really is such a secret.
"I'm especially looking forward to this social season."
Passing through the street, people who glanced at Odelia's mansion once in a while uttered the same words. What is the secret that Odella, the daughter of a butcher and the hero of the people, is hiding?
***
"Aah!"
Cedric's screams echoed over the mansion wall.
Those who were wandering around the area, wondering if there was anything to move, were all surprised and left in surprise.
Perhaps the secret that Odelia is hiding will be easily revealed.
"You were hiding your body."
Calix, who had been watching from afar, sighed as he looked at Odelia, who was sitting on the iron flap. On the battlefield, even from a distance, the movement was so great that he didn't know she couldn't dance like this.
The Grand Duchess, who was sitting on a chair with a cane next to her, drinking coffee, also sighed and shook her head. Then Odelia fell to the ground, looking at Calix and making a loud noise.
"...I didn't hide it-!"
However, Odelia's defense did not work. As if everyone was trying to make fun of Odelia, even Cedric cut off Odelia and added a word.
"Only now will the men who dance with Odelia not have any instep left. I thought you weren't stepping on the steps, but crushing the enemy with your feet."
Cedric began to limp as he said this. To be honest, she stepped on it a lot. She should say that she stepped on it with pointed shoes like this, so she is glad there were no holes.
"Cedric, your feet hurt a lot? I'm sorry."
Odelia helped the limping Cedric and sat him on the sofa, and she had a cool face. When Calix nodded to the orchestra as if he could stop playing, the band withdrew, kneading his shoulders, which had become stiff from playing for quite a long time.
"That's all for today. Cedric, you have suffered too."
"Yes? Ehehe, no, Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
"Let's stop and go back now."
"Yes?!"
"You can go home now, Grand Duchess."
"This is at the level of kicking me out with beautiful words. I understand, Your Highness. See you again tomorrow, Lady Odelia."
Cedric, who was being pushed away by force, and the Grand Duchess, who comforted him, soon closed the door and left. Odelia sneaked a glance at Calix. Was he embarrassed to be in this condition, or angry that his plans had gone awry?
"When you wield your sword on horseback, you are so flexible, and when the music comes on, your whole body stiffens."
"I apologize for the disappointment. When I practice..
"That's a bit of a tone."
"Yes?"
"I mean, you don't have to use such a hard tone."
After saying that, Calix pressed Odelia's shoulders and sat her down on the sofa.
Odelia looked up at Calix with her eyes wide open as she didn't understand, and she was surprised.
Calix squatted down and then lifted Odelia's ankle.
"Your Highness!"
As if that wasn't enough, he took off Odelia's bursting shoes and put his hand on her bare feet.
"What, what are you doing!"
Odelia's feet were blistered and bruised, and were covered in red and blue marks everywhere.
"I bought something big, but it looks small. If it hurts, say it hurts. If you endure so foolishly, you won't improve your dancing skills."
"...I'm sorry"
"So you don't have to apologize for everything. It's my fault for wearing shoes and practicing from the beginning."
Calix immediately picked up Odelia's opposite foot and slowly took off her shoes. It's not easy to even take it off, perhaps because she barely wears something so small that it digs into her flesh for hours, and practices dancing.
Calix glanced up at Odelia once more, chasing after her, huffing and puffing. Odelia kept her mouth shut, not knowing what else to say.
"I'm a big guy, and I don't want it to sound like an excuse if I say my feet hurt."
"Isn't it an excuse to come here now?"
"...Own defense?"
"Sounds like a plea."
Calix, who snorted, ordered his servant to bring bandages and ointments. Soon after, the servant who brought the first aid immediately greeted him and left the room.
"I'll do it."
"That's right. There's nothing more ugly than treating your feet while slipping at the hem of your dress."
"Oh, no, no matter what, how dare I ask Your Highness to... treatment?"
"Are you implying that I'm some kind of rock?"
"That's not it..."
"Unlike on the battlefield, you are very weak. How did you get treatment from me at that time? Don't you remember? When you pull out the arrow stuck in your shoulder."
At that, Odelia looked at him blankly as if in surprise and asked back.
"...Do you remember that?"
"What kind of person do you think I'm?"
"That's not it....."
That was a long time ago. It had been almost three years since Odelia had even been a hero, so it had been a long time since she received the title.
"I didn't realize it was a life-or-death situation, and I didn't know the Crown Prince had told me."
Apart from. At that time, she thought that the boy who was treating her was just a medical student, but she never thought that he would be the Crown Prince of this empire.
As if agreeing with Odelia's thoughts, Calix also burst into laughter. Whether she was strangely excited by the sight or if her head turned for a moment, Odelia continued her words without realizing it.
"I was surprised to find out that the boy at that time was telling me to preach...heh."
Fortunately, she was able to come to her senses on the way, but she almost spat out the words after that.
"Why?"
"...Just pretend you didn't hear it."
"At that time, I looked too weak, and I didn't fit into the status of a Prince, did I?"
"That's not it..."
"Well, everyone says it. What can't you do? At that time, you didn't know I was the Crown Prince and didn't treat me well."
"...You remember..."
"You remember the painting, you called it 'Tyranny overgrown with sunlight.'"
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