"What?"
"Please apologize for pretending to be superior like that. It's quite ugly to hurt people's hearts and use them as a weakness."
Then to Judith.
"The devil comes with sweet words, don't worry. When I heard it, it wasn't very sweet, and it wasn't very clever. It can be said that he is a transparent person who can see all the inner thoughts of the dark. Transparent people are more likely to turn black. Just think of it as a muddy person, Lady."
"...Lady Odelia..."
"I don't know the details of what happened, but a person who betrays a person once will continue to do so. It seems that you came because I was unfamiliar with the temptation of men and was afraid that I would make the wrong choice. Thank you for your help."
Odelia blurted out without hesitation and stared at Roxion.
Roxion's face turned red, and he trembled with contempt, then raised his hand towards Odelia.
"Ha ha ha... How dare you!"
He was definitely going to hit her, but he was beautifully stopped by Odelia's long arms. He remembered something he had forgotten for a very short time. This woman was one of those human white spirits on the battlefield, wearing armor several times her body and wielding a long sword.
"Let go of this hand?!"
"..."
"Let go!"
Then, as if to let go of the tightly pulled rope, Odelia let go of Roxion. As he rolled around, Roxion reflexively tried to grab something, but what he caught was a tablecloth.
Whirl, whirl, jerk!
The silver tableware on the table fell onto Roxion's body. Champagne and cake, and anyway, it was a mess, and Roxion looked up at Odelia with a dumbfounded face.
Thinking that everyone's eyes in the banquet hall were fixed on him, who was in a mess, he shouted! He made the same strange sound and ran away.
"I'm sorry that people seem to have paid attention to it, Lady Herdel."
"...No, thank you, Odelia. This is the first time I've done this, so I'm too... It feels strange."
It is Judith muttering with a hazy face. It was the first time she had been protected by the same sex in this way.
But whether Judith was feeling strange or not, Odelia was actually a little worried. She thinks she made too much of a mess, but did she step forward for nothing?
'Miss, if you ask me to compensate you for covering it upside down, how much is it?'
Roxion, this cowardly bastard, caused the accident and then took off, leaving Odelia to take the fall. She was tempted to slip away quietly herself. Lady Herdel has plenty of money and a good family background, so compensation like this probably wouldn't even register to her.
She was about to sneak away, but as if laughing at her thoughts, a servant came to Odelia at the very right time and listened to her.
"Her Highness the Grand Duchess wants to meet with you for a while."
Oh, shit. Odelia cried and nodded in agreement with a sour face.
Odelia followed the attendants out of the banquet hall and into the mansion. Earlier, she made a mess and entered the room guided by the servant with a very heavy heart.
When she entered the room, she found the Grand Duchess elegantly drinking tea.
Even though she was just sitting, the culture she exuded was not the kind of posture that could be imitated. Despite being well over middle-aged and wearing a rather heavy wig on her head, her upright figure showed how noble she was.
She sat on a chair and slammed a long cane made of onyx and sterling silver on the floor. Then she smiled gently.
"Odelia, the hero of the Empire. It's an honor to meet you like this."
Odelia, who was a little embarrassed, hurriedly bowed down to bow. She was surprised that a person could be so beautiful, and at the same time, she was overwhelmed by her ability to clearly tell her what age is.
"The reason I invited you was not to test you, but because I already highly valued your abilities."
She spoke with a gentle smile, and then continued with a slightly serious face.
"The laws of this world are harsh on everyone, but especially on an elderly woman who has no status or back."
She doesn't think the Grand Duke's person called her out of the blue to make accusations that are no different from others. Odelia held her hand behind her back and waited for the Grand Duchess to speak again in a calm posture.
"...Do you know why you were ordered to make your debut?"
"Yes, Your Highness, the Grand Duchess. Based on Article 145, Paragraph 3 of the Act... I know it's because of the restrictions placed on women."
Of course, the Emperor thought it would be impossible for her to get married, so he put that condition on it.
"That's just a justification. It's an old condolence that is more than a hundred years old. Use only when necessary and revise according to convenience. The current Imperial laws are man-like and very variable. Do you know what kind of land is the territory of Talamand that you will receive as a reward, and what kind of family it belongs to?"
Whether she couldn't answer or wouldn't answer, Odelia simply kept her mouth shut.
The Grand Duchess looked at her and let out a sigh full of worry rather than sarcasm or pathetic.
Then this time Odelia asked.
"Why does Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, send me an Invitation and induce me to distinguish between cause and truth?"
"I want you to be the master of the land."
"..."
"Was it too straightforward?"
"Yes."
"I don't like it when I talk about it in the first place. That's why I can't enjoy it at the banquet I held, and I'm stuck here like this."
"..."
"Anyway, let's get back to the main topic. Why did I call you here today...I have seen hope in you."
"If it's hope......."
"Hope that maybe you won't be ridiculed in your debutante and run away to the end of the province. You should look at the situation as a whole. When men approach, always be careful, thinking that it's not just out of curiosity. The land that spreads out behind you, the owner of the land. You should know about them."
"Are you saying to investigate the Rubis family?"
"That's right. Of course, don't forget about the education for your debutante. You'll have to be busier than anyone else this social season. I'll see you often in the future, so let's stop today's meeting. When you get older, just sitting there will make you feel tired."
At that, Odella loosened her arms and bowed down to greet her.
How accurate is the angle? Looking at this, the Grand Duchess's expression changed subtly. Do you hold back your laughter or sigh?
After Odelia left the room, the Grand Duchess, who was sitting, spoke into the inner room.
"She's a strange woman."
The Grand Duchess seemed to like Odelia quite a bit.
"She has the right posture and knows how to read. I'm really curious to see what else she can do. Well, now that she's learned swordsmanship, she's going to join the battlefield and become a hero... I think she received too much education to be from a lowly background. What exactly is that woman?"
Then Calix walked out slowly and sat down comfortably on the sofa opposite the Grand Duchess, replying.
"Isn't she a hero in troubled times?"
"It seems like you're hiding something."
"How could I borrow the help of the Grand Duchess to hide something from you?"
"In three years, you raised a huge worm. Well, you don't mind hiding it. It's a secret, it's a taste to dig in."
At the Grand Duchess's words, Calix smiled.
"Are you willing to raise her?"
"That's what Your Highness ordered, so I have to do it. If you are just asking about potential... Yes, well, it doesn't seem to be a mess. It's not bad to have a look in your eyes that don't get discouraged. No, I should say that it is a look that sucks people in. I'm sure I'll be as busy as Miss Odelia. Are you trying to use this old woman like a squeeze?"
Even so, the Grand Duchess's face was full of interest.
***
"Extraordinary, extraordinary! An article about Odelia, the hero of the golden lion, was published in the daily social newsletter! For just one shilling, you can know everything about the Grand Duke's banquet!"
Apparently, someone else spread Odelia's story the other night. Odelia opened the door with a tired face and walked out without washing it straight, and walked over to her long legs and stood in front of her.
"Wow! Golden Lion Hero, right? Odelia! I'm a big fan!"
"Give me one."
"...It's 1, 1 shilling!"
It was Odelia who handed her one shilling from Cedric, who soon followed her with an embarrassed face. The boy who received the money immediately hesitated.
"I'm completely on Odelia's side! Don't be discouraged!"
He runs away.
What the hell do you mean to be stunned? Odelia, who was snorting, understood why the little boy had said that.
[Golden Lion Hero! Spit out an éclair to the successor of Count Montague!]
Odelia shook her head and swung the newsletter back. The newsletter, which had been fluttering and fluttering, fell into Cedric's hands.
Cedric, who had been staring at it slowly for a long time, burst into laughter.
"Funny?"
"Did he mistakenly think that a real tablecloth was a napkin and overturn the table?"
Then, the eyes of passers-by turn to Odelia. Some whisper to each other as if they recognize Odelia, while others point at Odelia with their fingers and giggle at each other.
"I didn't even look over, and I didn't do it either. I just get swept up in the situation."
"It's a pity that I couldn't see that scene with my own eyes."
She's starting to think they're not friend but an enemy.
"It's noisy."
"Well, if you can't find a partner in the future, I can go with you. There is still a lot of time to see."
"Are you really saying that I really can't find a partner?"
At that, Cedric shrugged.
"If you don't have affection, be content with yourself. Even if I am not a Duke or a Marquis, I am a Baron. Is an aristocracy a nobleman? Of course... Although I am a country aristocrat."
"Who doesn't know?"
"It's not that you don't know that, so why do you keep bouncing around?"
"What do I bounce on?"
"It's bouncing. Let's just marry me."
"You're really a beggar."
"Uh, if you say that, the men will run away, Lady Odelia?"
Cedric is smiling and chasing after Odelia. Odelia pushed Cedric back to the mansion.
"What if you leave the door open and come out, Odelia?"
"What do you think? I don't have anything to steal."
Odelia reopened the half-open door and stopped walking into the house. Cedric, who was following her, bumped into Odelia.
"Why?"
Someone is standing in the house.
Infinitely tall, with gaping shoulders, and above all, black hair that casually swept over his short hair. It was a back view that you couldn't know unless you didn't know.
Comments
Post a Comment