Episode 137. The Twin Siblings of the Mederion Kingdom
The imperial ball was held.
Rose, fully adorned, entered the banquet hall with the Grand Duke.
The moment Rose and the Grand Duke entered, all eyes were on them. The nobles gathered in small groups, whispered, and whispered.
"The Lady Serviat and His Highness the Grand Duke."
"There's a rumor that she's going to be the Grand Duchess."
"Isn't that already a done deal?"
"Shouldn't we at least go and say hello...?"
A moment of silence fell. They glanced at each other, trailing off. They had always despised Rose.
They had thought her a foolish woman in love with the man who had destroyed her family.
Furthermore, the fact that the Count Wence family hadn't even treated Rose as a daughter-in-law was a major factor. Tercia, who controlled society, openly treated Rose as an invisible being.
Many were even more dismissive of Rose, hoping to catch Tercia's eye.
"Well... I think it'd be better to wait and see before greeting her."
"That's right. If I act rashly and incur the other side's wrath, it'll be a headache."
It was impossible to ignore the Imperialist nobles' reactions.
In their view, the Emperor and his supporters held the upper hand. For now.
Recently, the conflict between the Grand Duke and the Imperialist faction had intensified.
Approaching the Grand Duke in such a stark situation? And with so many eyes on him, it would be tantamount to a silent declaration of support.
'In the past, I would have supported the Imperialist faction without question...'
Lately, the atmosphere had become unsettling.
It wasn't just the women who felt conflicted as they watched the Grand Duke and Rose. The core members of the Imperialist faction were also quite uneasy.
'What on earth makes them so confident?'
'Do they have some kind of hidden secret weapon?'
"It's clear there's something they believe in."
What exactly was that?
The Emperor, the Duke of Flice, and the Count of Wence had been the mainstays, solidifying their power.
They had boasted a power that no one could easily challenge, but recently, they had begun to crumble.
The small cracks that began with the conflict within the core faction were enough to shake the debauched Emperor's faction.
"It seems the Count of Wence didn't come to this ball today."
"They must have a lot to resolve, how could they possibly come?"
Sarcastic voices flowed from here and there.
Like a swirling whirlpool, the Grand Duke's momentum was growing by the day.
That's why the Emperor's faction couldn't help but tremble with anxiety.
In the current situation, the Emperor held banquets to constantly flaunt his power. As if to demonstrate that his power was still solid.
The Emperor looked at the Grand Duke of Artaeum, who appeared with Rose, and gave him a cold look.
"... Lucas."
"Your uncle has been quite concerned, you know, about this ball."
The Grand Duke of Artaeum said quietly, glancing around with a blank expression.
"Father always wants to flaunt his power. And today...is also to announce my marriage to that damned old Emperor."
Diana forced herself to swallow the truth she didn't want to say aloud.
"Did you finish your conversation with him?"
The Grand Duke asked, looking at Diana, who was suppressing her anger. Diana's eyes burned even more fiercely than before.
"You have shown me unexpected kindness, Brother?"
Her tone and gaze were not at all grateful for the kindness. In fact, they seemed to be rebuking the Grand Duke.
Diana's eyes widened, her voice choked with anger.
"Thanks to you, you were a great help, Brother."
The sarcasm was clearly evident. Even if the Grand Duke of Artaeum was oblivious, he wasn't the type to miss this.
"Yes. Thank me to your heart's content."
He pretended not to hear Diana's words and shamelessly responded.
Their eyes met in mid-air. Their gazes exchanged intense glances, like sparks flying.
"Cheater!"
A resentful gaze darted towards the Grand Duke, but this time, he brushed it off with composure.
"This is for the best, Diana."
Rose tilted her head, watching the unfathomable sparks between Diana and the Grand Duke.
"What are you talking about?"
She didn't know what they were talking about.
Diana, who was glaring at the Grand Duke with a growl, saw Rose standing there blankly.
She glared at the Grand Duke one last time, then turned to Rose.
“I’m sorry. I think we’ve gotten too close to each other.”
“It’s okay. Feel free to talk.”
“No. It’s not a particularly pleasant topic.”
While Diana and Rose were conversing, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.
“Is that Princess Julia?”
“My goodness. You’re even more beautiful than I’ve heard.”
It was because Princess Julia of the Kingdom of Mederion had appeared.
Rose spotted Julia entering the ballroom through the bustling crowd.
“It’s Princess Julia!”
It was hard to hide her joy at seeing her after months of reunion.
Princess Julia was surrounded by many nobles. She exchanged brief greetings with them with a calm expression and walked towards Rose and the Grand Duke.
Her model-like height and chiseled features were enough to capture everyone’s attention.
Julia had already approached Rose's group. Holding a glass of white wine in one hand, she greeted them. Rose, overcome with joy, grabbed Julia's hand.
"It's been a while, Princess!"
Julia glanced at the Grand Duke and Diana, slightly raising an eyebrow. Then she turned back to Rose.
"I can't tell you how long I've waited for you to come today. How have you been?"
Rose babbled like a baby bird, chatting with Julia.
Julia, however, stared at her with a curious gaze. She seemed awkward, as if she were meeting her for the first time.
She gave Rose a brief greeting and, to ease the awkwardness, sipped her wine. After exchanging pleasantries, Rose whispered softly in Julia's ear.
"Your wig... is so pretty. Even up close, I can't tell."
At Rose's voice, Julia raised her eyebrows slightly.
Her eyes didn't look pleased. Rose, worried that she might be offended, continued speaking urgently.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. The Grand Duke didn't mean to reveal the Prince's secret or anything... Last time, you kissed the Grand Duke on the cheek and left, right? While the Grand Duke was making excuses for that, I found out about the Prince's secret too."
"Phew."
Julia, who had been drinking wine, suddenly spat out what was in her mouth.
"Kiss... kiss?"
Her seemingly indifferent eyes held a look of bewilderment.
Her expression didn't change much, but anyone who knew Julia well could sense how flustered she was.
'What on earth have you been doing with my body, Julius?'
The person before Rose's eyes was not Julius in cross-dressing, but the real Princess Julia.
So, what she was wearing wasn't a wig, but her real hair, and crucially, it was the first time Julia had met Rose.
She knew that her brother had impersonated her and lived in the Grand Duke of Artaeum's mansion, but she had no idea that he had done something like this.
'I won't let this happen.'
Julia's hand trembled as she held her glass.
"Are you okay?"
Rose studied Julia with a bewildered expression.
'It seems so different from usual...'
She felt like she had said something in vain. Julius, who always had a bright smile, was wearing such a blank expression.
'You're angry... You seem upset.'
She fidgeted, unaware that the person before her was the real Princess Julia.
At that moment, the ballroom erupted in commotion once more. It seemed as if someone had entered again.
Diana's expression hardened fiercely as she recognized the man entering.
It was Henry, the Emperor of a foreign country.
The man the Emperor had chosen as Diana's husband.
Henry, his face covered in wrinkles, looked around, and the moment he spotted Diana, the corners of his mouth turned up in a bitter smile.
Henry scoured Diana with greedy eyes. Diana felt a sickening sensation, as if bugs were crawling all over her body, as she met his gaze.
As soon as Henry appeared, the Emperor clapped his hands. Those who had been playing softly stopped at the Emperor's signal.
"You have all had a difficult time coming this far. Now that the distinguished guests are here, let the ball begin."
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the nobles each began to look for partners.
It was time for the ball's highlight, the waltz.
Rose's first partner, without question, was the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke Artaeum extended his hand to Rose, who was beside him, and asked affectionately,
"Let's dance a song."
She was quite concerned about Julia, but now was not the time. Rose grabbed the Grand Duke's hand, thinking she should talk to him again after the waltz.
Emperor Henry of a foreign land strode briskly toward Diana. The first person he wanted to dance with today was Diana.
The nobles he knew had heard rumors that Diana would become Henry's third wife, making it difficult to approach her.
Diana's partner seemed certain to be Henry. Henry, who had already approached, was about to ask Diana to the waltz when,
"Oh, I'm so late!"
Suddenly, someone appeared and blocked Henry's path. He stepped between Diana and Henry, politely extending his hand, and said,
"Please grant me the honor of dancing the first waltz with Your Highness, the Princess."
Her eyes, visible beneath his curly, blue hair, widened playfully.
Rose's pupils fluttered involuntarily at the man's unexpected appearance.
'What, what...!'
She looked back and forth between the man in front of Diana and Julia next to her. No matter how many times she saw him, the only difference was gender, but the face was the same.
He was Prince Julius, the Grand Duke's longtime friend who had visited the Artaeum mansion in cross-dressing, and the twin of the kingdom he had brought back.
The imperial ball was held.
Rose, fully adorned, entered the banquet hall with the Grand Duke.
The moment Rose and the Grand Duke entered, all eyes were on them. The nobles gathered in small groups, whispered, and whispered.
"The Lady Serviat and His Highness the Grand Duke."
"There's a rumor that she's going to be the Grand Duchess."
"Isn't that already a done deal?"
"Shouldn't we at least go and say hello...?"
A moment of silence fell. They glanced at each other, trailing off. They had always despised Rose.
They had thought her a foolish woman in love with the man who had destroyed her family.
Furthermore, the fact that the Count Wence family hadn't even treated Rose as a daughter-in-law was a major factor. Tercia, who controlled society, openly treated Rose as an invisible being.
Many were even more dismissive of Rose, hoping to catch Tercia's eye.
"Well... I think it'd be better to wait and see before greeting her."
"That's right. If I act rashly and incur the other side's wrath, it'll be a headache."
It was impossible to ignore the Imperialist nobles' reactions.
In their view, the Emperor and his supporters held the upper hand. For now.
Recently, the conflict between the Grand Duke and the Imperialist faction had intensified.
Approaching the Grand Duke in such a stark situation? And with so many eyes on him, it would be tantamount to a silent declaration of support.
'In the past, I would have supported the Imperialist faction without question...'
Lately, the atmosphere had become unsettling.
It wasn't just the women who felt conflicted as they watched the Grand Duke and Rose. The core members of the Imperialist faction were also quite uneasy.
'What on earth makes them so confident?'
'Do they have some kind of hidden secret weapon?'
"It's clear there's something they believe in."
What exactly was that?
The Emperor, the Duke of Flice, and the Count of Wence had been the mainstays, solidifying their power.
They had boasted a power that no one could easily challenge, but recently, they had begun to crumble.
The small cracks that began with the conflict within the core faction were enough to shake the debauched Emperor's faction.
"It seems the Count of Wence didn't come to this ball today."
"They must have a lot to resolve, how could they possibly come?"
Sarcastic voices flowed from here and there.
Like a swirling whirlpool, the Grand Duke's momentum was growing by the day.
That's why the Emperor's faction couldn't help but tremble with anxiety.
In the current situation, the Emperor held banquets to constantly flaunt his power. As if to demonstrate that his power was still solid.
The Emperor looked at the Grand Duke of Artaeum, who appeared with Rose, and gave him a cold look.
"... Lucas."
"You've been holed up in the mansion all this time, and now you're showing up so often."
The Emperor glared at the Grand Duke with bleary eyes before glancing at Diana next to him.
"...Tsk. Who do you take after to behave so recklessly?"
Inviting the Grand Duke to this ball was not part of his plans.
However, Diana insisted that the Grand Duke could not be left out when foreign nobles were present, and that he should be invited for the sake of the Empire's prestige.
Diana sent the Grand Duke an invitation without permission, and her nephew, the Grand Duke of Artaeum, showed up at the ball as if he had been waiting for it.
"Diana, this is the last time you're behaving recklessly."
Today, Diana would finally marry.
To the old Emperor of a foreign country, his third wife.
Diana had rebelled against the Emperor every day since finding out who she was marrying, but she had become quite quiet recently.
The Emperor guessed the reason for Diana's silence.
'No matter how much she struggles, she must have thought she couldn’t go against fate.'
He lifted the corners of his mouth and averted his gaze from Diana, completely oblivious to the fact that Diana had another plan.
Diana, who had been standing by the entire time, smiled faintly and walked towards the Grand Duke and Rose.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Brother.”
She bowed to the Grand Duke with an elegant gesture and then turned to Rose.
“It’s been a long time, Lady Serviat.”
Rose bowed politely to Diana.
“Greetings to the Light of the Empire, Your Royal Highness.”
"It's an honor, Your Highness."
She was deeply grateful to Diana for her warm approach. Despite her repeated inability to accept her invitations, she showed no sign of displeasure whatsoever.
The Emperor glared at the Grand Duke with bleary eyes before glancing at Diana next to him.
"...Tsk. Who do you take after to behave so recklessly?"
Inviting the Grand Duke to this ball was not part of his plans.
However, Diana insisted that the Grand Duke could not be left out when foreign nobles were present, and that he should be invited for the sake of the Empire's prestige.
Diana sent the Grand Duke an invitation without permission, and her nephew, the Grand Duke of Artaeum, showed up at the ball as if he had been waiting for it.
"Diana, this is the last time you're behaving recklessly."
Today, Diana would finally marry.
To the old Emperor of a foreign country, his third wife.
Diana had rebelled against the Emperor every day since finding out who she was marrying, but she had become quite quiet recently.
The Emperor guessed the reason for Diana's silence.
'No matter how much she struggles, she must have thought she couldn’t go against fate.'
He lifted the corners of his mouth and averted his gaze from Diana, completely oblivious to the fact that Diana had another plan.
Diana, who had been standing by the entire time, smiled faintly and walked towards the Grand Duke and Rose.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Brother.”
She bowed to the Grand Duke with an elegant gesture and then turned to Rose.
“It’s been a long time, Lady Serviat.”
Rose bowed politely to Diana.
“Greetings to the Light of the Empire, Your Royal Highness.”
“No need for formalities. We’re past that stage, aren’t we? Just treat me casually. I consider the Young Lady and myself to be quite close.”
She was deeply grateful to Diana for her warm approach. Despite her repeated inability to accept her invitations, she showed no sign of displeasure whatsoever.
"Your uncle has been quite concerned, you know, about this ball."
The Grand Duke of Artaeum said quietly, glancing around with a blank expression.
"Father always wants to flaunt his power. And today...is also to announce my marriage to that damned old Emperor."
Diana forced herself to swallow the truth she didn't want to say aloud.
"Did you finish your conversation with him?"
The Grand Duke asked, looking at Diana, who was suppressing her anger. Diana's eyes burned even more fiercely than before.
"You have shown me unexpected kindness, Brother?"
Her tone and gaze were not at all grateful for the kindness. In fact, they seemed to be rebuking the Grand Duke.
Diana's eyes widened, her voice choked with anger.
"Thanks to you, you were a great help, Brother."
The sarcasm was clearly evident. Even if the Grand Duke of Artaeum was oblivious, he wasn't the type to miss this.
"Yes. Thank me to your heart's content."
He pretended not to hear Diana's words and shamelessly responded.
Their eyes met in mid-air. Their gazes exchanged intense glances, like sparks flying.
"Cheater!"
A resentful gaze darted towards the Grand Duke, but this time, he brushed it off with composure.
"This is for the best, Diana."
Rose tilted her head, watching the unfathomable sparks between Diana and the Grand Duke.
"What are you talking about?"
She didn't know what they were talking about.
Diana, who was glaring at the Grand Duke with a growl, saw Rose standing there blankly.
She glared at the Grand Duke one last time, then turned to Rose.
“I’m sorry. I think we’ve gotten too close to each other.”
“It’s okay. Feel free to talk.”
“No. It’s not a particularly pleasant topic.”
While Diana and Rose were conversing, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.
“Is that Princess Julia?”
“My goodness. You’re even more beautiful than I’ve heard.”
It was because Princess Julia of the Kingdom of Mederion had appeared.
Rose spotted Julia entering the ballroom through the bustling crowd.
“It’s Princess Julia!”
It was hard to hide her joy at seeing her after months of reunion.
Princess Julia was surrounded by many nobles. She exchanged brief greetings with them with a calm expression and walked towards Rose and the Grand Duke.
Her model-like height and chiseled features were enough to capture everyone’s attention.
Julia had already approached Rose's group. Holding a glass of white wine in one hand, she greeted them. Rose, overcome with joy, grabbed Julia's hand.
"It's been a while, Princess!"
Julia glanced at the Grand Duke and Diana, slightly raising an eyebrow. Then she turned back to Rose.
"I can't tell you how long I've waited for you to come today. How have you been?"
Rose babbled like a baby bird, chatting with Julia.
Julia, however, stared at her with a curious gaze. She seemed awkward, as if she were meeting her for the first time.
She gave Rose a brief greeting and, to ease the awkwardness, sipped her wine. After exchanging pleasantries, Rose whispered softly in Julia's ear.
"Your wig... is so pretty. Even up close, I can't tell."
At Rose's voice, Julia raised her eyebrows slightly.
Her eyes didn't look pleased. Rose, worried that she might be offended, continued speaking urgently.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. The Grand Duke didn't mean to reveal the Prince's secret or anything... Last time, you kissed the Grand Duke on the cheek and left, right? While the Grand Duke was making excuses for that, I found out about the Prince's secret too."
"Phew."
Julia, who had been drinking wine, suddenly spat out what was in her mouth.
"Kiss... kiss?"
Her seemingly indifferent eyes held a look of bewilderment.
Her expression didn't change much, but anyone who knew Julia well could sense how flustered she was.
'What on earth have you been doing with my body, Julius?'
The person before Rose's eyes was not Julius in cross-dressing, but the real Princess Julia.
So, what she was wearing wasn't a wig, but her real hair, and crucially, it was the first time Julia had met Rose.
She knew that her brother had impersonated her and lived in the Grand Duke of Artaeum's mansion, but she had no idea that he had done something like this.
'I won't let this happen.'
Julia's hand trembled as she held her glass.
"Are you okay?"
Rose studied Julia with a bewildered expression.
'It seems so different from usual...'
She felt like she had said something in vain. Julius, who always had a bright smile, was wearing such a blank expression.
'You're angry... You seem upset.'
She fidgeted, unaware that the person before her was the real Princess Julia.
At that moment, the ballroom erupted in commotion once more. It seemed as if someone had entered again.
Diana's expression hardened fiercely as she recognized the man entering.
It was Henry, the Emperor of a foreign country.
The man the Emperor had chosen as Diana's husband.
Henry, his face covered in wrinkles, looked around, and the moment he spotted Diana, the corners of his mouth turned up in a bitter smile.
Henry scoured Diana with greedy eyes. Diana felt a sickening sensation, as if bugs were crawling all over her body, as she met his gaze.
As soon as Henry appeared, the Emperor clapped his hands. Those who had been playing softly stopped at the Emperor's signal.
"You have all had a difficult time coming this far. Now that the distinguished guests are here, let the ball begin."
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the nobles each began to look for partners.
It was time for the ball's highlight, the waltz.
Rose's first partner, without question, was the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke Artaeum extended his hand to Rose, who was beside him, and asked affectionately,
"Let's dance a song."
She was quite concerned about Julia, but now was not the time. Rose grabbed the Grand Duke's hand, thinking she should talk to him again after the waltz.
Emperor Henry of a foreign land strode briskly toward Diana. The first person he wanted to dance with today was Diana.
The nobles he knew had heard rumors that Diana would become Henry's third wife, making it difficult to approach her.
Diana's partner seemed certain to be Henry. Henry, who had already approached, was about to ask Diana to the waltz when,
"Oh, I'm so late!"
Suddenly, someone appeared and blocked Henry's path. He stepped between Diana and Henry, politely extending his hand, and said,
"Please grant me the honor of dancing the first waltz with Your Highness, the Princess."
Her eyes, visible beneath his curly, blue hair, widened playfully.
Rose's pupils fluttered involuntarily at the man's unexpected appearance.
'What, what...!'
She looked back and forth between the man in front of Diana and Julia next to her. No matter how many times she saw him, the only difference was gender, but the face was the same.
He was Prince Julius, the Grand Duke's longtime friend who had visited the Artaeum mansion in cross-dressing, and the twin of the kingdom he had brought back.
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