(142) What happened at the Little Lord's party (4)
She was nervous, encountering a man in an unexpected place. It was dark, so she couldn't see his face clearly, but judging by his physique, it didn't seem to be Geor or Cyrus.
'Who is it?'
Ariana narrowed her eyes and examined the other person's face. After a moment of hesitation, he strode toward her.
"Princess."
The moment she discovered his identity, a cold chill ran down her spine.
'Fabric Geo.'
The 3rd Prince's closest confidant.
'Yes, this one came too. But the Third Prince didn't come.'
Ariana had a bad feeling.
Fabric chuckled as he watched Ariana step back slightly.
“I just came out to get some fresh air, but I didn’t expect to run into the Princess.”
Fabric couldn't even scream anymore.
He stared at his wrist, his hands no longer there, his eyes wide with shock. The fabric of his pants was soaking wet.
“Northern lord! What are you doing?”
At Harold's cry, which he could not stand to watch, Cyrus smiled faintly.
"As you can see, I personally took away the hand of the one who was almost committing a crime by disobeying his master and acting on his own. Aren't you grateful, Little Count?"
Fabric seemed to have no time to respond and sat down with a thud, gathering up the parts of his body that had fallen to the floor.
“Are you... What the... crazy? Little Count Geo is the eldest son of a prominent family in our empire! Do you think you can ever be forgiven for something like this?”
“Forgiveness.”
As Cyrus's sword, still unsheathed, pointed at Fabric, the nobles arrived. They were transfixed by the horror unfolding before their eyes. Several ladies and young ladies even fainted.
Cyrus continued calmly.
“The Little Count should be praying. He hasn’t even been able to properly manage his own body.”
Harold realized that there were more eyes on him, so he calmed his expression and said.
“The Little Count and the Princess were just having a conversation, Northern Lord.”
“Oh, really? How would you know that?”
"Yes?"
"Third Prince. I've never seen you enter this party. Has anyone seen the Third Prince enter this place?"
As the onlookers blinked, Geor wrapped his arms around Ariana's shoulders and pulled her toward him. Cyrus's eyebrows furrowed for a moment at the sight.
"No one seems to have seen you appear, so how do you know that the Princess and the Little Count were just conversing? As if you were secretly watching."
The onlookers were in an uproar.
While they wondered what had happened to Fabric, they also realized that the Third Prince was being cornered by the Northern Lord for some unknown reason.
Something happened here just now that would have set the social world aflutter.
“I was lost. I happened to see it while wandering around.”
"Getting lost. Yes, that's possible. I, too, got lost in the palace. But it's strange. If you came in by carriage, you would have gotten off right in front of the main gate. But countless servants are waiting in front of the main gate to guide you."
“...Is that the problem now? The Northern Lord has touched the nobles of our empire.”
"Well, is that the problem? This guy was trying to do something terrible to the Princess."
Gasps of breath echoed here and there.
"Of course, the Little Count had no such intentions. His hand simply moved on its own. I stopped it before it could do anything bad. In fact, it was."
In an instant, a chill emanated from Cyrus's body. The cold air swept through the crowd like a wind. Only then did they realize what power Cyrus possessed.
Ice magic.
The ability to freeze and kill everyone present if he wants.
“Shouldn’t you be grateful to me, Third Prince?”
Harold's legs lost their strength. He didn't want to be seen kneeling before Cyrus in front of everyone. He barely managed to keep his legs strong, but he couldn't stop them from shaking.
He had to say something.
'But what should I say? Will anything I say even get through to him?'
He heard many rumors about Cyrus, but he never knew he was such a cruel and sharp-tongued man. One wrong move, and Harold, the Emperor's own bloodline, would be in danger.
When Harold remained silent, Cyrus turned to the fabric.
"How is it, Little Count? Is your mind thinking properly and not betraying your master?"
Fabric that had been absentmindedly looking up raised his head.
“Or is that head also betraying its master and plotting something evil?”
Then, when he met Cyrus' gaze that threatened to cut off his wrist, Fabric staggered and knelt before him.
“Oh, forgive me... please forgive me, Your Excellency the Northern Lord.”
"Why are you praying to me? There's someone else you should be praying to."
Fabric, blinking, turned to Ariana. He swallowed hard and nodded toward Ariana.
“Princess, I have been rude. Please forgive me.”
Half-embraced in Geor's arms, Ariana stared at Fabric. Of course, she could have forgiven him at this point. That was all there was to it.
But if that's the case, Fabric will become one wing of the Harold and move faithfully.
'But if I kill him, the Count Geo family will hold a grudge against the Northern Lord and me.'
She was nervous, encountering a man in an unexpected place. It was dark, so she couldn't see his face clearly, but judging by his physique, it didn't seem to be Geor or Cyrus.
'Who is it?'
Ariana narrowed her eyes and examined the other person's face. After a moment of hesitation, he strode toward her.
"Princess."
The moment she discovered his identity, a cold chill ran down her spine.
'Fabric Geo.'
The 3rd Prince's closest confidant.
'Yes, this one came too. But the Third Prince didn't come.'
Ariana had a bad feeling.
Fabric chuckled as he watched Ariana step back slightly.
“I just came out to get some fresh air, but I didn’t expect to run into the Princess.”
Lie.
“This is Little Count Fabric Geo. Have you heard of the Geo family?”
“Well, this is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“Then please remember this from now on. We are a prestigious family in the Empire.”
“Yes.”
As Ariana took a step to the side, Fabric followed suit.
“The Princess is so popular that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you. Would you mind taking a walk with me for a while?”
“It’s cold, I just want to go inside.”
“Then my coat.”
Ariana stepped back as Fabric took off his coat and tried to drape it over her shoulders.
“I appreciate your offer, but I will decline.”
Ariana knew Fabric, the Third Prince's confidant, well. Fabric wasn't the type to openly flirt with women. He was the type to bow to them, especially if they were of high status.
'They're up to something.'
Things weren't going well.
If anyone were to see the Princess and the Little Count alone in the dark and deserted backyard, many rumors would be created.
'But why? Why should Fabrics tarnish my reputation? Or is there another purpose?'
Whatever it was, it was clear that Fabric wasn't approaching with good intentions. Ariana stared at Fabric, considering pulling out the dagger she had attached to her calf if the situation arose.
"Why are you so wary? If the Princess catches a cold, it's going to be a disaster. I'm just lending you my coat."
“I say it again, I refuse.”
“Yes, then there’s nothing we can do.”
Fabric, who had been smiling and pretending to put his coat back on, suddenly strode forward and roughly grabbed Ariana's wrist. His hot breath touched Ariana's forehead.
“Princess, I liked you from the moment I first met you.”
“Little Count, what are you doing now?”
“I’m in love, Princess. I want to love you.”
At that moment, there were many eyes watching the scene.
One is Shini.
Shini had been following Ariana secretly, hiding from view since she first appeared in the garden. She had been instructed not to display her powers unless Ariana commanded, so she simply watched Fabric approach, even though she knew he was approaching.
Ariana's gaze, which had been searching the air, turned directly to Shini. Now, Shini knew what she had to do and reached for the sword at her waist.
Another one is the Harold.
Harold, who had been loitering near the garden, saw Ariana emerge from the terrace and followed her to the other side of the flowerbed. Hiding behind the statues, he waited for the right moment, but Fabric grabbed Ariana's wrist.
'Not yet.'
He doesn't think Ariana would be that scared. It would be more dramatic if Fabric were to be felt all over Ariana's body.
As Harold had expected, Fabric's hand was moving down towards Ariana's buttocks.
And the last one.
“Oh, like that.”
Both Ariana and Fabric were startled by the voice. Ariana hadn't expected to hear it, and Fabric couldn't see it even though it was coming from so close.
Just then, someone roughly grabbed Fabric's wrist as it was heading towards Ariana's buttocks. Only then did Fabric see the cold-eyed man standing beside him.
Northern Lord!
His heart sank.
Cyrus's gaze was both cold and hot, and a contradictory fear of freezing and burning to death came over him.
The moment their eyes met, he was frozen, like a rabbit facing a beast. Fabric's body trembled.
“This hand.”
A muffled voice flowed from between Cyrus' lips.
“You are doing something bad.”
“Bu, bu, bu…”
“Are you embarrassed?”
“No, that... Why, Your Excellency, the Northern Lord is... why is he here?”
“Why? Why am I here?”
“Uh... that, that is...”
Fabric's eyes shook.
“I, I, I...”
"It seemed to me like you were secretly following the Princess and trying to force her into doing something wrong. Am I mistaken?"
Fabric nodded quickly.
“Oh, how could that be? How could I do something like that to the Princess?”
With the Northern Lord's arrival, his promise to the Third Prince was completely forgotten. The Northern Lord's furious gaze was so terrifying that Fabric couldn't think of anything else.
"So, you're saying you didn't know either? That this hand was moving in a direction it shouldn't have."
“Yes, I... am not.”
“I see. Then it’s this hand that’s bad.”
"Yes?"
Flash-
In the darkness, something sharp and silvery shone.
The next moment, something fell to the floor with a thud. Fabric realized a moment later that it was his own hand.
“Ugh... aaaaaaah!”
With a belated realization and excruciating pain, Fabric screamed. A terrible scream tore through the darkness and echoed throughout the banquet hall.
Ariana's eyes widened in surprise at the unimaginable situation. Harold forgot he was hiding and ran out, and the nobles in the banquet hall, wondering what was going on, came out to the backyard with their knights.
Meanwhile, Cyrus lifted the other wrist of Fabric that was holding the severed wrist.
“This hand must have moved on its own.”
Flash-
The sword glowed coldly again.
“Huh... Huh... Hah... Hah...”
“This is Little Count Fabric Geo. Have you heard of the Geo family?”
“Well, this is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“Then please remember this from now on. We are a prestigious family in the Empire.”
“Yes.”
As Ariana took a step to the side, Fabric followed suit.
“The Princess is so popular that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you. Would you mind taking a walk with me for a while?”
“It’s cold, I just want to go inside.”
“Then my coat.”
Ariana stepped back as Fabric took off his coat and tried to drape it over her shoulders.
“I appreciate your offer, but I will decline.”
Ariana knew Fabric, the Third Prince's confidant, well. Fabric wasn't the type to openly flirt with women. He was the type to bow to them, especially if they were of high status.
Is Fabric even trying to drape a coat over Princess of the East?
Things weren't going well.
If anyone were to see the Princess and the Little Count alone in the dark and deserted backyard, many rumors would be created.
'But why? Why should Fabrics tarnish my reputation? Or is there another purpose?'
Whatever it was, it was clear that Fabric wasn't approaching with good intentions. Ariana stared at Fabric, considering pulling out the dagger she had attached to her calf if the situation arose.
"Why are you so wary? If the Princess catches a cold, it's going to be a disaster. I'm just lending you my coat."
“I say it again, I refuse.”
“Yes, then there’s nothing we can do.”
Fabric, who had been smiling and pretending to put his coat back on, suddenly strode forward and roughly grabbed Ariana's wrist. His hot breath touched Ariana's forehead.
“Princess, I liked you from the moment I first met you.”
“Little Count, what are you doing now?”
“I’m in love, Princess. I want to love you.”
At that moment, there were many eyes watching the scene.
One is Shini.
Shini had been following Ariana secretly, hiding from view since she first appeared in the garden. She had been instructed not to display her powers unless Ariana commanded, so she simply watched Fabric approach, even though she knew he was approaching.
Ariana's gaze, which had been searching the air, turned directly to Shini. Now, Shini knew what she had to do and reached for the sword at her waist.
Another one is the Harold.
Harold, who had been loitering near the garden, saw Ariana emerge from the terrace and followed her to the other side of the flowerbed. Hiding behind the statues, he waited for the right moment, but Fabric grabbed Ariana's wrist.
'Not yet.'
He doesn't think Ariana would be that scared. It would be more dramatic if Fabric were to be felt all over Ariana's body.
As Harold had expected, Fabric's hand was moving down towards Ariana's buttocks.
And the last one.
“Oh, like that.”
Both Ariana and Fabric were startled by the voice. Ariana hadn't expected to hear it, and Fabric couldn't see it even though it was coming from so close.
Just then, someone roughly grabbed Fabric's wrist as it was heading towards Ariana's buttocks. Only then did Fabric see the cold-eyed man standing beside him.
Northern Lord!
His heart sank.
Cyrus's gaze was both cold and hot, and a contradictory fear of freezing and burning to death came over him.
The moment their eyes met, he was frozen, like a rabbit facing a beast. Fabric's body trembled.
“This hand.”
A muffled voice flowed from between Cyrus' lips.
“You are doing something bad.”
“Bu, bu, bu…”
“Are you embarrassed?”
“No, that... Why, Your Excellency, the Northern Lord is... why is he here?”
“Why? Why am I here?”
“Uh... that, that is...”
Fabric's eyes shook.
“I, I, I...”
"It seemed to me like you were secretly following the Princess and trying to force her into doing something wrong. Am I mistaken?"
Fabric nodded quickly.
“Oh, how could that be? How could I do something like that to the Princess?”
With the Northern Lord's arrival, his promise to the Third Prince was completely forgotten. The Northern Lord's furious gaze was so terrifying that Fabric couldn't think of anything else.
"So, you're saying you didn't know either? That this hand was moving in a direction it shouldn't have."
“Yes, I... am not.”
“I see. Then it’s this hand that’s bad.”
"Yes?"
Flash-
In the darkness, something sharp and silvery shone.
The next moment, something fell to the floor with a thud. Fabric realized a moment later that it was his own hand.
“Ugh... aaaaaaah!”
With a belated realization and excruciating pain, Fabric screamed. A terrible scream tore through the darkness and echoed throughout the banquet hall.
Ariana's eyes widened in surprise at the unimaginable situation. Harold forgot he was hiding and ran out, and the nobles in the banquet hall, wondering what was going on, came out to the backyard with their knights.
Meanwhile, Cyrus lifted the other wrist of Fabric that was holding the severed wrist.
“This hand must have moved on its own.”
Flash-
The sword glowed coldly again.
“Huh... Huh... Hah... Hah...”
Fabric couldn't even scream anymore.
He stared at his wrist, his hands no longer there, his eyes wide with shock. The fabric of his pants was soaking wet.
“Northern lord! What are you doing?”
At Harold's cry, which he could not stand to watch, Cyrus smiled faintly.
"As you can see, I personally took away the hand of the one who was almost committing a crime by disobeying his master and acting on his own. Aren't you grateful, Little Count?"
Fabric seemed to have no time to respond and sat down with a thud, gathering up the parts of his body that had fallen to the floor.
“Are you... What the... crazy? Little Count Geo is the eldest son of a prominent family in our empire! Do you think you can ever be forgiven for something like this?”
“Forgiveness.”
As Cyrus's sword, still unsheathed, pointed at Fabric, the nobles arrived. They were transfixed by the horror unfolding before their eyes. Several ladies and young ladies even fainted.
Cyrus continued calmly.
“The Little Count should be praying. He hasn’t even been able to properly manage his own body.”
Harold realized that there were more eyes on him, so he calmed his expression and said.
“The Little Count and the Princess were just having a conversation, Northern Lord.”
“Oh, really? How would you know that?”
"Yes?"
"Third Prince. I've never seen you enter this party. Has anyone seen the Third Prince enter this place?"
As the onlookers blinked, Geor wrapped his arms around Ariana's shoulders and pulled her toward him. Cyrus's eyebrows furrowed for a moment at the sight.
"No one seems to have seen you appear, so how do you know that the Princess and the Little Count were just conversing? As if you were secretly watching."
The onlookers were in an uproar.
While they wondered what had happened to Fabric, they also realized that the Third Prince was being cornered by the Northern Lord for some unknown reason.
Something happened here just now that would have set the social world aflutter.
“I was lost. I happened to see it while wandering around.”
"Getting lost. Yes, that's possible. I, too, got lost in the palace. But it's strange. If you came in by carriage, you would have gotten off right in front of the main gate. But countless servants are waiting in front of the main gate to guide you."
“...Is that the problem now? The Northern Lord has touched the nobles of our empire.”
"Well, is that the problem? This guy was trying to do something terrible to the Princess."
Gasps of breath echoed here and there.
"Of course, the Little Count had no such intentions. His hand simply moved on its own. I stopped it before it could do anything bad. In fact, it was."
In an instant, a chill emanated from Cyrus's body. The cold air swept through the crowd like a wind. Only then did they realize what power Cyrus possessed.
Ice magic.
The ability to freeze and kill everyone present if he wants.
“Shouldn’t you be grateful to me, Third Prince?”
Harold's legs lost their strength. He didn't want to be seen kneeling before Cyrus in front of everyone. He barely managed to keep his legs strong, but he couldn't stop them from shaking.
He had to say something.
This situation looks like Harold and Fabric botched something they were up to. That's actually the case, but they shouldn't have been caught.
He heard many rumors about Cyrus, but he never knew he was such a cruel and sharp-tongued man. One wrong move, and Harold, the Emperor's own bloodline, would be in danger.
When Harold remained silent, Cyrus turned to the fabric.
"How is it, Little Count? Is your mind thinking properly and not betraying your master?"
Fabric that had been absentmindedly looking up raised his head.
“Or is that head also betraying its master and plotting something evil?”
Then, when he met Cyrus' gaze that threatened to cut off his wrist, Fabric staggered and knelt before him.
“Oh, forgive me... please forgive me, Your Excellency the Northern Lord.”
"Why are you praying to me? There's someone else you should be praying to."
Fabric, blinking, turned to Ariana. He swallowed hard and nodded toward Ariana.
“Princess, I have been rude. Please forgive me.”
Half-embraced in Geor's arms, Ariana stared at Fabric. Of course, she could have forgiven him at this point. That was all there was to it.
But if that's the case, Fabric will become one wing of the Harold and move faithfully.
'But if I kill him, the Count Geo family will hold a grudge against the Northern Lord and me.'
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