(145) What happened at Little Lord's party (7)
Charlotte felt her turmoil slowly subside as she spoke with Ariana. Perhaps it was Ariana's consistently calm demeanor that was contagious.
As expected, Ariana resembled Cyrus. It was so similar that it was unsettling, and it made her sad.
"I know the Princess came to my mother and me to facilitate her debut in high society. But there's no need to impress me anymore. I'll soon marry someone and leave the empire."
“Your Highness.”
"I can't say anything about going to see my Mother, but please don't come looking for me. I don't want to see the Princess again."
After Charlotte coldly drew the line and turned away, Ariana swallowed a sigh.
She had known this would happen ever since Cyrus beheaded Little Count Geo. It was at that party, of all places, that Charlotte was dumped by Cyrus, and that Cyrus beheaded Little Count Geo for Ariana.
It was a situation that could have been easily misunderstood and made one feel bad.
'It would naturally appear that way to those who don't know the feelings that flow between the Northern Lord and me.'
People will assume that Cyrus protected Ariana, cared for her, and perhaps even liked her. They won't realize that he only intends to use her.
‘I didn’t really intend to use the Princess...’
Ariana simply wanted to prevent the Empress and Princess from being manipulated by Victoria, abandoned, and killed. She simply wanted to correct her past mistakes of turning a blind eye to this.
'There's nothing I can do. I've done everything I could. The fact that the Empress and Princess attended my party is crucial. Victoria will be anxious. She'll act rashly. She'll try to attract the Empress and Princess, just like I did.'
The Empress and Princess would likely be unhappy with Victoria, who couldn't quite hide her true feelings. They hadn't even welcomed Ariana from the start when she visited.
'Now all we have to do is wait for Victoria to come to the Empire.'
Ariana recalled Victoria's glamorous rise to social life in her past. She was eager to see what she would do this time.
What happened at Little Lord's party was also reported to the West.
Victoria heard that the Empress and Princess had attended a party and shown affection for Ariana, and that the Princess had been dumped by the Northern Lord at the party. She also heard that the Northern Lord had cut off the wrist and beheaded a man who had attempted to touch Ariana.
It was a great shock that the Northern Lord tried to help Ariana.
Why the Northern Lord?
Victoria thought of the Northern Lord who had been so kind to her in the North.
'Yes, the Northern Lord is just a kind person, so he probably helped Ariana when she was in trouble. Cutting his head off... was a mistake. It was a mistake.'
Victoria suppressed the rising irritation and thought quietly.
"But the Princess who was abandoned by the Northern Lord probably won't think that way. She'll definitely be jealous and hateful of Ariana. If we use this well, we can prevent Ariana from ever setting foot in the palace."
This wasn't the only opportunity to choke Ariana. A positive response also came from Paganus in the Empire.
[Many people are guarding the Princess of the East, so it's difficult for us to do things on our own. However, we will send our people into her mansion. We will await your instructions.]
She hadn't expected them to be able to take on the Princess from the start. The mere presence of someone like them in the mansion where Ariana lived was enough.
Several plans flashed through Victoria's mind. If Harold lends his strength, she could deal with Ariana and the Crown Prince in one fell swoop.
"Smile a lot now, Ariana. The atmosphere will change once I get to the Empire."
The Viscount Alfreich's mansion was also abuzz with the events of the Little Lord party. At dinner, the old Viscountess clicked her tongue and said,
"Princess of the East seems to be quite strong-willed. She didn't even faint when someone died right before her eyes. If that kind of person had become Ingo's wife, things would have been dire."
Helena snorted at her mother-in-law's words.
"Why would the Princess of the East marry a merchant who's on the verge of ruin? That kind of thing wouldn't happen even if you died and came back to life, so there's no need to worry."
“No, why are you talking like that...”
The old woman tried to protest, but Helena ignored her and turned to her husband, Viscount Ingo Alfreich.
Ingo and the old lady, who had initially sought to dominate Helena's relationship when they first married, were unable to assert themselves in Helena's presence after their business failed. This was because the only thing that sustained the struggling Alfreich family was the funds coming from Helena's parents.
“I have to go to the Empire during this year’s social season.”
“Uh, uh uh... Let’s do that...”
The old woman, looking at her son who couldn't even answer properly, spoke cautiously.
"Where do we have the money... It'll cost a lot just to go to the Empire. If Ingo wants to start a business again, wouldn't it be better to invest that money in a business?"
"No, I don't want to. You must have forgotten. This is money my mother gave me to use. I'll use it to buy a dress, throw it on the floor, whatever I want, so you don't have to worry about it."
Ingo wanted to yell at Helena for being rude to her mother, but he held back.
When he first married Helena, Ingo and the old lady were able to boast in front of her. This was because the Alfreich family had played a significant role in resolving the Western Lord's failed business investments.
But the period during which this was possible was short.
Helena wasn't going to be easily taken advantage of, as the arms dealer named Robern suddenly became famous, and the arms dealer run by the Alfreich family was constantly having problems.
It would have been nice if the Western Lord had offered assistance at that time, but perhaps due to his experience with failed business investments, he refused to support the Alfreich family. It was a clear betrayal, but even the Viscount couldn't protest to the Western Lord.
He tried to vent his anger on Helena, but she wouldn't take it, so they fought, grabbing each other's hair. Helena reported this to the Bronte household, and the Duchess of Bronte came to see him that day.
-“If you touch my daughter one more time, I know that your entire family will be in trouble.”
That day, the Duchess of Bronte sent a large number of Bronte servants into the Alfreich household. Now, the Alfreich household was under the watchful eye of every resident.
If he had even yelled at Helena, it would have reached the Duchess of Bronte's ears.
Ingo felt like he was going to burst, but he forced a smile and said.
“Yes, but please don’t talk to Mom like that. Please...”
Late March 214, Ratan.
The nobles' carriages were heading to the Empire to participate in the social season. The Imperial nobles were busy preparing for the parties that would be held throughout the season.
Ariana, who had been busy attending various tea parties, was enjoying some free time for the first time in a long while.
'The weather has gotten much warmer.'
The bitter cold has passed, and the weather has become quite warm and breezy during the day.
'Are Isabelle and Wiona coming here too?'
Two years ago, Wiona successfully married Averaster and became the daughter-in-law of the White family. She didn't see Ariana often, but when they did, they were polite and on good terms.
The good-natured Isabelle seemed to have forgotten their previous bad relationship and was becoming friendly with Wiona.
As expected, the White family is warm when it comes to their own family.
Ariana sat on a bench in the garden, turned her face to the sky, and closed her eyes. The various scents carried by the gusting wind clung to Ariana's nostrils.
-“Now I can tell who's there by smell even with my eyes closed.”
She remembered a story Shini once proudly told. Through consistent training, Shini became capable of many things, like a true warrior.
'I wish I had talent like Shini.'
No matter how much she learned from Shini, she couldn't advance beyond a certain level. Geor watched Ariana struggle, smiling sweetly and saying that estimating enemies by smell was a realm of talent.
“Ariana.”
As she was thinking about Geor, he called out to Ariana from behind. Ariana opened her eyes and tilted her head back further.
Geor, standing behind Ariana, looked down at her from above and smiled.
“Have you been lazy for a while?”
“Yeah. The weather is really nice today. The sun is warm and sunny.”
Geor's fingers reached for Ariana's forehead. His fingertips gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, brushing it away.
It was nothing special, but the area his hand had touched felt particularly itchy. Ariana rubbed her forehead and looked up.
Geor, who had been staring blankly at his fingertips behind Ariana, shook his head slightly and sat down next to Ariana.
“It seems the Crown Princess is pregnant.”
At Geor's words, Ariana swallowed the words that were about to blurt out, "Oh, that."
'It's faster than before. It used to happen in two years...'
The many things Ariana had changed were coming back as a different future.
'Now that the Crown Princess is pregnant, Victoria and the Third Prince will be even more anxious.'
In her past life, the Third Prince had his men constantly criticize the Crown Princess for her inability to conceive. Then, she became pregnant and gave birth. The Third Prince, who had quietly watched the whole thing unfold, killed the young grandson who had so faithfully followed him, calling him his uncle.
At that time, Ariana tried to prevent the death of the grandson, but failed because she did not have the strength to do so.
“It’s a cause for celebration. Should I go and get a gift?”
Geor shook his head at Ariana's words.
"Not yet. She's just recently become pregnant, so she's being cautious. The Crown Prince summoned the Northern Lord and me and asked us to be more vigilant about our surroundings."
"Really? Why are you so worried? There shouldn't be much danger if you're inside the palace."
"It seems there was an incident. There's a maid named Chloe Spencer, the Crown Prince's maid. Rumor has it she's the Crown Prince's lover. Do you happen to know her?"
“Yeah, I know.”
"When that woman found out the Crown Princess was pregnant, she pushed her down the stairs. If the Third Prince hadn't been there, neither the Crown Princess nor the grandson would have been safe."
“Did the Third Prince save the Crown Princess?”
Geor nodded.
"That's right. It's something to be thankful for, God. The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince are all grateful to the Third Prince. It seems God loves the Third Prince. He gave him such a wonderful opportunity."
Ariana had different thoughts from Geor.
'God gave him a good opportunity? No, that's not it.'
Charlotte felt her turmoil slowly subside as she spoke with Ariana. Perhaps it was Ariana's consistently calm demeanor that was contagious.
As expected, Ariana resembled Cyrus. It was so similar that it was unsettling, and it made her sad.
"I know the Princess came to my mother and me to facilitate her debut in high society. But there's no need to impress me anymore. I'll soon marry someone and leave the empire."
“Your Highness.”
"I can't say anything about going to see my Mother, but please don't come looking for me. I don't want to see the Princess again."
After Charlotte coldly drew the line and turned away, Ariana swallowed a sigh.
She had known this would happen ever since Cyrus beheaded Little Count Geo. It was at that party, of all places, that Charlotte was dumped by Cyrus, and that Cyrus beheaded Little Count Geo for Ariana.
It was a situation that could have been easily misunderstood and made one feel bad.
'It would naturally appear that way to those who don't know the feelings that flow between the Northern Lord and me.'
People will assume that Cyrus protected Ariana, cared for her, and perhaps even liked her. They won't realize that he only intends to use her.
‘I didn’t really intend to use the Princess...’
Ariana simply wanted to prevent the Empress and Princess from being manipulated by Victoria, abandoned, and killed. She simply wanted to correct her past mistakes of turning a blind eye to this.
'There's nothing I can do. I've done everything I could. The fact that the Empress and Princess attended my party is crucial. Victoria will be anxious. She'll act rashly. She'll try to attract the Empress and Princess, just like I did.'
The Empress and Princess would likely be unhappy with Victoria, who couldn't quite hide her true feelings. They hadn't even welcomed Ariana from the start when she visited.
'Now all we have to do is wait for Victoria to come to the Empire.'
Ariana recalled Victoria's glamorous rise to social life in her past. She was eager to see what she would do this time.
***
What happened at Little Lord's party was also reported to the West.
Victoria heard that the Empress and Princess had attended a party and shown affection for Ariana, and that the Princess had been dumped by the Northern Lord at the party. She also heard that the Northern Lord had cut off the wrist and beheaded a man who had attempted to touch Ariana.
It was a great shock that the Northern Lord tried to help Ariana.
Why the Northern Lord?
Victoria thought of the Northern Lord who had been so kind to her in the North.
'Yes, the Northern Lord is just a kind person, so he probably helped Ariana when she was in trouble. Cutting his head off... was a mistake. It was a mistake.'
Victoria suppressed the rising irritation and thought quietly.
"But the Princess who was abandoned by the Northern Lord probably won't think that way. She'll definitely be jealous and hateful of Ariana. If we use this well, we can prevent Ariana from ever setting foot in the palace."
This wasn't the only opportunity to choke Ariana. A positive response also came from Paganus in the Empire.
[Many people are guarding the Princess of the East, so it's difficult for us to do things on our own. However, we will send our people into her mansion. We will await your instructions.]
She hadn't expected them to be able to take on the Princess from the start. The mere presence of someone like them in the mansion where Ariana lived was enough.
Several plans flashed through Victoria's mind. If Harold lends his strength, she could deal with Ariana and the Crown Prince in one fell swoop.
"Smile a lot now, Ariana. The atmosphere will change once I get to the Empire."
***
The Viscount Alfreich's mansion was also abuzz with the events of the Little Lord party. At dinner, the old Viscountess clicked her tongue and said,
"Princess of the East seems to be quite strong-willed. She didn't even faint when someone died right before her eyes. If that kind of person had become Ingo's wife, things would have been dire."
Helena snorted at her mother-in-law's words.
"Why would the Princess of the East marry a merchant who's on the verge of ruin? That kind of thing wouldn't happen even if you died and came back to life, so there's no need to worry."
“No, why are you talking like that...”
The old woman tried to protest, but Helena ignored her and turned to her husband, Viscount Ingo Alfreich.
Ingo and the old lady, who had initially sought to dominate Helena's relationship when they first married, were unable to assert themselves in Helena's presence after their business failed. This was because the only thing that sustained the struggling Alfreich family was the funds coming from Helena's parents.
“I have to go to the Empire during this year’s social season.”
“Uh, uh uh... Let’s do that...”
The old woman, looking at her son who couldn't even answer properly, spoke cautiously.
"Where do we have the money... It'll cost a lot just to go to the Empire. If Ingo wants to start a business again, wouldn't it be better to invest that money in a business?"
"No, I don't want to. You must have forgotten. This is money my mother gave me to use. I'll use it to buy a dress, throw it on the floor, whatever I want, so you don't have to worry about it."
Ingo wanted to yell at Helena for being rude to her mother, but he held back.
When he first married Helena, Ingo and the old lady were able to boast in front of her. This was because the Alfreich family had played a significant role in resolving the Western Lord's failed business investments.
But the period during which this was possible was short.
Helena wasn't going to be easily taken advantage of, as the arms dealer named Robern suddenly became famous, and the arms dealer run by the Alfreich family was constantly having problems.
It would have been nice if the Western Lord had offered assistance at that time, but perhaps due to his experience with failed business investments, he refused to support the Alfreich family. It was a clear betrayal, but even the Viscount couldn't protest to the Western Lord.
He tried to vent his anger on Helena, but she wouldn't take it, so they fought, grabbing each other's hair. Helena reported this to the Bronte household, and the Duchess of Bronte came to see him that day.
-“If you touch my daughter one more time, I know that your entire family will be in trouble.”
That day, the Duchess of Bronte sent a large number of Bronte servants into the Alfreich household. Now, the Alfreich household was under the watchful eye of every resident.
If he had even yelled at Helena, it would have reached the Duchess of Bronte's ears.
Ingo felt like he was going to burst, but he forced a smile and said.
“Yes, but please don’t talk to Mom like that. Please...”
***
Late March 214, Ratan.
The nobles' carriages were heading to the Empire to participate in the social season. The Imperial nobles were busy preparing for the parties that would be held throughout the season.
Ariana, who had been busy attending various tea parties, was enjoying some free time for the first time in a long while.
'The weather has gotten much warmer.'
The bitter cold has passed, and the weather has become quite warm and breezy during the day.
'Are Isabelle and Wiona coming here too?'
Two years ago, Wiona successfully married Averaster and became the daughter-in-law of the White family. She didn't see Ariana often, but when they did, they were polite and on good terms.
The good-natured Isabelle seemed to have forgotten their previous bad relationship and was becoming friendly with Wiona.
As expected, the White family is warm when it comes to their own family.
Ariana sat on a bench in the garden, turned her face to the sky, and closed her eyes. The various scents carried by the gusting wind clung to Ariana's nostrils.
-“Now I can tell who's there by smell even with my eyes closed.”
She remembered a story Shini once proudly told. Through consistent training, Shini became capable of many things, like a true warrior.
'I wish I had talent like Shini.'
No matter how much she learned from Shini, she couldn't advance beyond a certain level. Geor watched Ariana struggle, smiling sweetly and saying that estimating enemies by smell was a realm of talent.
“Ariana.”
As she was thinking about Geor, he called out to Ariana from behind. Ariana opened her eyes and tilted her head back further.
Geor, standing behind Ariana, looked down at her from above and smiled.
“Have you been lazy for a while?”
“Yeah. The weather is really nice today. The sun is warm and sunny.”
Geor's fingers reached for Ariana's forehead. His fingertips gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, brushing it away.
It was nothing special, but the area his hand had touched felt particularly itchy. Ariana rubbed her forehead and looked up.
Geor, who had been staring blankly at his fingertips behind Ariana, shook his head slightly and sat down next to Ariana.
“It seems the Crown Princess is pregnant.”
At Geor's words, Ariana swallowed the words that were about to blurt out, "Oh, that."
'It's faster than before. It used to happen in two years...'
The many things Ariana had changed were coming back as a different future.
'Now that the Crown Princess is pregnant, Victoria and the Third Prince will be even more anxious.'
In her past life, the Third Prince had his men constantly criticize the Crown Princess for her inability to conceive. Then, she became pregnant and gave birth. The Third Prince, who had quietly watched the whole thing unfold, killed the young grandson who had so faithfully followed him, calling him his uncle.
At that time, Ariana tried to prevent the death of the grandson, but failed because she did not have the strength to do so.
“It’s a cause for celebration. Should I go and get a gift?”
Geor shook his head at Ariana's words.
"Not yet. She's just recently become pregnant, so she's being cautious. The Crown Prince summoned the Northern Lord and me and asked us to be more vigilant about our surroundings."
"Really? Why are you so worried? There shouldn't be much danger if you're inside the palace."
"It seems there was an incident. There's a maid named Chloe Spencer, the Crown Prince's maid. Rumor has it she's the Crown Prince's lover. Do you happen to know her?"
“Yeah, I know.”
"When that woman found out the Crown Princess was pregnant, she pushed her down the stairs. If the Third Prince hadn't been there, neither the Crown Princess nor the grandson would have been safe."
“Did the Third Prince save the Crown Princess?”
Geor nodded.
"That's right. It's something to be thankful for, God. The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince are all grateful to the Third Prince. It seems God loves the Third Prince. He gave him such a wonderful opportunity."
Ariana had different thoughts from Geor.
'God gave him a good opportunity? No, that's not it.'
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