(151) Bad words
A little over a month had passed since Cyrus rescued Chloe.
Just as much time had passed since two boxes containing lavish gifts were delivered to Cyrus.
Cyrus, who had written a letter with instructions to Duke Hern in the North, turned his gaze to the two boxes placed like decorations in the corner of the office.
One chest was piled high with gold coins, while another overflowed with rare and valuable gems. And, nestled among the gems, lay a bargaining chip that would allow the purchase of weapons at a low price from the "Robern Armsman," a renowned maker of cutting-edge weapons.
Shini, who came carrying the box alone and struggling, said, “This is my thanks for helping my master.”
It was too much to be considered a reward for saving a single woman. It could easily have been enough to buy a small country.
Ariana didn't say a word about this reward, but somehow her voice seemed to come from the box.
“With this, there is no grudge between the Northern Lord and me.”
Because he was dissatisfied with her, Cyrus attempted to meet Ariana several times. However, Geor and Averaster were holding out at her Mansion.
One Geor could be fooled somehow, but it was difficult to fool Averaster's eyes.
Ariana accompanied Geor and Averaster to other ladies' tea parties and strolled through the bustling streets. Whenever Cyrus attempted to approach, one of them would step forward to confront him. Meanwhile, Ariana would quietly slip away.
'You're avoiding me.'
It's already been a month since he started thinking about this.
Why is that?
A month had passed since he'd begun to ponder this question. Cyrus stared out the window at the roof of her Mansion. She was within arm's reach, yet she felt farther away than when they were separated in North and East.
"Why is she drawing such a clear line with me? Hasn't she finished what she had to do?"
Ariana harbored a grudge against the Western Lord, the Brontes, and the Third Prince. Though they had been repeatedly struck and reeled from, they remained steadfast enough to recover at any moment.
Ariana still needs allies to support her, so why is she drawing the line like this?
Cyrus rubbed the space between his eyebrows with his thumb and index finger.
In fact, there were too many points to be pointed out.
There are things she didn't know then, but now that she can't approach her, she knows them.
Things like subtle eye shakes, firm lips, awkward smiles, and trembling eyes.
Every time he said he would use her, she made that expression. And when she said she would return from the North to the East, she made that expression for a very brief moment, just for a moment.
An expression as if she had lost a great deal. An expression as if something had been completely taken from her.
"Shit..."
Cyrus rubbed his face with both hands. It wasn't a problem; he could simply stay in the Empire, help her, and approach her as if nothing had happened. She was fierce yet fragile, fragile yet firm.
'You've decided to kick me out.'
This thought had been on his mind for a month. He knew it was true, but he didn't want to accept it, so he felt ashamed of himself for not even being able to touch the gift she sent him.
Saying he had no choice is not an excuse.
Since he was a child, he had been betrayed by nothing but betrayal, so he was afraid she might be Paganus, that she might have done something to his feelings. Never having felt such emotions before, he pushed jer away without even knowing what they were. He was foolish. He was stupid.
Would that make sense?
Cyrus smiled bitterly.
Ariana's life was too intense for such excuses to be acceptable. Nevertheless, Ariana opened her heart to Cyrus, and as a result, a gap opened. Because of that gap, Cyrus grew suspicious of Ariana.
It wasn't that he doubted her. He should have believed, he should have thought there was a reason, but he didn't. And so, he inflicted yet another deep wound on her already tattered and wounded heart.
Cyrus approached the box and looked down at its contents. The more the precious gold coins and jewels shone brightly, the darker his heart grew.
Lancer stood in front of Louis and Isaac. Louis nodded slightly at Lanster.
“Sir Lancer Leon.”
“Sir Louisa Cheveni.”
As a subtle fight began between the two, Isaac snatched the small box Louis was holding and spoke.
"Then, knights, have a good time among yourselves. I'll go talk to the Princess Consort."
Lancer tried to stop Isaac, but Louis deftly blocked his movements. Lancer could only watch Isaac enter the drawing room.
"You come every day, Louis. I thought His Excellency the Northern Lord's knights were always busy."
“Because meeting the Princess Consort is the most important thing.”
"Isn't it time to stop calling her Princess Consort? You may have done whatever you wanted in the Northern Territory, but this is the Empire. I'm worried others might hear this and misunderstand."
“It would be better if there was a misunderstanding,” Louis said.
“It is only a matter of time before the Princess becomes our Consort.”
"Well, lately, the Princess hasn't seen His Excellency the Northern Lord at all, and even when they run into each other on the street, she doesn't even speak to him. I don't think it's just a matter of time."
Louis glared at Lancer. Lancer continued.
“Sir Louis is not a matchmaker, so it would be best not to be too interested in our Princess’s marriage.”
She hated Lancer's smug expression, as if he'd won. But Louis was at a loss for words.
This is all her lord's fault. Of course, she respects and cherishes him, but this is a different matter. Her Lord has been foolish for too long.
'Even the Princess's feelings for our Lord are not the same.'
Ariana's popularity in the empire is currently skyrocketing.
The incident where Little Count Geo attempted to do something terrible to Ariana at the Eastern Little Lord party and was killed by the Northern Lord only served to make Ariana shine even more.
The women envied Ariana, who was protected by Cyrus, and the men admired her, a fetish that even moved Cyrus. Countless men frequented the East mansion daily, begging to meet Ariana, and if that didn't work out, they left gifts behind.
Of course, none of them were more handsome, capable, or noble than her lord, but that wasn't what mattered to a woman.
How affectionate, warm, and caring they are, those things don't matter.
But this cold person.
'No, cancel.'
This cold lord also has a body.
'No, cancel this too.'
Not only was he cold-hearted, but his personality was also cold. Far from treating the Princess warmly, he froze her completely. It was only natural that Ariana would distance herself from Cyrus.
“Our lord cherishes the Princess Consort very much.”
“Ah, so that’s why he didn’t even let the Princess celebrate her birthday and banished her from the North.”
“...Our Lord didn’t chase the Princess away...”
"His Excellency the Northern Lord has suddenly become cold, and even I, a tactless person, could sense it. So, our Princess, who has been subjected to the rotten Bronte family since childhood and has been careful about what she says, must have noticed as well."
As the past story came up, Louis was left even more speechless.
Yes, our lord will rot.
"How could you possibly stay in the North with such a keen eye? Thanks to you, our Princess celebrated her birthday on the street."
Lancer smiled triumphantly as he watched Louis clench her jaw.
But when Louis bowed her head, he felt a little sorry. The Northern Lord was a man he didn't like, but Louis had always been polite and kind to Ariana. He knew she cared for Ariana's affairs as if they were her own.
“Hey, Louis...”
Louis raised her head, glared at Lancer, and spoke softly.
"Lancer. You're a very mean-spirited person. Do you know that?"
“Oh, I’ve never heard of anything like that...”
"Then it would be best to listen now. You are very bad."
“No, um...”
“Let’s go. Our Isaac is a gentleman, so I hope you won’t say anything bad to him.”
As Louis turned around, the living room door opened, and Shini came out. Shini smiled brightly at Louis and ran towards her.
“Master!”
Seeing Shini's bright smile, Louis's mood lightened slightly. He stroked Shini's head and said.
"Shini, Lancer is a bad guy, so you'd better learn how to say bad things to him. That way, you can tear out the hearts of those bastards who hurt the Princess with their words."
"Yes, Master. I'll learn a lot of bad things from Sir Lancer."
Louis glared at Lancer and then turned around.
Lancer watched Louis's back as she walked away, dumbfounded. Shini grabbed Lancer's arm and shook it, speaking.
“Sir Lancer, say something bad.”
Isaac smiled faintly.
“It’s noisy outside. I think Lancer and Louis are fighting again.”
I know, right?
Louis and Isaac came here almost every day. While Isaac talked to Ariana, Louis dealt with Lancer in the hallway.
She knew the two of them always argued, but today it seemed more heated than usual.
“By the way...”
Ariana stared at the small box Isaac had placed on the table. It was wrapped in pink wrapping paper and tied with a red ribbon. Even without opening it, she could tell what was inside.
“You can stop bringing chocolate now.”
After getting Cyrus' help rescuing Chloe, Ariana decided she couldn't do this anymore.
She vowed to use him as he used her, but she found herself worrying about him getting hurt. If she decided to use him, she shouldn't have cared if he got hurt or rolled over, but she hated the dullness of worrying about even the slightest scratch on his hand.
She doesn't want to yearn for affection that won't return. She doesn't want to feel that ache in jer chest, afraid that his gaze will turn cold again.
She decided to cut Cyrus off now, because she feels like she is going back to the days when she was so desperately craving affection for fear of being rejected.
If she tried to avoid them, it wasn't difficult. As long as Averaster and Geor were present, Cyrus couldn't sneak into the East Mansion, and even if she ran into him on the street, she could just ignore him.
Since Cyrus had many people he could use and many people who wanted to be used themselves, she thought that her relationship with him would end here.
But what is this chocolate that is sent every day?
The servants at the East Mansion were thrilled when Ariana sent them more chocolates and chocolate cakes than they could eat alone. Ariana shared her precious chocolates with them every day.
A little over a month had passed since Cyrus rescued Chloe.
Just as much time had passed since two boxes containing lavish gifts were delivered to Cyrus.
Cyrus, who had written a letter with instructions to Duke Hern in the North, turned his gaze to the two boxes placed like decorations in the corner of the office.
One chest was piled high with gold coins, while another overflowed with rare and valuable gems. And, nestled among the gems, lay a bargaining chip that would allow the purchase of weapons at a low price from the "Robern Armsman," a renowned maker of cutting-edge weapons.
Shini, who came carrying the box alone and struggling, said, “This is my thanks for helping my master.”
It was too much to be considered a reward for saving a single woman. It could easily have been enough to buy a small country.
Ariana didn't say a word about this reward, but somehow her voice seemed to come from the box.
“With this, there is no grudge between the Northern Lord and me.”
Because he was dissatisfied with her, Cyrus attempted to meet Ariana several times. However, Geor and Averaster were holding out at her Mansion.
One Geor could be fooled somehow, but it was difficult to fool Averaster's eyes.
The two of them were so strong that even if both of them attacked at once, victory was far from certain. And since they were glued to Ariana’s side, keeping a close watch on her, it was only natural that there was no opening to exploit.
'You're avoiding me.'
It's already been a month since he started thinking about this.
Why is that?
A month had passed since he'd begun to ponder this question. Cyrus stared out the window at the roof of her Mansion. She was within arm's reach, yet she felt farther away than when they were separated in North and East.
"Why is she drawing such a clear line with me? Hasn't she finished what she had to do?"
Ariana harbored a grudge against the Western Lord, the Brontes, and the Third Prince. Though they had been repeatedly struck and reeled from, they remained steadfast enough to recover at any moment.
Ariana still needs allies to support her, so why is she drawing the line like this?
Cyrus rubbed the space between his eyebrows with his thumb and index finger.
In fact, there were too many points to be pointed out.
There are things she didn't know then, but now that she can't approach her, she knows them.
Things like subtle eye shakes, firm lips, awkward smiles, and trembling eyes.
Every time he said he would use her, she made that expression. And when she said she would return from the North to the East, she made that expression for a very brief moment, just for a moment.
An expression as if she had lost a great deal. An expression as if something had been completely taken from her.
"Shit..."
Cyrus rubbed his face with both hands. It wasn't a problem; he could simply stay in the Empire, help her, and approach her as if nothing had happened. She was fierce yet fragile, fragile yet firm.
'You've decided to kick me out.'
This thought had been on his mind for a month. He knew it was true, but he didn't want to accept it, so he felt ashamed of himself for not even being able to touch the gift she sent him.
Saying he had no choice is not an excuse.
Since he was a child, he had been betrayed by nothing but betrayal, so he was afraid she might be Paganus, that she might have done something to his feelings. Never having felt such emotions before, he pushed jer away without even knowing what they were. He was foolish. He was stupid.
Would that make sense?
Cyrus smiled bitterly.
Ariana's life was too intense for such excuses to be acceptable. Nevertheless, Ariana opened her heart to Cyrus, and as a result, a gap opened. Because of that gap, Cyrus grew suspicious of Ariana.
It wasn't that he doubted her. He should have believed, he should have thought there was a reason, but he didn't. And so, he inflicted yet another deep wound on her already tattered and wounded heart.
Cyrus approached the box and looked down at its contents. The more the precious gold coins and jewels shone brightly, the darker his heart grew.
***
Lancer stood in front of Louis and Isaac. Louis nodded slightly at Lanster.
“Sir Lancer Leon.”
“Sir Louisa Cheveni.”
As a subtle fight began between the two, Isaac snatched the small box Louis was holding and spoke.
"Then, knights, have a good time among yourselves. I'll go talk to the Princess Consort."
Lancer tried to stop Isaac, but Louis deftly blocked his movements. Lancer could only watch Isaac enter the drawing room.
"You come every day, Louis. I thought His Excellency the Northern Lord's knights were always busy."
“Because meeting the Princess Consort is the most important thing.”
"Isn't it time to stop calling her Princess Consort? You may have done whatever you wanted in the Northern Territory, but this is the Empire. I'm worried others might hear this and misunderstand."
“It would be better if there was a misunderstanding,” Louis said.
“It is only a matter of time before the Princess becomes our Consort.”
"Well, lately, the Princess hasn't seen His Excellency the Northern Lord at all, and even when they run into each other on the street, she doesn't even speak to him. I don't think it's just a matter of time."
Louis glared at Lancer. Lancer continued.
“Sir Louis is not a matchmaker, so it would be best not to be too interested in our Princess’s marriage.”
She hated Lancer's smug expression, as if he'd won. But Louis was at a loss for words.
This is all her lord's fault. Of course, she respects and cherishes him, but this is a different matter. Her Lord has been foolish for too long.
'Even the Princess's feelings for our Lord are not the same.'
Ariana's popularity in the empire is currently skyrocketing.
The incident where Little Count Geo attempted to do something terrible to Ariana at the Eastern Little Lord party and was killed by the Northern Lord only served to make Ariana shine even more.
The women envied Ariana, who was protected by Cyrus, and the men admired her, a fetish that even moved Cyrus. Countless men frequented the East mansion daily, begging to meet Ariana, and if that didn't work out, they left gifts behind.
Of course, none of them were more handsome, capable, or noble than her lord, but that wasn't what mattered to a woman.
How affectionate, warm, and caring they are, those things don't matter.
But this cold person.
'No, cancel.'
This cold lord also has a body.
'No, cancel this too.'
Not only was he cold-hearted, but his personality was also cold. Far from treating the Princess warmly, he froze her completely. It was only natural that Ariana would distance herself from Cyrus.
“Our lord cherishes the Princess Consort very much.”
“Ah, so that’s why he didn’t even let the Princess celebrate her birthday and banished her from the North.”
“...Our Lord didn’t chase the Princess away...”
"His Excellency the Northern Lord has suddenly become cold, and even I, a tactless person, could sense it. So, our Princess, who has been subjected to the rotten Bronte family since childhood and has been careful about what she says, must have noticed as well."
As the past story came up, Louis was left even more speechless.
Yes, our lord will rot.
"How could you possibly stay in the North with such a keen eye? Thanks to you, our Princess celebrated her birthday on the street."
Lancer smiled triumphantly as he watched Louis clench her jaw.
But when Louis bowed her head, he felt a little sorry. The Northern Lord was a man he didn't like, but Louis had always been polite and kind to Ariana. He knew she cared for Ariana's affairs as if they were her own.
“Hey, Louis...”
Louis raised her head, glared at Lancer, and spoke softly.
"Lancer. You're a very mean-spirited person. Do you know that?"
“Oh, I’ve never heard of anything like that...”
"Then it would be best to listen now. You are very bad."
“No, um...”
“Let’s go. Our Isaac is a gentleman, so I hope you won’t say anything bad to him.”
As Louis turned around, the living room door opened, and Shini came out. Shini smiled brightly at Louis and ran towards her.
“Master!”
Seeing Shini's bright smile, Louis's mood lightened slightly. He stroked Shini's head and said.
"Shini, Lancer is a bad guy, so you'd better learn how to say bad things to him. That way, you can tear out the hearts of those bastards who hurt the Princess with their words."
"Yes, Master. I'll learn a lot of bad things from Sir Lancer."
Louis glared at Lancer and then turned around.
Lancer watched Louis's back as she walked away, dumbfounded. Shini grabbed Lancer's arm and shook it, speaking.
“Sir Lancer, say something bad.”
***
Isaac smiled faintly.
“It’s noisy outside. I think Lancer and Louis are fighting again.”
I know, right?
Louis and Isaac came here almost every day. While Isaac talked to Ariana, Louis dealt with Lancer in the hallway.
She knew the two of them always argued, but today it seemed more heated than usual.
“By the way...”
Ariana stared at the small box Isaac had placed on the table. It was wrapped in pink wrapping paper and tied with a red ribbon. Even without opening it, she could tell what was inside.
“You can stop bringing chocolate now.”
After getting Cyrus' help rescuing Chloe, Ariana decided she couldn't do this anymore.
She vowed to use him as he used her, but she found herself worrying about him getting hurt. If she decided to use him, she shouldn't have cared if he got hurt or rolled over, but she hated the dullness of worrying about even the slightest scratch on his hand.
She doesn't want to yearn for affection that won't return. She doesn't want to feel that ache in jer chest, afraid that his gaze will turn cold again.
She decided to cut Cyrus off now, because she feels like she is going back to the days when she was so desperately craving affection for fear of being rejected.
If she tried to avoid them, it wasn't difficult. As long as Averaster and Geor were present, Cyrus couldn't sneak into the East Mansion, and even if she ran into him on the street, she could just ignore him.
Since Cyrus had many people he could use and many people who wanted to be used themselves, she thought that her relationship with him would end here.
But what is this chocolate that is sent every day?
The servants at the East Mansion were thrilled when Ariana sent them more chocolates and chocolate cakes than they could eat alone. Ariana shared her precious chocolates with them every day.
Previously, I used the name Langster for Ariana's Knight, but from now on, I will change it to Lancer because the name Langster is the same as Ariana's uncle. It makes me confused, sob sob.
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