(177) Hell is here (1)
Victoria did not notice the woman with golden eyes brushing past her.
This party was much better than the one at the Imperial Palace. Thanks to having eaten the hearts of a pretty bird with colorful feathers, a white rabbit, and a seductive cat before arriving, not only men but even women looked at Victoria with affection.
After dancing her first dance with Harold, she danced several more times at the continued requests of young nobles, so she was a little tired.
After about two hours, as the effect of the heart began to wear off, the number of people gathered around Victoria also decreased.
'This fast?'
Feeling anxious that the effect seemed to be wearing off faster than expected, she looked around when she saw Ariana standing facing the wall. A large painting was hanging on the wall.
Thinking it was just the right moment, Victoria hurried over to Ariana's side. Then, she spoke in a soft voice, loud enough to be heard by those around her.
“This painting was painted by a very famous artist, but do you know who painted it?”
Ariana turned her head slightly and stared at Victoria without answering.
Victoria spoke with a wry smile.
“Oh, sorry. You don’t really know about things like this.”
This time, too, Ariana did not answer.
People watched with interest as the two women, who were once sisters, stood side by side and talked.
"Evna Perioce. She was a female painter who was active over 60 years ago. At that time, it was rare for women to work as painters, but starting with Evna Perioce, many women began to work as artists."
Victoria felt that everyone was listening attentively to her. She controlled her voice to avoid sounding boastful and spoke gently, as if teaching an innocent child who knew nothing.
"This painting is particularly famous as the last one Evna Perioce painted while she was seriously ill. If you look at the brushstrokes, you can see occasional tremors; I heard this is because she was struggling to paint with a body weakened by her illness."
"I don't see any trembling."
Ariana spoke casually. Victoria snorted and pointed to a part of the painting with her index finger.
"You can see it clearly here."
“No, I can’t see it. Victoria, this painting isn’t the original.”
“What? What do you mean? Are you saying counterfeits are hanging in the Marquis Materin’s estate?”
Ariana smiled faintly at Victoria, who shot back as if she had found something to criticize.
“Of course, it was once the original. However, the Marquis Materin donated this painting at the last charity party. The original is currently hanging in the Imperial Palace Art Museum.”
“What is that...”
Victoria's eyes wavered.
“Since another painter imitated Madame Evna Perioce, the trembling brushstrokes of a sick person are missing from this painting, Victoria. It is a famous story; it seems you were unaware of it.”
Victoria turned her head sharply.
Rachel's pale face was visible amidst the ladies whispering and suppressing their laughter. She also caught sight of Harold turning his head away in displeasure, and the young ladies pouting, unable to hold back their laughter.
Victoria glared at Ariana with a flushed face when the Marchioness de Materin, who had approached before she knew it, spoke.
“I thought you had no interest in the affairs of the Empire since you only stay in the East, Princess, but I see you are well aware of even these minute details.”
"I still remember being deeply impressed by the Marquis Materin's decision to give so generously, even though its value must have been sky-high given that it was the posthumous work of the master Evna Perioce."
"Oh my. It's not that big of a deal."
The two women conversed gently, treating Victoria as if she didn't exist. Soon, the Marchioness Materin turned to Victoria, whose face had turned red up to the nape of her neck, and spoke.
"But it seems the Princess Bronte still calls the Princess 'older sister.' As far as I know, the ties between the Bronte family and the Princess were severed a long time ago."
“I know, right. I told them several times that I am now a member of the White family, but it didn't work, so I was in a bit of a predicament.”
“Oh, dear. Isn’t it rude for a Duke’s daughter to dare speak to the Princess in that tone?”
"It can't be helped. That must have been how they grew up."
Victoria felt a squeezing pain in her heart. It felt as if her insides were burning black with rage.
As she glared at Ariana with wide eyes, contemplating how to break that slender neck, Rachel approached and gently put her arm around Victoria's shoulder.
"It is not a pleasant sight to see the two of you mocking our young daughter so much, as she is still naive about the ways of the world."
Marchioness Materin glanced back at Rachel, who was speaking calmly, and replied.
“To say they are too young to know the ways of the world is a stretch, isn’t the Duke’s daughter and the Princess only one year apart, Duchess?”
“Marchioness. Many eyes are watching, so let’s observe proper etiquette. There is no reason for us to attack each other, is there?”
“Indeed. However, the Princess does not look very pleased. She would do well to go and rest.”
Rachel could already feel Victoria's shoulder trembling beneath her arm. Since Victoria had been unable to control her temper lately and there was no telling how she might explode in a crowded place, getting out of there was the top priority rather than getting into an argument.
Rachel glared at Ariana once, then took Victoria to the sofa in the corner.
“I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you...”
Her heart sank at the sound of Victoria mumbling in a low voice.
“Victoria, I’ll take care of everything, so just bear with it for now. Let’s rest for a while and then leave this place.”
“Why would I leave? What did I do wrong to deserve being left? I won’t leave until that girl leaves. Do you think I’ll run away like a thousand tails?”
Victoria gritted her teeth and slumped onto the sofa.
“Aaaargh!”
She was startled by a sharp, piercing pain in her buttocks and let out a loud scream. It would have been fortunate if she had just screamed, but while clutching her buttocks and squirming, she stepped on her skirt and fell backward.
Everyone was dumbfounded as the Princess ran wild like a horse stung by a bee. The musicians also stopped their music and stared blankly at Victoria.
Victoria, who had been unable to get up for quite some time while clutching her bottom, met the eyes of Ariana, who was standing next to the Marchioness de Materin and smiling.
'Ariana!'
She couldn't understand why the needle she had ordered Ariana to stick in ended up in her butt. All she knew was that the humiliation she suffered today was entirely Ariana's fault.
Victoria jumped up and ran toward Ariana.
Neither Geor nor Averaster, who always protected Ariana, was there. There was no one to watch over Ariana as she stood there quietly.
Victoria's hand grabbed Ariana's hair and tore it out.
“I’m going to kill you, Ariana!”
Faced with the raw emotions surfacing, those around her couldn't even think of stopping her. Everyone watched Princess of Bronte's demonic appearance, holding their breath.
Victoria did not notice the woman with golden eyes brushing past her.
This party was much better than the one at the Imperial Palace. Thanks to having eaten the hearts of a pretty bird with colorful feathers, a white rabbit, and a seductive cat before arriving, not only men but even women looked at Victoria with affection.
After dancing her first dance with Harold, she danced several more times at the continued requests of young nobles, so she was a little tired.
After about two hours, as the effect of the heart began to wear off, the number of people gathered around Victoria also decreased.
'This fast?'
Feeling anxious that the effect seemed to be wearing off faster than expected, she looked around when she saw Ariana standing facing the wall. A large painting was hanging on the wall.
Thinking it was just the right moment, Victoria hurried over to Ariana's side. Then, she spoke in a soft voice, loud enough to be heard by those around her.
“This painting was painted by a very famous artist, but do you know who painted it?”
Ariana turned her head slightly and stared at Victoria without answering.
Victoria spoke with a wry smile.
“Oh, sorry. You don’t really know about things like this.”
This time, too, Ariana did not answer.
People watched with interest as the two women, who were once sisters, stood side by side and talked.
"Evna Perioce. She was a female painter who was active over 60 years ago. At that time, it was rare for women to work as painters, but starting with Evna Perioce, many women began to work as artists."
Victoria felt that everyone was listening attentively to her. She controlled her voice to avoid sounding boastful and spoke gently, as if teaching an innocent child who knew nothing.
"This painting is particularly famous as the last one Evna Perioce painted while she was seriously ill. If you look at the brushstrokes, you can see occasional tremors; I heard this is because she was struggling to paint with a body weakened by her illness."
"I don't see any trembling."
Ariana spoke casually. Victoria snorted and pointed to a part of the painting with her index finger.
"You can see it clearly here."
“No, I can’t see it. Victoria, this painting isn’t the original.”
“What? What do you mean? Are you saying counterfeits are hanging in the Marquis Materin’s estate?”
Ariana smiled faintly at Victoria, who shot back as if she had found something to criticize.
“Of course, it was once the original. However, the Marquis Materin donated this painting at the last charity party. The original is currently hanging in the Imperial Palace Art Museum.”
“What is that...”
Victoria's eyes wavered.
“Since another painter imitated Madame Evna Perioce, the trembling brushstrokes of a sick person are missing from this painting, Victoria. It is a famous story; it seems you were unaware of it.”
Victoria turned her head sharply.
Rachel's pale face was visible amidst the ladies whispering and suppressing their laughter. She also caught sight of Harold turning his head away in displeasure, and the young ladies pouting, unable to hold back their laughter.
Victoria glared at Ariana with a flushed face when the Marchioness de Materin, who had approached before she knew it, spoke.
“I thought you had no interest in the affairs of the Empire since you only stay in the East, Princess, but I see you are well aware of even these minute details.”
"I still remember being deeply impressed by the Marquis Materin's decision to give so generously, even though its value must have been sky-high given that it was the posthumous work of the master Evna Perioce."
"Oh my. It's not that big of a deal."
The two women conversed gently, treating Victoria as if she didn't exist. Soon, the Marchioness Materin turned to Victoria, whose face had turned red up to the nape of her neck, and spoke.
"But it seems the Princess Bronte still calls the Princess 'older sister.' As far as I know, the ties between the Bronte family and the Princess were severed a long time ago."
“I know, right. I told them several times that I am now a member of the White family, but it didn't work, so I was in a bit of a predicament.”
“Oh, dear. Isn’t it rude for a Duke’s daughter to dare speak to the Princess in that tone?”
"It can't be helped. That must have been how they grew up."
Victoria felt a squeezing pain in her heart. It felt as if her insides were burning black with rage.
As she glared at Ariana with wide eyes, contemplating how to break that slender neck, Rachel approached and gently put her arm around Victoria's shoulder.
"It is not a pleasant sight to see the two of you mocking our young daughter so much, as she is still naive about the ways of the world."
Marchioness Materin glanced back at Rachel, who was speaking calmly, and replied.
“To say they are too young to know the ways of the world is a stretch, isn’t the Duke’s daughter and the Princess only one year apart, Duchess?”
“Marchioness. Many eyes are watching, so let’s observe proper etiquette. There is no reason for us to attack each other, is there?”
“Indeed. However, the Princess does not look very pleased. She would do well to go and rest.”
Rachel could already feel Victoria's shoulder trembling beneath her arm. Since Victoria had been unable to control her temper lately and there was no telling how she might explode in a crowded place, getting out of there was the top priority rather than getting into an argument.
Rachel glared at Ariana once, then took Victoria to the sofa in the corner.
“I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you...”
Her heart sank at the sound of Victoria mumbling in a low voice.
“Victoria, I’ll take care of everything, so just bear with it for now. Let’s rest for a while and then leave this place.”
“Why would I leave? What did I do wrong to deserve being left? I won’t leave until that girl leaves. Do you think I’ll run away like a thousand tails?”
Victoria gritted her teeth and slumped onto the sofa.
“Aaaargh!”
She was startled by a sharp, piercing pain in her buttocks and let out a loud scream. It would have been fortunate if she had just screamed, but while clutching her buttocks and squirming, she stepped on her skirt and fell backward.
Everyone was dumbfounded as the Princess ran wild like a horse stung by a bee. The musicians also stopped their music and stared blankly at Victoria.
Victoria, who had been unable to get up for quite some time while clutching her bottom, met the eyes of Ariana, who was standing next to the Marchioness de Materin and smiling.
'Ariana!'
She couldn't understand why the needle she had ordered Ariana to stick in ended up in her butt. All she knew was that the humiliation she suffered today was entirely Ariana's fault.
Victoria jumped up and ran toward Ariana.
Neither Geor nor Averaster, who always protected Ariana, was there. There was no one to watch over Ariana as she stood there quietly.
Victoria's hand grabbed Ariana's hair and tore it out.
“I’m going to kill you, Ariana!”
Faced with the raw emotions surfacing, those around her couldn't even think of stopping her. Everyone watched Princess of Bronte's demonic appearance, holding their breath.
"I’m going to kill you!"
Shouting as if to tear the air, Victoria threw Ariana to the ground, climbed on top of her, and strangled her. All the while, Ariana stared calmly at Victoria without showing any signs of panic.
'You've revealed everything, Victoria.'
No matter what Victoria does with this, she will never be regarded as a mature and pretty Princess.
It was for this very moment that she had deliberately been looking at a fake painting to give Victoria a chance to pretend to know, and that she had told Shini to stay still no matter what happened.
'With just a single needle...'
Sticking a needle into the hem of a garment was a trick Victoria often used.
Victoria stuck needles into the young lady's dress, which she didn't like at parties. She had done the same to Ariana's dress several times, but there was no reason. She simply wanted to see Ariana in pain and feel embarrassed.
It was funny how Victoria, who had hurt others so much, was going wild just because she had been pricked by a needle once.
Apparently displeased with the mocking look, Victoria dug her fingernails into Ariana's eyes as if to gouge them out.
At that moment.
"Stop!"
A dignified voice echoed loudly throughout the party hall.
“Stop it, everyone! What kind of behavior is this in front of His Majesty!”
Even in her excitement, Victoria stopped moving upon hearing the words "His Majesty the Emperor." With a pale face, Rachel looked alternately at the deranged Victoria, Ariana lying beneath her, and the Emperor.
Everyone hurriedly bowed at the Emperor's sudden visit. Victoria also reluctantly got down from Ariana, straightened her clothes, and bowed her head.
“What on earth...”
The Emperor clicked his tongue at the sight, which was unthinkable for a party of a prestigious noble family.
“What’s going on?”
“I apologize, Your Majesty. There was some discord because I failed to treat my younger sibling with affection.”
Ariana, who had woken up before anyone realized it, bowed her head and spoke calmly.
The Emperor gazed intently at the small woman who had bowed her head respectfully. Despite her disheveled hair and crumpled dress, her posture showed no signs of disarray.
When the Emperor saw it, Victoria was screaming alone, while Ariana didn't put up a single resistance, but Ariana took all the blame herself.
"It was a pity," the Emperor thought. "If the Crown Princess had been rescued a little later, it would have been fine to seat that child on the throne."
However, the Crown Princess was already pregnant with the grandson and could not back out, and there were other ways to keep Ariana tied to the palace.
The Emperor recalled an event from not long ago.
It was when he visited Royal Consort Aelra's bedroom for the first time in a long while. As always, the Royal Consort Aelra embraced the Emperor as if to comfort him, then brought up the topic of Ariana.
"She seemed like a truly lovely and wise child. It would be nice if a child like that became a member of the Imperial Family."
The Emperor had heard rumors that Cyrus had fallen for Ariana, so he wanted to just leave her alone.
"If that child marries one of the Princes, the Eastern Lord's loyalty will surely grow even stronger."
Those words shook the Emperor's heart.
"I hear that the Eastern Lord cherishes his daughter very much. However, Your Majesty does not wish for him to grow stronger by relying on the name of the Imperial Family... so how about doing this?"
The name that came out was the 5th Prince Puniken Blenwit.
Unlike his mother, Empress Geroa, the fifth Prince, Puniken, had a very nasty temperament. He went around bothering the ladies-in-waiting, and when he got angry, he would even beat them to death, incurring the wrath of the subjects.
Still, since he was of royal blood, they could not kill him, so they granted him a countship and sent him to the jungle region of the southern Empire. Although they claimed to be sending him with a granted estate, it was no different from exile.
"From what I have observed, the Princess of the East is very wise and will guide a man wisely. If she guides the Fifth Prince well, won't she eventually become a great source of strength for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as well?"
His heart was moved.
Ariana was a worthy match for the Fifth Prince. Furthermore, since the Fifth Prince had virtually been exiled and had no nobles to support him, there was no concern that the Eastern Lord would gain more power through their marriage.
However, since the 5th Prince is of the royal family, the Eastern Lord will become even more loyal to the Empire for the sake of his son-in-law, the 5th Prince.
It will be a marriage that brings no loss to the empire, only benefits.
Shouting as if to tear the air, Victoria threw Ariana to the ground, climbed on top of her, and strangled her. All the while, Ariana stared calmly at Victoria without showing any signs of panic.
'You've revealed everything, Victoria.'
No matter what Victoria does with this, she will never be regarded as a mature and pretty Princess.
It was for this very moment that she had deliberately been looking at a fake painting to give Victoria a chance to pretend to know, and that she had told Shini to stay still no matter what happened.
'With just a single needle...'
Sticking a needle into the hem of a garment was a trick Victoria often used.
Victoria stuck needles into the young lady's dress, which she didn't like at parties. She had done the same to Ariana's dress several times, but there was no reason. She simply wanted to see Ariana in pain and feel embarrassed.
It was funny how Victoria, who had hurt others so much, was going wild just because she had been pricked by a needle once.
Apparently displeased with the mocking look, Victoria dug her fingernails into Ariana's eyes as if to gouge them out.
At that moment.
"Stop!"
A dignified voice echoed loudly throughout the party hall.
“Stop it, everyone! What kind of behavior is this in front of His Majesty!”
Even in her excitement, Victoria stopped moving upon hearing the words "His Majesty the Emperor." With a pale face, Rachel looked alternately at the deranged Victoria, Ariana lying beneath her, and the Emperor.
Everyone hurriedly bowed at the Emperor's sudden visit. Victoria also reluctantly got down from Ariana, straightened her clothes, and bowed her head.
“What on earth...”
The Emperor clicked his tongue at the sight, which was unthinkable for a party of a prestigious noble family.
“What’s going on?”
“I apologize, Your Majesty. There was some discord because I failed to treat my younger sibling with affection.”
Ariana, who had woken up before anyone realized it, bowed her head and spoke calmly.
The Emperor gazed intently at the small woman who had bowed her head respectfully. Despite her disheveled hair and crumpled dress, her posture showed no signs of disarray.
When the Emperor saw it, Victoria was screaming alone, while Ariana didn't put up a single resistance, but Ariana took all the blame herself.
"It was a pity," the Emperor thought. "If the Crown Princess had been rescued a little later, it would have been fine to seat that child on the throne."
However, the Crown Princess was already pregnant with the grandson and could not back out, and there were other ways to keep Ariana tied to the palace.
The Emperor recalled an event from not long ago.
It was when he visited Royal Consort Aelra's bedroom for the first time in a long while. As always, the Royal Consort Aelra embraced the Emperor as if to comfort him, then brought up the topic of Ariana.
"She seemed like a truly lovely and wise child. It would be nice if a child like that became a member of the Imperial Family."
The Emperor had heard rumors that Cyrus had fallen for Ariana, so he wanted to just leave her alone.
"If that child marries one of the Princes, the Eastern Lord's loyalty will surely grow even stronger."
Those words shook the Emperor's heart.
"I hear that the Eastern Lord cherishes his daughter very much. However, Your Majesty does not wish for him to grow stronger by relying on the name of the Imperial Family... so how about doing this?"
The name that came out was the 5th Prince Puniken Blenwit.
Unlike his mother, Empress Geroa, the fifth Prince, Puniken, had a very nasty temperament. He went around bothering the ladies-in-waiting, and when he got angry, he would even beat them to death, incurring the wrath of the subjects.
Still, since he was of royal blood, they could not kill him, so they granted him a countship and sent him to the jungle region of the southern Empire. Although they claimed to be sending him with a granted estate, it was no different from exile.
"From what I have observed, the Princess of the East is very wise and will guide a man wisely. If she guides the Fifth Prince well, won't she eventually become a great source of strength for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as well?"
His heart was moved.
Ariana was a worthy match for the Fifth Prince. Furthermore, since the Fifth Prince had virtually been exiled and had no nobles to support him, there was no concern that the Eastern Lord would gain more power through their marriage.
However, since the 5th Prince is of the royal family, the Eastern Lord will become even more loyal to the Empire for the sake of his son-in-law, the 5th Prince.
It will be a marriage that brings no loss to the empire, only benefits.
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