(214) Side Story; Precious and New (8)
Charlotte stared blankly at the young ladies who were giving her unfriendly looks.
"Since the situation is quite different now compared to when you were a Princess, isn't it difficult? Things don't look good, so I'm worried."
“Are you adjusting well? In the past, I would have attended to you from the moment you opened your eyes until you fell asleep, but now... It’s not like that, is it?”
“I heard the Blenwitt family is in a very bad situation. Shall I help out a little? I can send you some leftover food.”
“Ah, that’s a good idea. I’ll send you some jewelry I don’t wear anymore. It’s probably more expensive than that hair clip. If you don’t like it, you can sell it and use the money for living expenses.”
Charlotte calmly accepted the attack disguised as worry.
She had a feeling something like this might happen ever since she came to Ariana's birthday party.
Ariana, the guest of honor at the party, couldn't possibly look after Charlotte all day, and the White family had no loyalty to protect her.
'It’s only natural that you hate me.'
Camellia looked down upon the Eastern Territory. Even though the Eastern Territory had changed its name to the Kingdom of Stella, the nobles occupying the seats were still those who had experienced Camellia.
It was the White family's generosity in accepting the Blenwitt family, who were of Camellia's royal lineage, without any reservations, not that the others who were wary of them and tried to push them away were bad.
Nothing was preventing her from retorting to every word the young ladies said. However, her position as an imperial Princess of a fallen empire made her cautious.
Worried that she might bring shame to the White family, who had accepted her, if she acted wrongly, Charlotte quietly let the young ladies' harsh words slide.
"I wonder what the point of living like this is..."
Charlotte remembered what her mother, Aegis, had muttered a few days ago.
"I have lost my husband and the country has fallen; what is the use of living like this, barely clinging to life?"
"Still, we must live, Mother. As long as we are alive, we can do anything."
She said that back then, but when placed in a situation like this, she couldn't stop herself from having such thoughts.
What is the point of living like this? Is there something to be found at the place I have struggled to walk down a path where glory has vanished, and only darkness hangs, that I still intend to live and walk that path?
Typically, members of the imperial or royal family of a fallen nation are either killed by the enemy or flee to seek an opportunity for revenge. Otherwise, they are taken hostage and forced to live their lives receiving treatment worse than that of a criminal.
However, neither Russell nor Cyrus did anything against the Blenwitt family.
If only they had treated them harshly, she would harbor a knife in her heart and live filled with hatred.
"Everyone looks like they're having fun."
Turning her gaze at a voice that sounded like singing, she saw Wiona and Geor standing there, having arrived without her noticing. At Geor's appearance, the young ladies blushed and adjusted their attire.
One of the reasons the young ladies attended this party was to catch the eye of the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Stella, who was slightly past marriageable age.
The Crown Prince, who had an excellent background and good looks, was popular among the young ladies. Even his slightly eccentric personality was packaged as 'quirky and cute.'
Geor stood motionless, a faint smile lingering on his lips like an ornament that had come with Wiona. Charlotte noticed Wiona poking Geor in the side.
Geor frowned as if he were a little annoyed, but soon reached out his hand to Charlotte with a smiling face.
“Will you grant me the honor of the first song, Lady?”
Only then did Charlotte realize that Wiona had brought Geor to help her.
Wiona figured that scolding the young ladies right here would only provoke resentment, causing them to torment Charlotte further out of sight, so she tried to use a popular figure named Geor to smooth things over.
If they find out that Charlotte and Geor have a close relationship, they won't openly torment Charlotte out of fear that the story might reach his ears.
"Yes, that's good."
There was no reason to refuse Wiona's consideration. The Princess of the fallen empire had no room to hold back her pride as she looked at Geor, who clearly looked annoyed.
Charlotte elegantly raised her hand and placed it on Geor's palm. Geor gently grasped her hand and headed toward the center of the hall.
At that moment, the song changed.
From an upbeat tune suitable for a birthday party to a slightly slow and elegant minuet.
Geor's arm wrapped around Charlotte's waist. Geor skillfully led Charlotte, and Charlotte followed his movements without wavering.
She could feel the jealous stares fixed on her.
Charlotte tried hard to ignore the stares from the young ladies who had just attacked her.
"It's tough, isn't it?"
She looked up at a sudden sound and realized that Geor's eyes were too close. Trapped within his slender eyes, the pupils were a vivid purple, with a reddish tint around the edges.
"I think they are pretty eyes," said Geor.
“It is only natural that it is difficult. That is just the nature of a monarch and their blood relatives. Just as they were treated well, if the country falls, they must bear the full brunt of the repercussions.”
Even so, she's simply grateful that she was able to live thanks to everyone's care.
"Well."
Geor gently lifted Charlotte's hand, held it, and spun her around. After completing a full rotation, Charlotte faced Geor again.
"You're saying the same thing as Ariana."
"Yes?"
“Ariana said the same thing as you when she first came to the East. Even though she was burning up inside, she always spoke with a smile. She said she was simply grateful that she could live comfortably thanks to you.”
"Ah..."
Charlotte did not know what kind of time Ariana spent leaving the Bronte family and adjusting to the White family.
Ariana always tried to find her place. Almost to the point of being pitiful to watch.
Geor's gaze turned somewhere. Charlotte followed his gaze.
At the end of that gaze was Ariana. Ariana was awkwardly pushing away the piece of orange Cyrus was trying to put in her mouth.
Charlotte took her eyes off the lovely sight and looked up. Geor was still staring at Ariana.
The pupils trapped within the slender eyelids gleamed gloomily. A gaze filled with contradictory emotions—sorrowful yet joyful.
She knew the moment she saw it.
Ah, this man.
Ah, that woman.
The reason her heart sank was that she had clearly realized another person's emotions, which she shouldn't have known and didn't want to know.
Charlotte hurriedly gathered her gaze and, pretending to know nothing, fixed her eyes on his chest.
She suddenly wondered.
Is the way I look at Cyrus also like this? Am I staring at Cyrus, revealing such obvious emotions?
"Ariana pretends to be tough, but she's actually kind. Everyone in the White family is like that."
Charlotte snapped back to reality at the sound of Geor's voice. Geor had now taken his eyes off Ariana and was looking down at Charlotte.
"Aren't you from the White family too?"
Geor chuckled.
"Because the blood flowing inside here is not White's."
"But you are kind."
"Because Ariana cherishes you."
At those words, the pain that had been weighing heavily on her shoulders subsided a little.
"Does the Princess cherish me that much?"
"Otherwise."
Geor took Charlotte by the shoulder and turned her slightly toward Ariana. She saw Ariana watching her with a worried expression.
Geor turned Charlotte back toward him and said.
“She wouldn’t just watch like that.”
"Yes."
One day, after Charlotte noticed Cyrus's feelings for Ariana, she went to see her and said something harsh. Although she hadn't really apologized for it since then, Ariana continued to show Charlotte unwavering friendship.
She could not understand why Ariana was taking care of her to this extent, considering they had barely spoken and had only known each other for a short time.
Geor said.
“So, Miss Charlotte, it is okay to act a little as you please. You don’t need to watch our every move and take the barrage of attacks with your whole body. Committing crimes is a problem, but you should fight back against attacks directed at yourself.”
After the dance ended, Isabelle went to the sofa in the corner and plopped down as if running away.
'My feet hurt...'
Isabelle did not like parties. Having to spend time wearing uncomfortable shoes and tight dresses was absolute hell.
She hated dancing even more. Not only was she not good at dancing to begin with, but she simply could not get used to the idea of rubbing shoulders with a man and flirting.
"Isabelle, you're 24 now. If you act however you want and disappear at this party, you're really going to be in trouble."
Her mother, Countess Briand White, had been nagging Isabelle for a week. Isabelle retorted, 'I’m 24 years old now, isn’t it a bit much to scold me?' but she could not win against her mother, who was the daughter of a Margrave.
It was only after being slapped on the back several times that Isabelle put on the dress and even the uncomfortable shoes her mother had prepared for her. She wanted to refuse whenever the young men asked jer to dance, but because her mother glared at her, Isabelle had no choice but to dance.
Her feet hurt so much trying to dance in unfamiliar shoes that she couldn't bear it. Since it was Ariana's birthday party, she wanted to stay until the very end.
'Sorry, Ariana. I guess this is the end for me.'
Ariana was dancing with Cyrus. The sight of the handsome man and beautiful woman dancing with their bodies pressed close together was a joy just to watch.
Except for the men of the White family, who were glaring menacingly at Cyrus.
Even though Arina and Isabelle were both daughters of the same White, the treatment they received was vastly different, but Isabelle was not jealous of that at all.
"It is better not to accept that kind of attention."
"I mean, it's okay for a kid to date. She's already 23."
At the same time, Isabelle could understand their feelings.
Cyrus, that reckless bastard, how dare he mess with our beautiful Ariana!
Her blood boiled at the thought of the lovely Ariana being toyed with by a sly snake like Cyrus, but she couldn't interfere with jer cousin's love life as she was of marriageable age.
'So, Ariana, I'm leaving. Be happy.'
Isabelle bid her final farewell, glanced at her mother, and slipped out of the hall when her mother briefly looked away.
The first thing she did as soon as she came out of the hall was take off her shoes.
Isabelle took off her shoes, held one in each hand, and strode down the hallway. The ladies-in-waiting following her tried to stop her, saying, 'Miss, you should still wear your shoes,' but she did not listen.
“Ah, I feel like I can finally breathe.”
The feeling of the soft carpet in the hallway touching her bare feet was nice.
Yes, people should live like this, feeling the earth with their bare feet.
Isabelle did not put on her shoes even after leaving the building. She walked along the long path in the center of the garden, stepping on the rattling gravel.
“Miss, please wait a moment. I’ll have the carriage ready. Please?”
She had intended to go home just like this, but seeing the ladies-in-waiting stamping their feet in pity, she decided to endure it for that long. Isabelle was seated on a garden bench, her arms held by the ladies-in-waiting as if being escorted away.
Charlotte stared blankly at the young ladies who were giving her unfriendly looks.
"Since the situation is quite different now compared to when you were a Princess, isn't it difficult? Things don't look good, so I'm worried."
“Are you adjusting well? In the past, I would have attended to you from the moment you opened your eyes until you fell asleep, but now... It’s not like that, is it?”
“I heard the Blenwitt family is in a very bad situation. Shall I help out a little? I can send you some leftover food.”
“Ah, that’s a good idea. I’ll send you some jewelry I don’t wear anymore. It’s probably more expensive than that hair clip. If you don’t like it, you can sell it and use the money for living expenses.”
Charlotte calmly accepted the attack disguised as worry.
She had a feeling something like this might happen ever since she came to Ariana's birthday party.
Ariana, the guest of honor at the party, couldn't possibly look after Charlotte all day, and the White family had no loyalty to protect her.
'It’s only natural that you hate me.'
Camellia looked down upon the Eastern Territory. Even though the Eastern Territory had changed its name to the Kingdom of Stella, the nobles occupying the seats were still those who had experienced Camellia.
It was the White family's generosity in accepting the Blenwitt family, who were of Camellia's royal lineage, without any reservations, not that the others who were wary of them and tried to push them away were bad.
Nothing was preventing her from retorting to every word the young ladies said. However, her position as an imperial Princess of a fallen empire made her cautious.
Worried that she might bring shame to the White family, who had accepted her, if she acted wrongly, Charlotte quietly let the young ladies' harsh words slide.
"I wonder what the point of living like this is..."
Charlotte remembered what her mother, Aegis, had muttered a few days ago.
"I have lost my husband and the country has fallen; what is the use of living like this, barely clinging to life?"
"Still, we must live, Mother. As long as we are alive, we can do anything."
She said that back then, but when placed in a situation like this, she couldn't stop herself from having such thoughts.
What is the point of living like this? Is there something to be found at the place I have struggled to walk down a path where glory has vanished, and only darkness hangs, that I still intend to live and walk that path?
Typically, members of the imperial or royal family of a fallen nation are either killed by the enemy or flee to seek an opportunity for revenge. Otherwise, they are taken hostage and forced to live their lives receiving treatment worse than that of a criminal.
However, neither Russell nor Cyrus did anything against the Blenwitt family.
If only they had treated them harshly, she would harbor a knife in her heart and live filled with hatred.
"Everyone looks like they're having fun."
Turning her gaze at a voice that sounded like singing, she saw Wiona and Geor standing there, having arrived without her noticing. At Geor's appearance, the young ladies blushed and adjusted their attire.
One of the reasons the young ladies attended this party was to catch the eye of the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Stella, who was slightly past marriageable age.
The Crown Prince, who had an excellent background and good looks, was popular among the young ladies. Even his slightly eccentric personality was packaged as 'quirky and cute.'
Geor stood motionless, a faint smile lingering on his lips like an ornament that had come with Wiona. Charlotte noticed Wiona poking Geor in the side.
Geor frowned as if he were a little annoyed, but soon reached out his hand to Charlotte with a smiling face.
“Will you grant me the honor of the first song, Lady?”
Only then did Charlotte realize that Wiona had brought Geor to help her.
Wiona figured that scolding the young ladies right here would only provoke resentment, causing them to torment Charlotte further out of sight, so she tried to use a popular figure named Geor to smooth things over.
If they find out that Charlotte and Geor have a close relationship, they won't openly torment Charlotte out of fear that the story might reach his ears.
"Yes, that's good."
There was no reason to refuse Wiona's consideration. The Princess of the fallen empire had no room to hold back her pride as she looked at Geor, who clearly looked annoyed.
Charlotte elegantly raised her hand and placed it on Geor's palm. Geor gently grasped her hand and headed toward the center of the hall.
At that moment, the song changed.
From an upbeat tune suitable for a birthday party to a slightly slow and elegant minuet.
Geor's arm wrapped around Charlotte's waist. Geor skillfully led Charlotte, and Charlotte followed his movements without wavering.
She could feel the jealous stares fixed on her.
Charlotte tried hard to ignore the stares from the young ladies who had just attacked her.
"It's tough, isn't it?"
She looked up at a sudden sound and realized that Geor's eyes were too close. Trapped within his slender eyes, the pupils were a vivid purple, with a reddish tint around the edges.
"I think they are pretty eyes," said Geor.
“It is only natural that it is difficult. That is just the nature of a monarch and their blood relatives. Just as they were treated well, if the country falls, they must bear the full brunt of the repercussions.”
Even so, she's simply grateful that she was able to live thanks to everyone's care.
"Well."
Geor gently lifted Charlotte's hand, held it, and spun her around. After completing a full rotation, Charlotte faced Geor again.
"You're saying the same thing as Ariana."
"Yes?"
“Ariana said the same thing as you when she first came to the East. Even though she was burning up inside, she always spoke with a smile. She said she was simply grateful that she could live comfortably thanks to you.”
"Ah..."
Charlotte did not know what kind of time Ariana spent leaving the Bronte family and adjusting to the White family.
Ariana always tried to find her place. Almost to the point of being pitiful to watch.
Geor's gaze turned somewhere. Charlotte followed his gaze.
At the end of that gaze was Ariana. Ariana was awkwardly pushing away the piece of orange Cyrus was trying to put in her mouth.
Charlotte took her eyes off the lovely sight and looked up. Geor was still staring at Ariana.
The pupils trapped within the slender eyelids gleamed gloomily. A gaze filled with contradictory emotions—sorrowful yet joyful.
She knew the moment she saw it.
Ah, this man.
Ah, that woman.
The reason her heart sank was that she had clearly realized another person's emotions, which she shouldn't have known and didn't want to know.
Charlotte hurriedly gathered her gaze and, pretending to know nothing, fixed her eyes on his chest.
She suddenly wondered.
Is the way I look at Cyrus also like this? Am I staring at Cyrus, revealing such obvious emotions?
"Ariana pretends to be tough, but she's actually kind. Everyone in the White family is like that."
Charlotte snapped back to reality at the sound of Geor's voice. Geor had now taken his eyes off Ariana and was looking down at Charlotte.
"Aren't you from the White family too?"
Geor chuckled.
"Because the blood flowing inside here is not White's."
"But you are kind."
"Because Ariana cherishes you."
At those words, the pain that had been weighing heavily on her shoulders subsided a little.
"Does the Princess cherish me that much?"
"Otherwise."
Geor took Charlotte by the shoulder and turned her slightly toward Ariana. She saw Ariana watching her with a worried expression.
Geor turned Charlotte back toward him and said.
“She wouldn’t just watch like that.”
"Yes."
One day, after Charlotte noticed Cyrus's feelings for Ariana, she went to see her and said something harsh. Although she hadn't really apologized for it since then, Ariana continued to show Charlotte unwavering friendship.
She could not understand why Ariana was taking care of her to this extent, considering they had barely spoken and had only known each other for a short time.
Geor said.
“So, Miss Charlotte, it is okay to act a little as you please. You don’t need to watch our every move and take the barrage of attacks with your whole body. Committing crimes is a problem, but you should fight back against attacks directed at yourself.”
***
After the dance ended, Isabelle went to the sofa in the corner and plopped down as if running away.
'My feet hurt...'
Isabelle did not like parties. Having to spend time wearing uncomfortable shoes and tight dresses was absolute hell.
She hated dancing even more. Not only was she not good at dancing to begin with, but she simply could not get used to the idea of rubbing shoulders with a man and flirting.
"Isabelle, you're 24 now. If you act however you want and disappear at this party, you're really going to be in trouble."
Her mother, Countess Briand White, had been nagging Isabelle for a week. Isabelle retorted, 'I’m 24 years old now, isn’t it a bit much to scold me?' but she could not win against her mother, who was the daughter of a Margrave.
It was only after being slapped on the back several times that Isabelle put on the dress and even the uncomfortable shoes her mother had prepared for her. She wanted to refuse whenever the young men asked jer to dance, but because her mother glared at her, Isabelle had no choice but to dance.
Her feet hurt so much trying to dance in unfamiliar shoes that she couldn't bear it. Since it was Ariana's birthday party, she wanted to stay until the very end.
'Sorry, Ariana. I guess this is the end for me.'
Ariana was dancing with Cyrus. The sight of the handsome man and beautiful woman dancing with their bodies pressed close together was a joy just to watch.
Except for the men of the White family, who were glaring menacingly at Cyrus.
Even though Arina and Isabelle were both daughters of the same White, the treatment they received was vastly different, but Isabelle was not jealous of that at all.
"It is better not to accept that kind of attention."
"I mean, it's okay for a kid to date. She's already 23."
At the same time, Isabelle could understand their feelings.
Cyrus, that reckless bastard, how dare he mess with our beautiful Ariana!
Her blood boiled at the thought of the lovely Ariana being toyed with by a sly snake like Cyrus, but she couldn't interfere with jer cousin's love life as she was of marriageable age.
'So, Ariana, I'm leaving. Be happy.'
Isabelle bid her final farewell, glanced at her mother, and slipped out of the hall when her mother briefly looked away.
The first thing she did as soon as she came out of the hall was take off her shoes.
Isabelle took off her shoes, held one in each hand, and strode down the hallway. The ladies-in-waiting following her tried to stop her, saying, 'Miss, you should still wear your shoes,' but she did not listen.
“Ah, I feel like I can finally breathe.”
The feeling of the soft carpet in the hallway touching her bare feet was nice.
Yes, people should live like this, feeling the earth with their bare feet.
Isabelle did not put on her shoes even after leaving the building. She walked along the long path in the center of the garden, stepping on the rattling gravel.
“Miss, please wait a moment. I’ll have the carriage ready. Please?”
She had intended to go home just like this, but seeing the ladies-in-waiting stamping their feet in pity, she decided to endure it for that long. Isabelle was seated on a garden bench, her arms held by the ladies-in-waiting as if being escorted away.
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