"The agreement doesn't matter anymore. I'm just curious about you. That's why I'm curious about your thoughts."
...I almost wavered for a moment. It felt like I was shedding tears over that earnest, pleading face that seemed genuinely curious about me.
I wanted to fully believe his words, but realistically, that was impossible. I was Elisa at the moment, and this could easily escalate into an issue between nations.
Moreover, the only evidence that he missed me was Maud’s words, and since nothing else clearly resonated with me, my identity, which I could easily reveal to Maud, inevitably became a secret that I wanted to hide from Thierry at all costs.
At his attitude, which seemed like he was blatantly using a honey trap, I barely managed to compose myself and slowly caught my breath.
"Your Majesty, my opinion does not matter. As for my views, it is as if I lost all power the moment I came to the Empire."
The grip on his hand loosened. And as disappointment spread through his red eyes staring at me from close range, I felt my tense muscles suddenly relax. Like someone strangely devastated.
***
The day of the debutante ball dawned.
The sky was incredibly clear, as if celebrating a joyful day, but dark clouds hung over my face.
"Oh my! Princess, why are the circles under your eyes so dark? Did you perhaps not get enough sleep?"
Valentina, who barged in early in the morning, was shocked the moment she saw my face.
I rubbed my cheeks with an embarrassed look and pressed my tired eyes tightly. I couldn't sleep because I tossed and turned, tossing and turning as Thierry's slumped broad shoulders and pitifully downcast demeanor from yesterday kept weighing on my mind.
“Yeah, kinda…”
"Oh dear, it looks like you're nervous. This won't do! We still have plenty of time, so let's start with a facial massage!"
"Yes..."
With a look of complete lack of motivation, I began to be dragged around by Valentina. Although the debutante ball was in the evening, Valentina and the ladies-in-waiting scurried about busily, as they naturally said that preparations start in the morning.
Time flew by. It was afternoon, and as I quickly styled my hair and put on my dress, before I knew it, it was time for Thierry to come escort me.
I looked down at the flower-decorated hair tied back in a half-updo. The white dress featured an off-the-shoulder design with frills covering the chest and arms, and the delicate embroidery of red roses and green leaves elegantly enhanced the pure white atmosphere.
"Hmm. As expected, you are so beautiful. You really are exactly as I imagined."
Valentina covered her mouth with an ecstatic expression. It wasn't just my own overconfidence; anyone could tell she was in love, to the point that Marie looked at her strangely.
"...Thank you. Thanks to you, the preparation went smoothly.
"Oh dear, I was simply happy to be able to work with the Muse, and in reality, it was largely due to His Majesty's virtue."
"That's true," I nodded, glancing toward the door. Just then, as if on cue, I heard a knock.
"His Majesty has arrived."
"Oh my, Princess. Let's hurry out. Here. Please take this fan, and just a moment. I'll straighten the hem for you, so would you like to walk forward?"
"...Is that enough?"
"Hmph, it's absolutely perfect! Well then, have a wonderful day."
I gave a slight smile to Valentina, who was opening the door for me and politely extending her hand outward, and walked away. Then, I cast my gaze upon the formidable, massive presence waiting at the door.
'Why is he glaring at Valentina? Does he not like her?'
I looked puzzledly at Thierry, who was glaring at Valentina with a displeased look. I nervously fiddled with my skirt, which had flared out, and cautiously approached him.
"Why are you smiling at the madam?"
"Yes?"
"You didn't even smile at me like that..."
The rest of the words were mumbled low and very quiet, but I could still hear enough of what was necessary. It seemed that the uncomfortable topic from yesterday hadn't actually ended yesterday.
'...I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear anything.'
I couldn't even laugh. I deliberately pretended not to hear and changed the subject, trying to convince myself otherwise.
"We can enter through another door after Your Majesty has made your entry, can't we?"
"No. We're going to enter together."
Just as I naturally assumed I would be waiting at the entrance of the party hall, I heard words that came like a bolt from the blue.
"What? Together?!"
As I raised my voice in surprise, Thierry looked down at me with a look that seemed to say I was strange.
"We're partners, so why are you entering separately? Of course we should enter together."
"But still, how can I enter side by side with Your Majesty the Emperor? Even if we are partners, couldn't we just meet after entering?"
“Yeah no.”
His reaction was as if I were not even close to being a chance. His extremely resolute attitude made me feel like all the blood drained from my body. I could predict my face right now without even looking in the mirror. My complexion must have turned deathly pale.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for not informing you in advance, but I can't dance! If I go along, I will only be a burden."
I solemnly blurted out an important fact that I had been too flustered to say before.
"It's okay if you can't dance well. I'm a good dancer."
Of course, Thierry didn't even bother to listen to the attempt and just absurdly brushed it off by ending it with his own boasting. In the end, I shouted at him with a bewildered expression.
"Your Majesty...!"
"Just a moment, stay right there."
"Huh? No, wait a moment."
“Yes. Just a moment.”
Are you sure we can even have a conversation right now? I instinctively looked like I was about to cry. However, regardless, Thierry suddenly went behind me as if he were engrossed in his work and reached out his hand toward my neck.
"Ah..."
I glanced at my neck at the cold sensation, and a pearl necklace was sparkling.
"I wanted to do this for you myself."
I wondered why I was only wearing earrings and leaving my neck bare, but to think that it happened to be something they had saved for Thierry, it was obvious that Valentina, whose eyes were already sparkling, would heat up her delusional circuits even more.
I sighed inwardly and awkwardly fiddled with the necklace. Even to me, who doesn't know much about it, the pearls looked expensive as they reflected the light; they looked truly magical.
"... Thank you."
"Pretty."
It was a satisfying voice that you could tell without even seeing it.
It was difficult to reject Thierry, who kept treating me kindly and giving me affectionate looks, even though I tried to put up a wall.
I stubbornly looked straight ahead, afraid that if our eyes met like this, my heart, which I had tried so hard to calm, would waver.
Even as I took his outstretched hand and slowly walked forward, I could feel a gaze staring intently at my profile, but I continued walking without giving him a single glance.
'No. Something is wrong with this method.'
If he truly cared about me as he said, shouldn't he prioritize letting people gradually open up while observing the situation, rather than making me publicly provoke him like this? I felt that revealing myself so abruptly right now would only be like pouring fuel on the fire of rumors.
Then people would dislike me even more, and I might suffer the consequences.
'It's ruined...'
Suddenly, the beautiful pearl necklace felt like a heavy leash.
***
The glamorous party hall under the dazzling chandeliers was filled with expectant girls, but the moment I entered the hall with Thierry, the atmosphere turned cold, and silence fell for a moment.
I felt conflicted. As expected, all eyes were fixed on me.
'...I'm sorry. I didn't want this kind of attention.'
I strained my eyes and maintained only a faint smile. I had hoped that Thierry would distract me while I offered at least a quick greeting, but after entering and scanning the hall, Thierry didn't even open his mouth, let alone say a word, and merely gestured to Wagen.
As if he immediately understood the gesture, Wagen gestured to the waiting musicians, and thanks to that, the suffocating silence was broken, and sweet music filled the hall.
But of all things, the music was mellow. So much so that you could hear the murmuring of the people.
The only saving grace was that after Thierry scoured the nobles, his hostile gaze wasn't blatantly directed at me, but that didn't mean his interest had vanished entirely. Their subtle glances still brushed past me, and strangely enough, their whispered words stuck right into my ears.
"She claims she was brought here as a hostage, yet she is so brazen. Shouldn't she be refusing to eat and feeling depressed in her situation? Or does she have ulterior motives?"
"Well, judging by the rumors circulating, that is highly likely. I hear that Princess is really flirting with His Majesty."
"Oh? Then I suppose the reason His Majesty specially opened the Imperial Palace Hall wasn't for the debutante ball, but to host a celebratory banquet for that Princess."
"Well, I don't know about other things, but His Majesty is indeed quite lenient toward the Princess. Thanks to that, the number of nobles being carried away has decreased since she arrived."
"...If that is true, isn’t the Princess’s arrival, in a way, a good sign?"
My hearing is much better than I thought. I don't really need to hear everything this clearly.
I rubbed my ear slightly while pretending to run my fingers through my hair. Just as I was cautiously scanning my surroundings to see if there was a way to escape to a corner, the music grew louder, and a waltz began to fill the hall.
"Would you like to dance a song?"
Whether he couldn't hear what people were saying or was pretending not to, Thierry went a step further and politely asked me to dance as well. I had braced myself the moment we became partners, but now that it actually happened, it felt like a bolt of lightning struck from behind.
"...Your Majesty, as I have told you before, I cannot dance."
"As I said before, it's fine because I dance well."
I'm saying I'm not okay... You really only hear what you want to hear...
I headed toward the floor, practically being dragged along, as Thierry naturally grabbed my hand, which was at a loss for what to do, and pulled me toward him.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment