Translator: Nox

Chapter 64

#064. If All of This Isn't a Coincidence

"…D-Do you not like it?"

It was only when Olivia heard the voice, barely audible, that she snapped out of her thoughts. The child was looking at Olivia with an anxious expression, as if afraid of being rejected.

"It's too,"

Olivia said, shaking her head.

"It's too pretty."

"Really?"

The child smiled brightly as Olivia accepted the Thread anklet.

Olivia gently stroked the child's hair at the adorable sight of her muttering about how relieved she was and even sighing.

Startled by the warmth, the child looked up at the angelic lady.

The child, feeling proud, chattered away, seeing how beautifully Olivia smiled, seemingly pleased with the anklet she had gifted.

"I'm so glad you think it's pretty, Miss. My mom will be happy. She always says she's grateful to you."

"Can you tell her I'm grateful too?"

The child nodded, face flushed. One of the other children said jealously.

"My mom can make them too! I'll give you a gift later, Miss!"

Olivia smiled slightly. Meanwhile, the children, seemingly excited about the recent events in this area, looked around Yeniv Street.

"I'm glad we came to Yeniv! We get to see you, Miss, and we don't have to wear Robes anymore and can play during the day."

"Me too! My aunt said this place is trustworthy, so we came here with great difficulty."

"An old man kept talking about this place, so I came, and it's so great!"

An old man? Was that old man also green-eyed?

But before Olivia could dwell on her curiosity, the children's topic quickly changed. Listening to their chattering voices, a gentle smile formed on Olivia's face.

The people of Yeniv Street, who had been glancing at her, all breathed a sigh of relief and smiled inwardly.

Even if they had the same green eyes, the lady was a noble who only used good things, so they thought she wouldn't accept such a Thread anklet.

But seeing her cherish it even more, people were impressed, while Olivia was lost in thought, fiddling with the Thread anklet.

No matter how she looked at it, it was too similar to her mother's keepsake, which she hadn't seen since it was taken away by her nanny fourteen years ago. She had searched Ruheirn Street in the capital and even handicraft workshops, but she had never seen anything similar to this Thread anklet.

She thought the only thing green-eyed people had in common was their eye color. To think that this Thread anklet was only made by green-eyed people.

Could there be more secrets related to her birth or people with green eyes? Olivia vaguely wondered.

But the thought didn't last long. The feel of the Thread anklet, rustling against her fingers, reminded her of her mother stroking her hair when she was very young.

Her mother, who was as beautiful as a flower. Her mother, who always sang songs as lovely as a canary.

Olivia delved into her memories. What was the melody of the song her mother used to sing? At the same time, a voice as lovely as a canary began to hum a tune.

"What's that?"

"Isn't it a song?"

"Mom scolds us if we do that."

The children, who had been saying one or two words as if unfamiliar with it, gradually fell silent. And it was when they were looking at Olivia with admiring eyes.

"Who is it? Who's singing!"

Suddenly, someone shouted from beyond the window. When their eyes met, Olivia saw the woman's eyes, which had poked her face out of the window, trembling.

As if terrified.

The woman's face turned gray when she saw Olivia. As the woman came out into the street, at a loss for what to do, several people nearby also approached. Everyone seemed uncomfortable with the situation, constantly avoiding eye contact.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you, Miss."

"Is singing forbidden in Yeniv?"

"No, it's just that we were preventing any possible situations. Because we're so…"

The person speaking glanced at the children for a moment.

It was only when the children, tilting their heads as if not understanding what she meant, moved away at someone's call that the woman continued.

"…Because they call us the bloodline of dancers. We've avoided singing and dancing even more. In case of anything worse…"

The woman paused, glancing at Olivia.

"…We might receive attention."

Olivia could easily guess what the woman had omitted.

Violence, insults, or even worse contempt.

"I'll go back inside now."

The woman bowed to Olivia and went inside her house. Watching her retreating figure, Olivia suddenly remembered what Dian had said before.

"…Aren't you the only one who isn't persecuted for having green eyes, Miss?"

A deep contempt that wouldn't even allow them to sing. The prejudice of being the bloodline of dancers.

"…Just because of their eye color, they didn't even have the freedom to sing."

Olivia murmured quietly. And she looked at Yeniv Street.

The fact that it wasn't just the district's boundaries that needed to be changed crashed into Olivia's heart like a wave.

Her calmly sunken green eyes scrutinized the people of the street, and the children who were now revealing their eyes and running around. At that moment, a strange thought suddenly occurred to Olivia.

There are definitely green-eyed people among the dancers. But not all dancers are green-eyed.

Nevertheless, green eyes were branded throughout this Franz Empire as the 'bloodline of lowly dancers.'

But the green-eyed people themselves are extremely wary of singing and dancing, fearing negative attention.

Olivia once again fiddled with the Thread anklet she had been holding in her palm.

It was a combination that didn't quite fit.

.

.

.

The woman who went inside, Vicki, sighed and glanced out the window.

The lady was looking at the street with a thoughtful expression. She was relieved that there was no anger towards her on that face.

She should have known it was the lady who was singing from the moment everyone in this street, who was extremely sensitive to singing, fell silent.

The only green eyes who can sing freely.

Vicki, who had been looking outside with a mixture of admiration and awe, felt a presence and turned around.

"Grandma?"

Her grandmother, who was always in a daze due to her age and failing mental state, had gotten up from the table and come all the way here. And with a glint in her eyes for the first time in years.

Before she could express her surprise, Vicki noticed that her grandmother was moving her lips, saying something.

Vicki, focusing on her lip movements, repeated her grandmother's words.

"A s-song can open it? Open what?"

But instead of answering Vicki's question, her grandmother looked out the window. Smiling warmly, as if she had heard welcome news for the first time in a long time.

* * *

It was a warm sunny afternoon, but there was no room for late spring leisure in the office of Tiaje Palace.

'Summer Ball' documents and attendance replies piled up on the desk. From budget allocation to concept.

Maria Etel, looking at the work to be done, finally burst into anger.

"Why is there so much to do!"

It was inappropriate behavior for the Crown Prince's fiancée to display. Baroness Sophron, who had sent the maids out in advance, kept her mouth shut for a moment.

If she had really done all the work and said these words, Baroness Sophron would have been able to understand. The Princess's Summer Ball really had a lot to take care of.

But Maria Etel hadn't done anything. She hadn't even decided on the concept of the ball.

It was common to send out invitations with at least an idea of what kind of ball it would be, but because it was so delayed, they had sent out the invitations first as an exception this time.

And yet, she was having trouble even organizing the attendance replies.

Baroness Sophron, who had been holding back, finally parted her lips.

"…There isn't much time left until the Summer Ball. You'll have to prepare for the Tea Party as soon as Her Highness the Princess arrives. Perhaps you could refer to the Summer Ball held last year…"

"Are you telling me to just refer to last year's ball?"

A sharp voice cut off Baroness Sophron's words. Her thinly raised eyes glared at Baroness Sophron, filled with venom.

She had come to know whose hands had been running this Summer Ball all along.

How dare she, the proud daughter of Etel, be told to refer to that half-baked ball!

Maria swept her hair back in annoyance.

She thought she had cleared away all the things that had been touched by it. But everywhere she went in this Imperial Palace, there were traces of that half-blooded bastard.

The reason why she had to make this Summer Ball her engagement ceremony became even clearer. She had to erase all traces of Olivia left in the Imperial Palace and imprint her place on all the nobles of the empire.

"What am I supposed to do with this little money!"

Maria shouted sharply. Only this much budget to prepare for a week-long ball.

It was woefully insufficient to prepare for the Summer Ball and to make the last day her engagement ceremony.

Baroness Sophron answered calmly to the demanding gaze that was asking for an explanation.

"…It's the average budget for all Summer Balls."

In other words, Olivia Madelaine had held the ball with that much budget. Even in the question she asked, Olivia's story was not left out.

Overwhelmed with humiliation, Maria bit her lip and checked the attendees of the ball again. And after sorting out the people who had not replied, she let out a low sigh and muttered quietly.

"…Olivia Madelaine."

The only people whose receipt of the invitation could not be confirmed were the Grand Duke and that lowly thing.

It was absolutely unacceptable.

Olivia, that lowly half-blood, had to come to her ball no matter what.

Because she had to come and see with her own vulgar green eyes who was more suitable for the position of Crown Princess Consort.

Maria's eyes gleamed greedily.

About to get into the carriage, Leopold looked back at the Emperor's palace with annoyed eyes.

He was very displeased with the attitude of Conrad Madeleine, the young Duke he had met during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meeting regarding the negotiations with Heferti.

"......I will check."

When he pointed out that he couldn't get in touch with Olivia, that was all he could say.

Just spouting the same words as his father like a parrot.

Anyway, he didn't like the Duke or his son. They couldn't even win Olivia over and had been struggling until now.

Rather, his uncle, Duke Elkin, the leader of the Aristocratic Faction, seemed to move more to his liking.

Leopold frowned deeply and got into the carriage. Count Hagis, his aide, said politely as his upset mood did not easily subside.

"We will head straight to Tiaje Palace."

Tiaje Palace. Leopold's eyes widened as he momentarily thought of the person guarding that palace.

The image that reflexively came to mind was not a bright blonde, but the back of someone with chilling silver hair.

"......I must be very tired these days. Just, such......"

Leopold couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Strangely, a feeling of emptiness seemed to be spreading in his heart.