Chapter 83
#083. An Unexpected Figure Among the Same People
That couldn't be.
The Emperor chuckled wryly and shook his head.
Even if he had been burdened with many tiring matters lately, how could he dare to think of the Princess when looking at Madeleine?
It was only the similar green eyes.
The Emperor knew his own heart well.
His desire was only for the Princess, and he didn't need a substitute. If he truly needed a substitute, he would have brought someone who resembled her into the Imperial Palace long ago.
If only the Late Vikander Grand Duke hadn't existed, he would have brought the real Princess into the palace.
A resentment and inferiority he couldn't quite digest crept up. The Emperor, thinking of the Late Vikander Grand Duke and the Princess who had rejected him until the end, shook his head.
Therefore, the Madeleine had to come to the Crown Prince's side even more. The Vikander Grand Duke, who resembled her mother, the Princess, had to feel the same desperate futility and inescapable misery as he did.
All of this had to be settled in his son's generation. The thought of how sweetly radiant that wedding would be was delightful just to imagine.
The Emperor's eyes gleamed strangely.
"By the way, Your Majesty. Would you like to view the tribute offered by the delegation together tomorrow...?"
The Empress, who had been speaking elegantly beside him, paused. The Emperor, who had been discussing the delegation with her until just now, was staring blankly at one spot.
The Empress followed the Emperor's gaze without making it obvious. And the moment she realized that Olivia was at the end of that gaze, the Empress widened her eyes in surprise.
The corners of her beautifully upturned mouth trembled as if convulsing. The hand gripping the armrest of the throne dug in its nails.
That couldn't be. For a brief moment, the face of that woman in the portrait flashed over the face of the .
She had never once thought that the woman with the flamboyant blonde hair resembled that wretch Olivia.
But why now?
Was it because she remembered the Grand Duchess when she came to the palace in the past, with those chilling green eyes?
That arrogant and haughty woman who didn't bow her head even when she met her gaze.
Looking at Olivia's vulgar green eyes, the Empress tried to calm her anxiously beating heart. But the Empress knew very well how fondly the Emperor had looked at that woman.
So, if she thought this way, the Emperor must be thinking similarly...
"Empress."
At the Emperor's low call, the Empress's heart plummeted.
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
"Duke Madeleine plans to thoroughly educate the at this ball. Tell the Crown Prince to help the return to her place quickly."
Only after those simple words, devoid of any lingering affection, were spoken did the Empress exhale silently.
Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as she had imagined. When she thought about it, if she resembled the Late Grand Duchess, it wouldn't make sense for the current Grand Duke to propose to that wretch Olivia.
As if there was no one else to love, he would choose someone who even slightly resembled his mother.
Especially if that mother wasn't just an ordinary person, but one who was dragged into the Imperial Palace and met a miserable end here. If the Grand Duke was trying to compensate for the unhappiness of his childhood through Olivia, who seemed to be in a similar situation to his mother, then he certainly had terrible taste.
Then how should she interpret the reason for rejecting her precious daughter, the Princess, in favor of accepting a half-baked as his fiancée?
It could really be a longing for his pitiful mother and a sense of deprivation, or perhaps revenge against the previous generation...!
At the end of her imagination, which was running wild as her tension eased, the Empress's eyes widened.
Incredibly, the Empress blinked, feeling like she was approaching the answer. With each blink of her long eyelashes, the doubt that she had was gradually turning into conviction. Soon, the Empress's beautiful red eyes sparkled with interest.
Her red lips twitched with a sneer. She regretted that this delightful story was still just a hypothesis. But the Empress could make this hypothesis seem like a fact as much as she wanted.
"I need to talk to the Princess."
But before that.
The Emperor's gaze towards the Princess was unusual. Hiding her thrilling inner thoughts, the Empress smiled coquettishly and stroked the Emperor's arm.
Meeting the Emperor's cold eyes as he turned to look at her, the Empress waved her hand towards a servant. Soon, a glass filled with shimmering crimson wine was placed right in front of her.
Raising the glass, the Empress whispered sweetly to the Emperor.
"...Call the Princess later, and enjoy the ball first, Your Majesty. You have always wished only for the prosperity and well-being of the Empire, but wouldn't it be okay to wish for happiness solely for yourself for just one day?"
"...Is that so?"
"Yes, of course. The Princess, who is the host of this ball, is handling everything so well, and if necessary, the reliable Crown Prince will be here. Enjoy this happiness with me, Your Majesty."
At the pleasant flattery, the Emperor's frown gradually eased. Soon, the Emperor downed the wine in one gulp.
It was the Emperor's favorite, strong liquor.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Princess, who was conversing with nobles at the edge of the ballroom, pretended to look at the noble in front of her while casting her gaze far away.
The Emperor's gaze, which she had been feeling constantly, had stopped, and it seemed that His Majesty was finally enjoying the ball. She could see the Empress beside him constantly offering him strong liquor.
What in the world was going on?
Instead of feeling proud and gratified at a ball that she had always enjoyed comfortably, she was now looking around and reading people's faces.
Moreover, while she was briefly angry with Maria Etel and had gone out, what had happened here that made her brother leave in anger as he had done earlier?
No, even setting that aside, she was full of questions. But as long as this ball didn't end, she couldn't ask anyone.
"The Territory of Vikander currently prohibits all access to the Imperial Family and the Madeleine."
She had barely endured the Emperor's gaze that had been pouring down on her until just now.
If the Grand Duke hadn't said that earlier, it would have been a foregone conclusion that she had gone to investigate the Abandoned Mine in the Territory of Vikander.
But now, the Emperor's eyes looking at her were filled with suspicion.
Ah, the Princess raised the corners of her lips higher than usual, afraid that her anxiety would show.
The unnaturally bright smile, which didn't suit the flamboyant dress decorated with a fairy concept, looked particularly awkward, but the nobles in front of her praised the Princess without showing any reaction.
"It's truly a wonderful ball. You must have worked so hard to prepare this ball as well."
It was a customary greeting, but the Princess gritted her teeth for a moment. It was a ball with the exact same concept as the previous ball, after all.
The noble who had spoken seemed to realize his mistake, and his face turned pale.
Amidst the elegant waltz melody, the nobles, who had been enveloped in silence for a moment, burst into awkward laughter at once and quickly changed the subject.
"I heard that the rumors about the Empire's Summer Ball have spread, and Heferti has sent a delegation this time?"
"They will be enjoying the ball with us from tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing how much Heferti, which is busy with war recovery, will look up to us."
"That's right, isn't it?"
She knew very well that each of these instances would accumulate and help her in the future, but it wasn't easy to suppress the rising anger. The Princess smiled brightly, suppressing her uncomfortable feelings.
When she generously smiled at the noble who had made a mistake, an exclamation burst out from one place, "As expected, Her Highness the Princess is like a Saintess."
That was enough.
Even if the concept overlapped with the previous ball, it wouldn't leave a significant blemish on the Princess's reputation that she had built up until now, and she had just won the favor of the nobles.
Now she had to approach that wretch Olivia. She was watching for an opportunity while smiling so much that her lips were cramping, but it wasn't as easy as she thought.
Two Knights wearing uniforms with the Vikander emblem were exuding a cold hostility as if they were guarding her, and Olivia, surrounded by them, was dancing or talking with the Grand Duke.
It was completely different from her usual appearance of standing alone at the edge of the ballroom.
The most flamboyant dress and seemingly expensive jewels. And even the Grand Duke's affectionate escort, which captivated people's attention.
The Princess herself was the host of this ball, but it was so unpleasant to see her acting like the host.
Above all, that was her place.
Not for Olivia, who had deceived her and stolen the Abandoned Mine...!
She was seething with anger. The Princess suppressed the anger that was making her head spin and stared at Olivia for a long time. As the unpleasant gaze was felt directly, the nobles sympathized with the Princess's feelings one by one.
"By the way, the seems to be unusually excited today."
"Well, she's like that because she has a partner. She's always come alone without a partner until now, hasn't she?"
The nobles' way of speaking, which elegantly twisted their words, was mixed with ridicule and criticism. At this point, it was appropriate for her, as the host of the ball, to give a warning.
As soon as she had an excuse to talk to the , the Princess gracefully interrupted the conversation. And she moved towards the .
If she went to Olivia and greeted her by asking if she was enjoying the ball and said that she had something to talk about for a moment, all the nobles would think that she was giving a stern warning. If she mentioned the Abandoned Mine at that opportunity and added her brother's story...!
"Greetings to Her Highness the Princess."
Her steps were becoming increasingly hurried as her thoughts were fitting together perfectly. The Princess widened her eyes at the greeting that someone suddenly gave her.
It was Jade Madeleine. Why did he have to appear now, when she was so anxious and impatient? And it was someone she didn't even welcome.
It was as vivid as if it had just happened that he had left her in the reception room and rudely left. But now he was showing respect.
"Yes, Sir. Nice to see you."
But she couldn't ignore the second son of the Madeleine Dukedom in this crowded place.
Especially with everyone's attention focused on all of Madeleine because Olivia was acting so wildly.
The Princess felt that the gazes fixed on her had doubled and received the greeting as usual. Since it was the virtue of a Knight to step back after showing respect, Jade Madeleine would do the same.
But.
"You look even more beautiful today, Your Highness."
"Is that so? Thank you, Sir. You look more dashing today as well, Sir."
"What kind of concept are you using for the ball?"
"Pardon?"
The Princess barely suppressed the words that were about to come out roughly. And she forced herself to smile sweetly.
"Ah. You seem to be very interested in the ball. Then go over there and..."
"I apologize, but I would like to hear it from Her Highness the Princess."
His way of speaking, abandoning all etiquette, was suspicious. It was as if he was trying to protect something from her, or to divert her attention.
The Princess's eyes narrowed as if trying to discern the truth. It was when the nobles, feeling the strangeness in Jade Madeleine's appearance, who was constantly talking to her in a stiff manner without being daunted by the dignified appearance of the Princess, were approaching.
"What kind of concept does Your Highness..."
Jade, who was consciously stringing together any words, let out a low groan. And he looked elsewhere with the Princess in front of him and let out a flustered breath.
The Princess followed his gaze. Soon after, a thin smile flashed across her red lips and disappeared.
Now it was certain. The reason why Jade Madeleine was blocking her way.
It was to protect Olivia over there, that wretch.
But now Duke Madeleine was approaching Olivia. Jade, who was a step late, hurriedly tried to move, but no matter how she looked at it, the Duke was faster.
It was better this way. If it was the Duke, he would try his best to return Olivia to her place right away.
The Princess, who was watching the scene with a smile, suddenly frowned fiercely.
There was a man who intervened in front of the Duke as if to dissuade him from walking.
Conrad Madeleine.
It was the appearance of an unexpected figure. The corners of Edwin's lips, who had been watching Duke Madeleine's movements, slightly twisted upwards and then downwards.
