Translator: Nox

Chapter 98

#098. The Moment of Igniting Suspicion

"Katangta, are you referring to 'that' Katangta?"

"Shh, you. Keep your voice down."

It was as if a light had been ignited in her flickering vision. 'Katangta' was mixed into the secret conversation of the nobles.

'That' Katangta. How on earth did the nobles know about Katangta? She had confirmed that rumors of her brief stay in Katangta last month hadn't spread.

Her heart sank. The Princess struggled to swallow her ragged breaths.

She had to remain calm. She had to get rid of them before their existence was etched into the nobles' minds.

But how?

As if overloaded, her lips only twitched, unable to utter a single word. Her mind went blank.

It was then that the gazes towards the Princess grew increasingly strange.

"...Greetings to Her Highness the Princess."

The Princess snapped her head up. The low voice that appeared like salvation was Jade Madeleine. A member of House Madeleine, the Imperial Faction, and the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Palace Knights...!

The Princess instantly regained her composure. And, as if delighted, she looked at the Katangta Viscount and his wife.

"Welcome. Viscount, and Madam."

Before the Katangta Viscount and his wife could be surprised by the Princess's sudden change, the Princess smiled gracefully and said to Jade Madeleine.

"You've come at the right time, Lady Madeleine. Would you escort these people to the drawing room? They are people I briefly became acquainted with in the past..."

The Princess smiled awkwardly and looked around. Only then did the nobles seem to understand, sending cynical smiles towards the Katangta Viscount and his wife.

There were always lower nobles who flaunted their friendship with the Princess at every ball. It seemed these were the ones this time.

The Princess felt relieved at the changing gazes of the nobles. At the same time, she felt a sense of elation at how firmly she had built her support base.

The Katangta Viscount and his wife seemed to have immediately recognized the change in the nobles' eyes.

The Viscount's lips trembled with injustice. His beaten body was in pain, but it wasn't easy to speak in this atmosphere.

Nevertheless, the words he managed to muster were dismissed by the Princess.

"I...!"

"Viscount. It was nice meeting you. You must be tired from the long journey, so take a rest. Lady, I'll thank you in advance."

It was incredibly easy for the Princess to sway public opinion in high society when facing someone insignificant. Even more so with an assistant.

She remained calm and elegant. That appearance was enough to erase the sensitive image she had shown when she disappeared onto the balcony with Olivia earlier.

Soon, a barrage of ridicule rained down on the Viscount and his wife like daggers.

"It seems that rumor was nonsense after all."

"Of course. Her Highness the Princess bestows so much kindness that even these country bumpkin nobles come. They were dragged out once before."

"Ah, but that Baron at least had an invitation. Does this person even look like they have an invitation?"

"Oh, come on. How could they get into this ball without an invitation?"

"We should check, though."

The situation was neatly resolved.

The Princess wore a troubled smile but didn't stop the nobles.

She was slightly bothered that Lady Libeorn and the noble ladies weren't stepping in to calm the chaotic atmosphere, but she didn't think much of it.

If they wanted to attend the ball, they should have contacted her quietly instead of making such a big deal out of it.

The Princess looked at the Viscount and his wife with haughty eyes.

They should have been flustered and run away, but for some reason, they remained frozen with pale faces.

Had they turned to stone?

While thinking that she wished Jade Madeleine would get rid of them quickly, the Princess intentionally scanned her surroundings.

And she sent a malicious, gleaming sneer towards the Grand Duke and Olivia, who were standing over there.

She wasn't in any danger.

As long as the Empire's eternal prosperity continued, she would remain a dignified Princess.

They must have tried to disgrace her with that mere Abandoned Mine and Olivia's cheap threats.

Excellent ideas floated into her clear mind.

If she abandoned that Abandoned Mine and the Grand Duke and married a wealthy suitor, like the Prince of the Kingdom of Welton or the Prince of the Kingdom of Oran, she could not only avoid the Emperor's wrath but also turn it into an even better card.

The Princess glanced towards the foreign delegation. When she smiled gracefully, the nobles of the delegation lightly bowed to the Princess.

The alliance between the Franz Empire, which held dominion over the continent, and a powerful kingdom. The Territory of Vikander wouldn't even be a match.

If no one was around, she would have burst out laughing. How much would her mother praise her for being so Princess-like if she knew?

Looking at Grand Duke Bikander's red eyes, which revealed nothing, the Princess spat inwardly. And she turned her gaze towards Olivia next to him.

If she suppressed Grand Duke Bikander, who had insulted her, then Olivia, standing there, would be next.

Seeing her expressionless face, the humiliation from earlier surged back.

If she lost the Grand Duke as her backer, she wouldn't let her off easily then.

The Princess's blue eyes glared at Olivia again, full of vigor. It was infuriating to see her watching from a distance as if watching an opera.

It was Olivia who had been nothing more than a spectacle until recently.

In the meantime, two servants approached to cut off this atmosphere.

"Viscount Katangta, and Madam. Please accompany us for a moment. May we see your invitation?"

It was a welcome ending.

The Princess looked at the servants with a thoughtful face. Her benevolent smile was enough to win the nobles' favor. Everything was back to the way she wanted it.

"Wait."

At the low voice, the Princess reflexively stopped. The only person who should be interfering in this situation was the Grand Duke...

But it was too close to be the Grand Duke's voice. The Princess raised her head in disbelief. Soon, her sea-blue eyes were filled with shock.

"I accompanied them as their guarantor."

Why was he here now?

"Ah, are you saying that the Vice-Commander himself...?"

The servant stammered in confusion. And when Jade Madeleine nodded, the Princess couldn't believe what was unfolding before her eyes.

"Wh-What? Lady...!"

She had to say something, but her tongue was stiff. Jade Madeleine looked at the Princess with an indifferent face.

"As a Vice-Commander loyal to the Imperial Palace, I entered the ball with these two to dispel any misunderstandings. According to the Katangta Viscount, Her Highness the Princess personally invited them to the Summer Ball due to a connection made last month."

A connection made last month.

The Princess gasped, her face pale, at the voice echoing through the ballroom.

She couldn't let the nobles think about 'Katangta' any longer. The Princess hurriedly called out to him.

"Th-That can't be. Lady, no, Lady Madeleine."

Madeleine, she emphasized his family name.

Jade paused for a moment at the call, which was like a threat not to forget his family, the Imperial Faction.

The Princess didn't miss that moment of hesitation and glared.

And she took one step, then another, towards him. Her deliberately and subtly raised voice was directed at Jade.

"Whatever you say in this place, you must take responsibility for it. This is..."

"..."

"...not just a place for the nobles of our Franz Empire, is it?"

"..."

"Of course, I don't think that Lady, from House Madeleine, the leader of the Imperial Faction, would say anything disadvantageous to me, the Princess. Duke Madeleine would agree, wouldn't he?"

The Princess, who had been whispering as if having a secret conversation, smiled brightly and took two steps back.

The Katangta Viscount and his wife were both trembling, as if they had put their faith in Jade Madeleine.

House Madeleine, a staunch loyalist of the Imperial Faction, couldn't betray her, the Princess, in front of these numerous nobles.

"...Whether that's the case or not, as 'Madeleine,' I will pay the price for what was dishonorable."

So, when Jade started speaking again, the Princess blinked as if she had been hit in the back of the head.

Jade's gaze, speaking as if in a monologue, was directed far away. She didn't even have the time to pay attention to each strange word.

Because the low voice echoing through the ballroom was saying that he would betray her.

"I don't know if you know, but the rumor that Your Highness went to the Katangta Territory instead of the Territory of Vikander has already spread far and wide."

"What...!"

The Princess gasped and rolled her eyes.

How had she blocked the Grand Duke's mouth...! She never expected Jade Madeleine to do this.

Her vision blurred. Her fingertips grew cold and numb with bewilderment. She could only make rough sounds with suppressed breaths, unable to say anything.

There was nothing she could do while maintaining the appearance of a dignified Princess.

Someone had to stop him. Strangely, none of her playmates, including Lady Libeorn, stepped forward today.

The nobles who had been surrounding her and praising her just a moment ago were silent, as if they had glued their mouths shut.

Despair washed over her like a tidal wave. Receiving dagger-like gazes in a place where she was left alone, the Princess only shook her head.

Even as she did so, Jade continued to speak without hesitation.

"Such a thing is unthinkable for Your Highness, who is always dedicated to the Empire. So, why not take this opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings here?"

"Lady, Lady Madeleine!"

The sharp voice cut off Jade's words. The Princess looked at Jade with desperate eyes.

She couldn't tell what his indifferent amethyst eyes were thinking. The surroundings became as quiet as if water had been poured over them.

In the ballroom where even the music had stopped, the Princess looked at Jade Madeleine with desperation, as if hanging from a cliff.

The Abandoned Mine would have ended with the Emperor's wrath. But this was a burial in high society itself.

If the Princess, revered as a Saintess, was revealed to be incompetent and unable to properly carry out the Emperor's orders, especially with foreign envoys present...

A chill ran down her spine, and her vision blurred. Cold sweat trickled down her slender back. The mere thought made her feel as if the world was collapsing.

Even in her imagination, the Princess couldn't withstand all the criticism.

Unconsciously, she clung to Jade Madeleine with a frail voice.

"Lady Madeleine! Think of House Madeleine. Don't forget your pride in being loyal to the Imperial Family."

It was a signal to please stop talking. As if hearing her desperate plea, Jade Madeleine paused, and the Princess lifted her head.

She saw it clearly.

He was looking at Olivia Madeleine. The way the red eyes beside her sparkled with interest lingered in her mind.

Jade Madeleine turned back to the Princess, raising one side of his lip in a sneer.

A strange shiver ran through her.

The Princess couldn't even breathe as she looked at Jade Madeleine, Olivia, and the Grand Duke. Her trembling gaze, like an aspen leaf, returned to Jade Madeleine's moving lips.

"Lady Madeleine! How dare you make such accusations against Her Imperial Highness the Princess without any proof!"

It was Duke Elkin. He took a step forward, becoming the center of the banquet hall, and shouted at Jade Madeleine.

"You will have to take responsibility for what you said, Lady Madeleine! Duke Madeleine will not be able to avoid the responsibility placed on the House either!"

At the same time, thunderous anger swept through the banquet hall.

"What is going on here!"

It was the Emperor's entrance.

* * *

"Your Majesty, they must be severely punished! How dare they rely on their shallow friendship and take advantage of Her Imperial Highness the Princess's kindness!"

"Accusations? We were merely speaking of the honor of serving Her Imperial Highness the Princess!"

"Enough-!"

A lion-like roar swept through the banquet hall. Everyone flinched and lowered their heads at the Emperor's anger.

The Emperor, with deep furrows in his brow, looked down at the nobles below the platform. The Princess, who should always be elegant and superior, was faltering in the center of it all.

An absurd incident had occurred at the banquet. Why was there a rumor that the Princess had only stayed in the Katangta Viscountcy without visiting the Territory of Vikander?

The Emperor took a deep breath, his eyes filled with anger as he looked at everyone.

The Princess and the Abandoned Mine were issues for later. What had caused this mess was that the nobles had dared to challenge the Princess's, the Imperial Family's, authority.

And it was the second child of House Madeleine, a member of the Imperial Faction.

His fierce anger turned towards Jade Madeleine and the Duke who had failed to stop him. Among the nobles who couldn't even meet his eyes, he saw the Grand Duke, whose red eyes were particularly bright.

The Emperor tightened his grip on the throne. His teeth gritted, but he had to quickly resolve this situation.

"...I don't know what caused this commotion. But is it certain that the Princess stayed in Katangta, Viscount?"

He could easily dispose of that trembling wretch. The banquet was over.

"Pfft."

A small sound erupted in the quiet banquet hall.

It was clearly a laugh.