Chapter 22
22.
“Marquis Maxwell. Have you had a chance to greet our Prince?”
The moment Ian spoke, the Empress pulled Maximilian by the hand and approached the two of them.
It was a calculated move to draw this young nobleman, who would soon be the center of the Empire’s attention, to her side.
“Crown Prince, you should go find Duke Raven. He was looking for you urgently.”
She didn’t forget to dismiss Ian, who was in her way.
The way she feigned the voice of a tender mother in front of the new Marquis was utterly loathsome.
“As you wish. Please, continue your conversation.”
Ian withdrew obediently; there was no need to display the Imperial Family’s internal dysfunction in front of the new Marquis.
Besides, he had been looking for an excuse to head elsewhere anyway.
It was just as Ian began walking toward the lower dais to find Lobelin.
“You wretched girl! How dare a common thing like you act so insolently toward a Duke!”
A commotion erupted from one side of the banquet hall.
“Do you think I don’t know you’re looking down on me?! You arrogant brat!”
Ian’s brow furrowed instinctively at the sound of Duke Bolton’s voice.
The man should have been holed up at home under self-reflection, yet he had the audacity to show up at an Imperial banquet and cause such a scene.
Ian had no desire to mingle with the nobles, so he tried to leave the area quickly.
“Duke Bolton, what are you saying? This is all a misunderstanding…!”
But the voice that followed brought him to a dead halt.
He whipped his head around, and what he saw was…
‘Lobelin!’
There stood a distressed Lobelin in front of Bolton, whose face was flushed red with drink.
Seeing her expression as she looked around, appearing as if she might burst into tears at any moment, Ian’s fists clenched involuntarily.
Of course, that was merely his perspective.
‘Trashy men are the same in this life as they were in my past one.’
Lobelin felt like shoving Bolton aside right then and there and exposing his foul deeds.
The only reason she didn’t step forward was that Bolton was a Duke and they were in the public eye.
A crowd of whispering nobles had already gathered to watch the spectacle.
‘At least I’m glad Connie isn’t here.’
Cornelia was currently meeting with her grandmother, Dowager Lady Bennet.
Since Bolton held a grudge against Cornelia after failing to harass her, it was fortunate for Lobelin that she was alone.
Or perhaps not so fortunate.
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?! You spilled my drink on purpose and now you’re playing innocent!”
Bolton was ranting and raving, pointing his finger at her.
When Lobelin simply stared at him in silence for a moment, Bolton’s rage only intensified.
“You! You’re thinking I’m just a short, pathetic man right now, aren’t you?”
“Ha…”
Lobelin could only sigh at Bolton’s absurdity.
She had seen him with her own two eyes handing Cornelia a glass laced with that foul potion.
The way he was acting like an innocent victim was beyond hypocritical.
She had only turned back for a moment to check if the potion had been dealt with, and now he was throwing a disgraceful fit, claiming she had insulted him.
‘I can’t exactly lose my temper and match his energy, though.’
She couldn’t afford to lose her cool while everyone was watching.
Lobelin forced her lips into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and spoke.
“Duke, I believe you’ve had too much to drink today. Let’s speak again later.”
Lobelin spoke kindly, attempting to excuse herself from the scene.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
But Duke Bolton, his anger unappeased, suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Lobelin’s arm.
“I’m not finished speaking! Are you going to ignore me until the very end?!”
“Duke! What are you doing?!”
‘That bastard!’
Watching the scene unfold, sparks flew in Ian’s eyes.
He had been imagining beating Bolton to a pulp ever since he heard that Lobelin had consumed the potion.
He hadn’t taken his eyes off her throughout the ceremony for fear that Bolton might approach her.
To think this would happen during the brief moment he was greeting Cedric Maxwell.
“How dare he lay a hand on her? I won’t let him—”
“Your Highness!”
But before Ian could step forward, someone grabbed his arm firmly from behind.
Turning his head, he saw Brian shaking his head urgently.
“Your Highness must not interfere in a dispute between nobles. Please, restrain yourself.”
“Does the Duke call that a dispute? That man is unilaterally—”
“The Empress is watching.”
Bolton had been shouting so loudly that every person in the banquet hall was now focused on them.
Among them, as Brian said, were the Empress and her cousin, Count Wighill.
As Ian hesitated, Brian spoke as if giving a warning.
“Your Highness, judge the situation calmly. If you openly make an enemy of Duke Bolton in front of everyone, you are handing the Empress a powerful card to use against you.”
“…”
Despite the general disdain for him, Bolton’s influence could not be ignored.
As a Duke, he held significant speaking and voting power within the House of Nobles.
Though he had never used it properly, usually wasting his breath on unrealistic nonsense.
However, if Bolton were to use his authority for the Empress’s sake, Ian could find himself at a disadvantage in the future struggle for the throne.
“I will settle the situation, so Your Highness should please—”
“L-let go of me! You’re hurting me!”
But Brian’s attempt to stop him was drowned out by Lobelin’s cry of pain.
Hearing that, the last of Ian’s rationality seemed to snap.
“Damn it, she says it hurts!”
“Your Highness!”
Before he could be stopped, Ian shook off Brian’s arm and dashed toward Lobelin.
Brian hurried after him.
‘Damn it, for a pervert, he’s incredibly strong!’
Meanwhile, Lobelin was struggling with all her might to free her arm from Bolton’s grip.
However, her slender arm was no match for the physical strength of an adult man.
“D-Duke! Please stop this!”
“He’s right! Even so, to a young lady—”
“Shut up! Anyone who interferes will be considered as challenging my authority!”
A few brave souls tried to intervene, but each time, Duke Bolton swung his cane and shouted even louder.
Faced with such a tyrannical display of authority, no one else dared to step forward.
Lobelin bit her lip and scanned the banquet hall.
‘With a commotion this big, His Majesty the Emperor will have no choice but to intervene.’
If no one else could stop Bolton, she had to wait for someone who could suppress him with superior authority.
After all, Heriot was an empire of gentlemen that valued the proper treatment of ladies.
No matter if Bolton was a Duke, such an act of using physical force to oppress a lady would never be tolerated.
Suddenly, a shout reached Lobelin’s ears.
“Lobelin!”
“Huh?”
Come to think of it, there was one more person.
Another person who could suppress the reckless Duke Bolton with authority.
‘Ian?’
Over the heads of the murmuring crowd, she saw that familiar, sun-bright blonde hair approaching.
She didn’t even need to see his face to know.
There were only two people in the Empire as tall as that—Ian and Brian.
A golden-haired Crown Prince rushing to save a lady in distress.
At a glance, it was a heart-fluttering, romantic situation.
And yet.
‘Ian Heriet, you can’t come out here now!’
There were so many eyes watching!
Recalling how Ian had been fuming about killing Duke Bolton earlier, Lobelin frantically gestured for him to stay away.
It was one thing if it were the Emperor, but if rumors spread that the young Crown Prince had charged in to save a young lady…!
‘Go! Go away! Don’t come here! Stop!’
‘You want me to save you right now? I understand!’
However, her gestures only served to further provoke Ian’s frantic heart, as he completely misinterpreted them as a plea for help.
‘I can’t let this continue!’
In the end, Lobelin decided to use her last resort.
“Ah! Suddenly, I feel dizzy…!”
Lobelin swayed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Gasps of surprise erupted from the crowd, and even Duke Bolton, who had been shouting until now, fell silent for a moment.
Taking advantage of the flustered Duke’s loosened grip, Lobelin quickly pulled her arm away.
‘That’s it!’
Lobelin intended to make her escape while acting appropriately unsteady.
Thump.
But before she could leave, she felt someone’s body brush against her back.
The person gently wrapped an arm around her.
“Are you alright, Lady Dines?”
Looking up, she saw the guest of honor, Cedric Maxwell, looking down at her with concern.
‘Wait? When did he get here?’
As Lobelin looked up with a slightly bewildered expression, Cedric whispered.
“Just keep leaning on me. Try to look as frail as possible.”
“Pardon?”
Cedric gave a kind smile to the blinking Lobelin and turned his gaze toward Bolton.
“Lo—!”
“Your Highness! It’s over now!”
In the meantime, as Ian tried to step forward a moment too late, the pursuing Brian restrained him.
“His Majesty has arrived.”
Just as Brian said, the Emperor was approaching from behind Marquis Maxwell.
The crowd bowed in unison toward the Emperor.
Ian also froze in place.
The Emperor asked in a sharp voice.
“What is the meaning of this commotion on such a joyous day?”
