Chapter 51
Bolonico and Regina
After having his attendants help him remove his protective gear, Bolonico immediately sent a letter to Pelliese County Residence.
The recipient was Regina Pellierse.
The Deposed Empress's cousin.
Meetings with First Prince Bolonico were always thrilling.
As the first in line to the throne and a handsome, unmarried prince, Bolonico was the most eligible bachelor in the Empire.
What would people whisper if Bolonico regularly inquired after her well-being and accompanied her to unofficial events?
"The Pellierse County's daughter and the First Prince seem to be spending a lot of time together."
"It's safe to say that the Pellierse family has now completely joined Prince Bolonico's faction."
"It's hard to remain neutral in these times."
"Another marriage alliance? I heard that the daughter of the previous Count Pellierse also formed a connection with the Imperial Family, albeit with the Deposed Emperor."
"It seems they want to become completely loyal to the Emperor's faction."
"Will Grand Duke Drieoter stand for that? Princess Ariesta is right there, so what is Prince Bolonico thinking...?"
"They say they're friends, so we'll have to wait and see."
"Still, it wouldn't hurt to get close in advance, just in case."
Numerous eyes were fixed on Regina as she held Bolonico's arm and ascended to the second floor.
Regina, standing beside Bolonico, who waved lightly like a stage actor, pondered what kind of story she should use to capture his attention today.
The plays Bolonico invited her to were special.
First of all, the invitees were always the closest nobles and their retainers who supported Bolonico as the next Emperor.
The secret opera house was filled with not only famous actors but also amazing sights, such as lions, bears, and even a young giraffe brought in by breaking through the ceiling to participate in the play.
The number of people invited to the box seats for these plays was also very limited.
It was well-known that only his closest aide, Marquis Compagni, regularly watched plays with Bolonico.
Recently, Regina Pellierse had taken that spot.
"The play won't start for a while yet, so I'll be back after a short visit to the ladies' lounge."
Regina enjoyed the whispering gazes of the people as she walked out into the hallway and headed for the lounge.
Bolonico was a curious man, so the more gossip she brought him, the more interested he seemed to be.
The ladies' lounge was the perfect place to overhear the private and intimate secrets of the nobles.
Moreover, the noble ladies, who had previously treated Regina as if she were invisible, were now showing a subtly different attitude and welcoming her, making it a much more enjoyable place to enter than before.
"So what if he does? Her mother is a merchant's daughter, after all."
"Just think about the previous Count and Countess Pellierse. And the one before that. Looking at how she doesn't resemble the current Count Pellierse at all, it seems she inherited everything from her mother's side. That vulgar red hair. That light gait. From behind, she's no different from a commoner."
"But she's a striking beauty, isn't she?"
"Have you ever seen Princess Ariesta? The princess is the true beauty. Regina Pellierse? I've never even heard of that name until recently."
"Have you heard the news that the Pellierse family is overflowing with gold thanks to the new Deposed Empress?"
"Of course. Those who know, know. I heard that Marquis Lev's family paid the bridal payment for the first time, didn't they? Are you envious?"
Loud laughter leaked from inside the room.
It was the laughter of elderly noblewomen, seasoned socialites, and the young ladies they had brought with them.
"Don't be ridiculous. Envious? That's like being sold off. Compared to the time wasted living with that Monster, it's a very small amount."
"Still, it's better than Regina Pellierse. How long do you think the First Prince will stay with Regina Pellierse? In the end, he'll have no choice but to marry Princess Ariesta. If she just ends up with a bunch of scandals with His Highness and doesn't get married, Regina's reputation will only plummet from now on."
"If that happens, who would want to marry the Pellierse County's daughter, who has no territory to bring? Her value will plummet, and she won't even be able to dream of the bridal payment that the Deposed Empress received, will she?"
"Oh my. What will happen then? I feel sorry for the Pellierse County family-."
Regina stood frozen, enduring the mockery and gossip seeping through the crack in the door.
Just because she received an overflowing number of invitations to tea parties didn't mean that everyone judged Regina's future to be rosy.
'It's because of Bolonico.'
Ten years ago, strange rumors circulated about Bolonico and Princess Ariesta, who had been the Deposed Emperor's fiancée.
Just like Regina now, he had taken her everywhere like an ornament.
Even when rumors spread about his discord with the Deposed Emperor, he didn't bat an eye, despite having the princess, who was considered a beauty that appeared only once every 100 years, by his side.
As a result, when the engagement with the Deposed Emperor was eventually broken, all the bad rumors were directed at Princess Ariesta.
It was said that she had abandoned the Deposed Emperor and chosen Bolonico because of her ambition to become Empress in the future.
If the ending of this strange combination had finally been the princess becoming the prince's wife, the rumors would have been dispelled...
'Bolonico didn't do that.'
Unfortunately, Bolonico, despite not being young, had no fiancée.
Ariesta, the daughter of Grand Duke Drieoter, the Emperor's closest aide, had nowhere to marry with her scandalous rumors with Bolonico.
Thus, unlike the women of her age who usually looked for an fiancé or betrothed from the age of 20, Ariesta existed like a flower on a cliff, confined to her territory.
'I won't become like that.'
Princess Ariesta, who had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse, would never have been able to satisfy the curious Bolonico, but. Not me.
Regina bit her lip and eventually returned to her seat from the entrance of the lounge.
First Prince Bolonico, who had been sitting languidly, stroked the parrot beside him and smiled warmly at her appearance.
"Did you rest enough, Lady Regina."
As soon as Regina sat down, she began to share the interesting stories she had heard at the tea parties she had been invited to.
Bolonico listened to her stories in silence and responded lightly.
"Haaam-."
"!"
Regina stiffened at that moment, when Bolonico, who had never been bored by her stories, yawned openly.
The sight of him pretending to wipe away tears that weren't even flowing didn't seem like the gentleman who had treated her with such courtesy and perfection.
"Your Highness?"
Bolonico smiled at the woman's eyes, filled with anxiety.
Enjoying the gaze that alternated between relief and unease, he whispered.
"Bolonico isn't interested in the people around him, Lady Regina. Bolonico is interested in you."
The color instantly returned to Regina's cheeks, which had been turning pale.
She didn't even notice that the courteous Bolonico was naturally starting to speak informally to her.
And that eye that Bolonico liked. That eye that coveted what belonged to others, sparkled unfiltered at him for a brief moment.
Regina Pellierse was filled with pride in her position as the 'Count's' daughter, rather than pride in the Pellierse family itself.
A court noble with no territory. Despite having a father who couldn't even properly participate in politics.
A hint of malice began to gather at the corners of Bolonico's lips as they slid upwards.
"Enough about other people. I think we need more time to get to know each other. What do you think, Lady Regina?"
It was only natural that Regina became more expectant and impatient at Bolonico's snake-like tongue.
"Bolonico wants to know more about you and your family, Lady Regina."
The beautiful prince's flawless, elegant fingers touched the back of Regina's hand, which was tightly gripping the box seat bar.
As she straightened her back in tension, a smooth voice wrapped around Regina's eardrums like a snake.
"Do you know what this means?"
Every family always had legendary stories passed down through generations.
After that day, Bolonico openly expressed his respect and curiosity about the legends and uniqueness of the Pellierse family.
While Regina had hope in Bolonico's attitude, she had to confirm the fact that she knew too little about the Pellierse family every time.
Regina somehow pushed her father, mother, useless Frederick, and the old butler to scrape together any information they had.
"Everyone knows that much, Lady Regina."
"But the fact that the Painkiller our family makes is particularly effective is something that ordinary people take for granted, Your Highness. The reason for that is the special experiment I mentioned before."
Regina, who had run out of stories, even talked about the laboratory where they experimented on stray dogs, stray cats, and sheep or goats that had strayed from the herd, but it was no use.
Compared to the rare animals in Bolonico's palace and the bizarre training inflicted on those animals, it was just a tickle.
As a reward for bringing even that small piece of information, Regina visited Bolonico's palace and saw a yellow elephant writing numbers with its trunk for the first time in her life, and she bitterly realized how insignificant the information she was providing was.
In other words. Bolonico wanted a very stimulating story that others couldn't even think of.
Regina couldn't stand it when Bolonico's blue eyes became dull or tinged with boredom.
It felt like she was receiving even less attention than the parrot that always hovered around him or sat on his shoulder.
But whenever she became sullen, Bolonico would miraculously feed her sweet words.
"Even though our family has a high reputation as medical practitioners, how many extraordinary things that Your Highness would find interesting could there be?"
"Don't underestimate the Pellierse family too much, Lady Regina."
Bolonico, whose elegant hands were hidden inside white gloves elaborately embroidered with gold thread, willingly stroked Regina's beautiful face and whispered.
"You're special, aren't you? A working noble. Where else would you find such a noble noble?"
It was the words she desperately wanted to hear.
Especially for Regina, who was being ignored by some nobles for being a working noble, and who had the stigma of being half merchant due to her mother, Priscilla.
"Instead of incompetent nobles who whine about not having enough and can't even collect taxes properly, isn't the Pellierse family, who researches for the sick and contributes to medicine, the most meritorious of all?"
Those were the words Regina wanted to say to the noble ladies who looked down on her!
But the reason why Regina was bothered by Bolonico's interest was different.
"But even if Your Highness is curious about that... what will change?"
Would there really be a place for her by this beautiful prince's side?
The secrets or legends of the Pellierse family. What would change if she scraped together everything she could and told Bolonico about it?
Bolonico, as if he hadn't expected Regina to ask such a question, stared at her for a moment before responding with his usual smooth smile.
"In Euphris, where there are so many sick people everywhere. It's only natural for Bolonico, a member of the Imperial Family, to be curious about the noble Pellierse family."
Bolonico whispered softly.
"And if it's the daughter of Count Pellierse, a truly meritorious family... she's more than qualified to be the main character at the upcoming Imperial Court Debutante. Don't you think so?"
Imperial Court Debutante.
An official event where everyone's attention was focused.
"Aren't you tired of only going to see plays and salons? Don't you want to let so many people know how close we are? Lady Regina."
Regina's green eyes began to shake very violently.
