102 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 102
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For example, like this.
The poem in my hand right now is so famous that anyone who hears it would say, "Ah, you mean that one?" They would reflexively say the title.
But if you twisted the content slightly and asked them to find the mistake, there would be more than a few people who would hesitate, unsure.
It's because it's a basic skill from childhood, so their memory is hazy, and they didn't feel the need to memorize it meticulously. Besides, memorizing it isn't something to be proud of.
That's exactly what they were aiming for. If you say the correct content, it would be taken for granted, but if you don't, you'll clearly be seen as an ignorant person who doesn't even have basic knowledge. That's why they wouldn't return the poetry book without provoking me.
I recited the poem, trying my best to recall it. I had already admitted my ignorance and been forgiven because of Roena.
If I were to be caught on this issue any further, I didn't know what kind of trouble would arise. In other words, being ridiculed was better than being tarnished with the disgrace of ruining the Empress's recitation.
So, I focused and recited the first, second, and third lines of the problematic stanza.
Fortunately, no one stopped me, so I must not have made any mistakes so far. Now, only the last fourth line remained.
It was when I put the first word of the last line on my tongue that the people who had been listening quietly opened their mouths. The noble lady's attitude of tilting her head greatly with a short exclamation of 'Ah' was enough to attract everyone's attention.
The Empress nodded quietly, as if she knew what her actions meant.
"Please forgive my rudeness. I was surprised by the Bischwartz Young Lady's mistake and unknowingly made a sound. May I ask the Young Lady a question?"
The Empress raised her right hand. It was a sign of permission. The unfamiliar noble lady asked me in a newly refined voice, as if she were interrogating me.
"Do you know how rude it is to disturb Pulcher's ears by reading the wrong poem? Above all, the poem you just read is something you learn as basic knowledge. There's no way you wouldn't know it, right?"
Someone chimed in with her words in a gentle tone.
"Even my young nephew knows that poem. He must be about ten years old now."
Then another person's voice was added. The Empress had only condoned one person, but everyone ignored this and chattered as they pleased.
"Of course, if you learned it properly, there's no way you wouldn't know it."
"Come to think of it, didn't you say you learned the basics from Madame de Lavalier earlier? How adorable. How can you be so good at lying already?"
"It's because of the foolishness of not thinking about the future in order to avoid a moment's shame. Who knew it would be so easily exposed?"
"You should have just said you didn't know from the beginning. How can you already be trying to get out of the situation? How dare you in front of whom..."
The murmuring grew louder. Like a dam bursting, words of criticism and ridicule were pouring out at me from everywhere. Without any room for excuses, I was branded as an ignorant and foolish girl, making the words 'I learned the basics' seem meaningless.
The sound of 'That's why commoners are no good. They're so ignorant. Tsk' that I heard in my ear was fueling it. As if they had been waiting for it.
In fact, it's very rash to judge the whole based on one thing. Especially in high society, there was no action as inflammatory as this kind of judgment. There was no way the people in front of me didn't know this.
Nevertheless, the only way to explain why they were spouting such slanderous remarks was that they had prepared and sharpened their knives in advance.
In other words, if you picked anyone sitting here and asked them to say the problematic stanza, they would be able to recite it without difficulty. Because they had already memorized it.
That's why I couldn't say, 'Please let someone else read it,' as if I were wronged.
Because no matter how much I struggled to gather the shattered pieces of my honor and reputation, it was me who would end up getting hurt. So, I remained silent and endured. I endured the humiliation while waiting for the Empress's decision.
But in the end, they said the words I had been dreading.
"Do you know how big of a mistake you've made? How could you ruin the recitation like this?"
Then the Empress raised her hand again to silence them. Everyone lowered their heads and waited for her words.
"Seeing that you know what was wrong, the incident just now must have been a mere mistake. Wasn't the Young Lady reading wonderfully up to the third line? So, let's give her another chance to restore her honor. Yes, it would be better to have the family help each other. Roena will be able to cleanly wash away the disgrace her sister has shown."
Roena's cheeks flushed at the Empress's subtle gaze. Whether it was because of embarrassment or something more, she didn't refuse and stood up from her seat. And she naturally accepted the poetry book that the maid had taken from my hand.
"How about Sissae go out and rest for a while? Now that your burden has been passed on to your sister, it must be very difficult to be here together. Wouldn't it be better to calm your mind alone?"
Laughter broke out around me at the Empress's suggestion. Everyone knew that even if it was packaged in plausible words, it was nothing more than an 'expulsion order'. And that happened right before Roena was about to read the poem.
What would the older sister who was sent out in this situation usually think? She would worry about whether her younger sister would read the poem well, or whether she would fail like her. At the same time, she would resent her own ignorance and suffer in her heart. While tasting deep humiliation.
It would be a problem even if her younger sister did well without difficulty. She would feel jealous and upset at the thought that she was worse than her.
And she would feel anger towards her sister, who had taken the poetry book as if she had been waiting for it, without asking for more opportunities for her older sister.
Even if they were close sisters, it was an inevitable emotional rift that would arise naturally.
What if it was like Roena and me, who had only been sisters for a few months? There was no need to say more.
Perhaps they wouldn't even be interested in whether Roena knew the problematic stanza well. It was just important that she was taking the poetry book after me. It was a situation where the aim was so obvious that I couldn't even laugh.
Anyway, there was only one answer given to me. To express my gratitude and leave the stage as it was. It was a situation where the reputation that had improved thanks to Sir Ayres was falling terribly again.
"I am grateful for your generous consideration and will follow your orders."
After I bowed and went outside the study, the sound of giggling followed me like a shadow.
Just before the door closed, I could hear Roena's voice reading the next line - not the problematic stanza - in a clear voice.
Should I have just pretended to be sick and not come? Even if I had been strongly questioned because of that, it would have been better than just now.
This regret reached its peak when I saw Emery Nilam's face, which was wearing a meaningful smile as if he knew what had happened inside the study. It seemed that her role was not over yet.
"The offer is still valid."
He said in a cheerful voice, as if singing a song. The ingrained cheerfulness seemed to be mocking me. I deliberately made a desperate expression as he wanted and covered my face with my hands.
"It's all over. There's nothing more to endure. So, please let me endure this time like a tragic heroine. It's really terrible."
"How pitiful. But it's possible to silence everyone. The Young Lady probably doesn't know how terrible it is to be the protagonist of gossip."
"No. I've already experienced it. So, what else is there to be afraid of?"
"So, what are you going to do now? Are you going back?"
"Why do you think so?"
"Since you've been kicked out of the study, you have no choice but to return home."
"I wasn't kicked out. I was told to rest."
At my rebuttal, Emily Nilam sneered as if it were absurd. Her coldly sunken eyes seemed to be saying that she would no longer offer me the offer.
"You innocent girl, what do you think that means?"
She said, looking at the maid who was approaching me.
"In high society, they sometimes say 'go home' in that roundabout way. It seems the maid is coming because the carriage is ready."
Mrs. Harriet was also there. I realized that Emily Nilam's words were correct when I discovered that the lady's hands were not holding anything related to refreshments.
The Empress had really kicked me out not only from the study but also from her room.
"The carriage is ready. Please leave now."
Mrs. Harriet's words were confirming it.
But if I went back alone like this, it was obvious that I would become a laughingstock. I couldn't bear to see the tears welling up in my mother's eyes. I pretended not to know anything and said to Mrs. Harriet.
"It seems you've misunderstood something. Pulcher told me to rest for a while. So, I'll rest."
"If you stay here, you'll only receive greater wrath. It's better to just go. Shame is only temporary. Weren't you bravely enduring it even inside the study? Just the fact that you didn't cry is something to be applauded for."
Emily Nilam said. I retorted as if asking what she meant.
"So, you're making me cry now. I'm going back with Roena. But I don't want to rest here either. If there's a garden, please guide me. I'll go alone."
"It's not good to act as you please. Just go back."
"I'll do that if Pulcher tells me directly. But I won't ask him myself."
I looked at the two of them alternately, as if asking who would do it. Mrs. Harriet and Emily Nilam were frowning as if they were in trouble.
"I'm saying again that I've never heard Pulcher say that. So, going back in the carriage is the same as ignoring his consideration. Please don't make me such a rude person."
"You don't believe me. I've been truthful to the Young Lady all along."
She said in an exaggerated tone, putting her hand on her chest as if she were upset. I replied in a nonchalant voice, as if it were not even funny.
"So, please go to Pulcher and ask him. Then I'll gladly follow."
But they didn't do that. They were just exchanging glances and sighing.
So, I couldn't tell if the Empress had really kicked me out of the palace, or if they had acted that way out of conjecture. The only thing that was certain was that I had to endure like this until Roena came out.
After a while, Mrs. Harriet said. She lightly stopped Emily Nilam, who was calling her - strangely, Emily couldn't do anything about Mrs. Harriet's restraint - and offered me.
"This palace has a very well-equipped garden. There's also a greenhouse that the Empress cultivates herself. Shall I guide you?"
"If you just tell me the direction, I can go alone. Just please guide Roena to me in the garden later when she comes out."
"I will."
Then Emily Nilam bit her lip once, as if she didn't like it, and said to me.
"It's not polite to refuse a favor. The Young Lady really seems to need to learn more."
And she left the room without even saying goodbye. I was the only one who was upset by her rudeness, and Mrs. Harriet was looking at her back with eyes that were impossible to read.
