103 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 103
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Mrs. Harriet assigned a maid to guide me through the garden. She seemed worried I might get lost in the Imperial Palace.
Perhaps that was why? I was very grateful that the maid had brought a thick shawl, which kept my body, chilled by the cool breeze, quite warm.
The Imperial Palace's garden was vast and beautiful. Well-tended flowerbeds, artificial fountains rising here and there, forest paths intricately intertwined like a maze, and sculptures carved with mythological figures were all harmoniously arranged.
The garden, divided into four sections, each housed several palaces, with the Empress's palace being located in the south, centered around a landscape dominated by flowers and ponds.
They said one would need a horse or carriage to see it all, and even the southern garden alone had well-maintained sections that rivaled a large farm. I could see the gardeners' hard work.
Especially, the southern garden was more famous for its greenhouse than its flowers. It was created by the first Emperor so that his beloved could eat fruit even in winter.
According to records, the couple often met and rested in the greenhouse. It was said to be the only place where they could relax away from the eyes of others. The first Emperor's romance, plucking flowers blooming in the greenhouse and placing them lightly on the winter snowfield to whisper sweet nothings to the Empress, was still talked about to this day.
Therefore, the greenhouse in the southern garden symbolized the Emperor's love for the Empress and was carefully preserved and cultivated for generations.
While the current Empress might manage the greenhouse out of a sense of duty, the Empress before the previous one had even conceived the Emperor's child there.
The maid, noticing my face reddening in the cool breeze, suggested going to the greenhouse.
"Young Lady, shall we go to the greenhouse? There are chairs to sit on there."
"Please do."
On the way to the greenhouse, there were parterres (flowerbeds in carpet-like patterns) and sculptures that seemed to be the masterpieces of artists.
They were all works that turned their heads towards one place, as if indicating a direction.
Unlike summer, the Autumn flower, exuding a simple yet profound light, was naturally scattered and planted along the path, making it a pleasure to walk.
The sight of autumn light pouring down between the large trees was also incomparably beautiful.
The greenhouse, located at the end of the path, resembled a simple and neat farmhouse rather than a place for growing crops. The Empresses of past generations must have tasted the life of a farm wife here for a while.
"Please sit here for a moment. I will bring tea and refreshments."
As if the talk of sending me back home was a lie, the maid assigned by Mrs. Harriet did her best for me.
It seemed quite a distance from the greenhouse to the Empress's palace, yet she said she would go back and bring simple refreshments.
She spread the shawl she had brought—she had brought two shawls—on the chair and told me to sit. Then, she bowed politely and disappeared beyond the path.
Left alone, a sense of loneliness lingered. I sighed and raised my head. The cloudless blue sky was impeccably clear.
I wished my mood was like that, but my heart, filled with heavy clouds, felt as stuffy as if I had indigestion.
'What should I do now?'
The worries I had briefly set aside due to the garden tour were slowly raising their heads.
I had stayed in the palace by making unreasonable demands, but the thought of returning home with Roena gave me a headache. The bad reputation that would spread in society afterward was also one of the factors weighing heavily on my mind.
I had braced myself before entering the palace, but the Empress's skills were more formidable than expected. She didn't step forward openly, but she used the people around her—as if she herself had done nothing—to control and shake things up; her skills were extraordinary.
In particular, it was painful that she had set a trap using a poem that everyone knew. The penalty for not accepting the offer was so harsh that I was worried about the future.
What was certain was that the Empress and I could not cooperate, let alone coexist. Not as long as I had a history of associating with Chatoul. She would probably try to include me in the downfall of the whore.
'Was today just a taste?'
In fact, for the Empress not to be able to touch me, Chatoul had to regain her power. It had to be that way to return to the situation I had experienced in the past.
But in this case, since she had lost favor, there was nothing I could do unless I turned the Emperor's heart back. I didn't have the power to put Chatoul in the Emperor's bedroom, except for that vulgar pimp.
Ah, why is a man's heart so fleeting? I thought her power in the past was a strong connection that would allow me to enter society, but it had all become useless.
No matter how beloved a mistress is, she is ultimately just a woman who may be miserably kicked out at any time. In the end, a whore is a whore.
Unless she acted wisely and regained the Emperor's attention, the Empress's rise would continue from now on.
So, I had to figure it out. Who could stand against the Empress and not be easily suppressed by her position?
First of all, not Perinnil. The Baroness of Flanders was just beginning to receive the Emperor's love, so it was uncertain whether she could enjoy the same power as Chatoul.
Then the Emperor? Would his lifespan be longer than the Empress's? Looking back on the past, the answer was coldly, "No."
In the end, there was only one person left.
"……Just me not showing up would make that person very happy, right? Isn't it enough if my swordsmanship isn't compared to Michael's?"
"Oh, Your Highness. Please don't do this."
"Don't do it? I'm saying I will. So Niro, go and make some excuses."
Crown Prince, Iovalde Diboshe Echinacia. It was him.
The one who would become the Emperor of the Empire in the future. The man who had saved Roena from a hellish reality. The current Empress's son. The wolf I had met at the Masquerade. The libertine I thought I wouldn't see again until I debuted in society. The one I happened to encounter in the southern garden, one of my fears.
He parted the blue wall—a wall made of bushes—and stopped when he found me sitting on the chair.
It was the first time I was seeing him without a mask, so I didn't know how to react and just awkwardly avoided his gaze. It was still scary to look into the Crown Prince's eyes.
"Who, who are you!"
A servant? Or a guarding knight? The man who came with him blocked the Crown Prince and pointed at me.
Glancing at him, he was dressed quite neatly, but he was still a boy with a blush that hadn't faded. His slender frame and delicate voice proved that he was not a knight at least.
He was either a young nobleman brought as a companion or a servant, but the latter seemed more likely.
Anyway, since he had asked, I had to answer. But if I revealed it honestly, it would be the same as confessing that I was Kerula from the Masquerade, so I needed a plausible alias. So, what should I say? I quickly racked my brain.
But the Crown Prince's voice came first.
"No, it would be polite for us to introduce ourselves first. I am Iovalde Diboshe Echinacia. The Crown Prince of this Empire. Who are you, Young Lady?"
Where had the voice I heard at the Masquerade gone? No, as if saying that the voice he had lightly uttered to the servant just now was a mistake, he was asking me in a similar tone to that time. As if he was trying to bring back the memory of that day when I had been dragged by his knight.
In an instant, my spine tingled and my fingertips began to turn cold. I, who had been dragged along by both armpits, suddenly appeared and was sitting here.
"Are you not going to reveal your name?"
Yes, let's say I could avoid facing his face by feigning shyness. But what about that sharply penetrating voice?
I desperately swallowed the scream that seemed about to burst out and desperately racked my hardening brain.
I have to say my name. But what should I say? Above all, I needed something that wouldn't cause trouble even if it was discovered later. But where could I find such a name?
More than that, the fact that I had to choose that man as someone to stand against the Empress was truly ridiculous.
How could I do anything properly if I was so scared? In the end, he was Roena's man...
"This is the third time I'm asking. Are you really not going to answer?"
It was a quiet question. But it felt more fierce than any scolding in the world. Was that why? I unknowingly blurted out the name I had been thinking about just a moment ago.
"Roena."
Oh, God, how could I be so stupid? I wanted to bite my tongue and die. I was resentful of myself for not being able to properly control my own tongue because of my fear of him.
How could I make such a mistake? I hoped he hadn't heard it since I had muttered it quietly, but the Crown Prince seemed to have very sharp ears.
"Roena? Surname? You're not thinking of saying you're not a noble and came into this garden, are you?"
I squeezed my eyes shut and said my surname.
"Roena, Roena Bischwartz. I apologize for being rude, but I was flustered because I didn't expect to see Your Highness in a place like this."
"Is that so? Then if I also commit rudeness to you, we will be the same, right?"
When had he approached? He reached out and grabbed my chin. And he forced me to meet his gaze.
Blue eyes. Inside them was me, pale white.
I forced my trembling lips to move. Even though I wanted to turn my eyes elsewhere, I couldn't even do that because the Crown Prince was tightening his grip on my chin as if telling me not to.
"Let go, please. It hurts. Even if you are the Crown Prince, you can't dare to be so rude. Are, are you planning to harass me?"
The Crown Prince's servant also stopped him with a pale expression.
"That's right, Your Highness. I don't think this is polite to the Young Lady."
"Hmm, Roena Bischwartz Young Lady, you say……?"
After a while, he took his hand off my chin. And as if nothing had happened, he spoke to me in an elegant manner.
"Well, I have also committed rudeness to the Young Lady, so there is no need to ask for your understanding any further, right?"
I grabbed my reddened chin and nodded with difficulty. My gaze was still directed at the ground. The Crown Prince's words flowed into my ears.
"Niro, I guess it's better to go first after all. Go and make some excuses."
"Your Highness, are you really not going? You skipped it last time too?! There are no more excuses to make."
"What about it? As I said before, isn't it enough if I use a sword as well as Michael? It's not like I'm going to be the best swordsman in the Empire. So hurry up and go before I kick your butt."
A scream of "Hiek" and the sound of running footsteps were getting farther and farther away.
The servant named Niro must have been terrified and ran away at the Crown Prince's light threat. The Crown Prince watched the scene as if it was amusing and laughed heartily.
I watched his back and slowly backed away. Even if I had to meet him again later, it wouldn't be like this.
Unless I calmed my mind and strengthened my resolve a little more, it was clear that I wouldn't be able to do anything in this state.
