107 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 107
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As the Founding Festival approached, Marie and the others grew more excited. With elated expressions, they chattered about their past experiences.
This was great information for me, as I knew very little about the Founding Festival. It was the first time I had found their chatter so enjoyable.
“The streets are overflowing with food. Clowns juggle balls in every alley.”
“The noble ladies’ events start in the late afternoon, so while the lords are enjoying their siestas, maids like us sneak out to enjoy the festival for a bit.”
“Speaking of which, I heard that Baron Alain’s wife put her necklace on the line in a card game last time and was very upset. They usually play a lot of Pignus, a card game where you bet items. Miss, you should bring something to bet as well.”
“Well, there are many people who disguise themselves as commoners and enjoy the street festival. According to my friend who works at the Herschel estate, the Viscountess has gone out like that several times. She said it was a lot of fun.”
“So, Miss, when are you going to buy a dress? Madame Dobigné’s shop is probably already fully booked. What if you can’t buy a dress?”
Instead of answering, I looked at the drawer of my vanity. Several letters from Chatoul were neatly stacked inside.
She seemed to think that the Empress was interfering with me not replying, and she sent several letters filled with anger, cursing me, the Empress, and the socialites.
At the end, she always made sure to boast that she was preparing to win back the Emperor’s heart.
“Miss?”
“I think I should go out at least after lunch, shouldn’t I? Have a carriage prepared in advance.”
Chatoul’s seclusion was welcomed by most people, but even this didn’t last long. There was no woman as lewd, witty, and fond of quirky pranks as she was, so much of the fun in society had disappeared.
The Baroness of Flanders was a beautiful courtesan, but she was far from being enough of a gossip topic for everyone. She couldn’t keep up with her predecessor’s abilities at all.
Princess Dieunzel gleefully pointed out this situation in a letter she sent me.
Surprisingly, she seems to have been ‘fun’ itself for the socialites. That’s why these days, you can meet people who are sulking because there’s nothing to make fun of at any gathering. It’s quite amusing, you know.
There are already people comparing the Baroness of Flanders and Madame Chatoul, crying out that they miss the old days, so that says it all.
The older noble ladies don’t seem to care much, though. Whose victory can this be seen as?
Anyway, I often find myself thinking that His Most Gracious Majesty also seems very bored. How presumptuous of me!
Perhaps the day we can see her again is not far off. Then, will I be able to see you at the ball?
Well, even if she was reinstated, it was uncertain whether she would call for me. No, wouldn’t she think I betrayed her and try to mock me?
“I should buy some stationery while I’m out.”
Anyway, it was time to soothe Chatoul’s sulking heart. To gently probe while maintaining a proper distance.
Perhaps by this time, the Empress would think that I couldn’t help but reply to Chatoul.
She sends me these whining letters every time, how could anyone not reply? Or she might think, “As expected.” Either way, neither was good for me.
My fear of the Crown Prince was also a problem I had to overcome.
After meeting the Crown Prince at the Imperial Palace, I began to think of ways to approach him.
If I went through Sir Ayres, there would be many opportunities to encounter the Crown Prince, so there were plenty of ways to feign coincidence.
However, calling him by the wrong name and being afraid of him were the biggest obstacles, preventing me from taking any action.
The memories of the past were so vivid that just recalling them made my whole body stiffen.
So, I decided to first familiarize myself with the Crown Prince’s face. And the method for that was absurdly simple.
The Crown Prince’s beauty was so famous that portraits of him were overflowing everywhere.
Most of them were imitations of paintings that had accidentally leaked from the Imperial Palace, and although they were far from the real thing, they had many similarities, so many young ladies bought and kept them. Perhaps portraits were the most popular item in the general store.
Funnily enough, I was trying to get used to him through paintings. I hoped that if I got used to seeing him, I would feel less aversion.
I also hoped that if I looked at the Crown Prince’s portrait every day and thought of him, I would gradually get better.
It was a very foolish idea, but it was better than doing nothing, wasn’t it?
So, today I was planning to buy his portrait along with the stationery. I had thought of various methods, but I couldn’t find a better solution than this.
First, I stopped by Madame Dobigné’s shop. Since I had come out under the pretext of buying a dress, it was only natural to head there first.
Her shop was particularly crowded today. It seemed like all the prominent noble ladies had gathered here. So, it was difficult to even approach her.
Thankfully, Madame Dobigné immediately showed her face when she heard that I had visited and greeted me warmly. And despite being busy, she happily accepted my order.
She said that since she had a record of my measurements from before, she could easily make it for me if I hadn’t gained weight. She chattered excitedly at my saying that I would leave the design to her.
“I’ll make you an elegant and lovely dress. Don’t worry about your chest being exposed like last time. I’ll keep it within reasonable limits.”
After that, I stopped by the general store and bought several bundles of stationery, ink, a quill, and a feather decoration for my hat.
I quickly bought the Crown Prince’s portrait while having Marie look at other items. The portrait I glimpsed didn’t look exactly like the Crown Prince, but it was enough to remind me of him. Even just glancing at it made cold sweat run down my back.
“Miss, what else did you buy?”
“It’s something. It’s a very important item for me, so don’t ask.”
Marie nodded, looking dejected at my firm answer. I swallowed a sigh and told her to lead the way.
I was walking down the street to get into the carriage when someone called me. I turned my head and saw an old Vagus wrapped in a thick shawl, bowing politely to me.
“Excuse me, Miss, may I tell your fortune?”
The worn-out sleeves, the almost tattered shoes, and the dust all over his body made him look more like a beggar than a fortune teller.
If it weren’t for the necklace symbolizing the Vagus—most of them wore a wooden necklace carved with the sun and moon as a symbol—his slightly bent back, and the cards in his hand, I would have mistaken him for a beggar asking for money.
Marie blocked between me and the Vagus and shouted in a shrill voice.
“Who do you think you’re calling? Get lost!”
She seemed to be blindly believing in old Witches these days, so she was showing more emotion than necessary towards the Vagus.
Marie raised her firm fist and shook it wildly from side to side as if to intimidate him. Then, she threatened to call the knights if he didn’t disappear in three seconds.
“I’m not trying to ask for money. I just want to tell your fortune. The fate of the stars is whispering me to do so.”
The eyes that peeked out from under his shaggy hair were as clear and deep as a deep lake. The hazy eyes had a detached light as if he had transcended the world.
Was that why? Without realizing it, I stepped forward and said to him.
“Then go ahead and do it.”
“Miss!”
Marie screamed and tried to stop me, but I deliberately pretended not to hear her.
The Vagus took out a thin cloth from his pocket and spread it on the floor. Then, he shuffled the cards with his hands and said to me.
“These cards have a very mysterious power. So, you may sometimes draw a card with nothing on it. But don’t worry, it’s not wrong.”
The cards lined up in a row on his palm. The old man told me to pick a card.
I reached out and picked up any card that caught my eye. But the card I picked was blank, with no pictures, letters, or even patterns drawn on it.
The Vagus held out his hand to me and asked for the card. Then, he looked at the card as if it were the most difficult problem in the world.
After a while, he told me to pick another card. I picked another card that I could reach. This time again, there were no pictures drawn on it.
“You are someone who creates their own destiny. Your future depends on what choices you make, you are standing at such an important crossroads. Therefore, no one can rashly predict or hastily diagnose and draw conclusions. Not even the Goddess of Fate. The stars are telling me. Please pick one more card.”
This time, I counted the numbers and picked a card. Then, a card was drawn with a person holding their head. The Vagus looked at the card and said to me.
“You are trying to repeat a foolish thing again. You are walking down a path with regret and lingering feelings. In the end, you will be frustrated like the person in this picture. So, if you have a plan or are doing something, why don’t you change direction?”
His words sounded like he was telling me to change my mind about Roena. He was saying that I would fail this time as I had in the past, so I should give up everything and accept it.
“If I change direction? Then what happens?”
This time, the Vagus picked a card himself in response to my question. But the card he picked was also blank, just like mine.
The Vagus looked back and forth between me and the card with a flustered expression, then answered with a sigh.
“That is also not determined. That is also a path that you must create.”
It was a ridiculous thing to say. Shouldn’t the story be that if I change direction, I will be happy?
But he also said that it was unknowable? It was a situation that made the advice to change direction meaningless. It was a fortune that couldn’t be told unless he was making fun of me.
“In the end, it’s neither here nor there.”
“But it’s better than regretting it, isn’t it?”
“Didn’t you say that I decide that? I don’t regret it.”
I turned the card with the person tearing their hair out upside down. Strangely, when turned upside down, it looked like they were holding their head to protect it before falling to the ground, rather than tearing their hair out. The face of regret also looked like a terrified expression. It was as if he had drawn a person committing suicide.
So, how about thinking about it this way? I am someone who goes against the predetermined fate and acts as I please, running wild and committing suicide, then miraculously returning and walking towards a different future than before.
Therefore, if all the cards except for one came out blank, isn’t it worth trying?
