108 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 108
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Vagus is silent for a moment at my words. He mumbles as if contemplating something, then soon hands me the card he drew.
It is nothing more than a blank white card, yet he acts as solemnly as if he were handing over a great destiny.
“Young Lady, you are someone who has strayed from the orbit. Because you are not within the defined lines, you must bear everything alone. So I don’t know what more to say.”
He pauses, inhaling slightly. Strangely, his body is trembling finely, as if convulsing. Alarmed, Marie once again steps between Vagus and me.
“Take this card. A picture will surely emerge soon. At that time, take another opportunity to look back at yourself. Otherwise, someday…”
If a picture emerges later as he says, it would also be close to a miracle. So I was curious about the story that would follow.
“Someday? What’s next?”
But this old fortune teller does not open his mouth any further. He simply reaches out and tidies up his cards and cloth, as if his work is done.
It was when Marie, frustrated, was about to grab his collar. I raised my hand to stop her. And I took out a gold coin from my purse and handed it to him.
“For the reading.”
“No, Young Lady. I didn’t do this for money. And I can’t receive it. Because I did as the stars told me. Peeking into fate is something that cannot be priced. So you can just go.”
I took the card that Vagus offered. I don’t believe his words verbatim, but I was curious about what would appear if a picture did emerge. I succumbed to curiosity.
Vagus smiles contentedly as I readily accept the card. And he says again, as if urging me.
“Don’t forget. Deciding is always up to the Young Lady. So, when it is most difficult to choose, take out the card and look at the picture that emerges.”
“How do I interpret that?”
“You will know. You will know when you see it. Because the stars are saying so.”
Vagus, who had finished packing his things in a short time, bowed to me once more and began to leave.
He leaves on his own without me telling him to leave first. Marie, angered by this rude behavior, once again raged, but I told her to calm down and watched his retreating figure.
It was a fortune telling I received out of a moment’s curiosity, but something felt uneasy and not refreshing.
Especially the fact that I received a blank card. No matter how much I look at it, it doesn’t seem like a picture will emerge.
“Isn’t he a swindler? What if he spreads bad rumors about you later?”
“Bad rumors?”
At my question, Marie snorts and bursts into a passionate speech. She was ready to chase after Vagus right now and drag him by the collar if I allowed her.
“That you got your fortune told and didn’t pay, that you’re a stingy Young Lady, something like that. He’s not going to cast a curse, is he? I’ll just get that guy right now!”
“Let’s go.”
“Young Lady, are you really just going to leave?”
“Then what do you want to do? What’s the point of getting angry at someone who’s already left? Just leave him be. Let’s go to the carriage.”
Marie grumbles and moves her feet. I put the card in the small pocket attached to my coat and followed her.
When I arrived at the place where the carriage was, the coachman, whose face was covered with sweat despite the cold weather, popped out. For some reason, the family’s carriage was overturned. The wheels were shattered and scattered around.
“Ah, Young Lady.”
The coachman bows deeply, bending over. He wipes sweat from the back of his hand and stammers excuses, his face pale white.
“So you’re saying you went to relieve yourself for a moment and the carriage was like this?”
“Yes, yes. I don’t know what happened either…”
“So you’re telling our Young Lady to walk in this cold?!”
“N, no… it’s not like that… Then what should I do? I even went to the carriage rental place, but they said they were all out. So you should run to the mansion and tell them to send a new carriage…”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do. And if I go, who will attend to our Young Lady!”
“Ma, Marie…”
The coachman looks at Marie as if encountering something unfamiliar. He was surprised by Marie’s attitude of thinking of me, his eyes wide open. It was as if he was saying, ‘How can you take the Young Lady’s side instead of mine?’
Ah, my reputation among the Bishvarts Family’s retainers is still only this much.
“Yes, Marie can’t go. You are responsible for resolving this matter.”
“Ah, what are you planning to do, Young Lady?”
The coachman asks cautiously. If it is revealed that he left the Bischwartz Young Lady out in the cold winter weather until the carriage arrives, it will be a big problem, so he is racking his brains to think of an excuse in advance.
It was then. A strange knight politely greets and speaks. The emblem engraved on his cloak was that of a familiar family.
“My Young Lady wishes to invite the Bischwartz Young Lady. Would you accept? It seems you are having difficulties due to the carriage.”
There is only one noble family in the Empire that symbolizes the mythical beast ‘Gallinaceus’ with a chicken’s head and a lizard’s body.
The Roshan Marquisate.
As relatives of the Empress, they were one of the noble families with strong power through political cooperation with the Dieunzel Family.
Above all, the previous head of the family was a meritorious subject who founded the nation, and his loyalty to the imperial family was impeccable, so he was respected by everyone.
According to gossipers, the current head of the family, Marquis Roshan, has keen foresight and excellent political sense, so he is a reliable person when he is an ally, but when he is met as an enemy, he is more terrifying than anyone else, so if you decide to oppose him, you must prepare thoroughly.
The fact that the Empress can show a strong presence to everyone except the Emperor is also because the Roshan Marquisate is firmly supporting her.
The Young Lady of such a Roshan Marquisate is inviting me… I suddenly wondered if she had properly seen my family’s emblem.
Roena’s beautiful face is already well known, so if she clearly recognizes that the girl who can use the Bischwartz name other than her is ‘me’, she would not be able to easily show kindness.
Aren’t nobles the ones who become more strict and cruel than anyone else when it comes to family background? Therefore, an invitation like now was nothing short of amazing.
Is she planning to meet and mock me?
But in my memory, the Roshan Young Lady was a very benevolent and gentle woman.
Her face always had a warm smile like the spring sun, and her slightly low and sweet voice went very well with her soft-spoken manner, making the other person feel comfortable.
The Roshan Young Lady was always crowded with people around her. No matter how sharp and fierce a person was, they acted like gentle sheep in front of her. Therefore, it was not unreasonable for Lucette de Roshan Young Lady to be the center of a group.
So, unless she is a different person inside and out, she would not commit rudeness such as inviting me and then spewing abusive language.
In other words, she would not do anything unseemly, even if she were to subtly twist and criticize me.
So I readily accepted his request. Rather than shivering in the cold, I decided to be indebted to her. A moment of humiliation is something I can endure until I arrive at the mansion.
“Please guide me. Marie, come along.”
Marie grumbled at the coachman one more time before coming to me and finally moving her feet. In the meantime, I had almost arrived in front of the Roshan Family’s carriage.
The knight opened the door and helped me get inside. Inside the cozy and well-decorated carriage sat a beauty with impressive long, winding sea-colored hair.
Lucette de Roshan. The only daughter of the Roshan Family.
“Sishe de Bischwartz of the Bischwartz Family expresses her gratitude to the Roshan Young Lady.”
“No, it’s a relief that I was helpful. I’m Lucette of the Roshan Family. Nice to meet you for the first time.”
The Roshan Young Lady did not bat an eye even though I revealed my name. Her lips, full of gentle energy, still had a pure smile like the spring sun.
“Thank you for accepting my request. I don’t know what happened, but it seems you were having a hard time.”
“Yes, the carriage overturned and could no longer move. So I was wondering what to do.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
“That’s a relief. But it looks like you’ve been somewhere? I came out to buy a brooch to hang on my shawl. It seems that East Continent-style mother-of-pearl gemstone designs are in fashion these days.”
I thought she would just exchange a few words and end the conversation, but she seemed to want to continue talking to me.
It was closer to everyday curiosity than curiosity about the rumored Young Lady. A few unremarkable questions were warmly melting my heart, which was frozen stiff by the cold winter wind.
The Roshan Young Lady was a person with a similar disposition to Roena, but she was comparable to her in that she knew how to say responsible things.
If this is all acting, it would be very creepy, but at least until now, she was seeing me not as a commoner who became the Young Lady of the Count Family by luck, but entirely as ‘Sishe de Bischwartz’.
In particular, it was clear that she was thinking carefully when choosing a topic of conversation, and I strongly felt that she was considerate of me.
Even Princess Dieunzel had never shown me such kindness.
So I’m a little embarrassed. I thought that being kind to everyone was a character that only a hypocrite like Roena could show off, but I realized that it could be seen as sincere like the Roshan Young Lady. It was as if I was talking to Arina.
The Roshan Young Lady showed that she was listening well by carefully listening to me or nodding her head whenever I spoke.
Her attitude of showing an energetic and positive reaction made others feel a strange charm, and made me realize why so many people did not leave the Roshan Young Lady’s side.
“It’s a strange thing.”
The Roshan Young Lady says with a soft smile. Every time she does, her eyes curve like a crescent moon, creating a deep smile.
“It’s the first time I’ve talked so much like this. I keep talking to the Bischwartz Young Lady so much that I can’t control myself. What if you think I’m a talkative person? Don’t misunderstand.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not thinking that at all.”
“Then that’s a relief. Ah, it seems we’ve already arrived at the Bischwartz Family. What a shame?”
Come to think of it, the speed of the carriage was gradually decreasing. It seems we have almost arrived. The Roshan Young Lady looked depressed, as if she was truly sad to part with me.
She urged me to say hello when we meet at the National Foundation Day and held my hand tightly. I flinched at the unexpected contact, but she did not seem to care.
“Doesn’t the Roshan Young Lady already know what my reputation is like since you have already debuted in society? So if you greet me at the National Foundation Day, it will be very difficult for you.”
“I haven’t heard any rumors.”
“…Roshan Young Lady.”
“I said I haven’t heard anything. So who would dare say anything to me? So we must see each other at the National Foundation Day. Okay?”
Roena follows me to participate in the ridiculous comedy called ‘family’. And the Dieunzel Young Lady speaks to me to check Roena.
Like this, the people who approach me each have a purpose. Except for the young girl ‘Arina’ I met at dawn.
That’s why I didn’t know why Lucette de Roshan was sending me such unconditional favor. So I couldn’t help but have a sense of caution.
I cannot let go of the string of suspicion until I know her true purpose. This is the gift that the past society gave me.
