114 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 114
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Perhaps because they were facing a formidable opponent, the two knights in the final match remained still, facing each other. They kept moving their lips as if they were conversing.
After some time, Lustewin Halberd was the first to move. He brandished his drawn sword and charged at Sir Ayres, but strangely, the motion felt more like anger than combat. The way he was aggressively pressing forward was exactly like that.
It was as if the composure he had shown before reaching the finals had vanished. The two knights were truly fighting like madmen, as if it weren't a match at all.
Perhaps others felt this way too, as everyone buzzed and watched the stage. Roena, with her hands clasped tightly, was praying for Sir Halberd's victory.
"What if one of them gets hurt?"
A moment later, Roena asked me with tearful eyes. Then, she uttered the absurd words, "I just wish they could both win."
But the world of competition is ruthless, always divided into winners and losers. Even in this final match, only one person would be smiling broadly as they left the stage. In the past, that person was Lustewin Halberd.
So, should I just prepare to console Sir Michael Ayres? The wine Marie brought tasted particularly bitter. I took another sip of the wine and smiled wryly.
However, contrary to expectations that the winner and loser would soon be decided, the situation was unfolding very fiercely.
The two knights clashed with all their might, creating a situation where neither could win without killing the other. The people who had been cheering loudly gradually began to murmur and express their worries.
"Isn't this going too far?"
"Winning is good, but you can't cripple your opponent."
"Indeed, aren't they the knights the Empire boasts of? But it looks very dangerous."
But that was only for a moment. An unprecedented event occurred that astonished everyone. The knights' swords, aimed at each other as their final move, created a tie, with each sword poised at the other's vital point.
Michael Ayres's sword was at Lustewin Halberd's heart, and Lustewin Halberd's sword was at Michael Ayres's neck. Everyone swallowed hard at this bizarre situation. A quiet silence descended upon the arena.
Even the person conducting the match looked flustered, shaking his head from side to side before looking towards the seats where the imperial family was sitting. In the end, the outcome of the match was left to the Crown Prince.
"Since His Highness the Crown Prince cherishes Sir Ayres, won't he side with him?"
Marie whispered in my ear. I dismissed her words, saying, "Nonsense!" There was nothing more foolish than openly favoring Michael Ayres in front of so many people.
If the Crown Prince was a sensible person, he would focus on a draw. It was obvious to everyone.
Soon after, the Crown Prince stood up and declared a draw. Since the swords were aimed simultaneously, it was difficult to determine superiority.
He added that he feared the Empire's cherished knights would be harmed if the match continued, so he would declare a joint victory.
"...It's changed again."
"Pardon? What has?"
"No, nothing."
Was my memory wrong? Or, like Madame de Châteauroux's case, had the future changed?
Originally, Lustewin Halberd should have won the tournament. But on the stage, there were two victors, and they were being called to the Crown Prince to receive Floral Crowns and prize money.
How could it change like this?
The bewildering situation continued. Suddenly, Michael Ayres called out my name.
"Bischwartz Young Lady!"
In an instant, everyone's gaze turned to me. Even the Crown Prince was looking directly at me.
Since I was far enough away to meet his gaze without difficulty, I soon realized that the Crown Prince recognized me as 'Cishe de Bishwaltz' and felt a pang of fear.
I had clearly told him my name was 'Roena,' but he accurately knew my real name and face.
...How?
"Young Lady, Sir Ayres is calling you."
Marie tapped my hand and whispered softly. Mother, who had already approached me, was helping me and Marie to stand up. And Michael Ayres was coming towards me through the crowd.
I quickly realized what he was about to do because of the Floral Crown in Sir Ayres's hand. He was trying to faithfully fulfill a word I had carelessly thrown out, as he hadn't expected to win.
Envious gazes captured him and me. The Crown Prince watched with interest, and Lustewin Halberd also stared at the scene with an unreadable look.
"You asked me to place the Floral Crown on you. So, will you please accept it?"
Michael Ayres, this cunning yet innocent man, was pushing me so that I couldn't refuse his request. His eyes, shining with joy, seemed to be convinced that I would gladly wear the Floral Crown.
In fact, who could ignore his request in this situation? Unless they were trying to be ostracized by the ladies of society, they couldn't.
I reluctantly bent my knees and lowered my head. Then, he placed the Floral Crown he had received on my head. What followed was a respectful kiss on the back of my hand.
"My lady, I dedicate this honor to you."
"Thank you, Sir Ayres."
The Floral Crown on my head felt heavier than any iron. Bitter water was rising from my throat.
After watching the sword tournament, we returned to the mansion to rest for a while. This was because we had to attend the Masquerade held in the annex of the Imperial Palace later.
Mother tried to talk about the Floral Crown on my head, but I dismissed her, saying I was tired. Roena, seeing me stiffen, quietly returned to her room as well.
Left alone, I nervously threw off the Floral Crown that was still on my head.
Michael Ayres was approaching his target in a very cunning and calculated manner, just as I had done before. No, he was even better than me at achieving what he wanted without giving them a chance to escape.
It was fortunate that he was infatuated with me; if he had been an enemy, he would have been quite a formidable opponent. The problem was that he unilaterally demanded his feelings.
"No, now is the time to think about the Crown Prince. It's important that he knew my name. How did he know?"
When I attended the Masquerade, I never showed him my face. When we met in the Imperial Palace garden, I gave him a different name. Surely he didn't ask his guards to find out my face, did he?
"Anyway, I have to come up with a plausible excuse. He's not an easy person, so I can't afford to lose the initiative."
I still knew very little about the Crown Prince. What he liked, what he was weak against, what kind of things he was interested in—I had no information at all.
In particular, the most important thing, his relationship with the Empress, was still unknown. Even if they were blood relatives, the word 'power' could make them worse than strangers, so I had to find out if these two were like that as well.
Therefore, I had to make a plan on how to win him over through Michael Ayres.
"But it's not starting well."
Even if he was a lecherous Crown Prince who was fond of women, he couldn't touch the woman of a knight he cherished like a limb.
Even if I was no longer threatened with my purity, the problem was how to bring him over to my side.
Until now, the Crown Prince had been chasing me solely as a hunter. In other words, apart from physical attraction, there was nothing that would make him interested in me.
"Think. I have to."
In fact, when I raised my head after receiving the Floral Crown from Michael Ayres, I briefly met the Empress's eyes.
She was looking at me with a very unpleasant expression, talking to the woman sitting next to her, Emery Nilam. I didn't know what they were talking about, but it was clear that it was about me.
If they were plotting something against me again—like what happened in the study—I would be helpless.
So, to avoid experiencing such a thing again, I had to somehow coax the Crown Prince, but I couldn't see a way to do it, which was frustrating.
Why was it so difficult to live as Cishe de Bishwaltz, the eldest daughter of the Bischwartz Family...? I was struggling to avoid repeating the humiliation I had suffered before, but the situation kept getting twisted.
The scariest thing was that the future was changing. And it was all going in a bad direction.
"Surely, not everything will change, will it?"
At that moment, Marie knocked and called me from outside the door. She told me to come out quickly because it was time to go to the Masquerade.
Was it already this late? I hadn't even found a suitable method yet.
I sighed and opened the door. Then, I told Marie to lead the way. My steps towards the carriage were heavy, as if weights were attached. No, the heaviest thing was the frustrating feeling about a situation that didn't seem to have a solution.
The annex of the Imperial Palace, with its lights on, was different from the start, with the sound of music flowing out, as if many people had already gathered.
The cheerful waltz, as if to boost the excitement, penetrated my ears. Father showed the Bishwartz Family's ring to a servant, who shouted our names and opened the door leading to the hall.
The annex that hosts the Founding Day Masquerade is, in fact, another palace. It is a bit smaller than the Imperial Palace, but it serves as an independent royal palace in its own right.
It was said to have been built in the early days of the Empire and has a very long history.
It was rumored that the first Emperor built it for his brother, but the lineage of his descendants was cut off due to illness, and it was returned to the imperial family.
However, perhaps because it was built as a gift, the exterior is very spacious and beautiful, and the furniture inside is elegant and luxurious, making it perfect for holding such events.
In particular, the hall is spacious and well-equipped, which is said to be because the original owner of the house liked to dance and often held balls.
As we entered the Masquerade hall, people's attention turned to us. More precisely, to me. Most of the young ladies were sending envious glances, while the men were sending interesting gazes, 'observing' me.
Since I hadn't officially debuted into society yet, they couldn't talk to me, but they were very blatant, thinking that just looking was enough to serve as entertainment. I would rather be looked at like meat hanging in a butcher shop.
I became unpleasant with the intense gazes that enveloped me. A bitter smile flowed out at the situation, which was no different from what I had felt when I first debuted into society.
