Translator: Nox

123 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper

Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 123

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The Crown Prince’s words to continue acting that way sounded incredibly subtle. Even more so because the answer to the action wasn’t given. My body trembled involuntarily at the warning disguised as advice.

“Is that also Pulcher’s intention?”

He chuckled at my cautiously asked question.

“What? Mother? Ah, no. Come to think of it, I heard something from my Mother, didn’t I? Using such childish methods when you’re not a child, really.”

The Crown Prince brushed it off lightly, as if it were nothing. It was an attitude that suggested it was no big deal. However, if you carefully considered these words, you would realize that his ears were very keen to information within the Imperial Palace. So, I couldn’t help but be wary and tense.

But since I couldn’t be sure, I decided to cautiously test him without being too risky. My heart was pounding fiercely.

“Pulcher definitely promised me she would keep it a secret. I didn’t expect it to be broken so easily. It must have been possible because Idi asked, right?”

“Well, my Mother may be a foolish and childish woman, but she’s not one to break promises carelessly. The people who gather at Mother’s meetings are also known for following orders well.”

Then she found out on her own… How?

As I could only blink anxiously, he tapped my cheek with his finger.

“It seems you’ve made quite a bad impression on Mother, but well, try to survive.”

It was a rather annoying tone, but right now, it was more important to act like I didn’t care. So, I clenched my fist tightly inside my sleeve and smiled faintly. No, I tried to smile.

“If you just respect me, I can survive well enough.”

“Was that the purpose?”

“Among other things.”

“Ha, you’re the only one in the Empire who would describe my respect as ‘among other things.’ But I’ll understand.”

“That’s quite an honor.”

But the smile that lingered on my lips disappeared completely at the words that followed. I couldn’t come to my senses from his attack that came crashing in so suddenly.

“To think that a Lady would come out alone without even one maid, and no one would be desperately looking for her during this time, I can’t help but understand. It means the treatment within the mansion is only that much, so what can I do? So, you must have tried to cling to a woman like Chatoul. Because there’s no pawn as easy to use as a whore who can’t distinguish between friend and foe.”

“Surely not. It’s been several months, how could I not have won over even one maid’s heart? I’m not foolish enough to be unable to tell right from wrong.”

I tried to speak calmly with trembling lips, but the Crown Prince didn’t seem to believe me at all.

“Well, what talent do you have that would allow you to do that? I can’t believe it.”

“Is there even a need for talent? If you act with a kind heart and sincerity, trust grows. This situation proves it.”

“You tolerate today’s outing because you trust her? Her maid’s loyalty must be great.”

“She’s a maid who’s undeservedly good to me. She’s always looking out for me. So, please don’t misunderstand the family’s treatment of me.”

The Crown Prince raised both hands as if he had lost. It was an attitude that meant he wanted to stop talking about this topic.

“Well, let’s say that’s the case. That’s not what I wanted to say. So, shall we get to the main point now?”

He lowered his voice and delivered words that were close to a warning.

“If you had approached Mel first, I would have been very angry. But it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. But I didn’t expect even Lüce to show interest in you.”

“Was today’s outing to observe me?”

“Well, there’s that, and it seemed like it would be fun. Anyway, a promise is a promise, so I’ll try to respect you as much as possible. But there will be no more protection than this.”

My breath caught at his firm words. He, who should be a shield against the Empress, drew a line so decisively. Why did I even bring up ‘respect’? We haven’t even started yet, and I couldn’t let it get this twisted.

So, I decided to gamble. Rather than being completely tied up by clumsy protection and self-destructing, I thought I’d poke him once, even if it was a long shot. Because if it’s completely impossible, it’s better to give up cleanly. Rather than being neither here nor there.

“It would be nice if Pulcher showed the same generosity as Idi. Then the people around me would be more comfortable. I tend to rely on others a lot when I’m sad.”

It was a subtle threat that if the Empress stayed still, the people he cared about, like Lady Roshan or Sir Ayres, wouldn’t have a hard time because of me.

I didn’t know where the Crown Prince’s affection and trust leaned more, but it was all or nothing, and I laid down all the cards I had with a near-desperate feeling.

Was it because I was putting on a false show of courage? My heart was pounding as if it would burst. My mouth was dry, and my hands were sweaty. My back had been soaked with cold sweat for a long time.

After a while, the Crown Prince opened his mouth. Fortunately, none of his words contained emotions such as displeasure or anger.

“You’re really clever. To think you can divide sides like this. I want to praise you for choosing the conditions of the threat very well. Right now, Mel and Lüce are so infatuated with you that they don’t even try to listen to me. What on earth drew them in so much? No, I think I know. But they couldn’t have seen you in your current state.”

This was no different from confessing that he placed his friends above the Empress. It was also acknowledging that as long as Sir Ayres had feelings for me, the Crown Prince couldn’t treat me carelessly either.

In other words, the gamble had worked.

But the very fact that he was admitting it so readily meant that he had ulterior motives, so I continued to hold onto the string of tension. Because revealing his own weakness could be bait for another scheme.

“Okay. I’ll act as a shield until Mel’s feelings for you subside. It seems like it would be fun to think about Mother jumping up and down in anger.”

Therefore, I couldn’t believe his words that he had changed his mind simply because of fun. No matter how much he liked his friends, could it be more important than the bond of blood? It wasn’t for nothing that people said blood is thicker than water.

But since I couldn’t just shout that I didn’t believe him, I forced my lips to move and barely uttered the words ‘Thank you.’

While thinking how pathetic I was to be leeching off him like this. No, should I be grateful that I received an offer to protect me, even if it was just lip service?

“Let’s stop watching the play now. It’s not fun at all.”

He got up from his seat and said to me. At the same time, he held out his hand, as if to tell me to take his hand and get up.

I slowly reached out and took the Crown Prince’s hand. The warmth that was transmitted through his palm made my stomach churn. Fear was slowly raising its head.

“Then what shall we do now?”

At my question, he bared his teeth and said.

“Let’s find a restaurant. I’m hungry.”

It seemed he had returned to the mischievous Idi. I barely swallowed the rising sigh and answered quietly.

“Yes.”

But unfortunately, the road to the restaurant wasn’t so easy. It was because of a gambler who appeared with a group of people.

Whether they had been searching for us all over the city, the way they rushed in as soon as they shouted ‘Found them’ was quite unusual.

“Oh dear.”

The Crown Prince raised both arms as if he were in trouble. The smile that lingered on his lips was still there, but he couldn’t provoke as before, as if he himself wasn’t confident.

“What should we do?”

“Can you run well?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if you can run well.”

“No.”

“Good. You should be grateful that I’m faithfully taking knight classes.”

Suddenly, my body floated into the air. Surprised and flustered, he told me in a small voice to wrap my arms around his neck.

“You might get lost, but well, let’s leave that to fate. When I say three, scatter the money you received from those guys on the floor. Got it?”

“Yes.”

The Crown Prince spoke to the approaching group in a nonchalant tone. It was a joke that I wasn’t feeling well and had to go see a healer, so let’s meet again next time.

Of course, curses burst out from the group of gamblers. Among them, there were people who were stomping their feet as if they were about to jump out at any moment.

“Three. Now.”

Following the Crown Prince’s words, I took out the money pouch I had received from the gambler and quickly untied the string. And I turned it upside down and scattered it on the floor.

In an instant, coins fell down with a clatter and began to roll here and there on the floor. Then, not only the thugs but also the people who were watching the situation from afar froze and stared blankly at the money that had fallen on the floor.

I quickly shouted, ‘Finders keepers.’ In an instant, the silence was broken, and a commotion began to pick up even one more coin.

“Get out of the way. It’s my money. Get lost!! Do you want to die, you bastards?!!”

Even the old gambler was trembling, unable to pick up the gold coins. In an instant, a group of people began to tangle chaotically.

The Crown Prince took advantage of the gap and quickly began to run. He was running with my body in his arms, but he didn’t seem to be tired at all, and he didn’t even breathe heavily throughout the run.

Had we been running like that for a long time? He gradually slowed down after entering an alley. The Crown Prince looked around once and seemed to think it was safe enough, so he put me down on the floor.

“Good reflexes, huh?”

What followed was praise for the previous action.

“Idi, on the other hand, doesn’t seem tired at all.”

“Well, let’s just say it’s the price of hard training.”

“But where is this?”

“Well, I don’t know either? What’s certain is that it’s the alley next to a restaurant that smells delicious.”

He asked in a nonchalant voice, ‘You still have the original money pouch, right?’ It seemed he was thinking of filling his stomach before even finding the way.

It seemed he had forgotten that he had been snacking all the time since leaving the Witch’s house. Besides, eating a meal was only possible when you knew the surrounding roads, not like this.

“Now, let’s go.”

“But Idi, isn’t it about time to go back? Aren’t you attending the ball tonight?”

Snow was falling little by little on the wind. The surroundings also became dark in the gray-colored sky.

I wondered if I could even return to the mansion in time like this. They must have noticed my absence by now.

“Don’t worry. They’ve probably been notified by now.”

“Pardon?”

He reached out and grabbed my wrist and strode forward. I was bewildered by the unexpected words and asked again, and he replied that he had already sent a letter to the Bischwartz mansion saying that I had come out to play outside.

“Of course, it’s written that I came out with Lüce. Lüce said he would help just this once. So, don’t worry and stay with me until tonight, okay?”

Idi, who had already arrived at the restaurant, opened the door wide and said to me. The inside, which was more like a bar than a restaurant, was already full of people drinking.

“Surely, no way?”

“Why wouldn’t that ‘no way’ be the case?”

He forcibly dragged me in, who was shaking my head as if I couldn’t believe it, and eventually found an empty seat.

Then, he picked up the menu and ordered the employee who was approaching to bring the most delicious food and alcohol.

“Yes, I understand.”

Even in the midst of the confusion, the voice of the employee who answered sounded quite familiar. Surprised, I raised my head and saw Arina’s face, which looked much more tired than I remembered.

“Arina?”

“Sister?”

It was that child I had met in the garden at dawn.