132 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 132
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It was the first time I'd seen the Crown Prince since Founding Day. His flawless and radiant appearance remained unchanged, but perhaps walking the streets together had been worthwhile, as I didn't feel as intimidated as before, even after a long interval. Thus, I was able to greet him with a composed demeanor.
The Crown Prince gestured for me to take a seat as if it were his own home, and he himself sat on the sofa opposite me. Then, in a gentle voice, he asked Lady Roshan, who was about to sit next to me, to leave the room for a moment.
Lady Roshan wore an unwilling expression, but unable to resist his compelling gaze, she hesitantly left the room. Seemingly uneasy about something, she turned her head several times to look at me as she departed.
"Is your visit today because of me?"
One thing I realized while talking to the Crown Prince was that it was impossible to understand his intentions without direct conversation.
Of course, even with direct conversation, I would still end up having my information stolen, but at least I could ease the sharp tension.
The Crown Prince, without even taking a sip of the tea in his cup, seemed quite intrigued by my direct approach and smiled faintly. Then, as if to confirm my words, he nodded slowly.
"There is a favor I would like to ask of you."
He was still keeping his promise to respect me. This was evident in the fact that he didn't speak down to me, even though we were alone in the room. The use of the word 'favor' instead of 'command' was also telling.
"A favor?"
"It seems I will need to be seen with you on several occasions in the future."
"Seen with you? What do you mean?"
As I puzzled over his incomprehensible words, the Crown Prince looked at me with considerable surprise.
"You don't immediately refuse. That's unexpected."
"If I were to refuse, would you accept it?"
"No, I was about to say that paying for a shield with a single outing is too cheap."
Indeed, if I were the Crown Prince, I would have said it was a great loss. Therefore, I didn't find this subtle attempt to revise the contract too offensive. This was a thought I could only entertain when he asked for something reasonable.
Above all, if the 'being seen together' he mentioned was the same as what I imagined, it wouldn't be a loss. It would be more helpful than harmful.
Roena might catch the Crown Prince's eye at any moment—since the future had changed, I couldn't simply assume it would happen at the ball—so creating opportunities like this wouldn't be a bad idea. It was a pretty good offer, as long as it didn't ignite with the rumors about Sir Ayres.
Within society, I was strongly branded as Sir Ayres's lover.
It was well known that his affection was so deep that he personally visited the Bishvarts Family mansion when I was bedridden and unable to move last winter.
The fact that he unequivocally placed the Floral Crown on my head when he won the swordsmanship competition was another example. Despite diligently spending time with Lady Roshan, there were hardly any young nobles approaching me, thanks to that undeniable declaration.
But standing together with the Crown Prince, projecting an image of affection? Everyone would be talking about Mother. Surely, they would mutter about dirty blood and say, "Like mother, like daughter."
So, feigning ignorance, I asked the Crown Prince about his intentions again.
"It would simply involve standing by my side and conversing affectionately whenever I request it."
"To be able to converse with Your Highness is a great honor. However, I fear others may not see it that way."
The Crown Prince seemed to have quickly understood my concerns. He said in a firm tone that if I was hesitating because of Mel, there was no need to.
"I will take care of Mel. Lüce will handle the rumors circulating in society. Would that suffice?"
At least in my memory, the Crown Prince had never failed to achieve what he set out to do. If he said he would do it, he always did. So, I didn't need to consider it empty words.
What was even more reassuring was that he would keep Sir Ayres at bay. I knew how passionate he could be, to the point of losing his reason when it came to me.
Like the old me, he was someone who would gladly endure even crazy things with a smile to win the heart of the person he admired.
Therefore, the Crown Prince had to persuade him. Considering their friendship—if he would choose a friend over the Empress, it was hard to fathom the extent of their bond—there was no one more suitable.
However, I hesitated slightly, pretending to contemplate, as it wouldn't do to agree immediately. The Crown Prince then said in a casual voice, "Then I'll have to find someone else."
He had come all the way to Lady Roshan's house under the pretext of tea time because he needed me, yet he was acting as if it didn't matter.
By mentioning 'someone else,' he was subtly threatening me to bow down and comply. There was no one who would refuse the Crown Prince's request unless they were crazy, so it was an action he could afford to take.
Therefore, I would have to carefully observe what he intended to do with me by his side. For now, I had no choice but to flatter him.
I said in a quiet voice, "Alright, I'll do it." The Crown Prince smiled faintly, seemingly pleased with my compliant attitude.
As if the matter was settled, Lady Roshan entered shortly after. The Crown Prince, as soon as she entered, brought up trivial topics as if he had forgotten the previous conversation, leading the tea time for a full two hours.
The question of why he was dragging out the time was answered by Lady Roshan's grumbling.
"In the end, you skipped swordsmanship class again."
The Crown Prince acted nonchalantly, as if he had no shame. According to him, Sir Ayres was the only one slightly stronger than him among people of similar age, but he was his knight, so there was nothing to fear. Therefore, there was no need to bother learning swordsmanship.
It wasn't just me who was taken aback by the absurd statement; Lady Roshan's brow furrowed slightly. The Crown Prince's glib remarks continued.
"Isn't spending time with such beautiful ladies nice? No, it's more beneficial. And it's just for today, Lüce. Hmm?"
In other words, the Crown Prince was a beauty who possessed a bewitching charm, despite being a man. It wasn't that he looked like a woman, but his innate beauty transcended gender, sometimes captivating not only women but even men.
And when someone with such dangerous beauty smiled subtly and spoke in a coaxing manner? It would be impossible not to grant their wish, as if giving away one's liver and gallbladder. Lady Roshan was no exception.
She let out a sigh-like breath and said, "Just for today." In her eyes, shadowed by her eyelashes, flickered something like 'resignation.'
I quickly realized that Lady Roshan had been accommodating the Crown Prince in this way more than once or twice. In some ways, she was more lenient than Sir Ayres.
In any case, the Crown Prince, having received Lady Roshan's tacit permission, lingered for another hour before reluctantly stretching and rising from his seat as the sunset began to cast its glow.
Then, he dissuaded Lady Roshan from seeing him off and said that he would take me to the Bishvarts Family mansion himself.
Wasn't the matter settled with the earlier conversation? Feeling newly tense, I had no choice but to follow him with a stiff posture.
Since I had come to the Roshan Family in the carriage sent by her, I had to return in the same carriage.
The Crown Prince escorted me with a natural demeanor, as if he had forgotten that he was currently dressed as a commoner, and even went so far as to sit in the seat opposite me inside the carriage.
It was quite some time after the carriage had departed that he opened his mouth.
"Do you remember what the Witch said during Founding Day?"
"No. Not at all."
The Crown Prince said "Liar" in response to my answer. He didn't seem to believe my answer at all. I feigned ignorance and replied that I really didn't know. Then, as if trying to test me, he began to recite a passage from the prophecy.
"I can't quite grasp who the woman who defies death, the woman who is not bound by fate, is..."
Surprisingly, the Crown Prince accurately remembered the prophecy from that time. Moreover, he seemed to be most concerned about the part that mentioned death, even showing a nuance of searching for the 'woman who is not bound by fate.'
Apparently, he believed that the 'death' the Witch spoke of was directed at him. But according to my memory, the Crown Prince was the one who ultimately triumphed, and he was standing right before ascending to the throne after settling the turbulent situation. Unlike the prophecy, he was very much alive and without any major injuries.
The problem was that the future had been changing little by little since I returned. Therefore, it was difficult to simply dismiss the Witch's prophecy as false. The fact that the Crown Prince was concerned about it was also telling.
If the person the Witch mentioned was referring to me, it was even more so. If I could help the Crown Prince avoid death, it would be a part that could be considered as not changing, at least one of the biggest threads.
Thinking this way, the Crown Prince's request for me to stay by his side when he needed me felt like a huge twist of fate.
Did it mean that even if everything else changed, the basic framework would remain the same? Like how history, which influences the fate of a country rather than an individual, cannot be touched.
So, was it a battle between death and fate? I chuckled at this absurd thought that suddenly came to mind. I must be losing my mind from focusing too much on the prophecy, following the Crown Prince's lead.
"I'm curious to know what Lady Bishwartz thinks."
"She's just a disheveled old woman. Maybe she's ill. So, don't worry too much about it."
But was it that he didn't like my answer? The Crown Prince didn't show any particular reaction. He simply stared at me with an embarrassing intensity, slowly opening and closing his eyes.
Nevertheless, a suffocating tension filled the carriage. It wouldn't be strange to suffocate and die in this state.
After a while, as if nothing had happened, he said in a gentle voice, "I see."
I couldn't even offer a proper reply and just panted. In fact, my expression must have been as pale as someone who had just loosened a strangled neck.
He had only stared at me, but why did my whole body ache as if it had been strongly pressed down?
"Perhaps Lady Bishwartz is right. Thank you for the advice."
I instinctively brought my fingers to my neck and groped around as if someone had been strangling me. And when I felt somewhat relieved, I replied in a small voice, "No, it's nothing."
If I could, I wanted to jump out of the carriage and run away right now.
Fortunately, the carriage arrived at the Bishvarts Family mansion, and I swallowed hard, watching the Crown Prince's every move.
"Please forgive my rudeness."
The Crown Prince smiled faintly and opened the door of the carriage. I didn't even think about receiving an escort and quickly, but with a speed that didn't feel rushed, got out of the carriage.
"When I send a letter later, I hope you will not forget to attend any events. Because then, you will fulfill what you promised."
"Yes."
With that unilateral notice, the door of the carriage closed. And it slowly began to move away from my sight. I struggled to support my trembling legs and walked towards the main gate.
But the fear from just now and the old dread that I thought I had overcome were holding me back, so I couldn't take a step. In the end, I collapsed onto the ground and shivered.
"You mustn't be afraid. You have to forget."
I muttered as if hypnotizing myself, but I couldn't stop the chills that ran through my body. It was a wonder I didn't faint.
