Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 136
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“Mother is using a pathetic trick.”
The Crown Prince scoffed as he looked at the invitation that had been sent to Lady Roshan. It was a rather disrespectful remark to make about his own mother.
However, both the Crown Prince who spoke and Lady Roshan who listened seemed unfazed. It was as if speaking like this was an everyday occurrence.
“Sis doesn’t have to worry.”
Lady Roshan smiles at me. She reaches out and gently pats the back of my hand, as if trying to reassure me. I am almost grateful for her kind consideration.
Nevertheless, the reason I can’t help but be concerned about the invitation is because I’m curious about the Empress’s intentions. I know she’s being tormented by Chatoul, but it’s strange that she’s paying attention to me, who is just a small fry. What on earth is she thinking?
Unfortunately, the Crown Prince doesn’t seem to want to tell me about it. Lady Roshan is the same. She acted as if nothing had happened after visiting the Empress’s palace, and she kept saying that she still supported me. Most of her answers were that there was no need to worry. As if everything had been perfectly resolved.
However, the Empress’s actions didn’t stop at just that one meeting. When something didn’t go her way, she sent Emery Nilam to me to create another situation.
Emery Nilam got straight to the point as soon as she met me. The way she stiffened her chin without even greeting me showed how much she looked down on me. It seems she holds a deep grudge against me since I rejected her proposal before.
“The esteemed Pulcher wishes for the Bischwartz Young Lady to repay the favor she previously received from him.”
For a moment, I almost burst out laughing. A favor? Is she talking about him not spreading my mistake around society? What kind of nonsense is this?
Wasn’t the story with Roena over? But what is this talk about repaying a favor? I was starting to feel offended by this coercion, which was no different from a threat.
Perhaps that’s why my voice doesn’t flow out smoothly.
“Wasn’t it over when you granted Roena’s request?”
“You shouldn’t think that way. I know you may not know this, Young Lady, but there are rules in society. You shouldn’t judge it with common sense and assume it’s over.”
Emery Nilam also seemed upset that I didn’t readily accept her proposal. Her voice becomes even louder.
“Well, I want to keep following common sense. So, could you please tell the great Pulcher that?”
“Oh my, what an impolite person! Is this something that can be resolved with just that? Instead of being grateful, what kind of disgraceful behavior is this! Even the smallest creature doesn’t forget a favor, so how can a Countess’s daughter try to commit such a moral disgrace?”
Emery Nilam was acting as arrogantly as if she were the Empress. This foolish woman must have thought that I would cower if she suppressed me with authority, as she even raised her voice with all her might.
The problem was that the place where she met me was an art exhibition that I was attending with Lady Roshan.
In other words, she should have been aware that Lady Roshan, who had left her seat, could return soon.
But she didn’t seem to think so, as she tried to intimidate me into submission. No, judging by her increasingly impatient appearance, it seemed she wanted to finish everything before Lady Roshan arrived.
“Because the Mother of the Empire doesn’t easily let go of what she has in her mouth. That’s why I can say this.”
“Didn’t I tell you back then that you shouldn’t reject an adult’s proposal? You still have a long way to go, Young Lady. You still haven’t escaped the shame of that day.”
“Yes. That’s why I’m walking around like this, gaining experience.”
Her face turns red and blue at my nonchalant answer. Her lips, which are about to add something, are trembling with anger.
In the meantime, Lady Roshan returned, and Emery Nilam stepped back with a pale face.
The reason she lost her composure from when she saw her at the Empress’s Palace was to get a ‘yes’ answer from me as quickly as possible. So, she kept pressuring me and making me feel intimidated so that I couldn’t think properly.
But I didn’t fall for it easily, and I managed to stall until Lady Roshan returned, so even that failed.
“Didn’t I already tell Pulcher?”
When Lady Roshan spoke firmly with a cold expression, Emery Nilam bit her lip and glared at me. In terms of aristocratic status, Lady Roshan, who seemed younger than her, was one step above, and she couldn’t even retort, so she was just holding on to me.
Still, should I be glad that she’s trying to back down easily? There’s nothing more embarrassing than raising your voice and fighting in the middle of an exhibition where everyone is gathered.
“This is the second rejection. You really don’t know fear, Young Lady. You’ll regret it someday.”
A venomous aura emanates from her attitude as she turns her body away, speaking in a shrill voice. Her striding figure was like an angry bull. Her actions were so reckless and ignorant that the people around her were horrified and avoided her.
I stared blankly at Emery Nilam’s back and quietly asked Lady Roshan.
“You still don’t want to tell me?”
“Of course.”
Then I can’t help it. I have no choice but to ask Michael Ayres. Unlike my true feelings, I spoke to her in a docile manner, as if I had quickly given up.
“I understand. Let’s continue looking at the paintings.”
And we strolled around the exhibition as if nothing had happened, looking at the paintings.
But my mind was troubled by the Empress’s intentions, so it was a little difficult to concentrate.
That’s why I didn’t realize that someone was staring at me intently from within a crowd of people. And also that one of them was a man who was very familiar to me.
As I continued to go out with Lady Roshan, I had relatively less time to meet my adoptive father and Mother.
In particular, it was difficult to meet Mother face to face. I was thinking of separating her from Roena, but I was so busy responding to the invitations that were pouring in that it was difficult to even devise a plan.
That’s why I couldn’t understand the appearance of the people who were moving busily with happy expressions at all.
I, who had been resting in my room for the first time in a while, looked at Marie, who was jumping around and shouting congratulations to me, as if she was strange. It was very strange that she was just saying good things without a proper explanation.
“What are you congratulating me for?”
Marie says to me with a puzzled expression.
“Young Lady, don’t you know? You’re pregnant.”
“Who?”
“Madam. The Countess is pregnant. Surely, you didn’t know?”
Mother is pregnant? Mother, who didn’t even know the concept of pregnancy in the past, is pregnant with my adoptive father’s child?
I tried hard to maintain my composure and asked Marie.
“When, since when?”
“The day before yesterday, she kept having morning sickness and said she wasn’t feeling well, so she rested for a while and then called the family doctor for an examination just now. Lady Roena was already there in advance, I heard?”
Roena was already there in advance?
For a moment, I felt like I was going to let out a hollow laugh. I barely managed to speak, suppressing the rising anger.
“Yes, are they still together now?”
“Yes, I think so. Everyone is making a fuss, saying they have to celebrate.”
Since some of the future had changed, the fact that Mother was pregnant was no longer surprising.
But at this important moment, no, I was angry that they didn’t tell me anything from the beginning that she was sick. Even though the diagnosis that she was pregnant had come out, the fact that they still hadn’t called me was the same.
Ah, my lovely and pitiful Mother. Foolish Mother. Poor Mother.
Blood seeps out from between my tightly pressed lips.
Why are you giving me this humiliation!
“Marie, I have to go to Mother.”
Marie must have noticed my unusual expression, as she answered ‘yes’ in a quiet voice. And she hurriedly brushed my hair down.
After neatly tidying up my clothes, I quickly walked to Mother’s room, and a laughter full of happiness leaked out from beyond the door.
I quietly opened the door. Inside, Mother, my adoptive father, and Roena were sitting together and drinking tea.
A strict but kind father, a gentle mother, and a beautiful daughter. A perfect family. It doesn’t seem like there’s a place for me anywhere.
“Mother.”
As soon as she heard my voice, Mother was startled and looked uneasy, which made me feel even more so. Not only her, but also Roena, and even my adoptive father, were widening their eyes as if they didn’t know I wasn’t there.
“I forgot to call you.”
My adoptive father chuckles and gestures to me.
“Your mother is pregnant. You have a sibling.”
“Yes, I heard. It’s really something to celebrate.”
I approached Mother and reached out my hand. Then she reflexively covered her stomach and pulled her body away. My hand, which had lost its way, was floating in the air. Everyone is silent in this embarrassing situation.
Had I ever touched you before, either before or now? I would spew out harsh words in anger, but I had never acted so badly as to make you flinch like this. But why, why… why!
“Mother, I just want to check if I have a sibling.”
Even though I tried to suppress my anger and speak kindly, Mother avoids my gaze and pretends not to know.
“Everyone gets this sensitive. So you have to understand.”
My adoptive father tries to salvage the situation somehow, but the cold air that has cooled down shows no sign of returning. On the contrary, it was painfully suppressing my body.
It was even more so because Roena reached out her hand towards Mother’s stomach as if she didn’t know what was happening, and you showed the difference between me and her by quietly accepting that touch.
A protest that she won’t tolerate it anymore unless I submit to her. An unspoken pressure that I have to get along with Roena like her.
In the end, it has become a huge wall.
I felt like a sigh would come out on its own.
“It seems like your mother is upset that you’ve been so busy lately. She’ll be fine soon. So don’t be too upset. You can spend time with your mother from now on.”
Roena’s attitude of acting like she’s Mother’s real daughter was also one of the things that was driving me crazy.
It was the same with telling me not to go out and stay with Mother. This subtle urging, disguised as comfort, was creating a strange sense of discomfort.
“What should I do? I didn’t even know that and was happily meeting new people. Roena has her aunt, so she doesn’t have to worry, but I don’t, so I have a lot to prepare. But I didn’t know that would upset Mother.”
When I mentioned her aunt, my adoptive father and Roena’s shoulders flinched. Mother was the same.
She stealthily raises her head and looks at me. Her drooping eyes were trembling pitifully. I forced the corners of my trembling lips up and smiled gently.
“I hope it’s a younger brother. Roena is enough for a younger sister.”
And I made one fact clear, as if driving a nail.
“So, is the Bishvarts Family’s heir being born?”
It was only natural that everyone’s faces changed in different ways at that moment.
