163 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 163
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I thought he would indirectly grill me about fighting with Sir Ayres because of me, but it seems he's plotting something else. And it seems one of those stages has moved to the Bishvarts Family's residence?
I quietly sipped my tea, swallowing the questions that surged up. Meeting him only made my mouth heavier, so this level of patience was nothing. It was just exhausting.
Even if the imperial family was at the pinnacle of high society, and he reigned as the top predator in the political jungle where dirty tricks ran rampant, wouldn't anyone feel repulsed if he tried to drain the life out of people like this every time?
It wasn't unreasonable to have a strange premonition that the previous Roena had lived a less-than-smooth life. To be the wife of such a man… I wouldn't have been able to endure it either.
Anyway, since I had to answer a bit more diligently, I tried to deflect the conversation as much as possible.
"It's only been a little over a year since I gained this glorious name. I've been running forward, so I haven't had the chance to look around, so I'm afraid I won't be able to satisfy Your Highness's question."
The Crown Prince smiled coldly, as if he didn't like my answer very much.
"Sir Halberd is quite the man to have in one's heart… Ah, is it because of Mel?"
Now it was about Sir Ayres. It was quite a rude question, but I couldn't dare argue with the Crown Prince, so I silently nodded.
I thought it would be better to just play the role of Sir Ayres's lover, as widely known. It was an answer that wouldn't resonate with the Crown Prince, who knew I wasn't accepting him.
As expected, he didn't like my answer this time either, and he swept away his smile and looked at me with a strange expression.
The gaze pouring down in the silence was so oppressive that sweat broke out on my back. Was it time to talk about fighting with Aires because of me? Just as I swallowed hard in tension,
He, who would have persistently questioned one topic before, suddenly changed the subject and smiled gently. He said that his birthday was coming up soon, so he wanted me to come with Sir Ayres.
"I'll be looking forward to the gift."
If someone else had heard it, they would have thought he was looking forward to the gift I would give, but the Crown Prince I knew wasn't one to say such things without a reason, so I couldn't help but feel nervous.
I couldn't tell if the missing name in front was me or Sir Ayres. Or maybe it was a gift from the Bishvarts Family.
"I will try not to disappoint your expectations."
I suppressed my ambiguous feelings and bowed politely, and the Crown Prince's laughter poured down over my head. He was definitely enjoying it.
And he didn't hide his pleasant expression until I accepted his dismissal and got up from my seat. Something about me had clearly pleased him, but I couldn't be sure, so I felt ambiguous. I had an uneasy feeling. This feeling persisted until I left the garden.
I could only meet Lady Roshan after parting with the Crown Prince. I didn't know if she had kissed him, or if she thought she should pretend not to know since there was no questioning from her superiors, but her attitude towards me, as if nothing had happened, was exactly like her sinister friend.
Anyway, Roshan, whom I met after a long time, acted as cheerful as usual, but somehow seemed more excited. Ironically, I was the only one impatient with this strange encounter.
It was the same when we talked about Sir Halberd. She acted as if she didn't know the Crown Prince's intentions and offered her views from a different perspective. Gossip about Sir Halberd was slowly bubbling up in high society these days.
"Everyone can't help but be interested because they say Sir Halberd is so deeply in love with a lady that he calls her 'My Lady'."
Her eyes, staring at me, had a strange light, as if she really hadn't heard.
"They say that the main character is Roena de Bishbalz, but haven't you noticed any signs of that?"
I was speechless at her extremely serious tone. I couldn't open my mouth to the rumor that the 'My Lady' that flowed from his mouth referred to Roena.
Sir Halberd had asserted that I shouldn't assume he was Roena's knight, but in the end, this was the fate that was unfolding.
However, I felt strangely calm, which made me feel awkward. A sense of emptiness and resignation permeated my body, and I couldn't even laugh hollowly.
At the same time, I felt dumbfounded at myself for thinking of Halberd equals Roena, and I didn't know why the insurmountable wall with Sir Ayres came to mind at that moment.
"It's a hot topic that both young ladies of the Bishvarts Family are receiving the love of famous knights."
Lady Roshan was acting as if she didn't know who Roena was in love with.
So, when she quietly questioned me, asking if I hadn't felt anything from Sir Halberd and Roena, I shook my head and smiled quietly.
Then, I suddenly wondered what kind of expression Roena would have made when she heard this. Would she have taken it for granted, or would she have been shy? I even wanted to see it in person.
\\
Roena was the most excited about the Crown Prince's birthday. She came to me with a very excited face and asked me about the Crown Prince in detail.
She vaguely knew the external information, but she was investigating very diligently because it could be different from the reality. This passion reminded me of myself when I followed Sir Halberd, which was so creepy.
In the end, Roena couldn't get information from me - I didn't answer diligently - so she ran to her adoptive father and began to thoroughly investigate what he had offered as gifts to the Crown Prince for the past five years.
Since the gifts had been sent in the name of the Bishvarts Family, there was a faithful record of them.
"They say they're going to prepare a very rare gift. In Lady Roena's name."
Marie, who had no idea when she had heard this rumor, gently combed my hair and rattled on without hesitation. According to the information she spat out, my adoptive father would be going on a business trip himself in a few days to find the gift Roena had requested.
The previous gifts were also rare items obtained through the efforts of the Count of Bishvarts, so this time would be the same.
"They say he's going far away by boat."
"Boat?"
Feeling strangely eerie, I quickly rummaged through my memories and calculated when my adoptive father had passed away.
Was it half a year after I debuted in high society…? My memory was a bit hazy, but I don't think the accident happened when I was my current age. At that time, he had died after going out on a boat for work.
"Did you order a gift for the young lady too?"
I shook my head. My adoptive father hadn't asked me yet what kind of gift he should buy. There was no mention of him buying me something while he was out on business.
Had he forgotten, or did he think I could skillfully choose a gift that suited the Crown Prince's taste on my own?
"I don't know what kind of rare item it is that he has to go out on a boat for."
"Wouldn't that mean it's that valuable? By the way, there's been a lot of talk about the tea Mother's been drinking lately?"
I skillfully changed the subject. Marie didn't suspect anything and readily gave me the answers I wanted.
"Yes. So, the Madam changed the tea she was drinking. So, there was also a rumor that Lady Roena was very upset about that."
Marie, who had been spewing words non-stop, suddenly swallowed and looked at me.
"But the rumors are gradually getting strangely bigger? In a strange direction."
"What direction?"
"That Margo has become a Witch, or that she's going crazy, or something like that."
I looked at my reflection in the mirror with satisfaction and said cheerfully, as if singing.
"So, what do you think?"
"Yes? About what?"
"Margo's appearance, I mean."
Marie frowned as if she hadn't been watching my mood.
"That old woman was always a bit strange."
What was reflected in her eyes was contempt for Margo. Was she still running wild, trusting Roena, even though she had stepped down from the position of head maid? Otherwise, there was no way she would reveal such clear emotions. Well, it was obvious that the greedy woman wouldn't suddenly become frail like an old woman in the back room.
I hadn't been watching the maids for a while, and it seemed like very interesting things were happening. I smiled and patted her hand.
"Who doesn't know that."
I should call Mlang after a long time.
\\
Since the appearance of someone called a Witch, a secret method has been popular among the people of the empire.
It was called black magic to summon demons. The effects were not proven, but these strange spells, which promised to grant wishes if one earnestly desired them, were starting from the back alleys and gradually seeping into ordinary homes.
"They call it the Witch's Wreath."
Arina started to unravel what she knew, her eyes sparkling. It was quite cute that she started talking without hesitation as an answer to the question, 'What story will you tell me today?'
"It's a spell to prevent the other person's cow from producing milk."
Today, Jack had visited with Arina. Before, I had carelessly allowed Arina when she asked me, 'Can I bring Jack too?' - I didn't even imagine Jack would come - so she really brought him.
The young colt, as if he was overwhelmed by the appearance of the splendid mansion that was incomparable to the back alleys, was looking around nervously.
Then, he looked at my face and sighed as if he was relieved, but I was a little puzzled because what was on the child's face was a strand of 'belief' and 'relief'.
I thought Jack would immediately reach for the refreshments in front of him, and that's why I had put them out, but he was acting like a young animal with its fur standing on end, without putting even a single piece of cookie in his mouth.
Anyway, Jack heard Arina's words and soon added in a blunt voice, 'You idiot, that's a spell to kill people?'
It was funny how he stiffened his back as if nothing was wrong, even though he only relaxed his stiff shoulders when Arina's arm touched his clothes.
"No, it's not? They said it was to stop the cow from producing milk."
"You idiot. That's to kill people. They said that every time you make a knot, you attach a bird's feather and earnestly wish for someone to die. They said that if you put that in front of the other person's house or room, they would slowly die. You only know how to talk, even though you don't know anything."
"Who told you that?"
Jack answered in a casual voice to my question.
"The old Witch."
"Witch?"
"Yes. That old man who came to the capital this time and suddenly died of strangulation."
Jack's speech was still rough. I said to Arina in a kind voice, 'Cover your ears.'
Arina raised her hands and covered her ears. It was Arina's strength to obey immediately without any response. Her unwavering trust in me. Every time I received it, joy filled a corner of my heart. She was a truly lovely child.
Jack continued to speak.
"That old man knows a lot of strange methods. And, damn it, he sold them to the people around him for money."
"But he died? Strangled?"
"Yes. People say it's suicide, but I don't believe it."
"Why?"
Jack smiled darkly, his eyes shining.
"There's no way that greedy old man would easily commit suicide, leaving his money behind, right? He must have been killed by someone. Well, there was a suicide note left behind, though."
"Suicide note?"
"It's only a suicide note in name, it's just letters written on his body with his own blood."
"Do you know what it said?"
"Of course I know. I even saw it."
"How?"
"The undertaker doesn't touch the corpse carelessly. It's because of the superstition that if you touch a newly dead corpse, you die with it. It's especially true for suicidal corpses. So, they use people who wouldn't be strange to die at any time. That's kids like me."
Jack's face didn't seem to care as he spoke. He even seemed calm, as if this happened frequently.
Had he relaxed because he kept talking? He kept turning his eyes to the place where the refreshments were placed, and his Adam's apple was moving, so it seemed like he wanted to eat the cookies.
"That must have been hard."
"Not really."
I pushed the refreshment plate closer to the children with my fingertips. Jack, who had never dreamed of such food in his life, was just blinking stupidly. The child's dazed face seemed to be asking, 'Is it okay to eat this?'
