177 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 177
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Madame de Lavalier, seemingly doubtful of my assertion, asks in a sharp voice,
“You confirmed it? Is there absolutely no other possibility?”
I remained silent instead of answering. I knew that no matter what I said, she wouldn’t accept this situation.
Therefore, it was better to give her time to accept this matter, even if only a little, than to open my mouth.
Fortunately, Madame de Lavalier perfectly understood my silence and let out a long sigh as if accepting it. She was regaining her composure.
“But announcing the obituary was too hasty. Whose idea was it? No, it must have been you. You’re the only one who could pull off such an immature stunt.”
Madame de Lavalier rebuked me in her uniquely elegant tone. She meant I was too hasty.
But if I had concealed my adoptive father’s death and delayed the obituary, she would have interrogated me about what I had been planning to do in the meantime.
And she would have secretly seized control of the Bishvarts Family, manipulating it to her liking so that no one else could interfere. Even though her surname was different, it was undeniable that she was a senior member of the family. So, making it public for everyone to know was the best way.
“I didn’t have the capacity to think deeply due to grief.”
“I suppose so. That’s why it’s even more regrettable.”
The woman, who had been a prominent figure in society and had tamed various kinds of wildcats, was skilled at considering the family’s future rather than her own emotions.
So, she concealed her bloodshot eyes with meticulous makeup and her palms, bleeding from being clenched too tightly, with silk gloves. If a stream of blood hadn’t trickled down her wrist holding the teacup, I wouldn’t have noticed how composed she was.
“I heard you’re taking care of the family? En, no, Roena?”
“She’s overwhelmed with grief and unable to get up.”
She clicked her tongue and continued speaking. Her composed voice occasionally faltered, revealing her rough teeth.
She had no choice but to act as if nothing was wrong, even though she felt like her insides were turning upside down. As if staging a ridiculous play, we were desperately acting calm.
“How is the Countess?”
“She can’t do anything because of the baby in her womb.”
I recalled the dizzying moments and answered quietly. Fortunately, a miscarriage was avoided, but there were several dangerous periods when I worried if I would have to hear another obituary.
The child was safe only because Mother endured with her mental strength. Therefore, I didn’t want to give her any more shocks. For us, who had no blood relation to the Bishvarts Family, the fetus who inherited the adoptive father’s blood was the only salvation.
“So, that means you’re the only one.”
Madame de Lavalier clicked her tongue, openly displeased. She seemed upset that someone like me was managing the family she cherished so much.
However, she, whose surname had become ‘Lavalliere,’ couldn’t openly interfere with the Bishvarts Family. In the end, she would have to give instructions as a guardian, but the person the queen of society had in mind was clearly Roena, so there was no way she would offer me any helpful advice.
And indeed, she only asked about a few of the tasks I was currently handling and didn’t say anything about how to handle them or what to do in the future.
She thought that these were only minor matters, so even if I failed, there wouldn’t be a significant impact.
“If you have any difficulties with the funeral preparations, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
In the end, Madame de Lavalier couldn’t endure for long and got up from her seat before finishing her cup of tea, saying she had to go to Roena. It was to comfort her and discuss the guardian.
It was an obvious act, but I pretended not to notice and smiled gently, thanking her. And I escorted her to the outside of the drawing room.
After closing the door and returning to the sofa, I unfolded a letter that had been neatly folded and began to read it again.
An hour before Lavalliere arrived, among the many letters that had arrived at the mansion, there was one from the Crown Prince. He had sent separate letters to me and Roena, offering condolences in Roena’s and writing something helpful regarding the current situation in mine.
『For a farmer, a scarecrow is good because it is helpful even though it does nothing. It has an excellent ability to chase away birds, but it does not hinder the farmer from doing his work. So, are you ready to become a farmer?』
Unlike Lavalliere, who intended to control the Bishvarts Family by moving Roena, the guardian prepared by the Crown Prince would only be faithful to the role of ‘guardian’ and would not exert any influence. That was the promise.
How could I believe those words?
I chuckled and crumpled the letter sent by the Crown Prince. Now that Madame de Lavalier had made her move, people who had rarely visited, to the point where it was suspicious that they were relatives, would freely come and go from the mansion, desperately trying to become Roena’s guardian. And Mother and I would become increasingly isolated.
I got up from my seat and returned to the study. I opened the desk drawer, took out a piece of stationery, and dipped the quill pen generously in ink.
Perhaps because my efforts had paid off, the handwriting that was scribbled on the paper was neat and elegant, even though it was written quickly. There was no trace of haste anywhere.
『I was too busy learning how to farm to notice that the harvest season had already arrived. I wouldn’t have known if Your Highness hadn’t reminded me. Does the harvested grain belong solely to the farmer? I am merely curious about that.』
It was a question of whether he would leave me alone even after I had taken control of the Bishvarts Family, even though he said he wouldn’t interfere now.
Since things had come to this, I wanted the Bishvarts Family to be completely in my hands. I couldn’t let someone else take what I had worked so hard for. I also wanted to know the Crown Prince’s true intentions this time.
So, I wrote a letter with a sincere heart.
However, I didn’t receive any reply until the Crown Prince’s birthday was just around the corner.
Disappointingly, the Crown Prince chose silence.
The Imperial Family said they ‘regretted’ the misfortune that had befallen the Bishvarts County. It was truly a cheap consolation.
The reason they used the word ‘regret’ instead of condolences for my adoptive father’s death was because the obituary was announced just before the Crown Prince’s birthday. They were displeased that such ominous news was delivered when they should have been celebrating. The timing was terrible.
This was also why the discussion about my adoptive father’s funeral and his death was postponed. Until the Crown Prince’s birthday passed, the death of the Count of Bishvarts was, in the truest sense, not a death. So, no one dared to bring up the topic of a guardian.
This was also why Roena and I attended the birthday ball wearing glamorous dresses as if nothing had happened.
I intentionally wore a dress that was close to gray and adorned it with pearls to make it look as simple as possible, but Roena, who was half out of her mind, entered the Imperial Palace in a pure white dress.
Her red eyes, which couldn’t be completely concealed by makeup, had a poignant beauty that caught the eye of others. So, many people sincerely comforted Roena and glanced at me, who seemed relatively calm, whispering among themselves. It was easy to guess what they were saying.
Anyway, if it weren’t for the tragedy that had befallen the family, I might have slowly enjoyed today’s ball, so Lady Roshan regretted that she couldn’t spend a long time with me.
Sir Ayres was with her for the first time since I had started associating with her. He waited patiently until I approached the Crown Prince, handed him the gift, and returned to the hall.
Because everyone’s attention was focused on us, we couldn’t have a long conversation, but the Knight of Ice stood by my side as if protecting me. As if he had forgotten that his place was behind the Crown Prince.
“Are you alright?”
Sir Ayres constantly checked my expression and fidgeted. Unlike Roena, who was called by the Empress to receive condolences, my surroundings were filled with people who looked me up and down with a spiteful heart, wondering when I would be kicked out of the mansion, so it was inevitable.
The current opinion was that since the Count of Bishvarts had died, Roena, his true successor, would manage the family with the help of an agent. So, most people believed that I would become a commoner again and be kicked out.
No matter how angelic Roena’s heart was, there was no way she would show the same generosity to someone who wasn’t related to her by blood as the deceased Count had shown.
Some people were even rejoicing, shouting that the day I would be separated from Sir Ayres was not far off.
Some even lightly sneered, saying that I had enjoyed enough and that it was time to wake up from my dream.
No one had any sympathy for the poor girl who had only been bearing the noble surname for a year and a half. On the contrary, they were clearly looking forward to a juicy piece of gossip. I felt nauseous at their vile nature.
“What’s not alright?”
I bowed my head lightly as if to express my gratitude and answered in a quiet voice. The calm voice was too composed to be that of a girl who had suffered a loss.
That’s why people were criticizing me, and the Crown Prince was also looking at me with a curious expression. Even Lady Roshan was speechless at my seemingly normal state, so what more could be said? It was Sir Ayres who was worried about me who was unusual.
“You might not be alright. The nightmares…”
He hesitated for a moment and then carefully opened his mouth.
“Are you still having them?”
“No.”
I answered briefly. I felt that he would be able to understand without me adding unnecessary words like ‘because of the cloak.’
As I expected, Sir Ayres smiled shyly and was so happy that he looked as if he would take off his coat right then and there if it weren’t for the Imperial ball. And he regretted that I would have to return to the mansion soon.
It was around that time that I met eyes with the Crown Prince. He looked at me with sharp eyes and then turned his gaze elsewhere. It was a slow movement, as if telling me to follow him.
So, I turned my head and saw Lustewin Halberd standing with Roena.
The Knight of Clear Hearing had been by Roena’s side since Roena and I had arrived at the Imperial Palace. It was because Roena had asked him to do so. So, he was preventing people from clinging to her as much as possible and naturally changing the subject.
People had been wondering who would become Roena’s guardian even before she arrived at the ball. At the same time, they were drooling over Roena’s engagement.
Even though the family was weak, it was still a County. For the second son of a noble family who couldn’t inherit the family unless he was the eldest son, there was no better opportunity than this.
So, many men hovered around Roena, trying to have a conversation with her, even if only for a moment. Roena avoided the situation by talking to the Empress or hiding behind Sir Halberd whenever that happened.
The Crown Prince’s gaze was fixed on Roena, who was clinging to Sir Halberd, and the Empress, who was talking to her enthusiastically.
His gaze was so intense and fierce that he seemed like someone who had been robbed of his own possession. So, it was not unreasonable to have these questions.
Did the Crown Prince want Sir Halberd instead of Sir Ayres, or did he want both?
“Sir Ayres, please understand that I cannot help but ask you a rude question. Have you reconciled with His Highness?”
“Yes? Yes, I have.”
Ah, is that so? Then perhaps the Crown Prince was being greedy.
I smiled faintly as if I had finally resolved a difficult matter.
“That’s a relief. His Highness will no longer ask me questions like whether I know Sir Halberd well.”
Sir Ayres’ body froze for a moment. He then asked me again in a very natural way, as if he had misheard, but he couldn’t hide the faint twitch on his lips.
I slowly repeated what I had just said, as if I didn’t know anything.
Michael Ayres nodded lightly as soon as I finished speaking. The man’s face was expressionless, with no trace of any emotion.
A moment later, he bowed his head and kissed the back of my hand. What flowed out through his parted lips was a vow-like voice.
“Yes, you will never be asked such a question again.”
Something sharp flashed between his eyes as he said that, but I pretended not to notice. I couldn’t easily guess what kind of repercussions the conversation would cause. I had no choice but to watch quietly.
Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye. Since I couldn’t stay at the ball for long due to the situation, 40 minutes was the limit. So, I reluctantly said goodbye to Sir Ayres and slowly paid my respects to the Crown Prince.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Lady.”
Michael Ayres said he would take me to the mansion, but I stubbornly refused. That was also why he looked so disappointed, as if he wasn’t satisfied even after coming to the front of the carriage.
I quietly coaxed the lingering Sir Ayres and sent him back inside alone. And I sat in the carriage and waited for Roena.
Less than 10 minutes after I got into the carriage, she returned with Lustewin Halberd.
I watched her and him through the open window in silence. Everyone was exhausted from mental fatigue.
