186 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 186
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“Come to think of it, you’re known to be on very good terms with your guardian.”
At his words, I turned my head as if asking what he meant, and picked up my fan again. Then, with it covering up to my nose, I calmly swayed it back and forth. I had raised a shield made with great care from silk and feathers, a woman’s only defense for the battle ahead.
Then, feigning an unconcerned voice, I replied.
“There’s no reason for us to be on bad terms. If you were hoping to imply something else, I would appreciate it if you would say you weren’t.”
“No one has a better imagination than the people of high society.”
He uttered ambiguous words that neither affirmed nor denied. His voice held a faint smile. He was enjoying this.
To bring me to such a secluded place only to discuss the truth behind a scandal…
I slightly doubted whether he was thinking straight. If most of the conversation to follow was going to be like this, I thought I should leave without hearing any more.
In fact, a noble familiar with high society would usually beat around the bush at this point, subtly revealing their intentions. Or they would tenaciously cling to the scandal from earlier until they found a weakness.
But Theodore Vitraice, as if knowing what I was thinking, expressed his opinion more boldly and honestly. I didn’t know how he usually saw me, but he seemed convinced that I wouldn’t stay as I was.
“Actually, what I want to say is this. A guardian is just a guardian; they can never be the true master. Yes, that’s right, Beatrice. I am now suggesting a direction to you. About the true master of the Bishvarts Family.”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to know that my guardian was just a puppet for me, and that I was the one actually running the family. That must be why he could continue speaking with such an arrogant tone, spouting nonsense like a proposal.
I shrugged my shoulders and looked at him as if I didn’t know what he meant by those words.
Perhaps I looked like a fragile animal, giving him a wary gaze. As if openly expressing my intention not to disrupt the family. That way, he would reveal his true intentions in more detail.
“My goodness, what are you talking about? Another direction? His Majesty has appointed my guardian; how could I go against his will?”
“No, it’s entirely possible if you wish it, Beatrice. I will help you.”
“Someone who hides behind a Mask? Please don’t say such things. Beatrice should be grateful for my humble origins. Anyone else would have suspected my identity and refused to follow you.”
“Does my appearance here make me seem like someone else?”
“The fact that you encountered me in that dangerous alley before is reason enough to be suspicious.”
“Then why did you follow me?”
Instead of saying it was out of curiosity, I lowered my gaze to his sleeve. And I spoke in a quiet tone, as if I were interested in something else.
“Ah, the sleeve isn’t undone today.”
Knowing that Bitrice was looking at my face, I deliberately blinked slowly. As I continued to speak, the voice that flowed out softly was quite seductive.
“What a shame… Still, it’s much better than showing ‘that mark’.”
Just as I couldn’t see his pupils, he couldn’t see the lips hidden behind my fan, so he couldn’t know what expression I was making as I spoke.
He had to infer everything with just one eye. That was why I had covered my face with the fan. To say that we should each reveal only one thing fairly. And that was only through the ‘eye,’ the window to the soul.
And he offered his answer with a faint wariness.
“You speak as if you’ve seen something, Beatrice. Is that why you’re showing such aversion?”
“What if I am? Should I answer kindly in an honest tone?”
“No, I think I know what you’ve seen, so you don’t have to answer. If you try to hide it, you’ll surely be suspected.”
I deliberately feigned a petulant voice, imitating the immature Beatrice I had shown him before. To emphasize that avoiding the man’s words was purely due to emotional feelings.
“How upsetting. I don’t know why you think so, but I always believe only what I see. My suspicion now is also because of the Mask I see. So please don’t misunderstand me.”
“…Are you swearing on your honesty? Please say that you are.”
“Oh my, a vow. Actually, the fact that you brought up that word is a little funny to me. It’s not something someone who tries to hide everything should say. You keep forcing me to be at a disadvantage; that’s not something a gentleman should do. Really, Bitrice is being too rude to me.”
“Oh dear, I’m trying to be more honest with you than anyone else.”
“You’re encouraging my dark heart in the name of a proposal.”
“A dark heart?”
Bitrice asked me as if he had heard something unexpected.
“Isn’t suggesting a direction what that means? Surely I haven’t misunderstood? Goodness, if that’s the case, I’ll apologize to Bitrice right now and leave this place.”
At my words, he replied in a somewhat quick voice. There was a bit of a hollow sound mixed in his voice, as if he were dumbfounded.
“You are now trying to make me gentlemanly, Beatrice.”
I said, feigning a gentle voice.
“Bitrice is treating me like a lady. So shouldn’t I show you a form that is appropriate for that?”
Then, I suddenly wondered what expression he was making behind the Mask.
Was he angry that I wasn’t moving according to his will, or was he wearing a cynical smile and devising another plan? Or was he wearing an inscrutable expression, his lips coldly set?
But the man’s voice coming from behind the Mask was more calm than I had expected.
"You show me an amazing appearance every time I see you, Beatrice." At first, you were so precarious, as if you were asking for help, but now you act as if you don’t need this much favor.”
“I had no choice but to become like this after bearing the name of a noble. You know how heavy this is, Bitrice. So that’s why I’m showing this appearance."This appearance, what are you thinking?”
I slowly lowered my fan, bringing my lips into his line of sight. Perhaps my face was wearing a very strange expression, with only the corners of my lips raised in the midst of an expressionless face.
A complex expression that mixed a smile and a sneer, neither smiling nor angry, was enough with just a slight movement of the muscles. This was bait to make the man react in some way.
“Why wear a Mask? Why haven’t I heard of Bitrice in high society, even though he bears the name of a noble? What on earth is his identity? Is it okay to mention it to others?”
“Ha?”
“Bitrice’s actions of flinching and panicking every time I speak. That’s what I’m talking about.”
“What do you mean?”
“You clenched and unclenched your hand just now.”
I smiled softly, curving my eyes.
“You scared me for a moment. Even if it was an unconscious action, I saw it clearly.”
The fan folded in my hand is wrapped in my palm with a snap. It was a silent cry that I would now act openly without hiding my emotions.
“So I’m worried. What on earth do you want to say to me? For just a moment, I even thought that Bitrice wanted to rely on me.”
“…Are you saying that I’m dependent on you now?”
“Then why would you bother making a proposal to me? What about me has captivated you, Bitrice? Or is your power that great? If not, then convince me.”
“What happens if I can’t convince you?”
“Well, I’ll know one thing for sure. That Bitrice is a very dependent person.”
At that moment, he folded his body and burst into loud laughter. The man’s behavior of laughing out loud as if he didn’t care who came was understandable, but there was something a little strange about it.
I thought he would explode with anger at being ignored, but instead he laughed heartily and brushed it off, making me feel deflated.
My provocation had become useless. I had subtly tried to probe his true intentions, but he was pleasantly accepting this as if it were a part of my charm. So easily that I felt empty.
“Thank you very much for the advice that makes me think dark thoughts. I didn’t realize you were experiencing these emotions, Beatrice, and I committed a great rudeness. As a token of apology, I will send you a glass of wine later, so please don’t refuse.”
“If you’re sending it sincerely.”
“And you mentioned the part about dependence.”
Theodore Vitraice brought his hand to his Mask, slightly lowered it, and showed his face completely.
His face, with the laughter still lingering, was full of masculine beauty. It was so clean that there was no trace of burns.
“I’m not trying to rely on you, Beatrice. I just hoped that you would rely on me. But you took it the other way around, so it seems my efforts were lacking.”
“Then let’s say you lack romance.”
“Haha. You say I lack romance… Then what should I do to make you understand my heart?”
“……”
“Beatrice?”
I reached out and grabbed his Mask. And I put it back on his face as he stood still. Even in the midst of this, I couldn’t bear the anger at his despicable behavior of trying to shake my heart.
“I’m going to be a little conceited from now on, so stay trapped inside the Mask and don’t see anything.”
“Conceited?”
“I feel like we’ve only been repeating this kind of monotonous conversation, but seeing Bitrice, who is now talking about his heart to me, I can’t help but wear an arrogant smile. So I have no choice but to wear a smile of joy, braving the shame.”
“Oh dear.”
He let out a sigh. He drooped his shoulders as if he were very sorry, but no one didn’t know that it was a lie.
“You’re not really smiling, are you? How can you show me a gentleness like spring?”
“If I can just exchange light greetings without reaching out. Then I’ll be able to wear a pure smile too.”
“That’s a very distant thing.Theodore Vitraice didn’t say, even as a mere formality, that he wouldn’t make such a proposal again. That was like him. That’s why I was able to put the Mask on him without hesitation.
Just as he used the Mask and I used the fan, we were wary of each other, wearing a layer of film towards each other.
The one who tries to use and the one who tries not to be used. The winner of this precarious and fierce battle has not been decided because neither side’s superiority has been revealed.
Unless he reveals that his identity is Grand Duke, it was just a battle of wits between Beatrice, whose foundation was not solid, and Bitrice, whose identity was not yet certain.
But someday, when this icy relationship comes to an end, there will come a day when we will be chosen to take one of two paths: discord or negotiation. That’s why I needed to know what he wanted from me before that day came.
“You think so because Bitrice’s choice is different from my wish. So that’s why we can say goodbye like this now. Surely you’re not going to stop me, are you?”
I uttered a one-sided greeting and stepped back a step or two from him. Bitrice just stood still without stopping me.
“I hope that next time, we can have a pure conversation without any proposals.”
“I’ll try.”
The sad thing is that only the Crown Prince can catch this man. And he will try to find out why Bitrice is approaching me and move in a way that benefits him.
Of course, he will try to use me as a stepping stone for him. Then I just have to pretend to do as he says and read their minds.
Even if you move the words with nine lies mixed with one truth, the fact that that one truth becomes the beginning of everything remains unchanged.
Of course, before that, I have to explain how I met Bitrice, so, well, I’ll lose a little, but I can’t help it. Still, it’s better than just sucking my thumb without knowing anything.
I turned my back on Bitrice and slowly walked away, counting the days until I could meet the Crown Prince.
What kind of expression would he make if he heard that someone had advised me to pull out the scarecrow and occupy the land entirely?
Just imagining it made me feel happy. So I forgot my face and giggled softly.
Until I saw Chatoul, who had discovered that the beauty had disappeared, get so angry that he drank heavily and was carried out drunk, my head was full of stories to tell the Crown Prince. Excited like a child who had received a gift.
