203 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 203
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The sensation I had lost in my seized wrist bloomed. It wasn't a sweet feeling based on affection, but Roena's crumbling expression was thrilling enough. That was why I didn't shake off his hand.
"Isn't it enough to just order me to reject the proposal?"
Sir Halberd asked, seemingly puzzled. I shook my head and answered his question.
"No, it's not enough. Why would it be?"
"What does that mean?"
"If you don't scold me, I'll be brave and say it."
"I won't. I'm very happy with this inexplicable expectation. You say you need me, so why wouldn't I be?"
Now, Roena was frozen in place. A knight like Sir Halberd wouldn't have missed her presence, but she was even more shocked that he was only focused on me. It was already hurtful enough that he had abandoned her and followed me.
The only reason I could utter such childish words was because she was there. Otherwise, I would have been more roundabout, or tried very hard to appease him.
But seeing Sir Halberd waiting as if he was seeking my answer, I felt a small conviction, and I felt like I shouldn't miss this opportunity.
"There's a big difference between what you're saying and what I'm saying. You're saying you're loyal to the Bischwartz family as a whole, but I'm asking if you can follow me even if it means abandoning all of this."
Sir Halberd narrowed his brow, looking very confused by my words. And he trailed off, waiting for me to continue.
"That means..."
"I'm leading the family, trying to pick up the pieces after my father's accidental death, but sometimes I'm insecure and unsure. Especially when I see the knights of the family, I wonder if they really think of me as their lady. Now that I'm in charge of the family, they show respect, but I wonder if they would have done the same if I wasn't. But if Sir Halberd supports me, all this anxiety will disappear."
"I am your lady's knight."
"Yes, but you're also another lady's knight. That's why I mentioned the word 'master' to you."
Without taking my eyes off Roena, I delivered the final blow to Sir Halberd. I poured the primer that started the crack onto him.
"I'm very greedy, so I can't be satisfied unless I have everything. That's why I refused to tell you to reject the proposal. But if you give me everything as a knight, I will do my best too."
I was speaking prettily, but the meaning of my words was ultimately one thing.
Me, or Roena?
I subtly revealed my desire to exclusively possess Sir Halberd as a knight and forced him to choose. To possess the Knight of Clear Hearing, whom the Crown Prince and Grand Duke so desperately desired, as a perfect card.
"Only as a knight?"
"Yes, there's no need to be more greedy than that. If you know my chastity well, that is."
Then Sir Halberd knelt before me. As if there was no need to hesitate, like that.
It was a posture only seen during sacred ceremonies. It was what he did when swearing allegiance to his lord. It was an attitude that made it easy to guess who his heart was directed to.
Was it a delusion that I thought I had formed a bond with Roena? Or did he make a wise choice as a knight?
Either way, it was a fact that Sir Halberd had come to me, so I listened to his oath with pleasure. His declaration to protect me as my sword, shield, and armor was calm but full of sincerity.
By making a sacred oath, Sir Halberd was saying that he would become my own knight.
So, as a sign of gratitude, I lightly kissed his forehead and whispered that I would act in a way that would not shame the lady of the Knight of Clear Hearing.
Throughout my previous life, I had not been able to possess him as a woman, but I was quite satisfied with the fact that I had taken him away from one Roena.
Moreover, what was certain was that no one could take him away from me until Sir Halberd changed his mind.
Who is the true master of the Knight of Clear Hearing?
Now I could answer with certainty.
His master is me, Cishe de Bischwaltz. Not Roena, who couldn't stand this situation and ran away far away.
In this way, Sir Halberd became mine, not the ladies' knight, and made the hilt I was holding even stronger.
It was a perfectly beautiful night.
It had been almost two weeks since Lian was born, but Mother's health showed no signs of recovery. As the doctor said, she was visibly weaker than usual, to the point where it was precarious.
Her once-glossy skin had turned as pale as a corpse, and her sunken, shadowed eyes revealed the full extent of her illness. She spent most of the day in bed, so there was no vitality to be found.
Her room was always filled with the smell of medicine. The windows were always covered with curtains except in the evening, and there was nothing I could do because she said her eyes hurt even with a little light.
She said that her lower body often felt pulled and painful, and she constantly had chills, so a thick blanket that was out of season wrapped around her body.
The water kettle was filled with hot water several times a day. She was too weak to even hold Lian in her arms.
"I wanted to breastfeed him..."
Mother looked at Lian, who was being held by the nanny and sucking vigorously, and sighed with regret.
"You need to take care of your health first."
Mother nodded with difficulty at my words. Then she smiled as if she was happy, saying, "You've been visiting me often since Lian was born."
It was a faint, flickering smile. Even the Emperor on the verge of death didn't smile like that.
Anxious, I reached out and took Mother's hand.
"Don't overdo it."
"I want to, but lately I'm always tired and my body isn't the same as before, so it's really overwhelming."
Was it because she wasn't feeling well? Mother's nerves were sharp except when she was looking at Lian. She was easily annoyed and irritable even at the slightest sound. Her mood changed like boiling water all day long, and everyone was watching her.
"But it's bearable because you think of me like this. I want to get up quickly, take a bath in hot water, and walk around the garden. I'm tired of soup now."
Mother's body was getting thinner day by day. She couldn't accept hard food because she wasn't feeling well, and there was a case where one of her teeth fell out while she was chewing meat with her weakened teeth.
So she ate white bread soaked in soup, but she complained that even this was difficult to eat. Like me in the past, her skeletal body was limply drooping under the skin that had lost its elasticity.
I stroked Mother's rough cheek and whispered softly.
"The doctor says you'll get better in the future. Just bear with it until then. What can't you eat when you're healthy?"
I swallowed the sigh that was rising and spoke in a deliberately cheerful tone. I felt guilty every time I saw Mother, so it was hard to bear unless I acted brightly like this. I felt like it was all my fault, so it was hard to even make eye contact.
Still, I checked on Mother's condition several times a day and went to her room before returning to the study. I was afraid something would happen.
I was sparing no expense and sweeping up all the medicine that was good for Mother's body, but unlike what I said, there was no improvement, so I sometimes felt eerie.
Was that why? I woke up screaming several times in the early morning. It was because I had nightmares, and most of the dreams were about Mother dying and resenting me.
'If you hadn't put the doll in the bedding, this wouldn't have happened. Even though it was discovered earlier than expected, if you had properly handled it without making a big deal out of it, I wouldn't be sick! Ah, you're a really vicious girl! Why are you my daughter?!'
The doctor said that Mother's body had deteriorated rapidly because she was an elderly mother and had been constantly angry and resentful since the death of her adoptive father. He added that Lian could have turned upside down, putting both of them in danger.
But whatever the reason, I was the one who accelerated Mother's labor earlier than expected. So this was a burden that I would have to carry for the rest of my life.
"What happened to Margo?"
After only a few words of conversation, Mother's voice was hoarse as if she had a cold. I poured water from the kettle on the side table and handed it to Mother, answering.
"I'm thinking about an appropriate disposition."
"An appropriate punishment? Is that something that makes sense? You have to give her a harsh punishment so she can't do such bad things again."
"You know. As long as Roena is holding on, I can't touch her. It's even strange that my aunt has taken her hands off this matter."
"There's a reason why that child is protecting Margo. It's because she instigated it. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to act like this."
Mother gritted her teeth and got angry. I patted her hand lightly and said soothingly.
"You know, Roena's reputation isn't good in society. Some people think Roena should take responsibility for this and punish Margo herself."
As I had promised before, Lady Roshan manipulated public opinion very well and dropped Roena's reputation terribly.
Most people thought that Roena, feeling a sense of crisis for the baby in her stepmother's womb, had Margo do such a terrible thing.
So they wanted Roena to act wisely and show her aspect as a noble lady by being strict with the maids.
Pulcher, who had ignored people's reactions at first, seemed to be unable to stand still as there was a lot of talk about her.
According to rumors, the Empress called Roena and had a serious conversation for several hours. Judging from the fact that her eyes were red and swollen after leaving the Empress's palace, it seemed that she had decided on Margo's disposition to some extent.
In fact, Roena had been nothing more than a mutant to the noble ladies. No one had ever been so kind to the servants and maids like her. That was why Roena was called an angel by others and received both admiration and jealousy.
So people were gleefully watching the fall of the angel and waiting for her to punish Margo. Since Pulcher had even come forward to confront her, Roena had no choice but to abandon Margo.
"But why is Pulcher taking care of Roena like this? It's like she's designated her as the Crown Princess."
Since the Crown Prince revealed everything to me, Lady Roshan's attitude had become much more open. Whether it was because she felt a sense of camaraderie as a comrade who shared a secret, she was opening up more than before.
So I was able to ask Lady Roshan various questions much more comfortably. The question about the relationship between Roena and Pulcher was one of them.
"It's because of maternal love."
Lady Roshan shrugged and answered. I couldn't understand, but it was the Empress's consideration for the Crown Prince in her own way.
No matter how much they gathered strength and succeeded in the rebellion, there was no way the Grand Duke would leave the Crown Prince, who could be said to be his biggest enemy, alone.
So the Empress was trying to give Sir Halberd to Roena and attach her to the Crown Prince, thereby creating a force that even the Grand Duke could not easily touch.
"If she has such deep feelings for His Highness, why is she doing this?"
"Her love and hate for His Majesty have been transferred to His Highness, who resembles him. But don't feel sorry for His Highness. Because he really doesn't care. What His Highness is most sad about is not being able to ascend the throne."
"I always think, but His Highness is someone I can't dare to fathom."
At my words, Lady Roshan narrowed her eyes and smiled meaningfully.
"Of course. Even Mel and I, who spent our childhood with His Highness, find it very difficult to figure him out. Anyway, Sis, Lady Roena will start acting tomorrow or the day after. So watch it and drink wine. It'll be so fun that it'll be a waste to think it's happening inside the Bischwartz mansion."
Her voice was very calm as she said this. A relaxedness that didn't suit someone who had manipulated public opinion was flowing softly from her whole body.
