Ch#253
After that, I spoke with the Duke for a bit longer before leaving him behind to smoke his cigar alone and returning home. It was time for Sise de Bischwaltz to make her appearance.
With the help of the makeup artist who had been waiting in advance, I washed away the disguise. Perhaps because we had practiced so much, regaining my original appearance did not take long.
Once my hair was styled, my dress put on, and my makeup applied, the Sise reflected in the mirror was a woman sold off to a cousin she didn't even know.
Though my somewhat tired expression was a flaw, there was no better look than this to garner the sympathy of others, so I boarded the carriage just as I was.
By the time I arrived at the castle where the ball was being held, it was already midnight.
As I entered the hall, people cast their gazes toward me as if they had been waiting. I felt like an actor standing alone on a grand stage.
Being the center of everyone's attention brought an immense amount of pressure. Every time I took a step, they let out sighs as if in wonder.
The nobles were expecting me to collapse upon hearing the story of Rade Relshin. This reaction turned into groans of disappointment when I merely blinked innocently and appeared shy.
I intentionally approached the daughter of House Debonzel. Lady Roshan stopped in her tracks upon seeing this, but I did not turn my face toward her.
The Crown Prince would summon me eventually, regardless of what excuse he used. If I played my cards right, I would be the center of everyone's attention as a tragic heroine; there was no need to engage in a war of nerves with him so early.
Lady Debonzel, being very clever, welcomed me while keeping Lady Sorin by her side.
This thoughtless girl was a fool who could wag her tongue without considering anyone's feelings, making her the perfect person to bring up the subject of Young Master Relshin.
As expected, no sooner had I greeted the Lady than she brought up the story of what had happened moments ago.
Her lack of consideration for others was enough to make anyone feel ashamed, but no one actually stopped her.
Why would they, when she was doing the dirty work for them? They simply hid their languid sneers behind their fans.
Lady Sorin's words were very fast and disjointed due to her excitement, but they were enough to drive me into a state of shock.
I blinked my eyes as if unable to believe it and staggered as if I were about to faint.
Lady Debonzel kindly caught my body and held me in her arms, but I exhaled a heavy sigh as if I couldn't even feel her presence.
It was only natural that words of sympathy flowed from everyone's mouths at such a pitiful sight; I had to work hard to force out a few tears.
"Marry... Young Master Relshin? Why? What about Knight Aires? How could His Highness...! Did Lady Roshan just watch it happen?"
At the sight of me looking around as if pleading for help, Lady Debonzel shook her head as if she pitied me.
The pathetic acting everyone had hoped for was flowing out naturally. Those who knew what I had done just a moment ago looked disgusted, while those who didn't whispered incessantly, finding the situation entertaining.
Among the onlookers, no one reached out to offer sincere comfort. Instead, they shouted blatantly so I could hear.
"Knight Aires has come to his senses. People of the same kind should be together; he’s been acting so strangely lately. Finally, everything is returning to its proper place."
The voice, mixed with jealousy, was full of malice. This reached its peak when Lady Roshan appeared through the gap in the crowd and said in a small voice, "His Highness is calling for you."
In their minds, they were likely imagining me fainting after receiving the final confirmation.
I pulled away from the Lady's arms and nodded with difficulty. Then, I replied in a sinking voice to the Lady, who asked if I would be alright.
"Yes. Since His Highness is calling, I cannot refuse to go."
Then, I gazed at Lady Roshan as if I were heartbroken. The version of me reflected in her eyes wore a familiar face. It was the expression of Roena, which used to induce sympathy and love from people.
I left the hall under everyone's gaze. This was due to Lady Roshan's words that I had to go to where the Crown Prince was resting separately.
It made sense, as he wouldn't be in his right mind because of Rade Relshin. Given the Crown Prince's dignity, he wouldn't be able to blatantly express his emotions in a space where everyone's eyes were watching. I would have done the same if I were him.
Lady Roshan said nothing until she brought me to the Crown Prince. I expected her to criticize me openly, but it was beyond my expectations.
However, her patience did not last long; as we neared the space where the Crown Prince was resting, she opened her mouth and spoke to me.
"So, are you going to abandon me, Sise? Are you going to go to Lady Debonzel?"
Her voice was tinged with devastation. I replied quickly without turning my gaze.
"I haven't abandoned you."
"Then was I untrustworthy? How could you do such a thing? Considering our friendship, you should have at least given me a hint. Can you even guess how despondent I felt seeing you like that?"
"What's the problem with receiving a rightful reward? Or are you just disappointed that I escaped the leash on my own?"
"Did you call it a leash?"
Lady Roshan grabbed my hand, seemingly angry at the blatant remark. Just as I was about to frown at her ungraceful attitude, a hollow laugh escaped me at the sight of her face, which was brimming with tears as if she were shocked. Her face, filled with gloom like a fallen leaf soaked in rain, was quite pitiful.
"Then shall I call it a dog leash? Tell me. Which one do you prefer?"
"Sise... are you insulting me right now?"
"No, I'm speaking the truth. Lusette, you said you cherished me, didn't you? Yes, I cherish you too. Just as much as I think of Lady Debonzel. So please congratulate me so I can live happily with Young Master Relshin. If you think of me as a friend, you can do that, right?"
"Friend... ha, because we're friends, I should accept this?"
"Yes, just like Lusette didn't tell me about the nightmare of House Bischwaldz because you were worried about me. That's friendship, isn't it? Or is it not?"
Her hand dropped weakly at my cynical tone, which lacked any warmth. I wondered if the Lady's attitude was due to sorrow, wounded pride, or shock at her own baseness.
What was certain was that until she blatantly rejected me, we would remain bound by the name of friends, and as long as Knight Aires did not leave me, we would continue to face each other like this. Just like the numerous friendships that exist within the social circle.
So, I continued speaking with a nonchalant attitude. As if the shock she received didn't matter at all.
"So, I have one favor to ask of you as a friend. Have someone bring the box from the Bischwaldz carriage here. It's a very important item related to His Highness."
Lady Roshan remained silent. But realizing that was a silent affirmation, I coldly passed by her as she wept soundlessly. All that remained now was to walk toward the Crown Prince, who would be waiting for me.
The door opened without hesitation.
***
The Crown Prince was standing in the middle of the room. I was about to approach him when I suddenly realized the layout of the room was familiar and stopped.
This was the very room where I had been dragged to face the Crown Prince because of Roena before. It was the place where I had struggled like an insect, suppressed by his aura.
*Even this is repeating.*
I swallowed a sigh that escaped like a groan and moved my steps quietly. Sensing my presence, the Crown Prince turned his head and looked at me.
His sharp eyes were colder and more freezing than ice. When I tried to greet him, he raised his hand to stop me.
"Since when have you been planning this?"
It was an abrupt question, but the point was clear. He was shifting the blame onto me as if I had planned all of this. As if he didn't realize that he was the one who had made the self-defeating move. So, I feigned ignorance.
"I do not know what you are talking about."
At that, the Crown Prince let out a short sigh of disbelief. He was truly appalled.
"Was it since I asked you to come to the battlefield? Was it since then? You must have thought a great opportunity had come seeing me act like a fool swept up in a prophecy. Remarkable."
"I do not know why you are so enraged with me."
I replied in a calm tone. Whether it was due to pride, he was trying hard to ignore the reality of the situation. It would be easier if he just admitted it.
What am I? What meaning does it have? If it's an obsession due to a prophecy, it's quite laughable.
"No war ends as absurdly as this one did. But you made it so, bringing everything to an easy conclusion. Could there be a more shocking and dependable shield for an uncertain life?"
Ah, I nodded with exaggerated motion as if I finally understood. A bizarre destiny and a fixed future made us dance like clowns on a stage.
An indescribable, strange flow was blocking rational thought and soaking us in fatalistic superstition.
So, even the Crown Prince had no choice but to fall head over heels for it. Like a fanatic. Since his instincts, which clouded his reason, were making him act like a fool, how could it be otherwise? Just as I am obsessed with House Bischwaldz now.
I didn't understand how a cold-blooded strategist could be shaken by such a meager thing, but since the fact that I had returned was itself nonsensical, I couldn't mock him. No one can escape the wheel of destiny.
"If you want someone loyal, do you not have Rade Relshin?"
"What would I do by pulling someone who will become Duke Dibenzel's dog into my embrace? The flower already in my hand is better."
At my words, the Crown Prince pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile. The way he smiled strangely, like a rake dallying with a woman, was incredibly bewitching, as if he knew the handsomeness of his own face.
The atmosphere, which changed in an instant, felt as if it had returned us to that day of the masquerade ball.
"Your Highness, I am dim-witted, so I cannot read your intent when you speak like this. I only hope you pity the heart of a pitiful woman abandoned by her lover."
"Abandoned by her lover? Ha, Caerula. Could you still say such things even if you saw Mel's face, which is utterly soaked in gloom? You truly drive everyone mad."
"That is not something to be said by Your Highness, who repeatedly urged me toward a position beyond my station."
"So you intend to flee like this?"
I defiantly lifted my chin to provoke him. I blatantly mocked the Crown Prince, who was staring at me in dismay with a languid smile on my lips.
"At least Knight Aires can become a Bischwaldz, but Your Highness cannot, can you?"
"What is so special about a fallen merchant house? You do not yet know the sweetness of power. That is why you can spit out such words so easily."
"No, I say this because I know what it feels like to possess something whole that I can hold in my hand."
"What?"
"What a valuable thing it is. A noble house being manipulated in the hands of a girl who used to run through the back alleys? Who wouldn't covet such a thing? My, I thought Your Highness would understand very well."
A single world that moves according to one's will. For the Crown Prince, that was the Empire, and for me, it was House Bischwaldz. The fact that we could do anything for it was the same.
It was no different from representing each other's identities.
Therefore, had he not continued to test and drive me, perhaps we could have maintained a good relationship as people who understood each other.
But this damn tyrant drove me with an utterly selfish heart, and in the end, all that remained was a sharp confrontation toward each other.
Thus, as long as Rade Relshin entered politics and didn't create anything to be caught out on, the small empire surrounding me would be intact.
"There is a woman who shows total loyalty to Your Highness, so why must it be me? Is there not a Lady standing right behind you who lacks nothing in terms of family, beauty, or heart for Your Highness?"
At my question, the Crown Prince replied quickly as if it were nonsense.
"The purpose of House Rosan ends at checking House Debonzel. I cannot give them any more power. Besides, why should I just endure when a woman is before my eyes who is from a humble house but has considerable wealth, who has no maternal relatives to act up believing in my favor, and who is even obedient and clever? You speak absurdities. Do not act foolishly."
Was the reason Roena was chosen by him in the past for these same reasons? I was appalled by his attitude, which seemed to suggest he could discard friendship or loyalty without hesitation, saying that bloodlines are useless before power. Or was it because of his belief that Knight Aires would choose him over me?
Ah, well, since he has Lady Roshan by his side, acting submissively as if she would lick even the soles of his feet, it's no wonder he feels that way.
Even if Knight Aires were to turn away from him, the House of Aires itself would not be able to leave the Crown Prince's side, so he was acting this confidently.
Well, even I am doing all sorts of things to obtain House Bischwaldz.
"Your Highness, Sise de Bischwaltz will soon become a widow."
At my words, the Crown Prince let out a hollow laugh as if it were absurd. His attitude, sending a gaze full of criticism as if asking if I had committed such an act just to wear such a hollow title, was remarkably shameless.
"However, I shall soon meet a new husband. Michael Bischwaltz—is it not a truly lovely name?"
"Do you dare to give him such an insult?"
I took a step closer to him. And without hesitation, I reached out and stroked his cheek.
Though nausea surged due to revulsion, I spoke in a whisper with a casual smile.
"That is for Mel to judge. Your Highness, you know, don't you? Regrettably, he did not abandon me. Yes, that's right. Knight Aires declared to me that he would willingly endure such an insult. In front of everyone. Your Highness heard it too—what kind of words he said to Rade Relshin."
When I rolled the word 'Mel' on the tip of my tongue, his gaze fixed on my lips.
His coldly sunken gaze held another emotion along with rage. I intentionally feigned ignorance, fearing that if I materialized it into a single word, something irreversible would happen.
His reaction toward the beast that had escaped his hands was unexpectedly passionate, even causing a momentary sense of fear.
And for good reason—I had escaped him continuously since the masquerade ball, so his pride must have been stung. The Glass Slipper he told me to bring was to remind me of that, was it not? Who in the world could provoke the Crown Prince's pride this much?
"If you absolutely need a Bischwaldz, how about my lovely sister Roena de Bischwaltz, who adores Your Highness?"
The Crown Prince let out a hollow laugh at my arrogant attitude. Having finally realized that I had perfectly left his hands, he went so far as to growl.
"It seems you are not in your right mind due to sorrow. Well, since Mel spat out such words before everyone, your pride must be wounded, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't dare spit such words at me."
"Then will you forgive this girl's rudeness with a generous heart?"
My arrogant attitude was possible because it had a basis. It was because I knew the Crown Prince would no longer be able to lay a hand on me.
Since Duke Dibenzel was sponsoring House Bischwaldz, dissatisfaction regarding the family's knights would now vanish.
Since the rebellion was already offset by Knight Halverd's merit, there was no reason for the newly made Count, Rade Relshin, to take the blame.
As long as it isn't revealed that I am Rade Relshin, no one can suppress me. Even if the Crown Prince tries to take me by force, I am the woman of the benefactor who saved his life, so he cannot lift a single finger.
Therefore, I was perfectly free. It was a pair of wings obtained by seizing the opportunity the Crown Prince had unintentionally created.
Just a few months ago, who could have predicted such a thing would happen? I wanted to laugh out loud. This situation was so incredibly satisfying I couldn't bear it.
Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door. The Crown Prince's gaze turned toward the door. I quickly said to enter, and soon a young servant entered carrying a small box. It was the one brought from the Bischwaldz carriage.
I nonchalantly stepped away from the Crown Prince's side and received it. I then told the servant he had done well.
The Crown Prince was watching all of this quietly. And when I pulled the Glass Slipper from the box, he let out a sigh as if he were appalled.
"What are you trying to do? You dare bring that out in this situation? Lady Bischwaldz, you are not in your right mind."
"Was it not Your Highness who told me to bring the slipper? I only followed that command submissively. Yet I cannot help but be disappointed that you speak as if all the responsibility lies with me."
There was no way the Crown Prince wouldn't know that I had intentionally spat out the word 'submissively.' Perhaps that was why his brow furrowed miserably.
The Crown Prince's beautiful face had turned as fierce as a demon's. He had sensed it—what I was trying to do, and how I was trying to end this.
"You are running wild, not knowing how high the heavens are. Do you think this situation will last long? So plead even now. Say you do not want to go to Rade Relshin. I am commanding you to stop me from looking upon your reckless behavior any longer. What on earth are you trying to do!"
How had the Crown Prince intended to use this Glass Slipper? Had he intended to show that we each possessed one of these slippers with their secret meaning, to make Knight Aires taste despair? Or had he intended to crush Lady Roshan's ambition?
If not that, had he intended to satisfy the desire he couldn't fulfill before in a room like this? Or had he intended to make a declaration before all the nobles?
To get his hands on a woman who was easy to use? To pull in Knight Halverd? To check Michael Aires? Like this current situation where he was trying to crush me using his power?
If so, why did I return? Because my desire for House Bischwaldz was maximized? Because my resentment toward Roena moved destiny?
If that were the case, why did I have to get so foully entangled and suffer so much with a man like this?
I asked the Crown Prince in a calm tone. As if I truly didn't understand.
"Your Highness, why?"
"Ha?"
"Why must I give up? What profit do I gain in return?"
"Is the position of the one above all, which everyone desires, nothing to you?"
"My, I've told you several times, haven't I? That what I want is not such a thing. I am content with just being a Bischwaldz. Just as I previously handed over the stag mask at Roena's request, the Caerula of the masquerade ball does not exist. Oh, of course, with Your Highness's power, you could ruin Rade Relshin. If you are willing to do that for the sake of Knight Mel, I would welcome it at any time."
"You...!"
Just then, a bell rang through the open window. *Dong—* It was the sound announcing midnight.