Ch#283
Fragment of the Broken Glass Slipper Side Story 3 Episode 12
Lysette Rosan's words were always filled with concern disguised as advice. Or else she spoke of Sir Ailes, her friend.
There was never any mention of her own difficulties. This was consideration for Cisse de Bischwaltz, who stood between Duchess Debenzel and herself.
"Finding peace of mind through a fairy tale is fine, but think of Mel a little too."
"I always do."
Cisse de Bischwaltz said with a shy smile spreading across her face.
"More than others might imagine."
Rosan lowered her head and kissed Cisse's cheek. It was a feather-light touch.
"I'm looking forward to the day Mel takes the Bischwaltz name. Please don't disappoint him."
Cisse replied in a soft voice that such a thing would never happen. If all went according to her wishes, their reunion was not far off—once the hero was thoroughly crushed by the public.
***
From some day onward, the back-alley children began whispering the strange name 'Cinderella.' Especially the girls spoke of it often, their eyes sparkling with fantasy as they uttered imaginative words like 'fairy' and 'magic.'
"If I were the fairy godmother, I'd dress her in a blue gown."
"No, it has to be a white dress. Covered in lace and jewels, sparkling like stars in the night sky."
"Swing the magic wand like this, and poof—the ragged clothes turn into a pretty dress?"
These children, busy helping their parents with even their small hands just to survive, rarely had the luxury to spin tales about someone.
Parents listened attentively to their daughters' endless chatter over dinner, and street musicians played melodies as if granting favors to girls twirling like dancers.
One child grabbed a stray dog's front paw and called it the 'coachman,' bursting into laughter.
The new fairy tale captivating the children held magical power like the fairy godmother within it.
It swiftly drew in the entire street and even ensnared the actors of short puppet shows wandering in search of new stories.
It was only natural that performances targeting street crowds sprang up.
The crude puppets named 'Cinderella' and 'Crown Prince' gripped people's feet, and by the end of the show, they tossed copper coins generously. Elsewhere, a bard sang a song set to the Cinderella tale at the top of his lungs.
As the story spread and spread, reaching the point where actors performed it in grand theaters, strange rumors began to circulate. That Cinderella was actually created to mock the empire's hero 'Radel Relshin,' and that he had abused and tormented the countess during his lifetime.
Of course, no one believed such absurd nonsense. Hadn't similar slander circulated at Count Bischwaltz's funeral? It had turned out to be false. So everyone assumed this was the same.
Yet this gossip lingered unusually long. Plausible evidence popped up everywhere, and testimonies of the countess's unhappy marriage life leaked out like water through a cracked dam.
People who initially dismissed it with 'No way' soon whispered 'Really?' among themselves.
The countess's continued silence amid the boiling rumors only fueled these suspicions rationally.
This endlessly heightened sympathy for Countess Bischwaltz.
Jack, under Cisse's orders, had deployed people everywhere, completing the plausible play.
"Even a hero who saved His Majesty isn't required to be a saint in character."
"Maybe he just got lucky saving him. Otherwise, why would he fall ill and die right after?"
"Come to think of it, they said he had a rather small build for a man."
"Actually, someone I know hauls water for a noble house, and word there is..."
"What word?"
"That His Majesty used House Bischwaltz to choke the nobles. So he disguised a dying man as a hero and married him to the countess. Even though she had a lover."
"She had a lover?"
"That's what they say. Promised marriage to the Knight of Ice. But forced into an unwanted marriage, and abused by him too."
"And she held mourning for so long? Impressive."
"Exactly. Poor woman, for sure."
High society was in an uproar too.
The nobles buzzed excitedly over the rare intriguing scandal, chattering everywhere.
Not being fools, they knew the repercussions this rumor could bring. Thus, they watched the situation favoring only the countess with keen interest, awaiting the Emperor's response.
The woman who seemed doomed to live forever in the hero's shadow had turned the tables so cleverly—it was astonishing.
"She must have been upset about sending her sister to House Lavalliere."
"Still, wasn't it a bit reckless? What if His Majesty flies into a rage?"
"If she's thinking of Sir Ailes, she had no choice. But it's certainly not the wisest move."
Those who knew something of Rade Vishwaldz's true nature smoked and offered differing opinions.
In their minds, Cisse de Bischwaltz was already pegged as the culprit behind the rumors.
"Erasing the hero's shadow is fine, but dragging His Majesty into it feels dangerous, doesn't it?"
"Indeed. She's made Rade Vishwaldz out to be a total villain. It makes His Majesty's judgment in appointing him count look ridiculous."
"But isn't the spectacle quite entertaining?"
"What do you mean?"
"That a mere woman stirred this up, and the rumors spread so quickly. Impressive, right? The wife in the gossip is a very fragile, pitiable victim. Forced apart from her lover... We sensed it at the funeral, but she's bolder, cleverer, and more reckless than we thought."
"...So she won't care about anything outside House Bischwaltz."
"Pardon?"
"She's only taking exactly what she wants. This rumor too—aimed solely at House Bischwaltz and Sir Ailes. She knows not to be greedy for her own safety. So His Majesty can't really hold her accountable and will just try to correct the rumors."
"Even though it's obviously her doing?"
"No evidence."
"Pardon?"
"She wouldn't be stupid enough to leave evidence after escalating it this far."
Duke Debenzel exhaled cigarette smoke with a sneer.
The old noble known to have sponsored Radel Relshin muttered, "Even I, who recommended him for count, got splashed with filth."
Yet his face showed no anger toward the countess.
"She's pulled in everything she could as a shield. Ha ha. This must be the first time His Majesty found your close friendship with Sir Ailes troubling."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The romance between the countess and Sir Ailes is already famous in society. But the ghost Rade Vishwaldz made it hard for them to unite. His Majesty was just watching. So she risked it all."
"Pardon?"
"His Majesty will surely try to correct the rumors. But he can't fix it all."
"What are you saying...?"
Duke Debenzel sighed at the flustered, red-faced middle-aged man's demeanor.
"Still don't get it? The countess has boldly presented His Majesty with a choice. Friendship or honor—choose. She's daring to test His Majesty. Ha ha ha."
Fragment of the Broken Glass Slipper
Novel by Yeolmae
Author: Yeolmae
Publisher: Kwon Tae-wan, Woo Cheon-je
eBook Publication Date: 2024-05-07
Production: CL Production
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