57 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 57
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More than anything, I couldn't understand why a knight famous for having no interest in women was wasting your precious time here. Couldn't he just greet me as usual and disappear?
But Michael Ayres, unlike the rumors, was a very rude and headstrong man.
I couldn't help but be dumbfounded by his sudden smile that filled his face. And by the unexpected words that flowed from his mouth.
“If it's that kind of rumor, then I welcome it.”
Good heavens, who called that Michael Ayres a knight with an ice heart!
I couldn't help but be surprised by him kissing the back of my hand and whispering in a soft voice. For a man who was like an impenetrable wall to countless women was confessing his ardent love to me.
He said he fell in love at first sight and couldn't even sleep due to a fever of love that set his heart ablaze.
He pleaded that as a knight, he should have endured it, but he couldn't, so he kept visiting the Dibenzel family, and unable to contain his growing feelings, he came to see me. His deep, rippling green eyes were filled with earnestness.
“I know you won't believe me. We haven't known each other for long. But I swear to God, my heart is full of genuine feelings for you, without a trace of shame.”
I stood up and took two steps back. My fingertips trembled with bewilderment. My throat felt choked as if by something, and I couldn't even make a sound.
Someone falling for me? Unbelievable. It had never happened to Sissae before.
Who would even glance at me, who was merely a laughingstock of high society, a hideous skeleton? Even Lustewin Halberd, who possessed a kind disposition, rejected me.
Trembling, I took another step back. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe. Genuine feelings for me? Not a mockery?
Lies.
I clenched my fist hidden behind the hem of my dress. My well-trimmed nails dug into the soft flesh beneath, but it didn't hurt at all. Instead, it felt like it jolted me awake.
“But Sir, didn't you not even know my name just a moment ago? So how can I believe you?”
“It is a shameful thing. But I hope you can understand my heart, which had no choice but to act that way. If I were to ask others in the Dibenzel family about you, it would be a bother to them, and to you. Above all, my desire to hear it from you directly was strong.”
“But I… I am too confused to know what to say. I had believed all the rumors about you until now.”
“Not all rumors contain one hundred percent truth.”
“But rumors aren't made entirely of lies, are they? You won't deny that, will you?”
Michael Ayres spoke with emphasis, as if to refute me.
“Yes. But my Lady, I too am a man with hot blood. I am not such a fool as to maintain my composure towards a beautiful woman I fell in love with at first sight.”
“I wished you had maintained that composure towards me. There is nothing more terrifying than a woman's jealousy. More than anything, I am not Roena Bischwartz. Surely someone like you knows what that means, don't you?”
Even if I bore the name of the Bishvarts Family, even if I hid in the shadow of Irene de Dibenzel, in the eyes of others, I was still a commoner who wandered the back alleys barefoot.
Just as Madame de Chateau, the Emperor's favorite, was still a 'whore' to others.
The ornate dress, the carefully applied makeup, the demeanor forced into the mold of nobility. All of it could not hide the impure blood flowing just beneath my skin.
Michael Ayres's face hardened as he spoke.
“If that is something I must consider, I would like to say that it is not a significant problem. Lady Bischwartz, I will be your shield. Is that not enough?”
“Sir Ayres, noble knight of the Empire. Do not force an answer from me. I am shattered right now. Like a small boat facing a great wave. In fact, I don't even know what I should do right now. So, won't you be considerate of me?”
“I will listen with pleasure.”
I took a breath and spoke with force. I had rejected his sincerity in the most diplomatic way I could.
“Please give me the chance to protect your honor, Sir. I do not wish for others to see your disappointed expression.”
After a moment of silence, Sir Ayres asked. Your lips were noticeably pale.
“……Is that your true feeling, my Lady?”
“Yes, yes. Absolutely.”
His face had turned pale now. The only color was in my blue eyes.
Ayres's lips moved as if to say something, but I shook my head. Further conversation was inevitable.
From my past experience with Lustewin Halberd, I knew there was no clearer boundary than a 'blatant refusal.'
I did not want to give Michael Ayres any 'room.' For false hope is like a sweet poison that eats away at the heart.
Despite my behavior, which bordered on rudeness, his face thankfully showed no signs of humiliation or shame.
There was also no hatred towards me for politely rejecting his feelings. He merely bit his lip tightly with a sorrowful expression.
“Thank you for your precious time.”
After a moment, he opened his mouth and spoke. I held the hem of my skirt and bowed my knees and head simultaneously. My pounding heart was now beating with a steady rhythm.
“Go in peace.”
I bid him farewell in a calm voice.
“Yes. May you also be at peace, my Lady.”
Michael Ayres, the beautiful knight of the Empire, left the room with a slight bow.
As I watched the door close gently, I hoped his heart would also be firmly locked. At the same time, I prayed we would never meet again. Truly.
The tea party with the ladies was quite pleasant. I thought it would be boring, but time passed quickly just by looking at the well-maintained flowers.
The Dibenzel family gardener's skill was truly excellent; it was comparable to the Imperial Palace gardens.
“This is my own little joy.”
Irene de Dibenzel smiled softly, genuinely pleased. This garden, filled only with her favorite flowers, was a space the Duke of Dibenzel had dedicated solely to her.
Since she was a precious lady, she wouldn't personally tend to the flowers or touch the soil, but since she decided which flowers to plant, it was practically the same as caring for them.
At least, she clearly had more knowledge about flowers than anyone else sitting here. It made sense, as one of her hobbies was to cut flowers from the garden and arrange them.
She led the conversation about flowers with a very skilled demeanor. Even if hearing the same stories might become tedious, Irene was the most skillful conversationalist I knew.
She could capture everyone's attention with a single word and make even seemingly boring stories engaging.
All we could do was agree with her intermittently, but it felt like a 'conversation' was happening.
Moreover, her skill in stopping her speech and changing the topic when the ladies' attention began to wane was superb.
As if they had been waiting, the ladies began to chatter. Though they wore the dress of etiquette, they looked like mere girls at times like these. Their voices were as lovely as the chirping of small birds, and the subtle makeup on their fair cheeks was more beautiful than the surrounding flowers.
But to me—and this might sound ridiculous—the ladies' ravenous chatter after receiving implicit permission seemed like hunting dogs given a brief respite by their owner.
When Irene was speaking, they didn't dare change the topic and remained submissive, but once she loosened the leash, they roamed freely.
Of course, there was oppression due to the difference in status between them and Irene, but that alone couldn't explain such natural obedience.
However, Irene de Dibenzel clearly controlled this group, reigning like a queen. I found it truly wondrous.
Before long, the ladies' conversation moved from clothes and accessories to handsome men. Their common topic was that Michael Ayres had visited in their absence, and their faces were etched with regret at not having seen the knight.
“By the way, is Lady Bischwartz alright?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You were alone with Sir Ayres.”
I smiled faintly at their gazes, filled with curiosity. Though they framed it as concern, I knew it was merely cheap interest in the name of gossip.
They were curious about the cold reception I must have received from Michael Ayres, who was known to build a wall around himself when it came to women, even if he was still a young girl.
“Is there any reason I wouldn't be alright? He is a knight who knows honor. I exchanged brief greetings with Sir Ayres, and then I continued reading. Sir Ayres did not stay long either.”
“Good heavens!”
Lady Sorin exclaimed in disbelief. She spoke so rapidly, as if she couldn't breathe, likely due to excitement. It was an utterly unladylike attitude.
“You read a book in front of him! How could you?! If I were you, I would have fainted without being able to breathe.”
That would be quite a sight. Though unspoken, the sentiment on everyone's faces was the same. I too was taken aback by her foolish remark.
His energetic and cheerful demeanor certainly made him lovely, but her apparent forgetfulness of her own standing was clearly detrimental to everyone.
Even Irene looked at Lady Sorin with a humorless expression, let alone anyone else.
“Such loveliness suits Lady Sorin perfectly. But it might be a bit much for me. More than anything, it would be disrespectful to Sir Ayres, so I think what you said needs a bit more thought.”
Just then, a maid appeared with a letter and handed it to me. It was from the Bishvarts Family.
I excused myself and opened the envelope with a paper knife. The sender was my mother, and her usual crooked handwriting was as wild as reeds swaying in the wind, as if she had written in haste.
There were only a few lines, but the content was not light. My eyes stopped at the words 'Madame de Chateau.'
Ah, finally!
I folded the letter and slipped it into my sleeve. Unfortunately, it seemed the delightful tea party had to end here. Something more captivating than Irene de Dibenzel had arrived.
