84 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 84
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“I was in the palace?”
“Madame de Châteauroux sent you out of the palace, miss. She was worried that you didn't seem to be feeling well and weren't getting better. But that's not the real reason.”
“What do you mean? Marie, how many days has it been since I entered the palace?”
“Five days. It's been five days, miss.”
Surprised by those words, I tried to jump up, but I groaned at the dizziness that washed over me. Marie fussed over me, supporting my body.
“I was sick?”
“Yes. You were very ill. Your fever wouldn't go down, and it was almost a disaster. It finally broke this morning, and you were sent home.”
“Marie, can you get me some water?”
“Yes.”
Marie poured water from the kettle on the side table and handed it to me. I drank the water, trying to hide my confused feelings.
So, I went to the ball and was dragged to the terrace by the Crown Prince, wasn't I? And the railing...? I suddenly felt a chill. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered.
Why does the word 'railing' evoke such fear? It felt like all the blood was draining from my body.
I asked Marie for another glass of water. My head was throbbing, and everything felt heavy. It was hard to think straight.
But I had to think. Like, why did Chatoul send me home without curing me?
Treating a guest like this is like smearing mud on her own face.
Considering the affection she showed me, which was known around, this incident was almost shocking.
Could it be that she's trying to cut ties with me? Did my background make her uncomfortable?
I asked Marie again, looking at her with a worried face as she checked my complexion.
“Didn't you just say something about the real reason?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“What does that mean? Is it related to the fact that I came to the mansion without being fully recovered?”
Her eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice. As if someone shouldn't hear, she spoke in a suppressed tone, whispering.
“Madame de Châteauroux went to a ball without the Emperor's permission and got caught. The Emperor was angry and ordered Madame de Châteauroux to stay home and brought another woman into his bedroom. And the next day, he liked that woman so much that he gave her a title and showered her with treasures.”
“A woman?”
“Yes. That woman is said to be a courtesan like Madame de Châteauroux. But she's younger and prettier. She's such a seductive beauty that she's completely captivated the Emperor.”
“Where did you hear that?”
Marie looked at me cautiously, looking intimidated. Then, as if she couldn't help it, she opened her mouth at my gaze, which urged her to continue.
“From the maid who took you... I mean, Madame de Châteauroux's maid. Did I do something wrong?”
Good heavens. I sighed, putting my hand on my forehead. If Marie, who is stuck in the Bishvarts Family mansion, knows about it, it's already a rumor that's no longer a secret.
Madame de Châteauroux's reputation was plummeting to the ground once again. So, she wouldn't have the energy to take care of someone like me. She was about to lose the Emperor's favor, so what would a toy matter?
I was just starting to build a relationship, but it was just an old string. I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't even speak. I gestured to Marie to lie back down on the bed.
“Would you like something to eat, miss?”
“No, I want to rest.”
“Then change your clothes. You've been sweating a lot.”
“Yes, let's do that.”
“Oh, but miss. I've never seen those earrings before. But why is there only one? And I've never seen that hairpin either. Did Madame de Châteauroux give it to you?”
I raised my hand and touched my ear. As soon as I heard Marie's words, I felt a familiar weight on one ear. When I took off the earring and examined it, it was the one I had lost at the first ball.
The hairpin was the one I had worn to the second ball, and it was strange that it was still there. Chatoul's maid wouldn't have taken care of my hair and clothes while nursing me. I'll have to ask her when I see her next time.
“What should I do with this?”
“Keep it safe so I can use it again.”
“Yes.”
Let's take another nap. If I sleep a little more, my head will be clearer. Then I'll have the ability to look back on the past, which is like a riddle. Right now, I'm too confused to do anything.
So, I lay down and closed my eyes. I thought it would be okay to close my eyes just until Marie brought me new clothes. Yes, I'll sleep for a little while and then think about Chatoul, and trace back the time I don't remember...
But why did I cry? I felt strange, as if I had forgotten something most important.
What did I do during the time I was sick? But no one answered me.
\*
Outwardly, Madame de Châteauroux's official schedule was over. When this rumor spread in the capital, people clamored that the Emperor's favor had finally left her.
A concubine who secretly attends lewd balls without the Emperor's knowledge deserves to have her head cut off.
She had been loved for too long.
Most people were pleased and welcomed this situation. She had been running wild for so long that she had more enemies than allies who would pity her and protect her.
I heard that the Empress was the happiest. After all, how much had she suffered from Chatoul? She would have liked to drag her out like a dog and beat her to a pulp.
Anyway, even though her officially known schedule was over, she was still free to move around.
Small social gatherings such as tea parties, opera performances, and walking in the gardens of the Imperial Palace were unofficially allowed.
Therefore, many people wondered if this was really a treatment close to confinement. Perhaps the Emperor wanted to show off his mercy by showing a bit of generosity to the concubine who had pleased him so far.
So, this was not a punishment, but a very minor restriction. It was like putting a leash on her for a while.
Therefore, if Madame de Châteauroux had just bowed her head and restrained herself, and if she had accepted this humiliating situation with pleasure, perhaps she might have kept the Emperor's attention a little longer.
But this sharp woman looked at the loss of the Emperor's favor from a different perspective and was very angry.
Marianne had met so many fickle customers when she lived as a courtesan - her regulars often went to other courtesans - that she didn't believe in the sincerity of men in the first place.
This was also true of the Emperor, who was called the sun of the Empire, so she confessed in a letter that she had thought that this day would come someday when she first entered the palace.
Very surprisingly, Chatoul treated the loss of the Emperor's favor as just losing a customer. This was a very wise move, better than whining and crying like a child.
If she hadn't, she would have sharpened her nails and rushed to the new courtesan, given her personality of mocking the Empress.
Originally, men are fools who quickly leave their current lover when a younger woman with fresher flesh appears.
Moreover, they were gluttonous pigs who thought that eating the same ingredients cooked differently was a delicacy. Therefore, they couldn't help but be interested in new food that was the same ingredient but cooked differently.
Above all, the capital of the Empire was full of women who would lift their skirts and spread their legs to gain the Emperor's favor. No, even men who knew a little about men were willing to shake their butts to gain power.
Therefore, the movement of new women and favor was not surprising. It was just a matter of when and under what circumstances the favor fell.
Very, very unfortunately for Madame de Châteauroux, the woman who was newly loved by the Emperor was a 'courtesan' with the same profession as her.
This poor, stupid woman couldn't stand the fact that there was someone with better skills than her in her profession.
What could be more infuriating than having a regular customer who gives the most income taken away by a woman in the same industry? This was a matter of lower-body pride.
[If she had been a stuffy young aristocratic girl who could only recite etiquette, I wouldn't be so angry. It's just something to laugh off as he's looking for a new taste. But the girl who surpassed me is a courtesan, just a courtesan, is that even possible? No woman has ever made His Majesty physically happy more than me! Ha, I guess her fresh flesh was so chewy that it was even sticky?]
Socialites soon turned their attention to the new woman who had captured the Emperor. According to rumors, she was a very sensual woman with a small body like a small bird, but her skills in seducing men were extraordinary.
That's why they were happily whispering that she was given a castle in a region called Flanders in just one night and was called the Baroness of Flanders.
“Why do men like young girls so much? They're like fools who don't know a real woman.”
Someone's complaint was easily transmitted to the women. They were all wives who had their husbands stolen by young mistresses.
But decent aristocratic men were very happy about this situation. Oh! What could be more interesting than the Emperor's scandal?
Therefore, people hoped that Madame de Châteauroux, this vulgar woman, would foam at the mouth like a dog and rush to grab Madame of Flanders by the hair.
A quite sensual and erotic dogfight, where the dress is all the way down and the full breasts are exposed, was the most fierce duel that men longed for.
It would be even better if the skirt went up to the thighs and the white stockings were visible. It would be even more fun if she had disheveled hair and puffed like a pig. Which gentleman of which title said this?
Anyway, since I was officially in the position of Madame de Châteauroux's friend, I politely requested to visit her to comfort her.
But the foolish Chatoul vehemently refused and scribbled a letter with all the grammar wrong.
The reply she sent me was so messy that I couldn't find a place where the ink hadn't spilled.
In addition, she troubled me by writing down all the curses about the Baroness of Flanders, as if she was about to throw away even the minimum dignity she should have as a 'wife' now.
Basically, letters leaving the Imperial Palace were strictly inspected by the Emperor's servants. Trivial matters - that is, things like her letters - were handled by an organization made up of those whose tongues were lighter than feathers.
So, this was sure to become a gossip in society as well. I quickly burned it, but what they must have thought when they saw this letter, oh, it's terrible just to think about it. I sighed at the oncoming headache.
