94 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Act 2
Second Fragment
Chapter 1: Invitation
How much patience does it take to suppress anger? And to endure alone, barely stifling the rage one cannot express?
Since learning that Roena had received an invitation, I had spent a considerable amount of time alone, trying to manage my emotions. I felt pathetic and foolish for being so shaken by this.
But no matter how much I pounded my chest and gritted my teeth, the jealousy and anxiety that had settled like indigestion showed no sign of subsiding. I couldn't sleep, fearing I would revert to my old self.
Of course, I knew that being anxious was poison. I also knew that I needed to find my composure.
But every time I tried to smile as if nothing was wrong, the overwhelming emotions piled up like layers of sediment, shaking violently like a dam about to collapse. I shuddered at my own powerlessness, forced to endure this situation.
Perhaps that's why. At times like these, I missed the old Sissae, the one who didn't care about the feelings of those around her, the impulsive one.
The one who stomped her feet and screamed at the top of her lungs, throwing things around as if no one else mattered. The past me who would have charged at Roena and pulled her hair. My arrogant, foolish self.
Ah, how wonderful it would be if I could express my emotions as honestly as Marie, who I see before me now?
Marie's expression had been sour since this morning. Was she in a bad mood? She bowed deeply in greeting, but her pouting lips showed no sign of disappearing.
Even as she opened the window and drew back the curtains, her brow was deeply furrowed. Hot air puffed out of her flaring nostrils. Naturally, my mood also sank as I watched her.
Lately, Marie had been like an angry bull. She always had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows as if ready to fight—she never used to be like this—and she walked around making sounds like someone pounding a drum.
Her deeply furrowed brow and sharp, piercing eyes clearly telegraphed, "I'm angry." She looked ready to snap at anyone who dared to provoke her.
Seril told me that Marie was on edge because of Margo's group, who kept picking on her.
They threw all sorts of taunts at her whenever they met, slowly grinding her nerves, which was enough to drain the energy of anyone watching. This provocation had been going on since Roena received the invitation from the Empress.
After the little angel of the Bishvarts Family flaunted the invitation she received everywhere, the atmosphere within the mansion had changed in a strange way.
The balance between Roena and me, which had been maintained by Sir Ayres, had begun to tilt sharply back in her favor.
The current Empress was not favored by the Emperor, but in terms of nobility, she could be considered the second sun.
This was due not only to the weight of her position as the 'Mother of the Empire' but also to the full support of the family that had made her Empress.
Perhaps that's why. Despite not having strong power overall, she attracted the attention of the world simply by moving.
This was an intense 'presence' that even Madame de Châteauroux, who had rampaged relying on the Emperor's favor, could not possess.
Therefore—even though she had received Lavalliere's help—the fact that the Empress's invitation had come to a young girl who had not even debuted in society was enough to excite everyone.
The mockery that Chatoul was forced into seclusion by the Emperor had long disappeared from everyone's minds. They were only focused on the fact that Roena had been chosen by the second most noble person in the Empire.
Some even said that Roena had won this round, creating a rivalry that the parties themselves were unaware of.
Although I had become the happiest girl in the Empire thanks to Sir Ayres, it was nothing compared to the honor of attending the Empress's tea party. This was due to the shallow calculation that if she pleased the Empress, she might naturally be connected to the Crown Prince.
Margo's group used this point to subtly spread taunts. They said that I, with my lowly origins, couldn't hide my dirty blood and ended up catching a 'whore,' while Roena, true to her noble birth, had the opportunity to receive a noble person.
Therefore, the true lady who had upheld the honor of the Bishvarts Family was Roena, and they should stop praising me.
Looking at it coldly, it was such an absurd claim that it was hard to believe anyone would fall for it.
But those who had lingering antipathy towards me—mostly mentioning my humble origins—were quickly swayed by the words.
The phrase 'lowly disposition' drew out their sense of superiority. They were jealous that I had become a lady by luck, but that was only on the surface, and inside, I was inferior to them.
This was directed entirely at Marie's group, and it acted as a major factor in making them shrink.
So much so that Seril quietly came to me and asked, 'Can't you meet the Empress, Miss?'
Therefore, I could fully understand Marie's reaction. No, I understood it perfectly. How could she endure when an old weasel was scurrying around in front of her, stirring up her anger? It was a situation I could fully comprehend.
But she shouldn't express it like this. She wasn't in a position to compete with Margo yet. Although she had gathered many of her own people, the head maid of the Bishvarts Family was still that old badger.
Therefore, she had to be more patient until she had real power. Wasn't I, as the master, also holding back, thinking about what others would think?
"Marie, come here."
I frowned and called her name. Perhaps because it was early in the morning, the voice that flowed out of my parted lips sounded very low.
Then, Marie, with a look of realization, pressed her lips tightly together and approached me. She seemed to think I was angry now.
Marie looked very frightened in my eyes. Her neck was hunched, her back was bent forward, and her two hands were gathered below her navel, so prim that it was almost servile. Her footsteps, which had been thumping, made no sound at all, as if they were feathers.
"Did you hear something from Margo's group on the way?"
Marie barely managed to answer my question in a faint voice.
"Yes."
"I see. Good, Marie. You must have felt really bad. Yes, it's a situation I can fully understand. But do you have to show it here? There's no need for me to feel unpleasant too, is there? Especially from the morning."
Here, my 'understanding' meant that I recognized the situation, not that I was embracing her emotions. Marie seemed to recognize that, and she bowed her head even lower.
More than anything, this little idiot didn't realize that this act of running to me and whining so obviously would allow Margo's group to taste superiority. She was just making a fuss with all her might, brazenly.
Where had her 'sense,' which was the only good thing among her many flaws, disappeared to? I had treated her well, thinking of her as Margo's rival, but it seemed she had completely forgotten her place.
"Ah, Miss, I was wrong, please forgive me. I won't do it again."
Instead of answering, I reached out my hand first and Marie
received it. As if there was no need to say anything about forgiving or not.
Nevertheless, Marie was very moved, as if she had received absolution. And she carefully wrapped her arms around my waist and lifted my body off the bed.
Perhaps because I had suppressed my anger too much, my body had been in very bad shape these past few days. My whole body ached as if I had been beaten, and I suffered from stabbing headaches every night. So every morning, I drank warm tea and had Marie massage my body.
As I lay back in the Reed Her Poé and took a comfortable position, Marie reached out and began to gently massage my feet, starting with the soles.
She always massaged me with great care, but today she seemed to be putting in even more effort. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. The back of my neck was stiff, and my head felt heavy.
Going back to the story from earlier, Roena couldn't go to meet the Empress right away even after receiving the invitation, so she had to dedicate the considerable amount of time given to her to preparing for her visit to the palace.
The day after receiving the letter, a lady known as the best teacher of etiquette visited her, and the finest dresses, shoes, and jewels entered her room one after another. Everyone in the family was moving for her.
Margo's group was also diligently preparing for the visit to the palace and, at the same time, showing the boldness to carry out a slightly audacious plan.
They seemed determined to repay the humiliation they had felt before with this opportunity. So, as we had done before, they displayed their belongings ostentatiously, wearing triumphant expressions.
Whenever a maid close to Marie passed by, they would exclaim loudly, grating on her nerves. It was a bonus to give a victorious look whenever their eyes met. It was truly a childish act.
In fact, I was only focused on the fact that Roena was going to see the Empress, so I didn't even find their provocations amusing. No, I didn't even feel they were worth paying attention to.
Even the things they were boasting about could be obtained if I just asked my adoptive father, so there was no reason to be envious.
Aren't the items that come into noble families all the same? Well, let's concede that they can feel a sense of superiority due to being the first to acquire them.
But in the end, they were not exclusive or specially made items with Roena as the motif, so it was just a fleeting feeling, a very futile provocation.
However, for Marie and the anti-Margo maids, the above actions were tantamount to declaring war. It was the prelude to a terrible war where no truce could be considered unless someone was knocked out.
Especially Marie. Perhaps because I had mentioned the succession of the head maid, she harbored ambition, and she was very displeased with this situation where Margo had taken the lead.
She was constantly anxious about whether she would never be able to push Margo out, or whether the maid recommended by Margo would succeed her.
So Marie came to me every day and subtly expressed her desire for me to step in. It was already well known that Roena valued her stepsister's requests more than Margo's. Therefore, this situation could be resolved quickly with just a word from me.
In other words, she was trying to use a somewhat bizarre correlation to control Margo by moving Roena through me. It was quite an idea for something that came out of her head.
But I didn't grant her request. It wasn't that the method was bad, but there was no benefit to be gained from stepping forward directly.
If it were before, I would have rushed into Roena's room without looking back, but now it was more important for me to be mindful of what people thought.
So wasn't I just suppressing my anger alone without being able to get properly angry? I no longer wanted the label of a stepsister who committed unsightly acts out of jealousy for her stepsister's good fortune.
But if I had known I would be caught off guard like this, I would have gladly accepted the label of a bad stepsister a long time ago. I mean it.
