98 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 98
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“I propose we reminisce about the past summer, savoring both the sweetness and bitterness of verdant days.”
The Empress declared the theme of this tea party to be ‘Memories of Summer.’ True to her word, the tablecloth was covered with fabric vividly embroidered with green tassels, as if vines were crawling up it.
All the dishes holding refreshments were adorned with painted red roses. The centerpiece was a vase filled with summer flowers crafted from jewels, and next to it, a small basin reminiscent of a fountain held nameless fish swimming silently. As she said, it was as if a midsummer day had been transported here.
But why set ‘sweetness and bitterness’ as the fundamental flavors?
Especially since tea tends to be a matter of personal preference, making it unsuitable for such gatherings.
There was no way she would have done this unless it was an implicit and metaphorical symbol of the pleasant conversation to come.
Because a time that might seem sweet to some could be very unpleasant for others. And I was the only one who had to endure this tea-flavored time.
In truth, there is no situation more unbearable than being afraid and nervous because you know what is intended. Or keeping your nerves sharp against an enemy who might attack at any moment.
Since you never know when they might strike, the mental anguish is indescribable.
The Empress, the source of the attack, may be turning her body without a second thought and gently waving her fan. But for me, watching her, all of it felt like a considerable burden.
In any case, it was only natural that I had to eat the refreshments provided, so I picked up a fork engraved with a wave pattern and cut a piece of cake. I felt a stinging gaze from my right cheek.
The woman sitting next to me, who looked to be just past forty, had a very full figure with a body that had spread out to the sides.
I wondered if she had something to say, so I turned my head and tried to meet her gaze, but she abruptly turned her chin away as if she hadn't been looking.
But she kept glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, making me wonder what she was doing. It was as if she were observing a strange creature. Her voice, which she didn't deliberately lower as if wanting me to hear, was the same.
“Contrary to the rumors, she doesn't seem that vulgar. She only made a mistake at first, but she knows how to eat properly... And her appearance is decent, no, outstanding. Lady Roena is exceptionally beautiful, but compared to others, she is not at all inferior.”
The woman loudly pointed out each of my actions as if she were appraising me.
She was mainly talking to the person next to her, but since the other person's voice couldn't be heard at all, it seemed like she was just talking to herself.
What was strange was that no one reprimanded her for being rude or impolite, even though she was speaking so loudly. Even the Empress didn't seem to be paying attention. In other words, it was a prearranged situation.
Therefore, even if I tried to ignore it as if I hadn't heard, the woman's voice, her behavior of uttering provocative remarks, continued persistently.
She committed vulgar acts such as pretending to make a mistake and bumping my elbow or tapping my chair with her shoe.
As large as she was, the fabric added to her dress was also enormous, so every time she turned her body, the thick fabrics billowed and slapped against her thighs.
The crystal-like jewel decorations on her clothes hung like thorns, giving off a tremendous sense of intimidation. It was so bad that I was worried that my decorative sash would get caught on those jewels and tear.
Leaning away from her, I turned my head to the left and looked at Roena.
Unlike me, who was going through such an ordeal, she was already in close conversation with the woman sitting next to her, as if she had completely forgotten what had happened earlier.
Was she only in her early thirties? The young woman, who was quite stylishly dressed, smiled gently and nodded her head vigorously every time Roena spoke. It was too intimate of an attitude for someone they had just met.
Was she someone Lavalliere was acquainted with, or had the Empress arranged it in advance?
I was the only one drinking tea while everyone else was paired up and talking.
Since the Empress, who was supposed to be the host of the tea party, wasn't leading the conversation, I was being deliberately isolated.
If the woman next to me hadn't spoken to me directly, I might have been left alone like this.
“Lady Bischwartz has a more composed personality than I expected. It's really surprising.”
The woman, whom I looked at directly, had both cheeks flushed red as if she were drunk. It was because of her excessive makeup.
And what about the thick lips sitting thickly on top of her thick jowls? It looked as hideous as if she had mixed sand and gravel into silk stockings, tied them up, and stuck them under her nose.
It would have been better if she had used a light lip color, but the fact that it was red made her physical flaws even more prominent.
The bumpy scars next to her philtrum even looked more attractive. Her nose, which was flattened on both sides as if pressed from above, couldn't be called pretty even as a polite remark.
The only thing that could be considered passable was her hair, which was neatly twisted up and finished with pins, but compared to her disproportionately large face shape, it couldn't be praised as being very well done. At this point, I was curious about which maid was in charge of her makeup.
But the woman shrugged her shoulders as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world and opened her mouth.
Her maliciously twisted eyebrows and uncomfortably contorted waist were far from the word ‘seductive,’ but her body seemed to be trying very hard to express it.
So she blinked her eyes excessively and smirked at me.
What I've realized while watching the social circles is that in any gathering, if you look inside, there are often roles that are unknowingly assigned.
The queen who is the center of the group and gives orders, the advisor who assists the queen, the knightesses who carry out the orders, and the jester who is the scapegoat and announces the beginning of something, and so on.
And people formed a small society based on this. Like a small kingdom.
Surprisingly, this independent kingdom—of course, referring to the group of women—always had people properly distributed, and with an indescribable bond and deep loyalty, it supported the world of nobles. Whether it was a large force or a small force.
Sometimes a variant that could be called a con artist is added, but these attributes are latent in everyone's minds, so they don't stand out unless they have an exceptionally cunning tongue.
This excellent trait shines only when small kingdoms wage war over the hegemony of the social world.
So, let's take a look at this woman. What role does she play in the small kingdom centered around the Empress?
No, in fact, the answer was already out. So easily that anyone with even a little bit of discernment could tell.
She was probably the scapegoat and jester who could unhesitatingly commit rude acts that everyone else disliked.
Wasn't she just like that, being impertinently talkative, vulgar, and acting as if she were something special?
As a matter of fact, watching her speak by rolling her tongue, thinking that it was one of the elegant ways of speaking, I couldn't even imagine her performing any other role.
But why does looking at her suddenly remind me of Lady Sorin?
I gave her a soft smile as she waved her fan quickly as if demanding an answer.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, madam. Thank you so much for saying that I'm composed. I'm barely covering up my cheerful spirit, like a little rabbit, with shyness. I feel relieved now.”
“Is that so? I'm Gleea Rogan. The wife of Baron Guiomin.”
“Yes, madam.”
I rolled the word ‘Guiomin’ on the tip of my tongue. This surname, which sounded like the name of some store, seemed as unimpressive as her attire.
I was very curious as to why someone like the Empress would make such a person her ‘jester.’
I looked at her to see if she was perceptive, but she didn't seem to be anything special in this case, and when I looked at her attire to see if she was wealthy, she didn't seem to be that way either. Even just looking at the scarf she was wearing.
The scarf pitifully hanging around Baroness Guiomin's neck was a product embroidered with ordinary tassels.
The base fabric was silk, but since the surface was not smooth and the gloss was poor, it didn't seem to be a very high-quality item. It was in stark contrast to her heavily decorated dress.
When the Baroness Guiomin noticed my gaze on her scarf, she puffed out her chest and said boastfully.
“I received this as a gift recently. They say it's a special order just for me.”
“It suits you very well, madam.”
“You have an eye for things.”
She fanned herself back and forth quickly, looking pleased. A somewhat frivolous laugh escaped from between her rounded lips.
But that was only for a moment. After clearing her throat slightly, she frowned as if she had never laughed and spat out the words. Her newly cleared voice sounded as if she were picking a fight.
“But Lady Bischwartz, if you come to a gathering like this, you should naturally greet people first and show that you are trying to participate in the conversation. What does that make the rest of us if you just sit there quietly?”
“I couldn't bring myself to interrupt because you were all having such a friendly conversation. I thought it would be rude.”
“You should still try. Lady Bischwartz really doesn't know anything. Well, I understand.”
Wasn't it the law of the social world that subordinates had to wait until their superiors spoke to them first?
It was ridiculous that people who would have shouted that I was being rude if I had spoken first were picking on me like this. Especially the baroness, who seemed to be the most out of touch with etiquette.
Just the fact that she called me ‘-yang’ instead of ‘-yeongae’ showed that, didn't it?
But I couldn't argue and cause a fight. I answered politely. In any case, in this situation, the best thing to do was to remain silent, agree, and elevate the other person.
“Thank you for your teachings, madam. If it weren't for you, I would have committed a great rudeness.”
“You haven't debuted in society yet, have you?”
“No. I'm not old enough.”
“Then you really don't know anything. But you should have acted more proactively somehow. Don't you think so?”
I readily agreed with Baroness Guiomin's words, which she was testing me with in a subtle tone. I was curious to see how she would react.
