Episode 9. Get a grip
In her haste to get up from her seat, her shoe slipped on a shard of a broken teacup.
She didn’t even realize how badly she’d slipped until a beat later.
It’s really the worst.
It was not enough that she become a mockery in the relationship between Walter and Lizaina, she also broke a teacup, couldn’t even run away, and ended up falling down.
Odette closed her eyes without realizing it.
But no matter how long she waited, she couldn’t feel the cold floor.
Instead, warmth envelops her body deeply as if someone was hugging her from behind.
“Wake up.”
The voice whispered softly in her ear.
It sounded arrogant yet doting.
“You don’t want to look like a mess in front of the worst man in the world, do you?”
Odette didn’t have to open her eyes to know who it was as the warm embrace contrasted with a cold voice.
‘Walter…… the Duke of Ertmann.’
Odette vaguely remembered that as she was in a hurry to leave, it seemed that Walter got up from his seat as soon as the teacup was shattered.
‘If he likes Lizaina…..’
Why is he doing this to me?
Sympathy? Or chivalry?
Either way, I hate it.
As the thought popped into her mind, the warmth of his embrace became uncomfortable, so Odette pushed him away.
No, she tried to push him away.
“Ugh……!”
She stumbled backward, feeling a terrible pain in her ankle.
Apparently, she’d twisted it slightly when she’d fallen.
Walter must have noticed, because he sighed lightly and picked Odette up.
“……!”
“It seems that Her Royal Highness hurt her foot. I will take her to the palace because I was responsible for not helping properly. Your Majesty the Empress, forgive me to leave my seat first.”
As if those words were the last of Walter’s patience, he left the tea room without waiting for Katarina to respond.
After that, Katarina, Lizaina, and the others left the tea room.
The murmur which had subsided for a moment, began to spread even more.
“I can’t believe Duke Ertmann is leaving with the Fourth Princess in his arms…….”
“In that case, we can’t be sure he has the Third Princess in mind, right?”
“Come to think of it, Duke Ertmann did admit to having a secret meeting with the Fourth Princess.”
“Well, what I saw earlier the Fourth Princess was quite a beauty too…….”
If Lizaina had a gorgeous flower-like beauty, Odette was the owner of a pure swan-like beauty.
The fact that the Fourth Princess, who had been absent for a long time, was more beautiful than expected and had a body that was unexpectedly in line with the dignity of the imperial family, was well-liked by people.
And the moment when Walter caught Odette from behind as she was about to fall…..
The onlookers find it funny enough how Walter and Odette were so well matched that you could say they were lovers.
This creates a provocative scene that people who are thirsty for gossip will enjoy.
The people who were convinced Walter had Lizaina in mind, quickly turned toward Odette.
As she heard stories about the ‘Fourth Princess’ going around, Lizaina had an uncontrollable frown on her face.
It’s upsetting that the individuals who favored had turned their backs on her favor, and preferred to Odette.
‘Odette, that b*tch……!’
Most of them may not have seen it, but Lizaina saw Odette drop the teacup.
That slow, awkward gesture.
‘She must have done it on purpose, Duke Ertmann must have set his sights on me, but that b*tch has struck again!’
Odette’s behavior was one thing, but Walter, who quickly picked her up and carried her out, was another.
No matter how well-mannered he is, he’ll never do it. The young woman can’t believe he even carried Odette out of the room?
In particular, Lizaina firmly believed that Walter’s unconventional confession was directed at her, and while she was feeling great about that fact, she felt even more upset.
Lizaina was furious with Katarina, who should have been on her side, yet was not giving any support.
“Mother! you saw it too, Odette that thing is flirting without knowing her place, and we’re going to let it get away with?”
“Then why don’t you run after Duke Ertmann and give him a slap on the face?”
“Mother!”
“Hush! Don’t be disrespectful.”
Katarina’s reaction was unusually cold.
Katarina was the only person in this place who knew the truth.
Walter came to request to see Odette, and she had made up some excuse to push Lizaina in front of him instead of Odette.
At the time, she was thinking of trying to sway public opinion by bringing in Ertmann’s name.
– As you know, an unauthorized relationship is bound to lead to unexpected accidents.
As soon as the word came out in the young man’s lips, Walter’s eyes turned to Katarina.
Unauthorized relationship. Unexpected accident.
She was not unaware that this was a blatant sniping directed at her.
‘And now you’ve made the situation become more troublesome.’
Katarina’s eyebrows narrowed slightly.
She’d recruited Walter in the first place because she’d thought he’d be a use-it-or-lose-it pawn.
She’d get him involved with Lizaina to sway public opinion, and if the Emperor showed signs of displeasure, she could use that as an excuse to back out.
‘But in this case, I can’t back out.’
In a word, he solidified the confrontation between the Third and Fourth Princesses.
Even the emperor can’t mess with it.
If the public gets wind of the fact that the person Walter had in mind was the Fourth Princess.
‘It wouldn’t be an ordinary embarrassment.’
Especially since it was Katarina who started the rumor by setting up Lizaina and Walter.
So Walter Ertmann, had all this in mind from the beginning?
Katarina’s face slowly twisted.
It’s like she can’t bear to frown so she had to smile instead.
“……I can’t help it now that this is what happened. Let’s go. There’s nothing better to hear here.”
Katarina got up from her seat, followed by Lizaina.
Leading the way through the silent corridor, Katarina spoke coldly to the young woman.
“Lizaina, If you are humiliated because of this, His Majesty will not only become displeased with your mother but also your brother.”
That would make it even harder for Blake to push Cedric aside and become Crown Prince.
“That shouldn’t happen. Isn’t that right? You’re my daughter, not anyone else.”
“……Yes.”
“So far, I’ve let you do whatever you want, but don’t stand in your brother’s way unless you can help him, or I won’t forgive you.”
Katarina said coldly, and left Lizaina behind.
What the brief conversation meant for Lizaina was simple.
‘Whatever happens, Odette must not be allowed to take Duke Ertmann from me……’
She can’t believe she has to feel competitive Odette!
As Lizaina’s hands trembled in contempt, the maid who was following her spoke anxiously.
“Y- Your Highness. Are you okay? …..”
“Do I look okay right now!”
Lizaina exclaimed, taking a few breaths to calm her nerves before speaking in a much calmer voice.
“Call Count Xavier. Let that wench Odette know what happens if she forgets my warning.”
* * *
This is the worst.
It’s really the worst.
It’s as bad as the day she was invited to Lizaina’s tea time and accidentally bumped into a maid on her way home after eating a cookie. She went home covered in dirt and dark muddy water.
Why did I slip and fall, and why did I sprain my ankle?
‘And why is it Walter Ertmann who helped me?’
If it were someone else, I would have been able to thank you properly even if I was embarrassed and sorry.
Odette squeezed her eyes shut, then opened her mouth.
“……What the hell do you want with me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that Lizaina likes you even without doing this, and you don’t have to use me to make her jealous.”
Walter didn’t answer right away at Odette’s words.
When she opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Walter rolling his pupils upward in excitement.
Of course, she had to close her eyelids again because the snow was falling so quickly.
“I’m not interested in the Third Princess, it’s none of my business what she thinks.”
“You’re lying”
“Do I get anything from lying to the Princess? I’m proposing to you.”
Propose.
Odette’s eyes snapped open at the word.
And then their eyes met.
“Are you finally willing to open your eyes?”
“……Were you doing this on purpose to make me open my eyes?”
“I don’t have many chances to see the Princess’s eyes up close, but it’s a shame that she keeps closing them like a seashell. So why not?”
Walter smiled faintly as he asked.
There was something so charming about the way his face loosened and arced. Odette found herself at a loss for words.
“……Duke, how many people have you said that to?”
“What if I say that?”
“Well, I’m just saying it’s a shame you’re using it on me.”
He smiled so charmingly and said, “You are the only one.”
“I suppose so.”
Odette snorted.
The smile from earlier had convinced her.
‘This man is a player.’
I’m sure he knows how to make himself look tempting.
Since he’s so handsome, it shouldn’t be that difficult, she thought.
‘If someone else had experienced something like this, they would have thought that Duke Ertmann had feelings for them.’
Even Odette, who’s locking her heart is confused, so who else wouldn’t it be?
From the moment he came and proposed to her out of the blue, ‘Could it be me…?’ was the only thing she’d been wondering.
But it wasn’t Odette.
Because she already had the experience of being treated harshly by a scum.
She could sense that Walter was intentionally trying to seduce her.
Odette became bitterly displeased when she realized the fact.
“Tell me the truth, you want to marry the Third Princess, but it won’t be easy because of the Emperor, so you’re going to try to overcome his objections by using me, a seemingly innocent girl.”
At Odette’s words, Walter raised one eyebrow.
“…… I don’t know why you keep thinking that, but I’ve never told a lie.”
“That’s a common excuse for a liar.”
“Didn’t I say from the beginning that it was you I wanted?”
“And I told you from the beginning that you were the worst.”
The thought had faded a bit over the past few days, but it’s becoming clear again.
She realized why Walter was just trying to seduce her.
“I will never love you, no matter how much you try.”
Just as Odette was about to tell him to stop dragging her into his mess.
Walter’s hand tightened, and his voice was stern.
“……Is that because you’re in love with Louis Clovis?”
