Chapter 42
“I don’t really care about the convention anymore. I just care about you, and that’s why I want to know what you think.”
… I almost faltered for a moment. I was mesmerized by that appealing look on his face that said he was genuinely curious about me.
I wanted to believe him completely, but realistically, that was impossible. I was Alicia now, and this could easily turn into a problem between countries.
Besides, Maud’s words were the only evidence that he missed me, and nothing else was clear to me, so my identity, which I could easily reveal to Maud, was a secret I wanted to keep from Thierry.
I took a slow breath, barely able to contain myself at his now openly flirtatious demeanor.
“Your Majesty, my opinion doesn’t matter, because I lost all power the moment I came to the Empire.”
His grip on my hand loosened. And I could feel his tense muscles relax as disappointment spread across his red eyes, which had been staring at me from afar. Like a strangely dejected man.
***
The day of Debutante dawned.
The sky was so blue in honor of the joyous occasion, but my face was clouded with dark clouds.
“My dear Princess, why are there such dark circles under your eyes? Have you not slept?”
Valentina, who had been barging in since the morning, started as soon as she saw my face.
I rubbed my cheeks with a grimace and squeezed my tired eyes shut. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep as the image of Thierry’s sagging broad shoulders and pitying mood from yesterday kept haunting me.
“Yeah, a little…”
“Oh, you must be tense, no way, we still have time, let’s start with a skin massage!”
“Yeah…”
I looked unmotivated and started to be dragged around by Valentina’s hand. The maids and Valentina bustled around, explaining that the debutante doesn’t start until the evening, but of course the preparations start in the morning.
The time passed quickly. By afternoon, I was quickly styling my hair and putting on my dress, and before I knew it, it was time for Thierry to escort me.
I looked down at my half-tied, flower-adorned hair and then back up at my dress. The white dress was off-the-shoulder and ruffled around the bust and forearms, with red roses and green leaves delicately embroidered on it to complement the pure white dress.
“Hehe, you look so beautiful. It’s exactly how I envisioned you.”
Valentina’s mouth dropped open in ecstasy. It wasn’t self-consciousness, but a look so obviously in love that Marie looked at her strangely.
“Thank you… You made it easy for me to get ready.”
“Oh, come on. I was just happy to be able to work with my muse, and I owe a lot of it to you, actually.”
By the way, I nodded and glanced toward the door. Then, as if waiting for it, there was a knock on the door.
“His Majesty is here.”
“Oh my, Princess. Here, take this fan and hold on a minute, I’m going to straighten your hem, and then why don’t you walk forward?”
“Is… Done?”
“Hmph, perfect! Now, have a beautiful day.”
She smirked slightly at Valentina, who politely held the door open for her, and then walked away, her eyes darting to the giant, unstoppable presence waiting at the door.
‘What’s wrong with Valentina? Don’t you like her?’
I glanced over at Thierry, who was glaring at Valentina with disapproval. I cautiously approached him, fiddling with my skirt, which was unnecessarily bunched up.
“Why are you smiling at Madame?”
“What?”
“You didn’t smile at me like that…”
The latter was mumbled in a low voice, but I could still hear what I needed to hear. Apparently, yesterday’s uncomfortable topic hadn’t ended yesterday.
‘… I didn’t hear it. I didn’t hear anything.’
I didn’t laugh. I feigned ignorance and changed the subject.
“We’ll enter through the other door after His Majesty does, right?”
“No. We’ll enter together.”
The words sounded like a bolt from the blue to my ears, as I thought I was supposed to be waiting at the entrance to the party hall.
“What? Together?!”
I was so surprised that I raised my voice and Thierry looked down at me with a puzzled expression.
“We’re partners, why are we entering separately, of course we should enter together.”
“No, but how can we enter side by side with His Majesty the Emperor, even if we are partners, can’t we meet after entering?”
“No. No.”
He didn’t have a clue. I felt my blood drain out of my veins at his adamant attitude. I didn’t have to look in the mirror to see my face now. I’m sure my face must have gone white.
“Your Majesty, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand, but I can’t dance, and it would be embarrassing for me to follow you.”
I blurted out an important fact that I’d been too embarrassed to mention before.
“You don’t have to dance. I’m a good dancer.”
Of course, Thierry, who didn’t hear me, brusquely brushed off my attempt, ending it with my boast. Finally, I called out to him in disbelief.
“Your Majesty…!”
“Wait a minute, just stand there.”
“What? No, wait.”
“Yes, just a moment.”
Is this a conversation? I cringed. One way or the other, Thierry suddenly moved behind me, like a man absorbed in his work, and reached for my neck.
“Ah…”
I felt a cold sensation and glanced at my neck, where a pearl necklace glistened.
“I wanted to give you this for yourself.”
I wondered why she’d left her neck empty, but that was something saved for Thierry, and even so, I could see Valentina’s eyes glowing as she turned the reticule circuitry up to high heat.
I sighed inwardly and fiddled awkwardly with the necklace. Even to my untrained eye, the expensive-looking pearls glinted in the light.
“Thank you…”
“It’s pretty.”
I could hear the satisfaction in his voice even without looking.
I tried to put up a wall, but it was hard to resist Thierry, who kept being nice to me and giving me affectionate glances.
I stubbornly stare straight ahead, afraid that if I make eye contact, my hard-earned calm will be shattered.
I could feel his eyes on my sideways face as I took his hand and slowly turned to face forward, but I didn’t look away.
‘No. There’s something wrong with this.’
If he really cared about me, he wouldn’t be dragging me out in the open like this, he’d wait and let people warm up to me over time. If I showed myself like this now, I’d just be adding fuel to the rumors.
It would only make people hate me even more, and that would hurt me.
‘I’m screwed…’
Suddenly, the delicate pearl necklace felt like a heavy noose.
***
Inside the ornate party hall under the dazzling chandeliers, the room was filled with excited girls, but the moment Thierry and I entered the hall, the mood turned sour and there was a momentary silence.
It was crowded. As expected, all eyes were on me.
‘… I’m sorry. I didn’t want all this attention.’
I managed to keep my eyes misty-eyed and a faint smile on my face. I was hoping for a distraction while Thierry said something, but after a quick scan of the hall, Thierry didn’t say a word, didn’t even open his mouth, just glared at Bakken.
Bakken understood the gesture immediately and gestured to the waiting musicians, and the stifling silence was lifted and the sweet sounds of music filled the hall.
But it was just another soft tune. You could almost hear people slurping.
I was relieved that Thierry’s sweep of the nobles hadn’t turned overtly hostile toward me, but that didn’t mean their interest had waned. Their coy glances still lingered on me, and their whispered words were strangely music to my ears.
“You have the nerve to say you’ve been dragged to Volmo. Isn’t it bad enough that you’re deprived of food and depressed? Or is there something else up his sleeve?”
“From the rumors going around, that’s the most likely explanation. Didn’t you hear that Princess was flirting with His Majesty like that?”
“Oh, so the reason the Emperor opened the palace halls specifically for her is not because of Debutante, but to celebrate her.”
“Well, I don’t know about anything else, but it’s true that His Majesty is quite fond of the Princess, and that’s why fewer nobles have been sent away since she arrived.”
“… If that’s true, isn’t the Princess’ arrival a good sign in a way?”
My ears are performing better than I thought… I didn’t have to hear all that…
I pretended to fiddle with my hair and rubbed my ears, sneaking around to see if there was any way to duck into a corner, just as the music grew louder and a waltz began to fill the hall.
“Would you like to dance?”
Not sure if I couldn’t hear them, or if they were pretending not to, Thierry poured me another drink and politely asked me to dance. I was prepared for the moment we were partners, but when it happened, it was like a thunderbolt hitting me in the back.
“…Your Majesty, I’ve told you before, I can’t dance.”
“I’ve told you before, I’m a good dancer, so it’s okay.”
I’m saying I’m not okay… You really only hear what you want to hear…
I made my way to the floor, almost half-dragged by Thierry, who casually grabbed my helpless hand and pulled me toward him.
