Chapter 29

Worries for no reason

‘Marie, Marie Zenferno…’

As Retina repeated the familiar name, she looked at Illiyan. Somewhere, she had heard that name before. It turned out that the girl who had been acting strangely during the dinner and was called Marie Zenferno had the same name. And now that she thought about it, their hair colors were also the same.

“Could it be…?”

“It’s my little sister, whom Prince Herald has taken with him.”

In the end, Illiyan shook his head in disbelief. His vacant eyes wandered aimlessly, unable to focus. The reaction from her brother didn’t surprise Retina. The sight of the young girl, who had just debuted, announcing that she had spent a night with the prince must have been shocking for them. If that girl had been her, her brothers would have reacted the same way.

“Why did she keep quiet until now?”

“Perhaps she couldn’t come forward until she had her debut. Today is the day she transitions from a girl to a lady, so she found the courage to step forward.”

“She’s never lied in her entire life. She’s had a crush on Prince Herald since she was a child, but I always told her it was impossible.”

“They spent a month searching desperately for that girl. I doubt she would want to harm us. On the contrary, if she treats the prince well, there might be progress in their relationship. She’s been fond of Prince Herald for a long time, so this might be a positive development. Stay strong.”

For some reason, it was Retina, the one who should be the most confused was comforting Illiyan. They had intended to go straight to the annex, but Illiyan, standing in the center of the ballroom, made it impossible for them to leave. However, Illiyan seemed unable to easily escape from the shock he had experienced.

“Are you speaking from your heart? If there is a shortcut to ruining your life, it is by getting involved with him.”

Retina’s hand, which had been patting Illiyan’s back, froze in mid-air.

Why did I feel pricked by Illiyan’s words? It felt like she was getting a lecture from her brothers.

“Marie has never spent a night with Prince Herald.”

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes vigorously. He knew her from the time she was born. Whether Marie was lying or telling the truth. Holding onto the prince was like gambling for Marie.

“If His Highness finds out she’s lying…”

She sighed deeply, pressing her temples as if her head were aching. Just imagining the moment when the lie was exposed made her hands tremble. If he knew what kind of person the prince was, he would never dare lie to him.

“He won’t just let it slide.”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

Illiyan’s concern was valid. The prince was unlikely to overlook such a deception.

* * *

“If His Highness finds out she’s lying, no matter who it is, he won’t just let it slide,” Illiyan said with a tone of dread, his steps heavy as he turned away.

‘How could he have lived in such a way that everyone’s reactions are uniformly negative?’ Her brothers, too, had all denounced the prince. They were close acquaintances of the prince in the empire. She had always thought he wasn’t exactly well-behaved, but it seemed he was even more unruly than she had imagined.

“Well, considering how vigorous he is with women, it’s not surprising at all.”

Rumors always accompanied the prince wherever he went, with the names of women he had been associated with. The reason he was searching for a particular woman this time was because he couldn’t remember who he had spent the night with.

‘I hope it’s not because of Zenferno’s young lady, but because of me?’

‘If someone had to pay the price, it was me. So if he was searching for the woman because of me…’

The hand that had been gently stroking the hair that Lena had carefully combed dropped abruptly. If Illiyan was so frightened, then it must have been a heavy price. She had caused the trouble herself, and if an innocent person was paying the price, it didn’t make any sense for her to stand by and watch. She had acted herself, and who would stop her? She didn’t know what kind of trouble she had caused to make Illiyan, who had just returned after calming down, so worried.

“Miss, is something bothering you?”

Lost in thought, Retina was startled by Lena’s question.

“No, why?”

“Your face looks dark, so I wondered if something happened at the ball. If not, I’m relieved. Oh, by the way, did you fill out your dance card?”

“Of course, who am I?” Retina replied.

“So, with how many gentlemen did you dance?” Lena, knowing everything, teased Retina, who was being coy. Lena’s playful smile, filled with the spirit of teasing, curled up.

“Five.”

“But you managed to fill up the card, right? So, it’s all good.”

“Are you making fun of me for barely filling it up right now?”

“Oh, come on, why would I do that? I was just wondering how beautiful you must have been for the other young men not to be able to approach you.”

Lena flattered Retina with her sweet words. Her words flowed naturally, trying to lighten the mood. Retina didn’t rebuke Lena, knowing that these playful words were meant to cheer her up.

“So, which gentleman did you enjoy dancing with the most?”

Lena, always sincere about Retina’s romantic interests, asked. She had noticed that Retina often shared her love stories with the other maids. Given Retina’s love for romance novels, it seemed she had some interest in love affairs, although Retina had never spoken about herself and a man.

“Who did I enjoy dancing with the most?” Retina hadn’t given it much thought until now, as she was absorbed in filling out the dance card. Except for her brothers, there were only three people she had danced with. All three of them…

‘Today, you looked even more beautiful than usual,’ he said.

As Retina recalled his words, her cheeks flushed. It felt as if the places where they had touched were marked like stamps, and her heart trembled.

“Miss!! Who is it? What happened at the ball that made your face turn red? Please tell me too!”

Lena’s curiosity got the best of her as she pressed Retina for more information.

“W-Well, I mean… there was nothing, really,” Retina stammered.

“Is it possible that Miss reacted so accurately without anything happening? Is there something going on between you & him?”

“Enough. It’s nothing. It’s just hot.”

Retina gently pushed away Lena, who was sticking close, and fanned her face as it flushed with heat. She couldn’t admit to herself, let alone others, that she didn’t remember anything. She didn’t want to acknowledge it. She couldn’t even recall a single thing, yet she couldn’t forget that day, and it felt like a one-sided crush, as if she were in love.

“In the morning, he said he’d come officially, even though he can’t remember anything. Who is he to say that he’ll recognize me even without telling me his name?”

Retina felt like a fool for getting so excited so many times. She was too embarrassed to admit her feelings or stand before him. She couldn’t bring herself to say it to Lena.

“Is it Prince Norden, by any chance?”

Retina burst into a soft laughter as Lena asked with wide-open eyes. Given that she had only been close to two men, the Crown prince and the foreign Crown prince, she couldn’t help but imagine how much she had pondered over which one it was.

“No, it’s not. The prince is just being friendly to me as a friend.”

“Then, is it really His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“No, it’s not him either. The Crown Prince simply proposed to be my partner because he’s friends with my brothers, as you know.”

“I see…”

Lena’s shoulders, which had been bouncing with excitement, drooped. She timidly held her hands together and then quickly regained her energy.

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

“Does Miss like someone from the North, even though she doesn’t know them well?”

Listening to Lena’s one-sided conversation, Retina occasionally chimed in and suddenly shivered at the memory of the Crown Prince’s voice that kept coming back to her. The events that had taken place at the ball within a short time had left a strong impression on her.

It wouldn’t leave her mind. Retina, who had been shaking her head, decided that she needed to feel the chilly breeze, so she put on a long robe over her dress and left the building. There were still many guests enjoying the ball, so she only intended to walk lightly near the annex.

Since it wasn’t far, she left Lena behind and went outside. When she stepped out into the cool night air and took a deep breath, her lungs filled with the refreshing air. Breathing in the cool air made her head feel clearer. Feeling somewhat awkward standing still for a few minutes, Retina leisurely started to walk.

Perhaps it was due to being in the royal palace, but even the side paths were not carelessly decorated. Lanterns were spaced at regular intervals, illuminating the dark night road. Each piece of landscaping looked like a work of art.

Retina wandered without a specific destination, and she realized that she had come quite far. Although it was rare to encounter anyone, Retina was concerned about meeting someone while she was out in her nightgown and robe. She decided to retrace her steps, thinking she had sufficiently cooled her head by now.

“Mariee, it’s not you. You’re definitely going to get caught sooner or later if you act this recklessly.”

Retina’s leg, which had been lifting off the ground, stopped abruptly in mid-air.