SWWYV CHAPTER 151

Chapter 151

Beatrice took another elegant sip of her wine.

She then lifted her eyes and directed her gaze towards the high ceiling of the ballroom.

The large chandelier hanging in the centre of the ceiling was dazzling.

The enormous object, adorned with dozens of candles, combined graceful golden curves, sharp edges, and sparkling crystals reflecting the light, creating a lavish spectacle.

The chandelier’s candles, lit just before the start of the party, had already melted more than halfway.

Beatrice shifted her gaze back to the people in the ballroom.

At the end of her elegant, lingering look was Estelle.

At that moment, the Emperor announced his departure.

Having the Emperor at such a party could spoil the atmosphere, so he would usually spend an hour or two chatting with key figures before returning to his palace duties.

“Empress,” the Emperor said, suggesting Beatrice accompany him.

It wasn’t a sign of their good relationship but rather that he didn’t want to leave Beatrice alone at such an event.

Perhaps he feared she might do something to Killian.

‘So much worry,’ Beatrice thought.

No wonder he wears himself out so quickly. Beatrice smiled slightly and nodded before speaking to the attendant beside her. “Mikhail will stay a bit longer. Keep an eye on him, will you?”

The attendant nodded at Beatrice’s words. “Then, let’s go, Your Majesty.”

Feeling somewhat relieved, Beatrice followed the Emperor.

The Emperor frowned slightly at her compliance, but Beatrice elegantly stood by his side, waiting for their exit.

Eventually, the Emperor and Beatrice gracefully left the party together.

* * *

Above the party hall’s ceiling was a dark space filled with complex machinery, ropes, and pulled-back curtains, with a narrow path allowing movement. There, a servant nervously bit his lip.

‘A woman with pink hair. She shouldn’t be hard to find.’

He fiddled with the dozen thick ropes in front of him and looked down. Unlike the dark ceiling, the hall below was brightly lit by the chandelier.

He spotted the woman with pink hair, chatting and laughing with people below.

She wasn’t in a dress today but wore the uniform of the Knights of Ruchtainer.

Having recently joined Ruchtainer, she was still introducing herself to knights she hadn’t met before.

‘Damn it, she keeps sticking with people.’

The party’s atmosphere was constantly changing, and it was unclear when people would leave.

With the Emperor and Empress having departed, many nobles would soon head home.

‘I need to finish this quickly…’

He had been waiting for the right moment, but she kept staying with people, making it hard to find an opportunity.

Though not famous in social circles, she seemed to know many people.

Particularly troublesome was Lady Sophia of Fraus, the fiancée of Grand Duke Killian, who kept sticking by the pink-haired woman’s side, messing up his plans.

Whenever Estelle seemed to be alone for a moment, Sophia quickly approached and stayed by her side.

At that moment, Estelle instructed a servant to bring her jacket.

‘No…!’

Looking for a coat meant she was planning to leave the party.

But he had something to do tonight.

‘There must be no murders in the Imperial Palace. But accidents can’t be helped.’

‘Accidents… can’t be helped.’

Yes, the accident’s victim didn’t have to be just one person.

The safety chain securing the chandelier had already been loosened before the party began. He picked up one of the many ropes in front of him.

There were dozens of chandeliers in the hall, but he knew which rope held which chandelier. At that moment, a servant below looked up and nodded. He then pulled out his pocket knife.

* * *

“Estelle, are you leaving now?” Sophia asked as Estelle took her jacket from the servant.

“Yes, I still have work to do at Ruchtainer. With His Majesty having retired, I should go too,” Estelle said with a smile, explaining she had a lot of paperwork to handle since she had just joined.

“Sir Ian left almost at the same time as His Majesty. He seemed upset. Do you think something happened?” Sophia asked.

“Really?”

Now that she thought about it, his dissatisfied expression had been missing for a while.

“No one dared to ask why, so they just left him alone.”

Estelle said it would be best for her to leave as her senior at Ruchtainer had already gone back.

Sophia glanced at Killian, who was talking with other nobles alongside Mikhail. Killian looked tired.

‘He’s probably still unwell…’

After the Emperor’s speech, he likely had to deal with people trying to comfort him with empty words and those talking about the marriage he didn’t want to hear about.

Even Sophia had to listen to strange things from young ladies.

“Let’s leave together, Estelle. It’s better for me to head back now too.”

“Why don’t you stay a bit longer? People want to talk to you about your upcoming marriage to the Grand Duke…!”

Estelle worried that Sophia might be leaving early because of her.

Though the party wasn’t for Sophia, it ended up being the place where her engagement to Killian was announced.

“That’s why it would be better for you and Killian to stay a bit longer…”

“I’m just as tired of this place as you are,” Sophia whispered softly into Estelle’s ear.

If she stayed longer, she would only have to deal with ladies making elegant but insulting comments like, “Is it true you’re marrying Killian?” or “Killian deserves better,” or “Since getting engaged to you, Killian has faced nothing but trouble and hardships, and yet you’re still going through with the marriage…”
These remarks, though Sophia was used to them, were still bothersome and tiring.

Estelle chuckled softly at this.

“If the Grand Duke stays a bit longer, let’s take the carriage together. I’ll drop you off and then head to Ruchtainer,” Estelle suggested, gesturing with her eyes toward Killian, who was surrounded by admirers.

Sophia nodded. “I’ll go inform him. He might want to leave soon anyway.”

Sophia glanced at Killian, who happened to be looking her way. His gaze seemed to be pleading for rescue from the tired company around him, and Sophia couldn’t help but laugh.

Estelle also saw his look and laughed, nodding at Sophia. “Go ahead.”

Leaving Estelle, Sophia headed towards Killian. As she approached, Killian’s tired face lit up with a faint smile.

“Sophia,” he said, stepping slightly away from the people around him and gently pulling her close.

Though he had left Sophia near Estelle out of concern for her, the hours of enduring the event made him urgently need Sophia’s presence.

“Killian, I think we should head home,” Sophia said, intertwining her fingers with his.

The surrounding nobles glanced at their clasped hands.

Mikhail, standing beside Killian, smiled. “Good idea, my lady,” he whispered. “Killian looked quite exhausted.”

Killian’s eyebrow twitched at this, but he didn’t deny it.

“I’ll escort you home, my fiancée,” Killian said, instructing a servant to prepare the carriage.

“I’ll tell Estelle!” Sophia said, heading back to inform her.

“Estelle, it seems like Killian and I…”

As she spoke to Estelle, who was putting on her jacket, a short noise echoed from above.

Estelle looked up first at the unfamiliar sound, a large shadow falling over her face. Sophia turned her head just in time to see.

“Sophia!”

Boom! An enormous crash reverberated through the grand hall. People screamed.

And…

“Ugh…!”

Sophia clutched her trembling chest and looked up.

Killian was there in front of her.

“Are you alright?” Killian asked, holding the shocked Sophia. His large hands were trembling.

Killian was shaking.

“I’m fine,” Sophia reassured him, calming her own racing heart.

Killian bit his lip and hugged her tighter.

Then something crucial struck Sophia’s mind.

“What about Estelle?!”

 

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TRANSLATOR:

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