Side Story Chapter 7

“Over here.”

Lady Elizabeth waved cheerfully.

She approached and linked her arm with mine, leading me into the theater with familiar ease.

Though she limped, it was clear she was more comfortable having risen from her wheelchair.

The royal theater was grand and beautiful. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the lights shone brightly.

Our seats were in a box, providing a clear view of the stage below.

I scanned the area for any hidden assassins, but soon stopped.

It was a pointless worry. I had no enemies threatening me.

After ensuring the area was safe, the guards were dismissed. Most of the nobles remaining in the capital were friendly towards the current royal family.

Many nobles had opposed the tyrannical Azanti and the actions of the former empress. There were no nobles here who could threaten us.

I must have been tense out of habit from the time when the former empress was around.

I settled into the red velvet seat, listening to Lady Elizabeth chatter.

“The circus held here last time was the pinnacle of extravagance. You would have loved it, Lady Leonie.”

“Really?”

“Check the pamphlet.”

As she explained the various details of the theater, her voice abruptly stopped.

“Hmm. We’ve chosen the wrong seats.”

Her bright smile faded as she glanced in a particular direction.

I turned to see where she was looking.

The delegation was seated in the opposite box, with their representative, Lady Bay, seated right next to Deon.

The woman, who had been surveying the unfamiliar theater, pulled down her veil.

Her smooth, bronze skin was revealed, along with bright blue eyes and even more dazzling jewels adorning her forehead.

The dark skin made the jewels stand out even more.

Sitting side by side, the contrast between her dusky skin and Deon’s fair complexion was striking.

Soon, the lights dimmed.

The theater was enveloped in darkness.

I was supposed to focus on the stage lights below, but my eyes kept drifting to the opposite box.

Lady Elizabeth’s earlier comment about the audience not being visible in the dark was a lie. I could see their faces clearly.

Lady Bay kept whispering and leaning towards Deon.

Deon, frowning as if he couldn’t hear well, leaned closer to her.

Hearing her whispers, Deon smiled softly, his lips curling upwards.

I felt as if I could hear the lazy sound of his laughter echoing in my ears.

It was obvious what their conversation was about.

They were likely discussing the dialogue, unfamiliar to her native language, or asking about the actors.

The nature of their conversation was clear, but their seemingly intimate posture annoyed me.

He was becoming a good emperor.

Fair, kind, and a gentleman who knew how to smile warmly at everyone.

But I didn’t like seeing him change.

I wished he wouldn’t be so kind to everyone. His kind demeanor towards me now felt like it was shared with everyone.

His smile bothered me. The selfish thought that I wanted his smile to be just for me welled up.

Even though I had drawn a line and sworn to be a loyal servant, these were not thoughts befitting a servant.

While I was distracted, the opera reached its climax. It was the part where they swore to revolution and unity.

The hall echoed with their powerful singing.

The soprano standing at the top opened her mouth.

“The time has come to make a decision.”

Her voice, like a roar, reverberated throughout the vast hall, and my chest pounded in time with the beats.

“Yes, it’s time to make a decision.”

Lady Elizabeth turned to look at me, hearing my whispered words.

I didn’t return her gaze; I just kept my eyes fixed on Deon.

* * *

The next day, I headed to the gallery room.

I examined each of the foreign items filling the large room, picking up those that seemed valuable.

The maid who had come to wake me this morning was wearing a new necklace, a gift from the principality.

Apparently, gifts had been given to everyone in the palace. I recalled the maid’s delighted face as she touched the luxurious necklace.

<The countess was also told to choose anything she liked.>

The maid relayed the delegation’s message while fiddling with her necklace.

I disliked the hairpins adorning the palace staff, the foreign goods Deon would use, and the principality’s presumptuous attitude in offering these gifts.

The tribute items from the principality were all peculiar.

Being a trade hub for the world’s goods, they were unique and slightly twisted.

There was a trinket meant to hang from an elephant’s trunk and some ritual items whose purpose was unclear.

I selected an item from a glass display case and opened the lid. Inside was a staff adorned with patterns.

As I picked up the staff, a bead, which seemed like a decoration, rolled within it. The golden end shimmered brightly.

If it was placed in such an elegant case, it must be valuable.

Clutching the staff, I ran to his study.

I placed the staff in front of Deon, who was processing documents.

Though the staff was pretty, my action was half out of spite.

His so-called confessions of love, whispered like spells, were trivial enough to be discarded for a single proposal from the principality.

Realizing that his flimsy love could crumble at a mere suggestion from the principality filled me with irritation.

I couldn’t tell the staff not to use the gifts. The best way to make them disappear from sight was to slowly get rid of them myself.

“I like this one.”

I placed the staff down, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Do you know what that is?”

“I do.”

“Do you really know what it is?”

“Yes.”

The staff looked a bit odd.

It was too ornate for a mere accessory, but there were many extravagant items in the world.

Even if it wasn’t an accessory, if I used it as a decoration, it would serve the purpose.

At my confident reply, he chuckled.

“If you want it, choose something else. You won’t like it.”

Deon reached out to take the staff.

“I like it. I really do.”

I quickly pulled the staff back before he could grab it.

“That can’t be.”

He chuckled at my puzzled expression.

“Still, since you’ve chosen a gift, we should test it out, don’t you think?”

“What?”

He set his documents aside, took my wrist, and led me outside.

* * *

The place he took me to was a clearing.

It was an overgrown, abandoned spot, neglected by the palace gardeners. The only gardens the palace maintained were near the empress’s quarters, and no gardeners were assigned to the distant outskirts.

Seeing this clearing, I had previously thought Deon hadn’t developed a new hobby of gardening.

I had come to realize his true intentions in this overgrown space rather than in the well-manicured gardens.

However, the clearing was different from before.

Tall grass, reaching up to my knees, was punctuated by large stakes driven into the ground.

And crawling through the grass, I saw something dark moving.

At first, I thought it was a stagnant pond. But that thing was alive and moving.

Startled by the bizarre, writhing form, I recoiled. Deon laughed at my horrified expression.

His pleasant laughter echoed in my ears.

“That staff is a whip for controlling magical creatures. The principality said they tame and raise these creatures themselves. They even use them as pets and ride them.”

Weren’t pet monsters supposed to be cute?

There was no way I’d want to tame or touch that thing.

“Want to try sitting on it?”

While we were talking, the creature wriggled towards us.

Up close, it looked like a water buffalo, though it was fatter and squishier.

“Go ahead, sit on it.”

He urged.

He probably wanted to tease me, seeing my frightened state. The mocking tone stirred defiance in me.

I changed my mind and decided to ride it.

When I grabbed the creature, he looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Are you sure? You don’t even know how to ride it.”

“I can learn now.”

There wasn’t a clear place to step. The creature wobbled in the breeze, and I almost slipped, but managed to balance myself.

I mounted the creature, gripping the staff, now a whip.

I didn’t know how to control it, so I just held the whip tightly.

As my perspective rose, I had a clear view of the garden. I could see his smile more vividly from up here.

The ride wasn’t bad. It was soft, sinking slightly when I sat.

However, the damp and sticky texture clung to my skin unpleasantly.

I rode around the garden.

The long grass tickled and scratched my ankles.

The sunset over the mountains was beautiful. The day was already fading.

I remembered that James was supposed to finish repairing the carriage by today. I wondered if he had completed it.

I recalled my promise to double his pay if he finished by today.

I stared absentmindedly at the burning sunset when he tapped the creature.

“Let’s end today’s adventure here. Let’s return to the Imperial Palace. We’ll have dinner there. I’ve instructed the butler to prepare dinner for us at the palace.”

Deon pressed down on the creature to make it easier for me to dismount.

“You won’t refuse, will you?”

He asked cautiously.

The snow that had blanketed the palace had melted, and several days had passed since the delegation arrived.

Yet, he still didn’t seem willing to discuss the contents of the meetings with me.

As I slid off the creature, it flopped back onto the ground.

He didn’t comment on my weary expression, likely thinking I was simply tired from riding an unfamiliar creature.

But I had no intention of surrendering so easily.

I grabbed his sleeve as he turned to leave. Deon looked back at me with a puzzled expression.

I finally opened my mouth, which I had kept shut while circling the garden.

“Deon, take me with you.”

“I’m already taking you back.”

“Not to the palace.”

I shook my head.

“Then where?”

“To the battlefield. I’ll go with you.”

Anything is better than you getting married.

The red glow of the sunset cast a shadow over his face.

It was hard to read his expression, making it difficult to know what he was thinking.