The sudden focus of attention puzzled Dorothea.
Ethan walked straight across the crowd to Dorothea. Dorothea seemed to be weighed down by Ethan, who was getting closer, and the gaze that followed him.
Ethan approached gracefully and stopped in front of Dorothea. Then he reached up close enough to touch her breath and whispered in Dorothea’s ear.
“I get nervous because people look at me so much.”
His whispers could only be heard in Dorothea’s ears. People could only see two of them whispering close to each other.
“I think I can do better if someone I know comes and sits in front of me.”
‘You just did well now, but you think you can do better than now.’
Ethan finished whispering and wrapped his hand around her hand as soft as silk. His fingers, which had just played the piano, now seemed to play her hands.
“Can you come over here?”
Ethan, with a tickled smile, pulled her forward from the back of the crowd. He didn’t even hold her hand tightly, but Dorothea was helplessly caught in his hand.
Dorothea, who was in the back, came to the closest position to the piano and got everyone’s attention.
“This is the place that suits the princess.”
He took Dorothea to her seat with considerable pleasure and made subtle eye contact.
‘It’s harmful, really.’
If she is careless, Ethan easily squeezes in through the gap.
Before returning, the young lady joked that the only way not to fall for him was to love others passionately.
That wasn’t entirely wrong, thought Dorothea.
Ethan glanced at Dorothea and gracefully stepped onto the white marble floor and returned to the stage.
Numerous eyes watched the two closely.
If it was Ethan that Dorothy knew, this act was probably calculated. He exhibited his relationship with the princess in front of people.
“Oh, I was going to take you to the front seat!”
The Countess apologized for not escorting the princess to her seat in advance due to the trouble of preparing for the Party.
At the same time, he nodded as she looked at Ethan who had taken her in the midst of a frenzy.
“Then let’s stop the rehearsal and officially start the performance, shall we?”
The Countess smiled and skillfully lightened the mood.
Soon after, at the Countess’ signal, the performance began, and Ethan slowly pressed the keys with his fingers. His fingers flow smoothly over the keyboard.
Soft hair swaying and swaying with the flow. And his eyes looked down at the piano and the keyboard.
Eyes like jewels, half hidden by long, drooping eyelashes. His fingers filled the salon with a magical melody. Dorothea’s heart tickled at the clear piano sound.
‘Why? It’s definitely an accompaniment for the countess, but his performance is catchy as if he’s the main character.’
‘I think you want me to hear it.’
Dorothea couldn’t concentrate because of the piano melody, which kept tempting her to listen, even though the Countess began to sing.
Was the song <Glory> so sweet? Was it an honor to the god of love?
Ethan’s fingers pounding the keyboard seemed to caress the listener’s heart.
The tone gradually increased as if tapping the toes and gently sweeping the legs and thighs up to the waist, belly, chest, and nape of the neck.
Dorothea held her breath involuntarily, concentrating on the sound. And the popping sound filled her heart. Then her mouth let out a breath.
At that moment, Ethan’s gaze, which was only directed at the piano and keyboard, flowed into Dorothea. His eyes, which flowed through the sloping crevices of the grand piano, smiled.
Dorothea was a little unfamiliar with the look, so she dropped her gaze to her knees.
Ethan smiled slightly when he saw Dorothea like that, then moved his gaze back to the keyboard.
* * *
Ethan accompanied as many as six songs.
What is surprising is that he did all six different songs brilliantly.
‘I knew Ethan was born with musical talent, but it exceeded my expectations.’
Ethan received a series of favorable and rave reviews. Those who talked with alcohol put Ethan’s name on the tip of their lips.
And at the same time.
“Doesn’t The Princess and Ethan Bronte get along well?”
The name of Dorothea is mentioned together.
As soon as the performance was over, Ethan went to Dorothea proudly, and the two seemed pretty close.
“They are a really good pair.”
“Right. Like fate.”
People looked at the two and talked.
Dorothea went out to the terrace because she didn’t like the atmosphere of being flustered over her. Ethan followed her and stood beside her.
In his hand was a crepe cake and tea.
“Would you like some?”
Ethan placed a plate and a teacup with a piece of cake on the terrace railing.
Dorothea nodded her head.
A breeze blew on the terrace, and the weather that went well with Ethan shone. Dorothea also liked that there were no loud voices.
“People say that the princess and I look good together.”
Ethan handed the fork to Dorothea and laughed as if it were funny, and Dorothea looked away indifferently.
“That’s not a good thing, you know.”
Dorothea said she didn’t care what they said.
A good-matched pair.
This was both a compliment and a contempt. Both of them have genius talents, but they can’t shine brightly, and they came from backgrounds that weren’t good compared to their high family names.
Abandoned Milanaire and bastard Bronte.
Although they do not talk, they thought that the two of them were in a position where could sympathize and exchange a lot in that respect.
Dorothea and Ethan were both smart enough to understand the implications.
But Ethan smiled at Dorothea’s reaction.
“Why? I like it.”
“What?”
“Do you like it, Princess?”
Ethan asked with a pure face. But Dorothea never believed the face.
“Should I like it?”
‘To be a snack to chew on for fun at classy teatime?’
As Dorothea wrinkled her eyebrows, Ethan looked at her and mumbled softly.
“You are cruel.”
“Yes?”
“It’s too much,” he grumbled.
When Dorothea asked again because she didn’t hear it properly, Ethan said jokingly with his mouth.
Then, a conversation was heard from below the terrace.
“When I see the princess, my heart aches.”
Dorothea stopped talking to Ethan and looked down at the garden at the words that came from an unexpected place.
Just below the terrace where Dorothea and Ethan were standing, a group of people could be seen.
“She is so pretty, but it’s a pity that she has already been abandoned by the imperial family.”
They didn’t even know Dorothea was listening, and they were so busy talking.
‘I came out because I didn’t want to hear what they were saying…’
Dorothea deliberately ate the crepe cake with a fork, trying not to listen.
“Because she can’t summon spirits.”
“If she can’t summon the spirit, she is not Milanaire.”
“Honestly, the reason why people say that the imperial family is now over is because the princess became like that…”
They weren’t insulting Dorothea. Their voices were full of sympathy and compassion. They had pity on the princess who did not have the qualities of Milanaire.
But sympathy was more insulting than reproach.
Sympathy. It’s a feeling for someone in an unhappy situation. Compassion for the weak who cannot overcome that unfortunate situation.
‘What they say it’s true.’
Dorothea clutched the railing tightly but accepted the fact by herself. There is no need to be angry with the right words.
‘The more you do, the worse it gets.’
Whatever they say, Dorothea will live like this. At least this life is better than the life of a tyrant.
Then…
Swussh!
“Hey!”
A scream was heard from below, along with the sound of water dripping.
Dorothea looked up in surprise, and Ethan, with a cold face, set the teacup down on the railing.
It’s a cup full of black tea.
“Who are you!”
The people below looked up in a voice mixed with irritation and anger. Their hair was soaked wet. Fortunately, the tea was not hot as the wind cooled it down.
As the nobles opened their eyes and looked up, Ethan’s cold expression changed to that of a young boy.
“I’m sorry. I accidentally put a teacup on the railing…”
Ethan, who poured the tea with his own hand, apologized blatantly.
At the same time, the people below found Dorothea.
“Ah, Princess!”
They bowed their heads in embarrassment as if they were guilty of what they said.
Ethan leaned against the railing.
“It’s okay, Princess. It has been over 100 years since Grand Duke Fried couldn’t summon the Dark Spirit, but the power of the Grand Duke is still firmly maintained.”
As Ethan spoke softly, the people below gave him poopy faces.
Of all things, he looked like he got the wrong one.
Ethan looked down at them one by one, as if engraved in his eyes, and smiled.
“So even if Milanaire cannot summon spirits, the merits of the empire that Milanaire has built up in history will not be destroyed.”
Ethan said over and over as if he had carved the sentence into Dorothea’s heart.
The merit that Milanaire has accumulated.
‘There’s nothing like that.’
Dorothy could not agree with Ethan.
‘As long as Milanaire can’t see the spirit, it won’t be Milanaire.’
“Just because you can’t summon spirits doesn’t mean you’re not Milanaire…”
“That’s enough, Ethan.”
If you had to fight, you would only make a fuss. It’s not that what they said is wrong.
Then the people below quickly made excuses.
“We didn’t curse the princess, but we did it out of pity.”
“Right. It hurts my heart to see Princess live here at a young age.”
“You don’t have to be heartbroken. Because I am not unhappy to hurt your heart”
Dorothea couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke a word.
‘Don’t be heartbroken over my life. don’t feel sorry for me, because this is the best life I can live.’
‘At least, because I believe that life is better than before.’
* * *
