Chapter 18
“And I’m putting my heart and soul into this. You wanted an answer, right? There is only one answer I can give. “If you didn’t show up today and broke the contract.”
If that was the case.
I pulled Aden’s hand from my fingertips.
My breath touched the tip of his chin as he naturally moved closer to me.
His eyes widened in confusion, and I smiled quietly at him, and his brow narrowed.
“You’ve seen how much colder one woman’s anger is than the goddess’s blessing on Harmonia.”
“…”
“If you want to see that frost can fall even in the middle of summer,…… feel free to do so.”
Aden’s hardened face softened and he looked her up and down, then backed away.
The music ended with a long major key, and the dancers parted and waved to each other.
I, too, took a final bow among them.
“Your Excellency, Archduke Ripleton.”
Aden’s greeting was not there.
***
“Well, what the hell. What the hell is that?!”
Richelle managed to get the words out of her mouth as she looked in horror at Sierra and Aden, who were smiling sweetly as the music ended.
A piercing high-pitched note brought the gasping crowd to their feet.
The smiles on Sierra and Aden’s faces were by no means affectionate, but at least in their eyes, they were as graceful as a pair of beautiful birds.
“That’s right, why are those two…….”
The soft voice of lady slowly drifted towards Belietta.
The other ladies gazes were also fixed on Belietta.
They sympathized with Bellietta, who had cursed Sierra a little while ago and had become entangled with Aden. The ladies were everywhere.
Now their eyes glittered like hungry hyenas waiting for Belietta’s reaction.
Belietta, who had been looking at the two of them, quickly regained her composure under their stares.
Belietta ignored the eyes of the Ladies, which were ready to bite at the first opportunity.
“They make a good pair, don’t you think?”
“What? Ah…… Yes, well, yes, they do.”
Countess Cherny nodded in agreement, shuddering at Belietta’s unexpectedly casual reaction.
The other younglings also looked away, unable to say anything more as Belietta showed no reaction.
“I think there’s something wrong with this.”
“Lady Richelle. Stop…….”
“It’s not just that, don’t you all think so? Dancing at a banquet as soon as rumors of the Princess and Archduke Ripleton spread… something’s wrong, don’t you think?”
Richelle was right, and every young lady in the room was thinking the same thing.
No, it was strange not to do it.
The thought that Sierra had stolen Belietta’s fiancé from her, intertwined with Sierra’s rumors, had been strongly embedded in their minds.
“Look! It doesn’t look normal to greet someone with such a friendly smile! This must be…….”
“Lady Richelle. You’d better stop.”
An impatient Fiorette stopped her.
But Ritchelle’s wide-eyed, chattering lips didn’t stop, and she continued to talk despite Fiorette’s protests.
Belietta smirked as she listened to the loud babbling, but Ritchelle didn’t stop.
“That’s suspicious enough for anyone to suspect! It’s like stealing the princess’s man!”
” Ri, Richelle, my dear.”
“Princess, you need to get back what she stole from you Lady Brilloxen right now, not when you’re like this, you’re making yourself look like a loser!”
In her excitement, Richelle ended up spitting out words she shouldn’t have.
The youngsters took a step back, fed up with Richelle’s unwillingness to listen to them.
Fiorette took a step forward to stop Ritchelle, who was talking nonstop with a red face.
“That’s enough…….”
Interesting.
Before Fiorette could stop Richelle, Belietta’s voice continued.
Fiorette and the young ladies’ gazes were fixed on Balietta.
With a calm expression, Balietta opened her mouth, accepting those gazes.
“Milady, it seems we think alike…”
“To be called a loser.” ‘It’s interesting how Richelle and Sierra look at me. Fascinating.’
“Huh…?”
Richelle, thinking Balietta was agreeing with her thoughts, had a look of excitement on her face. Following her words, she widened her eyes like a squirrel.
Balietta smiled slyly as she took a step closer to her.
“Me and Sierra have known each other for a long time, and for people who don’t know us very well may gossip about us, I’d rather not let you gossips about my friend in front of me and cursing her in front of me, because me and Sierra are very close friends.”
“Well, that…… this…… that…… so…….”
“I can see where you’re coming from, Richelle. Loser, that’s funny.”
Belietta rolled her eyes and glanced at Sierra, who was retreating to her seat, then laughed quietly.
“I hope we don’t have to see each other again.”
“No, Princess. You’re wrong!”
“I’m sorry…….”
Belietta was the only daughter of the Bozbourne family, who controlled the real power in the empire, and a princess with strong social influence.
As far as Richelle was concerned, she was effectively sentenced to social death.
White as a sheet, Richelle opened her mouth to beg for forgiveness, but it was impossible to stop Belietta, who turned away nonchalantly.
The other young ladies didn’t listen, either, so they stood by her side, not wanting to cause a scene that would only increase Belietta’s anger.
Richelle was left alone to enjoy the last of her social life, which had come to an end.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Fiorette, who had been following Belietta, asked cautiously, glancing back.
Belietta didn’t answer Fiorette’s cautious question, instead making her steps more subdued and careful.
‘Loser.’
Richelle’s words once again penetrated Belietta’s mind.
She didn’t realize it, but it was disgusting.
A grievance that has been building up for a very long time.
“What do you mean?”
Belietta answered after a long pause, but Fiorette didn’t ask more.
She simply followed behind Belietta in silence.
The private quarters, a short distance away from the noisy banquet hall, were relatively quiet.
Sierra looked up from her conversation with Aden to see Belietta approaching her.
When their gazes met, Belietta quickly approached with a bright smile.
“Hello?”
Sierra spoke first.
Belietta nodded, then turned and bowed her head, not to Sierra, but to Aden.
“His Highness, Archduke Ripleton.”
“Princess Bozbourne.”
Aden returned Belietta’s greeting, inclining his head in a slight bow.
Belietta stared at Aden in silence for a moment, then turned her head.
“I’ve been looking for you for a while. You disappeared while I was dancing with the Marquis of Vladia, and I thought you’d gone back to rest. But…….”
Belietta trailed off, glancing back and forth between the two of them, then tilted her head in a puzzled innocence.
“I’m surprised you two showed up together. How did you know each other? Oh, no, I don’t mean the guy you said you were interested in before…….”
Her voice was high-pitched, as if she wanted everyone to hear.
Belietta’s voice scattered around the room because of the silence.
The noblemen, sipping their wine, perked up their ears at the intriguing conversation and glanced at Sierra as if they were eager to see what she would say next.
Staring at Belietta, who was asking with a deer-like innocence, Sierra smiled slightly and raised her wine glass.
Belietta took a curious step closer to Sierra, who was avoiding answering.
“Sierra…….”
“More than that, have you heard the rumors?”
“……Rumors?”
“Rumors that you’re engaged to the Grand Duke next to you. Everyone dismisses it as fiction and baseless nonsense, but it’s hard to ignore a rumor of a duke and a grand duchess marrying.”
Sierra leisurely tilted her wine glass to moisten her lips.
The red liquid ran down her redder lips.
The glass clinked several times.
When her throat was burning, Sierra half-emptied the wine and laughed in amusement.
“Belietta. My dearest friend, the one I love and cherish the most. I fear you are offended by my behavior. So can you tell me, please, whether the rumors are true or false?”
Belietta did not open her mouth easily to Sierra’s words, sharp as awls.
Sierra’s words cut to the core.
Whatever answer Belietta gave, positive or negative, would be to her disadvantage.
Sierra tilted her glass at Belietta, who remained silent.
‘If you deny it, I’ll have a relationship with the Grand Duke, and if you say yes, you’ll be strangling yourself with your own hand.’
Sierra rolled her eyes and glanced at Aden, who was watching the situation.
Aden felt her stare and lowered his gaze to meet hers.
Sierra exchanged a brief glance with him, then tilted her head as she lowered her glass.
“Belietta?”
Sierra called, and Belietta let out a long breath.
Belietta shook her head and clicked her tongue low, then spoke briefly.
“I don’t know.”
“……You don’t know?”
“I don’t know where the rumor started, but the truth is, I don’t know exactly either. You know, engagements between families are often unknown to the parties involved. I didn’t hear it from my parents, and I can’t say for sure, so I can’t give you an answer, I’m sorry.”
“…….”
A calm, reasoned response.
It was exactly the kind of diplomatic way of avoiding an awkward situation.
Sierra bit her lip, realizing that Belietta was more clever and had a better head than she’d given her credit for.
“Sierra. Even if the rumors are true, I’m not opposed to you dancing and being friendly with the Archduke, you know, it’s just a dance. I had my first dance with the Marquis de Vladia today, too, so you don’t have to worry about it. Okay?”
With those words, Belietta took a step back and bowed her head to Aden.
Then she turned and walked slowly away from Sierra.
Sierra stared at Belietta as she skillfully maneuvered herself out of the situation, then set her glass down.
“Belietta.”
Belietta stopped walking away and turned around.
Sierra stared into the light-colored eyes staring back at her and smiled.
“Thank you for thinking that. Belietta. You’re a friend I’ll always love and want to be like.”
Sierra’s expression slowly softened, a gentle smile forming on her face.
“I won’t forget what you said to me today. Thank you.”
Belietta turned her silent gaze from Sierra to look at Arden.
Belietta had always thought of Aden as an jerk.
Someone who always disrupted her life and daily life, which were usually peaceful.
Whenever Aden shows up without warning, he always brings a storm.
Before, and now.
Bellietta, who was watching him and observing the situation under the lights, turned to face Sierra again and smiled.
“Enjoy the banquet. “See you again.”
Bellietta turned away with a final greeting.
The smile slowly disappeared from Bellietta’s face as she walked away with the sound of shoe steps.
“Please observe Sierra and its surroundings more and report the situation. , Fiorette. “Everything from one to ten without missing anything.”
“I understand.”
Fiorette answered quietly, closing her eyes.
Belieta smiled again on her face as she stepped from the darkness into the bright light.
When As if that was the case, the darkness moved away from Bellietta.
Bellietta blended into the light.
In contrast to Bellietta blending into the light, the smile disappeared from Sierra’s face as she remained in the darkness.
Sierra, who was looking at Bellietta with a cold face, quietly lifted the glass and brought it to her mouth.
“I won’t forget what you said today. So don’t ask me why I did it later.”
All the red wine disappeared from Sierra’s lips.
“Because you brought it all on yourself.”
“… … .”
Sierra turned her body, and Aden’s gaze just looked at her back.
* * *
