“I heard you’ve been away from the capital for a while. Did you go for some rest and recovery, as the rumors say?”
The inquiring eyes gleamed with anticipation. Was that a question thrown out expecting a specific answer? What should I say? I gazed at the woman and took a moment to organize my thoughts.
“Yes.”
I wasn’t sure. It was clear from her expression that this woman didn’t particularly like me, but not knowing the exact relationship between Celeste and her left me with nothing to respond with.
But I couldn’t just ignore the question, so a brief answer was all I could offer as a suitable response.
The conversation couldn’t progress with such curt replies, and the woman’s face reddened with apparent displeasure. What could I do? I’m sorry, but I had nothing more to say.
“Where were you feeling unwell? If you needed care to that extent, your condition must have been quite serious.”
“Just here and there.”
Why so many questions? Hoping she’d take the hint and leave, but the woman seemed intent on staying put.
“Are you still not feeling well? I’ve never heard you speak so impolitely before. You seem quite different today.”
“Was I impolite? If so, I apologize.”
“Oh my, you don’t usually apologize so easily. You really are acting strangely today.”
“Yes. My condition is unusually not good today.”
If she didn’t want to hear, she could have just left. I couldn’t understand why she kept on probing.
“Hmm. Why are you not feeling well? The Lady I remember… No, the Viscountess was always in the pink of health.”
“Well?”
What answer did she want to hear? Just as I was starting to get annoyed with her evasive talk.
“Your face is full of fatigue, resembling the look of a woman who recently gave birth.”
I realized she deliberately turned the conversation to say this.
Instead of responding, I simply gazed at her face in silence. Even though I was seated and she was standing, there wasn’t much difference in our eye levels.
The woman of petite stature seemed to be giving a vague smile, as if she thought I was finally swaying to my words.
“Hey, if you’re going to cover up, do it properly. You’re only halfway covered with the fan, so everything is still visible.”
“What are you trying to say, Lady Tecla?”
“What do you mean? I’m just asking after your well-being.”
“Well, since I’ve asked after your well-being, you can leave now.”
“What? How rude of you…”
At my words telling her to leave, the woman’s face flushed all the way to the tip of her head.
Is her mental capacity only at the level of a walnut? To be so flustered over just this. She may not know much, but if the original Celestia were here, this woman probably wouldn’t even be able to hold a candle to her.
I urged her to leave hastily, even gesturing with my hand. Although I said for her to leave, in reality, it was closer to telling her to scram.
It seemed she sensed my desire for her to disappear, as she bit her lip tightly in response.
“I heard you brought in a child of unknown parentage and was about to inquire if everything was all right.”
With a bewildered look, she threw a punch. A child of unknown parentage? Inquiring if everything was all right? Just because of the raised eyebrows of the onlookers, the nerve that had been on edge was finally snapped.
“Lady Tecla, your words seem to be getting out of line.”
As I was about to respond, Hannah interjected.
“Please excuse yourself, Viscount. Know your place and where you shouldn’t interfere.”
The woman scanned Hannah from head to toe and spoke unpleasantly.
It seems this woman, Tecla, cannot be left alone.
Just because I prefer peace, trying to stay quiet and avoid attracting attention, how can I simply stand by and watch someone openly provoke right in front of me? Just as I was preparing to rise slowly from my seat.
“Lady Pulcheria is entering!”
The resounding cry of the Imperial Knights echoed. Who is Lady Pulcheria?
Everyone sitting in their designated places rose simultaneously. Standing tall and turning towards the source of the sound. In the confusion, I also rose from my seat and turned my body.
Escorted by guards, a middle-aged woman in a black dress was entering the funeral parlor. Even from a distance, she was walking tall, towering over most men. It was a somehow familiar sight.
Where have I seen her? Her face looks familiar.
With black hair in a black dress, fair skin, and red lips, she had a slightly intimidating look with her eyes slanting upwards. Though I was seeing her for the first time, she seemed strangely familiar, and I stared at her intently.
“Who is that person, Hannah?”
She whispered so quietly that only Hannah beside her could hear, sensing a mood that seemed too delicate to disturb. Having unintentionally learned martial arts while confined to the mansion, she had never expected to use it in this way.
“I am not only the granddaughter of the former Emperor, but now I am Lady Pulcheria, the noble daughter of the late Emperor. She is the late Emperor’s aunt.”
The late Emperor’s aunt.
Since the late Emperor was said to be Karl’s cousin, she became an aunt to Karl as well.
So, with the Emperor’s seat vacant, is Lady Pulcheria the most senior figure in the royal family now? A name to remember. Lady Pulcheria, Lady Pulcheria.
As she murmured Lady Pulcheria’s name, Hannah quickly straightened her dress hem. She adjusted the veil around her hat, covering her face nicely, and handed me the fan that had been placed on the table.
Lady Pulcheria entered the hall and took her seat at the head of the table. As she sat down, the others stood up and followed suit.
“You haven’t gone yet? It seems you are eager to get my attention. Stop wasting time arguing needlessly at the funeral, go and pay your respects properly.”
With Lady Pulcheria’s arrival, the attention briefly diverted towards Tekla disappeared instantly. Despite the meal about to be served, she remained standing in front of me.
After delivering her jab, she turned back with a smug face and walked away, making a sound with her heels.
“Can’t even walk a few steps properly.”
Hannah, with a pale face, scolded her for her lack of manners, but her words fell on deaf ears.
I don’t understand the order of this world or the etiquette that nobility must follow. But in this case, since the other party spoke without any courtesy first, why should I be the one to maintain decorum?
When you act the same, you can only become the same person, but in that case, why not just be the same person. Instead of foolishly enduring in silence, I will coolly retort at the same level.
Whether my thoughts were written on my face or not, Hannah sighed heavily realizing that her words were falling on deaf ears.
Then followed a series of boring and predictable procedures. Not knowing well how funerals proceeded in this world, I initially observed my surroundings with interest. However, as someone’s eulogy dragged on for over 30 minutes, my fleeting interest quickly dissipated.
“Your Grace, please cover your face more with the fan.”
“Hm? Oh, okay.”
Struggling against the incoming drowsiness, I yawned, and Hannah unfolded the fan and handed it to me. Exhaustion had built up due to not sleeping well the night before when Valerie suddenly developed a fever, leading me to succumb to tiredness.
Still, it wouldn’t be proper to show signs of fatigue at a state funeral mourning the Emperor. Thus, I covered my face more with the fan to hide my yawn.
Fighting off the heavy eyelids, I shifted my gaze from the solemn minister reading the eulogy to the direction of Lady Pulcheria seated with dignity on the dais.
Just sitting there, she exuded grace and elegance. Could that be because she was the Emperor’s aunt, as I had heard?
As I quietly observed her, a busy maid caught my eye as she moved back and forth around her. It seemed she was a personal maid to Lady Pulcheria, attending to her needs instead. The nobles employed maids, usually assigned to noble ladies – it truly seemed so. The maid’s fair blonde hair peeking out from her black attire gleamed beautifully, giving her the air of a noble-born person.
“She seems like a squirrel…”
Unintentionally, I muttered as I stared at Lady Pulcheria’s maid. The petite woman couldn’t seem to remain still for a moment, resembling a busy squirrel searching for acorns.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Hannah tilted her head, thinking I was calling her.
“No, just talking to myself.”
“Ah, Miss Tooper?”
“Tooper?”
“Yes. Laila Tooper. The great-grandniece of Lady Pulcheria.”
Great-grandniece? The daughter of a husband’s brother? But why does that name sound so familiar?
“Oh…!”
As they say, speak of the devil. I had just lamented not meeting the original male lead and villain, and here I was, face to face with the female lead.”
