[There may be times when I have to stop what Your Highness is doing. I ask for your understanding in advance.]
Was this what he meant earlier? Kaela felt her heart sink without knowing why.
What was Peon doing to Beatrice Ravalley, whom the Emperor had specially sent through a magical device?
‘This shouldn’t be happening.’
Ironically, even she, who had experienced death and was willing to accept another, thought so. This shouldn’t be happening. This is going to be a big problem.
If they go against the Emperor, even the meager support coming into Lusenford will be cut off, and if it gets worse, the Emperor will raise an army and trample Lusenford.
She didn’t want to face the calamity again where innocent blood would be spilled on the snow, and wailing and despair would cover the land.
In Crania, he had managed to please the Emperor well enough and even agreed to marry Kaela without a single complaint, so why was he acting like this towards Beatrice?
These two were said to be remembered as tragic lovers, their story to be recorded for generations to come.
Even the fact that Kaela would go down in history as the one who interfered, as a foreign object, was a great humiliation. How could Peon declare they were nothing to each other and then immediately turn so hostile? Does this make sense? Peon and Beatrice were supposed to be immortal lovers.
“Hey, Peon, what’s wrong with you? We’ve known each other since we were how old?”
If Kaela was shocked, how much more shocked must Beatrice be? This was something that could never happen in the world she lived in.
Whenever the three of them who grew up together gathered, she always had the upper hand, and Kaela was nothing but an annoying tag-along. But now, telling that tag-along to show respect?
He had been made to prioritize Beatrice and the Empress above all else in the world, so had Peon gone mad?
“Just because we’ve known each other since childhood means manners and etiquette don’t matter? Then you should refuse when His Highness shows you courtesy as well. You want to receive but not give. How convenient of you to use the Empire’s laws as you see fit.”
Kaela’s fur-covered shoulders involuntarily shrank. It was a familiar contempt. Although it wasn’t directed at her but at someone else, Peon was scary when he despised someone. He was cold, icy, and even intimidating.
Even that meddlesome butler had quietly moved to a corner and remained silent, so how much worse must it be for Beatrice who was directly facing his contempt?
“I, I thought we were all close, so that’s why… Our friendship hasn’t changed, has it, Peon? What’s wrong with you?”
Beatrice had never needed to speak logically. That was something only desperate people like Kaela did. For her, a smile, sometimes a sad expression, or a single tear was more than enough to solve everything.
That’s why she asked with an expression of great disappointment and hurt, ‘Why are you acting strange towards me?’ It was an expression that made onlookers feel as if they had committed a great sin by daring to hurt and embarrass the beauty of the century.
Usually, by this point, everyone around would sort out the situation as Beatrice wanted. But there was no one here to do that.
‘What is that girl doing!’
The flustered Beatrice glanced sideways at Kaela, who should have taken her side, as was proper. Shouldn’t this much younger girl, whom she had ordered around like a maid since childhood, know to step in on her own?
But that stupid Kaela, thinking she had become something just because Peon had taken her side, just stood there blankly. Beatrice became even more irritated. This was a situation she had rarely experienced.
“Close friends, you say.”
The low, powerful voice responded as if hearing such words for the first time.
“If that were the case, wouldn’t you first exchange greetings and ask after each other’s well-being? Is shouting recklessly and getting angry as you please, like you would to a maid, what you consider friendship, Miss?”
It wasn’t even worth dealing with anymore. Peon turned back to Kaela.
“Your Highness, shall we go inside now? You’ve had enough fresh air, now you need to rest…”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Beatrice’s scream-like voice, erupting spasmodically, drowned out Peon’s words.
It echoed several times off the stone walls of the Lusenford Castle corridor, so loud it was. With her face bright red, Beatrice did something she had never done before, fixing her gaze on the floor.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry. I apologize. I’m sorry.”
Her trembling voice became smoother and regained its original composure with each repetition.
The head maid, watching from the side, was inwardly astounded at how quickly Beatrice’s flustered expression disappeared, replaced by her usual brazen face as if nothing had happened.
“My excitement at seeing you led me to make a big mistake.”
However, the head maid didn’t miss the tense neck visible through the shimmering silver hair and the trembling fingers peeking out from the long sleeves of the dress.
“Your Highness will forgive me with your generous heart, won’t you?”
The word “Your Highness,” spoken with forced politeness, was laden with emotion. Overall, it was an apology lacking sincerity and made halfheartedly. It was also the first apology Kaela had ever received.
People’s gazes now turned to Kaela. She wasn’t at all pleased with this kind of apology that demanded forgiveness. Not only did she not want to forgive, but it wasn’t something she had obtained directly – it was given to her by the Grand Duke, the lord of Lusenford Castle.
If the Grand Duke took her side, her status in Lusenford would rise, and if he ignored her, she would fall endlessly to the bottom. Every time something happened, she could only think about how she should die quickly. There was no hope in Lusenford.
“Please understand that preparations are inadequate due to your sudden arrival, sister. We’ll try to prepare a new room for you, but it might take some time.”
She didn’t say she forgave her. She absolutely didn’t say that people can sometimes behave like Beatrice did. Kaela didn’t return the ball Beatrice had passed to her. She merely utilized it well.
“While we’re preparing a room for you, sister, we should also prepare rooms for the investigators His Majesty the Emperor said he would send. When do you think they will arrive?”
Peon looked at Kaela, who was extracting the most important information for him. In fact, he had been looking only at her for quite some time, not at Beatrice.
“How would I kno… know that?”
Beatrice glanced at Peon and corrected her speech.
“Then do you know when the investigators left Crania?”
The Grand Duchess seemed to be exercising infinite patience with the rude Lady Ravalley.
But for Kaela, it wasn’t patience – she didn’t even feel it was worth getting angry and shouting about. She knew well that people don’t change, and Beatrice would be like this until she died.
“I believe they left… two weeks ago.”
To use honorifics with that girl unilaterally! Beatrice’s pride was severely hurt.
“Ah, two weeks ago. That will be very helpful in preparing the rooms. You can stay in my room tonight.”
Beatrice unknowingly furrowed her brow and looked at Kaela.
‘Is she really openly looking down on me?’
There was an atmosphere felt in the tone. The naturally falling informal speech was extremely unpleasant.
‘Who does she think she is to try to match me… how dare she.’
Beatrice suppressed her unpleasant thoughts. Right now, Peon, that stickler who considered observing propriety and manners most important, was taking Kaela’s side, so there was nothing she could do.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
But she didn’t realize that her hostility was clearly visible in the eyes of the head maid, the butler, and Kaela and Peon. She had never managed her expressions in front of people she looked down upon.
****
Kaela found it rather boring because she could see everything so clearly. Beatrice would come and stir things up again. And tonight’s plan to count the silver tableware with Peon was cancelled.
She would have to stay put in her room for a while. No, before that, should she send Marie away first?
