Chapter 150
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150
Charlotte smiled as Dietrich called her by her nickname. When she placed her hand over his, he leaned toward her, heedless of the watching eyes. But as he drew closer, her smile tightened, a subtle frown forming that only he could see.
Charlotte was always a stickler for decorum, even addressing him formally as ‘Count Jerome’ in public. Given her nature, she was far from pleased by his attempt to kiss her in such a setting.
But Dietrich had no intention of accommodating her wishes any longer. How many years had he spent waiting? He had waited long enough.
He was the one who had suggested this surprise banquet at the Marquisate Residence, and he was the one who had dropped a hint to the Chief Lady-in-Waiting.
Charlotte had begun to threaten Oscar with the sum of five hundred billion, but in Dietrich’s eyes, that wasn’t nearly enough. He wanted the sacred bond between Charlotte and Oscar to be shattered completely.
Knowing full well that she was displeased, Dietrich pressed his lips to hers. Her soft, fragrant lips still made his heart race.
“Oh my!”
“My goodness, look at the Marchioness and Count Jerome.”
“It makes my own heart flutter.”
Gasps of delight rippled through the onlookers at the sight of the beautiful couple. As if on cue, the orchestra shifted to a sultry melody. Sabine stepped back from her parents, covering her face in mock embarrassment.
“Honestly! Everyone already knows you two are inseparable. Must you be so brazen?”
The crowd burst into good-natured laughter at Sabine’s playful grumbling.
“Sabine! Don’t just stand there interrupting them, come over here!”
“Your Majesty!”
With King Leopold joining in, the atmosphere in the Central Hall grew even warmer. A soft chuckle finally escaped Charlotte’s lips as she returned Dietrich’s kiss. Pulling away with a tender smile, Dietrich pressed a kiss to her ear.
The crowd chuckled, enjoying the intimate display between the long-time lovers, as Dietrich whispered into Charlotte’s ear.
“Do you like the banquet?”
“Of course.”
“That woman will die a horrific death, Char. You won’t be harmed, so don’t worry. My only concern is for your son.”
“She’s just a head maid.”
I am the mother who gave birth to him. She is merely a head maid.
“Besides, what did I even do?”
Dietrich beamed at her retort and kissed her forehead. Charlotte gently pushed him away, a silent signal that it was enough. He yielded easily, and as he stepped back, her field of vision widened.
It was only then that Charlotte sensed it—an unseen current sweeping through the Central Hall. She looked over Dietrich’s shoulder as he stood close beside her. In that instant, her slightly parted lips snapped shut, and her gently arched eyebrows drew together sharply.
“…”
The silent current washed over the crowd, one person at a time, like an invisible wave. When it finally reached Dietrich, he, too, turned to look.
One by one, the musicians lowered their instruments, the sultry melody dying away until a profound silence fell over the Central Hall.
The sweltering heat seemed to vanish in an instant.
Oscar.
There, in the wide-open doorway, stood Oscar, looking so much like the late Marquis it was unnerving.
“S-Since when…?”
“Didn’t they say he couldn’t make it today?”
The quiet whispers of the crowd began to stir the heavy air.
The polite, social smile the Marquis always wore was gone, leaving his handsome face a cold, unreadable mask.
He stood there—for how long, no one knew—staring at Charlotte with eyes devoid of all warmth. Charlotte, who had been standing behind Dietrich, took a step forward. Oscar’s gaze tracked her every move.
The onlookers’ eyes darted between the tense mother and son, their expressions a mixture of morbid curiosity and a strange dread.
After staring at Charlotte with that hollow gaze, Oscar slowly looked away. He didn’t even acknowledge her. Beneath her long skirt, Charlotte’s fists clenched. She felt the blood drain from her face.
The unexpected arrival of the master of the house crushed the festive atmosphere, which had just been reaching its peak. The air was so thick with tension that no one dared to breathe, let alone greet him. Not that he seemed to expect a greeting.
Looking like a man they had never seen before, Oscar swept his gaze across the hall as if searching for someone. His eyes finally settled on the door leading to the Marquis’s private quarters.
“…”
Sabine gasped. She had a sinking feeling she knew who he was looking for.
What do I do? What on earth do I do? She felt she should stop him, perhaps by greeting him warmly, but her legs and tongue were frozen.
Oscar’s raw, unmasked expression was utterly unfamiliar, almost jarring.
Ignoring even the King, the Marquis began walking toward the door. The huddled nobles startled and parted to make way for him. He strode through the crowd and flung open the door to his room without hesitation. In that instant, the metallic tang of blood filled his nostrils.
Recognizing the unmistakable smell, Oscar held his breath.
“Marquis Reinhardt! Return at once and pay your respects to His Majesty!”
The Captain of the Royal Guard’s booming shout rattled the chandelier crystals, but Oscar vanished into the room as if he hadn’t heard a thing. Just as he disappeared, Simon and two of his Wolves entered the Central Hall. They were disheveled, having clearly run to catch up with him.
“…”
The crowd whispered in shock at the state of the usually meticulous Count Bernheim, but Simon paid them no mind.
“The hallway.”
At his brief command, the Wolves retreated. Just then, the Captain of the Royal Guard’s angry shout rang out again.
“Count Bernheim! Come here this instant and pay your respects to His Maj—!”
“Enough.”
Leopold cut him off coldly and slowly rose from his seat. Making no effort to hide his displeasure, he strode across the hall. The King stopped a few paces before the deeply bowing Simon.
“Is there some urgent matter at the Marquisate Residence?”
“…”
Simon met the question with silence, and Leopold sneered.
“I should leave. It seems I am an unwelcome guest to the master of this manor.”
“Your Majesty!”
“How could that be?”
Sabine and Charlotte immediately tried to placate him, but Leopold, already thoroughly displeased, didn’t even deign to reply.
“Your Majesty, something must have happened to my brother. I will apologize on his behalf, so please, calm your anger. An unwelcome guest? That’s absurd. How could Your Majesty ever be an unwelcome guest?” Sabine pleaded, hurrying after him.
Charlotte followed close behind, her expression troubled. As the Marchioness’s lavish party came to a jarring halt, the high nobility were the first to react.
“Let us take our leave as well.”
“Yes, we should.”
The Dowager Lady signaled to Abigail with her eyes and stood up.
“Let’s go. There’s no point in staying at a time like this.”
As the high nobility and the Dowager Lady followed the King out, the other nobles began to stream from the hall. In an instant, the once-quiet central staircase was a chaotic bustle of departing guests.
And within that chaos, he blended in perfectly.
“Oh, Chief Lady-in-Waiting. When did you arrive? His Majesty has already gone down.”
“I see. Excuse me, but could you step aside? I must attend to His Majesty.”
“Of course. Go ahead.”
“Thank you.”
Peter, who had slipped into the crowd at some point, smiled gently. No one questioned the Chief Lady-in-Waiting’s presence. No one even noticed she hadn’t been near the King earlier.
Peter hurried around the landing and down the stairs. On the main floor, the furious King stood with Sabine, who was trying to soothe him, and Charlotte, who spoke in low, gentle tones with a troubled expression.
“…Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. As his mother, I apologize on his behalf.”
“This is not something for the Marchioness to apologize for.”
“Even so, Your Majesty. For my sake, and for my mother’s, please appease your anger. Please?”
“The Marquis is completely out of control! He knows full well that Luxen and Ishas have established diplomatic relations, yet he insists on using the Tekan Canal instead of the Ishas Canal! I don’t know if he realizes how awkward this makes things for me with the King of Ishas. No, even if he does, he probably doesn’t care!”
The King poured out his grievances as if wanting every descending noble to hear. Just as his carriage arrived beyond the wide-open main gates, he turned away coldly.
“Your Majesty!”
Sabine called after him, on the verge of tears, but the King did not look back. Just then, the Chief Lady-in-Waiting appeared, brushing past Sabine to stand at the King’s side. Glancing at her, the angry King asked in a lowered voice, “The wolf hunt?”
“A success. It was all thanks to you stepping out at the perfect moment.”
The corner of the King’s mouth twitched.
“Let us go.”
Once the hunt was over, there was no reason to linger on the hunting grounds. With a hurried gesture, Leopold grabbed the handle and climbed into his tall carriage. But no sooner had he settled onto the seat than the atmosphere shifted once more.
A new commotion, entirely different from the nobles’ earlier chatter, surged through the air like a wave of heat.