Chapter 180
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 180
“Crown Prince. I am so glad to see you have recovered like this.”
Ferdinand and I turned our heads at the same time. Carmi, who had been sitting regally on the dais, had approached us before we knew it.
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
I offered my respects, while Ferdinand gave only a slight nod.
“Rise, Lady Tulia Frezier.”
Her voice was sweet.
“You even wore the tiara I gave you. You look truly lovely.”
At those words, I heard the nobles whispering again. I simply smiled as if it were nothing.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“However…”
Empress Carmi smiled as she looked at Ferdinand.
“Since you’ve safely attended your Victory Banquet, shouldn’t you follow the original order and dance with Lady Sophia Frezier? The two of you are engaged, after all.”
The Empress looked toward Sophia as she asked.
“Isn’t that right, Lady Sophia Frezier?”
Sophia, who had been standing there like a half-fainted—no, a completely catatonic doll—snapped back to her senses in a hurry.
“I—I shall follow Her Majesty’s will.”
Look at this, I thought, stifling a laugh.
Right. You’re a woman too, I see.
Are you surprised that the Crown Prince suddenly grew up into such a stunningly handsome man? Are your eyes popping out of your head?
And on the other hand…
You must feel like you’re going crazy, don’t you?
“As expected of a granddaughter from the prestigious Frezier family, her manners are quite impeccable,” Carmi said with a satisfied expression. “Dave, hurry and bring Lady Sophia to Ferdinand—”
“No.”
Ferdinand cut Carmi off mid-sentence.
“There is no need.”
In an instant, Carmi and Sophia’s faces turned pale in unison. Ferdinand spoke with his signature chilling gaze.
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
“…Speak, Crown Prince.”
“His Majesty the Emperor personally paired Dave with Lady Sophia just moments ago. Who in this Empire would dare defy an imperial command?”
“…‘Paired’ is a bit of an exaggeration. He merely told them to share the first dance, Crown Prince.” Carmi forced a smile. “Besides, since the two of you are engaged, isn’t it proper according to Imperial Etiquette for fiances to share the first dance?”
Ferdinand looked down at Carmi for a long moment before speaking.
“Engaged.”
His cold eyes flickered toward Sophia, who remained frozen. That icy gaze was as emotionless and indifferent as if he were looking at a stone rolling on the street.
It was enough to make Sophia’s shoulders tremble involuntarily.
“I have decided to annul my engagement with Lady Sophia Frezier.”
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
In an instant, a massive stir swept through the banquet hall.
The nobles, who had been holding their breath while listening to the conversation between Carmi and Ferdinand, were quickly overcome with looks of bewilderment.
An annulment?
An annulment, of all things?
But Ferdinand didn’t seem to care about the surrounding reaction in the slightest.
He simply stared at Carmi with ruthless eyes.
Ah. Now that his Cupid’s Disease is gone, is he not even going to wait for the Emperor’s decree?
To the point where he’d personally bring up the annulment in such an official setting?
While everyone else was staring at Ferdinand in a daze, I glanced up at the dais.
Emperor Alexander’s expression wasn’t great. However, it didn’t seem like he was about to fly into a rage either.
In short, it looked as though he was condoning this situation—Ferdinand’s unilateral decision.
The Cupid’s Disease really was a massive stumbling block for Ferdinand.
Just then.
Ferdinand, still staring at Carmi with a frigid gaze, continued.
“It seems my Father the Emperor has not informed Your Majesty yet.”
“…!”
Carmi’s face turned deathly pale.
I was actually surprised myself.
He really is a member of the Imperial Family.
With that one sentence from Ferdinand, every noble there would be thinking the same thing.
That Emperor Alexander, who was rumored to dote on Carmi excessively, was no longer sharing all his secrets with her.
Though it’s probably not true.
Up until now, there hadn’t been any major issues in the affection between the Emperor and the Empress, those two adulterers.
Furthermore, the marriage of a Crown Prince was something the mistress of the internal court should have some jurisdiction over.
Empress Carmi likely already knew that Ferdinand and Sophia were going to break off their engagement.
But she couldn’t exactly say, “What? I already knew that,” now.
Because she had just told everyone, with her own mouth, that “it is proper etiquette for fiances to share the first dance.”
If she changed her tune now, her dignity and face would be severely damaged.
I found myself thinking once again that Ferdinand was quite impressive.
He really knows how to stick it to her.
I guess the Empress isn’t the only one who knows how to play palace politics.
Empress Carmi seemed to realize quickly that she had been utterly defeated this time.
She immediately smiled and took my hand.
“Then we shall have two pairs of beautiful young people dancing. The Freziers are truly blessed.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Th—thank you, Your Majesty…”
Sophia’s voice trembled uncontrollably.
But Carmi didn’t seem to have any interest in her at all. She merely offered a thin smile and returned to the dais.
Wait. So am I really having the first dance with him?
Or not?
Just as I was wondering if Ferdinand had said it in the heat of the moment, a hand covered in numerous scars from years of holding a sword was thrust toward me as if to refute my doubt.
“Lady Tulia Frezier.”
…It was Ferdinand’s hand.
“Your answer?”
The people were quick on the uptake. They had already headed toward the walls with their partners or in groups.
Dave, with a stiff face, led Sophia a little further away.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
I spoke as I took Ferdinand’s hand for the time being.
“Your Highness is listed as the fourth turn on my dance card.”
In high society, the dance card was more powerful than one might think; no matter how high someone’s status was, they couldn’t just snatch someone else’s turn.
What Ferdinand was doing right now was actually… bad manners. No, it was closer to tyranny.
Of course, being a mere commoner at heart, I couldn’t bring myself to say that.
To my surprise, Ferdinand laughed after hearing my words.
“And yet, My Lady, you’ve already taken my hand.”
I was so shocked by the fact that Ferdinand had laughed that his words didn't quite register.
Why are you laughing?
You only laugh when your favorability with Corico is maxed out.
Don’t tell me your favorability toward me…?!
Has it grown that much?!
What on earth did we even do?
Giving him a raggedy old handkerchief when he was a kid?
Dragging me along while saying he’d change his marriage partner after hearing Sophia talk behind his back?
The more I looked back, the more trivial the memories were.
At least, that was the case from my perspective.
Ha. I really want to check his favorability. But I have to check Benjamin’s too, and Klaus’s…
Busy, busy—this damn life of a possessor…!
Is there no way to get rid of this stupid cooldown?
I spoke as tactfully as I could.
“I apologize, Your Highness. But as a mere noble, how could I possibly reject Your Highness under the gaze of so many people?”
“So you’re saying it’s my fault?”
Then whose fault would it be?
I wanted to snap back at him, but…
I was still afraid of the Crown Prince.
Maybe it’s because I’m a noble of the Brillant Empire.
Ferdinand wasn’t an easy target like Klaus, nor did he feel like a "soft spot" like Benjamin.
He was just scary, like a direct superior.
If only Grandfather or Dad were here, I’d want to say, “Honestly, isn’t it your fault…?” and then bolt.
I have to humor him.
Because I’m scared.
While I was busy thinking about how to grovel, Ferdinand’s voice drifted into my ear.
“Fine, it’s my fault.”
“Pardon?”
“I acted selfishly because I wanted to dance with you, My Lady.”
Is he really sick or something?
While I followed him in a daze, Ferdinand let go of my hand and gave a light but polite bow. It was the etiquette a gentleman showed a lady right before a dance.
Then, a sweet melody began to play.
Ferdinand’s voice, as he wrapped his arm around my waist, sounded low.
“Since it’s my Victory Banquet, I should be allowed this much of a reward.”
Those words were so quiet they were likely meant only for my ears.
They sounded strange to me.
It was as if Ferdinand—this boy—had endured all that time on that blood-soaked battlefield just for this moment.
As if he had held on for so long just for a single dance with me.
But the one everyone should be envious of wasn't him, but me.
This was Ferdinand’s Victory Banquet.
A tremendously lavish affair held under imperial command.
He had even overcome his Divine Power Hyperaffliction, leaving him without a single weakness.
It was the first dance with the now-perfect Crown Prince.
So why did he look like the one who was happy?
My heart fluttered with an inexplicable pulse and emotion.
Was this a repayment for the kindness of handing him a simple handkerchief during our young and clumsy first meeting?
If not that, then…
I had no choice but to stare at Ferdinand as if possessed throughout the entire dance.
* * *
“Should I kill him?”
Words that should never be heard on the dais were spoken.
They were muttered by Klaus, who was sitting in a relaxed posture in the ornate chair the Emperor had specially prepared for the two distinguished guests.
Fortunately, the dais was wide, and the thrones where Emperor Alexander and Empress Carmi sat were higher than theirs.
Thus, only one person heard Klaus’s small murmur.
“Prince, Prince. Your ears are about to pop out.”
It was Rowan, one of Klaus’s subordinates.
Once, in the cave while fighting the heretics, Rowan had been so loyal to Klaus that he had crawled on all fours without a word when their savior, Tulia, told him to. Now, he was on pins and needles.
Because Klaus’s current state was anything but ordinary.