Chapter 35
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 35
The End of a Scoundrel
"His Majesty's mood seems uncomfortable. Did something happen?"
Although she already knew everything, Lucia asked the Emperor sitting next to her with an innocent smile.
The Emperor, who was terribly conscious of others' gazes, tried hard to put on a bright expression following Lucia.
"Is there a reason our Princess thinks so."
"Yes, I heard you met Aunt before coming."
She, who is the Emperor's younger sister yet now became the Marchioness Robiesh.
She was told to wait in the Caldesa Garden, but the Marchioness Robiesh knew what that meant.
Because a very long time ago, she herself had also summoned her there.
But no matter how long she waited, she didn't appear until the end.
'I tested once to see if she remembered, and as expected, it seems she remembers.'
Still, perhaps preparing for any contingency, she sent her son Albert to the Caldesa Garden and went to find the Emperor directly herself.
To earnestly request him to please give one more chance.
The reason the Emperor, who should have come to pick her up long ago, was late was exactly because of this.
"If it's about her, I don't particularly want to talk about it."
"Yes, understood."
If the Emperor hadn't abandoned her, he would have talked about her as if nothing happened, but he avoided the answer.
With this, Lucia could know. That the Emperor had abandoned the Robiesh family.
'Probably the support for the Robiesh family will be cut off before long.'
The Robiesh family is undoubtedly a prestigious family with a long history, but they lost their territory due to the overflow of demons.
To them, whose main source of income was completely cut off, the ration as royalty was practically their sole income.
If that gets cut off, what will happen to the Robiesh family in the future?
No matter if she is the Emperor's younger sister, if he indefinitely postpones the payment of the imperial pension using demons as an excuse, there would be nothing to say.
'Since all the people of that family are famous for spending lavishly, they probably don't have much money saved up either.'
If the Emperor's string falls off, falling into ruin in an instant was also no different from a matter of time.
"More than that, the Grand Duke is truly treating his daughter harshly."
Whether he wanted to change the topic, the Emperor spoke.
"I wonder if it's right to do so when he should be cherishing his daughter affectionately like me. Don't you think so, Princess."
".... It is a fact everyone knows that His Majesty cherishes me. I think the Grand Duke should certainly emulate it too."
"Haha. I am glad the Princess says so."
Lucia suppressed the urge to look serious.
To think he would blatantly say so with his own mouth.
There were many things she wanted to say, but as always, she wrapped her face with a smile.
Even with the highest status next to the Emperor, depending on the situation, selling smiles like women in brothels was the same.
'This too will be soon.'
However, this too didn't have much time left. Does the Emperor know? That while she pretends to be purely obedient in front, she is preparing many things behind the scenes.
Starting to feel bored, Lucia began to look for one man.
She wondered what that man, who might have become her partner, was doing right about now.
".... His Majesty. I will leave my seat for a moment."
"Leave your seat, you must dance soon... Princess? Princess! Where are you going! Princess!!"
Then it reached Lucia's view.
The appearance of Albert approaching Allen with a fierce expression.
The Emperor's barking voice was heard from behind, but Lucia's steps didn't stop.
***
Albert ground his teeth.
He felt it from the moment he opened the banquet hall door and entered.
What the atmosphere directed towards him was like.
'Damn it, these fucking things...!'
Wherever he went, people always flocked around him.
Did they only flock? They elevated his mood with all sorts of flattery.
It felt like standing at the center of the world. But how is it now.
As if the world changed in just one night, no one approaches him.
He clearly expected to be ridiculed. Because he spectacularly failed at going around saying he would confidently bring Aniel as his partner.
But what was more unbearable than ridicule was indifference. No one even met his gaze once, let alone greeted Albert.
"Yo, Kenneth. Have you been well."
"........"
"Look here, Noi. How about having a drink together."
"......."
Killing his pride, Albert tried speaking first.
To those he thought were real friends, not the sycophants who acted like they would give up their liver and gallbladder.
But there was no one who accepted the greeting.
Everyone ignores. It's not just ignoring. There were even those stepping back from their seats as if uncomfortable.
Albert clenched his fist tightly.
'This is all because of that woman.'
He thought the reason he was being ignored was simply because of Aniel.
He turned his head to check where Aniel would be.
He wanted to take revenge for this humiliation he was feeling right now.
Then one woman reached Albert's gaze.
".... The painting was real."
She was so very beautiful that even Albert, who prided himself on having high standards, lost his mind.
It rather made the portrait he saw look shabby.
Suddenly the anger melted away smoothly.
Albert swallowed his saliva. How about approaching Aniel as if nothing happened even now and talking about how he is her partner.
Revenge is good too, but couldn't it be resolved peacefully if it's now.
'That bastard is....'
When such a thought occurred, there was another person next to Aniel.
A man smiling happily holding hands.
"That fucking bastard, what is he doing to my partner right now!"
Albert, remembering Allen, had his eyes roll back at that moment.
"Kyaak!"
"Hand it over!"
As if unable to endure it, he grabbed a champagne glass and headed to where Allen was.
Without knowing what kind of fate would unfold for him from now on.
***
I had never felt enjoyment regarding dancing until now.
It felt like studying prepared for when a situation where I had to dance would come.
Naturally, because others' will was stronger than my own will, it wasn't very enjoyable and I thought it would be so in the future too.
But now was different.
'It feels good.'
The warmth and touch felt from the joined hands felt good.
Moving to the beat heard in the ears also felt like communicating.
For this moment at least, all my nerves were focused on her.
Perhaps that's why.
"Who on earth are you to dare snatch away the Grand Duchess who would become my partner!"
I couldn't quite check that someone was approaching me.
I hurriedly turned my head to look, but it was already late.
"Ugh."
Some liquid was splashed on my face.
"To dare covet another man's woman?! You bug-like thing!"
Right now, what is this situation? Did I suffer a night attack among the swarming Imperial Palace Faction?
Because it happened so instantly, I was out of my mind, but it didn't seem like a night attack.
At least there was no event of something like a bladed weapon piercing my body.
When I came to my senses to some extent, I turned my head and checked who the opponent was.
And by the time I grasped it was that man named Albert.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Ke, keheok!"
Aniel was already after moving.
"That's what I'm saying. What kind of act this really is."
What's flustering is that Lucia, not knowing where she appeared from, was also there.
"It seems you are crazy wanting to die."
"I knew you were stupid from before, but I didn't know you would cause such a huge accident."
What's certain was the fact that both people were firmly angry.
***
Was it because she was immersed in emotion.
To put only the man in front of her eyes fully in her view and enjoy the current moment.
For the short moment she was with Allen, Aniel was also off guard.
"You shouted loudly at my partner, why are you unable to say a word now?"
For a moment, she got angry. At this pathetic guy caught by the collar in front of her eyes not knowing what to do, and also at herself.
Before coming here, she clearly said. That there is nothing to care about. Just staying by her side is enough.
So what is Allen's state right now?
Not stopping at getting slapped on the cheek, he was covered in an unknown liquid.
'What if that wasn't alcohol?'
What if it was an acidic potion enough to melt bones, or a toxic potion that causes death immediately upon contact?
Even if it was alcohol, if the opponent was holding a bladed weapon, he could have been stabbed.
Aniel, who imagined the appearance of Allen collapsing while bleeding, wanted to twist Albert's neck right now.
"If you want to do it, please do. Because I, the Princess, will take responsibility for you."
Lucia next to her was also equally furious.
In that he dared touch Allen without knowing his place, Lucia also felt no value in keeping him alive.
Even if the Emperor makes an issue out of it, it didn't matter.
Right now, she wanted to give a proper punishment to this man.
"Both of you, please calm down for now."
However, one person here didn't agree.
It was exactly Allen, the person himself who suffered damage.
"I am fine, so please calm down for now."
Allen was conscious of the surrounding gazes.
Just like when they first entered, when Iris rushed in, and when they confronted Grand Duke Kyle, they were capturing everyone's attention.
'I don't want to cause trouble for no reason.'
Even the Emperor was present at the seat right now.
"Are you not angry?"
"That is right, Allen. You are clearly a victim right now."
In this situation, Aniel and Lucia sent dissatisfied gazes.
Allen was also equally angry.
Alcohol was splashed suddenly out of nowhere, is there any way he wouldn't be angry.
But at least taking another gesture in front of everyone watching was declined.
Allen, who was thinking of words to persuade the two people, looked at his wet clothes and said.
"Could I just go change my clothes for now. Because I feel bad feeling clammy."
"Ah."
"Mm."
As soon as my words finished, the two people's gazes moved to my wet clothes.
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