Chapter 52

Episode 52

Kiss

Anakin danced much more skillfully than when he was taught by the nanny to dance Polonez. Back then, had to lead him halfway, but now he’s quite in sync with me.

I didn’t know if reading the notes helped me dance, or if I’m good at roughly everything I did with my body,

We continued to dance without stopping even though Polonez ended and led into Waltz. With each turn, my dress bloomed like a single flower.

After dancing the Waltz, I was a little tired.

After telling him to rest, I picked up a drink nearby

From afar, I watched Helena conversing with others as she had been educated by me.

Today, Helena is another star of the party, and has as much attention as Lady Kazar.

She should have actually gotten this kind of attention when she was at Eris’s coming-of-age ceremony. That’s because the social debut of the original Helena took place at that time.

But at that time, there was no one to teach Helena. She was beautiful and kind, but her manners were messed up and she was ridiculed behind her back. It didn’t stop there, and she was also bullied by Eris and her followers.

Now that there is no reason for that, it’s enough if you only receive love and endure the last ordeal I give you, An ordeal. Is it okay to describe it as an ordeal?

The thought of the dagger in the house made my throat dry. What will happen to Helena if Hubris fails to save her?

My mind was dizzy with thoughts, but Anakin covered me with a shawl. I didn’t know where he brought it from. I looked at the indifferent but sweet face and asked what I was curious about.

“Did you practice?”

“Yes.”

Anakin hesitated, and then added.

“I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

When he said that, he lowered his eyes slightly as if he was shy. I tried to restrain myself, but the corners of my lips kept rising. I was glad that no one knew him.

Anakin, it was terribly good that I was the only one in the world to know that you were lovable.

I thought that for the rest of my life there would be ng relationship with monopoly, possessiveness and such feelings, but thanks to you, I was discovering a new side of myself that I did not know. (TL/N: she is obsessed with him!!! Haha obsessive female lead!!)

It was a great party. Countless lanterns shone like stars, and although autumn was over, the weather was not so cold for some reason. The melodies that lingered in my ears were infinitely soft, and people’s laughter continued endlessly.

I knew that everyone’s attention was on us. This impulsive choice could be my weakness, and maybe would regret it later.

But it was a very pleasant day.

As much as I want to be a little reckless. Most of all, Anakin in front of me was pretty. I lifted my head slightly and whispered to Anakin.

“Give me a kiss.”

Anakin looked surprised at those words.

– Kiss me now

– Yes?

– Pretend to. Hurry.

Oh, come to think of it, something similar happened, on the train. When I pulled his neck, he hesitated to kiss me, so I had to make sounds clumsily with my mouth.

If Anakin had pulled me in and kissed me before my request, I would have understood. It’s a common scene in innocent manhwa and dramas. Kissing in order to get out of a difficult situation.

Moreover, Eris was so beautiful that no one would, refuse to kiss Eris.

But even though Anakin supported my back, he didn’t cross the line. It was good. I feel like he respects me.

So I thought maybe he might refuse this time too. It would be a little embarrassing, but I think it’s okay.

A lot has changed since then. If I ordered Anakin to kiss me right now, he wouldn’t refuse me.

But I didn’t want to. Because I like him. I wanted to get permission.

Instead of kissing you to get out of trouble, Anakin, want you to kiss me because you want to.

Our gazes collided again, as on the train. And unlike then, Anakin’s pale eyes slowly closed. Without any refusal or dislike, he closed his eyes and bowed his head to me.

Then he grabbed my cheeks and kissed me. Joy warmed my heart. I just wanted to scream.

A rough sensation, people talking, and a feeling of exhilaration. At this moment, at this moment! The protagonist in the novel…… I feel like it’s just me.

When the kiss was over, there was silence everywhere. People were amazed at the recklessness of ‘Lady Misérian’ and seemed terrified. Some of them were brave enough to look at the prince’s expression

Of course I didn’t look back. In this situation, if I looked at the prince’s face, I looked like a foolish person. I didn’t kiss him to get him jealous.

I bowed slightly to Lady Kazar, who was alone with her partner, and then took Anakin’s hand and stepped out of the room, stepping onto the blue cloth.

I’ve done enough to socialize, and I saw Helena doing well, so there was no reason to stay any longer. I’m going to wash my feet quickly and go to bed. I was tired from preparing in the morning.

In the carriage, I closed my eyes tightly for a minute, then opened them slowly. The 12th time today, this was my mood. He was good, but I was afraid of him because he was too good, and I was sad because there was a scheduled future, and then it all melted away with one small action.

Maybe my head hurts often and I get motion sickness because my mind shakes like a roller coaster

Anakin, on the opposite side, did not bother to ask even though he might have something to ask. He might ask me why I kissed him, but he always understood me unconditionally.

So, instead, I wanted to ask.

What are you thinking now?

What do you think when you see me?

I am curious about you…… aren’t you curious about me?

I kissed you because I liked you. What about you?

What if you feel bad?

Do you like me too? If not…… Just because you don’t want to be in trouble?

swallowed the questions that had been swirling in my mouth without spitting them out. He always waits for me, so I wanted to wait for Anakin at least once.

We still have time. Let me know before my wick burns out. (TL/N: wick-a strip of porous material up which liquid fuel is drawn by capillary action to the flame in a candle, lamp, or lighter.)

Only after Eris left did people exhale. As if they had been under silencing magic so far. In the midst of everyone’s confusion, Paena looked back at her brother and asked him with all her might.

“I bet, is the rumor that that knight is Lady Misérian’s lover true?”

“…Don’t talk.”

“But didn’t you bring it up first? Lady Misérian’s escort knight always wants to pretend to be her lover!”

Paena was not the only one who opened her mouth.

“How could your fiancée do that in front of Your Highness?”

“It’s just that she’s trying to at least make him jealous. Isn’t her nature like that of her father, isn’t she cunning?”

“How meticulously she has been decorated, though not being Your Highness’ partner, you would think it was Lady Misérian’s debutante ball.”

Once the idea was formed, it came pouring out without stopping. They exclaimed excitedly as there, was no need to lower their voices because the party involved was not present. Even so, their tone and expressions became more ridiculous as if they were trying to get rid of their dignity.

In the midst of the commotion, Helena asked innocently, fluttering her silver eyelashes as if she knew nothing.

“But I heard that Lady Misérian broke up. Right, Alec?”

At the words spoken by the only person who was allowed to call Crown Prince Alecto by his nickname, the people again stiffened.

Alecto missed the timing to respond to those innocent eyes. If he answers with ‘no’, then Helena becomes a mistress at that moment.

The timely reply was an unspoken affirmation. People noticed that Helena was wearing her purple clothes, This was because people who were not members of the royal family cannot use purple arbitrarily.

No matter how close she was to the crown prince, she looked too expensive and splendid to be called his nanny’s daughter, and above all else, the manners of her body were close to that of the royal family.

‘If someone had been intentionally taught imperial etiquette, it was obvious why. It was to make her a future member of the imperial family, and now the only unmarried person in the imperial family was the crown prince.

“Then the Crown Princess will become Lady Antebellum?”

She said she was engaged, but the engagement was just an engagement. This was because, technically, Eris was not yet married to the prince.

The marriage of the crown prince, who would become the future emperor, was treated as an important

national event, and it was a loophole that occurred because it was made in accordance with domestic and foreign circumstances.

There were cases where the marriage was broken, like when the fiancé finds a major flaw, but it was a rare case even if you looked at the history of the empire because the fiancée became the de facto crown princess.

“I mean, wasn’t Lady Misérian a bit vicious? Sometimes, she intimidated and daunted people…. She was very selfish with her father and the imperial family behind her!”

“It was her hobby to tease and chase people who couldn’t please her…. To become the mother of the Empire, she has to be respectful and kind like Lady Antebellum.”

“His Highness also favors Lady Antebellum more, isn’t it rather good?”

People were excited and joked around with their mouths.

Jason’s face, hearing all the gossip, became more and more complicated.

Helena blinked her eyes in embarrassment at the unexpected reaction, but she soon gave up on refuting once more. Because that’s what she had always gone through.

People who already have stereotypes won’t listen to Helena no matter how much she tells the truth Instead, it just places one more stereotype on Helena, With the words, ‘It’s because you’re kind’. (QC/N: think of ‘stereotype’ as ‘assumptions’ or ‘impressions’ in this case.)