Chapter 83

Chapter 83

It feels strange to think about accepting Lucas who bullied Shuelina without acknowledging her as his younger sister. Wyndert faintly smiled and I turned my head, as if he was somewhat satisfied.

‘By the way… they are circling us.’

Wyndert’s aura was terrifying, and no one was approaching us although they kept on sending us curious glances. It seems difficult for them to talk to us without any special purpose. Because of that, the children around us were just hitting a wall as if there was an invisible circle around us.

‘This is the Grand Duke’s power.’

Although he was sitting in a very high rank, the Grand Duke’s family was rejected like this in high society. Only vassals were in the Grand Duchy so it was more effective than I expected, but I didn’t really know anything here since Azuela was the one personally leading the children. Perhaps, this was their real reaction.

‘They’re soft because they’re children.’

The children around us were secretly curious about the mysterious and bizarre rumors about the Grand Duke. In fact, their expressions didn’t look like they were displeased by us, but they were just following us with their gazes. That was because it was harder for children to withstand the aura of the Grand Duke’s family than adults.

But if you think about what was portrayed in the original story… The adult parts of high society try to reject the Grand Duke for various reasons.

‘The feeling of being suppressed is the opposite of what those nobles, who think that they are the best, are used to.’

Moreover, the Imperial Political Scene has already been decided. High society would completely change if the Grand Duke who did not intervene with politics suddenly decided to establish his position and enter politics. As much as their interests aligned with his, they will be pleased with the Grand Duke’s turbulent rumors.

“It’s difficult to change something…”

I wanted to get some results since I’ve come as far as the Imperial Capital.

Was it greed? It may have been too much just enduring the Empress and Azuela.

“Yes? What did you say?”

“Um, nothing!”

Bella turned her head to me as she heard my murmuring. I smiled when I looked at her sullen face. I thought that something had already changed when I saw her – because she has been trying to withstand Wyndert’s energy as my friend and has been standing beside me.

The Grand Duke’s curse was still obvious when I saw her unconsciously trembling or glancing at Wyndert several times. Someday, there will be people who will properly get to know about the Grand Duke’s family if they were gathered one by one like this.

After deciding to think hopefully, I asked Bella if she was thirsty and suggested we go get a fruit punch.

“Hey, Bella. Are you a little bit…?”

Thirsty? When I wanted to ask her that, there was a buzz outside the party hall.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

The Emperor who is impossible to see just decided to appear here suddenly. This is the children’s party and it wasn’t necessary for the Emperor to appear here, but I didn’t know what happened that made him come here.

The Emperor, wearing his white uniform, stood on the steps and looked down. It’s like he was searching for a certain something among the crowd of children.

“Why did Father Emperor come?”

It seemed like Lucas wasn’t aware of the Emperor’s arrival as he looked at him with a bewildered face. There were even a few people behind him but I couldn’t see them properly as I was bowing my head.

‘What’s going on?’

I quietly bowed calmly while my head was getting dizzy, hearing the hustle and bustle of the adults walking down the stairs.

“Father Emperor! Have you come to see me?”

It was Azuela’s voice. Raising my head slightly, her puffed cheeks were red with excitement as she looked up at the Emperor. It was her brightest expression of all her expressions I had seen today.

‘I heard that the emperor and Azuela have a good relationship, so it must be true.’

Azuela was at least at a loss because she liked the Emperor so much.

Azuela continued to look up at the Emperor with twinkling eyes, but the Emperor seemed to be thinking of something else as he didn’t have much of a reaction.

‘Our eyes met!’

The Emperor seemed to be looking at me and not Azuela. I bowed my head again after our eyes met, and soon I heard the Emperor’s biting voice.

“Raise your heads, everyone.”

“We greet the Lord of the Empire.”

Only then did the children relax and everyone lifted their heads. Everyone greeted the Emperor according to the etiquette they had been taught.

“Father Emperor.”

The Emperor turned his gaze and looked at Azuela when Azuela called him, then slightly narrowed his eyes and sighed.

“Ah.. right. I heard there was a problem with the party.”

“It was not worth it for you to come in person… Did you think I was injured?”

Azuela asked the Emperor while speaking in a charming voice, but the Emperor glanced sideways without answering her.

‘Are you really here for Azuela?’

That being said, he didn’t look like he was very interested in Azuela. Besides, the Emperor already knew about my situation and secretly delivered a gift of clothes. He must’ve been informed about what happened at the party, so why is he pretending not to know?

“Who is the organizer of the children’s party, Azuela?”

“I am.”

“It goes without saying that the organizers should be held accountable if there is an accident at the party. It seemed like it was difficult to understand such easy words.”

“F-Father Emperor….”

The Emperor unexpectedly started to rebuke Azuela. It looks like he didn’t like Azuela’s words and acted as if they were insignificant. Startled by his words, tears started to well up in Azuela’s eyes, but the Emperor’s face remained stoic.

“……It was unfortunate that Young Lady Evian stumbled on the air, but fortunately, she had no injuries. This is my fault for not managing properly…. I’m sorry.”

Azuela whispered with a downcast expression on her face. She then turned towards Bella, closed her mouth, and bowed her head. It was a movement that contained the long story of her (Bella) tripping and falling in the air. However, her downcast expression matched well with Azuela’s movements that there was a small commotion around her, perhaps feeling pity towards her.

“Your Majesty, isn’t the Imperial Princess still young? How about telling her that she did well and warmly encourage her?”

“Children can simply fall.”

Said a middle-aged man standing behind the emperor. Then another man sided with Azuela.

‘Uhm, it’s a familiar face.’

It was good that I studied about the important nobles that have placed themselves near the Emperor beforehand. I had a rough idea who the people gathered here were because the nobility list included a photo. The people that just spoke all belonged to the noble faction.

They were on Azuela and the Empress’ side, that’s why they took Azuela’s side like that.

“No, Your Majesty is definitely right. Ella is a clever child, and she will understand your words well.”

A cold, yet incandescent woman’s voice that catches your ears rang out. My body flinched as soon as I heard that sticky voice. The owner of the voice emerged from among the nobles and stepped forward.

‘You resemble each other…’

A woman with a rare and flashy impression, wearing a green dress with her fiery attitude was the spitting image of Azuela. Anybody would know it was the Empress. Though she had a cold impression, her facial features were clear, and I was very impressed by the noble air surrounding her like a colorful rose.

My heart started pounding against my chest whenever I encountered something related to the original novel. I could feel sweat running down my forehead.

“…Father Emperor, Mother Empress, I am sorry for disappointing you.” Azuela whispered to the Emperor and Empress.

I trembled in shock when I saw how cold the eyes of the Empress looked at her daughter as her lips rose smoothly. My body moved on its own and I began hiding behind Wyndert at the same time.

‘What’s that, why to your daughter…’

Was it because she didn’t like the fact that Azuela was humiliated in front of so many people? The Empress was a very elegant and beautiful person, but somehow at the same time… she felt like an empty person without any emotions in her heart.

Staring at the floor with nervous eyes, Azuela suddenly screamed ‘Ah!’ and leaned against Felix’s body.

“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling really well today, but I endured because I thought I had to do my best today….”

“That… Your Majesty, I think Ella’s old illness was acting up again. I think it would be better if you could let her rest.”

As Azuela leaned back and barely spoke while looking depressed, the Empress approached and touched her forehead.

“She was seriously ill and it looks like she hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

Then the other nobles standing behind her said concerned words as if they knew about Azuela’s illness. I glanced around and it seemed like everyone seemed to know about it.

‘Azuela’s old illness?’

What’s that? There was no mention in the original novel that Azuela was seriously ill when she was a child. Puzzled, I tilted my head and heard the sound of the Empress moving away with Azuela, and the opening and closing of the doors on the stairs.

“It’s alright, they’re gone.”

Wyndert whispered to me as soon as the Empress disappeared as if he knew the reason I hid behind his back. It was only then that I felt relieved and my heart calmed down a little.

‘The Empress didn’t see me, right?’

The Empress would know everything about my appearance… still, I wanted to avoid encountering her as much as possible.

Phew, I sighed, Lucas was looking at me with his eyes checking on me when I raised my head. Next to him… the Emperor was staring intently at me as he approached me.

“Your… Majesty?”

I felt his eyes waver as I mumbled. It was like the feeling that he was missing me, the same expression Lucas had earlier.

“So…….”

“Shushu, are you hurt anywhere?”

Just as the Emperor was about to open his mouth, the Grand Duke approached me and pulled me into a hug. I suddenly floated in the air and I almost screamed as I slipped into his arms.

I was very anxious just a while ago, but all of that suddenly disappeared when I was embraced by the Grand Duke. I shook my head and pointed to Bella.

“It was Bella who fell earlier. Neither of us was hurt, it was just that the cake splattered a bit and we changed our clothes.”

“Bella?”

“She’s my new friend. I will tell you the details later at home.”

Everyone seemed to be surprised when I was suddenly being hugged. Everyone gathered in a circle and looked in our direction when the Grand Duke and Wyndert were together, which made me feel ashamed because they were focusing on me.

“Oh, Dad. You can put me down now.”

I buried my head on the Grand Duke’s shoulder as I whispered and wiggled my legs lightly, then he burst into laughter. There were even more startled eyes that looked towards us.

“It was said that the Grand Duke was very particular with his daughter, and it seemed true.”

“I think that was the new Grand Princess.”

I heard a buzz. Maybe because they hadn’t seen my face properly, I felt their piercing gazes on my back. Quickly, quickly! I shook the Grand Duke’s shoulder to urge him, and he smiled once more before he lowered me down the floor. As I shook off and fixed my wrinkled dress, I lifted my head and saw the Emperor approaching me with a faint smile.

“It suits you well. Just like your mother….”

My eyes widened at his words whispered in a small voice. When I looked around, somehow… the adults were looking at me coldly.

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