Chapter 42

“I greet you, Your Majesty.”

Everyone finished their greetings quickly and stretched their tidings. They talked too much about pointless things. Lu Havre knew what they wanted to say. There was no way he could not know. Even Duke Moncheta didn’t look well. Lu Havre smiled. It would be hard to pretend not to since he was in a hurry.

Two dukes, two marquises, a couple of counts, were there. They were the head of famous families. If someone said they did not know these people, then that person was not from Monterobis. Some of the men had unmarried daughters.

Lu Havre lifted his glass. The drink was filled to the brim.

“You all look bad,” Lu Havre told them.

“Your Majesty,” Duke Moncheta said.

Duke Moncheta called him as if he had sighed. He was the man who could be called the most powerful except for the king, and he was the first nobleman who joined Lu Havre’s side.

Lu Havre remembered what he had said when he brought the important nobles to his side, and he knew that the position for the queen had some influence.

Of course, Lu Havre did not feel sorry at all. The position of the queen was something he did not dare to touch. This thinking had not changed from the beginning.

They also would have known it from the time of the Terre Sunds. More specifically, when that incident happened. He would be the one who would decide the queen. That was why he made a noise, giving them a clear message not to dare to interfere with this.

“I didn’t know you would come with Her Royal Highness,” Duke Moncheta remarked.

“It doesn’t hurt anything, right?” Lu Havre replied.

Duke Moncheta closed his mouth immediately. Marquis Monhaine almost said that it was not a problem. The king was the one who would know the meaning behind Menang the best. Was he always like this? They couldn’t tell.

Of course, he usually was fully relaxed, but he seemed a more cool-headed type of man. Or did that mean he could play innocent if he needed to? Duke Morhus drank his alcohol as if he were anxious.

Lu Havre and Ashite had strangely changed the whole atmosphere of Menang, but Lu Havre was very calm. They continued speaking.

“There is the count,” somebody said as if they were talking to themselves. Lu Havre turned his head immediately.

Her pinkish-purple hair covered her face. Her eyes that, brighter than the sun, would have been hidden under that hair. That yellow color was always vivid to him. Her skinny collarbone stood out. Her delicate, soft shoulder was exposed. She wore the ivory dress that she usually wore. The color was pretty.

What would she think? Before he finished the thought, one man walked to her side. He stepped without hesitation.

It was Count Guillaume. Guillaume was also from a famous family. The head of the family hadn’t married yet. He had a fiancée, but their marriage had been delayed on the excuse that she was unwell, and finally, they broke off their engagement. While his fiancée stayed at home for recovering, the rumor that the count was seeing several women was widely spread. In the end, people said that he was the one who had been negligent. There were a few people who saw him negatively.

It was not a significant fault for a high-ranking, rich man to have a concubine or mistress, but it was also not a society that said such a man was right about his wrongdoings. It was commonly stated that he was competent but sly. He was also known for his attraction to any woman without discrimination. The count knew the rumors, and he did not deny them intentionally. Rather, he was the master of making secret jokes using these rumors.

Lu Havre quickly became nervous. During Menang, and of course, in other parties, people could talk freely to those other than their partner. So, it was not a big problem for the count to speak to the princess.

But the count himself was a problem. He was Count Guillaume. What would he talk about? He probably would make her feel troubled with a mischievous joke again. Lu Havre worried her face might get worse again rather than worrying about what the count would say to her.

“I will be right back,” Lu Havre said.

He strode straight towards Ashite. He ignored the conversations he heard as he passed them.

“That Count… At last.”

“I thought it might be.”

“This made it clear.”

Duke Moncheta looked at the count. The princess was following the king. The count turned his head undisturbed and saw the duke. He nodded lightly. “Yes, you were right.” The duke sighed. By any possibility, this went wrong.

Lu Havre went through the door without hindrance. Ashite followed him with caution, trying not to disturb her dress.

The two walked out of the banquet hall and into the trees. It seemed like a garden. With enough distance, they only could hear the noise from the hall. The area was full of colorful maple leaves. The fragrance of the flowers was delicate.

Ashite recalled some memories. She had seen this place before when she walked around in the castle. It was an area that she had thought of as an excellent place to sit in a chair and get some fresh air. The view was filled with green, earth-tone, red, yellow, and sky-blue shades. Lu Havre’s red cloak swayed a little. He looked back.

Ashite pretended to act casual and received an odd look from him. <> Ashite wondered.

But Lu Havre didn’t say anything.

It was tranquil around there. Before she could hear the orchestra playing or laughing and talking. But here, it was quiet. Ashite was not the type of person who pressed others for an answer. Lu Havre would have to speak up first. So, both of them were silent.

The short silence felt very heavy.

The sun was shining. Only the wind blew. Facing him silently, Ashite became thirsty. She didn’t want to rush, but she couldn’t wait anymore because of her pounding heart.

“Your Majesty,” she said.

“Wait for a moment,” Lu Havre said.

The answer was quick coming from a person who hadn’t spoken so far.

“Pardon me?” Ashite replied.

“Please, could you stay here… for a moment?” he asked.

She thought he spoke to her in a polite manner because the count was there, but he did it again while there were together, as if he was somebody asking for a favor. Ashite stared at him, surprised.

“Do you have anything to say—?” Ashite asked.

“I told you to stay here,” Lu Havre told her.

Ashite cut off the end of her sentence. She didn’t mean to, but Lu Havre took it. He swept up his messy hair.

“I think we should sit down,” he said.

Lu Havre pointed to a chair a short distance away. Ashite wondered what was happening, but she could not refuse. She quietly sat in the chair. <> she wondered.

Ashite reflected on the situation. There was no problem. She had talked to the count for a while. In fact, it wasn’t a conversation. The Count was only displaying guile, speaking about escorts. Thinking about his comment again, it was a joke for sure. When she concluded, laughter came out. What on earth. That was a bad joke.

Lu Havre looked toward the banquet hall. He felt dizzy just imagining what she would think. It was like telling her he liked her to her face, but she was not saying anything. <> He rather wished he would dance. Only a heavy silence continued.

Ashite continued thinking to herself instead of saying something. She had never been in a situation like this before, so she had no idea what was going on. The king was not looking at her anyway. Ashite lowered her head. The fragrance of the grass and flowers was so pleasant.

Suddenly, a melody was heard. It was the Butterfly Lady Lotte. She naturally remembered the dance she performed with her mother. Ashite tapped her feet to the ground along with the beat. She hummed the song to herself.

“The Butterfly Lady Lotte?” Lu Havre asked.

Ashite came to herself senses.

“Yes,” she answered.

<> he wondered as he began to talk.

“Do you like this song?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ashite said.

“Hmm.”

Ashite tried not to avoid his gaze. She stood up from the chair and took a few steps.

This was Menang. She has told that people danced with their partners. She could not let the king keep standing there doing nothing. He was not talking, and she could not ignore it. This was not a big deal. It would be okay. But her voice quivered.

“…Your Majesty,” she said.

Lu Havre grinned. He was not sure what she would think, but there was nothing terrible waiting for him. Not yet. Probably not. He doubted it first, but her reaction was way better than he expected.

“Will you dance with me, Ashite?” he asked.

Ashite grabbed his hand.

Menang continued. Men and women danced, talked, and made friends. Lovers held hands, hugging and kissing in secret spots.

Lu Havre and Ashite danced a few times, too. Their breath got closer and faded away. They also talked about simple things and drank sweet drinks.

Time was flying by, but it was not meaningless. Lu Havre was finding a faint hope. Ashite was trying to be calm, but Lu Havre probably was as well. They put too much effort into their own faces, voices, and touches, so it was hard to understand the other.

For young men and women, Menang was sometimes an opportunity to hope. Women wanted to confirm their partner’s mindset, and men wanted to hold their lady. So, everybody was curiously excited. Even though they didn’t drink, the mood made them drunk. The day had already been filled with such things, so the night would be worse.

The sun was setting, and everyone entered the indoor banquet room to eat.

The workers in the palace had already prepared everything, so the meal went on smoothly. Ashite and Lu Havre sat at the same table. Ashite looked around the dishes, and then she felt a little dizzy. There was a steamed fish dish, chopped finely without bone. The king must have told the chef to make it. She was trying not to stare at the king but just put her head down. She tried to get her breath back and had some soup.

Indeed, Ashite had tried not to think about anything really whenever she met the king’s eyes. He was a seasoned king. It would not be strange if he caught her nervous mind. She had to pretend to be calm, and she repeated to herself that it was okay. She had to.

<> She swallowed her thoughts like a sigh. She suppressed and killed them. <>

Her brain constantly ordered her to be calm, but her heart was pounding and it felt like it was on the verge of exploding. It was dangerous. The end was so obvious. She hoped nothing would happen, but felt it was inevitable.

After she visited Menang, she could actually feel. It was a secret, exciting, and sweet festival. There were lots of couples expressing their affection in hidden places as the night went on. It was closed off indoors, so the heat was piling up. Some of them left for the balcony. As the night passed, people were soaked with emotions and thoughts.

Maybe this man was no exception. What would he think? He just didn’t speak. Perhaps the king was pretending not to know what she felt shy whenever she saw him. She could not watch his eyes. The emotions were so intense they were even hard to express in words, making her heart thump.

What if she had not come to Menang? She couldn’t answer that. No, she didn’t know the answer.

Finally, the long meal was over. People gathered together and talked. They laughed and talked some more. The orchestra played a denser piece. When she looked out the window, the moon was bright.

“Ashite.” She heard a voice.

As she had fallen deep into thought, a man who pulled her back to reality. Lu Havre.

“Yes?” Ashite said.

“Let’s go speak for a minute,” he said.

Ashite swallowed. It was normal for him not to speak much. He was that kind of king. Since when was he so gentle and caring? Her thoughts went deeper and deeper. Emotions and minds seemed to be irreversible. His red cloak had retreated. Would he be the same this time?

She didn’t know if it was because the drink was too fragrant, or that the night was getting deep.

Ashite sipped her drink, which was stronger than what she had drunk during the day, but she didn’t get easily drunk. She actually preferred bitter-sweet alcohol. She usually didn’t enjoy alcohol before, but after a few parties, she grew to like it. Or maybe it was because of Menang.

She suddenly thought to herself, <>

What was he thinking when he asked her to go to Menang with him? Her thoughts drifted back to that question. She thought it was simple, or it should be. But this, this banquet was not such a level. She knew it was a party for young men and women, but this…

She fingered her cheeks. She needed some air. She looked at the balcony area and stood up.

<> Ashite thought as she looked around.

There he was. He was easy to spot; the red cloak, the purple hair that softly shined blue under the lanterns, a tall and dark-toned man; the king of this country and her Menang partner.

He was standing with young men and women. They were not far away. She saw the women in beautiful dresses and well-dressed men. A couple of women smiled brightly with off-shoulder dresses. What were they talk about? Although that would not matter to her. What kind of conversation did they have? Why had he smiled and gestured lightly like that? His smile seemed thicker. He was not that kind of man; he had only been treating Ashite like that.

Immediately, she sobered up.

<> Ashite wondered. No. She was sober, but her rationality was frozen, or her heart was too hot. <>

Ashite reversed her thinking finally. <> she thought.

No, no. It seemed like a bell rang in her head. He was not that kind of king.

The denial came out quickly. It was possible because she thought about it many times before. That king was originally indifferent to women. But he was smiling like that in front of other women, too.

<> Ashite thought.

At that moment, Ashite realized something.

<> Ashite told herself in her head.

She clenched her teeth naturally. Ashite had no option but to admit this. She had pretended not to know and pretended to be calm so far, but she believed that the king treated her in a special manner. Moreover, she confirmed both his deep concern and tender worries.

<> she wondered.

No. She could answer it without hesitation. There was no way. If it was a meaningless favor, she would not avoid his gaze on instinct.

“Ashite. You look… Are you okay?”

If it was a feeling that disappeared so easily, he would not smile like that.

“Are you rejecting me?”

“…No.”

If it was such a meaningless crush, he would not talk like that.

“—it is such a beautiful dance, Ashite.”

He would not have been as careful as if he were caring for a child.

“It’s nothing.”

“It can’t be.”

Her heart dropped. She could feel tears. She remembered every word, gesture, and look from him. It was vivid, as if she could draw it all. She had thought that he considered her special and remembered everything. Every thought reached one person.

And at that moment, he was laughing in front of another woman. He was having a casual conversation, just like he did with her.

Her heart had been dyed dark red. Since when? But that question was not important at the moment.

More than that, she was unsure if she could stay sane. She needed to be relaxed. Not now. The question of what would be not now was not important, either.

Ashite went straight out to the balcony. It was a transparent window that people could see onto from inside the hall, so she drew the curtains.

The night breeze greeted her. It gently touched her. She tried to keep her breathing even. No way. No way. Seriously. She could not regain control of herself. She did not know where her usually calm and cool self had gone.

“Oh.”

Someone gently knocked on the door of the balcony, and the red curtains rustled. Once, twice, then three times they knocked. She hadn’t gotten there that long ago, so she wondered who it could be. Her mind raced. No way. She thought that it couldn’t be. She believed it would not be. There were days that she thought it would not be. It changed a little by little, but she just passed. But —,

“Ashite.”

—the man who gently came out to her had already changed a lot, too. Very much.

She felt tears coming out.