Chapter 52

“Madame!”

“I’m so nervous. You know how terrible and mean she is, Mrs. Charlotte.”

“Of course, I know. I know well.”

“I don’t believe all the rumors on the streets, However…” Mrs. Renault said. Mrs. Charlotte quickly grabbed her hands. As the palms of her hands were wrapped with thin cloth, it felt a bit rough.

“Trust the emperor. He’s the late empress’s son. So, he will be pickier than us.”

Mrs. Charlotte spoke softly. She wanted to persuade the countess with simpler and more certain words. If she briefed her about what Marianne had told a small gathering recently, she could lessen some, if not all, of the countess’s concern. But she did not because Marianne wouldn’t want it.

Anyway, it was not necessary to keep the promise. And she didn’t completely trust Marianne either. Nevertheless, she did not want to betray Marianne.

“You’re helping the emperor with his marriage on behalf of the late empress. You can be proud of it, right? Who knows? After the emperor has a happy family, he can arrange a good bride for Sir Jed.”

“Which bride would take that troublemaker as her bridegroom? If the emperor forcibly arranges for him to marry a lady, I will try my best to stop him under any circumstances. That’s an abuse of power.”

“Oh, Jed really takes after you, Madame!”

“Charlotte, don’t say that insulting stuff to me. He takes after his father.”

Countess Renault barely laughed. The anxiety that seemed to overwhelm her faded in her smile.

“When I meet Sir Arthur and Sir Jed in the evening, let me check out who looks more like you. So, don’t worry. Let’s go out. I know a very good path for walking.”

Mrs. Charlotte smiled with her and folded her arms. They looked at each other with deep trust.

* * *

“Cordelli, I’m so stressed out…”

After returning to her room after tea time, Marianne sat down on the couch. Her legs were wobbly like wet paper.

“You had a hard time there. Take a break before going to the evening ball.”

Cordelli sat by her and braided her disheveled hair neatly again. Two maids came up, taking off her shoes and socks and raising her legs over a low stool. One massaged her calf, and the other gently wiped her bare feet with a warm towel.

“I laughed so much that my mouth hurts. I think I must have been so nervous.”

“I was so scared when I saw Duchess Lamont and Marquis Chester sitting side by side. I almost cried, not laughed. No wonder you were nervous in that situation.”

“I don’t think I made a mistake, right??”

“Of course, you didn’t. You are super!”

Cordelli stretched her shoulders and raised her chin like a triumphant general. Since her action was so cute, Marianne burst into laughter. She felt so relieved as she was with someone who was so comfortable to be around. But her break didn’t last.

“Madame, someone wants to see you,” Cordelli said.

“Tell that person that I want to see him later.”

Cordelli said, shaking her head, “If you want to see him later, it’s up to you!”

“But on a day like this, if somebody has come to my room, isn’t he here on an urgent mission?”

“Well, if it were not the emperor’s message, there would be nothing urgent. Hey, is the messenger sent by the emperor?”

“Pardon? Oh, no, it is not, but… ”

Before the maid was done replying, Cordelli quickly cut in.

“See! You can see him later…”

“Madame, it’s not the emperor, but he’s come here on the emperor’s order. You can see him briefly.”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard outside the door. Marianne lowered her leg on the stool. When she raised her back, the maid put her socks and shoes back on her feet. And the rolled-up dress hem was put back in place.

“Let him in, and you guys get out of here now.”

Codelli stood up and moved behind the sofa. The maids went out of the room with a basin and a towel, and instead Jed, dressed in ceremonial uniform, came in with a flat box.

“I’m honored to see you.”

“Please stand up and sit down comfortably.”

Jed sat down on the opposite couch. The box in his hand was placed on the table.

“I urgently came to convey you something.”

“Did the emperor send you?”

“Yes. He told me that you would know if I reminded you of his request to you the other day.”

“Oh, I see.”

Marianne felt a little lonely. She couldn’t think straight.

She was grateful to the emperor for his accepting her request for the tea party despite his tight schedule. That would be his message that he would not give her up as an important hostage.

But the fact that the emperor sent his messenger instead of him coming here in person meant that he didn’t want to see her face to face.

“Is the emperor not going to attend today’s banquet?”

“I do not know. He didn’t say anything particular about it until this morning. Isn’t it a ball on the eve of your engagement ceremony? I don’t think he will leave you alone.”

“I hear that you have served the emperor for a long time, but you still don’t know him well.”

Denying her own remarks a moment ago, though, she waved to him with a bitter smile.

Cordelli took the box and placed it on the back table.

“Won’t you open it?”

“Let me take a look at it later.”

She could figure out what was inside the box without opening it. She didn’t want to open it here. Maybe the emperor knew the rumors about what was inside the box, so he might not want to see her in person.

After watching her with a sullen face for a moment, Jed sprang to his feet and said, “Let me head out first. I hear rumors about the amazing wine available in the banquet hall. Alcohol tastes the best during the day, after all.”

He cracked a joke to break the ice, but nobody laughed coolly.

“Sounds good. Thanks a lot for your work. Please convey my gratitude to the emperor.”

“He will be happier if you see him in person and express your thanks.”

She thought to herself, ‘Well, is there any chance for that?’

Marianne made a faint smile instead of replying. Jed bowed to her and went out.

Meanwhile, Cordelli was surprised when she opened the box in the back.

“Oh my god, madame! This is a gift from Marquis Chester, isn’t it?”

Cordelli raised her hand high.

The necklace and tiara embellished with green emeralds were eye-wateringly bright.

* * *

When the sunset glow reddened the grass, the banquet was finally held in the central garden of the Elior Mansion. It was the beginning of the ball on the eve of the emperor’s engagement ceremony. As time went by, more and more guests were crowded. Those nobles and their daughters who could not attend their wives’ tea party took their seats in the banquet hall as soon as they arrived late in the afternoon. They left sharp weapons and uncomfortable luggage at the entrance and instead were presented with the leaves of Anthea and the divine stone of Airius.

Ober wore a black mask and a brooch on the left side of his chest. When he naturally got into the crowds, some approached and greeted him.

“Oh, you’re finally here.”

“I knew you would come. I’ve been waiting at the door to see you for a long time. My waiting paid off nicely.”

At the night ball, everybody was supposed to put on a mask except for the two main characters. Even the maids and servants who carried food, as well as the guards had to wear masks.

“The reason for many people to wear the same masks and brooches is because they want to honor the practices of the myth. It also means everybody celebrates with one mind, regardless of the rank of title or social status. So, I hear the guests don’t call each other’s names.”

Ober recalled someone’s voice, who explained to him about the rules of the eve ball. He had no choice but to scoff at it. A mask was only a piece of cloth that covered the edges of the eyes. If they paid a little more attention, they could find out who the other party was by their voice or dress. Although they didn’t literally call their names, the ball became a social meeting place for a long time after they found out each other’s identities.

“Where is Marianne?” asked Ober.

“She was near the plane tree over there. She looked so miserable when I looked at her at a distance that my tears almost came down. If you look at her, you will be heartbroken.”

A lady wearing a yellow dress spoke, pretending to wipe her hands with a handkerchief. She even felt sympathetic toward Ober.

‘Looking miserable? I will be heartbroken if I see her in person?’

Pondering over her words, Ober went inside the crowds. Passing by the tables and crowds of people, he saw a tall plane tree. Underneath the tree was a woman in a light golden dress.