Chapter 49: The Beginning of The Change
Most of the attention in the hall was focused on Sigren. Many people tried to get closer to him, leading to a crowd gathering around him. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. However, there were also those who showed interest in me because I was with Abel. Whenever people asked about me, Abel would respond with an indifferent expression, “It will be revealed at the five families meeting.”
The Five Families meeting was a regular gathering of representatives from the five founding families of the empire. In other words, it was a meeting of five very influential families in aristocratic society.
Naturally, Abel’s answer only fueled people’s curiosity. Some even whispered that I might be Abel’s hidden illegitimate child. Fortunately, interest in me waned somewhat as the dance continued. Nonetheless, being the center of attention was tiring, so I decided to sneak away and find a quiet spot on the terrace for a bit of rest.
“Livvy, why don’t you stop playing hard to get and just come over here?”
“It’s Lady Priscilla, Your Highness. I would appreciate it if you called me that instead of using my nickname.”
As I walked, I overheard a conversation between a man and a woman on one of the terraces. I paused and peeked through a gap in the curtain to see what was happening. Sure enough, the man and woman were standing there, and I recognized them immediately. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“It’s good to be arrogant, but being too stiff is no fun.”
“I see you’re talking too much.”
The man was the crown prince I had seen earlier, and the woman was Livya Priscilla.
“….”
I held my breath involuntarily. Livya’s attitude was very cold for someone who was supposedly close to him. It was obvious the crown prince was trying to hit on her. For a moment, I debated whether to leave or stay. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Your Highness, I’m going back to the hall,” Livya said in a cold tone.
The crown prince grinned at her attitude. “Where are you going without this prince’s permission?”
“You have no right to force me, as I am the daughter of the Priscilla family.”
“Do you think it’s acceptable to look down on me like this?”
What Livya said was not wrong by any means. Even though they were part of the royal family, they could not speak so arbitrarily to the bloodline of the Duke of Priscilla. However, I had forgotten how foolish the crown prince could be when he opened his mouth. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Livya turned around as if she had not heard him. Seeing her do so, I stepped back to avoid being seen. But before I could get away, I saw the crown prince grab Livya’s arm and pull her closer.
Livya was shocked and shouted loudly, “Let me go!”
“I’ve always thought you looked pretty.”
Using force and threatening someone with power was truly abhorrent. At this point, I couldn’t just ignore it. I pushed aside the curtains and hurried into the situation. Now that it had come to this, it was time to use the improvisation skills I had honed from my time with Abel.
“Oh my, Lady Livya. You’re here!”
Livya and the crown prince were startled by my unexpected appearance, and their bodies stiffened instantly.
First things first, it was time for the ‘I don’t know anything’ operation. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Duke Priscilla has been looking for you, Lady Livya. It seems something important has come up, so I was just helping the Duke locate you.”
The crown prince widened his eyes in surprise, noticing me only a beat later.
“Oh, the crown prince is also here. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the little sun of the Empire. My name is Fiona Heilon. I apologize for any impoliteness on my part.”
Upon hearing the surname ‘Heilon,’ the crown prince, who was about to get angry, paused for a moment. He then replied with an authoritative tone, “Tell the Duke that Livy is having a private conversation with me.”
“But the Duke is looking for Lady Livya in such a hurry,” I responded naturally. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
As the crown prince frowned and was about to say something, Livya freed her hand from his grip. “Oh right, I remember my father said he had something to tell me. I had forgotten.”
Livya was renowned for her acting skills. Even though it was her first time seeing me, she hooked her arm through mine as if we were close friends. She then smiled at me with eyes that could mesmerize both men and women.
“Thank you for coming to find me, Lady Fiona.”
‘Ugh… beautiful, truly beautiful. I’d come to find you a hundred and a thousand times, sister.’
I think I somewhat understood the feelings of the knights in fairy tales who set out to save the princess. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Livya glanced back at the crown prince with a hardened expression.
“Excuse me, Your Highness.”
No matter how noble the crown prince was, he couldn’t continue to obstruct her while the Duke was looking for his daughter.
“…”
That way, we managed to leave the scene safely. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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