Chapter 71: Change
The light from the chandelier was dazzling, casting a warm glow over people spinning and dancing below. Abel and I, however, had no intention of joining them. Still, it was necessary to greet the host of the ball, the Empress. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
It was my first time meeting the Empress face to face, and to be honest, I was a little nervous. Abel, on the other hand, wore his usual relaxed expression. Well, that was just how Abel was.
“There she is,” Abel murmured, turning his head. I followed his gaze.
The Empress was a woman who could pull off a luxurious, ornate dress with ease. Her thick, curled blonde hair hinted that she must have been quite the beauty in her youth.
“I didn’t expect the Duke to attend,” she said as she approached.
“It seemed only right to respond after such a gracious invitation,” Abel replied smoothly.
The Empress then turned her attention to me. “And the young lady beside you…?”
When she gestured towards me, I greeted her with proper etiquette. “My name is Fiona Heilon. Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Ah, I’ve heard the rumors,” she said, looking me up and down with a critical eye, not entirely favorable. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I’ve heard you’re the adopted daughter of the Duke of Heilon?”
“Yes, Youg Majesty, I am.”
“Coming with your adoptive father. That’s unusual.”
I was about to come up with an excuse, something about not knowing anyone in the social world yet, but Abel spoke up first.
“There’s no one who catches my eye.”
Wow. I felt so embarrassed hearing him say that right in front of me.
“I see you care deeply for your adoptive daughter, Duke,” the Empress observed.
“If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have brought her into my family,” Abel replied, his tone firm.
“Oh, well, I suppose the rumors I’ve heard about Lady Fiona were all just misunderstandings.”
So, it begins.
Well, it wasn’t surprising, to be honest. It wasn’t like nothing had happened since the day I was born. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Abel twisted the corners of his lips. “Your Majesty, I’m not sure where you heard those rumors, but it’s clear they’re not worth worrying about. I trust that the noble Empress wouldn’t be swayed by such idle talk.”
His response made it difficult for her to continue pressing the issue.
The Empress fluttered her fan, her expression showing clear dissatisfaction as her intentions hadn’t played out as she hoped. “The Duke’s dignified manner… I see it hasn’t changed all these years. Truly, you’ve always been the same.”
She didn’t mean it as a compliment. The closest interpretation would be something like, ‘How can you still be so arrogant, even at your age?’
Abel grinned. “Every time I see Your Majesty, I’m amazed. It’s refreshing to see how nobly you’ve embraced the passage of time.”
In simpler terms, he was saying, ‘You’re old.’
I bit my tongue. I couldn’t believe he actually said that. It was so sharp. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Of course, the Empress, who was well-versed in the subtle language of noble society, understood the meaning. Her hand, holding the fan, trembled slightly. Oh, she was angry.
“Yes, it also reminds me of the old days when the Duke and I attended this ball, just like these young people. Duke Heilon is still the same as he was back then.”
This was her final jab, with the clear implication: ‘Unlike me, you’ve remained immature, haven’t you?’
Abel, fully aware of the hidden meaning, simply grinned. “Thank you for the compliment.”
Even I could sense the spite in his response this time.
However, the Empress maintained her composure, responding with a smile. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
It was truly an invisible battle of wits.
‘Ah, I want to go home.’
The tension between Abel and the Empress was more intense than I had anticipated. It’s no wonder he doesn’t receive much support from the central government.
‘He is a total prick.’
“—I beg your pardon for a moment.”
Suddenly, someone intervened in this invisible fight. I widened my eyes in surprise.
The Empress, upon recognizing the intruder, immediately sharpened her expression.
“You’re very impolite, Prince Sigren!”
For a moment, everyone’s attention turned to where we stood.
The Empress, who usually valued maintaining her composure, was now far from her usual self. She stiffened, likely realizing that she had made a mistake. It seemed she had momentarily lost control of her emotions due to her argument with Abel. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
Ah, Sigren addressed the Empress as ‘Your Majesty.’ While ‘Mother’ would have been more appropriate, it was unlikely Sigren would ever use that term.
“Lady Fiona, would you allow me to have a moment with you?”
That was a perfect line to diffuse the situation. Sigren was clearly trying to get me out of this uncomfortable encounter.
‘I’ve really done well in choosing my friends.’
Abel, standing beside me, immediately objected. “That’s not possible.”
“….”
But Sigren ignored Abel. What was he planning to do?
“My Lady’s opinion?”
He looked straight at me. His blue-grey eyes gave me a strangely fascinating feeling. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I licked my lips. “Of course.”
As soon as I agreed, Sigren smiled, took the back of my hand, and kissed it. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“It’s my honor.”
I got goosebumps, not because I was offended, but because I was so shocked. I wondered if this was what it felt like to be possessed by the devil in old stories?
Sigren certainly had an aura that drew people’s attention. The problem was that he was currently using his strong charms on me.
In a word, I felt like I was being seduced. He didn’t intend to do this, did he?
“Duke, excuse me.”
Abel’s eyebrows twitched.
Either way, Sigren looked at his teacher with a bold expression, as if to say, ‘Just deal with that woman.’
“…”
These two would definitely fight later.
I looked around the ballroom. As expected, everyone’s focus was on us. It was no surprise, given that Duke Heilon, the Empress, and the prince were all gathered together.
‘Ah, I really want to go home.’
I almost gave up while being escorted by Sigren. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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