144 – The Imperial Ball – (5)

“Does the meal not suit your taste?”

Darren Rustitzel said with a nice smile.

Lin Xia struggled to answer, raising the corner of her mouth.

“Oh, no. I just feel a little unwell.”

“Oh, is that so? Then…… How about this? It is a pie made from apples produced in our territory, and it is very famous as a special medicine when you have a bad stomach.”

It was ambiguous to bite Darren, who offered food with a bright expression on his face, so Lincia awkwardly accepted the apple pie.

Surely, I came to the prom without having had a proper meal for several days, but I had no appetite.

It feels like sitting on a cushion of thorns. I was fed up with the stinging stare pierced all over her body and the pretentious greetings. I wanted to roll up my skirt and run out of the banquet hall right now.

It was the prom I was looking forward to, but I wasn’t happy at all.

Lyncia did not reveal these thoughts on the outside and started the conversation with an awkward smile.

“I have heard many stories about Your Majesty from my father. Especially beautiful in the imperial family with a long history…….”

Darren smiled and continued the conversation with hand gestures.

Fortunately, he was very sociable. Even though Lincia did not show any reaction, Darren skillfully continued the topic.

“Have you been to the Rusticel Manor? It is a very beautiful place. The birds are chirping…….”

“… ….”

Lyncia studied Darren out of the corner of her eye.

Even though she was at the bottom of the line of succession, Lyncia was still a member of the imperial family. That’s why she had heard from the emperor about the three ducal families that supported the empire’s roof.

Unlike the other five Grand Dukes, they all swore eternal loyalty to the Emperor. Among them, I heard that the Duke of Rusticel, as the main pillar of the empire, is more loyal and devoted to the emperor than any other family.

The heir of such a prestigious family naturally approaches, sits next to him, and continues the conversation.

I didn’t know much about the social ways of nobles, but his intentions were predictable.

‘It’s courtship.’

Darren Rustichel was courting Lynchia. She wasn’t so ignorant that she didn’t notice it.

In fact, as soon as he appeared, several nobles next to Lincia sighed and turned around. To that extent, this man named Darren, more precisely, the position that the Duke of Rustitel had within the empire was great.

Imperial officials seated far away smiled with satisfaction as Lynceia and Darren conversed.

Because receiving the full support of the Duke of Rustichel is more desperate than any other help for the Empire, which is in trouble.

“Your Majesty? Are you having any problems?”

“Oh no!”

Lynxia, who was lost in her thoughts, answered in surprise.

Darren leaned forward slightly and pulled his chin.

For that reason, his handsome appearance stands out in the lighting.

“You seem very tired.”

“…… Oh no. Not really…….”

“I understand. Even ten bodies would be insufficient to see the affairs of the empire.”

“Ugh… ….”

“Your Majesty alone will be able to overcome it. You can always ask for help from me and my family when you are having a hard time. I, Darren Rustichel, in Rustichel’s name, I will do everything in my power to help Your Majesty.”

It was said around the corner, but in the end, it means to promote marriage.

Correld’s words came to mind.

A story that for the sake of the empire to exist, one must marry and leave a successor.

At that time, Lyncia blurted it out. Because I thought it was still a long story.

“… ….”

That’s why she was staring at Darren’s face, who was no different from her marriage partner, so there was no sense of reality.

Darren narrowed his eyes slightly as Lynxia stared at her face.

“Your Majesty? Any inconvenience?”

“…… No. Are you okay. I just thought of something else.”

Avert your gaze.

However, what shimmered in front of Lyncia’s eyes was the face of a dull gray knight instead of the face of Darren she had been looking at until now.

Fried Iscobal.

Guardian knight of the empire and protector of the border. Sharp features and a rather cold impression.

But he was more playful than anyone else. He has no sense of humor and even lacks common sense in areas such as etiquette. His behavior is messy and he reveals his female color.

To borrow Lucy’s words, the worst for her husband.

However, as soon as Lynxia thought of Fried like that, a small smile appeared on her lips.

“I must be crazy.”

As Lucy said, it was clear that the bean pods were tightly covered.

But as Lyncia felt a strange sense of relief, she chewed on the apple pie Darren handed her.

“It doesn’t taste good.”

The taste of the apple pie was the worst.

*

“I really can do this, right?”

“Yes. Are you okay.”

The corridor on the second floor of the banquet hall.

Shivering in fear of being discovered, Cora moved her feet stealthily.

The driver, Fried Escovall, walked unconcernedly ahead, and seemed completely unaware that he was committing an offence.

“Gee, it’s really dangerous… …. If caught, it won’t end with punishment, this…….”

“That’s a lot of talk. Am I responsible for everything?”

“Ugh… ….”

From noble mtl dot com

Cora smiled.

How did he, a low-level soldier, walk down the aisle of the banquet hall wearing pretty clothes that aristocrats would wear?

He reluctantly put on the robe at Freed’s intimidating invitation, but he never dreamed that he would actually enter the banquet hall.

If he had known it would be like this, he would not have spyed on the ball. Who would have known that this article would catch on.

Cora let out a sigh of regret, but one arm was already held tightly in her knight’s savage hand.

In the end, Cora had no choice but to be quietly taken away by Fried.

For a while, Fried, who was advancing ahead, stopped.

Kong.

“Aww.”

Cora snuggled her nose into his back, groaning and touching her face.

As she jerked her head up to express her displeasure, Fried was looking at herself.

Cora salivated at her gray eyes.

“Dah, hiccup. Why, why……. I didn’t say anything.”

“I have arrived.”

“…… What.”

Instead of answering, Fried put his hand in Cora’s armpit and lifted her up.

“Come on. Does it look good this way?”

“Ah, ahh!”

She struggled, but to no avail.

Like a kitten by her mother, Cora looked around her in desperation.

And.

“…… And.”

She gave a short exclamation.

It was because the view of the hall from the top floor of the banquet hall was truly spectacular.

Could there ever be such a beautiful scenery?

Aristocrats dressed in colorful clothes dance to beautiful melodies while chandeliers emitting warm light sway.

How about the food? Court food, which must have been made by the best chef in the empire, was lined up on a long shelf, and an attendant with dozens of glasses on a tray slipped through the crowd.

For Cora, a commoner, this was the first scene she had ever seen.

She vividly captured the scene right in front of her, forgetting that she had been lifted up in an embarrassing position.

“Are you done now?”

“…… You can drop me off, now.”

After her eternity of seconds passed, Cora stood on her feet again.

But still her gaze was fixed over the railing.

Seeing this, Fried smiled bitterly and leaned against the railing.

“You look very happy.”

“…… Uh, is that so?”

“Uh. The corners of her mouth definitely went up.”

Cora hurriedly touched her mouth. Seeing this, Fried only giggled.

She also collapsed and giggled.

“If you don’t mind…… Can I see a little more?”

“As much as you like. The night is long.”

With her permission granted, Cora continued to watch her prom.

Everything was new. No matter how many times I watch it, I don’t get tired of it.

“The aristocratic world is both fantastic and fun.”

A midsummer night’s dream.

It is unavoidable to yearn for something even though you know it is a futile hope.

“I’m a commoner, so I don’t know…… Still, I think I naturally long for it.”

Cora continued her words with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Actually, I’ve never had a party before. As I said before, my family is very poor. Let alone the anniversary, I couldn’t relax even on her birthday.”

For Cora’s family, who live day by day, the very concept of celebrating something was unfamiliar.

“There are many families to support, few people to work with, and farming is hard… …. So I enlisted in the military almost as if I was running away.”

“… ….”

“As soon as I enlisted, something happened, and I thought I was going to die without moving…….”

Cora smiled as she recalled the incident.

A bomb attack on National Foundation Day, a commotion at the council of elders, and an attack on the work meeting.

Cora stood at the scene of all the incidents, and she miraculously survived.

In a way, all of Cora’s survival was thanks to Freed.

It was the same this time. Thanks to Freed, Cora was able to capture the canvas of her dream prom.

“Thank you very much, driver. Thanks to… ….”

In gratitude, Cora turned to her freed.

“Eh…… ?”

I realized that he wasn’t listening to me at all.

Frid was just staring at a certain point with his hand on the railing. Even with his mouth open.

“…… Me, over there Knight?”

She called carefully, but she didn’t respond at all.

Corona couldn’t help but look down at the banquet hall again.

A pair of men and women were hanging at the end of Fried’s gaze.

The female side was someone Cora knew very well. Because she was the owner of this huge empire and the empress of all people, Lyncia Ayrn.

On the other hand, the male face was a face he had never seen before. Judging from the level of clothing and jewelry he wore, he seemed to be a nobleman of a very high rank.

The Empress and her aristocratic man were having a friendly conversation, but the man exaggeratedly spread his arms and continued the story, and the Empress smiled in response.

The two talked for a while, then raised their glasses and faced each other. It seemed that there was a crackling glass sound between the sounds of the music.

“A knight?”

“Ah, yes. Did you call?”

Then Fried shook her head and looked at Cora.

But she looked down at her balcony, as if she seemed to be bothered by the empress.

Corra smiled slightly at the sight.

There was one thing she could know for sure from watching Fried all this time.

“You are longing for Your Majesty.”

“…… What? Wife?”

Fried looked at Cora with her eyes wide open, as if asking what that meant, but she didn’t care.

“Aren’t you yearning for your lord?”

“…… I?”

“Yes. That intense gaze just now, that’s for sure. My eyes can never lie.”

Cora affirmed, then raised her hand.

“The knight loves his lord.”

“… ….”

“That’s why I hope that love will come true.”

With a shocked expression on his face, Fried said nothing.

A little frightened, Cora pulled back a little behind her.

“…… You must have said too presumptuously…… Would you?”

“Yes. It was too presumptuous.”

Keep it up.

Frid fed chestnuts to Cora’s forehead.

But that was the end of the punishment.

Fried laughed and she leaned back against the railing. Then she sarcastically muttered:

“It’s love… …. That sounds so funny. What kind of flower garden is your head?”

“I think love is important. Because my mother did.”

“You have good parents.”

With those words, Fried looked at the Empress again.

However, that expression soon began to turn cold.

Cora looked puzzled and returned her gaze to the banquet hall.

“Ugh.”

She was shocked.

An amazing scene was unfolding on the first floor.

An aristocratic man who was talking to the empress knelt down right in front of her, took out her ring from her small box, and offered her.

“…… Hey, knight? That…… No way… ….”

Cora, her country girl, knew what that meant.

It was a marriage proposal.

“… ….”

That moment.

Cold.

The handrail that Fried was holding began to crack with a dull sound.

A startled Cora looked at Fried, her lower eyelids quivering.

Cora swallowed her saliva at the sight of her.

“…… Also.”

Cora was convinced.

“You’re in love, right? ….”

Cora’s muttered voice disappeared as if it were scattered by Fried’s rough breathing.