Chapter 74

***

“I said too many useless things. Please pretend you didn’t hear anything.” (Claire)

“Don’t worry.”

At Claire’s request, Young Master Frein nodded his head with a serious expression.

“Shall we go back now?”

***

“To the Princess who celebrated her birthday!”

Someone in the crowd shouted congratulations and raised a glass. I also toasted people with glasses. Even though the alcohol was weak, it was a bit bitter because it was alcohol.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall grew more and more ripe. There were already people everywhere with their faces burning red from drunkenness. I stood there for a while with a smile on my face, then quietly escaped the crowd.

“Princess, would you like to dance a song with me?”

“I’m going to dance with her too.”

“Please follow the order. I will be the first…”

As soon as I fell away from the duke’s side, the dance requests flooded in.

Just when I was in a bit of trouble, someone approached me.

“Happy birthday, Princess Lillian. It’s the first time we’ve met like this, but you’re more beautiful than the rumors.”

As he approached me and talked to me, the people around me scattered.

Thanks to that, I also felt a little more comfortable.

I looked at the man in front of me.

Soft brown hair, blue slanted eyes.

He was the third son of the Grand Duke of Croix, with a striking stature.

‘Elvin’s younger brother…’

Elvin and the rest of his brothers had different mothers.

Still, they had the same blood from their father, so how could they not be so similar?

It was amazing.

“I’m flattered.”

“It’s a coincidence that we met like this, would you like to dance a song with me today?”

The third young master of Croix knelt in front of me.

Then he reached out his hand to me.

Many eyes turned towards us.

I lightly placed my hand on top of his outstretched hand.

“Yes.”

His curious gaze followed me throughout the dance.

I looked down and looked away.

“Do you think it’s unfair?”

The young master whispered in a small voice.

I looked up at the unexpected remark.

Then, our eyes met.

He had a friendly smile.

“What do you mean?”

“The Crown Prince and Lady Dana. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that their relationship is unusual?”

“I don’t know why you’re asking that.”

“You don’t have to pretend to be okay on purpose and you can be a little more honest. No one will blame the Princess for that.”

At this point, I was puzzled.

That was why the third young master of Croix, who had no friendship with me, suddenly approached me.

“It would be a lie if I weren’t upset. But is there anything I can do? So I just have to endure it.”

“I have a way for the Princess to get back at them, but do you want to hear it?”

I nodded, and the young master smiled with satisfaction. His gaze at me was stealthy.

The song ended in a timely manner. The moment I walked back to my seat, the young master said,

“Why don’t you have a lover, too?”

Surprised, I stopped and looked at him. But he still looked calm. I hesitated a little and then walked again. Then he followed me.

“You mean that I should be the same person as the Crown Prince?”

“No. How can it be the same? But if you think about how much the Princess had suffered because of Lady Dana…”

All the words whispered in my ear while pretending to comfort me, the handsome-looking young master, were sweet and very seductive to listen to.

I pondered for a moment and answered.

“You’re right. I like the young master’s suggestion. The Crown Prince was the first to have an affair, so I should also have a lover.”

“Then, have a drink with me today…”

“I’m sorry, but I’m a little busy today.”

“Then when is it convenient for the Princess?”

“I think it will be difficult to find time in the future.”

The young master frowned. With a face of incomprehension.

“What? But…”

“I like the young master’s suggestion, but that doesn’t mean I can meet anyone. I won’t forget the advice you gave me today. Thank you. Goodbye.”

While conversing with the young master, my eyes met with Elvin, who was standing a little further away.

I didn’t see him earlier, so I thought he didn’t come to today’s banquet.

Since when has he been standing there?

‘Did he hear my conversation?’

My face quickly turned hot in embarrassment.

I pretended not to notice the stare that was obsessively following me and walked away.

In order not to appear to be running away, I deliberately moved neither fast nor slow.

But soon I heard footsteps following me.

“I heard the Princess was thinking of getting a lover. I never knew before that the Princess had such an open mind.”

His voice was full of laughter.

I shut my eyes tight.

‘He heard it.’

My face grew hotter and hotter.

I went to the garden where there were as few people as possible.

All of a sudden, the sky was getting dark, and fireworks were embroidered over it.

I stopped and looked at Elvin.

Every time fireworks exploded in the black night sky, his beautiful face was dyed colorfully.

When our eyes met, he raised the corners of his lips.

“So… who are you going to choose?”

“Whoever it is, it has nothing to do with the young master, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Is that so? It’s a pity.”

What does he mean?

Of course what I said was a joke.

Suddenly, even though we were outdoors, it felt like the space we were standing in was very narrow.

That’s why my heart felt a little nervous.

Somehow, the weather seemed a little warmer.

“This is my present.”

Elvin, who approached closer, held out a jewelry box to me.

When I accepted it and looked at him, Elvin said with a calm face.

“Open it.”

I opened the jewelry box with a frown on my face.

Inside was a dazzlingly colorful bracelet.

The platinum similar to the color of my hair was studded with brilliant diamonds.

“If I stay any longer, I’ll be held up. I’m busy so I’ll leave first. Happy birthday.”

With that, Elvin disappeared quickly.

I glanced at the bracelet in my hand and put it on.

The bracelet matched well as if it was made for me especially.

“Lady, as expected, the young master of Croix….”

“Joan!”

When Joan spoke, Tien, who was by her side, stopped her. Noticing the maids, I lifted my head. I looked around and luckily no one was around.

It felt uncomfortable.

“Let’s go back.”

It was when I had just returned to the still noisy banquet hall.

“Ouch!”

Someone’s brief scream was heard, and then my dress became damp.

A little startled, I looked to the side and saw a spilled cup and a fallen servant.

Perhaps she fell and spilled the cup on the table.

Red wine was dripping down on the table.

At the same time, the skirt of my dress was in a state of disrepair.

“Oh, Miss, there’s a stain on your clothes…”

Joan hurriedly pulled out her handkerchief.

With an upset face, she carefully wiped the wine off my skirt.

But there was no way the stain would disappear.

The hem of my dress was messed up with red stains.

Fortunately or unfortunately, people had not yet noticed the small commotion in the corner.

“Princess, Princess, I’m really sorry. I never did that on purpose. Someone tripped me…”

The servant who made the messy stain on my dress trembled like an aspen with a white face.

She looked very pitiful.

“You said you were tripped?”

I looked behind the servant.

Several people were standing there.

They looked at me with curious eyes.

But as soon as our eyes met, they hurriedly avoided their gaze.

“Who tripped her?”

“From what I’ve seen, she stumbled on her own and fell.”

Said the man who was in a position where he could not have done it.

He was suspicious, but he was excluded from being a suspect because he stood far away. But his eyes were full of joy.

“If you made a mistake and tried to avoid responsibility by blaming others…”

“She has no sign of reflection and no conscience. I can’t just let it go.”

Each time the people spoke, the servant’s face grew more pale and scared.

“It’s not an excuse. It was the truth.”

Looking at the servant’s expression, she didn’t seem to be lying.

“What about this? The fine dress is a mess.”

A young lady came with her fan folded and said,

His face was familiar, but I didn’t know her name.

As I tried to remember where I had seen her, she continued.

“Even if you try to remove these kinds of stains, it won’t come off, but it’s a big deal. The precious dress became a waste.”

Contrary to the sad voice, her eyes were curved in a half-moon shape and she had a smile on her face.

“Princess, did you bring any other clothes to change into? The daughter of the famous Duke of Lillian cannot walk around wearing clothes like this. How much less… Even Miss Claire, who is just a Baron’s daughter, is formal.”

At the end of the young lady’s gaze, Claire stood.

“Obviously, that dress was also a gift. If it were me, I would never have come to today’s banquet wearing it. How can a person be so brazen…”

“While the princess is away from her seat, it is clear how much she flirted…”

A few people around, led by the young lady, added a few words.

Hearing what they were saying, it seemed that they tried to fuel my anger.

Because of them, the commotion was growing more and more.

It was then that I remembered where I had seen the young lady in front of me.

She usually followed Claire and flattered her.

‘There is no way that a young girl from a Baron family who’s nameless can hold her head up in front of a Princess and say these things without a reason…’

It felt a little strange to say that it was simply due to the servant’s mistake.

I looked around.

Then, belatedly, I found young master Frein, who was watching the situation here with his eyes shining in the crowd.

A smirk appeared on his lips as he looked at me.

‘It’s him. The mastermind.’

Those who simply tried to seek power could not do this in a big setting with the presence of the Duke and the emperor.

It must have been because of passion.

Come to think of it, I saw Claire with him earlier.

He was a passionate young man who wanted to take revenge on the evil woman who bullied the girl he was in love with.

It was obvious that they were happy and hoped for my misfortune.

However, no princess could make a fuss at the banquet hall where even the emperor attended. Perhaps even if the real Roxana was here, she would have had no choice but to put up with it, too.

I glanced at the servant, who was still lying on the floor.

Her forehead was glistening with sweat.

The frightened eyes were now staring at the floor as if resigned.

It was a natural reaction from the servant’s point of view, as she had dirtied the dress of a notorious Princess.

“What’s going on?”

The Duke came and asked.

He frowned as he looked at my dirty dress and the servant who was lying on the floor.