Chapter 65
Hermia craned her neck and looked at the white staircase where the King and Walter had gone up. A few men who had been obstructing her view moved out of the way, sensing her displeasure, but even after looking again, no one was coming down.
‘How many chess games are they going to play? Why haven’t they come down yet? Or do they just have a lot to talk about?’
While dipping about six cookies in the chocolate fountain, she thought about it and felt uneasy. ‘The one who even refused to be the King’s son-in-law’ made it seem like he had lingering regrets. Plus, he seemed to know the Duke well.
‘Is he still not giving up? Is he taking him aside to offer him something more valuable than the inheritance and telling him to marry Elisabeth…’
Suddenly, the conversation she had overheard from the women at the fountain in the plaza flashed through her mind.
If commoners thought that way, then nobles, who were already wealthy, would naturally think it was right to choose power over money. Even Countess Vansen, who would jump out of bed at the mention of money, had chosen a prince over the Duke as a son-in-law.
Hermia gripped the leather pouch in her hand tightly.
Even while trusting Walter, who was devoted to her, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about the possibility.
“If Colonel Rockford gets back to duty after the wedding, he’ll be even busier than he is now.”
“He’s already been resting for a long time. Once his vacation is over, he’ll be spending many days away from the Duke’s castle.”
The conversation between the gentlemen holding wine glasses belatedly entered her ears. While the young ladies, struck by her harsh words, were only watching her reaction, men had gathered around her before she knew it.
“Oh my! There’s nothing more cruel than a new bride being left alone in a big house. Don’t you think so, Miss Hermia?”
The clear voice that cut in was Elisabeth’s. She was desperately trying to dissuade this marriage, forgetting all about appearances.
“Sir Walter is always a busy man. He will be even busier in the future. I’m worried about our Miss Hermia. She doesn’t have any other family to become attached to in the Duke’s family.”
“…….”
At this point, she even felt a little sorry for her. Hermia looked at the princess, who was spouting predictions that were hard to tell whether they were out of concern or wishful thinking, with a frown.
“There will be many days when she has to eat alone… It breaks my heart. Surely there’s someone kinder and more gentle somewhere who can embrace my lonely friend.”
“What are you talking about? Eating alone is so comfortable and delicious.”
Hermia retorted indifferently. It was a pity she didn’t know the joy of eating standing up or lying down without anyone interfering.
While pitying her in her mind, she tilted her head. ‘Friend’?
Thinking she had misheard, she asked again, “Friend?” and Elisabeth brazenly smiled.
“Of course! Have you already forgotten His Majesty’s request? Miss Hermia is my best friend from now on.”
“You’re kidding me…….”
Hermia muttered quietly. There was no way the princess, who was stuck to her like glue, hadn’t heard her, but it was meant to be heard. Friend? That’s a joke.
Elisabeth flinched but remained steadfast until the end.
“We’re obviously friends if we’ve shared secrets.”
“Princess, please stop.”
Hermia sighed deeply and carefully pulled Elisabeth’s hand off her arm. The hand that had been stuck to her like a leech was so strong that she had to forcibly pry it off at the end.
“It doesn’t seem like you want to talk to me in private, so I’ll just tell you here. I appreciate the offer… Well, I don’t appreciate it, but I’ll reject it anyway.”
“…….”
“Let’s pretend that conversation never happened. I’m sorry for not being sorry.”
She did her best to say it and looked at her silently, and Elisabeth, who had been stubbornly resisting, finally reacted. Judging from the way she was constantly twitching her lips, she seemed to be holding back tears.
“I, I’m going to fix my makeup for a while… Gerald!”
As soon as the rising tears were about to fall, she sharply called out to her brother. Gerald, who had been sipping wine nearby, guessed the situation and put down his glass with a troubled face.
“I’ll take her to the lounge and be right back.”
He kindly reported, even though she hadn’t asked, and walked away with Elisabeth.
“Tsk…….”
Seeing her trembling shoulders, she felt a little sorry for her, but what could she do? It was an inevitable answer since she had decided to get married.
With this, the number of friends she had gained in an instant was back to 0. It wasn’t a big deal since the princess had only pretended to be her friend for her own purposes anyway. She just felt a little bitter.
Hermia deliberately turned her gaze away, and the image of a blue buttock came to mind from Gerald’s back, and she shook her head violently.
“Ah, they’re finally gone.”
And as the prince and princess disappeared, the men came a little closer. As the distance narrowed, the smell of alcohol they gave off became stronger.
“It seems you haven’t given up on the colonel yet, as rumored?”
Someone ridiculed Elisabeth mockingly, focusing their gaze on her receding figure. It was a cowardly remark made after seeing Hermia’s cold reaction.
She frowned slightly. Putting aside the princess’s calculating friendliness, the words they were so quick to say as soon as she left were extremely rude.
“As if Miss Hermia would call off her engagement over something like this… Her Majesty the Queen must have quite the headache dealing with such an immature youngest daughter.”
She thought about telling on them, but suddenly the topic turned to her.
“By the way, if I had known Miss Hermia was such a cool person, I would have sent a proposal first. It’s such a pity.”
What? Hermia whipped her head around at the sudden sound of a dog barking.
“Haha! Look at this shameless fellow. His fiancée is standing right there—I’m clearly the better choice.”
“Better choice? You?”
She was now openly scowling. The men were full of irrational confidence because they had drunk a little and were in a group.
The person they had to watch was gone, so this was their only opportunity. Their eyes sparkled with similar dark intentions as they laughed and chatted among themselves.
“As I said before, if you marry Sir Walter… you’ll be very lonely thanks to your busy husband.”
“Even if he’s a little kind now, the Colonel isn’t a very affectionate person to begin with.”
“Is there any need to keep paying attention to a fish you’ve already caught? It’s only natural to lose interest the moment you get married.”
What kind of curse are these guys casting on me?
She silently cursed them with her eyes and stayed still, and the words they were saying as they went with the flow became even more ridiculous.
“To tell you the truth… these days, even chaste noble ladies don’t just look at their husbands like they used to. Personally, I think it’s a good change.”
“It’s not just men who get tired of eating only one thing. Women also sometimes find fun in other places….”
Then one of the playboys, who had been watching her reaction, finally crossed the line.
“Argh! Has this guy gone crazy!”
Hermia exploded again at the excessive behavior of someone who had even subtly touched her finger.
They must have defined her as a woman of humble origins with a foul mouth, so her conduct must be loose. So she must be interested in secret night outings.
The men must have defined her that way. How else could they dare to do this to the Duke’s fiancée?
She was horrified and shook off his hand, screaming like a madwoman.
“What are you crazy bastards doing! Did you all eat something wrong? How dare you touch me! Touch me! Do you want to die?”
“Eek!”
At that moment, the same thought flashed through the minds of those who had no idea about the curse.
This woman is crazy. Walter Rockford’s fiancée isn’t cool, she’s just a madwoman!
The royal orchestra’s quartet was interrupted once again.
It was a sight that even they, who had professionally and bravely finished their performance despite all sorts of trials, such as people openly snoring while sleeping, loudly talking with their neighbors, and babies crying because it was too noisy, had to stop at last.
Even in the midst of all that, the madwoman’s angry voice continued without stopping.
“It’s one thing to underestimate someone, but how dare you crawl up and flirt with me, you things that are uglier than the Duke’s toenails! Go look in the mirror, you mudskipper XXs!”
The musicians who had openly put down their violins pricked up their ears at the most interesting sound in the world.
‘She’s already seen the Duke’s toenails…!’
Someone whispered to their colleague with an interesting expression before suddenly shuddering. Why was there such a chill in the summer night indoors……?
The people who were turning their bodies, following the source, all froze.
The air, like frost, was spreading coldly with every step that someone who had come down the stairs was taking. Knowing that it couldn’t be, they felt like the surrounding temperature had dropped significantly. Maybe it wasn’t just their imagination.
The fearful gazes of the people whose blood had run cold moved away from the madwoman and followed the madwoman’s man.
The sound of his boots splitting the cold marble and continuing onto the carpet, then finally stopping in one place.
“……!”
Hermia, who had been huffing and puffing like a steaming locomotive, reacted to the scent before she saw him. The familiar scent of his cologne lingered nearby, and before she knew it, Walter was back.
Hermia was flustered and stammered before she could even call his name.
“O-Oh, um, that…”
“Who.”
Walter asked, looking at her.
“Who touched you.”
“…….”
At that moment, she frowned as she felt a surge of emotions. Tears that she had stubbornly held back, even when she was angry at Elisabeth’s insults, were about to burst.
The words weren’t ‘What happened?’, but ‘Who did it?’ That, more than anything, was a question meant entirely for her.
Walter asked who had touched her before assessing the situation. Hermia was happy about that, but something ached in her heart.
An absolute ally.
That one phrase, which she hadn’t heard once since her mother had passed away, brought with it a wave of sorrow.
“That… that guy.”
The face of the playboy who was standing in the direction Hermia pointed turned white.
“He touched my pinky finger.”
