1. Even Pretty Shoes Can Become Weapons (part 1)
Marcella’s smile in front of the mirror and wouldn’t stop. Ahhh….How could i!
“Are you that happy?”
Teon, who had been sitting at the table reading a newspaper, glanced at Marcella over the paper and asked. Instead of answering, Marcella gave a subtle smile.
“At least you won’t catch a cold this time.”
“Of course not. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Auntie is so pretty. Make Tela look like Auntie too.”
When Tela grabbed Teon’s pants and pleaded, he laughed as if troubled but still lifted his young daughter onto his lap.
With practiced skill, he gathered his daughter’s hair and began braiding it just as Marcella had done.
“But are you really okay with me escorting you?”
“It’s not like I have anyone else to escort me.”
“That’s strange. I seem to remember someone rushing to Morris Castle to offer to escort my sister-in-law even before the Foundation Day invitation arrived. Right, Tela?”
Teon rubbed his nose against his daughter’s head and giggled. Marcella’s lips, which had been turned up in a smile from her good mood, drooped straight down.
Seeing Marcella’s expression, Teon laughed even louder and kissed Tela’s head.
Tela climbed down from Teon’s lap and trotted over to Marcella’s side to look in the mirror.
“Auntie and Tela look exactly the same, right?”
“Yes, exactly the same.”
Tela beamed and ran to Teon, bragging that Auntie said she was pretty.
Even though it was less than five steps away and Teon had already heard everything, he nodded enthusiastically as if hearing the story for the first time.
“So you haven’t made up with Donner?”
“Made up? Donner is the one being mean to me. One-sidedly!”
When Marcella shuddered with displeasure, Teon burst into laughter.
Marcella stuck out her lip at Teon for teasing her, then shook her head vigorously. This wasn’t the time for that. She couldn’t let someone like Donner ruin her long-awaited debutante ball.
Marcella straightened her mindset and stood in front of the mirror once more with a smile.
“Today is going to be the best day of my life.”
It had to be.
However, contrary to Marcella’s resolve, she felt intimidated as soon as they arrived at the imperial palace.
She had thought she looked pretty enough, but at the Foundation Day celebration, it seemed like every beautiful person in the entire Western Empire—men, women, young, and old—had gathered here today.
Moreover, nine out of ten girls her age were wearing velvet shoes.
Only elderly ladies wore shoes made of the same shiny material as Marcella’s.
“Sister-in-law? Why do you suddenly look like that?”
Teon asked worriedly, seeing Marcella suddenly deflate.
Marcella couldn’t say anything. She had already spent a lot of money on her debutante dress and jewelry, so she had compromised by wearing the best shoes she had. Had that been a mistake?
She should have at least looked into what kind of shoes were popular in the capital. She did have velvet shoes, though they were a bit small.
Marcella’s face flushed at the thought of her mistake. It felt like everyone was looking at her tacky, shiny green shoes and laughing.
“Marcella.”
Should she have made the dress longer so the shoes wouldn’t show? What had she been thinking, making them so visible?
“Marcella.”
A nasty voice reached Marcella as she regretted her choice.
Marcella pretended not to hear and ignored it, but the man was persistent.
“Marcella, what brings you to the Foundation Day celebration?”
It was Donner Cravan.
What did he mean, what brought her here? He was the one who had shown up at Morris Castle out of nowhere, saying that since she probably didn’t have anyone to escort her anyway, he would sacrifice himself as a fellow eastern noble.
Marcella glanced at Donner and ignored him. Of all people, Donner was the first man to speak to her after arriving here.
“Marcella, did you leave your manners at Morris Castle? This is the imperial palace. Not Morris Castle where you can show off.”
Marcella’s head snapped around to face Donner. Who was lecturing whom about manners?
Donner wasn’t unaware that today was Marcella’s debutante ball. He also knew well that Marcella was a year late than others. Did he know all this and still want to ruin my debutante ball?
Marcella glared at Donner, then took a long breath through her nose and smiled brightly.
“Oh, there you were. I didn’t know.”
Donner’s brow twitched.
Trying not to show his agitation, Donner raised his trembling lips.
“I understand it’s your first time, but try to do better. I don’t want to be treated like a country bumpkin just because we’re from the same place.”
Marcella wanted to say something back to Donner out of indignation and anger. But this wasn’t Morris Castle or the eastern region, as he had said. This was where nobles from other regions and even the Emperor himself were present. She had to be careful with her actions.
“Thank you for the advice.”
When Marcella barely managed to smile and speak, Donner smirked and looked her up and down, stopping at her shoes.
“You’ve dressed up in everything you could, Marcella. Though I doubt it changes your basics.”
Today was her once-in-a-lifetime debutante ball. This was the imperial palace. She had tried so hard to endure it!
“Donner, what’s with that hair of yours?”
When Marcella pointed to Donner’s greasy blond hair slicked back, he let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
Though he pretended to be calm, his face turned obviously red.
Donner glanced at Marcella’s shoes again and raised his lips nastily.
“You just don’t know what’s in fashion. Well, how would someone who picks mushrooms in the mountains know?”
“Who doesn’t know fashion? I’m saying that hair doesn’t suit you. It’s greasy.”
Even as she retorted, Marcella’s face burned with shame. She had already been self-conscious about it, and now Donner was pointing it out.
It was always like this. Conversations with him always left her hurt and humiliated.
Marcella didn’t want to talk to him anymore.
After curtsying with a slight lift of her skirt hem, Marcella turned around, and Donner shouted at her back.
“What about you? Why did you braid your hair when it doesn’t suit you? It makes your head look big.”
“Do you think yours looks small?”
“Marcella Morris, how dare you say such things to me…! You’ll regret this!”
He was the one who started it.
As Donner fumed with anger, Marcella snorted.
“You’re the one who should regret it.”
Marcella didn’t want to waste any more time on such childish arguments with that disgusting Donner.
But no matter how fast she moved her legs, Donner kept following her.
“Don’t follow me.”
“Who do you think is following you? Me? You? Aren’t you making strange assumptions because you’re conscious of me?”
They were seventeen years old and having this kind of argument! Marcella felt irritation rising.
“Then go your way. I’m going that way.”
“Don’t you dare order me around. I was going that way originally.”
“Then go! I’ll go this way. I’m too scared to go to the same place as Lord Donner!”
“Marcella! Hey!”
As Marcella quickly turned and strode forward, Donner called out loudly from behind. So much for manners—this was hardly mannerly behavior.
Marcella covered her ears with both hands, shuddered, and moved her legs quickly. She knew it would be better to get along peacefully since they were from the same eastern region, but disgusting was disgusting.
“Sister-in-law, I thought you went to socialize for a splendid social debut, but why did you come back with that face?”
“……”
“Ah, you met Donner?”
When Marcella didn’t respond with a sullen face, Teon laughed loudly as if he had expected it.
“It’s not funny.”
Others had their debutante balls at sixteen. Marcella was holding hers one year late, today.
Whom could she blame? It was because she had caught a terrible cold during that year’s Foundation Day season.
She had waited so long for today to make up for being a year late, and he was ruining it?
“Donner should realize it by now too.”
“Right. That guy needs to know he’s disgusting!”
Stop showing off.
At Marcella’s anger, Teon smiled silently and looked toward the ballroom. Some people were already dancing to the orchestra’s performance.
The party host—in the case of the Foundation Day celebration, the Emperor—hadn’t even appeared yet, but the party atmosphere had already begun.
“If you don’t mind me, shall we dance to one song, Lady?”
Was that okay? It must be, or he wouldn’t be asking.
Marcella stared at Teon’s hand for a moment, then placed her hand on it.
“Fine. Even if rumors spread throughout the east that I danced with my brother-in-law at the imperial palace, it’s better than being the unfortunate lady who didn’t dance even once.”
“Cheer up, sister-in-law. If you dance with Donner too, that makes two people.”
“Don’t even mention Donner.”
“Sorry. I won’t anymore.”
Really. Despite his apology, there was clearly a teasing tone.
When Marcella glared at Teon silently, he took her hand and assumed the position.
Just as she was about to naturally follow his lead and begin the steps, murmuring sounds came from the entrance of the ballroom.
Teon’s eyes widened as he glanced to see what was happening.
Marcella also looked to see what was going on, but she could only see the murmuring sounds and people’s confused faces.
Teon let go of Marcella’s hand and stepped close beside her.
“His Majesty the Emperor.”
Marcella’s eyes grew even wider than Teon’s.
“Bow your head.”
When Teon whispered, Marcella quickly followed him and bowed her head.
The murmuring stopped and only silence circulated. It seemed like no one was breathing.
Only the sound of footsteps could be heard. It wasn’t one person’s footsteps. Two, it was two.
“Everyone, please raise your heads.”
At the powerful young man’s voice, Marcella slightly raised her head. A man was sitting on the throne that had been empty until just moments ago.
Deep shadows fell across his face, as dark as his jet-black hair.
‘His Majesty doesn’t particularly like parties.’
She remembered what Teon had said before coming.
Indeed, the way he sat with his arm on the armrest and his chin propped askew didn’t look like someone who had come to enjoy a party.
“There will be a congratulatory address from His Majesty.”
“That’s Sir Arthur Digory.”
Teon pointed with his eyes to the man standing beside the Emperor and speaking, whispering to Marcella.
Marcella sneakily glanced at the man.
That was Arthur the fatherless. When someone asked about morality after he betrayed his family to make Nell Hairi emperor, he supposedly answered:
“I don’t have a father, you see?”
So he was called Arthur the fatherless—without blood, tears, or father. Whether he really said that was unknown.
When everyone’s attention turned to the Emperor, he slowly opened his lips while looking down at his people from his seat.
“I am pleased that you have all gathered to celebrate the founding of the Western Empire.”
It was a voice that made one doubt whether he was really pleased.
Marcella waited for the Emperor’s next words. But no matter how long she waited, the Emperor just kept his mouth firmly shut and looked on indifferently.
“Ahem. On this joyful day, His Majesty is also very pleased to be with you all. As a servant who serves His Majesty, there could be no greater joy for me.”
When Arthur Digory extended his hand, a servant quickly handed him a cup. Then others began raising their cups in unison.
“Glory to His Majesty!”
“Glory to His Majesty!”
When Lord Digory led the chant, everyone followed.
When confused Marcella looked at Teon, he was already raising his cup high, shouting glory, and drinking.
“That’s unfair! You should have taught me beforehand.”
“Hahaha.”
“It’s not funny!”
Though Marcella was angry, Teon just laughed and clinked his empty cup against Marcella’s belated cup.
“Tsk, His Majesty is going home early again today.”
Teon whispered to his sister-in-law, who was looking at him disapprovingly. Already? Without dancing even once?
No matter how much he disliked parties, this was beyond dislike—it was hatred.
Marcella unconsciously turned to look at the departing Emperor and their eyes met directly.
Though she knew it was rude, Marcella was too surprised to bow her head or curtsy lightly. All she could do was slowly blink her eyes, and the Emperor who met her gaze had a similar reaction.
He stopped walking and stared at Marcella.
