2. Golden Invitations Cannot Be Refused (part 2)
Haha, Marcella Morris.
Arthur, who had thought Marcella would be pleased if he gave her shoes and gently coaxed her, bit his teeth secretly while smiling, realizing things wouldn’t go easily. His head was already about to burst just dealing with His Majesty and the divine beasts.
“Lady Marcella, His Majesty told me to just apologize and give you a gift and return, but…”
Arthur spoke in a very careful voice, controlling the strength and weakness while looking at Marcella with sad eyes. The more he did so, the more Marcella’s eyes shone with suspicion like a cat hiding under a bed, which was cute but annoying.
“Could you grant this humble person’s request?”
Teon, who had been listening with bated breath, choked on his tea.
Arthur Digory—Arthur the fatherless—calling himself a humble person and bowing to ask for a favor!
Teon became afraid to imagine what on earth had happened last night.
It would be nice if she said something, but once Marcella set her mind on something, she never backed down and wouldn’t even open her mouth.
“When you come to tonight’s party.”
“I’m sorry to say this, Lord Digory.”
Marcella cut off Arthur’s words. She had cut him off mid-sentence.
Arthur was inwardly flustered at being treated this way by a young lady, but he nodded and waited for Marcella’s words. Somehow he felt uneasy.
“I won’t be going to any more Foundation Day parties.”
Why did his uneasy premonitions always come true! Arthur almost jumped up and demanded why she was saying such things. But that wouldn’t be the cool Arthur Digory.
“But you must have been invited to tonight’s party as well?”
“I’m not feeling well and can’t go.”
“You’re not feeling well…?”
“Yes.”
At Marcella’s firm attitude, Arthur pursed his lips slightly.
The previous servant who had been bitten by Tamarin had his leg torn and they had to urgently call a healing mage, but he had to lie in bed for a month. But not feeling well? When she looked this fine?
“I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. It would have been nice if you had come tonight wearing those shoes.”
“I’m sorry too.”
Marcella smiled brightly with a face that showed no regret at all.
The work of spreading rumors that His Majesty had given Marcella Morris shoes was already complete. Now, if Marcella Morris herself appeared at the party wearing the shoes the Emperor had gifted her, the vicious rumors would instantly transform into a pink scandal.
But Marcella Morris had ruined everything. If the lady in the rumors kept not coming to parties, the rumors might become increasingly vicious.
Arthur glared at the lady who was sabotaging his plan while smiling brightly.
My lady, I’m not called Arthur the fatherless for nothing.
“Since Tamarin made Lady Marcella’s health so poor, why didn’t you tell us!”
Marcella was startled by his shining eyes and pressed her back against the sofa, retreating.
He jumped up from his seat and made exaggerated gestures, exclaiming things like “How could this happen!” and “Good heavens!” Then he moved to sit beside Marcella and tried to take her hands.
When Marcella startled and hid her hands behind her back, Arthur hesitated, then smiled brightly.
“Please give His Majesty a chance to apologize in person.”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
“No, Lady Marcella, this is an important matter!”
Arthur stood up again with a face that showed he absolutely wouldn’t back down, waving his hands.
“I’ll send an invitation soon.”
“What invitation? If it’s a party, I said I won’t go…”
“No, Lady Marcella. I can’t unreasonably ask sick Lady Marcella to come to a party.”
Then what invitation was he talking about? When Marcella frowned and looked up at Arthur, Arthur smiled brightly.
“Are there any types of tea you dislike?”
“…Lord Digory, you’re not telling me to sit and have tea with His Majesty, are you?”
No way!
Seeing Marcella, who insisted she was sick, jump up made Arthur delighted.
“Since Lady Marcella is too unwell to come to the party, what choice do we have?”
“I think I’m better now. I’ll just go to the party.”
“Lady Marcella! When you’re sick, you must rest well. Don’t overdo it. Considering Lady Marcella’s health, I’ll arrange the invitation for the day after tomorrow.”
Arthur arbitrarily decided when to arrange the invitation and stood up.
“Lord Digory!”
“Since you’re not feeling well, there’s no need to see me out.”
When Marcella tried to follow him up, he waved his hand and made her sit back down.
“Then I’ll see you again the day after tomorrow.”
“Lord Digory!”
Leaving only those words, he tried to leave, so Teon hurriedly followed after him.
Left alone, Marcella couldn’t close her mouth as she organized her thoughts.
“Unreasonable!”
The Emperor’s aide was unreasonable. An invitation? To have tea with the Emperor? Why on earth!
Just then, Tela, who had awakened from her nap, came pattering over. Still not fully awake, she saw Marcella and climbed onto the sofa where she was sitting, lying down with her head on Marcella’s lap.
“Auntie, why are you angry?”
Tela, lying with her head on Marcella’s lap and looking up at her face, asked.
“…Because they suddenly told me to go to the imperial palace.”
“Auntie, are you going to the imperial palace? How nice.”
Tela looked at Marcella while yawning widely with her small mouth. It wasn’t nice at all, but Marcella couldn’t tell the truth to Tela’s sparkling eyes. That she didn’t want to go.
Was this how her sister felt when she made a troubled face every time Marcella envied going to Castleid? Marcella felt like crying for no reason and hugged Tela tightly.
He really sent an invitation. No, this should be called bringing it rather than sending it.
Marcella glared at Arthur Digory, who was holding out the invitation with both hands while smiling brightly.
The invitation was annoyingly a golden invitation with the imperial dragon crest. If she valued her life, she couldn’t refuse.
“Now, please read it and let’s go.”
“Go where exactly?”
“Of course, to enjoy tea time with His Majesty.”
“Lord Digory, I ‘just now’ received the invitation.”
“But you did receive it, didn’t you?”
Arthur smiled brightly as he pressed the invitation into Marcella’s hands and began pushing her back.
“Wait a moment. Let me speak first!”
“Isn’t Count Morris’s proxy out right now? If we tell him after he returns, it’ll be too late.”
“How do you know that?”
“Now, now, His Majesty is waiting, Lady Marcella. Don’t worry about Teon. I’ll explain everything properly.”
Marcella tried to resist, but Arthur was unreasonable. He personally opened the door of the carriage he had come in and pushed Marcella inside.
Though Marcella burst out with complaints about what he was doing, Arthur closed the carriage door and as soon as he took his seat, knocked on the carriage window. The quick-witted coachman started the carriage before Marcella could get up.
“Lord Digory.”
Anger was evident in Marcella’s voice. Arthur smiled brightly and looked at the crumpled golden invitation in Marcella’s hands instead of her face.
“Lord Digory.”
“Yes, Lady Marcella.”
When Marcella called him again, Arthur finally met her eyes. He could tell she was very angry.
“I thought the reason His Majesty invited me today was to apologize to me.”
“You understand correctly, Lady Marcella.”
“But who forcibly pushes someone into a carriage when trying to apologize to them?”
“His Majesty’s loyal retainer does.”
At Arthur’s utterly confident attitude, Marcella was at a loss for words. He didn’t even deny the fact that he had forcibly pushed her into the carriage.
When Marcella glared silently, Arthur smiled brightly and raised his hands.
“Don’t worry—Tamarin won’t attack Lady Marcella.”
“Are you guaranteeing that, Lord Digory?”
“If you wish, I’ll even swear. If Tamarin tries to put his mouth on your head again, I’ll put my own head in instead to stop him.”
Arthur was confident, but Marcella couldn’t be completely at ease.
Though Tamarin was the biggest reason she was reluctant to go to the imperial palace, even excluding him, the imperial palace wasn’t a particularly welcome place. She was also bothered by what the Emperor, who sent such an unreasonable retainer to apologize, was thinking.
And that thought proved to be more than just a feeling when she found herself sitting across from the Emperor with a table between them.
Did he really call me to apologize? As if to confirm her doubts, rather than looking sorry, the Emperor just drank tea with a sleepy face.
Sometimes he would prop his chin and look at Marcella, then turn his eyes away—clearly a sleepy person. If he was gauging the timing to apologize, he was an incredibly calm actor.
Marcella began to suspect why the Emperor had really called her. If he wanted to apologize, he could just break this maddeningly prolonged silence and do it. So why? Could it be…
