Chapter 28
Chapter 28. While the count was away from the mansion
“You look much better these days.”
The Emperor rubbed the dark shadows under his eyes and muttered bitterly to Heinz. He feels like he is getting older day by day, but somehow he is the only one who is so lively.
“Not really.”
“No, you’ve gotten a lot better. It seems like you really like your relegated life.”
“…….”
Heinz’s eyes turned to him at the emperor’s blunt answer. He certainly didn’t have a very good-looking complexion. The Emperor, who made eye contact with Heinz, rubbed his rough chin as he let out a sigh drawn from deep in his stomach.
“It’s strange. No one is looking for the crown prince.”
“Weren’t there people who were summarily executed for treason a few days ago?”
“No, not those rats.”
A bigger catch. The emperor’s blue eyes flashed fiercely, filled with murder. The throne that he ascended after killing all of his blood relatives looked peaceful on the outside, but in reality, it was not a very stable state. Who is his enemy and who is his friend? Everyone was lying low in case their heads flew off, but he didn’t know when and where someone would betray him.
What is even more disturbing is that the assassins who came frequently before his accession to the throne disappeared. It is unnaturally quiet. No one was looking for the crown prince who was rumored to be missing, and no one was actually looking for the tower where the crown prince was trapped. No one wants to kill the unclean emperor.
Tap, tap, the emperor who was tapping the table with his fingertips chuckled. He sneered, and buried his body deep into the chair.
“Well… it will be revealed sooner or later.”
“…….”
“You need to leave for a while.”
“Where do you mean?”
“Berner Port.”
A look of puzzlement appeared in Heinz’s eyes. The Berner Port was one of the closest ports to the capital. It was a place where passenger ships operated actively, focusing on exchanges between countries rather than fishing. But suddenly Berner Port? Are there any rebellious forces out there? The Emperor, who was tired from Heinz’s silence and rubbed his forehead, spoke again.
“Soon the envoys from the kingdom of Honfleur will come.”
“Envoys… you mean?”
The situation in the empire is not completely stable, but they suddenly send envoys. It was a situation where their intention was sufficiently suspected.
“I heard that the kingdom’s third princess is coming. We should personally welcome her.”
The emperor smiled leisurely and threw the document containing the personal information of the envoys onto the desk. Unlike the smiling face, the brightly shining eyes were very mysterious.
***
“Oh my! You’re so pretty!”
“…..Hm.”
Isn’t it a bit excessive? Henelone, who responded to Milena’s fuss without any hesitation, looked at herself in the mirror. The light green dress, which revealed half of her pale upper br*asts, was from the spring collection of Madame Doris. She was the most famous woman in the capital, and was a piece that Milena had cherished and had never worn. Giving away this dress… Milena’s determination to marry her off successfully was quite remarkable.
“This turquoise necklace would look better on your neck than a ribbon….”
“I guess I scratched myself too much in my sleep… haha.”
The marks on the nape of her neck did not disappear even after several days. As soon as she woke up in the morning, she scratched the marks with her fingernails, wondering if a married wife, Milena, would notice. Henelone, who was joking that her bug bites were so itchy, tied a ribbon around the back of her neck. She looked at her face in the mirror again, touching the white string that hung down.
A face lightly powdered and cheeks stained with oil mixed with dye. Her brown hair, bouncy and curled, was braided down to one side for a stylish look, along with a string of pearls. She thought her all-out look was a bit excessive, but when she looked at herself again, it looked pretty good.
After taking a last look at her moist, reddish lips, Henelone stepped into her carriage to be seen off by Milena and Diana.
“Good luck, lady!”
“You must smile brightly. Do you understand, Henelone?”
“Haa….”
Leaving behind the two people who were making a fuss with more excited faces than her, Henelone’s carriage departed for the new city.
***
2 PM, Grand Green Cafe. A handsome blonde man.
Henelone entered the Grand Green Café muttering the information Milena had given her and slowly looked around the interior. Among several couples of men and women who appeared to be on dates, a man sitting alone by the window caught her eye. Under the shining sunlight, the brilliant blonde hair stood out.
‘It must be that guy, right?’
That’s probably right, since he’s the only blond man sitting alone. Henelone checked her clothes in the glass window and walked towards the man.
“Are you… Count Russell?”
Oh, a handsome blonde.
Henelone looked at the man’s face and was inwardly impressed. Just as Milena said, he was a very handsome man. Brilliantly shining golden hair, eyes as deep yellow as sweet honey. And beautifully tanned olive-colored skin. A familiar face with fairly dark skin, typical of a native of the island kingdom of Harfield, came to mind.
‘Heinz also has dark skin.’
No, she was thinking about another man when the man she was meeting in front of her. Henelone quickly erased the afterimage of Heinz that suddenly appeared and focused on the man in front of her again.
‘But… why do you look like that?’
