~Chapter 98~
If the Empress finds out who she really is, way too many people would get hurt.
For the Empress, who’s trying to take down the Crown Prince’s faction, this would be a golden opportunity.
Leah bit the inside of her lip hard.
Her eyes were full of worry and fear.
“…Let me think this through for a second.”
She mumbled to herself as she stopped pacing and tried to calm down.
‘Am I just overthinking this?’
How would the Empress even figure out her identity?
“…Even I didn’t know who I really was.”
Logically, there was almost no way the Empress could figure it out.
Leah decided to put her worries aside for now and went to see Johann in his office.
Knock knock.
“Um, it’s Leah.”
“…Come in.”
Johann was sitting properly at his desk, reading documents.
‘He must’ve been up late last night at the banquet, but he still looks sharp…’
Unlike her, looking tired and rough, Johann was perfectly neat as always.
“Duke, thank you for last night.”
Leah gave him a polite bow.
“Paula told me you carried me all the way up to the fourth floor. I must’ve been heavy. I’m sorry.”
“You weren’t heavy at all. It was nothing,” Johann replied, putting down his papers and looking at her.
“…”
He says stuff like that so casually now.
‘I mean, I’m not Rafi—I’m not light at all.’
His face stayed calm, but Leah’s cheeks were getting hot.
“It really wasn’t hard,” he repeated.
“…Ahem. Duke, I didn’t do anything embarrassing last night, did I?”
Leah changed the subject, pretending she didn’t hear the comment.
‘Most people do something dumb when they’re drunk… I probably did too.’
Nervously, she watched his mouth for the answer.
“…You didn’t.”
He paused before replying.
“Really? Nothing at all?”
That pause was a little suspicious, but still, it was a relief.
“Yeah. Was that what you came here for?”
Johann asked kindly.
“Yes. To thank you… and to apologize if I did anything stupid.”
Her fingers were fidgeting without her realizing.
“…Oh! And please tell the Crown Prince thank you too.”
“To His Highness?”
“Yes, something awkward happened while you stepped out for a bit.”
“I heard. A bunch of idiots tried bothering you.”
Johann frowned.
“…I wasn’t handling it well, but the Crown Prince showed up and helped me.”
The Crown Prince—her cousin Matthias—was still as kind as he was when they were little.
“He even danced with me and gave me a lot of good advice.”
Helping her probably wasn’t just because she reminded him of his little cousin.
He took after his mother, the Empress, and was just naturally warm-hearted.
Leah felt deeply relieved and thankful to see that he hadn’t changed.
‘Maybe that’s why I started remembering things yesterday—after talking with him.’
Thinking back to what her grandma said, it made sense.
“I’ll pass it on. And I should thank him myself too.”
“You too?”
“Of course. He looked after my fiancée—of course I should thank him.”
Johann smiled gently, his eyes crinkling.
“…”
That smile made her toes curl.
If she didn’t leave now, she’d probably smile back like an idiot.
“Sorry for bothering you when you’re busy. I’ll get going now.”
She didn’t want him to notice her feelings.
Nothing was solved yet, and this distance between them felt safer for now.
“Leah.”
“Yes?”
Johann’s voice stopped her as she was about to leave.
“I’m glad I saw you today. So don’t say stuff like ‘sorry for bothering you.’”
His voice sounded a little hurt.
She almost laughed—it was kind of cute—but held it back.
“…Okay.”
So she answered a beat late and left the office.
—
Meanwhile…
“Patrizia? What brings you here?”
She had shown up during Narcissa’s tea time.
“…Mother, I know I messed up, but this is just too humiliating.”
She was scared of her mother, but she still wanted to lean on her.
“How could Duke Blumhardt bring that commoner woman to the banquet?
I’m his fiancée and a princess! He should have respected me!”
She acted like she’d forgotten all the terrible things she’d done to Johann.
“Just thinking about their smug faces last night still makes me so mad I could scream.”
Narcissa nodded calmly as she sipped her tea.
“Even the Crown Prince danced with her! Do you know how people must’ve looked at me?”
Her eyes were turning red with rage.
“I was so upset I couldn’t sleep at all last night. Look at my skin, Mother!”
She whined more, comforted by her mother’s unusually calm and attentive demeanor.
“I’m breaking out from the stress and my skin’s totally ruined.”
Narcissa reached out and gently touched her daughter’s cheek.
“…Mother, I’ll never forgive them. Ever.”
Patrizia leaned into that small warmth, a tear slipping down her cheek.
“This is all my fault, Patrizia,” Narcissa finally said.
“What?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“I tried to make a wild stallion into a tamed horse. Such foolishness.”
She had tried to tame Duke Blumhardt? What was she even saying?
“But it’s not too late. I’ll get rid of them for you.”
Narcissa smiled coldly, as if she’d finally figured everything out.
“That girl’s still young, so she’ll be easy to manipulate. Don’t you think so?”
“What do you mean, Mother?”
“I’ll take care of everything. You just focus on your skincare.”
She gave Patrizia’s cheek a light tap with her finger.
“You just sit still, my dear.”
It sounded more like an order than a request.
“…Okay, Mother.”
Patrizia didn’t understand, but nodded anyway.
Asking more would probably just get her scolded.
“I have to go speak with Carmen. You go back to your palace.”
“Yes.”
She wanted to stay longer, but that was clearly a dismissal.
—
The next day
A young maid named Emily came running into the Princess’s palace.
“What’s with the rush?”
“Your Highness! All the salons are going crazy right now!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Since yesterday, not just the fancy salons like Evelyn’s, but even common shops have been selling dresses that look like what Duke Blumhardt’s fiancée wore at the banquet—and they’re all sold out!”
“…What?”
“Even the noble ladies around me sent their maids to wait in line to buy one of the limited-edition versions.”
“You? Did you buy one?”
“…What? No way! Of course not.”
Emily waved her hands in denial.
There was a pause that felt suspicious, but she said no—so Patrizia didn’t push.
“What else?”
“…Huh?”
“That can’t be the only reason you came running in here like that.”
Patrizia glared and jerked her chin at her.
“…Umm, should I even say this…”
The head maid behind Patrizia was signaling frantically at Emily to shut up.
That’s when Emily realized she may have said too much already.
She was probably going to get fired now.
Her father had worked hard to get her this job—she was doomed.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Patrizia stood up and walked toward her.
“…”
Emily stepped back, terrified.
“…She’s not talking because if she does, you’ll burn down the palace.”
A voice came from behind Emily. It was Florian.
“What are you talking about? Explain.”
“If you ever read the newspaper, you wouldn’t have to squeeze poor Emily like this.”
Florian lightly patted Emily’s shoulder and let go.
“Newspaper?”
“Here. But since you hate reading, I’ll read it for you.”
He waved a gossip magazine that covered high society scandals.
“Ahem. ‘The most beautiful lady at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet was none other than Miss Leah von Blumhardt, the Duke’s new fiancée. Though from the northern mountains, she was more elegant and refined than Princess Patrizia, who was born royal.’”
The more he read, the more Patrizia’s face turned red and blue with rage.
Her head maid glared daggers at Florian.
Why was he poking the hornet’s nest?!
She couldn’t even shut him up—he was a prince!
“‘The men in attendance couldn’t take their eyes off Leah, and compared her grace to that of a pearl hidden in the mud. They all wondered where the Duke found such a gem…’”
“Get out.”
Patrizia’s face twisted with fury.
“Me?”
“Who else? Take that trash and get out right now!”
She screamed and threw everything on the table to the floor.
“Wow. You kick out your own brother? Harsh.”
“Shut up and GET OUT!”
She picked up a vase from the window and hurled it at him.
Florian dodged and left her palace.
“…That wretched girl—I’ll never let her off the hook.”
Her mother’s warning to stay quiet had already flown out of her head.
