Chapter 79
Odette slowly shook her head.
“If Your Highness pretends not to know, it will all go according to the Second Prince’s wishes.”
Many had heard the intruder shouting at the ball that he would avenge the Crown Prince. Since the palace escape had failed last night, the intruder team would, as planned, recount only the injustices against the Crown Prince.
If Odette didn’t act here, the Crown Prince would be completely incapacitated.
He would believe that being confined in the Gray Palace was the worst situation that could befall him. But it could get even worse.
A secret trial could sentence him to life imprisonment, and he would be sent to the central prison with its tower.
Yes. The same place where the pregnant Saveil had been imprisoned—a place unbearably hot by day and chillingly damp by night. That would be where the man who had recently been the honorable Crown Prince would end up.
Coincidentally, the charge would be the same as Saveil’s: treason.
The target of the intruder team was the Fourth Princess, but since explosives had been planted at an event attended by the Emperor, charges of treason could be applied. The Second Prince would quickly provide the missing evidence.
In case of emergency, records of the Emperor’s evacuation routes or portable explosives could be “discovered” in the Crown Prince’s private quarters. Add witness reports of recent visits by members of the Empress’s court, and the game would be over.
In reality, setting up the Crown Prince was independent of how despicable he was. Marien was curious to see what Odette would do.
“Of course, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
A faint smile spread across Odette’s lips.
“That way, both the Empress and the Crown Prince’s faction won’t be buried in the mud. After all, both of them are still in the palace. The Empress wipes her tears with a fine silk handkerchief, and three high-quality meals arrive daily in the Gray Palace.”
“That’s true…”
“An opportunity to use an enemy’s hand to eliminate another enemy has come, and it would be such a pity to let it slip by.”
Marien felt thankful she had ended up as a carefree extra. Even if a variable appeared in the story, someone else would handle it. She only needed to avoid falling out of Odette’s favor.
‘I like that my goal is simple.’
There was a caveat, though. Simple didn’t mean easy. It just meant she could focus on a single objective.
‘I wish I could be Odette’s favorite… if only that were possible!’
She knew it was a delusion. Odette didn’t have favorites. And if there were no favorites, there could be no beloved either.
Their heroine was the future Emperor with a strong sense of self.
Marien, grateful to be included as one of her “chess pieces,” decided she would faithfully shake her rattle.
“By the way, Your Highness, may I ask one more thing before we leave?”
“You’ve never been the type to hold back a question.”
Odette gave a nod of permission. Marien smiled brightly, rubbed her hands together, then realized something and lowered them.
She wanted to remain a rattle, but at least one that maintained dignity.
“You told Sir Beers about yesterday’s operation, right? What about Duke Blackwood?”
Odette asked.
“Do you want the truth?”
“I have a bad feeling… but still, you…”
“I only hinted to the Duke briefly. I told him not to intervene on your side and to wait until the situation ended, no matter what happened.”
That was why the Iron-Blooded Duke, a battlefield reaper with superhuman strength, had been present at the ball yet offered no help.
Given Cain’s nature, he could have annihilated the rest of the intruder team. Yet, strangely, everyone was captured alive with eyes and fingers intact.
The mystery was solved.
Except I didn’t know.
I alone didn’t know. I had to worry blindly while facing a man swinging twin blades.
Sure, I understood Vailleon’s role. But the fact that the hint had been given even to that irritating Cain was infuriating.
“You kept your mouth shut for everyone else but me!”
Her shout of injustice echoed through the drawing room.
Odette closed her eyes and placed a hand on her left chest. The princess pressed near her heart, maintaining fragile breaths.
It wasn’t smoke. Her pale face instantly lost all color. Such fragility, even at such a loud noise.
Marien suddenly felt like a terrible human being. She hadn’t intended to give someone a heart attack; she only wanted to express her grievance.
“Medicine…”
Odette’s trembling hand reached out.
“In that drawer… sedatives…”
“Sedatives? The drawer… here? No, maybe below? Your Highness, what does the medicine bottle look like?”
“A small brown bottle with a cap…”
Odette looked as if she could suffocate at any moment. Marien hastily pulled the lower drawer. Luckily, she found a brown bottle that fit in her hand.
“Is this it?”
Odette barely nodded. Marien brought the bottle to her. Fearing Odette might drop it before taking a pill, Odette asked Marien to place a single pill in her palm. Marien watched anxiously as the princess swallowed the tiny pill with tea.
“Feeling better now?”
“….”
“If it’s hard to speak, blink your eyes. One blink if okay, two rapid blinks if not.”
“….”
“No glaring without blinking is not an option.”
Odette closed her eyes with a “let’s not talk” expression. After about five minutes, she opened them again, looking much improved.
“I thought you were going to die.”
“You sure do like bringing up royal deaths.”
“I thought my heart would stop! You collapse just from a loud noise? If you died then, how could I clear my own grievance?”
Odette replied that there was no reason for her to feel aggrieved. Marien pouted, saying she now had another grievance.
“You kept this secret from me until now… It feels like Duke Blackwood is more trustworthy than me, and I don’t like that.”
“You had my support a moment ago, so let’s call it a draw.”
Marien pouted. It was finally time to return home. Once at the Count’s residence, she would first check if Vailleon had regained consciousness.
The royal physician had said the bleeding wasn’t life-threatening. But Vailleon hadn’t opened his eyes since losing consciousness on the ballroom floor last night. His caretaker said he hadn’t woken once all night.
The original story didn’t mention how long he had been down. Surely, he wouldn’t lie there for the rest of summer? Marien frowned.
“The royal physician will visit the Count’s residence this afternoon,” Odette said softly.
“It’s the Emperor’s special order. The physician will check daily until the Chancellor fully recovers. Don’t worry too much.”
It might sound strange, but the princess suggested Vailleon should also get some rest. She joked as if she thought her body had twelve parts to spare.
“And soon, the Emperor’s messenger will visit you. It will be a reward for protecting the princess without sparing yourself. I don’t know what kind of gift it will be.”
“A gift? For me? From the Emperor?”
“I hope it will ease your grievance, at least a little.”
Marien’s eyes widened at the unexpected news. Would the messenger visit the Count’s residence or the Chancellor’s office? When did the Emperor hear this news?
Before Marien could bombard her with questions, Odette waved her hand.
“Go quickly. I need to rest.”
Marien swallowed a hundred questions and left the drawing room.
◇ ◆ ◇
There—one. Two behind the pillar. No, not two. I thought it was a servant, but they were a party. So, three.
“Sir Beers, excuse me.”
Noble youths were trying to catch Marien’s attention. Vailleon, whose nerves were already sharp, was approached.
“Duke Appellate and other high officials wish to discuss the Delheim matter. Could you spare a moment?”
The person or title didn’t matter. What mattered was Delheim—a prearranged signal with Odette.
They had agreed to use “Delheim” to indicate top-secret matters that must not be leaked, even to family.
‘Why now, of all times?’
Vailleon glanced at his partner sipping a fruit drink. Marien had likely heard the messenger too but pretended not to notice.
Her soft, peach-colored cheek revealed as she looked away. It looked like it would taste of cream if licked.
‘Hah…’
Today, Marien was unusually lovely. She had always been, but today was peak perfection.
The fairy from her childhood storybooks stepping out of the pages might look like this.
Every step she took seemed to sprinkle sparkling stardust.
Marien, however, gave a faint, awkward smile, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.
It was the perfect smile for fools to misinterpret. She smiled awkwardly, not out of affection or shyness.
‘Marien only likes me.’
The others, seeing her smile, could just drink their champagne and go home.
“Marien.”
“Yes, Sir Beers?”
“I think there are people I need to consult. I’ll be quick.”
“I’m fine. Take your time.”
Marien closed her eyes beautifully and smiled. Unlike her previous awkward smile, this one was special—just for him among all the people in the ballroom.
Vailleon felt quietly pleased but also insanely protective. Other men had just seen her lovely smile.
‘They’ll probably make a move as soon as I leave.’
He couldn’t let her be left alone like a rabbit in the meadow. He signaled his sister, who had been dancing nonstop, to come over.
Though it was odd to worry about a single rabbit’s safety, the responsible sibling had no choice but to assign protection.
“I’ll step away for a moment. I’ll be back as soon as possible, but I don’t know exactly how long. Until then…”
‘Such embarrassingly overprotective behavior… no, at this stage, it could be called extreme possessiveness. Next step would be punching anyone who looks at my woman with those dirty eyes. He needs to realize his state soon.’
