TYBMB 22

Chapter 22. A Gift from the Man Who Betrayed Me
2024.01.22.

I couldn’t help but admire Hernant’s impeccable timing.

Of all moments, he had to visit now.

Just moments ago, Johannes had been venting his frustration about Hernant, complaining about one thing or another.

If Johannes and Hernant met right now, there was no way it would go smoothly. It seemed I’d have to mediate between them.

So when Johannes stood up to go greet Hernant, I stood up as well.

“You’re going to greet him too, Sister? You must be tired.”

“I should. He might be here because of me. I’m his partner for this event, after all. We probably have a lot to discuss.”

“……”

“And don’t even think about complaining to His Majesty about that matter. I’ve already decided to be his partner.”

As I firmly stated that, Johannes let out a long sigh.

He clearly wasn’t happy about it, but in the end, he nodded.

It seemed he intended to let it go quietly this time.

With that, the two of us headed to the parlor, where Hernant would be waiting.

Hernant was sitting comfortably there, sipping tea served by a maid.

When he saw me walk into the room, he smiled softly.

“I rushed over as soon as I heard my partner had arrived in the capital. I missed you, Yulia.”

“……”

I simply responded with a polite bow.

Only after acknowledging my greeting did Hernant finally turn his attention to Johannes.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize for not greeting you sooner. Due to insufficient time to prepare, I unintentionally acted discourteously.”

At Johannes’s words, I flinched slightly.

It sounded polite at a glance, but there was a clear undertone of blame directed at Hernant.

Saying he didn’t have enough time to prepare was essentially accusing Hernant of showing up unannounced and putting him in an awkward spot.

It was the kind of veiled insult social aristocrats often used.

Even I, who wasn’t used to such aristocratic wordplay, could sense the hostility in Johannes’s tone, and Hernant certainly noticed it too.

“Sorry I couldn’t give advance notice. I just really wanted to see Yulia.”

“Advance notice? Not at all, Your Majesty. Please visit whenever you wish. Even if it’s in the middle of the night, we’ll welcome you gladly.”

“……”

A chill crept up my spine.

I’d warned Johannes beforehand not to provoke Hernant, yet his words were laced with undeniable thorns.

As Hernant’s expression began to stiffen, I quickly stepped in between them.

“Did you come to discuss something with me as your partner? If so, would it be alright if we spoke alone?”

“…Would that be okay, Marquis? I’d prefer it if you gave us some privacy.”

Hernant didn’t bother hiding his displeasure, going so far as to openly tell Johannes to leave.

Johannes’s eyes twitched slightly at that, but fortunately, he didn’t lash out.

Instead, he looked at me.

“Sister.”

“Please give us the room. I’m asking you.”

“……”

At my request, Johannes finally stepped back.

“Then I’ll return to my duties. Please call if you need anything.”

He bowed slightly to Hernant and left the room.

Now that it was just the two of us, Hernant let out a sigh.

“Did you complain about me to your brother while I was gone? He seems quite frosty.”

“Of course not. And honestly, I didn’t find his attitude that cold.”

“He was downright sarcastic. But let’s leave that aside and get to the point.”

Hernant leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs comfortably.

“The dress I promised you is already finished. It’ll be delivered here this evening.”

“Oh, really? Thank you. I’ll wear it well.”

“I saw it briefly—it turned out wonderfully. So now you’ll have to make sure you live up to it, right?”

“…?”

Telling me to become a woman worthy of the dress he practically forced on me?

I wondered what nonsense he was spewing, but I didn’t bother arguing.

No matter how ridiculous his words were, I couldn’t openly challenge the emperor.

Instead, I decided to use the graceful aristocratic speech Johannes had demonstrated earlier to point out his absurdity.

“Become a woman worthy of the dress…? Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I must be too ignorant to understand your meaning.”

“Is that your way of telling me I’m talking nonsense?”

“Not at all. I would never dare say something so impertinent.”

Perhaps finding it too troublesome to scold me, Hernant took a sip of his tea with a blank expression.

I thought the topic had passed quietly, but then his next words hit me with a fresh wave of distress.

“Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to do anything too troublesome. I just want you to learn a bit of dancing.”

“…Dancing?”

Contrary to his claim, it was quite a burdensome request.

Everyone knows how annoying and exhausting it is to learn something you have no interest in.

My face almost twisted with annoyance, but I managed to keep a neutral expression.

“I’d like to learn, but the timing is too tight. The event is just around the corner, and I’m not sure I’ll have time to—”

“You know the basics, don’t you?”

“…Not at all. I’ve spent my whole life learning only how to wield a sword. I know nothing else.”

“Swordplay and dancing both involve moving the body. If you’re agile enough to handle a sword, you’ll pick up dancing quickly.”

He was not someone I could reason with.

Still, I felt I really had to refuse this time and opened my mouth to say so, but Hernant beat me to it.

“If you don’t learn, you’ll embarrass yourself. The emperor and his partner must be the first to perform at the Foundation Day ball.”

“…? Really? I don’t recall that ever being the case before.”

“It wasn’t—until this year. I added that rule myself.”

“……”

As I stood there frowning in disbelief, Hernant chuckled with amusement.

“If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself, then you better start practicing. Want me to teach you myself?”

“…No, thank you. I’ll practice with Johannes. But shouldn’t you be returning to the palace soon? You must be busy…”

“That’s not your concern. I’ve already finished my work. I can stay until evening.”

“……”

Unbelievable.

Even after I bluntly told him to leave, he was determined to stay.

Frustrated, I downed a glass of cold water to cool my boiling insides.

Later That Evening

Hernant really didn’t leave until evening.

He seemed intent on seeing me wear the dress himself, and fortunately, it arrived quickly.

Eager to get rid of him, I hurriedly tried it on with the help of the maids.

The dress was made of a deep ocean-blue fabric, which accentuated my pale skin and silver hair beautifully.

I also put on black silk gloves—something I’d never worn before—and matching gemstone earrings.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

After finishing my makeup, I stood in front of the mirror.

My first impression upon seeing myself was this:

…That’s not me.

The woman in the mirror wasn’t knight Yulia—it was someone entirely different.

A woman who would glide across the ballroom floor, leaving a trail of perfume in her wake.

Someone who seemed like she had never once rolled in dust on the battlefield.

I was so shocked by the transformation that I stood there blankly, staring at myself. The maids began fussing excitedly around me.

“You’re truly beautiful! The blue looks magical against your fair skin!”

“If Lady Yulia shows up at the ball, no other ladies will stand a chance! You have a completely different aura!”

“We must show this look to His Majesty and His Excellency! I’ve never seen anyone wear such a magnificent dress so perfectly! I’m sure they’ll both be stunned!”

I responded with a polite smile to their compliments.

Then they escorted me to the first-floor hall, where Johannes and Hernant were waiting.

As I arrived, both men turned to look at me at the same time.

“Sister…? My goodness, it suits you perfectly. I mean that.”

“Yulia… You should’ve dressed like this sooner. It’s almost a shame to let other men see you like this.”

At Hernant’s words, Johannes’s eye twitched slightly, but fortunately, Hernant didn’t notice.

He was already approaching me, having passed right by Johannes.

As he came close, Hernant extended his hand to me.

“I meant what I said earlier about teaching you to dance. Since you’re wearing the dress now, how about we practice a song together?”