RAMHM Chapter 51

When Interested in the Grand Duchess's Seat

Nora didn't speak a single word to me after that day, treating me like I was invisible. And so we each prepared for the event according to our own plans, until the day before the ceremony—in the Crown Princess's palace.

"Your Highness, is something troubling you?"

Doris's deep sigh carried all the way to our table, some distance away.

"Is there anything more we could help you with?"

"Thank you, but I'm afraid no one here could help with this."

At Irene's perceptive voice, I glanced at Doris with concern coloring my expression. The skin beneath her eyes was dark—whether from fatigue or something else.

"What's the matter?"

Nora's ambitious eyes fixed on Doris. With a wry laugh, Doris showed us the notebook she'd been studying.

"You're studying Ellaconian?"

"I have no idea why I should learn this useless Ellaconian language. Her Majesty the Empress is learning it because she wants to say something to the Ellaconian envoy who took such good care of her son, but I don't see why I need to as well."

Despite the coldness in her words, Doris didn't lift her eyes from the notebook. I moved closer and quickly copied the contents onto fresh paper with clean strokes. The letters had been written and erased so many times they'd become an eyesore.

"Wow—it looks printed, Madam!"

Irene's eyes went round. I transcribed the Ellaconian I'd honed so carefully, matching it to elegant penmanship. This time even Doris's eyes widened considerably.

"I didn't know you had such talent, Madam. Where did you learn it?"

"...There's a maid at the estate who knows Ellaconian. I learned from her when I was bored."

I couldn't very well say the maid was Rhodness, so I simply smiled. Doris pulled my arm toward her affectionately, as if she'd found a savior.

"Perfect. Madam—whether the event goes well or poorly, you must stay by my side during the envoy reception."

"Pardon?"

"There will be an interpreter anyway, and Ellaconian students learn Imperial as a second language, so communication won't be a major problem."

"Then why..."

"The interpreter is male and elderly—hardly suited to conveying the nuances of a young and beautiful Crown Princess."

Irene's quick-witted answer seemed to satisfy Doris, who pushed the notebook far across the table with an expression of great relief.

"You'll be my voice that day."

In other words, I—who'd only just finished basic Ellaconian—would become the Crown Princess's mouthpiece.

The envoy welcome ceremony had a lighter atmosphere than I'd expected. The Emperor and Empress headed straight to the main conference hall with the envoy delegation leader, leaving only attendants behind.

As Nora's energy deflated—she who'd been determined to make important connections—my own heart grew easier. I followed Doris around, immediately whispering the greetings and exclamations she needed to deliver. When the Empire's Crown Princess offered greetings in Ellaconian herself, the envoys' expressions brightened progressively, and even I—keeping close beside her—received their attention.

"Thank you for inviting..."

"For the friendship between Ellaconia and... both nations..."

But what truly amazed me was this: Ellaconian reached my ears far better than it should have. Since I'd studied almost no conversation, I'd planned to stick close to the interpreter to ask meanings. That proved unnecessary. Though I didn't know individual words, those utterances that had sounded like alien language when I was Adrienne now strangely resembled some dialect of Ronteaux—the overall meaning inferring itself, settling into my mind.

'Perhaps Bliea was originally Ellaconian.'

A reasonable suspicion began forming—that Bliea hadn't simply been good at Ellaconian, but might have been from Ellaconia to begin with.

"Bliea, you can rest now."

"Pardon?"

When several envoys showed interest in me, Doris grew progressively quieter before trying to send me elsewhere.

"...Very well, Your Highness."

"Why don't you go dance for a while?"

"Dance...? Ah."

Doris grasped my arm familiarly and subtly gestured toward where Novian stood. Surrounded by noblewomen, quietly conversing—yet his gaze kept turning toward me, glittering. The burning stare I felt wasn't only Nora's, it seemed.

"Thank you for helping today. Your debutante season isn't over yet, is it? With your chaperone guaranteeing your partner, isn't now the perfect time to approach without gossip?"

The hand gently pushing my back couldn't have been more affectionate.

"Go soothe the Grand Duke's temper."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The scandal with the Second Prince is false."

"!"

I whirled around in shock to face Doris whispering behind me. She wore a sweet smile. Had Doris read the gossip magazine too? Such publications couldn't possibly enter the palace—perhaps it had reached her through Nora's lips.

I stood frozen, debating whether to follow Doris's gentle pressure, when suddenly the hall erupted in commotion.

"Madam, you've been performing brilliantly while leaving your partner behind."

Rhodness's unexpected appearance.

"How did you get here?"

"I have a meeting with His Imperial Majesty—I was waiting."

We whispered briefly in a corner. Rhodness's eyes went straight to Novian watching us from a distance.

"I'd like to smash that shameless face."

"Rhodness!"

I gasped quietly at the rough words from that beautiful mouth, and only then did he look down at me. His eyes had sunk to dark depths.

"I'm going to do one thing His Majesty wants, then ask for you."

"...What?"

"Just know that much for now. If that bastard tries anything with you, it'll be your shield."

"What are you talking about? How could you, when I haven't divorced yet? And my status..."

"I have to go back. I'll explain everything later."

"Wait, you're leaving like this?"

"Adrienne."

To me, trying to hold him back for details, Rhodness—whose expression had remained rigid—forced a smile.

"...I don't want to lose you ever again."

"An?"

"I'll do anything for that."

Looking at Novian again with that darkened gaze, Rhodness lowered his lips to the back of my hand—making a show of it. The watching eyes weren't only Novian's. Rhodness drew attention everywhere he went, and he knew that better than anyone.

After Rhodness—who'd seemed somehow anxious and unsettled—disappeared again, I pressed hard against the back of my hand where his breath had touched. Rhodness's lips hadn't fully made contact with my hand. And I understood what that meant—'Because you might be sad if my lips touched Bliea Acacia's hand.'

Enduring the pouring stares from around me, pressing my hand against my wildly beating heart, I lifted my head and met Novian's cold eyes head-on.

Without hiding my slightly flushed face, I smiled at him boldly.

Despite the small disturbance, the first day's event concluded well. After Rhodness's visit, Doris's gaze grew strangely cold—but I was too busy worrying about Novian to properly observe her.

"Madam! I've been waiting forever!"

"You came earlier than I thought. I sent word to come slowly since the party would end late."

"I came early hoping to tour the palace, but it's too dark and vast—I gave up."

As I emerged from the hall, Yona—who'd been waiting outside—escorted me toward the carriage. We were whispering about who wore what dress, who caught whose eye—stories Yona had picked up—when we reached the carriage. The air turned frigid. Where had all those carriages gone? Only the Count's estate carriage stood there, alone and forlorn.

"You look cheerful."

Novian leaned against the modest Count's carriage. I recalled how his gaze had rested on me throughout the event. I'd clearly seen those eyes spark like fire every time Rhodness and I whispered and made contact. Yona glanced between us before disappearing toward a shabby nearby building.

"I truly can't understand what you're thinking."

I steadied my trembling body, gathering my composure. If I showed fear here, I'd surely be drawn in. Rather than raging with anger, he looked down at me with a face that had sunk to complete stillness. That arrogantly lifted chin, those eyes only lowered—the posture resembled how Rhodness used to look at me with contempt.

"I don't usually read gossip magazines, but lately they've been quite entertaining."

"...How fortunate you've found amusement. Congratulations."

"I didn't come here and wait for you just to play word games."

The voice quietly grinding out words was frigid.

"Wanting to become Grand Duchess, saying you love me... spouting words far beyond your station all this time, yet your actions..."

He swept his gaze over me from top to bottom with contempt. I met that stare more calmly than expected. Novian Trovika's true face—it no longer shocked me.

"You do what only street whores would do, and quite well."

And the reason I could remain calm was this: if he disliked this Bliea so much, simply abandoning her would be simple—yet here he was, waiting for me despite his rage and contempt. So I could say this:

"Think whatever you please."

I saw the corners of his mouth—which had been pretending composure—freeze coldly.

You can't abandon her, can you?

"You remember well. That I wanted to become Grand Duchess. That I said I loved you. I thought you'd forgotten everything, Your Grace."

You can't abandon this Bliea, so you're standing here listening to what someone like Bliea says.

The great Novian Trovika himself.

"You said you can't understand what I'm thinking? I've always told you. I love you—I only want to sit beside you."

His rigid lips loosened helplessly, and that sharp laugh I'd always found so unfamiliar grazed my ear.

"These things that irritate you—would you prefer I didn't do them?"

"Don't make me repeat the obvious twice, three times."

"Then..."

I looked straight up into Novian's eyes and smiled.

"...Treat me well when I'm interested in the Grand Duchess's seat."

Those deep blue eyes froze as if he'd misheard something, then immediately shook violently. I smiled more deeply and brushed past him. The moment I climbed into the carriage, Novian snatched my wrist—but I shook free in one motion and slammed the door shut.

"You've made me wait so long that I'm starting to become interested in the Imperial Princess's seat instead."

"...What?"

At the word Imperial Princess, Novian's frozen face crumbled—distorting as if collapsing.