The thick scent of roses and the soft soprano voice penetrated my mouth and ears respectively.
“Oh, she's the librarian of the Royal Library! Did you come looking for a borrowed book?”
Please, can't you pretend you don't know me? Eliade.
I felt anger rising, and my brow furrowed again.
When I turned around, I found Eliade staring at me sharply, waving her fan.
While her noblewomen looked me up and down and laughed.
“Wow, the honorary librarian position seems really stressful. Hoho.”
Eliade smiled brightly like a villain.
I too smiled at the corners of my mouth.
Why are you bothering me when I'm sitting quietly?
I am the type of person who responds to every provocation directed at him, in all honesty.
I approached her without losing my smile and whispered:
“If fan throwing had been a tournament, you would certainly have been the one to win, Miss Spearn. What a pity!”
Her elegantly made-up face trembled.
I felt a slight pleasure, and then regret immediately crept up on me.
Oh, I did it again.
I intended to be like a quietly tied bag of wheat.
As if noticing the unusual flow between Eliade and me, Michael stepped forward.
“Miss Spern, it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Michael of the Reinhardt family.”
Eliade's sharp look turned into a gentle, smiling look.
“Oh my God, Mr. Michael! When did you grow up to be so handsome? How is your health these days?”
“Yes. Thanks to your concern, I am fine.”
Michael, who had wavy golden hair and angel-white skin, answered with a bright smile.
The surrounding noblewomen made successive expressions of admiration at his remarkably charming and beautiful appearance.
Even the tyrant of high society, Eliade, seemed to be attracted by Michael's handsomeness, so she smiled sincerely.
“Have you come, Mr. Michael, to encourage Duke Reinhardt?”
“Yes. I came with my savior to encourage my brother.”
“Oh, your savior?”
When Eliade inquired with interest, Michael formally introduced the person next to him, which was me.
“This is Miss Dale, the one who saved me from the last car accident. She is the savior of our family.”
A wave of astonishment and admiration swept among the noblewomen.
Eliade's facial expression suddenly changed for the worse, but the hardened corners of her mouth did not lose their elegance.
Her eyes, however, were staring at me without smiling.
Oh my God, this is scary.
“I never imagined that Miss Dale would have anything to do with Duke Reinhardt's family. So, enjoy watching the tournament, Mr. Michael.”
She is truly noble and quick to estimate gains and losses.
Once she learned that I was Carlex's savior, she changed her attitude.
She's really good at socializing.
Eliade and her entourage returned to their seats.
I waved my hand to remove the stuck-on dust raised by the dangling fringes of her dress.
Deep down, I was hoping to sprinkle some salt to ward off the jinx.
“Oh, it's been a storm.”
“Sister, there seems to be something going on between you and Miss Spearn?”
"Anything? It was just a small difference of opinion. Don't worry."
Although I pretended not to care, Michael would no longer listen to me.
“Hmm.”
The boy put his hand on his chin and whispered while deep in thought.
His eerie resemblance to Carlex was stark.
Really, blood doesn't turn into water.
“So, this is why my brother declared that he would triumph by annihilating the knights of the Duchy of Spurn for your honor… This is definitely my brother’s typical behavior.”
“Wait, little prince? You have a big misunderstanding now.”
As I was trying to correct Michael's poor judgment, I suddenly felt a sharp, stubborn look.
The look of a poisonous spider is like setting up its web and waiting expectantly.
Through the noble crowd my eyes met Prince Franz sitting majestically in the lofty position.
He looked at me calmly with his deep, charming violet eyes, and then the corner of his mouth rose as if he was enjoying himself.
When he said an elegant greeting, feigning knowledge, I broke out into an angry facial expression.
When did we become in a relationship where we exchange greetings from afar like this?
Please, even if we meet in hell, let's pretend we don't know each other.
“Erica!”
I was relieved when I heard the refreshing sound that changed the atmosphere of the place.
A dewy voice like light rain on a fresh meadow calls me with joy.
It was freesia.
“How nice to meet you here.”
She walked towards me with lively steps, her face flushed, as if she were meeting a long-awaited lover.
Freesia was wearing a purple dress that looked like violets.
A color that highlights her translucent skin and shiny platinum hair, making her look like a mermaid who has descended to earth.
Freesia's appearance immediately attracted the attention of the nobility.
All of them, men and women, young and old, looked in amazement and amazement.
Some of them even grabbed his chest and let out a sigh.
Really, trouble-making heroine.
“Miss Rubel, good evening. I have heard a lot about you from my aunt, Countess Demeter.”
When Michael politely offered his greeting, Freesia responded with an affectionate look.
"Oh, Prince Michael. It's a pleasure to meet you. You're growing up so handsome. The future of Duke Reinhardt's family is hopeful."
The sight of the handsome prince and the beautiful miss smiling at each other was illuminating in itself, making me feel good.
This is how the meeting takes place between two beautiful and pure beings.
This is true healing.
Freesia, sitting next to me, looked as happy as a little girl who could not hide her joy.
“I am very happy that I can watch the equestrian tournament with a friend. I used to feel lonely because I was always alone.”
She tilted her head sadly.
I stared for a moment at the wonderful sight, which resembled a white lily flower in full bloom.
That's because you're inhumanly beautiful, Freesia.
It is impossible for you to be considered a pansexual.
I secretly extricated myself with a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Freesia arrived at the right moment.
In fact, I had already inquired from Michael if Freesia would be attending.
According to the original script, Carlex would have ascended directly to the seats reserved for distinguished guests before the tournament.
Then he was going to ask Freesia to tie her handkerchief to his spear.
I asked her carefully:
“I heard that in a knightly tournament, the lady offers a handkerchief to the knight as a symbol. To whom do you plan to give your handkerchief, Friesia?”
“I already submitted it.”
"What? To whom?"
“I gave it to the knight of our count family through my servant.”
“Why? Isn’t a token of love given to the knight you admire?”
I was so surprised that I unintentionally raised my voice.
She covered the corner of her mouth and laughed, “Haha.”
“Only if your lover is a knight according to custom, the handkerchief is presented to your family’s knight because the knight fights for the family’s honor.”
Oh, I'm devastated.
My perfect plan was shattered.
I intended to secretly tie a handkerchief bearing Freesia's initials to Carlex's spear!
While I was contemplating and unconsciously biting my thumb nail, I picked up a name mentioned in the back seats.
"Are you really sure? There's no handkerchief on Duke Reinhardt's shaft?"
I glanced behind me, and saw two noblewomen talking while waving their fans.
I focused on their conversation.
“I saw it clearly with my own eyes. During the previous tournament, there was no handkerchief on the duke’s spear.”
“What a pity, if I had known, I would have offered my handkerchief!”
“Ah, it's like hanging a bell on a cat's neck. It seems that there are noblewomen who have already tried that.”
“Really? Did someone give him a token of love directly?”
“Those who are in love are brave. It is said that she went to him in the preparation room and handed him to him herself.”
“Oh my God, this is so brave and what happened to that noblewoman?”
“It is said that he looked at her with a frightening look until she ran away crying, and the problem is that there was more than one noble woman who did that.”
“Wow, he really looks at women like stones. Is there a woman who can really win his heart?”
The two noblewomen's conversation ended with a deep and sad sigh.
I was so busy listening to their conversation that I didn't notice that Michael was addressing me.
“Sister, I have something to tell you about the symbol of love...”
At the moment when she realized Michael's speech late, the cheerful trumpet blast sounded, and the palace aide shouted loudly:
“His Royal Highness Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Ruberia, Prince Ludwig von Bismarck!”
With the appearance of the Crown Prince, all the nobles stood on the platform simultaneously.
Ludving appeared dressed in a red uniform embroidered with a luxurious golden eagle, throwing off his dark blue robe, and raised his hand in relief.
The nobles bowed reverently towards the future king in greeting. Even Franz bowed his head politely to the Crown Prince.
I couldn't find any trace of the future Rebellion Leader's appearance even if I rubbed my eyes.
As the Crown Prince walked to his prepared seat, Franz's look changed for a moment.
It was a feeling that turned like a spark for a brief moment, but it was certain.
I've been curious ever since I read that Erica colluded with the rebel forces.
Why did Prince Franz launch the rebellion?
The Spirn family already possessed enormous power, wealth, and honor.
But his looks now at the Crown Prince...
She was filled with a greedy desire as if she was swallowing everything.
Couldn't he even covet the king's throne?
Perhaps because I stared at Franz so clearly, our eyes met again.
His calm, burning violet eyes regained their calm surprisingly quickly.
To the usual noble and unhurried calm.
I quickly lowered my head like someone who has been caught red-handed stealing.
Our eyes have met twice already, an inauspicious day for sure!
“His Royal Highness Crown Prince Ludwig advances, make way.”
The palace assistant shouted as he stepped forward.
The nobles ran forward to offer expressions of admiration mixed with flattery to the Crown Prince.
He patted the nobles on the shoulders with every step, or exchanged small conversations with them and burst into hearty laughter.
He was busy offering his charming smiles and kisses to the noblewomen and ladies.
Please, can't you stop by quickly? Why is it taking so long?
Is this a red carpet for the Hollywood Awards?
I tried to lower my head as much as possible to avoid being noticed by the Crown Prince.
This was the first meeting since he asked me in the library to become his personal curator.
I was almost certain that meeting him would be stressful.
A fancy leather shoe stopped in front of me, and I just stared at the ground.
Fuck.
“Librarian Erica, you're being overly polite today. Don't you think it's a good idea to raise your head?”
I was naive to think I could hide.
I forgot for a moment that next to me was a handsome prince and a beautiful lady, both of them very eye-catching.
I sighed briefly and straightened my stance.
“It is a great honor to be met by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
Michael and Frisia bowed politely in courtly greeting.
Ludving welcomed them with a fatherly expression.
“Little Prince Michael and Miss Rubelle also came. I hope you enjoy watching the tournament today.”
The Crown Prince turned his gaze to me and smiled brightly.
“By the way, Librarian Erica, did you bring the love token with you?”
Which symbol of love? Have you assigned the task to me, Your Highness?
“To be continued in the next chapter”
Loving translation