Vol. 1 - Ch. 44
Chapter 44
“Uh?”
“Father had an urgent matter come up, so he said he would arrive later.”
“…I see.”
At the sudden question, Daphne absentmindedly nodded. The question had passed so quickly, she wondered if she had misheard it.
After the brief conversation, a calm silence fell.
Damian’s gaze, which had been fixed on the window, slowly shifted to the reflection of Daphne by the window. Daphne kept her eyes firmly shut, staring straight ahead. Her lips were tightly sealed as if to signal she had no intention of speaking.
And so, the carriage continued to ride in silence. For a long time. Until they reached the Imperial Palace.
* * *
“Your Excellency, what is the matter?”
Alec hurriedly followed behind Edmund, who had just finished his audience with the Emperor.
Edmund’s expression was even more severe than when he had entered the audience chamber. The intensity of his presence made Alec wince, the weight of it much heavier than usual. Realizing the pressure he was exerting, Edmund quickly reined it in, allowing Alec to breathe a little easier and fall back in line behind him.
“The Emperor asked me to go to the Imperial Princess’s quarters. In person.”
“…You’re saying we should go all the way to the Imperial Princess’s chambers and escort her right in front of all these people?”
Alec quickly whispered into Edmund’s ear as he scanned the surroundings.
The Imperial Palace was crowded due to one of the empire’s grand festivals, and it was especially bustling as it was the eve of the grand hunting competition. Foreign dignitaries were also present, making the palace more crowded than usual.
Yet the Emperor had ordered them to go directly to the Imperial Princess’s quarters and personally escort her.
Called so early in the morning, only to be given such a task – Alec couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
“What time is it now?”
“The carriage should be arriving any minute.”
Edmund sighed, though only briefly, before quickly turning around to scan Alec from head to toe.
Given the royal event, Alec was dressed quite formally. In addition to being the only well-known commander of the undefeated Black Knights, his status was on par with the captain of the Imperial Knights. In other words, he was an appropriate stand-in partner for the Princess – just enough to buy some time.
“Alec, you go to the Imperial Princess’s quarters.”
“What? Wait, Your Excellency!”
Alec hurriedly called after Edmund, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. While Alec blinked in a daze, Edmund quickly moved through the throng. His tightly clenched fists felt hot.
There had been opportunities to speak with Daphne.
Last night. Unlike the North, where the Master and Mistress’s rooms were adjacent, they had run into each other on the terrace by coincidence. He hadn’t even noticed his hand had touched the end of a cigarette, causing a burn.
[“…….”]
[“…….”]
They had merely stared at each other, blankly. Edmund had been the first to regain his composure, parting his lips to speak.
[“Madam, I’ve brought your shawl.”]
[“…Thank you.”]
Hearing the maid’s voice, Daphne had turned abruptly, startled. Edmund hadn’t had the chance to stop her.
And this morning, he had intended to speak to her again in the carriage, but once again, the Emperor’s summons had interrupted.
“…Daphne.”
Through the crowd, Edmund finally spotted Daphne, standing alone in a way that made her unusually noticeable. He slowed his pace.
“Edmund?”
Daphne looked startled at Edmund’s sudden appearance.
“About today’s banquet partner–”
“Your Excellency!”
A sharp voice cut through the air. Edmund and Daphne both turned toward the sound.
At the same moment, a heavily perfumed and lavishly dressed woman threw herself into Edmund’s arms. The only one who remained unflustered was the woman who had rushed into Edmund’s embrace.
“…Your Highness.”
Edmund gently grasped Elizabeth’s shoulders and pushed her away.
As she stumbled back a couple of steps, Elizabeth quickly grabbed hold of his jacket before he could push her further. Her bright red nails, perfectly manicured, caught Daphne’s eye, and for some reason, she couldn’t look away.
“Greetings to the Empire’s little light.”
Realizing it was the Imperial Princess, Daphne bowed slightly. But Elizabeth merely glanced at her before turning back to cling to Edmund.
“Your Excellency, why didn’t you come to my quarters?”
Her large, heavily made-up eyes sparkled with unshed tears, making them shine even more under the light.
“I’ve been waiting for so long….”
Edmund furrowed his brow. His gaze shifted behind Elizabeth to Alec, who was standing nearby. Alec mouthed something, trying to explain the situation, but it was impossible to understand. However, Edmund could guess what had happened and sighed softly.
Edmund covered Elizabeth’s hand, the one clinging to him, and tried to remove it with force. But Elizabeth was quicker.
“Duchess, you may rise now.”
Daphne straightened her back. Her eyes were locked on the way it seemed as if Edmund was gently holding Elizabeth’s hand. Realizing how it must look, Edmund quickly dropped his hand.
Until just a moment ago, Elizabeth had been gripping him with such force that her hand had turned white, but now she released him easily, as if her goal had been achieved.
“Your Excellency, let’s go. The banquet is about to begin.”
“…Go ahead.”
Elizabeth looked back and forth between Edmund and Daphne, then smiled brightly.
“Fine. As long as you’re not planning to find another partner, you’d better come quickly, okay?”
With her entourage of dozens of maids, Elizabeth disappeared, leaving behind a calm after the storm Daphne stood, quietly processing Elizabeth’s parting words.
“By ‘partner’… you mean?”