‘His Highness the Grand Duke…?’
No, that couldn’t be. The other person was blonde. She thought it was Matteo for a moment, but he was taller than the boy and had a mature physique, so he was a man.
“…Your Ladyship, are you okay?”
A low voice. The man looked back. Those malachite like eyes must be…
“Young Duke Blanchett?”
It was Blanchett’s young duke, Ethan Schmidt, Marquis of Malachite.
“Are you all right!”
There was no time to keep eye contact with Ethan. Matteo, who had hurriedly approached, checked on Lily’s safety.
He was so surprised that he didn’t seem to care at all even though the traitor he hated, Sir Ethan Schmidt, was right in front of him.
“…”
The man who had been silently looking this way turned his head.
“Marianne Schmidt.”
“Brother, why…”
“I want to ask you that. I knew you were an immature person who doesn’t think. Just. Why did you even do this?”
Marianne stuttered at the fierce questioning, but pointed her finger at Lily.
“That, that bitch…!”
“Marianne Oblaha Schmidt!”
Ethan’s voice hardened.
“Call her Grand Duchess. Refrain from talking.”
Marianne opened her mouth in astonishment.
“Why is brother…!”
She shuddered with a sense of betrayal. In an instant, in her head, from when she was a child until now, from the cold face next to her parents who wrapped her in gold and jade, to the way he didn’t take Marianne’s side when she was sad about the sorority matter passed her mind.
As expected, it was always like that! Among her family, he was the only one who pretended to be proud of her and did that every time!
People didn’t know what Marianne was thinking. But as they watched the hostility in those eyes and her not even flinching, they clicked their tongues.
“Somehow, I’ve heard rumors that the Blanchett’s lady is arrogant.”
“It seems that she’s also excitedly inflating the dirty rumors about Her Highness even before her debut.”
“Oh, so scary. She’s too malicious.”
Marianne’s reputation, which she usually didn’t care about, caught her ankle at a crucial moment.
Ethan sighed and called Marianne’s chaperone.
“Auntie, take the child and go back. It would be better not to make more of a fuss today.”
“Y-yes. She look very unwell. Marianne, let’s go back.”
She picked up an excuse and the middle aged Madame dragged Marianne along.
Only then did Ethan look back at Lilian. Ethan’s bangs, which must have been well groomed, were all flowing down with alcohol dripping.
Blood was dripping from his cheeks probably from being injured by the shrapnel.
“I apologize for my sister’s rude behavior, Your Highness. I will be happy to take any responsibility for this in the future. I swear on my name and let Marianne stay quiet for the time being.”
Seeing him messed up by being her shield, even the most eccentric person in the world can’t be angry. Even more so if it was Lilian.
“…looking at the young duke’s apology, I won’t make an issue out of this.”
“Thank you very much for your generosity. I will definitely repay you.”
Ethan’s eyes met Matteo’s for a moment. Indeed, the prince looked away. There were no words of goodbye for him who had prevented the unsavory incident.
“Go away, Sir Ethan Schmidt.”
Ethan lowered his head for a moment and savored the words. It was because Blanchett heard the voice of his master, who was not angry for the first time since the betrayal incident.
“Yes, thank you for your consideration.”
***
Ethan Schmidt looked good even when he’s walking away in such a mess.
From the wet darker blonde hair to the vivid turqouise eyes.
The firm mouth reacting to a situation that was unexpected in the slightest added a thrill that had never been seen before.
Even that looks good. On the contrary, since a person who was always neat had such an expression, they wanted to paint it as a portrait and title it ‘Deviance’.
The May Lily girls dressed in pure white whispered to each other.
“He looks so handsome.”
“By the way, is Her Highness okay?”
“Lady Marianne is really rude.
“How could someone from the royal family do that…”
“Hey, maybe…couldn’t Madam Rachel have ordered this separately?”
“Oh my!”
“No, no. As far as I know, once upon a time in a sorority before Lord Blanchett turned…”
“Budding ladies.”
A calm voice. It was the Grand Duchess.
“Y-Your Grace!”
Seeing the startled may lily buds, Lilian smiled softly. She showed no signs of reprimanding, but the girls who were gossiping naturally trembled.
“Your Highness, we are light mouthed…”
“Shh. I don’t mean to reprimand you. It takes a long time to be decorated so prettily, so I just hope that only nice words will come out of your pretty lips. Wouldn’t that make it a pleasant memory?”
“Y-yes…”
“We apologize…”
Lilian only cautioned the girls, fearing that their debut stage would be criticized by raising sensitive topics. But the ladies are more sullen than she thought.
‘This.”
She had no intention of getting them down this far. She wondered if Lily’s ‘princess’ tone is that bad, so she changed her tone to a softer one to soothe the young ladies.
“Don’t be sad. I really didn’t mean to scold you. It seems like you’re all pretty and catches a lot of attention. It’s an old woman’s words.”
“Your Ladyship…”
No, it wasn’t a harsh accusation, it was a nice soothing remark, but why did everyone make a hii-hii sound?
The men who watched the ladies say, “we were really wrong”, “I will be careful in the future…” looked curiously at the young ladies around the tail of Lily’s skirt.
If they really think they’re scolded, they’ll feel intimidated and take a step back. Isn’t that like little children trembling like a lamb in front of their generous mother?
“It’s okay, just be careful in the future.”
“You’re pretty even when you’re crying, but I really want to see you smile.”
Is it because of the mood that the eyes of the ladies became hazy at the Grand Duchess’ words?
In the first place, why are their partners, who were perfectly fine, thrown away to the side as they blushed next to the Grand Duchess?
Blue and white and shiny, Lilian looked like the Winter Queen, and the white maidens around her looked like the Winter Queen’s snowflakes and her handmaids. It was a nice sight to see…
“I feel very marginalized right now.”
“You too?”
“No, strangely. I feel like my partner has been taken away by Her Highness.”
“It’s not strange, that’s just the truth.”
“Indeed. I never knew in my wildest dreams that my competitor would not be the Grand Duke but the Grand Duchess.”
As they exchanged such and such words, a half smile hung from the corners of the men’s lips. It wasn’t absurd, but it also wasn’t a bad sight, as they’ve said many times.
Matteo was also watching the scene with a half smile. He thought it was a lie since he thought he wouldn’t be in a good mood to laugh at all just a moment ago… huh?
‘Wat a minute.’
Surrounded by white buds, Lilian’s complexion looked slightly paler than before.
It might be because of his mood, but Matteo first asked the ladies for their understanding.
The ladies, who would have pretended not to know if it had been a bastard, gave way to the prince with regret.
“Your highness the Crown Prince?”
Lilian’s illness was still a top secret. In fact, even if she kept it a secret, it was already obvious at first glance that she was an unhealthy person, but in her public appearances, she had to look as normal as possible.
There’s a difference between being born weak and being a little weak.
Matteo quickly came up with an excuse.
“Come to think of it, I remember that I promised my aunt that I would show her around the imperial garden.”
It wasn’t even cold. It seemed like it’d be a good idea to rescue Lilian from these annoying people and give her a break.
Lilian, who seemed to have noticed Matteo’s intention, said “indeed” and showed signs of leaving.
“Your Highness, are you going?”
“It was so nice to see you today!”
“I want to dance with you at the group dance later.”
To the girls chirping until the very end, Lilian left a sincere reply. She said that she’d consider doing the group dance as well.
“You must come back!”
The attitude of the ladies was similar to sending a lover leaving for the battlefield, leaving behind only one engagement ring.
“…at this point, shouldn’t we at least learn the secret from Her Highness?”
“Shh!”
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