Chapter 94
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Chapter 94
"Mother, is this really true?"
"You should call me 'Mother,' Enya."
Duchess Lockhart—my mother—was sipping tea elegantly in the Greenhouse.
"And you should have knocked first."
Knock, knock, knock.
I formally rapped on the already-open Greenhouse door.
"Your debutante dress is already being made, so don't worry."
"Why are you suddenly arranging a debutante ball for me when it wasn't planned?"
"The time has passed, but it's not too late. His Majesty seems to be taking an interest in your debut."
At the mention of The Emperor taking an interest in me, I instinctively shuddered—remembering those days when I had to flee for my life from him.
But The Emperor now shouldn't have that kind of interest in me, so why does this feel strange?
'Is it gratitude?'
The only reason The Emperor would take an interest in me now was because I had lightened the Empire's burdens.
'Does this mean I'm finally allowed to rest?'
Well, I suppose I should be grateful for that.
Grateful, but...
'Why does this feel so unsettling? If he's simply being kind, I shouldn't feel burdened by it, should I?'
"Did The Emperor say anything else to you?"
My mother set down her teacup with an elegant gesture.
"Nothing else—only that he wished to give you a debutante ball that would be truly memorable."
"Really?"
"Did you have something you needed to tell The Emperor?"
At my mother's question, I paused thoughtfully.
"No, nothing."
"I thought as much. Because..."
At that moment, my mother picked up an envelope from the table.
"I suspected this was what you were waiting for, Enya."
"What could I possibly be waiting for?"
"Who is this man named Dale?"
"!"
I froze solid.
Why would Dale's name come up here?
The envelope in my mother's hand appeared to be a letter from Dale.
"D-Dale...?"
"Emma was secretly carrying it in her apron pocket, so I confiscated it. Didn't Emma tell you?"
"Is that so?"
I turned to look at Emma.
Emma pretended to be wilting before whispering carefully.
"I told her you were my boyfriend, but she didn't believe me, so I said you were just a slave I knew. Then she didn't believe that either and took you away."
"As if that would work."
"Emma is... weak when it comes to lying."
"And you've been conspiring with me all this time...!"
What right did you have to speak as a maid in league with me?
But I couldn't scold Emma here.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I was planning to secretly incinerate it while you weren't paying attention, ma'am... I even devised a perfect crime for Miss Enya's sake, but I just got caught."
"Are you really recounting that entire plan right now?"
I was so flabbergasted that my vision went white.
"So this letter really is for you, Enya. Who is Dale? It sounds like a man's name."
"You didn't open it, did you?"
Mother elegantly shook her head and set the letter down.
The wax seal fastening the letter was pressed flat and intact.
"Why would I do such a thing? Just looking at your expression, I can tell this is a letter I shouldn't carelessly examine."
The moment I tried to approach and take the letter, I was struck across the back of my hand with a fan—smack!
"Enya, your fiancé is The Emperor. Have you forgotten?"
Mother's gaze was piercing.
"Don't do anything contrary to The Emperor's wishes and hurt his feelings."
"You mean not to displease him?"
Mother's words seemed to refer not to The Emperor as a title, but to The Emperor as a person.
Her eyebrows rose slightly.
Mother exhaled deeply and spoke coldly.
"Either way. If this man Dale is a brief romantic interest, end it."
"He's just someone I know. He helped me when I ran away, and he has money he needs to collect from me, so... he's a loan shark."
"Enya, have you gotten involved with loan sharks?"
"Oh, no, he's a banker!"
"Sigh..."
Mother pressed her head and shook it.
"This is troublesome. If you need money, I'll give it to you, so end this. Otherwise."
A sharp gleam flashed between her slightly widened eyes.
"I hope I don't have to step in and hand over a purse of money myself."
"We really have no relationship like that. He's a man I'm entangled with through business, so please don't interfere."
"You get one chance."
Mother, who had handed me the letter, rose from her seat.
Suspicion still filled her gaze.
"You are The Emperor's fiancée, and this marriage must proceed. You must not bring shame upon the Duke's House. Do you understand?"
I couldn't tell The Emperor that there was someone else in his heart.
I had only worked hard to protect my family, yet Mother had thoroughly misunderstood my intentions.
"...Yes!"
But I answered obediently, accepting her words.
Keeping silent was the fastest way to resolve this.
"Phew, fine then. Let's move on to the next matter."
Mother tapped her fan twice against the table, and a dozen servants filed in.
Along with them came unfamiliar faces adorned with professional smiles.
"It's an honor to meet you, Lady!"
"I'm Vivian, the seamstress entrusted with your debutante dress."
"I'm Sebastian, responsible for your shoes. I look forward to working with you."
The eyes of those approaching with measuring tapes gleamed with fervent passion.
"W-what is all this, Mother?"
"You're my daughter. I was once a prominent figure in High Society, and I cannot present my daughter's debutante carelessly."
"...!"
Mother was genuinely committed to my debutante preparations.
"It makes no sense that I've done nothing for a daughter I raised so beautifully until now."
Mother's eyes narrowed.
"Lady Martin will also be attending that event, I hear."
The Martin family... I felt as though I'd heard of them before, yet hadn't.
"Countess Martin was my rival in my youth. Of course, she was no match for me."
I remembered now. Countess Martin had been Mother's rival during her reign as the foremost figure in High Society.
It wasn't something I'd read in the original work—merely gossip I'd overheard.
"...So you're really doing all this just for your own pride, aren't you?"
"Silence."
She struck my mouth with her fan. Mother's face was more resolute and cold than ever.
Tap, tap!
Mother tapped her fan and issued orders to everyone present.
"Make my daughter shine the brightest."
* * *
I read the letter Dale had sent me.
'I've kept it safe. Dale's letter.'
I held it close to my chest, and it seemed as though I could feel Dale's scent emanating from it.
It appeared Dale had gone to the Northern Region due to urgent matters. He had written to me on a postcard depicting scenes from the north, putting my mind at ease.
"I'm so glad you're doing well."
"Miss, anyone who saw this would think you two were truly married. You even asked for a background investigation to be redone."
Emma, who had been clearing away a heap of jewelry, let slip a remark.
"...Emma, what did you say earlier? You tried to secretly dispose of the letter even though Mother almost caught it?"
"Oh right, I need to go hang the laundry. I must work hard for our dear miss!"
Emma disappeared swiftly, feigning ignorance.
The letter Dale sent contained mundane details of daily life. As I read his letter, I found myself thinking.
"Did I trouble him...?"
Now that I thought about it carefully, Emma's words weren't wrong.
My contract with Dale was the concept of 'a newlywed couple from Grunvalt who overcame trials and fled to the Southern Region.'
Personal time was not included in the contract. In truth, Dale had no obligation to reply to my letters.
Dale had no obligation to inform me of his whereabouts.
Yet Dale did everything I wanted. I had trusted him, and I wanted to continue trusting him.
I caressed Dale's letter.
When we meet again, I want to ask him about that.
Whether it was truly the case that Dale, who doesn't normally take care of himself, cooked for me.
"..."
Thinking of kind Dale, my heart began to race.
"?"
Why was it racing?
I was thinking about his character, not his appearance.
Knock, knock.
Just then, a servant knocked on the door and entered, breathless.
I hid the letter I had received from Dale.
"What is it?"
"Ah, Miss...! An i-important guest has arrived!"
"I'm busy right now."
I thought some urgent matter had come up again. I was busy because I needed to read Dale's letter at least three more times.
"They insist on meeting you now, miss?"
"There's no appointment scheduled. Unless it's The Emperor himself, tell them to come back later."
* * *
'So it is The Emperor himself....'
The masked man commanded the reception room with effortless authority, his crossed legs radiating an unmistakable presence.
There couldn't be another like him in this entire Empire, could there?
"My lady."
The Emperor rose to greet me upon my arrival, his lips brushing naturally against my hand.
"I've heard that Your Majesty is graciously hosting a magnificent debutante ball for me."
The Emperor nodded. So it was true.
"But what brings you here today? Has something urgent occurred? Could Duke Hexagon's release have been moved up?"
"No."
The Emperor cut me off with his response, his gaze settling upon me.
"However, it is a matter of importance."
"Then tell me. What is it?"
I leaned forward toward The Emperor.
The Emperor hesitated, exhaling a troubled sigh. The atmosphere felt decidedly unusual.
It seemed to be weighing on him most heavily.
After brushing his hair back, The Emperor finally spoke.
"Have you decided on a partner for your debutante ball?"
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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