亚洲欧美中文日韩Aⅴ

I could not remember where I had heard her name from. It was on the tip of my tongue so her name must have appeared in the novel. But since I could not remember her, she must not have been that important. I quickly lost my train of thought when Amor whispered by my ear again.

“Aventa and Solletdion.”

Though they might have been Duchesses in name, they were once the Royal Families of the small nations the Empire had conquered long ago, back when it was being established. Now, the remnants of those nations laid in the names of these Duchies. Of course, the only Duke Family actually remained powerful here was the Develo Family which Castor was part of but the power the Duke Families held could not be easily ignored.

In particular, the Duke of Aventa, unlike his incompetent ancestors, was a templar who excelled in swordsmanship. He was so famous that anyone who read <The Light of Rusbella> knew who his daughter was with just a mention of her name.

“I asked you all to gather here today to repay your debt.”

Whatever it was, I wanted to know what was going on now. I wondered what he was trying to do by putting on such an act.

“I want one of you to become this child’s lady-in-waiting.”

The moment Amor spoke, I looked up.

“I don’t have a lady-in-waiting.”

It started a month ago when I visited Amor with a messy appearance. However, I did not say that because I wanted him to give me one. It was something I said in passing that I had completely forgotten about.

“How pathetic. So, you’re saying you’ve been living without a lady-in-waiting?”

A lady-in-waiting had to be someone of high enough status. They were not people who did the work of maids. They were high-ranking aristocrats, conversation partners and playmates for the Imperials. If they were lucky, they could even marry into the Imperial Family. Being one would serve to be a good opportunity for any daughter of an aristocrat since they had the chance to marry someone of a higher status.

In the case of the Imperial Family, the child’s maternal family would take care of matters involving a lady-in-waiting. A child could have a lady-in-waiting as early as the moment they were born or as late as the day they held their coming-of-age ceremony. The lady-in-waiting would play a big role in the coming-of-age ceremony.

“… Did you say lady-in-waiting?”

“That’s right. You can do that for me, right? All for my precious… younger sister.”

Amor whispered with an unbelievably soft and gentle voice. It felt as if someone had poured ice water over my head.

“You mean to say that the Princess has not had a lady-in-waiting till now?’

The Duchess of Aventa, Leah asked as she fluttered her long eyelashes.

“That’s right.”

With just a flash of his light smile, I felt as if I was being blown away in a dream.

“Honestus Aventa. You know you owe me a great debt.”

Amor crossed his arms and smiled as he tilted his head.

“That’s why, Duchess, because this is a promise that you’ve made me. I don’t care who you bring, just pay your debt.”

Amor spoke as he reached out his hand.

He sounded like an interviewer. He was smiling gently but he was ready to bite if neither one of them wanted to do it. Under the pressure of such a tense atmosphere, no one could open their mouths. It was the Duchess of Solletdion who spoke first.

“How has the Princess been progressing?”

She tilted her head gently before asking gracefully.

“I’ll be 17 in a month.”

“I see. When did you last finish your education in etiquette?”

“Uhm, when I was around 12 or 13.”

“I refuse, My Prince.”

After asking two questions and receiving two answers, the Duchess of Solletdion firmly expressed her refusal. She looked at me unfazed before lowering her gaze. Then, she whispered softly and calmly.

“As a Duchess who has led society for more than 10 years, I can tell the upbringing of a lady just by observing the first steps of her debut. If I could just say one word of advice, though the Princess is becoming an adult, she does not have the proper social skills to support herself.”

She stared at me as unwavering as her hair was straight.

“I can easily see her future after she is introduced. I would like to refuse.”

In her sharp words, she managed to cleverly mix in harsh criticism with her aristocratic style of speech.

“Honestus Nivea. What are you saying to the Princess?”

The Duchess of Aventa stepped in and waved her hands in shock.

“Do not call me by that name, Duchess Aventa.”

The Duchess of Solletdion pointed out her rashness.

“I am no longer your close friend. Neither am I Auresia’s.”

Her smile was beautiful but held a sharp edge to it like a freshly forged sword. She held a strange influence over this conversation. Without changing her expression drastically, the Duchess of Solletdion smiled.

“The 4th Imperial Branch, the Prince with noble blood.”

I wondered why she was giving such a polite greeting all of a sudden. I briefly glanced at Amor.

“I can imagine why you called me here. Please let me pay back the debt I owe you with something else. I am a templar who has already lost all my strength and had retired long ago. I am a woman who now barely steps into society. Please forgive me.”

In the end, she refused to help the newcomer enter society immediately in a gentle yet sophisticated manner that one cannot easily refute.

The Duchess of Solletdion who was dominating this conversation managed to speak eloquently in spite of this messy atmosphere. Amor smiled bitterly.

“This is my fault. I thought I was giving you a good opportunity but I was getting ahead of myself.”

“What are you talking about… As your humble servant, it was mine for not knowing, My Prince.”

“I knew this would happen but I did not think you would refuse so adamantly. I thought you would at least consider the position if I were to present this child to you.”

Amor swept his hair up and spoke sharply. However, the Duchess of Solletdion did not back down.

“I have already told you. I am no longer friends with Auresia.”

I stared at the Duchess of Solletdion.

Our eyes met. For a moment, her scarlet eyes glared at me mysteriously. It was not long before she asked carefully.

“… Did you get hurt?”

Her gaze softened when it landed on the scar on my cheek.

“Huh? Ah…, this is…”

When I adjusted the patch so it covered my scar properly again, the Duchess of Solletdion removed her gaze.

“Do you mind if I take my leave here?”

Like that, she asked Amor for permission to leave the palace by offering a simple salutation.

“A lady-in-waiting can be the biggest ally and yet at the same time, a knife pointed at your chest.”

When she had been given permission, she turned around as if she had been waiting for the moment before muttering.

“May the delicate branch cross paths with a bright child.”

I heard what she said to everyone loud and clear.

‘I thought she reminded me of Amor but she looks nothing like him’

The Duchess of Solletdion, Alice. I did not know why her name kept ringing alarms in my head.

However, I could not recall till the end.

“I look forward to working with you, Princess.”

The Duchess of Solletdion left coldly like the north wind, leaving us alone with the Duchess of Aventa. She looked into Amor’s eyes before quickly nodding her head.

“I’ll be ready without delay.”

I did not know whether it was because she was flustered after taking on a job that had been forced on her but she looked at me with a forehead wrinkled up in worry.

“… Well, I will try not to disgrace you, Duchess.”

“No. No, no… Princess. That’s not how it is.”

As soon as she finished her peace, the Duchess waved her hands around.

“Please forgive Alice… I mean, the Duchess of Solletdion for the rudeness of her words and actions. I don’t think she had any malicious intent. At least towards the Princess…”

Her pale face gradually regained the grace she should have as a Duchess. She then flashed a smile as soft as luxurious cloth.

“We had been friends with your mother a long time ago.”

Past tense. She was telling me that they were no longer friends now.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, we had separated because of our own reasons.”

I stared at her and tilted my head. It was difficult to figure out what she was talking out because the details the Duchess revealed were so vague. Her gaze was so forlorn she looked like an old man looking back on his life in remorse as she pressed her chest and bowed her head gently.

“I’ll bring you up to become the best possible child. I may owe the 4th prince a debt but this is also because you are the daughter of a former friend.”

She stopped talking for a while before flashing us a classy smile.

“It would be a pleasure to help a child that looks like her.”

My palpitating heart began to calm down.

‘There is no kindness without motive.’

That was why I thought I figured out the answer to the current situation. I reminded her of my birth mother, Auresia. This was a little interesting. Because my birth mother and I did not even look alike.

‘I can’t remind you of her just by my appearance.’

Her hands wandered around my eyes.

Could this be?

‘My eyes remind her of my mother’s.’

It was of a common shade of purple, lilac. I did believe that purple, violet and amethyst coloured eyes were all very pretty. I could thank my birth mother for that. I was the daughter of Auresia in the novel and I could reflect on myself pretty well.

With expectations of the future, the Duchess returned. I planned on going back to my palace as well but Amor caught me.

“Where are you going?”

When I lowered my head, I could see vines twirling around me like rope. But they were wrapping around me without hurting me. Amor looked at me softly.

“Stay.”

“You could have just asked me.”

I blinked before replying quietly.

Then, all of a sudden, I realised that something was off about Amor’s face.

‘Why is it so red?’

Wanting to check his temperature, I raised my hand only for it to be grabbed by his.

“… Wait, Brother, let go of me. Are you sick? You don’t look good.”

“Hmph, it’s nothing.”

He snorted before holding onto my waist weakly and leaning onto me as if he was falling. The moment I saw his messed up hair, I was thrown into a dilemma. There was no one here so what would he get out of pretending like this?

I combed through his thin hair before quickly moving my hand to touch his face.

‘It’s hot?’

And within seconds, he was barely standing anymore. The face that was buried in my shoulders was burning hot.

His breaths were quick and short.

“No way, did you not take the antidote?”

“I did… Uhm, I told you not to talk about it.”

“So you didn’t? Why are you lying to me for no reason?”

“… Quiet down. My head’s ringing.”

Though it was obvious that he had not, Amor insisted that he did.

I turned my head around and spotted a black pouch on the table. The pattern that had been embroidered on the pouch with golden thread was the golden laurel. This was a pattern only the Crown Prince and the Emperor could use.

“Before I could take the antidote, they… came earlier than expected. Ha.”

“Brother!”

“It doesn’t hurt that much so stop yapping in my ears and stay still. Because I’m getting sick and tired of it.”

No matter what I said, Amor only held onto my waist tighter. Then, I bit my lips tightly.