Beguiling the Enemy’s Patriarch - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 81
“Ah… so that was the expression of someone bored. Now that I think about it, whenever you smiled like that during meetings, it was always rejected…”
Aiven Count seemed somehow wounded by this observation. Clarisse laughed and patted her husband’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Next time, just bring something more interesting to discuss, dear. Don’t be discouraged.”
It seemed I’d inadvertently scratched the Count’s pride, though really, if he found something tedious, he could have simply said so instead of forcing that smile. In any case, the man was an impenetrable fortress of propriety. I shook my head in exasperation.
As I was shaking my head, Aiven Count cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
“By the way, Princess. When are you planning to hold the ceremony…?”
“I’m sorry?”
The ceremony? I looked at Aiven Count with confusion. What ceremony? …Could he possibly mean a wedding?
“Has His Majesty not mentioned anything else? You see, for us, it would be much easier to prepare if we knew at least an approximate timeframe. I recall the late Emperor held his ceremony sometime between late spring and early summer—ack. Clarisse?”
“My goodness, you do have a loose tongue.”
Clarisse laughed and cut off her husband’s words. But I saw it—her sharp hand pinching her husband’s backside.
“…Ahahaha.”
I laughed helplessly. So Aiven Count had been asking when I planned to hold my wedding ceremony. After confirming that Sergei Lebanon and the rest of the Lebovni delegation were standing at a distance, I mumbled hesitantly.
“Well, he did say he wouldn’t make me wait too long, but…”
He hadn’t said I’d wait the full four years, so perhaps two years, or generously speaking, three years from now…? But was it just my imagination that everyone’s attention had suddenly turned toward me?
It wasn’t my imagination! I hurriedly hid myself behind Diego. Whether people were gossiping maliciously or kindly, I hated being whispered about. But the people around me, their eyes wide as lanterns, seemed to have completely forgotten to be considerate of my feelings.
“My goodness, did His Majesty really say such a thing, Princess?”
Clarisse, who had been mercilessly pinching her husband’s backside, now seemed even more excited than he was.
“I never knew he could say something so affectionate, but Princess, didn’t you say last time that you’d be returning with this delegation?”
“Ah, well. Things have changed.”
I can now look forward to years ahead. Before I could even finish speaking, Clarisse and Aiven Count pressed their foreheads together with deeply thoughtful expressions and began murmuring conspiratorially.
“That’s right, that’s right. You’re already staying at the Imperial Palace. There’s no way His Majesty had no intentions.”
“And that’s not all. There have been signs for quite some time now. I told you so. Back then, a few months ago, at the Temple…”
“The way you’ve been gripping Bellirook Palace like a mouse trap… you should have seen the state of the garden in front of that palace.”
These people—if you’re going to whisper like that in front of me too, what am I supposed to do? As I glared at them from behind Diego’s back, Diego turned to me with a gentle smile.
“Are you all right, Princess?”
No! I’m uncomfortable, very uncomfortable! I forced a smile.
“I don’t think I’m suited for High Society or anything like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I simply don’t enjoy situations like this…”
“Still, you’ll need to become somewhat accustomed to it.”
Diego’s words trailed off ambiguously.
“After all, the position of Empress commands the attention of not just Belgot, but the entire continent.”
Is that so, Diego? To marry a capable man, must I really endure this level of scrutiny with composure…? As I lost for words, Clarisse continued whispering to her husband. Of course, I heard every word perfectly well.
“I must say, it’s quite satisfying. I imagine all the young ladies who came today feel the same way. There must be quite a few who’ve harbored feelings for Auredhian Belgot.”
In other words, before Soleia approached Auredhian Belgot, just how many noble ladies had been clinging to him, Clarisse?
Even amid all this, I’d come to an unwelcome realization, and my frown deepened. I should probably corner Auredhian Belgot before we leave and interrogate him about his past. Noticing that my expression had become unsettling at the mention of my man’s history, Clarisse hastily changed the subject.
“Now that I think about it, I heard that Elad didn’t attend today? I don’t seem to see her anywhere.”
“I’m not sure. Her name was on the guest list.”
Her words jolted me awake. Right—Soleia! Afraid I might lose sight of Diego, I gripped the hem of his garment tightly and scanned the hall. Clarisse had been correct. From the moment I’d entered, Soleia’s russet hair had been nowhere to be found. I hoped it would remain that way until my departure.
“Just a moment, Princess. Let me ask the young ladies if Lady Elad is planned to be absent today.”
Clarisse left those words behind and moved like the wind, slipping into the cluster of noble ladies. I watched anxiously as she conversed intimately with them.
“Princess.”
A voice suddenly called from my right, and I startled, stepping backward. Diego immediately pulled me behind him, his posture shifting into one of vigilance. The person who had thrust their head toward me was, fortunately, someone I recognized. I stammered in confusion.
“L-Leria?”
My youngest maidservant, Leria, broke into a bright, innocent smile.
“Would you like me to bring you something to drink? You look parched.”
“Oh… yes, that would be appreciated.”
I answered without thinking. Leria nodded eagerly and returned with a tray laden with wine glasses and juice glasses balanced precariously. Clink, clink. The glassware trembled dangerously on the tray. I gasped and waved my hands to stop her.
“Goodness, Leria! You don’t need this many! One glass is enough.”
“I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer!”
Her face was so radiantly pure that I couldn’t scold her further. I carefully selected a glass of juice. Diego reached out and took the tray from Leria’s hands.
“Carrying so much is dangerous. What if you spill it?”
Leria’s eyes widened, then her head drooped dejectedly.
“I-I’m so sorry…”
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for!”
I quickly waved my free hand in dismissal.
“Princess, are you all right?”
Diego handed the tray to a passing attendant and turned back immediately. He glanced at Leria briefly, but his attention quickly returned to me. His gaze held no particular concern for her.
“You weren’t hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.”
I was perfectly fine, down to the last hair—except for the slight tingling creeping through my limbs. But that had been a constant sensation since I’d entered this hall teeming with mages, so it was nothing new. I smiled brightly at Leria, who stood there anxious and forlorn.
“It’s all right, really. Thank you for the juice. I’ll drink it gladly, Leria.”
“Hehe…”
Only then did Leria laugh. Somehow, it seemed excessively forced and artificial. What was that…? I felt uneasy. I rolled my eyes and surveyed my surroundings.
Diego, Aiven Count conversing with another noble a few steps ahead, Clarisse just emerging from the crowd—nothing seemed amiss.
“…It must be my imagination.”
I set down the juice without drinking and wrapped my arms around myself. Why did I keep feeling this unease?
Unfortunately, my ominous premonition was not mere fancy. The incident erupted mere minutes later. Leria, who had seemed unusually unsettled and overly excited, finally made a mistake.
“I-I’m so sorry…!”
Leria’s victim was not me. But I wished it had been. I found myself exhaling deeply at the sight of Clarisse’s pale pink dress thoroughly soaked in vivid red wine.
“…Are you all right, Countess Aiven?”
“Ah…”
Her hesitation suggested she too was startled by the sudden mishap. I looked around urgently.
“A maidservant, another maidservant…”
“My maidservant is waiting outside the banquet hall. A dress can be changed, that’s all. I wasn’t hurt, Princess?”
Clarisse quickly regained her composure and smiled reassuringly. I pressed my throbbing temples. I’d hoped to leave without incident, but trouble had found us after all.
“…I’ll accompany you. I wasn’t planning to stay much longer anyway.”
“But Princess, you haven’t even met His Majesty yet.”
“It’s fine. I can see her face tomorrow as well. Besides, I have plenty of time before I need to leave.”
Moreover, the mana continuously pricking my entire body kept my nerves on edge. If I stayed any longer like this, the sensation would surely transform into genuine pain. My body kept flinching from the inexplicable chill seeping in from somewhere.
After watching Clarisse change into a fresh dress and re-enter the Banquet Hall, I decided I should return to the Imperial Palace. I could simply ask Auredhian about how the banquet went when he returned later.
“Let’s go, Diego Schmart.”
I made my decision and turned around without hesitation. I called over a passing attendant and had him relay to Auredhian that I was returning to the Imperial Palace first, then followed Diego Schmart. I didn’t forget to gesture to Leria.
“Come along with me for now, Leria.”
“Yes, Princess.”
Leria’s innocent hazel eyes lacked their usual brightness. I found it vaguely strange, yet I proceeded to leave the Banquet Hall.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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