Since It's My First Time Being a Lady, I'll Cause Some Trouble - Chapter 8

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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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A Lady for the First Time – Episode 008
“What’s wrong?”
When Jereon, the imperial prince, asked with infuriating nonchalance, his aide Dante practically bounced out of his skin.
“What’s wrong? Of course something’s wrong! Your Highness has vanished!”
“Disappearing for a day or two isn’t unusual for me.”
“It’s not a day or two, that’s why I’m saying this!”
Dante glowered at Jereon, his voice sharp with frustration.
“Do you know what today is?”
“Easy. Tuesday.”
“I’m not asking about the day of the week, and you know it!”
“Was I wrong?”
“Your Highness!”
“All right, all right. The Imperial Ball is being held today.”
At the prince’s dismissive tone, Dante’s face flushed crimson as though scalded.
“And knowing that, you’re doing this? Here? Now?”
“Does my presence really change anything? As long as Father and Mother are attending, that should be enough.”
“Your Highness, truly―”
“And the Crown Prince will be there too. How many more people do you need?”
……
Jereon understood his place well.
The position of Crown Prince belonged to Arca, his half-brother and eldest, born of a late concubine who had died long ago.
As the firstborn, his brother enjoyed great expectations and had received refined education since childhood.
Of course, Jereon, the second son born to the current empress, had studied under the same tutors and received the same education, yet the Emperor seemed to harbor no particular hopes for him.
If anything, illegitimate sons like Penri, the marquis who had stirred up the capital with a duel, attracted more of the Emperor’s attention.
‘Perhaps he doesn’t bother to check those bastards since they can’t even register in the Imperial Register.’
And more than anything else, the Crown Prince Arca was capable.
Any person of sense understood that empowering a different prince when you possessed such a competent heir was a dangerous move. The members of the Nobility Assembly knew it, and so did high society.
Because of this, few people spoke of the Second Prince. Beyond gossip-mongering, nobody knew what he thought or what plans he harbored.
“If I attend the ball, I’ll naturally be welcomed. I’m not the Crown Prince, but I’m still imperial blood. Until my brother has a son, I’m Second in Line of Succession.”
“Your Highness……”
“And when my brother becomes Emperor, I’ll receive a Grand Duke’s title. Not quite the status of Empress, but a Grand Duchess consort isn’t a poor choice either.”
“But that’s not what matters right now……”
“Ah, that’s right. My marriage will be decided by His Majesty anyway. I’ll likely be used as a pawn in some marriage alliance.”
Dante’s lips pressed into a thin line at Jereon’s bitter self-mockery.
The prince’s aide knew better than anyone why he spoke with such twisted resentment.
The Emperor’s indifference, the gaze that compared him to his capable elder brother, and……
Dante swallowed his sigh and tried to console him.
“Regardless of what the nobles think or say, Your Highness is still a prince of the Rodinia Empire.”
“Hmm.”
“And wouldn’t His Majesty have been so proud if you attended the ball?”
“By the way, this ‘His Majesty’ you’re talking about―are you referring to the Emperor? Or the Empress?”
“B-both of them, naturally!”
Dante, caught off guard, made a show of indignation and scolded him.
“Since we’re on the subject, you should go to your chambers immediately and change clothes. And what’s that bruise on your jaw? Who were you fighting?”
“A bruise?”
Jereon absently touched his chin.
He’d thought the soreness would result in bruising eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to appear so quickly.
“Is it very noticeable?”
“If I were blind, I’d say no. But I’m not. Yes, it’s quite visible.”
“This is troublesome……”
“First, go into your chambers. I’ll summon a healer, and after that―”
“You’re late.”
At that glacial voice, both Jereon and Dante froze in place.
The Empress stood watching them quietly, her bright, elaborate dress in stark contrast to her cold expression.
At her gaze―sharp enough to carve out a heart―the two men felt their blood run cold.
“Surely you understood that the ball was being held today?”
“……I apologize. I lost track of the date.”
Jereon answered in a clipped voice.
Seeing the Empress’s expression grow even colder, Dante hastily opened his mouth.
“Your Majesty, it’s my fault. I gave His Highness the wrong date―”
“Enough.”
At her command, Dante fell silent at once.
The Empress’s gaze swept over Jereon and came to rest on his jaw.
“You’ve been fighting?”
“……There was merely a minor disagreement.”
In truth, he’d been soundly beaten one-sided, but if he admitted that, the Imperial Prince would surely hear a lecture about how pathetic it was that he got knocked around so easily.
“For a prince to throw his fists about so shamelessly! Do you understand your own station? Sneaking out is not enough — now you’re brawling as well?”
He hadn’t truly expected her to overlook the fact that he’d fought at all.
Jereon addressed the Empress, whose fury trembled just short of erupting like a veil of smoke, and shifted the subject with a careful voice.
“And what of you, Mother? Shouldn’t you be in the Ballroom? Especially with my brother present.”
‘Ah, I shouldn’t have said that last part.’
The Empress’s face, which had maintained its icy composure, turned savage in an instant.
“You understand how vital the Imperial Ball is, and yet you don’t attend? You know full well the significance of Imperial House functions! Do you mean to disgrace the mother who bore you, your father?”
“But Mother……”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
The Empress, having surrendered to her rage, snarled.
“How can you be so selfish and thoughtless? What more could you possibly want for?”
“……I’m sorry.”
She drew in a breath. The violet eyes, shimmering with heat, withdrew behind her eyelids.
“……I shall speak to His Majesty on your behalf. You remain in your room and tend to that face of yours.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
The Empress turned her gaze away from Jereon, who bowed his head.
For just a moment, unbearable anguish flickered across her eyes before vanishing.
Dante glanced sideways at Jereon, who stood watching the Empress’s retreating figure as she returned to the Ballroom.
Though she had spoken only cutting words, a faint ache and sorrow emanated from her nonetheless.
To dispel the heavy mood, Dante deliberately broached an odd subject.
“So did you receive an apology?”
“An apology? From whom?”
Jereon asked in confusion at the disconnected remark.
“From that scoundrel who damaged Your Highness’s face, of course. Given that you fought with them, I’m certain they came near death — yet you should at least demand an apology for daring to strike a prince’s face.”
“Ah!”
Only then did he realize it.
He had never received an apology from that woman.
* * *
“I’m absolutely exhausted.”
I collapsed onto the floor of my room upon returning to the Earl’s Residence, letting out a groan.
As I carefully peeled off my shoes from my swollen feet, silk stockings caked black with dirt and dust came into view.
‘The laundry maids will surely gasp and make a fuss when they see this. Silk is such a delicate fabric to handle.’
But this was all the fault of that Imperial Palace tyrant or whatever he was.
If he had simply handed over my shoes, I wouldn’t have had to cross the grass in nothing but stockings.
‘And on top of that, I had to tiptoe around inside the building pretending I was still wearing them.’
I wasn’t a ballerina — what was this ordeal? If anyone had seen me, I’d have been branded as some eccentric fool.
I must destroy the Imperial Palace tyrant. He is my enemy.
Grumbling away, I washed quickly and began preparing for bed, when Bessy burst through the door without even knocking.
“Miss, something terrible has happened!”
“Goodness, you startled me. What’s so wrong with knocking first?”
“That’s not the issue!”
“It seems like it is.”
If you keep bursting through doors and shouting like that, you’ll end up without a reference letter and thrown out.
But such concerns seemed utterly lost on Bessy in her state of excitement.
“Someone from the Imperial Palace has come!”

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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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