Chapter : 25
“Your Majesty…”
I heard someone calling me.
“Your Majesty!”
At Joan’s spirited shout, Casielope’s eyes snapped open. It seemed she had dozed off for a brief moment.
“Everything’s ready, Your Majesty.”
“You’ve worked hard, Rena, Joan.”
That single word of praise seemed to fill Rena and Joan with pure happiness, and they giggled joyfully.
“Wow… the more I see, the more impressed I am by your skills.”
“Your Majesty, where on earth did you find these children? Even at such a young age, their skill in dressing is incredible.”
The ladies-in-waiting of the Empress’s palace admired Rena and Joan’s craftsmanship as they looked at Casielope.
They had no idea that the two had been maids of the Lottes family. The only ones who knew were Yulia, Tessa, and Lady Mardia.
The Lottes family were vassals of the Duke of Icart — in other words, they had supported the dethronement of Casielope.
Most of the Empress’s palace maids had served when Casielope was still a princess, so their loyalty to her was exceptional.
Yulia didn’t think it would be a problem, but there was a possibility that learning of Rena and Joan’s origins could spark some resentment.
They also didn’t know that Yulia was the head of Casielope’s elite unit. Just the fact that she was a member of the Icart family was enough to make a few uneasy.
Yulia’s opinion was that there was no need to reveal it unnecessarily. Casielope agreed, and they kept it a secret that Rena and Joan had come from the Lottes family.
“Where did you learn that, Rena?”
“Learn? I just got a little better from doing it over time.”
Catering to the whims of the picky young lady of the Lottes family had naturally sharpened her skills exponentially.
Those words hovered on the tip of her tongue, but following Casielope’s advice to keep it unspoken, Rena kept her lips firmly sealed.
“It’s time to move to the banquet hall, Your Majesty.”
At Countess Mardia’s signal, Casielope rose from her seat.
“The Emperor awaits you ahead.”
Her heart beat slightly heavier than usual. She wondered what Regis would think when he saw the hairpin she had worn. There was no way to predict it.
Before, she could always anticipate his reactions. Now, she knew nothing.
Casielope walked down the corridor with her back straight. At the end, a familiar silhouette appeared. It was Regis.
“You’ve arrived, Empress.”
“…Yes.”
He extended his hand to escort her. The hand she had always held felt so awkward now.
Covering his hand, Casielope deliberately leaned slightly forward, making sure the hairpin in her hair caught his sight.
“…!”
For a moment, Regis’s gaze wavered. He quickly looked away, pretending not to notice, but when Casielope called him again, he stiffened completely.
“Regis.”
“….”
She used his name, not the formal “Your Majesty the Emperor” as before.
“This hairpin… do you remember it?”
“…Of course.”
“It was the first piece of jewelry I ever received. But today is the first time I’ve worn it.”
Casielope continued calmly.
“I cherished it. I was afraid it might get worn out, or that I’d lose it if I wore it outside.”
“….”
“It was that precious to me.”
The doors to the banquet hall opened, and the resounding fanfare announced the royal entrance.
The chandeliers’ light sparkled as if to welcome them.
The low music and the wave of conversation immediately fell silent.
At Casielope’s gesture, the paused orchestra began playing again.
“But now… I won’t just cherish it anymore.”
“…Rope.”
“At first, I trusted you. I thought there must be a reason. I believed that eventually, you’d tell me. So I thought we could just dislike each other a little in the meantime.”
Fortunately, her voice was drowned out by the music and couldn’t be heard by others.
“But… then…”
I heard it.
Regis’s true feelings, spoken softly, believing I was asleep.
“It’s a good thing you can’t return, Rope.”
Casielope gave him a bitter smile. Regis’s mouth moved slightly, noticing her unusually different demeanor, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak.
“You wouldn’t have done this thoughtlessly. I know it all… but I’m going to stop thinking about it now.”
“….”
“You weren’t planning to tell me anyway.”
“I’m sorry, Rope…”
“You won’t say a word, huh.”
Her calm, unfocused eyes swept over his face.
“Don’t be sorry, Regis. I’m not angry anymore.”
Before, she had vowed to repay Regis for all the misery he had caused her. Thinking back, it was foolish.
Revenge was just a way to ease her own heart. If he suffered as she had, her pain would be lessened.
But the more she tried to hurt Regis, the more uncomfortable she felt.
The reason was simple — she still had feelings for him.
Regis likely felt the same. The gaze he cast on her now had the same light as that spring day.
Taking Casielope away from Regis Euriel using the methods of the past was impossible.
Her anger only existed because her feelings remained.
It wouldn’t go as she wished…
“I won’t love you anymore, Regis.”
“…Ro-Rope.”
“I’ll forget every memory I had with you. Every single one.”
Regis froze, eyes wide.
“Of course, it won’t be easy. It will probably take a long time. But…”
Casielope trailed off. She didn’t want to continue, but she had to.
“When this hairpin wears out, maybe my feelings for you will have lessened just a little.”
Holding Regis’s hand, she moved toward the center of the banquet hall with a gentle smile.
As the music shifted to signal the start of the dance, Casielope placed Regis’s hand on her waist and began to move slowly.
Having spent a lifetime in sync, there was no awkwardness in their movements. It wasn’t forced — it was natural.
Time spent together flowed gracefully between them.
They danced facing each other, without avoidance. Casielope’s gaze was calm.
The glass bead she once thought transparent and beautiful had become sharp. It was hollowing to realize the contradiction only after breaking it.
“Regis.”
At her soft call, he instinctively tried to stop her words.
“Don’t say anything, Rope. It may sound selfish… but please, don’t say anything.”
Stopping that last word wouldn’t fix everything, but it was the one thing she wanted to avoid.
The final notes of the music played, and Casielope’s long-delayed last words blended into the melody.
“I loved you. Truly.”
The period was finally set.
“I loved you, Regis.”
Twice, leaving no room for denial.
The hand they had been holding drifted apart. Casielope let go first.
She thought it would take long, but letting go took only moments. Casielope walked forward with a blank expression.
She felt sadness, but didn’t cry. She had shed too many tears inside already, so none flowed now.
The few seconds she spent away from Regis felt like walking through eternity.
She didn’t look back even once. Any glance back could shatter her hard-won resolution.
So she focused solely on moving forward.
The nobles who hadn’t overheard their conversation gave the customary applause.
The timing was undeniably peculiar.
