12: Ricardo Jeshuerdt
“Sssssip. Pha-haaa!”
The cool air filled my lungs, then came out refreshingly. Thump-thump. Ever since I left the ballroom, my heart had been racing, fluttering with a mix of excitement and fear. The feeling was strange—refreshing but with a prickly sensation. Yet, I felt no regret.
When I walked out of the ballroom, the people surrounding the Crown Prince and me parted like the Red Sea, opening a path for me. At the same time, the gazes fixed on me carried many meanings: fear and dread, interest and curiosity. Some felt a sense of relief looking at the Crown Prince, while others looked at me with shining eyes. I couldn’t tell if that light was admiration or jealousy.
I figured my heart was pounding because of a sudden rush of dopamine. If I took a short walk in the garden, this pounding would probably calm down.
Phew. I let out a light sigh and was about to move when—
“Lia!”
Felix, who had rushed out after me, had a red face. It wasn’t the redness of embarrassment, but more like a cat that’s excited from playing, with a flushed nose. His eyes were sparkling, which made me think he was about to get annoying.
Felix looked around, then grabbed my wrist and quickly dragged me to a quiet corner of the garden. I followed, wondering if I should tell him not to grab a girl’s wrist so casually. Felix sat me down on a bench. He scanned the area once more, then sat beside me and cleared his throat.
“Lia, how could you do something like that?”
He dropped the line with a serious expression. It wasn’t what I expected, but his voice lacked any real emotion. It felt somewhat formal.
“As soon as you left, the Crown Prince left, and people swarmed me. Ugh.”
“You managed to escape well enough?”
“Don’t underestimate me. Anyway, that’s not important.”
Felix unbuttoned the top button of his jacket and sighed. Suddenly, all his seriousness vanished, and he turned back into his usual puppy-like self.
“So, what happened, Lia! That was so satisfying! Ah, if I had known the plan, I would have dressed even more grandly! The Crown Prince… Your Highness! Did you see his face?”
Thankfully, he seemed to realize we were in the Imperial Palace, as he whispered so only I could hear. His whisper was so full of excitement that he seemed ready to shout if he lost his control for a moment. Yes, this is the Felix I know. But this situation felt familiar.
“Hmm.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Ah. I got it. This is Lily. I stared at Felix for a moment and chuckled. When he saw me laugh, Felix tilted his head, his face full of question marks, probably wondering if I had gone completely crazy.
“Nothing, never mind. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“That’s it? You skipped the part where you explain the plan and everything!”
“Felix.”
“…Yes?”
“I’m drained.”
“Drained?”
“I’m tired from causing a big scene. Can’t you hear it next time, you puppy? Let me rest.”
At my words, Felix quieted down with a whimper. He nervously looked around, then stood up.
“Then you have to tell me when we get back home, okay? You are coming back to the ballroom, right?”
“Yes. I’ll recharge and head back.”
Felix, who was walking back to the ballroom with a dazed expression, kept stopping, turning around, walking a bit more, and turning around again. Just go. I waved my hand a couple of times to signal that I was fine, and Felix finally disappeared.
I was alone at last. I stretched my arms high and sighed in relief.
I think the sun was setting when we arrived, but now only the stars and the moon hung alone in the sky. My heart was still beating quickly, albeit faintly. Was I feeling a bit disappointed because I achieved my goal too quickly after running toward it?
I stretched out my right hand, letting my fingers weave through the stars. The area in front of the Palace was bright from the lights, but the garden where I was, being further away, was dark. It wasn’t pitch black, but it was darker compared to the nights where I used to live. Because of this, the stars and moon were clearly visible.
People say the night sky is beautiful. Of course, it is. But I wouldn’t say it’s breathtaking. Have I lost all my sensitivity? In moments like this, I should have tears welling up, look at the sky, and think, ‘I must live on.’
Now, I had a lot to do. I’ve put the first button in correctly, so next, I need to plan my business, expand the range of cosmetic products… I had as much to do as the number of stars filling the sky. I wish the stars would gather together. They’re so spread out, making my to-do list look enormous.
I let out a groan, squeezed my eyes shut, and leaned my head back against the bench.
“Goodness, I have a lot to do, so I can rest now. Rest, rest. Recharge!”
“Why do you have so much to do?”
A low voice came from somewhere. This familiar, yet irritating voice… I lifted my head abruptly and snapped my eyes open.
And there, I saw that overconfident brat. Still wearing the black wolf mask that covered his entire face, he looked down at me, his golden eyes shining.
I, who was resting in a position like a middle-aged man relaxing on a park bench in summer, quickly fixed my posture and sat properly, looking up at the Jeshuerdt Young Master. I felt annoyed, thinking how funny I must have looked. I worried I had just solidified another strange image of myself.
However, the Jeshuerdt Young Master reached into his inner pocket and offered me a small pouch. I looked at the ivory pouch, then at the Jeshuerdt Young Master.
“You can eat it. I am not someone who poisons nobles.”
Since I didn’t open it, he added another line. I hesitated for a moment, then pulled the drawstrings of the pouch to open it. Inside, there were several raisin-like dried fruits.
“Why are you giving me this?”
When I asked the question, the Jeshuerdt Young Master pointed at my hand with his index finger.
“Because you were shaking.”
“What?”
“Your hand, I mean.”
At his words, I looked at my hand, but it was fine. There was no tremor. The Jeshuerdt Young Master sighed in silence. What, does he think I’m pathetic? The person who misread it seems just as bad.
Thinking this, I picked up a raisin and ate it. This is delicious. Not sour, just sweet.
“You were shaking when you left earlier.”
“…When I left?”
“Yes. When you knocked over the small sun of the Empire and walked out.”
I tilted my head at his words, savoring the taste of the raisin. Did I do that?
The Jeshuerdt Young Master looked at the empty spot next to me, then back at me.
“If you weren’t shaking, you can keep the gift. It is also true that I gave it to you because I wish to get closer to you.”
“Suddenly? Specifically with me?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“The second daughter of Count Ebennein, Young Lady Celia.”
“Not that. We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“In the ballroom? This is our first conversation.”
“What? I can’t believe… Ah.”
I was about to say ‘your memory, too,’ but then I remembered my current appearance. If the Crown Prince couldn’t recognize me, then of course this overconfident brat wouldn’t recognize me either. I smiled sweetly, admitting my mistake.
“I must have misremembered. Thank you for the gift.”
“Yes.”
The Jeshuerdt Young Master nodded in a calm voice and fell silent again. Aren’t you leaving? I really want to rest now…
“Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess is looking for you.”
“Oh, thank you for letting me know!”
Rest? Forget it, if Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess is looking for me, I have to run immediately.
I jumped up. The Jeshuerdt Young Master flinched slightly in surprise, but quickly gave me room to stand. Worried that my dress might have gotten dirty, I gently brushed the soft fabric with my hands. Once the wrinkles were smoothed out, I took a deep breath and exhaled strongly. I started to walk toward the ballroom but stopped after two steps.
Whoosh!
I spun around and looked at the Jeshuerdt Young Master.
“What is your name, by any chance?”
“…You don’t know my name?”
“P-probably?”
I heard a sound of incredulous laughter. A person can forget a name. If someone makes a mistake, it’s basic courtesy to be understanding, right?
“Ricardo Jeshuerdt. I am the eldest son of the Jeshuerdt Dukedom. Since you wish to build a connection, I hope you will remember it next time.”
“What?”
Just hearing the name made the threads in my brain tangle. Am I making too obvious a shocked face? Even with that worry, I couldn’t control my expression. Is this first impression okay? Can I really form a connection with this person? Do I have to wear this makeup every day? Will Celia’s skin be okay in the future?
Oh, please. Someone knock me out!
Ricardo Jeshuerdt.
I definitely remember this name.
Because he was a character with a significant role in the later half of the story!
And most importantly,
He was the person I most wanted to bring onto my side when I started my makeup business!
