~Chapter 47~
I muttered so quietly that only Étienne could hear.
“What on earth… what are you doing?”
Without answering, he gave my back a slight push. Naturally, I walked off the stage. Even then, Étienne maintained his noble expression flawlessly.
Other noble couples, as if waiting for the cue, crossed paths with us and stepped onto the stage. The spotlight that had been on us shifted to them, illuminating the entire stage.
I leaned against the far corner wall. I was grateful I hadn’t collapsed on the spot.
A cup of water was suddenly placed in front of me.
“It’s cold water. Drink it.”
I glared at Étienne.
What the hell was that just now? How much must he think I’m a joke to do something like that?
“Why? Want me to feed you?”
His brazen words made me snatch the cup up with my chin raised.
Should I slap him? Isn’t this exactly the situation where I should? Ugh…
I forced myself to hold back, conscious of everyone’s gaze.
I downed the water in one gulp. I felt the heat that had risen in me slowly fade away.
I slammed the empty cup onto the floor with a loud clatter.
Étienne opened his mouth as if to say something.
I wasn’t going to listen. I refused to hear a word from him!
Deliberately, I spun around.
If my hair were long, I could’ve whipped it around and slapped him with it.
For the first time, I truly regretted having short hair.
I quickly left the banquet hall.
In an instant, the singing and the crowd’s noise faded into the distance.
It felt a little better.
The cold night air brushing my face cooled my mind. The more I thought, the more Étienne’s words earlier echoed in my head.
He called me a thing? His possession?
My teeth clenched.
I had known it deep down. But hearing it come from Étienne’s mouth made it different. And of all moments, why then?
If that’s the case, why did he say I was pretty earlier?
Was it like praising a pet dog—here, have some compliments? And what about that kiss?
I brought my hand to my lips. The kiss with him was still vivid. My heart pounded in resentment.
Ah! Why is my heart beating! Heart, if you keep doing whatever you want, I’ll rip you out and throw you in that fountain!
I stomped my foot. Still, my anger wasn’t subsiding.
Isn’t there a bamboo grove somewhere? I want to curse that prince to my heart’s content.
Then, Étienne suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my path. Upon seeing me, his brows furrowed vertically.
“Why are you angry?”
His shameless words made me clench my mouth shut.
He didn’t know. He didn’t know at all why I was angry.
He didn’t understand what his words meant to me, what that careless kiss meant to me.
I felt hollow.
“Étienne, I am not your possession.”
I wanted to say it proudly, but my voice kept trembling.
Étienne brushed his forehead, and a few strands of his otherwise neat hair fell down.
“You’re angry just over that? I can’t understand it.”
“Just over that? So, did you kiss me just over something that trivial?”
Damn it, why am I expecting something here? I’m insane.
I wanted to hear that he didn’t truly think of me as his possession, that the kiss wasn’t done with such a lighthearted attitude.
Even beasts learn through repetition, but here I was, disappointed and still hoping. A moment that made me doubt my own intelligence.
“It’s better than being taken.”
“I see. So, rather than being taken by someone else, it’s better to kiss someone like you.”
Really, he was a completely different person from me in every way.
In the end, I was indeed Étienne’s possession. A kiss was merely a way to assert ownership.
“I don’t see the problem. You said you liked me, right? Then shouldn’t you like it?”
He was referring to the half-hearted words I had said when entering the mansion.
“So, if I like you, does that mean I have to accept being treated like this?”
“Or were all those words a lie?”
He answered my question with a question.
Today, unlike before, his emotions were transparent even to me. He was angry too.
Ha, why are you angry! Why!
I exhaled sharply.
No. Hoo. Enough. If I talk any longer with him, I might do something reckless. My patience has run out.
“Enough. At this point, nothing matters. I’m leaving.”
I quickly turned around. But before I could move, Étienne grabbed my wrist.
“Where are you going again? Answer me about what I said earlier before leaving.”
His absurd words made me bow my head. My throat ached.
“Ah, I’m so mad.”
“What?”
I lifted my head sharply.
“Why are you glaring at me like that? What did I do well?”
I scraped together the last of my patience. I tried to shake off his hand from my wrist.
If I didn’t leave immediately, I felt like I would hit him. But Étienne, as if he could have boiled a dragon, didn’t let a single finger go.
“Answer me. And do you realize your shoes are a mess? Where do you think you’re going like that?”
“Hmphmm.”
“What? Speak properly. I told Simon to bring comfortable shoes, so just…”
“Hmphmmrrgh.”
“What are you saying?”
Étienne blocked my path.
Ha, ha. Hahaha.
Seeing his polished, handsome face made me laugh.
I’d heard this before: when fighting with someone handsome, just seeing their face makes the anger go away.
No… it’s even more infuriating. Even now, his handsome face and my pathetic self that still thinks he’s handsome!
“Yaaah!”
With a shout, I leapt at him.
My round head collided with Étienne.
“Ugh!”
Étienne screamed as he fell backward.
Ssss, ssss. I caught my breath while looking at him sprawled in the garden.
Étienne, lying on the ground, looked at me with wide, stunned eyes.
This is the first humiliation of my life!
His eyes spoke those words.
“I-I should’ve let go when I told you to!”
At that moment, a servant saw me from afar and hurried over. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed Étienne in the darkness, because he greeted only me.
“Princess Dalia, His Majesty the Emperor is looking for you… ack!”
The servant, bowing, finally noticed Étienne sprawled on the ground.
“What’s going on?”
Étienne, lying down, spoke with authority. He even had one arm propped up naturally.
“His… His Majesty the Emperor is looking for you two.”
Suddenly, I had no idea why the Emperor wanted to see us. But it was his command, so we had no choice but to follow.
Étienne, as if nothing had happened, walked gracefully ahead of me.
“What’s going on?”
I asked him subtly as we walked down the corridor.
His tone was shameless, considering he had just been violent.
But what could I do? I didn’t want to apologize, and going to see the Emperor unprepared would be foolish. I know how to separate personal and official matters. Well, I think this counts as such.
“You already met His Majesty earlier, right? Is there a problem? Calling me too… huh? Answer me.”
“There’s trouble in the Empire. The land is rotting, and some unknown disease is spreading.”
“Then why are we being called?”
“The Emperor wants us to inspect the land. I refused.”
“Isn’t Vessus going?”
“No, he wants me to go instead.”
I nodded slightly.
Yes, that makes sense. If it’s the Emperor, he’d prefer Étienne over Vessus to inherit the throne. That requires a proper pretext.
So is he calling us to persuade again? Then why include me?
“It’s a problem in the Dailon territory.”
“Where is that? I feel like I’ve heard it before.”
Étienne glanced at me for a moment.
With a slightly exasperated look.
“The fief of Duke Hinto Lebanovic. Have you forgotten that too?”
“Hinto Le…? My father?”
Right! Before marriage, my name was Dalia Lebanovic!
Come to think of it, I’d heard of the Dailon territory through Penny.
It’s where I lived and where my father, Duke Hinto Lebanovic, ruled. The Dailon territory lies to the west of the capital of the Ledona Empire, taking two to three days to reach depending on the route.
No wonder no family members were at the banquet. They probably couldn’t attend because of issues in the territory.
I recalled the story from the novel.
In the original, Dalia ran away from the convent and first went to the Dailon territory to see her father and family.
But even there, she was a handful.
Ever since childhood, her bizarre behavior troubled everyone. By His Majesty’s generosity, she was married to the prince, which reportedly pleased him greatly—marrying off a daughter whose mind was embarrassing to others.
But after a year, the princess ran away. Duke Hinto imprisoned her.
“Never let yourself be seen by others.”
That was all he said.
Well, he’s the classic ‘honor over children’ type.
So Dalia stole a sword and ran away from the mansion. And Sophienne’s belly…!
Hm. Duke Hinto doesn’t seem to have any affection for me.
“Come quickly. Sorry to call you on such a fine day.”
The Emperor, seated in the center, greeted us.
Vessus sat beside him.
“Welcome.”
Vessus smiled broadly.
I had a bad feeling.
The teacup in front of him was already empty.
That meant he had already spent a long time speaking with the Emperor before calling us. Something was definitely going on.
