Chapter 44
“Why are you so late?”
“There was a long line for the restroom, you know. Hah hah.”
I offered Arden an excuse as he questioned me with a sulky expression.
“A line… for the restroom?”
This was the imperial palace. Arden tilted his head in confusion. Beside him, Cassian let out an irritating grin.
“I suppose the restrooms were too small for the number of guests.”
“That’s not it!”
“Why are you getting so defensive, Arden? Anyone would think the palace was your house.”
“……”
At that, Arden shut his mouth.
Watching him, Cassian smirked to himself. If he’d been teasing like that since childhood, no wonder Arden disliked him. I shot the High Priest a look.
I need to tell you something.
What is it?
We need to move.
Now?
Right now. Immediately.
Why?
Well—
“What are the two of you communicating about so intensely?”
“Ah—huh?”
Startled, I turned to Arden.
“Who? You mean the High Priest and me? We weren’t talking!”
“You were. With your eyes.”
“……”
“You must have gotten close quickly. You only met today.”
“Haha…”
Make something up, I signaled Cassian with my eyes, but he was still grinning like an idiot.
Arden sneered.
“Being close enough to converse with just a glance. How enviable.”
“…Actually.”
I leaned in and whispered, pulling Arden closer.
“I overheard something strange while waiting for the restroom.”
Though he looked sulky, Arden surprisingly didn’t resist being dragged along.
I pointed once at a woman in a lime-colored dress standing against the wall, then to the opposite side, where a dog-faced woman was laughing merrily amid a crowd beside her husband.
“Arden, do you know anything about those two?”
Still wearing a cool expression, Arden glanced back and forth before answering.
“They’re Count and Countess Welshico.”
“The Welshico couple?”
“Yes. The man is Count Welshico. The lady is Countess Marian de Bosion.”
“Then who’s the pink-haired woman next to the husband?”
“I’m not sure. They say she’s an heiress from overseas, but I don’t know her personally.”
“She suddenly appeared in high society… I believe her name is Plum,” Arden added.
“I see.”
I nodded.
“But they don’t look close at all. They’re standing far apart. Even their outfits don’t match.”
“They aren’t close. It was a political marriage.”
“Political… marriage?”
That was something I’d only seen in novels. I tilted my head.
“So there’s no love between them at all?”
Arden hesitated.
“I don’t really know about their feelings…”
“Oh…”
Right. Arden wouldn’t care about things like that.
“…There probably isn’t,” Cassian cut in.
Meeting my gaze, he explained with a gentle smile.
“The Welshico family is old and noble, but they’ve been short on funds since the previous generation due to failed investments. The Bosion family amassed wealth through finance but lacked prestige. So they struck a marriage deal.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The arrangement was made by Count Welshico himself and Marian Bosion’s father. If I recall correctly, the Countess’s wishes were not considered. The Count is also eleven years older than her.”
“Eleven years?!”
“Ugh.”
Beside me, Arden grimaced in disgust.
“He better die 330 years earlier than her, right?” I whispered.
Arden nodded fervently.
Cassian continued.
“The Countess likely doesn’t harbor much affection either. She was essentially forced into marriage by her strict father.”
“I see…”
Marian Bosion’s father had cared only about the benefits of the marriage, indifferent to his daughter’s suffering afterward.
It was widely known that the Count was cold toward his wife.
“Her mother-in-law, the previous Countess, and even the Count’s younger brother reportedly look down on her for being a commoner. They’ve made demeaning remarks and actions even in public gatherings.”
“Poor woman,” Cassian said, shaking his head.
“Anything else you’d like to know, Miss Seraphina?”
“No. Thank you for the detailed explanation, High Priest.”
“Not at all. It’s an honor to satisfy a lady’s curiosity.”
He smiled politely.
Satisfied with the explanation?
More or less. But stop grinning.
I answered with my eyes, then alternated my gaze between the Count and his wife—more precisely, the ring still gleaming on Marian’s finger.
Sharp as ever, Cassian suggested,
“Shall we get a bit closer to the Count?”
“What?”
Go up to him just because I was curious? He wasn’t a dachshund wandering into the street.
Seeing my incredulous look, he shrugged.
“Just pretend you’re getting dessert.”
“And look—peach yogurt granola bread.”
“That does sound like my taste!”
That would work.
Clapping my hands, I turned to Arden.
“Arden, let’s go. You said you wanted to talk to people here, didn’t you?”
“Hurry.”
I tugged at his sleeve, and he followed reluctantly.
The three of us headed toward Count Welshico.
“Wow! Peach yogurt granola bread!”
“Woooow~ peach yogurt granola bread~”
“…Ugh. Peach yogurt granola bread.”
Putting on the performance of our lives, we picked up the bread—and locked eyes with the Count.
His blue eyes widened.
“…Excuse me.”
He stopped the pink-haired Plum mid-sentence and walked straight toward me.
“What do you want?” Arden snapped, but the Count ignored him.
Placing a hand over his chest, he bowed politely.
“May I have the honor of knowing the lady’s name?”
If I hadn’t seen him humiliating his wife earlier, I might have praised his flawless manners.
Cassian rolled his eyes around a mouthful of bread.
So did I.
“I’m Count Shotrek Welshico, head of the Welshico family. I’m here today at the invitation of the Imperial Knights Commander—”
At that point, it was obvious.
Cassian and I exchanged a look.
He’s into me.
The problem was that this was the same man who’d been laughing with another woman while abandoning his wife moments earlier.
Three women at one ball? Was he insane?
“…So, may I have the honor of your name?”
I saw Cassian duck his head, suppressing laughter.
“Y-you—!”
“Hold on, Arden.”
I stopped him and turned back to the Count.
“Seraphina.”
“Seraphina… what a beautiful name. And your family name?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I don’t have one.”
In this empire, commoners generally didn’t have surnames unless they paid an enormous sum to buy one.
“N-no way…”
Smiling sweetly, I said,
“Yes. I’m a commoner.”
The Count recoiled as if he’d touched a cicada.
“I—I apologize! It was a pleasure meeting you, um—ah…”
Flustered and embarrassed at having approached a commoner, he fled the hall.
As expected. I snorted.
He married a commoner for money and then looked down on her.
And now he’d publicly spoken to another commoner—of course he’d be ashamed.
I scratched my eyebrow and looked at Arden and Cassian.
Arden’s glare at the Count’s retreating back was murderous.
“I won’t let him get away with this.”
Earlier he’d been angry that the Count spoke to me—now he was angry that he stopped.
Not good.
The Count is my prey.
Keep Arden occupied, I signaled Cassian.
“I’m going to the restroom again.”
“Again?”
“……”
“Arden, that’s rude to a lady.”
“Oh.”
“……”
“Have a safe trip.”
“……”
Sniff.
“Seriously… Arden’s going to think I live in the restroom.”
In the garden attached to the banquet hall, I chased after the Count, who was walking briskly as if trying to escape the world.
I’d planned to startle him somewhere quiet and take Marian’s signet ring.
But—
Thud!
“Huh?!”
The Count slipped and knocked himself out.
“…What?”
“Did he slip because his legs are short?!”
That fast?!
“…Whatever.”
Worked out for me.
He was breathing. No sign of serious injury.
“Must’ve drunk too much.”
I dragged him over and laid him against a tree trunk.
“Now then, time to take the ring—”
I rubbed my hands together, grinning.
Rustle.
“Count Welshico?”
