Chapter 51
“Adelaide Lewendif!”
Before she could even grasp the situation, someone rushed in and grabbed Adele’s arm—Killian.
“Hey! What are you doing here! Are you crazy? Let go of her hand! Right now, Adele! I said let go! Adelaide Lewendif!”
This crazy girl.
His eyes flipped in fury.
Killian pried Adele’s hand off Bianca’s hair and with sheer force pulled the two apart in an instant.
“Ugh… how much did you rip out? Are you even in your right mind, Adele?”
Bianca’s hair slipped from Adele’s hands, strands falling to the floor. Killian frowned, still holding Adele tightly in case she lunged at Bianca again.
Breathing hard, Adele struggled to wrench her arm free from Killian’s grip. Of course, he didn’t budge, and only her own hand hurt from trying.
“Let go! Do you even know what that witch Sybel said? This is all because of you, Killian Märchen! She said all that about Tia because of you! Our Tia—she’s so kind, so smart, so full of charm—and that Sybel had the nerve to call her a lunatic, a crazy brute!”
“…What?”
Killian’s head slowly turned toward Bianca.
That languid gaze—like a predator before a hunt—made Bianca falter and step back.
“She called Tia a crazy brute, can you believe it? That’s not all—she even said she was insane! That since Tia became crown princess, the empire is doomed. How dare she say that about our Tia!!!”
As Adele raged, tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.
Sniffling, gasping, she raised a hand to wipe them away.
Wait—wipe them? How? Killian was supposed to be holding both her hands!
Realizing too late, ah! A chill ran down her spine as the entire lounge filled with killing intent. This was Killian’s aura.
Without thinking, Adele threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Hey! Killian! Don’t!”
“…Let go.”
“Killian Märchen, get a grip! No way, absolutely not! Didn’t your master tell you never to strike a woman?”
His energy was so intense her skin tingled, but Adele only tightened her grip around his waist.
“Hey! Didn’t you see? I already did it for you—I ripped out plenty of her hair! You saw, right? There was so much in my hand! So calm down, okay? Killian, please!”
She prayed desperately for anyone to come and stop Killian.
Fortunately, not long after, Tia appeared with Liz and Sir Briven.
“Killian! You said you were bringing Adele, but what are you—oh my! Sorry! I’ll come back later, huh? Wait, what’s going on?”
“Tia! Perfect timing! Talk to him—Killian’s not himself right now.”
Adele’s arms, still clinging to Killian’s waist, trembled.
***
“Killian.”
“Yes, Tia.”
“Have you calmed down?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You did it for me. I’m fine—as long as you’re fine, I’m fine.”
“Still… today was supposed to be a good day… but I almost—”
It had nearly escalated. If not for Adele, or if I had arrived even a moment later, Killian might truly have done something to Shivery.
The sight of his disheveled daughter made Duke Shivery storm at Marquis Lewendif.
But since the marquis’s apology didn’t satisfy him, the duke even considered bringing the matter before my father.
Yet the fact remained—Bianca Shivery had barged all the way to the Crown Princess’s private lounge.
And hurled vile insults about me that were unspeakable.
Once that came to light, the duke had no choice but to back down.
Thanks to Bianca’s own friend stepping forward as witness, the issue was settled swiftly and cleanly.
When I heard the whole story myself, I too wanted to have Bianca Shivery immediately thrown into the underground prison for treason and slander against the imperial family.
But I chose not to—for Adele’s and Killian’s sake.
To absolve them completely, the incident itself had to be erased.
Adele, sobbing uncontrollably from frustration, was carried off by Marquis Lewendif, while Killian couldn’t even lift his head before me.
“Killian, I’m truly okay. Just the fact that you took my side—it makes me so, so happy.”
Who wouldn’t be?
My dearest, losing his mind in fury while defending me—he’s the perfect obsessive yandere.
And for him to be my absolute favorite on top of that? Ha… looks like I won’t be sleeping tonight.
Of course, Killian isn’t actually a yandere. He doesn’t see me that way, nor is he obsessed with me. But the mere fact that he grew angry for my sake made my chest so tight with emotion I could hardly breathe.
“Just promise me you won’t do it again, Killian. Oh, and not for my reputation—this is for you. Remember, you said you’d become a great knight. You can’t let emotions control your sword. If you swing with emotion, that’s not true strength. You have to endure, even when furious. Your sword must always strike with the greatest worth. The weight of your blade cannot be light.”
Wow. That line could go right into a romance novel.
In fact, in Moonflower, didn’t Count Tolkie say something similar to Killian near the end? But well, if I said it first, that’s fine too.
As I looked at him intently, Killian nodded, then wiped at his eyes.
“Killian, are you… crying? Really?”
“Yes… hic… Tia, I’m just so sorry… sniff… and so grateful.”
Holy crap.
What is today?
My favorite person not only defended me, but now he’s crying in front of me?
This is better than being crowned Crown Princess!!!
***
“Have you completely lost your mind?”
“F-father, I’m sorry. I was just… so curious about Young Lord Märchen, the one you mentioned…”
“That’s not the point! Marriage talks with him are one thing—but how dare you slander the Crown Princess! What if someone else had overheard? It would never have ended like this!”
Duke Shivery had sought out a secluded terrace to scold his daughter Bianca.
Immature as she was, he never thought she’d be foolish enough to openly insult the Crown Princess.
Just thinking back made his heart drop.
If he had dragged Marquis Lewendif before the Emperor without grasping the situation… the Emperor, who had kept himself in check lately for his daughter’s sake, might have lost his sanity again.
“It’s best if you stay home tomorrow. You’ll not attend the children’s banquet.”
“But Father! Tomorrow there’s a circus, and a grand competition with huge prizes—”
Tears welled in Bianca’s eyes.
“If you knew that much, how could you make such a mistake today? You’d better keep a low profile for now. Getting on the Crown Princess’s bad side will bring you nothing but trouble! I’ll call for the carriage—you’re going home at once!”
“Father!”
“Bianca Shivery!”
Hearing her father call her by her full name, Bianca lowered her head at once. When he was like this, defiance would get her nowhere.
After sending his daughter home, Duke Shivery stifled a sigh with glass after glass of champagne.
That was when someone approached.
“It has been a while, Duke Shivery.”
“Well! If it isn’t Marquis Alberto! I was just wondering if I’d have the pleasure of seeing you after your letter…”
Duke Shivery might have been a greenhorn, newly inherited to his title, but Marquis Alberto was a long-standing great noble, father of the Empress herself, seated in the high council for decades.
Only recently he had even suggested a marriage match for Bianca. Shivery never suspected the marquis harbored ulterior motives. He was simply glad such a venerable man sought him out at this banquet.
“I heard there was an incident. Is your daughter well?”
“What, news has reached you already, my lord? The fault lies with my daughter. I only told her to observe Young Lord Märchen carefully, but she was rash and acted without thought.”
“At her age, that’s natural. It’s nothing to worry about. Her Highness the Crown Princess is still very young herself. She cannot afford to blow matters out of proportion.”
The remark subtly belittled the Crown Princess, but Duke Shivery, busy wiping the sweat from his brow, didn’t catch it.
“Ha ha! Is that so?”
After all, it wasn’t the Crown Princess who had nearly escalated things—it was him.
Keeping his lips sealed, smiling only with his eyes, Duke Shivery listened as Marquis Alberto went on.
“Though recent laws have complicated affairs within the imperial family, this old man is grateful simply to still be of service.”
“Yes, indeed, my lord. Thanks to farsighted men like yourself, the empire continues in peace. And that you would even spare thought for my daughter amid your many duties—I hardly know how to thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. With age comes perspective, that is all. As I said, there could be no better match for your daughter than Young Lord Märchen. Better to take it slow, with patience. I will speak with Duke Märchen on your behalf.”
“Then I shall trust everything to you! Ah, and how fares Her Majesty the Empress? I missed seeing her yesterday and today as well. Is she well?”
At the mention of the Empress, Marquis Alberto’s eyes hardened, though Shivery failed to notice.
“There is nothing to worry about. She will soon rise from her bed.”
“That is truly fortunate news! Ha ha ha!”
After handing the oblivious duke a glass of champagne, Marquis Alberto quietly excused himself.
It was time to return to his daughter—still an empty shell, unable to come to her senses.
