Chapter 82
Kilian looked completely bewildered, as if he had no idea what I meant. For a fleeting moment his eyes looked hurt. He even froze in place, and I almost missed the beat.
What should I have said, and how? I’d said it because I really felt sorry — what if even that made him uncomfortable?
My head spun.
Just then the music ended. As soon as we stepped apart and finished our curtseys, Kilian hurried over to me demanding an explanation.
“Tia, what did you just mean by that…?”
But someone else moved even faster toward me…
“Excuse me, young viscount, it’s my turn now — step aside, no, please, make way.”
“Your Majesty, just a moment.”
“Dad, I was going to—”
As I already knew, my father’s patience wasn’t very great.
With a curt nod that practically intercepted me, Dad had the orchestra strike up again on the spot. Kilian was pushed aside, and I, almost lifted off my feet, began to dance with my father.
“Dad… what is this. Put me down.”
“Huh? Good heavens! Our Tia needs to gain a little weight. I hadn’t noticed I was carrying you. Is this a cloud of fluff? Ah! Looking at your dress today, maybe you’re a gentle leaf?”
“Ughhh.”
Total cheeseball.
Still, I didn’t exactly dislike my father’s boundless — if sometimes overbearing — affection.
Whenever I tried to glance toward Kilian, Dad kept chatting with me.
He’s such a jealous man.
“Tia, you can even dance well — there’s nothing you can’t do. Boohoo, I feel like crying all of a sudden… I remember when you were wobbling around taking your first steps, and now you’re fifteen… I can never let you go…”
“Dad, please let me go. The music’s over.”
As soon as I finished, Dad glared at the orchestra and then continued the dance as if he’d simply ignored them.
“What? You’re sad that the time you have with your father is getting shorter? Me too. See? I’ve got tears in my eyes right now.”
Sigh. He was incorrigible, I sighed — but what Dad had said earlier didn’t sound like empty flattery. It was exactly how I felt.
My nose tightened.
“You’re right. I’m sad.”
“Mm. What, Tia?”
“I’m really sad. Dance with me one more time!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and threw my arms around my father.
This is bad. I have to leave… but it felt harder the more I thought about it.
My father’s next partner was Oz.
“Wow… Oz… still alive, huh…”
Sometimes, when I barked orders at grey-haired Oz as if we were on familiar terms, I’d get hit by a wave of guilt — but seeing how solid Oz’s body was, I felt better about it; he was more than sturdy.
“Oz… before you became a steward, what did you do? What job made you so fit? I want to poke you. Ah, of course, don’t misunderstand — no foul intentions.”
cough “That is….”
“Were you a farmer by any chance? I hear farmers have crazy functional muscles. Maybe you were a rich farmer…”
“Wul? Bul! Hah… rich… far…”
“Huh? What was that?”
“I merely enjoyed physical training, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, really? I see.”
After dancing for a while with muscle-building Oz, Sir Ein came and took my hand.
“It is an honor, Your Majesty. Please let me cut off and keep this hand as a keepsake.”
“Eek! Gross! Don’t say things like that!”
I slammed a fist into my chest, and Sir Ein exhaled dramatically.
“Then, guk, this heart of mine…”
Over-the-top, totally over-the-top. He and my father would get along perfectly.
Sir Ein’s endless flattery left me dazed to the point I didn’t know how I’d managed to dance.
“I’m dizzy.”
I wanted a break.
Was this how debutante balls always were — no time even to sip water?
Just then someone handed me a glass of cool water.
“Oh! Thank you!”
“Your Majesty…”
I took the glass and downed it in one go.
“It was Jerron, right? Thanks. You saved me. My thirst’s gone.”
“Glad to be of service, Your Majesty. Um, may I dare to ask you to dance?”
Passing the glass to the attendant, Jerron asked me shyly.
Jerron, dressed properly in his knight’s formal wear, looked especially handsome today. I took his offered hand in response.
“Of course. What brings you here? Ah! Are you here as my guard?”
“No. My partner…”
Jerron’s earlobe flushed red as he answered.
“Whaaat? Partner? Really? Who?”
“That is… ahem.”
Who could it be? I hadn’t seen them. After dancing with Kilian, I’d been captured by the three supreme flatterers and hadn’t had a chance to look around.
“Who is it? Who is it, you teasing—?”
“Um…”
“Aish, don’t be so mysterious!”
To the rhythm of the music I yanked Jerron’s hand and whispered low, “Tell me quickly. You know I’m impatient.”
“Adelaide Luvendiff, the viscountess.”
“What? Gah.”
Hearing that name from Jerron was something I hadn’t imagined.
Adel? That Adel?
When I widened my eyes, Jerron continued with a smooth step.
“Don’t pop an eye out, Your Majesty.”
“Do I look like I will? What on earth… how did this happen?”
“I don’t know either. She just asked to come along and he agreed.”
Jerron’s voice dissolved as he apologized for not reporting it since he had judged it harmless.
What was Adel thinking?
When I first met Jerron, Adel’s attitude had clearly been hostile toward him.
But of all events, she singled him out and brought him to the debutante ball?
I could almost hear the Livendiff marquess’s throat being grabbed from here.
“Where’s Adel? Isn’t she dancing?”
“She said she had an urgent errand to attend to.”
“Hmm.”
Even putting aside the fact that no one dared step into the center of the hall while I, the crown princess, occupied it, Adel acting alone like this needed to be noted.
“After the music ends, find Adel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Any other plans?”
“I plan to thread through the crowd and look into corners.”
“Be careful.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
We finished our discreet conversation and continued to dance gracefully until the music ended.
“Adel.”
Adel, who had been walking quietly, jumped at the sound of someone calling her and turned around. It was Kilian.
“Eek. What? Did you follow me?”
Why go so far as to hide? I was startled.
Grumbling, Adel received Kilian’s sulky reply.
“Yes. Why? Is that not allowed?”
“What about Tia?”
“Huuu…”
He breathed out long and heavy — clearly something had gone awry. Adel frowned deeply.
“I don’t know what happened exactly, but it’s definitely your fault.”
“I know, I know.”
“What? You just admit it so readily? What happened, exactly?”
Kilian’s deflated expression annoyed her. Adel nodded to indicate he should follow.
“Where are we?”
“A chapel?”
“How did you know?”
“Lucky guess?”
When Kilian frowned, Adel let out a snort and said, “I just guessed because it’s where the holy power concentrates the most.”
“Oh…”
“Come in quickly. Close the door.”
Adel grabbed Kilian and closed the door. Neither Adel nor Kilian noticed that someone’s gaze had briefly fallen on them as the heavy door shut silently behind them.
“Now, talk.”
“Well…”
Kilian opened his mouth.
“Hurry up, hurry.”
There’s no time. What if Tia comes looking for him?
At Adel’s urging, Kilian kept dabbing at his face with dry hands. The despair on his face was vivid, and Adel couldn’t press him any further.
“Before I came in, I brought up old memories for a moment… Tia still seems to think of me only as a ‘friend.’ Without realizing it, I felt hurt and showed it. I should have kept my expression under control…”
“Oh, you idiot! Friend! Friend! Didn’t I tell you? You have to be patient. It’s not an easy thing.”
“I know, I know. I just felt hurt all of a sudden. I got anxious, too. Anyway, I apologized while we were dancing…”
“And then?”
“She said she was more sorry than I was.”
When Kilian said that, Adel burst out.
“Ah, damn it! Give it up! How could you, hearing Tia say something like that about you!”
“Haah…”
Kilian bowed his head like a criminal. Strands of hair now hung over his forehead.
“She said she’s always sorry because I put up with her even when it was hard for her…”
“Ahhh! You stupid fool!”
With a thud, Adel’s fist landed on his back.
“I told you! Tia is far more timid than we think! She’s always been anxious something bad might happen to us since she was little.”
“I know.”
“She’s never once unloaded her worries on us — and you just said careless things to someone like that! Don’t you know she’s the type who will quietly adapt to us without showing it?”
“….”
“You ruined everything.”
If Tia had been here, she would have scolded Adel, saying there was no need to be so harsh. But Tia wasn’t here.
Kilian watched Adel scold and clicked his tongue in frustration.
“What should I do?”
“I don’t know, me neither!”
I shouldn’t have told him to do well. It’s my karma, my punishment. Ah, this is so frustrating. I’ll help you!
Adel pounded her chest.
Kilian felt utterly pathetic — as if even having his limbs cut off would be better. He had no idea what he could do.
“Help me, Adel.”
There was nothing he could do but beg for her mercy.
