Chapter 49
“That’s not it. I didn’t even go to the Panto Theater.”
I couldn’t let Arius take the blame for something I had insisted on doing.
As all eyes turned toward me, I gave a small smile.
“I just happened to see it while exploring the market. I enjoyed the performance quite a lot, and the audience’s response was incredible. It’s a famous troupe. How did you find it, Duke Romero?”
“…It was impressive. The Sephardi people seemed to enjoy it.”
I had been worried he might say he didn’t enjoy it at all, so I was relieved by his positive response.
I lifted the teacup to my lips to hide the upward curve of my mouth, and Cecilia leaned forward, clearly interested.
“Really? Where can we see it? Since Duke Romero enjoyed it, I’m very curious. Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve been stuck inside the Sephardi Palazzo too much.”
Though I spoke in a roundabout way, it was a cute and somewhat obvious display of interest.
That was cut short by the Crown Prince and her older brother, Carlos.
“Royal blood can’t be wandering the market, Cecilia. It’s dangerous.”
“Well, wouldn’t it be fine if someone were guarding me? Yesterday, the eldest daughter of the Sephardi family went out and came back safely.”
“Today is your tea time. After inviting everyone, where exactly do you intend to go, Cecilia?”
“Ah… well, yes, but…”
“The Duchess of Sephardi spent a lot of effort preparing. And it was postponed because of your whims.”
“Brother, it wasn’t a whim; I wasn’t feeling well!”
Cecilia pouted at the Crown Prince Carlos’ words.
A gentle smile appeared on the Crown Prince’s face as he looked at his still-young sister.
The face of an older brother who found his sister’s antics endearing.
A look that wanted to grant her every wish.
I seized the opportunity presented by the indulgent and generous older brother.
“How about pairing the princess’s tea time with a theater performance?”
Raising my voice as if it just occurred to me, I continued,
“We could watch the peacocks while strolling through the garden, and afterward enjoy tea while watching a play.”
“I don’t know if that would be possible on such short notice, my lady. There’s no need to indulge my sister’s whims too much.”
The Crown Prince gave me a slightly embarrassed and apologetic look.
But since he was the brother indulging his sister, I smiled and shook my head.
“I enjoyed it so much yesterday that I asked the troupe to show it to Gabriella as well. I thought it could be a small gift for my sister, who will soon leave Sephardi. Fortunately, they agreed, so I was planning to show it after tea time. The more audience members, the better—it would be fun for everyone to watch together.”
“Ah, if it’s already arranged, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Isn’t that right, Cecilia?”
Carlos clapped his hands and laughed.
Though Cecilia didn’t particularly want to agree, she had been the one to say she wanted to watch the play, so she pouted.
Still, she let out a short sigh, unsure if she truly didn’t want to see it.
“Not bad. I suppose I can’t refuse a gift for Gabriella.”
“Sephardi’s eldest daughter has such a generous and silky heart. The care you show for your family is truly beautiful.”
Pedro couldn’t resist giving a flattering remark.
I had expected him to give up, but he clung persistently, making it impossible to force a smile.
I struggled to lift the corners of my mouth, but surprisingly, the youngest chimed in instead of me.
“Silky heart? Are there any other eldest daughters of Sephardi in this Palazzo?”
Jose muttered coldly, clearly displeased with something.
Even though the mood turned tense, that wasn’t enough for him.
He grumbled without looking at me.
“How can you decide things on your own without permission or consultation? Someone might think you’re the owner of this Palazzo.”
“I am the owner of my Palazzo, Jose. As you know, my Palazzo is a bit separate. Separate from the Sephardi Palazzo, that is.”
“Guests are present. Behaving embarrassingly is inappropriate. Both of you, stop now.”
The Duchess, Laura—my stepmother—moderated the argument.
I immediately closed my mouth and lowered my gaze.
At least for now, I had to try to appear as an obedient daughter.
“I apologize. I’ve been disrespectful to everyone.”
Carlos, Gabriella’s fiancé, was present as well.
Arguing with Jose in this setting would only upset Gabriella.
Laura, seeing my attitude, found it hard to criticize further and clicked her tongue lightly.
“And Maribel, Jose is right. Even if it was for Gabriella, you mustn’t act on your own without consultation. After all, outsiders are entering the Palazzo. Who knows if any ruffians might be among them. Isn’t that right, Duke?”
“Well, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Even if there are ruffians, what could they really do inside the Duke’s house? By the way, is there any good play to see these days?”
Feigning neutrality while not siding with the Duchess, Mateo looked toward Arius.
“Duke Romero, I haven’t heard of you watching a play with my daughter. Was it just the two of you?”
“It wasn’t just the two of us. We watched it with many Sephardi people. I was more on guard, as requested.”
Arius answered Mateo without changing his expression.
His indifferent look made Mateo glance at me, as if asking if nothing unusual had happened.
I pretended not to notice and continued eating my churros.
“Unni, I really liked it. I haven’t been able to go to the theater for a long time because of all the cleaning these days.”
Only Gabriella, among all the household members, looked at me with an expectant expression.
Well, that was enough.
Tea time passed without incident.
My Palazzo was a bit separate from the others, so there wasn’t much opportunity to stroll in the garden where tea time was held.
Even if I had been invited, I would likely have been preoccupied handling the mess Maribel caused in the underground workshop.
So I found myself distracted by the peacocks strutting through the garden, flaunting their splendid feathers rather than paying attention to the fragrant tea.
“Aren’t the peacocks really beautiful? What do you think, Duke Romero?”
“Indeed.”
Cecilia and Laura had thoughtfully assigned the seating.
Naturally, Arius was seated next to Cecilia.
I sat a bit apart, sipping my tea.
“Are there peacocks in Romero too? I’ve never seen them in Bernau. Speaking of which, the Duchess of Sephardi said she would gift a pair of peacocks.”
“I don’t recall seeing peacocks in Romero either.”
“Oh, Duchess, did you hear that? How about gifting a pair in Romero as well?”
Cecilia shook her radiant blonde hair and smiled brightly.
Watching her, I realized that I didn’t exactly… feel happy.
‘What’s this?’
It wasn’t jealousy.
Arius was merely a tool temporarily used to help Gabriella’s happiness.
Though undeniably handsome.
Still, I found my gaze lingering on Arius longer than usual.
Finding it strange, I shook my head slightly and stood up.
“I’ll go look at the peacocks some more.”
For a moment, Arius and I made eye contact, but Cecilia quickly pointed me toward the opposite side.
“Have fun. The peacocks are gathered over there, my lady.”
Right, it would be better for me to move elsewhere.
I obediently walked toward the side Cecilia had pointed out.
The peacocks approached me as I walked with my parasol under the hot sun.
In the large garden, the peacocks wandered freely without fear of humans.
They came close, squawking at me, but when a female approached, the males spread their splendid wings to show off.
Squawk, squawk, then again squawk, squawk.
The sound didn’t match their beautiful feathers at all, so I crouched and laughed lightly.
“Your cries…”
“Don’t they sound like people screaming? It’s not unpleasant to hear.”
“…Prince Eskia.”
When did he sneak up again?
