Editor Group: Liber Reverie
“You… who are you?”
“Yes…?”
It was a remark poured down on Mielle, who didn’t fully raise her head. Asterope was staring at her with an eerie stiff face.
“You’re Mielle?”
“…!”
Mielle was so surprised that she trembled without even raising her head properly. She was appalled by the way he spoke that seemed to deny herself. She couldn’t understand why he was pushing her with such cold eyes and accent.
“… ha. Really you’re Mielle?”
Asterope spat out a smile as if he had been embarrassed. Feeling strange, Princess Isis spread her frowning face by herself and asked carefully why. Now she was siding with Mielle, not Asterope.
“Your Highness Asterope, did Lady Mielle make a mistake?”
“No.”
Even though Isis asked, Asterope’s gaze was directed at Mielle. He glanced over Mielle’s entire body, which was trembling like a little bird losing its mother, and answered with a self-help tone.
“I think I did the wrong thing. Now that I’ve said hello, I’ll go. Have a good time, princess.”
When he confirmed Mielle’s face, he turned around coldly as if he had no more regrets. Only then did Mielle, who got out of his blade-like gaze, collapsed to her seat, holding on to her heart, which was running so fast. Oscar hastened to support her.
“Lady Mielle, what the hell happened to His Highness?”
Isis grilled her after she had fallen. But Mielle, who had never been linked to Asterope, had no way of knowing. She shook her head with a paled face.
“I, I don’t know… I haven’t seen His Highness before.”
Isis clicked her tongue since she had thought that he had given in to the Aristocratic Party and showed up to celebrate her birthday, but he had given only a word of greeting, and after he had grilled Mielle, he disappeared.
‘What on earth was the purpose of the Crown Prince?’ Isis and the others who had witnessed the scene in the garden all thought so.
“You’ve never really seen him?”
“Of, of course.”
“Then why did he look for Lady Mielle and check your face…”
‘Why did he turn around as if she weren’t?’
Isis, who was going to ask that much, thought that Lady Mielle might really have nothing to do with him. ‘Was that the reason he had turned around after checking her face? Because she was different from what he had thought?’
“Boo-hoo…”
At the Crown Prince’s harsh words and manner and Isis’s urging, Mielle burst into tears. Although she had received numerous education from an early age and had become a model of aristocratic lady, Mielle was only fourteen years old.
In addition, it was too much of an ordeal for her to endure, who had grown out of love and goodwill so far. Some strength was put on the hand of Oscar who embraced Mielle. He didn’t know what had happened, but Mielle was too young to be insulted in front of many people. Mielle, who was wailing, looked very sad, whether he liked her or not.
“I’m sorry, Lady Mielle. I was so nervous. Oscar! Take the lady to the mansion. Help her relax.”
“Yes, sister.”
Oscar wrapped over Mielle’s shoulders and disappeared into the mansion. Mielle was still a needed card now and in the future, but she had driven her too much as she had been nervous.
‘I hope the smart Oscar can soothe her well.’
It was clear that he would somehow appease Mielle because he could not let go of someone young, weak, or someone who had poor existence.
Isis, who was watching them disappear for a while, ordered the musicians to turn up the sound of the music. Then the performers put great force to make it as loud as possible. It was only then that Isis, satisfied with the melody of the garden, made a benevolent look.
“Oh, the Crown Prince seemed to have a bad day today.”
There was no one for the Crown Prince here anyway because he was a single member of the royal family that had been ostracized by the nobles. As the dominance of the Empire was done by the nobles of power and wealth, he was just a scarecrow, no matter how he pretended to have power and prestige.
The participants burst into laughter at Isis’s sarcastic remarks. She left the garden which became alive again and quietly ordered the knight who immediately followed her.
“Find out what happened between Mielle and the Crown Prince. Every single one.”
The knight who heard the order disappeared at once. There must have been something. It might have nothing to do with Mielle, but from the Crown Prince’s point of view, there might be something else.
‘He was so resentful.’
She had a dangerous premonition. She had to find out what had happened.
* * *
Mielle, who had gone out with a big smile saying, “I’m going to the princess’s birthday party,” returned to the mansion of the Roscent family way passed the supposed time she should return and even her bedtime. Aria was able to see her return that night because of the loud hoofing of horses of the carriage that entered the mansion.
‘What happened? Why in the world a lady, who has yet to become an adult, return so late? Was she drunk? Then it would be very interesting.’ In anticipation, Aria wore a simple robe over her Schumiz and went down. But the scene at the entrance to the mansion was far from what Aria had expected.
“I’m sorry… You don’t have to take me like this…”
“No, I was worried and did that, and please don’t mind it.”
Oscar’s grip on her hand while escorting her was as sweet as ever. And Mielle, smiling softly at his affectionate behavior with swollen eyes, was a terrible thing in itself.
‘What the hell is this?… what’s this situation…?’
‘Why does Oscar, who hasn’t even replied to me yet, see Mielle off so late at night?’ For Mielle, who had great knights of the Roscent family guarding her, who would have given up their lives for her. Aria could not understand why he should have to see her off here at the expense of the hassle.
“I’m sorry she is late. Something happened in the middle of the party, so Lady Mielle fell asleep, but I couldn’t wake her up, and she is already late.”
“Oh, is that so? It’s all right since you came here to see my daughter off like this. But be careful next time. She’s still underage and single.”
The count didn’t look too angry for a light scolding. He might rather want her to get married like this. If one thought about it, Mielle’s exposed hands were trembling because of the cold evening wind.
“Well, it’s too late, so I’ll go back.”
“How about sleeping here after a long time? I’m afraid you’ll go back alone.”
Why did the count worry about a healthy man going back alone? Moreover, he would be fine if the count took him back using the carriage of the Roscent family. If he was really that worried, he could have just posted a knight. There was no need to worry.
“We have a lot of rooms, so there’s no problem if you stay. We’ve cleaned our guest room, and it is in good condition.”
The countess tactfully helped him. Mielle also grabbed Oscar’s sleeve and gave him a silent rush. Oscar’s eyes shook once as he stared at her.
“Well… could I stay here one night?”
“Yes, yes. Come on in. Why don’t you sleep with a cup of warm tea?”
“Thank you.”
The count hugged Oscar’s shoulders and disappeared with an excited face. Then Mielle followed them, and the countess, who was staring at Aria, who was hardened by shock, moved her steps. Aria was the only one left in the empty hall where no one was present.
‘Why? By any possibility, if something happened to Mielle and he took care of her, it is understandable. But why? … why haven’t you ever looked at me once…?’
When she faced his appearance of thoroughly ignoring her as if no one was there, the reality that she had neglected was pouring into her like a flash of light. The little bit of expectation she had was shattered.
‘Oscar, do you really want to cut your connection with me…? Why! Why wouldn’t the future change, even though I turned over the hourglass, sacrificing my life? If God sent me back to the past to show such a future, wouldn’t it be too cruel?’
Not long ago, he abandoned Mielle and acted as if he would come to her. It was a simple letter, but she was relieved that every time his reply arrived, the future seemed to change.
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