Chapter 25

Vivienne looked up at Karl.

‘Hurry up and get rid of that woman. She’s interrupting our time together.’

There was even a hint of anticipation in Vivienne’s eyes. She was curious about what new wound Karl would inflict on Iana to drive her away.

But Karl’s reaction was strange. He gently pushed Vivienne, who was leaning against his chest, away and turned toward Iana. Vivienne’s eyes widened. But even then, she didn’t lose hope. Her expectations were shattered in the next moment.

Karl pushed Vivienne aside and approached Iana. Then he knelt and held out his hand.

“Would you dance with me?”

Vivienne’s mouth fell open. How could this be?

“Karl?”

Vivienne called out to Karl in a flustered voice. However, the Karl in her dream acted as if he couldn’t hear Vivienne and walked away, holding Iana’s hand. When Vivienne ran after him and clung to him, he shook his head with a cold expression and said,

“Isn’t it time to stop now, Princess? I believe I’ve played along with you enough.”

And once again, Vivienne was left alone. Just as she had been in Toulouse.

The more Vivienne hardened her heart and tried to do something, the worse things became. It was incomprehensible. Things she used to obtain easily without doing anything began to slip out of her grasp, and the more she struggled to escape the situation, the colder Karl’s eyes became.

And so, finally, Vivienne killed Iana. Holding a dagger dripping with blood, Vivienne spoke to Karl.

“It’s all because of you. Because of Father and Mother, because of Brother Leo, and that d*mn Ines.”

Karl drew his sword toward Vivienne, who was muttering quietly. The sensation of cold steel piercing her heart was so vivid that even after waking from the dream, Vivienne had to calm herself for quite some time.

Dawn was slowly breaking. Vivienne straightened her curled-up body and got out of bed. She had been in that position for quite a while, and her back felt stiff, but Vivienne didn’t care.

What mattered now was the fact that she was still alive and breathing. Even the dull pain running down her back felt like proof that she was alive, and Vivienne almost welcomed it.

“Whether it’s a nightmare or an ability, it doesn’t matter.”

Standing by the window, Vivienne murmured quietly.

“The dream is trying to warn me. Something is happening. Something bad for me. It must be related to Iana Marseille. Pull yourself together, Vivienne.”

Vivienne reached out and threw open the window. The chilly morning air rushed in, carrying the scent of dew-soaked fallen leaves. Somewhere, a sparrow flew onto the window sill and pecked at the gap with its beak. It seemed to be eating crumbs left behind by the maids during cleaning. Watching quietly, Vivienne grabbed the busiest-looking one.

She could feel the little bird trembling in her grasp.

“Lady Iana always trembled like this in front of me.”

Vivienne muttered, slowly tightening her grip. Even after the bird’s struggling limbs stopped, she didn’t loosen her fingers. Finally, the once-warm creature began to grow cold. Vivienne opened her hand and looked down at the dead bird. After staring for a while, she raised her arm and threw what was in her hand far away.

“But what does it matter. I’ll make it the same soon enough.”

With a chilly smile, Vivienne brushed off her hand and closed the window. Then, as if nothing had happened, she pulled the bell cord to call her maid.

“Is there anything special on Prince Karl’s schedule today?”

“It’s the same as usual, except…”

“Except?”

“As yesterday, there is a morning tea planned with Lady Iana Marseille.”

‘Was it this?’

A cold smile appeared and then vanished from Vivienne’s lips. In any case, the dream was definitely on her side. Last night’s dream must have been a warning for her.

“Prepare my dress.”

The light brown dress Vivienne wore looked simple enough to seem almost plain. But contrary to appearances, it was made of the hardest-to-find fabric in the capital these days. The silk that the recently deceased Marquis Alisa Remaxion had brought from the Eastern Continent had skyrocketed in price. Because of this, noble ladies were even more desperate to get their hands on it.

The dress, which seemed unadorned but had a subtle beauty, highlighted Vivienne’s milky skin even more. Matching the dress, Vivienne applied understated makeup and went for a morning walk. Standing among the beautifully colored autumn leaves, Vivienne exuded a mysterious aura like a nymph of the forest.

As Vivienne slowly walked among the trees, she spotted Prince Karl enjoying tea in the garden. Across from him, Iana sat with a rather lazy posture, looking as if she found everything bothersome.

‘Such a careless posture!’

In Toulouse, sitting like that in front of royalty would have been dangerous for one’s life. A hint of contempt flickered in Vivienne’s eyes. But since no one had noticed her presence, no one saw it. Likewise, Vivienne missed the cheerful expression on Prince Karl’s face as she was focused on observing Iana. He was laughing repeatedly, seemingly in a good mood.

With a gentle smile, Vivienne greeted Prince Karl.

“I greet the Empire’s little sun, Your Highness.”

Sunlight slipped over Vivienne’s beautiful silver hair. Her beauty seemed even more prominent thanks to the simple dress. The lady, who had been lounging carelessly before the Prince, stood up when she saw Vivienne.

Smiling, Vivienne accepted Iana’s greeting and turned to Karl.

“The weather is nice, so I was out for a walk. Were you having tea with the lady?”

“Yes, Lady Iana was telling a very interesting story, and I was listening intently.”

Iana looked at Karl with a sullen expression. Her eyes said she had a lot to say. In truth, Karl had been the only one talking so far. Iana had only occasionally agreed or shook her head, yet he said she was telling an interesting story. Having endured Karl’s chatter, Iana found it almost absurd. Still, with a foreign princess present, she couldn’t argue point by point, so she simply kept her mouth shut and looked dissatisfied.

Vivienne smiled brightly and turned to Iana, speaking with a warm expression, quite different from her usual pitiful look.

“We haven’t talked much before, so I didn’t realize. Lady Iana, wouldn’t you visit my quarters from time to time? You can pick a day, or come every day if you’d like. I think we could become quite good friends.”

She had no intention of truly becoming friends, but as the saying goes, keep your enemies closer than your friends. Vivienne waited gently for Iana’s reply.

Iana fell into thought for a moment. Even though Alis was of low status, she had bought the title of Marquis not only to gain an advantage in business with other nobles, but also to expand her freedom and avoid being dictated by others. It had cost quite a bit, but she remembered it as one of her most satisfying deals.

But Iana was already a noble lady—the only daughter of Grand Duke Marseille. Weighing how much she could say, Iana soon concluded that she could speak as she wished. Surely, no one here would complain to Grand Duke Marseille just because they didn’t like her words. The only one bold enough to act out in front of both the Prince and Princess was herself. Smiling, Iana spoke.

“Princess, thank you for your kind words. But I’ve started something recently, so it’s difficult for me to be your companion.”

Karl was enough for boring company. Already suffering from sleep deprivation, Iana had no desire to deal with Princess Vivienne as well, so she declined politely. Vivienne, who hadn’t expected to be refused, looked momentarily flustered.

“How dare—no, Lady Iana, please reconsider. If rumors spread that you’re friends with me, it would definitely be advantageous for you in society. Oh, with the upcoming Imperial charity ball, entering together would be nice as well.”

Vivienne, rarely speaking quickly, tried to persuade her with a threat disguised as kindness. The words, no matter how they were heard, were a threat: if you don’t become friends, you might be ostracized in society. If she agreed, she would become a handmaiden disguised as a friend, despite being the Grand Duke’s only daughter. That would only elevate Vivienne’s status.

A princess who made the only lady of the grand duchy her handmaiden—this would not only affect her, but also damage Grand Duke Marseille’s reputation.

Besides, the world was changing to value individual ability more than group associations. Even though people gossiped about Alisa Remaxion behind her back, everyone bowed to her face for that reason.

Iana blinked as if she hadn’t understood anything. With unfocused eyes looking into the distance, she slowly spoke.

“But wouldn’t that be a burden for you, Your Highness? As you know, I’m just a country girl who’s only recently come to the capital and know so little. If you truly wish to be friends with someone as lacking as me…”

As Iana was speaking, she suddenly grabbed the hem of Vivienne’s dress with a sorrowful expression, as if overcome with emotion. When Vivienne, startled by Iana’s sudden action, took a step back, Iana quickly apologized and let go of the skirt. However, right in the middle of the elegantly pleated dress, there was now a large, unsightly wrinkle caused by Iana.

The only flaw of this fabric was how easily it wrinkled. The assistants at the dress shop weren’t joking when they said that making a single dress out of this material required ironing it over a hundred times. Alis had tried to solve this problem, but ultimately failed, and now that flaw had come into Iana’s hands. The long, beautiful pleats were now noticeably crumpled where Iana had grabbed them.

It wasn’t a mistake big enough to complain about, but Iana’s error was strangely irritating. Vivienne glared at the ruined dress and spoke in a stiff voice.

“Lady Iana, please reconsider this matter. I won’t withdraw my offer.”

Iana just nodded with a very apologetic look, staring at the dress. There was something quite insincere about that look, and Karl had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Iana, who used to always make a wounded face at even a word from Vivienne, had certainly changed.

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, an attendant entered quickly, greeted Karl, and handed Iana a note. As Iana took the note, her complexion turned pale.

“Lady, what’s the matter?”

Karl quickly asked, sensing something was wrong.

“There’s been an accident involving someone working under me. Your Highness, I’m terribly sorry, but I must take my leave.”

Iana hurriedly gave her farewell and left. As she got farther away from the others, she could be seen lifting her dress and running. Vivienne’s low mutter could be heard.

“How vulgar.”

Karl’s expression turned cold. But when he turned back to Vivienne, his face had returned to its usual gentle look, as if the coldness had never been there.

“The weather is nice, would you like to stay longer?”

“Yes, I’d like to have a cup of tea together…”

“Then I’ll have the table cleared and fresh refreshments brought out. Please enjoy yourself at your leisure. I have some work to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

With those words, Prince Karl, still wearing a gentle smile, bid Vivienne farewell and walked toward his office. Although he saw the rather stunned look on Vivienne’s face, he didn’t feel like comforting her any further. The attendant who had just delivered the note to Iana followed quickly after Karl.

“What’s going on?”

“Her aide was seriously injured.”

“A woman?”

“It seems to be a man.”

At the attendant’s reply, Karl’s face grew even more serious.