Her limbs were skinnier than she remembered, hair almost gray, a short dress covered in various stains, an unkempt face. Her hunched shoulders and timidly clasped hands were trembling slightly.
The dull and lifeless blue eyes that had been facing the ground slowly rose. When their gazes met, her body trembled.
“Who…… are you? How…… How!”
Adelia reached out toward the real Adelia. She even ran forward but couldn’t reach her.
She had so many things she wanted to ask. Whether she really died, if she wanted revenge against her family, if the path she was taking was right.
But each time questions tried to emerge, her breath became more and more constricted. After dozens of attempts, Adelia gave up. When she stayed still, the real Adelia opened her mouth.
“What?”
She truly just opened her mouth.
No sound could be heard. Only the movement of her lips could be discerned.
After saying a very short sentence, the real Adelia turned around with a happy smile. Then she suddenly disappeared.
“Don’t come? You took my life away?”
There was a limit to guessing just from lip movements. The moment she recited the most plausible sentence, Adelia woke up.
“Hmm…… what……”
“Are you awake?”
Lucian filled Adelia’s vision as she opened her eyes. Seeing his still brilliantly beautiful face, Adelia smiled contentedly.
It felt even more refreshing to see such a spectacular view right after waking up.
“How long did I sleep?”
“You slept just the right amount. I was about to wake you up when you woke up on your own.”
Lucian said while looking at the clock.
In truth, it was a bit past the time he had planned to wake her. Watching Adelia sleeping soundly, he hadn’t noticed the time passing.
Adelia patted her shoulders as she got out of bed.
“Did you have good dreams?”
“Hmm…… More or less.”
Adelia still couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling.
It felt too vivid to be just a dream, and it gave her a strange feeling. She hadn’t even figured out what the real Adelia had said, so she couldn’t feel completely refreshed.
‘Don’t come, you took my life away?…… Is that right? At the end, surely…… Huh? What expression was it?’
Adelia furrowed her brow as she recalled the dream.
While everything else was vivid, she couldn’t remember the expression the real Adelia had worn at the end. That scene alone was dark as if ink had been spilled on it.
“This feels oddly unsettling……”
“Pardon?”
“Ah…… It’s nothing. Thanks to you, I slept well.”
Adelia turned around with an awkward smile.
Being so full of thoughts about the dream, she didn’t have the mindspace to wonder why Lucian was still here.
Adelia pulled the bell rope to call the maids. She needed to prepare for the banquet hall.
“Then I will wait. Please take your time to prepare.”
Lucian bowed politely and left the room. Although he was reluctant to part with Adelia, he wanted to see her wearing similar clothes to his.
The maids surrounded Adelia.
“Oh, Your Highness! We need to redo your hair and makeup!”
“Is that so? Take your time. It’s fine if we’re late to the banquet.”
The maids prepared for battle with anxious faces. Their styling instincts were boiling over.
They burned with determination to make their mistress shine brighter than anyone else.
Adelia entrusted herself to them, now seemingly used to this routine.
* * *
Carriages lined up at the entrance of the banquet hall. There were numerous carriages decorated with gold and silver, bearing the crests of prestigious families.
However, there was one plain carriage among them.
Inside the ordinary carriage that seemed to have hastily added only the family crest were the people of House Vita.
Sitting side by side, they were having a serious conversation.
“Listen well. Today we must meet the Deputy Guild Master and that Adelia. I’ll handle that Adelia, while you and your mother handle the Deputy Guild Master.”
“Dear, how are we supposed to meet the Deputy Guild Master when we know nothing about him?”
“Ah! I hear the Deputy Guild Master is mad about the guild. Think of some brilliant idea! If all else fails, throw Robelia at him! She could at least get a baronet title through marriage.”
“Dad! Are you trying to sell me off to that commoner?”
“Who cares if he’s a commoner? When we’re so broke we have to fire our employees! And if you see any nobles, try to borrow money from them.”
“Father, I think we’ve already borrowed from everyone we could. They might start asking for repayment soon……”
“I’ll resolve that when I meet Adelia. The Crown Prince must be intercepting my letters! Otherwise, there’s no reason that thing would refuse me! She was always desperate for attention, where else would she go? I’ll sweet-talk her and get some money.”
The Count ranted nonsense while pounding his chest. His plump face turned red. It was such a passionate nonsense that sweat dripped down his thick chin.
His pettiness showed in how he interpreted Adelia’s rejection according to his own wishes and maintained his groundless pride.
“That’s right! That thing must have seduced the Crown Prince well. The Emperor was obsessive about the Empress, so the Crown Prince must be constraining that thing too! Otherwise, how could that thing refuse to meet her father!”
The conversation continued without reason or logic. Just meaningless mumbling without answers. Though they listened intently at first, they grew tired of the Count’s endless talking.
‘What is the lady doing…… That thing even believed the infertility diagnosis, yet she’s doing nothing……’
‘It’s getting annoying that we can’t touch the commoners. Ah, that guild is causing trouble and ruining my fun. When will Father stop talking? I should have stolen money and run away earlier, but that Adelia is different now. She definitely won’t listen to Father either…… Better to stay quiet. I haven’t done anything wrong.’
‘Sigh…… To think I’ve been living with such a thing as my husband. I need to hurry back and go to Thei’s house. He’s better than this old, penniless man. I promised to buy Thei a gift, what should I do……’
They all merely gave perfunctory responses to the Count’s words while their minds wandered elsewhere.
The ducal lady’s communications with Robelia had long since become sparse, and the Countess was carrying on with her lover. The young count continued harassing commoners.
Whether viewed up close or from afar, they were a pathetic family.
The long line ended and the Vita family entered the banquet hall. Though momentarily struck speechless by the beautiful hall, they soon faced numerous gazes directed at them.
‘That’s right! We are the Crown Prince’s in-laws!’
The Count walked down the stairs with his chest puffed out proudly. Even though their fortunes had declined and they were in debt, the fact that he was the Crown Prince’s father-in-law remained unchanged. The thought that his daughter was the bridge between the Imperial family and the guild lifted the Count’s shoulders high.
People quickly gathered around the Count. They were mostly people who handled money, though not of high rank.
“Haha, everyone’s here early.”
Expecting them to bow and grovel, the Count greeted them heartily.
But what he received in return were cold stares and silence.
The nobles glared at the Count with expressions full of dissatisfaction and anger.
Sensing something was wrong, the Count awkwardly smiled and extended his hand.
“Hahaha! Baron, it’s been a while!”
“Indeed it has. When will you repay my money?”
The person the Count reached out to was the Baron who had lent him the most money. The Baron spoke bluntly, showing clear hostility.
The Count’s eyebrows twitched at the words that had completely abandoned noble etiquette.
“You must not know since you haven’t been a noble for long, but such words……”
“Yes! What makes you so proud, Count, who borrowed money from me, a former commoner! Now that your lies have all been exposed!”
“Return my money too! Investment? What guild investment were you talking about that even the Deputy Guild Master doesn’t know about?”
Starting with the Baron, people’s complaints poured out like a broken dam. They rushed to demand the Count repay their money. The Count sweated profusely like meat broth, seemingly flustered by the onslaught of complaints.
“Th-that! My daughter and the Guild Master’s secret that even the Deputy Guild Master doesn’t know……”
“Enough, I can’t trust you anymore, Count. Either give us notarized documents promising to repay by the deadline! Or give us our money! If you don’t pay, we’ll take this to the Imperial court!”
“What! Imperial court? You uneducated commoner! A noble going to Imperial court over something as vulgar as money!”
“Yes, I’m an uneducated commoner! If money is so vulgar, why can’t you return this vulgar thing, Count? Huh? Say something!”
Eventually, one person grabbed the Count’s clothes. As a noisy fight broke out in one corner of the banquet hall, other nobles looked at them with disdain.
- ianthe
remember to support the authors everyone~ (๑'ᵕ'๑)⸝*