Please Don’t Let Go Of That Leash - Chapter 4 - Royal Banquet (Part 2)
Chapter 4 – Royal Banquet (Part 2)
Serena’s family was not as influential as the two dukes, but among the four marquis, they were said to be the most financially well-off. This was because the upper part of the marquis’s family she led was the largest in the empire. Among them, Ennen’s dress shop was the largest business.
To Ria, who knew little about this world, Serena’s stories were all fascinating. Each time she listened, she felt like she was accumulating information. However, compared to that, she didn’t have much to share about herself. Yet she didn’t seem resentful or make excessive demands to hear her story.
Grateful yet apologetic, she wrote her replies with care. While sporadically sharing her mundane daily life, she found herself reacting to Serena’s stories one by one, resulting in several pages of content.
Serena found Ria’s reactions cute and responded by writing various stories.
In fact, she wanted to share more with Ria beyond the speculation that they would not let Ria out well based on the nature of the two dukes she knew and the stories she heard from Ennen.
Even though she didn’t know Ria’s appearance, she almost saw through their possessiveness as if she had the right answer.
‘It’s a shame Serena wouldn’t be at the banquet, because I would have been able to talk to her in person.’
When asked about her attendance at the banquet, Serena informed her that she would not attend. She had been working hard over the years to facilitate trade between the North and the upper class, but this time, something that seemed to be going well was blocked at the last minute.
The fact that she was even willing to travel to the North to meet with them suggests that it’s something that’s important to Serena. Ria expressed her wish for it to work out, and in return, she received an invitation to the mansion after the banquet. Serena promised to provide detailed information about the first meeting with her two lovers, conveying both the regret and anticipation of the postponed meeting.
‘I can’t wait to meet Serena, I have so many questions about having two lovers.’
Talking about relationships and sharing daily life was no different from with friends in Korea. Even here, it felt like she had made such a good friend, making Ria feel happy.
As she thought about the North, she realized that there had been various connections recently, which was why it often came up in conversations.
The North was said to be part of the empire while being recognized for its autonomy. The ruler of the cold and barren place was called the Lord of the North, and his family was one of the four marquis among them.
Lost in her thoughts, she was called by the maids. As she came back to reality, she met their eyes holding different cosmetics in their hands.
“My lady, we are about to start the makeup. Could you close your eyes, please?”
‘…It’s still not over?’
***
As the sky darkened, three men who had finished preparing gathered in the central hall on the first floor.
“Where is Ria?”
“She was said to be wearing a dress earlier, so she should be coming down soon.”
‘Tsk.’
Rune, who had been unable to see her all day since getting up and had to leave for the palace, clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. Eden and Kahin were not much different.
Since the day they received the notice of the banquet from the Crown Prince, their workload had included tasks related to the banquet. They already had a backlog of work, which meant they had to spend less time with Ria, and now it was reduced even further.
They somehow managed to free up some time on the day of the banquet, but even that was taken up by ‘banquet’ preparations. This was why they were in such a foul mood even before the banquet began.
There were a few other reasons for their displeasure. One of them was that recently, Ria seemed more interested in the letters from Marchioness Serena Rosevita than in them. She always had a smile on her face when reading and replying to the letters. Because of this, even if they quickly finished their work and returned, they were pushed back.
‘We shouldn’t have taught her how to write letters.’
If they had known it would turn out like this, they wouldn’t have readily helped her when she first said she wanted to reply to the Marchioness. They thought she might like this place more if she had a same-gender friend, but it only fueled their jealousy.
Moreover, they were even rejected from sharing a bed with her due to the need to wear a dress for the banquet. They disliked lying alone in bed, so they ended up just holding her, which led to restless nights and a miserable state. Unable to bear it, they had to spend some time alone in the bathroom several times.
But in fact, the biggest victims of this situation were their aides. As the mood of their masters worsened, even the atmosphere in the offices of the two dukes in the Imperial Palace became tense for a while.
The aides were careful with every step, and each time they submitted a report, they had to take a deep breath to calm their nerves. Just as they were about to collapse from the tension, a lifeline appeared.
Ria, having found enjoyment in writing letters, sent one to each of the three men.
The aides, who had been desperate for salvation, quickly noticed the immediate change in the dukes’ moods. It was unexpected given their usually indifferent nature, but as long as it meant their survival, it didn’t matter.
Although they received cold looks for daring to show interest in such trivial matters, the softened gaze was much better than the icy atmosphere that had prevailed.
They only needed to mention “the letter from the young lady.” Anything beyond that was forbidden. The moment they mentioned her, the dukes would glare at them with murderous intent, and mentioning anything more would surely cost them their lives.
Such was the power of the letters. Though a rather unexpected gift, they felt like a small proof that she still cared about them, serving as a suppressant for their dark jealousy and possessiveness that had been threatening to completely isolate her and cut off the connection with the outside.
‘Maybe I should burden Marchioness Serena Rosevita with more work to extend the letter-writing period.’
However, the suppressant’s effect didn’t last long due to their immense desire. They were deep in thought about how to make her focus more on them when the sound of approaching footsteps snapped them back to reality.
Tap-tap—, the sound, somewhat precarious, echoed slowly with each step. The three men strained their ears towards the source of the sound. Soon, they heard a faint conversation.
“Be careful.”
“It’s been a while… These heels are too high, if I fall….”
Though the conversation was fragmented, they immediately understood. Despite now being able to walk steadily, Ria, who had always worn low-heeled shoes, must find the high-heeled banquet shoes uncomfortable.
Worried about her stepping down the stairs in that state, they instinctively moved towards the stairs, contemplating various ways to help without being rejected. However, they hadn’t anticipated that their minds would go blank the moment they saw her fully revealed.
The hall fell silent as Ria, assisted by a maid, descended the stairs. Even when she reached them, they could only stare at her in a daze.
Every time she blinked her eyes beneath the smoothly revealed round forehead, the fluttering long eyelashes and the clear pink eyes within captured their attention. Following the not-so-low bridge of her nose for a Korean, the moist lips that seemed to be imbued with moisture drew their focus back down.
Despite swallowing to quench their involuntary thirst, their eyes were still glued to her. From the delicate, pale neckline revealed by her braided pink hair, to the rounded shoulders and collarbones that drew their focus once more.
The most alluring sight, however, was the pearls hanging from the white lace choker that connected to her dress, just above her cleavage.
From their height, the pearls nestled in her cleavage were irresistibly tempting. They wanted to cover her white neck, shoulders, and collarbones with their red marks and bury their faces in her cleavage, replacing the pearls.
Just as their hands twitched from the rising dark desire, Ria’s voice halted them.