Chapter 9 Part 2

Of course, the opposite is also true. Sometimes, the Empress sends them to certain noble families to show her favor. However, there’s only one reason why they would gather to discuss personal matters like this.

“It seems Her Majesty the Empress has taken a favorable view of the Merian family’s poverty relief efforts.”

“Luckily, it seems so. Four of them attended, in fact. The story I heard, though it’s a secret, was one that I overheard while they were touring the greenhouse.”

I nodded, and Roxana tilted her head with a serious expression. She seemed puzzled by the sudden change of heart, especially since the noble meetings had already reached a conclusion. Of course, I would have felt the same if I were in her position. There was no legitimacy behind the sudden urgency of the Crown Princess selection.

What legitimacy could there possibly be in Prince Blase Rohan’s stubbornness, driven by jealousy over Daisy Quennie and Halo Cart? The destinies of the m*n who had fallen in love with Daisy Quennie were simply unfolding as they were meant to.

Even though I felt a strange emptiness at how the world continued to turn without me, I quickly shook it off. After all, it no longer mattered to me. As long as I could live my life in my own way, that was all that mattered.

The wounds I received from Halo Cart were deep, but weren’t they a small price for my life? Occasionally, when I look back at the past, I often wonder why I couldn’t let go of Halo Cart all at once. It felt as if I had been possessed by something.

Suddenly, I thought of Harten. I missed him, with his face now softer than before, always whispering the words I wanted to hear. It was a thought that could easily be criticized—simply running away from facing reality because I hated difficulty—but right now, I wanted to see with my own eyes the fate I had changed.

““I’ll be stepping away for a moment.””

““Oh, are you going to look for your partner?””

““In that case, I can’t stop you. Go ahead and enjoy yourself.””

After being seen off by Lady Rowina and Roxana, I left the table. The ball was in full swing, and some nobles, led by their instincts, had already vacated their seats. As I scanned the ballroom, which was now showing some empty spaces compared to when we first entered, I tried looking for Harten, but his blonde hair didn’t immediately stand out.

Where did he go? In a ballroom filled with people taller than me, it wasn’t easy to spot someone based solely on their hair color. I glanced up at the second floor, wondering if I could spot him from there, and sure enough, he was there. He stood on the opposite side of the second floor, engaged in a friendly conversation with some noblewoman.

For some reason, that scene became engraved in my mind. Harten, talking so affectionately with another noblewoman. I never deluded myself into thinking he would only be kind to me. I had already noticed that in his behavior toward Roxana. He no longer had the cold, distant attitude he once showed everyone.

But I never expected that he would be so affectionate with another noblewoman, let alone someone like Daisy Quennie.

I was genuinely shocked by the sight. Even knowing I had no right to feel that way, seeing it made my mind go blank.

“…Lady, Lady Knight.”

“Yes, yes?”

It was Halo Cart who called me, noticing that I had frozen in place upon seeing the scene. When I stiffly turned my head, his emotionless face was right there. The attention of the gossiping nobles began to focus on us, yet Halo Cart continued to speak with his usual indifference.

“I’d like to speak with you for a moment, Lady.”

“…Do we have anything to talk about?”

In the two years since Harten had left, I had put all my effort into making sure my schedule never overlapped with that of Halo Cart or Daisy Quennie.”

At the royal palace ball, where all the nobles gathered, no one noticed the presence of the three of us, including Roxana and Lady Rowina, among the many nobles, but I was extremely cautious, especially at smaller gatherings like tea parties or salon parties, in case I might run into Daisy Quennie or Halo Cart.

The reason I had gradually been forgotten in the social scene was because I had worked so hard to avoid the two of them, who were so active in it. I had given my all to avoid them, and if anyone was sharp enough, like Halo Cart, they would have noticed. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that it had been pure coincidence that we hadn’t crossed paths for two years.

But now, in this situation, he wants to talk to me? Daisy Quennie is having a conversation with Harten, and his partner, Halo Cart, is trying to stop me—does he think this is normal? My anger flared, and I was about to leave the spot, putting force into my steps.

“…Just for a moment.”

Despite my rude response, Halo Cart grabbed me again. In fact, his determination seemed to have increased in response to my open hostility. From his reaction, I could tell he wasn’t going to back down easily. I sighed and gave a slight nod.

Ignoring him wasn’t a good option, as I knew the curious eyes of the nobles would follow me wherever I went. On the other hand, continuing to argue would only give the social scene more gossip to chew on. The terrace? If I wanted to hear more about Halo Cart’s double dealings the next day, that might be a good choice.

I nodded toward the farthest corner of the ballroom, where drinks and finger foods were spread out. It was an open space where I could avoid the eyes of most people without being entirely hidden. I would need to lower my voice, but I didn’t think any bold noble would eavesdrop on our conversation. It wasn’t the best option, but it wasn’t a bad second choice either.

“Let’s go.”

“I’ll escort you.”

As I followed Halo Cart’s guidance, I instinctively turned my head toward the second floor. My gaze lingered around the area where I had been earlier, still searching for Harten. But it seemed that he was no longer there, having left the spot while I was talking with Halo Cart.

“Is something wrong?”

“…No. Let’s go.”

In that moment, why did I think Harten would be watching me? Why did I believe that he would come and take me away from Halo Cart? I mocked myself for such a ridiculous thought and followed Halo Cart’s lead.

As expected, there were almost no people in the corner of the ballroom. At a ball like today’s, meant for socializing, most of the nobles were either ordering food from the attendants or had left their seats without even having time to eat.

I took a casual glance at Halo Cart, who was receiving a champagne glass from the servant holding a tray. Despite the two years that had passed, Halo Cart hadn’t changed a bit. His indifferent face, showing no sign of emotion regarding the situation, was just as it had always been.

He placed the champagne he had brought for me in front of me, and with his own glass before him, Halo Cart seemed ready to start speaking. The hesitation he showed was unexpected, a bit out of character for him.

I waited for him to speak first, holding my champagne glass. The longer he took to speak, the more my throat felt dry. It was unsettling to see Halo Cart, who always spoke his mind without hesitation, now so unsure. The longer he delayed, the more I sensed that the conversation was going to be something significant. As I took a sip of champagne to ease my throat, Halo Cart finally asked.

“…Does the champagne suit your taste?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

I emptied nearly half the glass in one go before the strong taste of alcohol hit me. Since I wasn’t used to drinking, it wasn’t exactly to my liking, but I gave a neutral response out of politeness. Halo Cart seemed to accept my words sincerely.

“I see.”

With those words, another silence fell between us. It was expected, as I had nothing to say to him, and he was hesitant to speak. I felt frustrated but didn’t want to break the silence myself, so I kept a composed expression.

“…I apologize for taking up your time like this, Lady.”