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“Raymond, please, can you do something about your expression? Do you think I’m doing this because I actually enjoy it?”
“Then who exactly is responsible for us being like this? Ha, I bet you were being stubborn with Duke Martir again.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not— ugh, forget it. Cheering on an ant crawling over there would be more productive than talking to you.”
As I spoke sarcastically, I felt the arm linked with mine tighten.
Raymond, who was unnecessarily muscular, gripped my arm almost as if he were squeezing it, and a small scream escaped me involuntarily.
“Ah! That hurts!”
“As I always say, Martyr, your finishing touches are clumsy. I almost actually fell for it.”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You spouted that nonsense just to get my attention, but in the end, look at you—throwing a tantrum to the Duke behind the scenes just to force me to stay by your side. Did you hate Stella that much that you’d say things so unlike yourself?”
“Wow, I’m going crazy.”
Perhaps dissatisfied with my exasperated reaction, Raymond tightened his grip on my arm once more.
For some reason, an urgency I had never seen before appeared on his face.
As if he were desperately hoping my words weren't true.
The fragment of emotion, which vanished in the blink of an eye, was difficult to find again.
‘...I must have imagined it, right? No way.’
I brushed aside the lingering uneasy feeling.
Instead, I lowered my voice as much as possible so those around us couldn't hear, and hissed into his ear.
“Raymond, let me be clear: I am truly, completely finished with you. This is just a show my father ordered to buy time until I find a new fiancé.”
Just as he was about to respond.
“Imperial Princess Martyr, it has been a long time.”
“Ah, Madame. Yes, it has been a while.”
“It puts my mind at ease to see that you have been doing well.”
After the meaningless exchange of greetings, the Madame’s gaze flickered toward Raymond.
It was a sign that she wanted me to introduce him.
‘Ah, I guess Madame hasn't greeted Raymond before.’
To show his rejection of me, Raymond had turned down almost every party, and the only ones he attended were those held by the Imperial Family—parties that could absolutely not be declined.
Furthermore, because of ‘Yevgenia,’ who always kept him by her side and allowed no one else to approach him when they attended parties, very few people had actually exchanged greetings with him.
That was why even a fairly prestigious noblewoman was openly giving hints that she wanted to speak with him.
‘More than anything, the fact that I’m not pushing away people who approach me, unlike before, probably played a big part.’
No matter how much I pleaded that my mouth had changed, that I had truly changed, showing it through action would seem far more sincere.
I stared at the Madame for a moment, then gave a wide, as kind as possible smile, shifted my body slightly, and pushed Raymond forward a bit.
“Madame, this is Young Noble Raymond Larsen. The second son of the Larsen Family. And Raymond, this is the host of today’s party, Countess Highnoon, Madame Jane Highnoon.”
Raymond, who had changed his expression in an instant, took the Madame’s hand and gave it a short kiss with a face more polite than anyone else's.
I could feel the Madame, who naturally extended her hand and received the greeting, glancing at me, but I simply nodded as if to show her it was fine.
While they were distracted by the greetings, I quickly pulled my arm away from his.
“Raymond, I’m going to the lounge for a moment.”
I maintained a faint smile until I turned and left the ballroom, and the moment the door closed behind me, I let my lips drop.
“Ugh, I thought I was getting a cramp in the corners of my mouth.”
As I arrived at the lounge rubbing my stiff cheeks, a high-pitched laughter could be heard from beyond the door.
Hearing the sound of chattering, it seemed to be Young Ladies of a fairly young age.
‘What are the odds that the Young Ladies inside won't be startled when I open the door and walk in?’
I hesitated for a moment at that thought, but without a doubt, I was the person who needed ‘rest’ the most right now.
My situation wasn't good enough to be considerate of them just because they might be slightly startled.
After taking a short breath, I flung the lounge door open.
“So I... gasp.”
“Why so suddenly? ...eek.”
The moment I stepped inside, a truly suffocating silence fell.
Seeing the Young Ladies turn pale as if they might faint or freeze in place, forgetting to close their mouths, I found myself reflecting on my past once again.
Instead of throwing a hysteric fit at them like I used to, I quietly stepped inside, and only then did the Young Ladies exit the lounge in perfect unison, like soldiers who had received the command to ‘move!’
Roughly five seconds after stepping into the lounge, I had it all to myself.
“Should I be happy about this, or annoyed...”
I flopped down onto the velvet sofa and brushed back my disheveled hair.
“Sigh. I didn't expect Father to go this far.”
The suffocating companionship with Raymond, which began the day after I requested to annul the engagement, had been continuing for nearly two weeks.
This was my father's order.
If the erasure of my name was a plot by the Imperial Family, it was clear he wanted to manage public opinion in advance, as the Imperial Family might snatch me up into a marriage.
‘The Imperial Crown Prince got married just two years ago, so all that's left is the Second Imperial Prince... meaning, Yulan.’
I had no idea whether my father knew the truth about Yulan or not.
Whether he was actually a black-hearted madman, or truly as critically ill as the publicly known lie suggested.
Either way, it was certain that he wasn't a man my father would easily allow me to marry.
“But marrying a Young Noble other than Raymond is impossible in the current situation where I can't reveal the fact that my name was erased...”
Damn it, I had to admit it now.
My shallow plan had failed completely, and even if the engagement with Raymond were to be canceled, it might take at least a few more years.
However, both I and Raymond had already reached the marriageable age.
No, for nobles who had essentially been in an engagement since childhood, we were very late.
In the original story, before things dragged on this long, ‘Yevgenia’ had gone wild first, and because the Imperial Capital became so noisy, the annulment and condemnation followed very quickly.
“But... no matter how much I think about it, it's strange.”
Nox—or rather, Yulan's identity—is too good a material to be used as the protagonist or a supporting character in a novel.
But in the original, at least in the story in my memory, there was no mention of his identity at all.
No matter how much I searched my memories, nothing came to mind.
Just as I was pressing my throbbing brow, trying to soothe the rising headache.
Creak—
“...gasp.”
The lounge door opened, and along with a familiar voice and a familiar gasp, a dreadfully familiar face appeared.
Lowering the hand that had been on my forehead, I gave her a light nod.
“It’s been a long time, Young Lady Aer.”
“T-that is, Young Lady Martyr, please listen to me. I really didn't know you were here...”
“Yes, I'm sure you didn't. Don't mind me and please make yourself at home.”
I waved my hand dismissively toward Stella, who was trembling like a little squirrel while stammering her words.
I had no intention of bullying her, nor any intention of continuing a conversation with her.
I meant that I wanted us to live like complete strangers—which we actually were.
At least in this place.
But for some reason, Stella didn't back away or enter quietly, but instead unnecessarily dragged out her words.
“H-how could I dare... Ah, I'm saying this in case you misunderstand, but I really didn't know Young Lady Martyr was coming to this party. It's just that Raymond said he wanted to see my face for a moment, so, that's why...”
“Yes, yes. I get it, so please rest to your heart's content and go back to the ballroom to stick with Raymond as much as you like.”
“...Wh-what? Young Lady Martyr, what do you mean by that...”
“Whether you two exchange glances, exchange hearts, or exchange bodily fluids, it really has nothing to do with me, so do whatever you want. Please, just leave me out of it, okay?”
Ah, an irritated voice escaped me involuntarily.
Still, I had to be credited for my effort to hold back my temper as much as possible.
If the obstacle had moved out of the way, they should have just cuddled and been lovey-dovey on their own; why do they keep trying to forcibly drag the obstacle back and place it in their path?
From the perspective of an obstacle trying to quietly step aside, it's truly annoying, I say.
“No, never mind. I'll just leave. Please stay comfortably, okay? I'm sorry for raising my voice, but anyway...”
I shook my head dismissively and stood up.
In my short experience, simply being in the same place as Stella was a trap for me.
Regardless of what happened or didn't happen, Stella always burst into tears, and I always became the culprit.
Of course, it would have been ‘Yevgenia’s’ fault, but what on earth was my sin?
After letting out a deep sigh, just as I was about to pass the blankly standing Stella and leave the lounge.
“...I-I'm sorry, Young Lady Martyr! It's just that Ray-Ray wanted to see me so much, and I wanted to see Ray-Ray so much that I couldn't stand it. Please don't do anything to Ray...”
At the feast of endless nonsense, I involuntarily turned around to look at Stella, and an unbelievable scene flashed very quickly before my eyes.
‘No way. Did she just... smile?’
“Then who exactly is responsible for us being like this? Ha, I bet you were being stubborn with Duke Martir again.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not— ugh, forget it. Cheering on an ant crawling over there would be more productive than talking to you.”
As I spoke sarcastically, I felt the arm linked with mine tighten.
Raymond, who was unnecessarily muscular, gripped my arm almost as if he were squeezing it, and a small scream escaped me involuntarily.
“Ah! That hurts!”
“As I always say, Martyr, your finishing touches are clumsy. I almost actually fell for it.”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You spouted that nonsense just to get my attention, but in the end, look at you—throwing a tantrum to the Duke behind the scenes just to force me to stay by your side. Did you hate Stella that much that you’d say things so unlike yourself?”
“Wow, I’m going crazy.”
Perhaps dissatisfied with my exasperated reaction, Raymond tightened his grip on my arm once more.
For some reason, an urgency I had never seen before appeared on his face.
As if he were desperately hoping my words weren't true.
The fragment of emotion, which vanished in the blink of an eye, was difficult to find again.
‘...I must have imagined it, right? No way.’
I brushed aside the lingering uneasy feeling.
Instead, I lowered my voice as much as possible so those around us couldn't hear, and hissed into his ear.
“Raymond, let me be clear: I am truly, completely finished with you. This is just a show my father ordered to buy time until I find a new fiancé.”
Just as he was about to respond.
“Imperial Princess Martyr, it has been a long time.”
“Ah, Madame. Yes, it has been a while.”
“It puts my mind at ease to see that you have been doing well.”
After the meaningless exchange of greetings, the Madame’s gaze flickered toward Raymond.
It was a sign that she wanted me to introduce him.
‘Ah, I guess Madame hasn't greeted Raymond before.’
To show his rejection of me, Raymond had turned down almost every party, and the only ones he attended were those held by the Imperial Family—parties that could absolutely not be declined.
Furthermore, because of ‘Yevgenia,’ who always kept him by her side and allowed no one else to approach him when they attended parties, very few people had actually exchanged greetings with him.
That was why even a fairly prestigious noblewoman was openly giving hints that she wanted to speak with him.
‘More than anything, the fact that I’m not pushing away people who approach me, unlike before, probably played a big part.’
No matter how much I pleaded that my mouth had changed, that I had truly changed, showing it through action would seem far more sincere.
I stared at the Madame for a moment, then gave a wide, as kind as possible smile, shifted my body slightly, and pushed Raymond forward a bit.
“Madame, this is Young Noble Raymond Larsen. The second son of the Larsen Family. And Raymond, this is the host of today’s party, Countess Highnoon, Madame Jane Highnoon.”
Raymond, who had changed his expression in an instant, took the Madame’s hand and gave it a short kiss with a face more polite than anyone else's.
I could feel the Madame, who naturally extended her hand and received the greeting, glancing at me, but I simply nodded as if to show her it was fine.
While they were distracted by the greetings, I quickly pulled my arm away from his.
“Raymond, I’m going to the lounge for a moment.”
I maintained a faint smile until I turned and left the ballroom, and the moment the door closed behind me, I let my lips drop.
“Ugh, I thought I was getting a cramp in the corners of my mouth.”
As I arrived at the lounge rubbing my stiff cheeks, a high-pitched laughter could be heard from beyond the door.
Hearing the sound of chattering, it seemed to be Young Ladies of a fairly young age.
‘What are the odds that the Young Ladies inside won't be startled when I open the door and walk in?’
I hesitated for a moment at that thought, but without a doubt, I was the person who needed ‘rest’ the most right now.
My situation wasn't good enough to be considerate of them just because they might be slightly startled.
After taking a short breath, I flung the lounge door open.
“So I... gasp.”
“Why so suddenly? ...eek.”
The moment I stepped inside, a truly suffocating silence fell.
Seeing the Young Ladies turn pale as if they might faint or freeze in place, forgetting to close their mouths, I found myself reflecting on my past once again.
Instead of throwing a hysteric fit at them like I used to, I quietly stepped inside, and only then did the Young Ladies exit the lounge in perfect unison, like soldiers who had received the command to ‘move!’
Roughly five seconds after stepping into the lounge, I had it all to myself.
“Should I be happy about this, or annoyed...”
I flopped down onto the velvet sofa and brushed back my disheveled hair.
“Sigh. I didn't expect Father to go this far.”
The suffocating companionship with Raymond, which began the day after I requested to annul the engagement, had been continuing for nearly two weeks.
This was my father's order.
If the erasure of my name was a plot by the Imperial Family, it was clear he wanted to manage public opinion in advance, as the Imperial Family might snatch me up into a marriage.
‘The Imperial Crown Prince got married just two years ago, so all that's left is the Second Imperial Prince... meaning, Yulan.’
I had no idea whether my father knew the truth about Yulan or not.
Whether he was actually a black-hearted madman, or truly as critically ill as the publicly known lie suggested.
Either way, it was certain that he wasn't a man my father would easily allow me to marry.
“But marrying a Young Noble other than Raymond is impossible in the current situation where I can't reveal the fact that my name was erased...”
Damn it, I had to admit it now.
My shallow plan had failed completely, and even if the engagement with Raymond were to be canceled, it might take at least a few more years.
However, both I and Raymond had already reached the marriageable age.
No, for nobles who had essentially been in an engagement since childhood, we were very late.
In the original story, before things dragged on this long, ‘Yevgenia’ had gone wild first, and because the Imperial Capital became so noisy, the annulment and condemnation followed very quickly.
“But... no matter how much I think about it, it's strange.”
Nox—or rather, Yulan's identity—is too good a material to be used as the protagonist or a supporting character in a novel.
But in the original, at least in the story in my memory, there was no mention of his identity at all.
No matter how much I searched my memories, nothing came to mind.
Just as I was pressing my throbbing brow, trying to soothe the rising headache.
Creak—
“...gasp.”
The lounge door opened, and along with a familiar voice and a familiar gasp, a dreadfully familiar face appeared.
Lowering the hand that had been on my forehead, I gave her a light nod.
“It’s been a long time, Young Lady Aer.”
“T-that is, Young Lady Martyr, please listen to me. I really didn't know you were here...”
“Yes, I'm sure you didn't. Don't mind me and please make yourself at home.”
I waved my hand dismissively toward Stella, who was trembling like a little squirrel while stammering her words.
I had no intention of bullying her, nor any intention of continuing a conversation with her.
I meant that I wanted us to live like complete strangers—which we actually were.
At least in this place.
But for some reason, Stella didn't back away or enter quietly, but instead unnecessarily dragged out her words.
“H-how could I dare... Ah, I'm saying this in case you misunderstand, but I really didn't know Young Lady Martyr was coming to this party. It's just that Raymond said he wanted to see my face for a moment, so, that's why...”
“Yes, yes. I get it, so please rest to your heart's content and go back to the ballroom to stick with Raymond as much as you like.”
“...Wh-what? Young Lady Martyr, what do you mean by that...”
“Whether you two exchange glances, exchange hearts, or exchange bodily fluids, it really has nothing to do with me, so do whatever you want. Please, just leave me out of it, okay?”
Ah, an irritated voice escaped me involuntarily.
Still, I had to be credited for my effort to hold back my temper as much as possible.
If the obstacle had moved out of the way, they should have just cuddled and been lovey-dovey on their own; why do they keep trying to forcibly drag the obstacle back and place it in their path?
From the perspective of an obstacle trying to quietly step aside, it's truly annoying, I say.
“No, never mind. I'll just leave. Please stay comfortably, okay? I'm sorry for raising my voice, but anyway...”
I shook my head dismissively and stood up.
In my short experience, simply being in the same place as Stella was a trap for me.
Regardless of what happened or didn't happen, Stella always burst into tears, and I always became the culprit.
Of course, it would have been ‘Yevgenia’s’ fault, but what on earth was my sin?
After letting out a deep sigh, just as I was about to pass the blankly standing Stella and leave the lounge.
“...I-I'm sorry, Young Lady Martyr! It's just that Ray-Ray wanted to see me so much, and I wanted to see Ray-Ray so much that I couldn't stand it. Please don't do anything to Ray...”
At the feast of endless nonsense, I involuntarily turned around to look at Stella, and an unbelievable scene flashed very quickly before my eyes.
‘No way. Did she just... smile?’
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