‘Insult?’

Princess Cassandra thought Jade had rejected her dance because of me.

“Are you saying you spilled the wine on purpose? You clearly said it was an accident.”

On purpose.

As I emphasized those words, Princess Cassandra’s face flushed red.

“Does that matter? You made me a laughingstock first, Countess! How dare you, do you know who I am!”

Of course, she might have been embarrassed in front of everyone watching.

“You had the Marquis do it, right? You told him to do that to me! Is this revenge because of what I said to the Countess’s daughter last time?”

Still, how could it become something I ordered.

‘I ordered Jade to do it?’

The strange conclusion was so absurd that I didn’t even have the energy to respond.

“Why aren’t you answering my question? Are you ignoring me again? I am the Princess of Langrangsha. I’m Father Emperor’s most beloved daughter!”

“…No matter how embarrassed you were about being rejected, spilling wine cannot be justified.”

I maintained my composure with a deep breath.

“And Your Highness. I didn’t tell Marquis Rowe about that day’s incident. We’re not that kind of relationship.”

I was confident because there was no lie in what I just said.

“Don’t try to deceive me by saying you didn’t tell him, when you’ve come as the Marquis’s partner today.”

Princess Cassandra’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

‘If I don’t speak, it’s ignoring her, and if I answer, it’s lecturing. What am I supposed to do?’

I couldn’t figure out which way I should act.

‘My dress is already damp and irritating, should I just say what I want to say?’

There was no need to try to look good to someone who disliked everything I did.

It had also been annoying from the start when she called Blanche a substitute.

“It’s true that I accepted the Marquis’s request to attend as his partner, but may I ask for your esteemed opinion on how that leads to the conclusion that I told him?”

I was curious about her habit of interpreting things to her liking since last time.

“How dare you try to teach me? A mere countess!”

Slap−

With a friction sound, my head turned to the left.

‘I hadn’t been slapped by anyone except Duke Belaste when I was young.’

The cheek I was slapped after such a long time felt numb and stinging.

A feeling of absurdity came along with it.

“Th-that, this, I’m, sorry. I got too excited…”

Even Princess Cassandra who slapped me seemed flustered, surprised and at a loss for words, then she shouted.

“Countess! What are you doing now! Are you deliberately hitting your own cheek to blame it on me?”

“…Pardon?”

“I told you spilling the wine was really an accident.”

Just as I thought she had finally gone mad, Jade was striding over.

‘She heard Jade’s footsteps and is trying to make it look like my own act.’

Perhaps she was acting without changing her expression even once.

I felt like I should applaud her impressive performance.

“Marquis! You came at the right time. The Countess seems to be in a lot of distress, take her away.”

Jade looked at my swollen cheek and spoke coldly.

“…Where do you think you’re putting your hands.”

“Marquis! Didn’t you hear me? The Countess hit her own cheek. To get me in trouble because I spilled wine on her!”

Given the situation, Jade shouldn’t have seen Princess Cassandra hitting me.

“Countess Boston is not the type to hit her own cheek to get someone in trouble. Even if she was slapped and is enduring it.”

Yet he retorted to Princess Cassandra’s words.

While unconditionally believing in me.

Princess Cassandra clenched both hands and her eyes welled up with tears.

“Marquis, to humiliate me twice in front of others. It’s really over between us now!”

Jade’s red eyes glowed fiercely.

“Over?”

“Well, if you apologize to me now, I might let it go just this once.”

She wiped her tears and answered in a coy voice.

“I was never in any relationship with Your Highness to begin with. I asked again out of curiosity how to end something that never started.”

Jade laughed lowly as he looked at Princess Cassandra. It was clearly a sneer.

‘It’s quite a talent to provoke the usually impassive Jade like this.’

He had a habit of keeping smiling when he was angry.

“…Think carefully and answer again. I won’t give you another chance like this!”

Princess Cassandra glared at me, then turned around and gradually walked away.

“Larien.”

Jade called me and took a deep breath.

“We’re still in the Imperial Palace. Don’t call me that.”

“…”

Jade silently took off his gloves. Then he gently touched my swollen cheek with his hand.

‘…It feels cool.’

The cool sensation seemed to gradually calm my swollen cheek.

“Does it sting?”

“It’s fine now. You can take your hand off now. What if someone sees?”

“I don’t care. Just stay like this for a moment. I barely restrained myself from twisting the Princess’s neck right there.”

It wouldn’t be good to provoke Jade further when he was already swallowing his anger.

“I feel a bit embarrassed showing you this side of me. I didn’t think she’d go as far as slapping me.”

Sharlin, who only spewed all kinds of verbal abuse, was better than this.

To be slapped at this age.

The more I mulled it over, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“You find this funny?”

“What can I do if it’s funny? More importantly, I told you not to come. Why did you?”

“Countess Asitan told me to go to you.”

“The Countess did?”

I was grateful to her for coming out to give me the shawl, emptying the lounge, and worrying about me until the end.

‘What would be good?’

I thought about bringing a gift when I go to return the shawl later.

“La…”

Perhaps because of what I just said, Jade swallowed his words as he was about to call me.

“I don’t want to stay here anymore. Let’s go back.”

I brushed my hair up irritably.

“Is it okay to leave already?”

“It’s fine.”

Well, it would be a bit difficult to go back in this state. I came out through the entrance we came in and got on the carriage holding Jade’s hand.

“Larien.”

“…”

“Larien.”

He called my name several times now, as if there was no need to hesitate anymore.

‘It’s not like he’s a child protesting that he can’t call my name.’

Somehow my gloomy mood was completely wiped away and I felt happy.

“Just call once. What is it?”

“You said you met the Princess then. What did you talk about?”

Jade brought up what happened a few days ago.

‘I just mentioned meeting her in passing and brushed it off, but he remembered that.’

I didn’t want to bring up how she called Blanche a substitute.

“Well, she warned me that she’d end up marrying you. I was annoyed so I riled her up a bit, and I guess her pride was quite hurt.”

So I told him about the situation at the time, leaving only that part out.

His tone was tinged with subtle disappointment.

“…I thought it was strange that she’d spill wine and slap someone she only talked to once. Larien. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I hid it because it felt like running to tattle as soon as I heard something unpleasant.

“I told you now, so it’s fine. Jade. I’m tired anyway, so let’s just drop it.”

“You always−”

“Always?”

“Nevermind. It’s nothing.”

Why does he hide things like this himself, but scold only me?

‘If he had just rejected Princess Cassandra and not put his arm around my shoulder, none of this would have happened.’

I got annoyed again at the situation that arose because he provided the cause.

“If you didn’t want to dance, you should have made up some other excuse to reject her. Why did you grab me there?”

I swung my feet and kicked his legs a few times.

Even though it must hurt, Jade just stared at me without flinching.

“I’m sorry.”

When he apologized first in a serious voice, I felt awkward.

“It-it’s already in the past, so it’s fine. Just be careful next time.”

“If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have brought you. You always seem to have bad things happen when you’re with me.”

It was uncomfortable.

The words that I always have bad things happen when I’m with him.

‘Why is he suddenly getting so serious?’

I was reflected in Jade’s eyes.

He kept looking at me.

Earlier, and now too.

“Don’t worry about the Princess. She’ll be sold off once the Emperor dies anyway.”

“Sold off? What do you mean?”

“You know how the Crown Prince and Imperial Grandson didn’t come to the banquet today?”

Come to think of it, neither the Crown Prince nor Serendio were in the Diamond Hall.

He explained that Princess Cassandra was on bad terms with the Crown Prince because she openly disliked Erna.

“The fact that they left soon after coming with the Princess’s support is evidence that the Emperor is critically ill.”

“No way.”

“When the Crown Prince succeeds the throne, he’ll try to send the Princess to another country. Regardless of their bad relationship, she’ll have no choice but to accept.”

Well.

In the early days of ascending to the throne, it was important to foster friendships with other countries.

‘The surest way is through a royal marriage.’

He was probably willing to endure Princess Cassandra’s temporary outburst, as she would pay a hefty price.

“Larien. Do you want to visit Salome Castle tomorrow? Ayla is making a fuss about wanting to see Blanche and bring her.”

Jade suggested we visit Salome Castle.

“Hmm, wouldn’t it be inconvenient for Viscount Lumière?”

I hesitated because of Viscount Lumière.

“Viscount Lumière had some business come up, so Ayla is alone at Salome Castle.”

He informed me that Ayla was alone.

“If that’s the case… Alright. Let’s leave tomorrow morning.”

I accepted after briefly considering, as Salome Castle was far but worth visiting to see them.