/
‘My family has been sticking to neutrality for a very long time, even when Archie was engaged to the Second Prince.’
‘You mean you didn’t mean to join hands with the Empress?’
‘Yes. We only allowed it because she liked the bastard, but politically, we remained neutral.’
‘That must have been unpalatable to the Empress, who wanted a family that would empower her son.’
‘Perhaps.’
Marquis Bright’s face contorted even more as he spoke.
He covered his eyes with his hands, as if to hide the painful expression on his face.
‘If I had trusted Archie more, and comforted her, none of this would have happened. It pains me to think that she suffered alone, while unable to tell anyone—.’
His low voice carried a heavy sense of regret, but she knew it was too late for that.
‘Don’t be too hard on yourself.’
‘After what happened with Wendy, my cautiousness almost sent Archie to death.’
‘What?’
My mother?
My eyes widened at the unexpected statement, and Marquis Bright only smiled bitterly.
‘You see, Iris, Imperial society is steeped in a sense of privilege, especially the founding families, so when Wendy and I got married, they refused to recognize her as a Marchioness.’
It was the first I’d heard of it, but it made sense.
Dukes, Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, Barons…
The current empire had a hierarchy of titles, even within the nobility.
In general, dukes and marquises belonged to the high nobility, counts to the middle nobility, and viscounts and barons to the lower nobility.
Furthermore, there was a huge difference between being a noble in the capital, and a noble from the countryside.
That’s because a viscount in the capital was lower in rank but more powerful than a count in the provinces.
‘Higher nobles, who are the next highest in rank after the imperial family, do not treat those below them as nobles like themselves, and they usually marry amongst themselves.’
‘So that’s what father and mother broke…’
‘Yes, even the former Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince’s mother, was in a similar situation to Wendy, and she found life in the social circle very difficult.’
Nobles who want to preserve their traditional authority do not like to see their power challenged.
In their eyes, her mother, a Viscountess from the countryside, was a stranger who had broken through the glass ceiling.
Could it be that the Young Lady Bright, a future princess and the daughter of a Marquis, was ostracized by society because of my mother’s origins?
It suddenly occurred to me, and so I wondered—
‘In the past, I tried to protect Wendy from people, but the more I tried to help her, the more the attacks intensified and the situation worsened.’
‘……’
‘Since I had already failed once… I became even more careful with Archie’s affairs… In fact, every time I covered for her, a lot of people would question our family. I know it all sounds like an excuse to you, but I was afraid that if I made a mistake— Things would end up like what happened to Wendy.’
Clear water pooled down his emerald eyes.
Marquis Bright wiped the tears from his eyes, as he tried to dry it.
But his voice was thick with water while he spoke through quivering lips.
‘I wonder if we’ll ever find Archie… And even if we do find her, I don’t know if she’ll ever come back to me….’
Young Lady Bright had left, and she had hidden herself so tightly that she could not be found.
She had probably never intended to return.
Marquis Bright was well aware of that, but he decided to make a move anyway.
‘I will not be defeated this time, not even just to make room for Archie to return. I will protect you with everything I have, as well Iris.’
“… Iris?”
“Ah.”
Oh, no, I was too distracted.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Marquis Bright, and saw him smiling so sweetly.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Sorry, I was just….”
“It’s fine. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you this. If anyone tries to cause trouble, you don’t have to put up with it.”
Marquis Bright hesitated a little, reached out his arm, as if he wanted to take my hand, but he eventually decided to lower it.
We were closer than we’d been at the beginning, but we weren’t yet in a position to comfortably touch each other.
“Really?”
“Yes. Stand up for yourself, in your own way. Whatever happens, I’ll clean up after you.”
I wondered if this was because of the blood attraction between us.
I felt a strange prickle in the pit of my stomach.
For the first time in my life, I felt safe because of Marquis Bright’s words, it was like…
Like he was really my father.
“…..”
‘What do I say, thank you, or do I do as he says?’
I hesitated for a moment, while trying to decide what to say to the Marquis in front of me.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to break the silence and clear the awkward air hovering between us, there was a sudden commotion outside.
“His Royal Highness seems to have arrived…”
“I suppose so.”
I nodded at Marquis Bright’s words.
Only the crown prince could have caused such a ruckus in the quiet Marquis’ Estate.
“The Cavalier has come to serve his lady, so I must take my leave.”
Marquis Bright smiled.
He had grown quite fond of the crown prince, unlike the Duke of Bright, who viewed any imperial presence with hostility.
I don’t why though, but maybe the Marquis liked him because of the incident at the reception desk, this whole debutante thing, or the fact that he had helped me in my time of need.
“I’ll see you at the palace, then.”
“Yes, father.”
As soon as Marquis Bright was outside, Lady Elena and Sophie, who had been in the hallway, went in.
They gave me a final check before letting me leave the room.
“His Royal Highness is in the entrance hall.”
“Thank you.”
When I stepped out into the hallway, the butler quickly informed me of the crown prince’s whereabouts.
I thanked the butler and walked toward the stairs.
My heels clattered with each step I took.
And…
I found him.
While I wws standing quietly on the central staircase that led to the lobby, I saw him.
He was talking to an aide, and then, as if sensing my presence, he jerked his head in my direction.
“Iris.”
‘Holy shit. Is that a man or a fairy?’
I almost screamed when I saw the crown prince’s eyes narrow as our eyes met.
I don’t even know what I was thinking when I came down the stairs.
That’s because when I finally came back to my senses, he was already smiling so sweetly in front of me, while holding out his hand towards me.
“I came to pick you up. You look so pretty today…”
“Are you a fairy?”
“Huh?”
Oops, the words slipped out of my mouth.
After realizing my mistake, I quickly shut it, but the water had already been spilled.
“A fairy?”
The crown prince tilted his head as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.
A fever of embarrassment suddenly flared up inside me as I stared into those innocent golden eyes.
I coughed awkwardly as I quickly averted my gaze.
“Oh, well, you look very pretty today.”
“Hmm? Me?”
“I swear, I thought some kind of fairy had appeared.”
“What? Hahaha…”
The crown prince laughed out loud after I complimented him in a squeaky voice.
He was dressed in white robes embroidered with gold thread, with a boutonniere of blue fresh flowers pinned to his chest, the smiling crown prince was simply like a glorious, and brilliant flower.
‘Ah. It’s amazing, really. I always knew he was beautiful, but the crown prince was like a fairy in a fairy tale.’
He had a sparkling halo, as if the sunlight was shining solely on him.
“Thank you for the compliment. I guess I should do this again, It’s worth the effort.”
‘Well, if you had to do it twice, you might give me a heart attack..’
I thought to myself as I looked at the crown prince, who seemed oddly pleased.
Seriously, my eyes were dazzled and I could barely look at him properly.
“You’re beautiful too.”
The crown prince couldn’t help but smile.
“… I’m simply a pebble rolling around in a field compared to you.”
“Not a pebble, but a gem.”
The crown prince corrected me and reached out his warm, soft hand, while brushing my cheek and tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“You look so beautiful today.”
“Thank you…”
‘Calm down, my heart!’
I nibbled on my bottom lip, while feeling my ears prickle.
My heart fluttered at the warmth that touched me, and saw him slowly pulled away.
“You look very well in your suit today, Your Highness.”
I tried to pretend I was fine, but my voice kept cracking.
I felt my throat burn unnecessarily, so I coughed and looked up at the crown prince, who was still smiling.
When I heard the story of the emperor who fell in love with a concubine and ruined his country, I cursed him for being crazy, but then I reflected on it.
If it’s so pretty that I would lose my mind, then I might even want to give him my liver, gallbladder, and everything…
I even felt like giving him something right now.
I guess pretty people are always the best!
It’s just so exciting!
“Let’s go.”
After checking the time, the crown prince extended his hand in a graceful gesture.
“Will you do me the honor of escorting you, Young Viscountess Sabrina?”
He said, with his voice like a jade ball rolling on a silver tray.
I saw him smirking.
His lips were like ripe prunes that drew a smooth arc.
I laid my hand on his palm like I was possessed.
“I hope you serve me well today, my cavalier.”
“I will serve you with all my heart, my lady.”
The crown prince clasped my hand in his, as if enclosing something precious, and then slowly bowed his head, and kissed the back of it.
I swallowed hard as a giddy sensation came over me the moment his full, dry lips touched the thin glove.
“Shall we go to the carriage, then?”
The crown prince said, while tugging my hand out of the corner of his eye.
I walked with him to the carriage bearing the imperial family crest.
⚘
“Wow.”
‘It’s so big.’
‘Really, really big.’
Until now, the largest mansion I’d ever seen was the Duke of Bright’s Mansion, but now I’d have to revise that.
The Imperial Palace had to be ten, maybe twenty times bigger than the Duke’s.
It would be a challenge to find my way around this place, and if I got it wrong, I could end up lost around here.
I couldn’t help but gape at all the magnificent and colorful objects, with each one giving a show of the imperial might.
“Careful.”
The crown prince helped me ease out of the carriage, after being distracted by the grandeur of the palace.
As we stood and stepped out of the carriage, the loud bustle around us fell silent in an instant.