IDIBC Chapter 24

Crown Princess, Mariette

Ricardo’s mocking laughter made me suddenly surge with anger. Then what was I supposed to do?

Was I supposed to look him in the eye and desperately pledge my love? Was I supposed to cling to his trouser legs and beg? If that’s what he wanted, I could do it.

But he had a woman that God himself had arranged for him, and I would never pledge my love to a man who already had a woman. Since my feelings weren’t my fault, I had no intention of feeling guilty about having him in my heart.

However, somehow, I felt that wasn’t what he wanted.

I hadn’t literally grabbed his trouser legs, but the truth was I was clinging to Ricardo.

I took a deep breath and exhaled it in small portions.

At this point, I had no mind to hide anything from him.

Just as I was about to tell him that I wasn’t merely enduring him, that my heart was becoming tattered from freezing solid and shattering into pieces the greed that kept rising whenever I looked into his eyes, and that he should pity me enough to protect us safely for just a while—at that moment, the butler approached with urgent steps.

Freddy glanced at me and spoke to Ricardo in a whisper.

“The Crown Princess has arrived.”

I looked at Freddy in surprise, but he was already quickly stepping back after delivering his message. Ricardo, noticing my concern, let out a small sigh.

“There’s nothing to worry about. The Crown Prince and the Emperor don’t get along, so there’s no chance of the imperial family finding out you’re here.”

“Ah…”

Before I could ask anything more, the surroundings became noisy.

Soon, a woman who appeared noble at first glance could be seen heading toward the pavilion where we were. Whether her dress hem was covered in jewels or not, every time the woman moved, it reminded me of a sparkling sea.

I reflexively stood up from my seat.

“You can go ahead and leave now.”

Ricardo issued an order to leave, but my feet wouldn’t move readily. Was it okay not to show courtesy even after seeing a member of the imperial family? While I hesitated with such thoughts, the Crown Princess closed the distance.

“Ah, who do we have here? So you’re the famous Lady Fennel.”

As she approached with quick steps, showing signs of delight, Ricardo stood firmly as if blocking the space between the Crown Princess and me.

“Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

Despite his sharp words, the Crown Princess craned her neck to try to see me.

It was somewhat undignified behavior for royalty, but she was beautiful enough to deserve excessive praise.

With intelligent-looking green eyes and fiery red hair that seemed to reveal her personality, along with her upturned chin that suited her perfectly and lips that felt cool despite her smile—she was unmistakably a noblewoman.

She tried to make eye contact with me and exchange greetings, but Ricardo’s broad shoulders blocked my view.

When I tilted my head slightly to look, the Crown Princess seemed to have given up on seeing me due to Ricardo’s actions. She smiled with the corners of her eyes curved and nodded.

“There’s no helping it. I’ll have to greet you again later. Lady Fennel, let’s meet again soon.”

I hastily bowed my head and answered “Yes, yes,” then immediately left the place as if being driven out.

****

After Lienne left and the Crown Princess stood opposite Ricardo, the ducal house’s maids quickly gathered around to attend to her. All the maids of the ducal house existed solely for the lady of the house.

However, when royalty arrived, they attended to them. The ducal house’s maids were out of breath, as if the Crown Princess had barged in without any guidance or announcement.

“Oh, no tea is necessary. Why would we serve tea to a ruffian who barged in ignoring etiquette?”

Unlike the ducal house’s maids whose faces had turned bright red, the imperial maids who came with the Crown Princess were calm. Thus, there were a total of eight maids surrounding the Crown Princess.

Ricardo squinted one eye at the piercing headache passing through his temple. With a rather fierce manner, he raised his hand and shooed the women away. The maids looked uncomfortable, but when even the Crown Princess gave permission, they all left.

“Young Duke, even if the Young Duke is called the hero of the battlefield and the absolute beauty of the Empire, a man who treats women like that isn’t popular. Especially these days.”

“…”

“Anyway, I’m glad I pressed Freddy and barged into where the Young Duke was. I got to see your prospective fiancée and all.”

He flopped down in his chair even before the Crown Princess had taken her seat.

“Really, acting like such a barbarian won’t make you popular either.”

The Crown Princess sat down following him as if accustomed to Ricardo’s attitude.

“Still, it took quite a while. To see Lady Fennel, I mean.”

Ricardo placed his elbow on the table and spread his fingers long to press his forehead. It was because his headache was getting worse from the strong fragrance coming from the Crown Princess.

“She looks more innocent than I thought. Of course, I only glimpsed her briefly. I wonder how you plan to present before people a woman you hide so thoroughly that you hate even me seeing her for a moment…”

Ricardo rubbed around his neck as if something was stifling and furrowed his brow, but the Crown Princess didn’t care at all.

It had been like this since childhood. The Crown Princess was a friend who had studied with Ricardo at the Imperial Academy.

Though he had only studied at the academy for exactly one year, Mariette had approached him without reserve. And she quickly claimed the title of his friend.

She had been noble from birth and knew little of life’s failures. As such people tend to be, she was unrestrained in both actions and words.

“Are the engagement preparations going well?”

With no response from Ricardo, Mariette continued to pour out words as if never tiring. The more she did, the more tightly he shut his mouth.

“I want to give the Young Duke an engagement gift—would a blue jewel the same color as your fiancée’s eyes be good?”

“…”

“Choosing a gift is difficult, so I’d be grateful if the Young Duke could offer some advice. Ah, but the Young Duke must be busy. Then without bothering you, I could directly request a meeting with Lady Fennel myself.”

“Please state your business for visiting.”

At the mention of meeting Lienne, Ricardo’s mouth finally opened. At this, the Crown Princess smiled and leaned back more comfortably in her chair.

“Oh my, what have you been listening to until now? I already stated my business.”

“Your Highness.”

At the coolly spoken address, Mariette paused to catch her breath and nodded.

“Yes, alright. The Young Duke never has even a shred of composure when it comes to Lady Fennel.”

With his hand still on his forehead, he merely turned his head to look at the Crown Princess. Though he was clearly looking up, his gaze was piercing as if pressing down.

“Why have you come?”

It was a warning not to beat around the bush and test him any longer.

“His Highness the Crown Prince didn’t wish to press you himself, so I came instead.”

“What am I supposed to do right now that requires pressing?”

“Rather than pressing, it would be more accurate to say confirmation was needed. She’s a woman with narrow views, so it can’t be helped.”

“…”

“Don’t you know? That His Highness the Crown Prince has been helping you all along. So that the Young Duke could protect Lady Fennel.”

Her words were true. Whenever Emperor Dermeier ordered the complete annihilation of the Fennels, the Crown Prince was the first to inform Ricardo of the news.

“When you were seventeen, and again this time.”

“There’s nothing new about that.”

“Even when the Young Duke was twelve years old.”

Ricardo sat up straight as if there was no more reason to endure this. As he moved as if to take his leave, the Crown Princess frowned.

“Hiding one Lady Fennel and hiding her entire family are different in weight from the start. Soon the word will leak out eventually. You must prepare for that as well.”

“If His Highness the Crown Prince has so much to say, why did he send Your Highness? Do you intend to become the Crown Prince’s proxy?”

Ricardo tried to stand up, unable to bear the irritating situation, but the Crown Princess managed to make him sit back down with one sentence.

“His Highness the Crown Prince cannot walk, Ricardo.”

His movements stopped abruptly. As the Crown Princess took on the face of a friend, Ricardo no longer pretended to maintain courtesy either.

“Since when…?”

“Since yesterday.”

A thousand years ago, Schneider, who founded the Dermeier Empire, had maintained that name without ever sullying it once until now.

However, to obtain flawless nobility, one had to step on and endure the most hideous things.

The Schneiders sometimes mixed the same bloodline to maintain their own integrity and power.

And unfortunately, God did not favor their behavior.

Thus, the acts meant to purify themselves produced terrible results.

Though it was the Schneiders of hundreds of years ago who committed it, the task of bearing it was passed down through generations.

Though the incestuous marriages forbidden by God had long since disappeared, an endless hereditary disease remained in the bloodline tainted for the sake of that nobility.

On average, one person per generation would inevitably suffer from that disease.

This curse-like disease appeared suddenly one day, and all the muscles in the body gradually stiffened until death.

“So wouldn’t my heart be anxious?”

The disease had come to the Crown Prince five years ago. Once afflicted, one meets death between ten to fifteen years after onset. No Schneider had ever exceeded that period.