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Chapter 8
“Please let go of her before you continue speaking, Your Highness.”
The person who stepped in front of me, committing what was nearly an act of disrespect toward the Crown Prince, was someone I never expected.
Freed from the painful grip, I quickly stepped back a few paces, cradling my aching arm.
“Marquis Wellington. Just what do you think you’re doing?”
My uncle, Marquis Anton Wellington, had hurried over and practically slapped the Crown Prince’s hand away. At the prince’s sharp question, he respectfully lowered his head.
“Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness. However, my niece appeared to be in pain, so I had no choice.”
“What? Are you saying that simply because your niece seemed uncomfortable, you may treat a member of the imperial family with such disrespect?”
The Crown Prince’s tone grew increasingly harsh.
I was relieved my arm had been freed, but now I worried that my uncle might suffer serious consequences because of me.
Startled, I grabbed the sleeve of his coat.
Instead of pulling away, he gently patted the back of my hand as if to reassure me.
“I sincerely apologize. But I did not realize Your Highness was holding such a delicate young lady with such force. I acted rashly because I was concerned. If punishment is necessary, I shall accept it gladly. However, I ask that Your Highness consider that I acted not only for my niece’s sake, but for yours as well.”
“For my sake? How dare you say I would—”
That was when the Crown Prince suddenly fell silent.
As soon as he stopped speaking, faint whispers rose from behind us.
“Did His Highness just…”
“What on earth is happening…?”
At the murmuring, I turned around.
People had gathered at the palace entrance without my noticing, quietly whispering among themselves.
There hadn’t been anyone here just a moment ago.
Looking at the crowd clustered near the entrance, I suddenly understood why the Crown Prince had stopped talking.
He couldn’t possibly want rumors spreading that he’d publicly intimidated a helpless young noblewoman in front of so many witnesses.
After silently watching the crowd for a while, he finally spoke.
“It seems I allowed my impatience to get the better of me.”
“I never intended to frighten you, my lady.”
“Please forgive my rudeness.”
“…It’s all right, Your Highness.”
Perhaps because he was conscious of everyone’s eyes, he offered me a formal apology before quietly leaving.
Just like that…
The matter seemed to be over.
“Are you all right, Eloise?”
“Yes… I’m fine, but…”
Once the Crown Prince had left, Uncle immediately turned his attention to me.
I nodded.
The throbbing pain in my wrist was already fading.
The shock was settling as well.
More surprising than anything, however, was how neatly everything had resolved itself.
I never expected Uncle to appear here of all places.
“Weren’t you with Aunt earlier?”
“I was. Then I saw you enter the building. I thought you might’ve gone to the ladies’ lounge, but when you didn’t come back…”
“You came looking for me because I took too long? Women often stay in the lounge for quite a while, resting or fixing their makeup.”
He thought it strange simply because I’d spent a little time inside?
In truth, compared to how long noblewomen usually stayed in the lounge during parties…
I hadn’t even been gone that long.
After all, I’d been caught while trying to hide there.
If anything, I’d returned unusually quickly.
No matter how kind Uncle is…
Has he always been this attentive?
Unable to hide my confusion, I stared at him.
He awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
Then, almost casually, he glanced toward someone.
Following his gaze…
I found Asiard standing there.
…No way.
Had he been watching everything from the beginning?
When I looked at him, he seemed to stop signaling someone and naturally turned away, as though he’d sensed my gaze.
At the same time, Uncle gently patted my shoulder as if nothing unusual had happened.
“Come now, Eloise. Let’s head home.”
“You’ve had quite a fright today. It would be best if you rested.”
…Why did it feel like those two had secretly planned something without telling me?
Was I just imagining things?
The whole situation felt strangely suspicious.
Still, I quietly followed Uncle as he led me away.
Behind us, the crowd’s whispers lingered like an echo.
* * *
On the way back to the Wellington estate, Uncle insisted I ride with Aunt so I could calm down.
He climbed into the carriage Father and I had arrived in, saying Father had already gone ahead.
His carriage departed first.
Ours followed slowly behind.
The moment the carriage began moving, Aunt spoke.
“That was quite a bold thing you did.”
Her tone sounded somewhere between criticism and amusement.
I blinked.
“…Did I do something wrong?”
“Well…”
“I’m not sure I’d call it wrong.”
She smiled in a way I couldn’t understand.
Was she criticizing me or not?
Aunt had always been like this.
She had married into the Wellington family in the capital when I was too young to remember.
Although we were related, the aunt I’d only met again after nearly fifteen years was neither warm nor particularly approachable.
In my previous life, she regularly sent letters to the northern estate asking about Father’s health and the condition of our territory.
Calling them letters was generous.
They were more like brief official documents.
Only a single line, at most, asked how Father was doing.
Perhaps because of those letters…
Or simply because of how she treated me…
I’d never felt comfortable around her.
And she always spoke in riddles like this.
After staring at her for a moment, I finally sighed.
“If you’re talking about Uncle getting involved earlier… then I’m sorry.”
“I never intended for that to happen, but I ended up causing him trouble.”
“You think that’s what I’m referring to?”
Aunt’s eyes widened before she chuckled.
Looking more closely, it wasn’t a mocking smile.
She looked…
Interested.
Without realizing it, I frowned.
“If not Uncle… then what are you talking about?”
“My, my.”
“So today’s commotion is the only thing you think happened to you?”
“I suppose that’s why people say the one doing the hitting never remembers.”
“Aunt.”
Her expression became even more amused.
What exactly was she getting at?
After thinking for a moment, I let out a dry laugh.
“…Don’t tell me you’re talking about Father.”
Two things had happened to me today.
The incident with the Crown Prince.
And the argument with Father inside the carriage.
I was surprised Father had told Aunt anything.
More than that…
I was surprised Aunt even cared enough to bring it up.
After all, in my previous life she had shown little interest in anything that happened between Father and me.
Even when I defied Father and continued seeing Asiard, she neither supported nor opposed me.
After I married, we’d occasionally cross paths at balls or parties.
We’d exchange polite nods.
Nothing more.
She had always felt like…
A distant relative who happened to live in the capital.
That’s all.
When I asked cautiously, she snorted.
“You think I’m talking about what happened at the party?”
“I know that wasn’t your fault.”
“And how exactly would your uncle know how long women spend in the ladies’ lounge?”
“…What?”
“Are you saying you were the one who sent Uncle after me?”
My thoughts became tangled.
Had Aunt really been paying that much attention to me?
Enough to know where I’d gone during the party?
Honestly…
It seemed more believable that kind Uncle had simply been unusually observant.
Then I remembered seeing Uncle and Asiard exchange glances.
It had looked as though Asiard had been signaling him.
Was that only my imagination?
“Don’t overthink it.”
“It seems you’ve finally realized that isn’t what I wanted to discuss.”
“…I didn’t know Father told you about what happened.”
“You think that stubborn fool would actually tell me something like that?”
“He left the party unusually early despite wagging his tail whenever the imperial family called, so I looked into it myself.”
“You really should’ve argued somewhere the coachman couldn’t overhear.”
“…Ah.”
That explained everything.
Of course.
Father would never willingly discuss such personal matters with Aunt.
Relaxing into my seat, I answered,
“Father keeps insisting I marry His Highness the Crown Prince. I didn’t have much choice.”
“Why?”
“You’d live comfortably for the rest of your life as the Crown Princess.”
“Far more comfortably than in that cold, desolate North.”
“Is that really how someone should choose whom to marry?”
“Weren’t you married because you loved Uncle?”
I’d heard the story before.
Uncle had fallen in love with Aunt at first sight when she came to the capital alone from the North for her debut.
Kind and gentle as he was, he’d been captivated by her calm, unwavering nature.
Determined not to lose her, he’d practically clung to the hem of her dress, begging her to stay.
Uncle was handsome, courteous, and considered one of the most desirable bachelors in the capital.
Even so…
Aunt must have had feelings for him as well.
Otherwise, why would she have agreed to marry someone so far from home?
When I pointed that out, she nodded without hesitation.
“I won’t deny that I was fortunate.”
“But not everyone is.”
“Especially when we’re talking about the Crown Prince.”
“Aunt.”
“You know better than anyone how cold and lonely the Imperial Palace is.”
“What use are wealth, status, and titles…”
“…if your heart is empty?”
I shook my head firmly.
For a long moment…
Aunt simply stared at me.
I’d never paid much attention to what she was thinking.
Still, I’d always believed she was someone who rarely revealed her true feelings.
She always kept a certain distance from both Father and me.
Other than with Uncle Wellington, she was never particularly close to anyone.
But contrary to everything I’d believed—
“Ah… hahaha!”
“You really do have quite the bold side to you!”
Aunt suddenly burst into loud, genuine laughter.
