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Chapter 28
The Empress and the Princess brought Bey to a reception room on the second floor of the banquet hall and enjoyed tea together.
“I have promoted it this much for you. May I expect an appropriate reward in return?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the authority to decide that.”
“Even knowing that you might earn my displeasure if you don’t offer something worthy?”
“Well…”
After taking a sip of tea, the Empress spoke firmly yet without sounding offended.
“If a merchant fears being disliked, they will never accomplish anything.”
“How arrogant.”
“Isn’t that the kind of personality His Majesty likes?”
“If this is going to turn into a boring exchange of words, may I leave?”
Adeline did enjoy the pointless battles of pride common in high society, but this one was dull. It was obvious neither side truly held ill will.
“If you’re bored, you may go. Just don’t cause trouble today.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“…Ella.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.”
Watching the two exchange determined looks, Bey secretly smiled.
The Princess hadn’t changed at all.
After greeting Bey and the Empress, Adeline left the room again with Ella and returned to the hall.
It felt like such a waste to stay inside the reception room when she was wearing such a beautiful hair ornament.
She also wanted to see how the gem sparkled beneath the chandelier.
“Ella, do you have a mirror?”
“I have a hand mirror. Would you like it?”
“I want to see it under the chandelier too. You’ve already seen it, right? How was it?”
“It sparkled even more than when we saw it in the room. Under the chandelier’s light, it almost looked like green light was flowing down from it.”
Adeline could hardly imagine it.
“Do you want to wear it once? I want to see how it looks.”
“Please don’t say ridiculous things.”
Ella rejected the idea immediately, so Adeline didn’t press the matter further.
When they went down to the banquet hall, the nobles who had been excitedly discussing Alexandrite stopped and turned toward Adeline.
“Your Highness has returned.”
“What time will you attend the evening banquet?”
“If it’s not rude, may we look more closely at your hair ornament?”
“Of course. I wore it so people could see it, after all. Look as much as you like.”
Adeline deliberately turned around, and as if they had been waiting for it, everyone stared at the ornament without taking their eyes off it.
Watching this, the Crown Prince looked away as if he had seen something unpleasant.
The Emperor had already left the hall to meet the Empress, so it seemed Adeline would remain in the hall in his place. Diego also stood up, preparing to leave soon.
The nobles’ gazes followed Diego, but he hardened his expression as if warning them not to follow and exited through the back door of the banquet hall.
The cool autumn breeze eased some of the suffocating feeling. He headed toward the garden away from the hall.
As he went deeper into the garden, he heard voices.
“I will apologize for my rudeness back then, so please apologize as well, Young Lord.”
Young Lord?
Zakat called to Diego quietly.
“Your Highness.”
Diego placed his index finger over his lips, signaling him to stay quiet. He hid behind a corner and slightly peeked out.
In the middle of the quiet garden, Jeffrey and Rose Russell were facing each other.
Jeffrey’s face was full of annoyance.
“For what?”
“You haven’t forgotten what happened at the Grinan Museum, have you?”
Jeffrey dug lazily at his ear and replied indifferently.
“I forgot.”
“T-that’s too much!”
How trivial…
After confirming what the matter was about, Diego turned around without hesitation, intending to leave.
But Rose Russell kept insisting, and when Jeffrey tried to ignore her and leave the garden, he spotted Diego.
“Hey!”
“…Ha.”
Not wanting to run into Jeffrey, Diego let out a sigh without hiding it.
“Watch your language. This is the Imperial Palace.”
“There’s only the two of us here.”
He blatantly acted as if Rose Russell didn’t exist. Following behind them, Rose Russell looked as if she might cry.
This treatment was too much.
She wasn’t someone who should be treated like this.
Rose Russell, the beloved youngest daughter of the Marquis Green Tea family, had grown up receiving endless affection. She had been raised without hardship and treated everyone kindly.
She enjoyed the gratitude and admiration people showed her.
With the feeling that someone as noble as her was generously bestowing kindness upon them.
Because of that, Rose Russell believed everything revolved around her.
Among all this, she had met three handsome men, two of whom stood at the center of power.
Naturally, she felt like the heroine of a story.
Rose Russell had no ill intentions.
To her, that kind of world simply felt natural.
“You’re really too much…”
Neither Diego nor Jeffrey turned back.
But at that moment, several ladies passing nearby noticed the three of them together.
Startled as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have, they hurried away.
“That was His Highness, the Young Duke, and Miss Rose Russell, right?”
“So the rumor was true!”
Hearing the excited voices of the ladies—far more thrilled than the people involved—Diego spoke coldly.
“Because of you, I’ve now been dragged into that ridiculous rumor.”
Jeffrey didn’t care. He clasped his hands behind his head and replied casually.
“You’re already part of it anyway. Why act like it’s new?”
“I meant that you’ve reignited a rumor that had quieted down thanks to the Alexandrite.”
Jeffrey smirked mischievously, deliberately provoking Diego.
“Since when did you care about stuff like that?”
Whenever the two were together, scenes like this always happened.
Diego rarely showed emotion, while Jeffrey had a fiery temper. They were like oil and water.
Yet at the same time, they understood each other better than anyone.
Though they had never spoken openly about their feelings, in a noble society where trusting someone was considered foolish, the two believed they could trust each other alone.
However, they knew others didn’t see it that way.
The Fraser Grand Ducal family possessed both the military strength to start a rebellion and the bloodline to claim the throne.
Because of that, many had tried to approach the Grand Duke of Fraser, but none had succeeded.
Instead, he openly joined hands with the Emperor and crushed those families.
This was because the Emperor and the Grand Duke shared an unbreakable oath—one no one else knew about.
Since then, they had hunted down anyone who dared approach them with treacherous intentions.
Now, no one attempted such things anymore.
“You’re impossible to talk to.”
In short, even though they constantly mocked and bickered as if they wanted to tear each other apart, they were still close friends.
Jeffrey sneered mockingly at Diego.
“Shouldn’t you be thanking me instead? Didn’t she save you from a thug? You were about to get hit, but that woman saved you.”
Behind them, Rose Russell reflexively smiled when Jeffrey suddenly looked at her.
But Jeffrey coldly turned his head away.
Still walking, Diego replied lightly.
“I heard you got lost wandering around again. Shouldn’t you be thanking the person who helped you find your way home? At least I had knights with me. You had no one.”
Although Jeffrey had been the one to provoke him first, remembering what had happened that day made him oddly irritated.
Especially how Coco had ignored him before—and even at the train station.
Knowing exactly who he was yet showing no reaction at all…
Just thinking about Coco’s calm, indifferent face made him snap.
“She didn’t help me! I got out because the kid called the guards!”
“A kid?”
Diego asked.
Rose Russell also listened closely to their conversation.
I wasn’t the only one there that day?
Jeffrey scratched the back of his head irritably.
“There’s this kid with white hair. Ignored me when I asked for help, but called the guards afterward.”
Something about the description sounded familiar to Diego.
“…White hair. Someone from the temple?”
Jeffrey shivered and rubbed his arms.
Then he glared at Diego with a disgusted look before suddenly realizing something.
“What? Did you investigate me or something? No… that doesn’t seem right. How did you know?”
Diego simply kept his mouth shut.
He was bothered by Rose Russell still following behind them.
But Jeffrey, being as oblivious as ever, kept talking about Coco.
Diego even found himself asking questions without realizing it.
Though he claimed not to care, Coco had been oddly memorable.
Perhaps because he had run into her again after that day.
He had unconsciously spoken as if he knew her.
I’m still immature.
Thinking that, Diego closed his mouth even more tightly.
Jeffrey knew Diego’s personality well.
At this rate, he might work himself to illness someday, Jeffrey thought, clicking his tongue.
He looked displeased, but there was some concern hidden beneath it.
Diego stopped walking and looked at Rose Russell.
Jeffrey, who had been walking ahead while talking to himself, belatedly realized he was alone and hurried back to stand beside Diego.
Diego didn’t even glance at him.
Suddenly meeting Diego’s gaze, Rose Russell looked back innocently, as if she knew nothing.
Jeffrey wondered if she was really a noble lady.
Who would dare look the Crown Prince directly in the eyes like that?
Anyone with common sense wouldn’t.
Ah… maybe she has none?
Thinking something absurd that Coco might say, Jeffrey lazily rubbed his neck.
“You’re not ignorant enough to drag someone else into that rumor, are you?”
“…Pardon?”
“You don’t understand? Should I explain it more clearly?”
Only then did Rose Russell gasp and quickly bow her head.
She understood what Diego meant.
He was warning her not to include that girl in the rumors about the three men and herself.
Rose Russell felt slightly wronged.
I never intended to include her in the first place.
“I don’t even know who she is. How could I spread rumors about her? There’s no reason for me to.”
Seeing her resentful expression, Diego turned around again.
Jeffrey followed him once more.
Diego waved his hand irritably.
“Why do you keep following me?”
“There’s only one way out anyway.”
As expected.
Diego could easily imagine Jeffrey wandering around lost before running into Rose Russell.
“Make sure you keep Sir Alex with you. Unless you don’t want to return to your estate.”
Jeffrey shouted angrily at the teasing tone.
“Hey!”
Yet he still followed Diego closely.
Rose Russell, seemingly forgotten, walked awkwardly behind them.
“You’re going to work again, aren’t you? Talk to me first.”
“I’ll talk when you find Sir Alex.”
“Seriously! If you’re that worried, just escort me home!”
“I’ll think about it.”
Rose Russell struggled slightly to keep up with their long strides but continued following them closely.
Before they knew it, more and more eyes in the garden had begun watching them.
