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~Chapter 20~
“Ha, a count’s daughter from a small kingdom dares—”
“Wow, Annie. In this empire, do people not return greetings when someone greets them?”
Dahlia interrupted Lady Sorina as if she was truly curious. Sorina gripped her fan tightly.
“I’m Sorina, from the House of Baron Coelin.”
“Nice to meet you, Lady Sorina. I happened to hear your conversation since I was nearby. I’ve never met someone who can smell things so well. I was just talking to myself, but maybe I spoke too loudly.”
Dahlia smiled sweetly.
Sorina glared sharply at her.
“Who talks to themselves so everyone can hear?”
“Your voice was so loud, I thought it was okay for me to speak loudly, too.”
Dahlia answered innocently, acting like she didn’t know. Sorina’s face turned bright red.
“I can’t be in the same place as these rude, ignorant girls from a small kingdom!”
“I agree.”
With Sorina’s words, the other girls shot sharp looks at Dahlia and Annie, getting ready to leave.
Before leaving, Sorina walked right up to Dahlia and reached out her hand as if for a handshake.
“I’ll remember your face.”
“Thank you for remembering me.”
Dahlia smiled and shook her hand.
“Is this your first time here? You should be careful in new places, Lady.”
Sorina’s eyes turned dark for a second.
“Sorry?”
Sorina suddenly pushed Dahlia’s hand away roughly.
Standing at the edge of the platform, Dahlia lost her balance and fell toward the training ground.
“Dahlia, no!”
Annie, shocked, tried to catch her, but it was too late.
The blue sky filled Dahlia’s vision. She thought for a split second—
This isn’t something I can break my fall from.
She closed her eyes tight and curled into a ball.
“…Huh?”
Dahlia, ready for the impact, felt no pain. She slowly opened her eyes.
She was looking up at the emperor’s black eyes.
Dahlia stared up at him, dazed.
“Are you not planning to come down?”
She was in the emperor’s arms.
Realizing this at his low voice, she wriggled.
“I’ll get down now.”
The emperor set her down on the ground and looked up at the platform.
Sorina, now pale, quickly bowed.
“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Ethan.”
“Yes.”
Ethan, who stood behind the emperor, answered quickly.
“Why was this platform built?”
“For families who can’t see the knights often.”
“Are all of them family?”
The emperor’s cold gaze swept the young ladies.
“I’ll investigate.”
At the emperor’s icy look, Sorina and the other girls hurried to leave.
“Ria!”
Annie and Under Lady hurried down the stairs.
“Ria, are you okay? I let go of you. I should have fallen with you…”
Annie blamed herself, but Dahlia quickly comforted her.
“I’m fine, so don’t worry. Please don’t say things like that. If you get hurt, I’ll be sad.”
“Let me see.”
Annie checked Dahlia for injuries.
“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Under Lady bowed, and Annie also greeted the emperor.
At his gesture, Under Lady straightened up and looked at Dahlia.
“I’m sorry, Lady. You got hurt because you helped me.”
“It’s not your fault.”
The emperor glanced at Ethan.
“Ethan.”
“I’ll remove the platform entirely.”
Meanwhile, Under Lady, still looking down, apologized again.
“I’ll leave now.”
“Lady.”
Dahlia called after her.
“Yes?”
“Weren’t you going to give that handkerchief to the captain?”
Dahlia pointed to the handkerchief with initials.
Under Lady quickly shook her head, embarrassed.
“No!”
“I can see the initials.”
She tried to hide it.
“Is it for me, Under Lady?”
Ethan looked at her.
“You know me?”
Under Lady’s brown eyes widened.
“Of course.”
Though his voice was stiff, she was touched and carefully offered the handkerchief.
“It’s not expensive. I just don’t think I’ll be able to come here anymore…”
“Thank you.”
Ethan accepted the handkerchief.
Under Lady bowed, her face red.
“Thank you for taking it. I’ll go now.”
She bowed deeply to the emperor and whispered to Dahlia,
“Thank you, Lady.”
Dahlia smiled gently in reply.
Under Lady left, and the knights on the training field started practicing again.
Dahlia glanced at the emperor, who was looking at his hand, then quietly moved toward Ethan.
“Captain Ethan.”
“Yes.”
He answered stiffly.
“If you have time, would you like to have tea with me?”
Suddenly, the training ground went quiet.
Dahlia looked around, feeling the strange atmosphere.
Even the knights froze.
Why? What’s wrong?
Dahlia looked at Annie, her eyes shaking. Even she could read the mood this time.
Did I do something wrong?
Annie sighed deeply.
But Ethan answered without caring about the others.
“My time—”
“He won’t have time.”
The emperor cut him off with a cold face.
The knights went back to training, glancing at the emperor.
Dahlia and Annie looked at each other.
Should I have asked when the emperor wasn’t here?
Probably.
Should we try again next time?
Yes.
They finished their silent conversation, just as the emperor stepped closer.
“Lady Herdan.”
“Yes?”
Annie answered, but the emperor looked at Dahlia.
“No, not you. This one.”
Dahlia looked at the emperor.
“Me?”
“Yes. Why are you here?”
“I-I came to watch.”
“To watch what?”
“Bathing?”
Dahlia was so surprised by her own answer that she covered her mouth with her fan.
She’d just blurted out the most impressive thing she saw.
She couldn’t say she came to meet the emperor’s close people.
Even as a princess, “bathing” was too much.
Dahlia hid behind her fan, embarrassed.
“Did you just say bathing, Lady?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I’m sure I heard it. Is something wrong with my ears, Ethan?”
“I heard it too.”
“I didn’t,” Annie calmly said, siding with Dahlia.
