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Chapter 13
Each time Kassel and Blair took a step closer into the hall, the murmuring around them grew louder.
“The world is coming to an end. So it’s true—he really married a commoner.”
“What? I thought a commoner would look like a kitchen maid, but she’s much prettier than I expected.”
“With looks like that, I suppose the marquis could’ve fallen for her.”
“She’s still just a commoner. A banquet with a commoner—how disgraceful.”
I can hear you, you jerks.
The harsher-than-expected, piercing gazes made Blair feel slightly overwhelmed. She felt like some monkey being displayed at a zoo. Just as she secretly swallowed hard—
“Focus only on me.”
Kassel spoke in a low, quiet voice meant for her ears alone. Then he tightened his hold on her hand, as if telling her to trust only him.
How did he know I was getting nervous? Now I can breathe again.
He really was frighteningly perceptive. Blair let out a small inward laugh. After giving a tiny nod, she stepped forward with firm steps.
“It’s been a while seeing you at a banquet, Sir Hermann.”
A few steps in, a man with deep brown hair approached Kassel with a greeting. His neatly groomed hair and a more extravagant, high-quality uniform than the others marked him unmistakably as a prince.
“He’s the First Prince. Just greet him as I taught you.”
Kassel leaned slightly and whispered into her ear. The First Prince? Wait… Laine had briefly gone over the names of the princes…
For now, greeting came first.
“It has been a while, Your Highness.”
“We greet the Prince.”
Kassel and Blair quickly bowed in courtesy.
“So the man who refused marriage to my sister suddenly married out of nowhere—I thought it was nonsense, but it was true. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Blair gently raised her head after bowing. She discreetly examined the First Prince’s relaxed, smiling face.
Thick, straight eyebrows. A masculine jawline. A gaze held with confidence.
She remembered.
Friedrich Leon Bayern.
As Kassel and the prince exchanged casual greetings, Blair pulled the memory together quickly.
He was the emperor’s eldest son, thirty years old, though not the legitimate heir of the empress. He’d earned significant merit in the Unification War and had handled the troublesome barbarians—his political skill and influence were solid.
No wonder he looks so confident.
Under normal circumstances, he would’ve been appointed crown prince. But the power-hungry emperor, who had named none of his four sons as heir, still left him as simply the First Prince.
“To think the day would come when you would defy Father. Interesting.”
His firm voice reached Blair, who had momentarily drifted into thought. When she turned her eyes toward him, she met the curious gaze assessing her.
Not contempt—just interest. He lightly tapped the wine glass in his hand with a fingertip, as though prodding through her thoughts.
“I merely did not wish to bring disgrace to Her Highness the Princess.”
“Disgrace? How humble of you. Any woman in the Empire would welcome you. I’m not mocking—if anything, I find this whole situation amusing.”
He replied with a faintly crooked smile, his gaze fixed solely on Blair.
“Father must have been furious. When I saw him this morning, he didn’t look pleased. You’d better be mindful when you have your audience later.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Just when Blair thought the conversation was wrapping up, the prince stopped tapping his wine glass and addressed her.
“Oh, right… Madame. Would you visit the palace sometime and share conversation with my wife? She’s unwell today and couldn’t attend, but she is very curious about you.”
What trick was this? Blair answered with a bright, polite smile completely different from her uneasy thoughts.
“Yes, Your Highness. If you summon me, I’ll gladly visit.”
***
One hour later.
“Nobles really live exhausting lives.”
Blair shook her head, grumbling.
So this is what they meant by ‘you won’t be welcomed.’
From Blair’s perspective, no one had ever been so “enthusiastically welcoming.” So enthusiastic she thought they might incinerate her with their eyes.
The nobles who approached them clearly fell into two groups:
Half wanted to extract some gain from Kassel.
The other half wanted to tear apart Blair, the commoner who had jumped to the rank of marquis’ wife.
The rest ignored them with refined elegance, as if they were beneath notice.
“‘Sometimes I just don’t understand why our servants act that way. I suppose I can ask you for advice.’ Seriously. Do they always talk like that?”
Kassel gave a light chuckle at Blair’s disgusted expression.
“We’re nearly done, so you may eat freely now.”
“Don’t joke. If I eat freely here, rumors will spread that you married a pig instead of a wife. I’m just going to have some cool champagne.”
“As I’ve said, unless it’s just the two of us, absolutely no overdrinking.”
Blair already had two champagne glasses—one in each hand. Kassel stared.
“Relax. This little champagne won’t even reach my liver.”
Blair grinned and nudged his arm with her elbow.
“You responded quite cleverly to them. I should commend your special tutor’s hard work.”
“Excuse me? Aren’t you mixing up the order here? I’m an elite student who learns ten things from one, you know.”
“A good student comes from a good teacher.”
Kassel pressed a fingertip gently against the slight wrinkle forming between her brows.
“Oh, come on. Compliment me quick—”
“Blair, wait.”
Suddenly Kassel wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms. A palace attendant carrying a tray of wine had been walking without looking ahead and nearly collided with her.
“Goodness! That was close. Thank you.”
“My apologies, Marchioness.”
“Straighten up.”
Kassel’s cold voice snapped at the attendant bowing neatly. Blair, startled by a tone she had never heard, looked up at him.
“Kassel?”
“Apologize properly.”
It was just a near collision—why demand such an apology? Blair thought so, but Kassel didn’t budge. The now-pale attendant bowed even deeper.
“I have been discourteous to the Marchioness. Please forgive me.”
“…It’s fine. You may go.”
“Thank you for your mercy.”
He bowed once more and hurried straight out of the hall.
Blair glanced sideways at Kassel. Feeling her gaze, he turned his body slightly and reached toward her—leaning in as if fixing her necklace—and lowered his voice.
“Someone put him up to it.”
“…What?”
“A royal attendant wouldn’t make such a basic mistake. Someone told him to spill wine on you.”
“Oh.”
How petty and childish. Blair subtly peeked over Kassel’s shoulder.
Huh…?
The gazes that had been spying on them scattered instantly like startled thieves.
Faces that had looked shocked—as if they had seen something unbelievable—vanished into the shifting crowd, though the faint murmurs remained. The women chattering behind their fans in little groups made something spark in Blair’s memory.
‘My lord had no interest in marriage, so everyone worried endlessly.’
It was what Emma had said the first time they met.
Could it be…
