Chapter 67

“Your Highness the Second Prince…?”

 

“Why is Prince Freyer here…?”

 

The young ladies who had been trying to restrain Ophelia blinked slowly when they saw Freyer. Since they had no way of knowing he was staying at our estate, their shock was only natural.

 

Freyer made no attempt to hide his displeasure. Ophelia, who had frozen for a moment at his appearance, suddenly widened her eyes again and shouted, “I don’t know why Your Highness is here, but this is none of your concern!”

 

Veins stood out on Freyer’s temples.

 

“I told you to let go.”

 

Overwhelmed by his pressure, everyone froze in place. A chill ran through their legs, and Ophelia slowly released the hem of my skirt. Only then was I freed from her grip.

 

Freyer wrapped an arm around my shoulders to support me.

 

“Lilithia, are you all right?”

 

I nodded slightly. The oppressive aura surrounding Freyer subsided. The young ladies, who had struggled to endure it, grabbed their spinning heads and gasped for breath.

 

“I–I said this isn’t a place for Your Highness to interfere!”

 

Ophelia screamed at Freyer again. She was completely beside herself. Freyer narrowed his eyes, staring straight through her.

 

“And who decided that?”

 

“I–I did!”

 

“Reckless.”

 

“!”

 

Freyer turned his gaze to Winnie, who was sitting on the floor.

 

“Did you steal this rude woman’s brooch?”

 

“N–No! I’ve never even seen the brooch!”

 

“I thought so.”

 

“…?”

 

“Because the brooch is with me.”

 

“!”

 

I couldn’t help but stare in shock at the brooch Freyer pulled from his coat. It was the very diamond brooch Ophelia had been boasting about. Everyone blinked as if doubting their own eyes.

 

“W–Why is my brooch with Your Highness…?”

 

Ophelia looked utterly stunned as her missing brooch appeared in Freyer’s hand. But in an instant, her expression twisted.

 

“…Don’t tell me, Prince Freyer—you staged all of this because you wanted my brooch?”

 

She had completely lost her senses.

 

“Answer me!”

 

She shrieked at Freyer. The young ladies were horrified by words beyond imagination. Frowning, Freyer tossed the brooch to the floor.

 

Clack—clang—clack!

 

The brooch struck the stone floor with force and rolled away.

 

“My brooch!”

 

Ophelia ran toward it. Trembling, she picked it up and screamed at Freyer, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

 

“I was just showing you it’s a useless object to me.”

 

“I won’t let this go!”

 

Ophelia howled in rage, her eyes rolling back. Freyer lifted one corner of his lips.

 

“You’ve said exactly what I wanted to say. You’ll pay the price for insulting someone of imperial blood.”

 

“…!”

 

Only then did some measure of reason return to Ophelia. Freyer turned to Norman.

 

“I’ll take Lilithia to her room so she can rest. Take care of the rest.”

 

 

***

 

 

The servants, who had been watching anxiously, returned to their posts at Norman’s command. Winnie, who had been accused of theft, wiped away her tears and left. Norman addressed the young ladies standing there in a daze.

 

“We apologize to our guests, but due to this unfortunate incident, we ask that you return home.”

 

“U–Unfortunate incident?!”

 

Ophelia, slumped on the floor with a deathly pale face, glared up again. The young ladies looked at her coldly.

 

“I’m the victim here! Why did Prince Freyer even pick it up?!”

 

“….”

 

Realizing the meaning behind their silence, Ophelia shouted at them, “You all think this is my fault, don’t you?!”

 

“It is your fault. If you’d lost your brooch, you could have handled it quietly—but instead you made things into this…”

 

“I told you it was an engagement gift from my fiancé! Of course I’d react like this!”

 

The young ladies shook their heads and looked away.

 

“But blaming Prince Freyer crossed the line.”

 

Ophelia’s face flushed red, then drained white, over and over. Clenching her trembling fists, she stood and shouted,

 

“I won’t stay quiet about this!”

 

“Of course not. You’ll soon be dragged to prison for insulting a member of the imperial family.”

 

“…Really?”

 

A snort of laughter followed. Ophelia’s face turned a deep crimson. Trying to flee quickly, she tripped over her dress and fell.

 

“Ah!”

 

Without even checking her injury, Ophelia scrambled up and fled as if running away.

 

“She brought it on herself.”

 

“So tactless…”

 

“That’s why I hate attending things with Lady Ophelia.”

 

One of the young ladies clicked her tongue, then tilted her head.

 

“But how did the Second Prince end up visiting here?”

 

“Good question.”

 

Norman, who had been listening, answered, “His Highness visited to discuss matters related to the Baimery Trading Company.”

 

“The trading company?”

 

“Yes. Since our young lady has been handling her work from the estate due to health issues, His Highness wished to urgently discuss the purchase of supplies.”

 

“I see.”

 

“That makes sense.”

 

It was a sufficiently plausible explanation, and the young ladies nodded.

 

“I can’t imagine what might have happened if Prince Freyer hadn’t intervened…”

 

“Seriously.”

 

“And Lady Lilithia isn’t even fully recovered yet—I hope this didn’t worsen her condition.”

 

“Ahem.”

 

At Norman’s pointed cough, the young ladies took the hint and began to move.

 

“Shall we go as well?”

 

“Yes.”

 

They called out to Nazlee, who stood there blankly.

 

“Lady Nazlee, are you still in shock?”

 

“…What?”

 

Startled, Nazlee turned her head.

 

“You’ve been standing there without saying anything.”

 

“I’m just… a bit shaken.”

 

“Lady Lilithia will be fine. Let’s go.”

 

Norman opened the front doors, and the young ladies headed outside.

 

 

***

 

 

‘I must be mistaken.’

 

Uneasy thoughts flooded Nazlee’s mind. She shook her head and clenched her fists, trying to deny them.

 

‘He came for trading company business. Don’t think foolishly, Nazlee Idarand.’

 

But the other ladies’ chatter sent her carefully steadied heart plummeting.

 

“If he really came just for business, didn’t Prince Freyer’s gaze linger a little too much on Lady Lilithia?”

 

“So it wasn’t just me!”

 

“You felt it too?”

 

“Do you think Prince Freyer likes Lady Lilithia?”

 

“Like Lady Ophelia said—maybe something really happened during the hunting festival?”

 

Nazlee bit the inside of her cheek. She wished they’d lie instead. She wanted them to say, ‘That can’t be. Prince Freyer likes Lady Nazlee.’

 

Lady Ivanna noticed Nazlee’s sinking mood and covered her mouth. Oblivious Claire added, “It’s obvious behavior when someone likes another. Otherwise, he wouldn’t act like that.”

 

“…Claire, really! Even another young noble wouldn’t ignore such injustice.”

 

“I don’t know… You have to like someone to act that way.”

 

Ivanna grabbed Claire’s sleeve and shook it.

 

“…Lady Claire!”

 

“Oh! You startled me. Yes, Lady Ivanna?”

 

Nazlee squeezed her eyes shut and murmured, “It wasn’t a misunderstanding…”

 

The image of Freyer supporting Lilithia rose in her mind. He hadn’t spared Nazlee a glance—his attention had been solely on Lilithia.

 

Thinking he’d helped simply because he was kind had been nothing more than self-justification, born from her desire to deny reality.

 

“Lady Nazlee likes Prince Freyer—how could you say things like that!”

 

“…I forgot.”

 

The young ladies whispered cautiously as they watched Nazlee’s darkened expression. Just then, their carriages arrived, and they hurriedly boarded to escape the awkwardness.

 

“Oh—our carriages are here! I’ll be heading back now!”

 

“Me too!”

 

Nazlee felt as though her heart had been carved apart by knives.

 

‘How miserable.’

 

Then someone pressed a hand to her shoulder. Nazlee looked up.

 

“Lady Nazlee.”

 

“…Lady Diara?”

 

“Please get in the carriage.”

 

“…The carriage.”

 

The Idarand ducal carriage stood before her. The other carriages were already far away.

 

“You should go home.”

 

But her feet wouldn’t move. A thought screamed that she couldn’t leave yet. She wanted to ask Prince Freyer directly—ask if he truly liked Lady Lilithia.

 

‘It could be a misunderstanding.’

 

Nazlee clenched her fists.

 

“…I’ll go a little later.”

 

“Why?”

 

For a brief moment, Nazlee met Diara’s gaze and quickly looked away. It was a look that saw straight through her intentions. Her smile twitched.

 

“I’m worried about Lady Lilithia. I want to check on her once more.”

 

Nazlee hurriedly bowed and gathered her skirt with both hands.

 

“Please return safely, Lady Diara.”

 

She quickly walked back into the estate. Watching her retreating figure, Diara murmured to herself, “…This is bad. It won’t be easy to resolve.”