The eyes of the ladies inside the salon focused on Cleraine Young-ae, as she looked down and up, blurring the end of her words. Feeling that she had become a new prey in the social world, Cleraine Young-ae climbed into her carriage while staring at me, biting her lips tightly.
As soon as the door of the carriage in which the young girl was riding slammed shut, the coachman hurriedly drove out of the salon. Looking inside the Hillgood salon, I could see the ladies talking to each other while looking at the carriage of Cleraine Young-ae leaving.
Perhaps the ladies who visited the salon today forgot about the divorced empress and remembered only the young girl who was covered in old water.
“…Thanks to the young lady of Chase, I feel like I’ll be forgotten.”
Helan’s gaze paused for a moment on the gathered ladies and turned toward me.
“You’ve earned it for yourself. Lady, please go back to the duke.”
“Yes,” but who is the man who unintentionally helped me? After looking at the place where the unknown strong man had disappeared, I got into the carriage.
A clear bell rang when the door to the dangerous back alley of the capital square, the pub where the most mercenaries came and went, opened.
The owner of the bar, a large man with faded brown hair, exclaimed without looking back. “We’re not open yet. Come when the sun goes down.”
The man, who spoke in a muffled voice, stopped mopping at the familiar voice that followed. “It’s me, Billis,” Billis swung back.
Then the man, who took off his dark brown robe, looked at Billis and grinned.
Beautiful curved eyes and frozen golden eyes. I don’t know if I lost weight because of a long trip, but my sharper jawline and a prickly beard don’t hide my handsomeness.
The face was definitely a familiar face to Billis. The man moved his lips as he saw Billis with a stupid look on his face.
“What are you just looking at? It’s been seven years since we’ve seen each other, so you haven’t hugged me once?”
“You crazy!” Billis threw the mop on the floor, and, contrary to the harsh swear words, hugged the man with a tearful look. The man who lightly lifted the giant Billis pushed him away with a grin.
“Manly hugs shouldn’t be long. I get goosebumps,” the man said with a playful smile, and Billis cried, wiping the tears around his eyes.
“Is that a joke coming out now?” Jeremy! I thought you were dead!”
“Why would I die? I’m sorry, but my lifeline will be longer than yours.” Jeremy took a seat at the empty table, gently tapping Billis on the shoulder.
“I’d like to have a cold beer, let’s just drink and let it go.”
Billis grumbled that he was worried about me, but pulled a cold beer and put it on the table.
Billis sat opposite Jeremy and asked. “Are you back? You’re not gonna wander around anymore?”
Jeremy said, stroking the tip of his chin. “Hmm… well, I don’t know.”
” ····· But don’t you have to get ready to take over the family anyway? You are not in a position to wander around forever.”
Jeremy shrugged his shoulders at Billis’ words and drank a beer, but it was an undeniable fact… that you can’t wander around forever.
But. “Even though it’s a toothless tiger, well, he’s still like a tiger. I can live my own way for another ten years.”
“Then why did you suddenly return to the Empire after ten years?”
“Ah… I didn’t intend to hear it, but I heard a strange noise as I passed by.”
“Does it sound so strange?”
‘The emperor’s first love came back with a child, and now it’s just a matter of time before the empress is kicked out of the palace!’
Those are the words that pierced his ears precisely amid the noise of a noisy pub.
“Uh, so I stopped by to check with my own eyes. Well, ····. I got to check it out unexpectedly quickly, while I’m in the Empire. I’m thinking about staying for a few days.”
“I wonder what the hell you’ve heard that makes you come back in the Empire, you, who won’t even budge if anyone dies in front of you.” Jeremy’s eyebrows narrowed at Billis’ words.
“I’m not that inhumane, not even blinking when someone dies right in front of my eyes?.”
“Yeah, let’s just say that. But when you hear a strange sound, you check it out, and that’s it?”
Jeremy wiped the frost on the beer mug with his fingertips. A cold feeling permeated his hand. Just like the coldness of that snowy night. The amber-colored eyes of the very short past became clear.
“Check it…and it’s over. Because that person is just a relationship from the past that he can’t even remember.”
“There’s nothing he can do, so he’s here to check it out….. This is really not like you. You won’t tell me what it is, will you?”
“uh.” Jeremy answered firmly and took the beer again. then, he erased the purple eyes that met him gently from his mind.
“come in.” I was about to wash up and relax after going to the salon.
I raised myself to lie on the bed with a knock on the door. Helan, who opened the door, looked a little embarrassed.
“That is….. A party invitation has arrived for the lady.”
Helan nodded at my question. “Yes, my lady.”
I can’t believe I got an invitation to a party…. that’s weird. It hasn’t been a day since the divorce was announced.
There must be many more people who don’t even know that I’m back as a Lady, but I didn’t understand that the party invitation came for the duke.
“Are you sure It’s for me?” I asked Helan again just in case, but Helan replied with a look of embarrassment.
“Yes, it is an invitation to my lady.”
“Who the hell would give me ······.”
Even if you thought you were a noble who saw me at the salon today, you would have known that I wasn’t in a situation where I was going to a party or something like that.
Only without intentionally trying to make fun of me…. No matter what the party was there, if I went to the party, all the attention would be on me.
I was curious as to who the great person who sent the party invitation to the divorced Empress, though absurd, reached out.
Helan paused as if hesitating, and handed me the invitation. Check the name of the family on the invitation.
I hardened my face as soon as I got into it.
[Maquis of Sios] It was the family of Lizena.
Why, invite me. Her face, which I encountered on the day I left the palace, passed by for a moment. I thought of her for a moment and slowly opened the invitation.
Let’s open the invitation. It’s short.
When I opened the invitation, there was a short text written on it.
[A small party celebrating Edmund Sios’ 6th birthday and his last birthday in the name of Sios. Ellie Croft Young Ae, please celebrate Edmund’s birthday. – Marquis of Sios]
(T/N: sheesh!! The audacity)
“Huh.” Edmund’s birthday party…… You invited me here.
“What kind of invitation is it, lady?” Helan asked me, who was quietly looking at the invitation. I looked at the invitation and answered.
“An invitation to Edmund’s birthday party.”
“Yes?? No, how could you send such an invitation to a lady?!” Helan raised her voice as if she was really angry.
Come to think of it, Helan’s reaction was normal. I and Raymond’s official divorce was not Edmund’s fault, but Edmund was right.
There may be various reasons, but externally, it was as if the empress’s patience had been pushed aside by his illegitimate son. But on the day the news of the divorce was announced, they sent me an invitation to Edmund’s birthday party.
It’s not at all strange that I got the invitation and tore it up in anger. But rather than getting angry, I couldn’t understand Lizena’s heart who sent this.
What is the reason for sending me this invitation?
She has already seen me leave the Imperial Palace, and there is not much ill-will between me and her.
No…. it was my mistake to think that there wasn’t. However, even when I think back on the day I left the Imperial Palace, I did not feel any hostility towards me at all.
I sincerely wish you to congratulate my son on his birthday, there is no way I would have sent such an invitation… Or is it something Lizena Young-ae doesn’t know?
The Marquis sent me and Lizena Young-ae doesn’t know, this is more understandable. If I’m in the marquis’ shoes, yes, I might have sent you this invitation just to be sure.
The phrase “will be the last of Sios’ castles” meant that the child would soon have the imperial castles of the Empire of Egrita, not Sios.
Even if I got divorced, I might have warned myself not to have another heart instead of an invitation.
“······· But she really didn’t know,” Helan said as she muttered softly at the doubts that did not fade away easily.
“Lady, are you accepting the invitation?”
I folded the invitation and looked at Helan. She seemed to want me not to go here. Of course. It was a party that won’t do me any good.
This would be a perfect place to make up a story about Regena, me, and Edmund.
“… Maybe your Majesty might come.” Helan added to me with concern.
I shook my head at Helan. “No, Your Majesty won’t come.”
The social community is full of people saying that the reason I divorced was because of Lizena and her child, who came back, and it will make more sense to attend Edmund’s birthday party.
Then, later, when Lizena is entrusted to the Empress, there may be a bad view… Perhaps Raymond will try to avoid gossip.
“Is that so?” I replied to Helan, who was looking at the invitation with disapproving eyes.