Lauraâs face hardened fiercely. In an instant, she knuckled down and became the Marquis of FortDucane and spoke arrogantly.
âMiss Cassner. Thatâs rude. Itâs not polite to get involved in other peopleâs conversations.â
However, her opponent was Rubinia Cassner who was far from an emerging nobleman and was known for melting the cold nature of the social world.
âOh, donât say such harsh words. We have similar tastes. Donât you think so, Miss Buchanan?â
She smiled sweetly like a strawberry cake and stole a glance at Kyrie. Kyrie could guess what Rubinia wanted to talk about.
âIâm tired.â
Kyria sighed.
âI donât know what you mean.â
âYou donât know.â
Rubinia naturally made herself comfortable in the seat opposite of Kyrie. It was now a situation in which nobility and nobility could engage in a gentle struggle.
Laura was forced aside. To the curious onlookers, the situation before them seemed like three ladies waiting to enter the wardrobe talking to each other.
âThe two lovers of the Crown Prince⊠itâs them, right?â The people outside whispered.
ââŠ..â
Unlike the silent Kyrie, Lauraâs face grew dark.
Laura was surprised and unable to respond. On the other hand, Rubinia calmly lowered her hand and smiled brightly and returned to her public persona of the social spring fairy.
âNow, when I become the Crown Princess, will Miss FortDucane be quiet? Oh, what should I do? Just thinking about it makes me so excited.â
Kyrie even forgot about the situation and admired Rubinia.
âWhat a great woman.â
The content of her speech was uncomfortable, but her expression and tone were sharp, and she was overflowing with charm. It seemed like this was the reason Prince Eden fell in love with her.
Perhaps she thought Kyrieâs gaze was a challenge, so Rubinia sharply widened her eyes.
âHow do you feel, Miss Buchanan? I was able to sit in the best seat in this country, but I feel like I went down.â
âBecause itâs a mood.â
Previously, Kyrie was angry. But after this trip she changed her mind a little.
âMaybe Iâm a little envious of her being able to win what she wants so confidently.â
Kyrie spoke calmly to Rubinia, who stared at her.
âItâs a hundred years.â
There was a moment of silence.
ââŠâŠ.Yes?â
âI canât wish you happiness because I have suffered. But I hope you two celebrate a hundred years together.â
Rubiniaâs eyes became fierce.
âWho are you kidding?â
âWhy do you think Iâm making fun of you?â
âPrince Eden chose me! Even with your great Buchanan family, you lost to a young Baroness whom youâve ignored!â
âItâs not a question of who wins and who loses, is it?â
Rubinia widened her eyes as if she was going to scream right away. She managed to straighten her face and gave a twisted laugh instead.
âOh, you want to raise your pride by saying, âIn fact, I wasnât interested.â Thatâs what those who are defeated always say.â
âI was a little angry as I am a person, but now I just donât want to waste my time on whatâs already happened.â
âOf course. You want this matter to be over. Thatâs because you donât know how people talk about you.â
âI donât know. There seems to be one in front of me right now.â
âPfft!â
Laura couldnât stop herself from laughing and made a sound next to her. Rubiniaâs face turned red.
âIf you say so. The royal family is now on my side now!â
âReally?â
Kyrie took a sip of tea for dramatic effect before she continued on.
âIâm sure the Emperor did not welcome you.â
Rubinia stopped breathing as if she had been stabbed.
The first reason the royal family led the engagement to Buchanan was to win the loyalty of aristocrats of the province.
While the country maintained a centralized regime, it was hard to answer who was at its peak. Normally, it would be the Emperor, but in Trevereum, the founding hero, Lore Leschaux, was still alive.
People in this country grew up from inside their motherâs belly hearing the stories of the founders, legends, and family members. He was a living faith and religion.
Compared to him, the sovereignty could not be compared, so strengthening the sovereignty was the fate of all Orewinbridge except the founder.
Naturally, the Emperor needed more loyalty and more money and Baron Cassner couldnât give either. This was why the Emperor opposed Prince Eden and Rubiniaâs engagement.
âI remember that the only support for Miss Cassnerâs engagement was the Crown Prince himself and his younger sister, Princess Julia. Am I wrong?â
âAre you ignoring me because I am an emerging nobleman from the province?â
âI just told you the truth.â
âArenât you scared? After the Emperor, the Crown Prince is next! If you understand that, shouldnât you kneel before me?â
âIâll take care of my knee health, so rest assured.â
âThat wordâŠ! HaâŠâŠ!â
Rubinia screamed as if her clothes were bursting. Soon, peopleâs eyes gathered, and she smiled forcibly as she looked at her surroundings.
âThatâs okay. Okay, letâs see if we can still pretend to be so noble until the end.â
It was a remorseful look. Even though Kyrie was seated face-to-face with Rubinia, she was strangely not as angry as before. Kyrie was just curious now.
âIf what you wanted was power, why did you hate me like that, even though you already got it?â
Even when Kyrie recalled the memory, she had no clue.
There were two main forces in the social world of ladies: the Socialist circle was headed by Princess Julia, and the other, the aristocracy, headed by Mary. Kyrie was a noble so she was in artistrocat circle, Rubinia was in the group led by the Princess, and of course, the two had rarely spoken.
âAnd yet, strangely, itâs only me.â
âWhy donât you like me, Miss Cassner?â
Kyrie asked abruptly. Rubinia, who was clearly overwhelmed, seemed rather calm when she heard the question.
âItâs pretentious, itâs abominable. You look down on a man who pretends to be noble.â
Her next voice was very small.
âLike then.â
âThen?â
It was a strange word. At what moment did Rubinia and herself have a close relationship?
âWhen do you mean, Miss Cassner?â
Rubinia did not answer. It seemed as if her words could not be heard.
She, who was said to be the fairy of spring that melted the social world, stared at Kyrie with a face that looked like a smile when viewed from a distance. But unlike her title, her poisonous green eyes were bright and intense.
âYou have to pretend to be noble so people donât know, Miss Buchanan.â
Lovely Rubinia finished organizing her mind for a moment. The touch of her hair was delicate and her expression was clear.
âNow to the public, you lost the fight? Try to live a life of comfort, pretending to be noble.â
âMiss Cassner.â
Then Laura opened her mouth with a cold face. Rubinia flinched at the first glance of her voice.
âIt would be better to stop. Do you really want me to be serious?â
Lauraâs sarcasm was certainly serious.
Rubinia noticed and quickly got up from the spot. She stiffened her face with a smile.
âCheer up. I donât know whoâs going to pick up a woman whoâs chewed by others.â
After she said that, she jerked her head around with a little noise and walked away.
***
After Kyrie got her dress fitted and bid farewell to Laura, she took a carriage back to her house. She was immersed in her thoughts. Rubiniaâs words hovered in her mind.
âThe woman whoâs chewed by others.â
Kyrie didnât know it would look like that. It wasnât a short engagement with Prince Eden, but it didnât mean it was a romantic one.
He was always busy as the Crown Prince. Even Kyrie thought that was natural.
Of course, if you now look at the way he was with Rubinia Cassner, perhaps he had deliberately pretended to be busy.
âThe engagement was arranged by Emperor, and you wouldnât want to marry a woman you didnât like.â
The same was true for Kyrie who was reluctant to be engaged. Still, she was determined to fulfill her responsibilities, and wished Prince Eden would do the same thing. He was a prince, and he knew he couldnât have everything.
Perhaps thatâs why she was angry at Prince Edenâs extramarital affair because she didnât normally get angry easily.
Responsibility. Prince Eden too easily abandoned the greatest value that supported Kyrie in her life. She couldnât believe that such a man raised his voice in front of the Emperor and said he loved Rubinia Cassner.
She thought it was good enough to love someone so much that they could throw out their family name and everything they had.
âIâm responsible for many things, but no one wants to be responsible for me.â
Kyrie leaned her head against the window and giggled.
âI never learned how to lean on others in the first place.â
After her father, Count Cesarâs breakup with her mother, he raised Kyria strongly. She had to be perfect in every way, and not expose her weakness to others.
Just elegant and resolute. Kyrie learned only to live that way.
If you are connected with someone, rather than a love leaning on each other, a love standing on your feet while holding hands would suit.
âBut thatâs too much for the chewing gum.â
Kyrie smiled lightly and buried herself deep in the seat. After all, in her life, love was beyond all sorts and was not something she understood.
âYou should have grown up in a harmonious family to be able to believe in love or not.â
When Kyrie thought that far, she felt something strange.
âHas the carriage stopped?â
The scenery outside the window remained the same. Kyrie had been lost in thought.
âJames, whatâs going on?â
Kyrie gently called the horsemanâs name, but was met with no answer. Tension swept over the air.
âAn attack? Itâs too quiet for that. The location was Highland Park⊠Itâs night, so there were fewer people and there were no other places to ask for help.â
She realized another strange thing.
It was quiet everywhere. There was no sound of birds, animals, or bugs. She had experienced this situation recently.
âLord Nathaniel? Is it you?â
Kyrie raised my voice, but there was no reply.
As the anxiety increased, someone knocked on the door of the carriage.
âLord Nathaniel?â
Kyrie stuck to the corner of the carriage, filled with tension, as she didnât know what would come out. At that moment, the door burst open.