28.Princess Viviane Episode 5. Cartwheel

He was taming me. Wilhelm knows, I have been aware of that for a long time. Humiliations and misery have become as familiar as if they were mine.

[Nui]

Perhaps Wilhelm was even aware of that fact. No, I’m sure Wilhelm knew. I’m sure he could see that I’m not just an idiot. Wilhelm’s affection could have begun by knowing the truth. Love for a weak, submissive girl who kneels in front of him.

[You can count on it. I prepared a small gift for nui today.]

I opened my eyes wide and blinked quickly. I was delighted and looking forward to his remarks. Wilhelm relaxed his gripping hand and gently brushed my hair.

[You don’t know how much I love you, Agrane. It was such a pity that I couldn’t give you what you wanted.]

[Me? I don’t need anything. This right now is enough, the whole world is beautiful as long as I’m with Wilhelm.]

He pulled the back of my hand and kissed me.. I blushed and smiled as if I had dedicated my whole life to the passionate courtship of a loved one.

[You wanted a dog that day.]

[Me? I don’t remember.]

[Did you forget already? It’s just less than a week]

[I guess it wasn’t that important.]

The only important thing to me was anything that involved Wlilhelm

Wilhelm’s laughter was heard. I couldn’t tell whether it was a laughter of satisfaction or sarcasm. At times like this, it’s better for me to smile face to face with a stupid face.

[I couldn’t take care of you, who will be alone in this large castle. It was my mistake, Agrane. My mistake for not understanding your loneliness.]

We stopped in front of the bedroom. It seemed that Wilhelm ordered someone to bring the ‘dog’ in the middle of a walk. I remembered a boy who was isolated on an abandoned site. His platinum-colored hair, close to silver, his small stature, scruffy body, his head bowed as if he was falling into a book. I was curious as to what kind of dog he was to be able to receive Wilhelm’s malice with his whole body and survive nonetheless.

So I wanted to have it. No, I had to. On this remote island completely cut off from the outside world, the boy was my only chance. An opportunity to use the ‘it’ he has. But will Wilhelm give me what I want?

[Rejoice, Agrane.]

The door opened. At the same time, the bright sunlight of early summer poured down on my feet.

[I’ll give another ‘me’ to nui. A dog for my one and only Nui in the world. . What do you think? Now you won’t be lonely if I leave the castle, will you?]

Wilhelm’s gift to me was not an abandoned dog. It had a nasty loveliness that couldn’t be ignored. The golden hair waved on his shoulders, and her white face was as fine and pitiful as a glass doll. Eyes shining brightly like a star were pointed at me. The eyes as coveted as a newly bloomed rose contained shyness. It was not long before the the girl with the noblest blood in the world l blushed and smiled.

[Hello, Agrane…Thanks for inviting me. As I have heard, your castle is as beautiful as a paradise in the woods.]

Wilhelm’s gift was his only twin, the abandoned princess, Vivianne.

***

Ring, ring.

I woke up instinctively to the sound of the bell ringing in my ear. The glimmering vision was as dark as a deep cave at night, except for the faint light of a lamp.

Ring, ring.

When did I fall asleep in the kitchen? My memories before going to sleep were hazy. After leaving Richton’s office, i hadfollowed Mrs. Colento, who came to find me after I slapped Keane in the face…That’s right, I was in charge of the night duty today. Contrary to expectations, the banquet ended sharply at two in the morning. Now, after tomorrow’s dinner, these boring guests would also have left Ingords.

I got up from the chair and walked towards the swaying bell. The number of the bell was 305. It was the bedroom in which the guests of the banquet stayed. If one calls the maid late at night, it’s usually because they were thirsty. I went up to the third floor with the prepared pot of water. It was hard to walk straight because I wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Vivianne.”

Vivianne was not even mentioned in 『The River Where the Sun Manoeuvres』. No, Wilhelm in the book did not have a twin in the first place.

“Ha.”

At this point, I’m starting to get really confused. Did I really read the novel 『The River Where the Sun Manoeuvres』? Could it be that I had a dream that was only slightly similar to the future? The door opened while I stood blankly. The woman with her hair curled up saw my face and widened her eyes.

“Ah, I just called because I was thirsty… How did you know?”

“It’s the basics of a maid.”

Coincidentally, the guest in the bedroom that rang the bell was Azmaria. She turned her body and led me into the room.

“Miss Susan. Were there any problems after I left first?”

“Do not worry. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Azmaria closed her mouth for a moment. I guessed she wasn’t expecting that I was going to mention it without hesitation. I opened an empty pot placed on the table and then filled it with water. Azmaria’s gentle voice came from behind me.

“I didn’t know that holding on to you for a bit would do any harm,” she said. “I wish I could have helped you.”

‘Help’, Wilhelm used to say something similar to me. I closed the lid of the pot fully filled with water and stood still. I didn’t think Azmaria would have come because she wanted to learn more about Ingord. But whatever she did, it would still reach Richton’s ears.

“Please give up.”

So who else could give her and advice if it’s not me.

“This may sound cruel, but there is nothing a young lady can do. All we have to do is increase the number of guests at the banquet from nineteen to twenty.”

A long silence lingered. She stopped meaninglessly cleaning the pot and turned her back. She had a round face that did not lose her composure. However, she could not completely hide her embarrassment.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It is said that the amazing power of the young lady will eat away her life.”

She often thought like that. If someone had advised her to leave Triviache a day earlier, would things have been different now?. It may still be disregarded with a snort, but… Still, just in case, anyway.

“What in the world do you….”

“I also kept my lady’s promise, so please don’t take it lightly.”

I took out the engraved diamonds I had kept in my inner pocket. It was the thing I had received from Azmaria.

“I will give you this back. Have a good night.”

I quietly closed the door and left Azmaria’s room. In fact, I already knew. Those words only disheartened a little, but it’s not enough to turn her back. Perhaps I wished that this moment of living as Ingord’s dog was fate. I also wanted to prove this is fate through Azmaria. Even if I had more options, I would have walked the same path in the end.

“You will be disappointed if you give up, Azmaria.”

But even if she did not give up, I would be disappointed. I couldn’t figure out exactly what caused this double mind. Back in the kitchen, I poured water back into the empty pot and waited for the next bell to ring. At least it was less lonely than the time I was lying still in my bedroom.

***

Night duty was usually excluded from the morning routine of the day. Therefore, my work on the next day of the banquet started by helping dinner after lunch.

“You seemed to be feeling pretty good today.”

When guests visit the castle, the extent of work of employees who were already busy would be doubled. Thanks to this, the kitchen, which was noisy preparing for dinner, was saturated with employees who took on other tasks.

“Have you had a good dream all night?”

“Is she the someone who measures her mood just with good dreams?”

“You never know, you’ve had a blazing night like that firewood.”

Lina, who lowered her head, whispered to Mary in case Mrs. Colento heard.

“Actually, I thought Princess Beatrice would be invited..”

Mary, who was peeling potatoes by helping the kitchen, seemed to have a lot to say.

“It was the first time a royal daughter had shown such affection in front of her employees.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen it, have you? No matter how passionately he hugged her, I knew he’d split her waist in half.”

There’s no way I didn’t see it. I was Princess Beatrice herself. The hard fingertips that had been winding around my waist was still clearly embedded in my memory. Mary, who had been eavesdropping next to me, whispered as she shook her head softly.

“There wasn’t much to it, actually. They’re exaggerating. But she’s a woman you can’t even see anymore.”

It was like a voice trying to comfort me, so I felt strange even though I didn’t think too much about it. If anyone heard it, they would think I and Richton were in a big secret relationship.

“So how was the Duke? What about his next lover, the noble lady?”

Mrs. Fiora, who was sitting opposite to us without saying a word, laughed briefly. Her eyes were red and swollen, as she struggled to please the aristocrats for a few days.

“No one knows, Lina. To the Duke, this banquet could be just a troublesome and cumbersome event.”

However, Lina and Marie’s curiosity toward the banquet was endless. They constantly asked Mrs. Fiora who was looked half-dead. When I joined Mary, I felt strange standing still and trimming potatoes.

I couldn’t help it, I had a real question regarding what kind of answer Azmaria would come up with. When the hour hand pointed to two o’clock, I thought there was no need to be curious about it here.. The agony was not long. I visited Richton’s office and demanded as soon as I had finished my duties.

“Master, can I join you for dinner tonight, if you don’t mind?”

***

Notes from past chaps:

(P/R: Wilhelm used ‘누이’ {translation: sister} to address Agrane. They’re not technically related, but it is used to women they’re close with, both younger and older.)

T/N: okay, Wilhelm will be addressing Agrane as “‘누이” in future chapters, but I wouldn’t be Translating it to “sister” because they will be having *ahem* so instead I will be using the word “Nui”. I don’t want readers to misunderstand this as in*est.