Chapter 79
“Ah right, I prepared sothing for you. Will you take it?”
As if to change the awkward atmosphere, Marchioness Lewin pushed out the box brought by the maid.
“It’s alright— everyone would have helped the Marchioness in that situation.”
“But if you get help, you have to pay back. I hope you like it.”
The Marchioness’ maid opened the box and showed Alie the contents of the box. Inside, there were pearls the size of her fingernails. Alie was taken aback by the bright color.
“This is a bit too much. I didn’t do anything.”
How much are they? Alie was very burdened.
“The Marquis family’s specialty is pearls, right? The Marchioness’ sincerity is also there, so take it.”
Serina encouraged from the side.
“No, but still—”
Alie asked Serwin for help.
‘Can I really take it?’
‘You should take that. The Marchioness’ is a person who knows etiquette.’
Serwin bit Ali’s sleeve and shook it. If Alie didn’t answer, he was going to take the box himself.
Alie looked at Mrs. Enard and Milena, too. Both of them winked at to receive it quickly.
“…Then I will be grateful to receive it.”
Alie reluctantly receives the box and hands it over to Milena.
“I’ll keep it separately.”
As Milena carried the box, Marchioness Lewin began to smile and talk.
“I want to take this opportunity to get close to Miss Alie. The gift might have been a little excessive. I don’t even go out to parties, so I don’t have a chance to make friends.”
“Co to think of it, I’ve never seen you at a party.”
“Yes. I’m not feeling well, so so places where there are a lot of people are a bit—.”
Alie nodded. If she’s weak, it’s better to be careful in crowded places.
After that, the tea party went smoothly. Marchioness Lewin was interested in herbs, so she had a good conversation with Alie. Serina was a topic she wasn’t interested in, but she worked hard to get into the conversation.
Serwin was observing the two, with his ears pricked up.
‘There must be a Marquis behind the Marchioness. What are you up to?’
He was suspicious of the Marchioness. Is it really a coincidence that the Marchioness was lying there that day? Marquis Lewin was a man who could create coincidences like this.
‘If I wait, I will know what the purpose is.’
However, he just hoped that Alie didn’t get too close with the Marchioness.
‘I can watch the Marchioness ti by ti. What’s your plan?’
Serwin looked at Serena. She was eagerly participating in the conversation and responding, but from the constant glance at Alie, it was clear that she had a different purpose. When he heard her nervous expression and trembling voice, it seed as if she wanted to ask Alie sothing.
‘What happened with Count Bowen? It may be just a favor, though.’
Unlike his predecessor, who was famous for his integrity and purity, the present Count Bowen has a slightly secular side, so it was a story that was likely enough.
‘It’s not a threat, so there’s no need to worry in advance.’
Then, let’s take a leisurely look at Alia.
Serwin relaxed and lay down. When he crossed his front foot and put his chin on it, he felt very comfortable. In that state, he looked up at Alie. He always looked down at her, and it felt new to look up.
The sunlight coming in from the window shone on Alie. Alie’s mint-colored eyes were fresh like grass leaves in the morning.
Alie was good at speaking and laughing. She was shy, but maybe because she didn’t hate people, it seed to suit her well. Serwin couldn’t take his eyes off her. Unlike an anxious night, he kept smiling.
‘I didn’t know you’d get along so well.’
When he brought her to the Imperial palace, he didn’t know she would adapt so well. He thought she would fluster because she was intimidated in front of the nobles, but she was doing better than he imagined. Contrary to her appearance, Alie had a determined mind. Her foolishly good disposition was only possible because she was a strong and determined person. Serwin loved Alie’s point of view.
‘That expression is cute, too.’
Whatever Serina said, Alie furrowed her eyebrows. Despite Mrs. Enard’s rigorous education, Alie often didn’t hide her feelings like this, and Serwin liked even her clumsiness.
He liked the trembling shoulders whenever she laughed out loud, and he also liked the habit of nodding her head when talking. She also loved the narrow corners of her lips and the eyes that looked up at him. It was cute to be quick-witted, and at the sa ti, it was also good to be relentless. Whenever he played a joke, she cursed with her eyes, but when that happened, he didn’t want to let go with a tight hug.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever played pranks when I was young.’
Serwin, who has been a Crown Prince since birth and beca an Emperor at a young age, has never played childish pranks until now. There was no opponent who was comfortable enough to joke around.
‘Why are you so special to ?’
Serwin grumbled and groaned. Alie smiled and looked at him.
“Are you bored?”
Serwin shook his head.
‘What should I say if I don’t have ti to get bored because I’m looking at your face?’
He could recall her reaction even with his eyes closed.
‘Your face will turn red and you will roll your eyes to avoid staring. Then our eyes will et and you will blink those big eyes nonstop.’
In his imagination, she was very lovely. He impulsively wants to tell her all about it.
‘Should I say that it’s a relief that I’m transforming into a dog?’
“Hang in there.”
Alie whispered softly and stroked the back of his neck. The smile she showed was different from the smile she showed to the Marchioness. It was more like the first ti he t her in the Fidelia forest. It was a comfortable yet friendly smile that was closer to her original appearance.
‘Only to .’
Serwin’s heart beat faster. It’s just a trivial act, but what makes his heart so happy? Is she giving it to him only? Did she save him from disaster? It wasn’t. Now, this feeling was not like gratitude or relief. It was a more special feeling. Flowing from his chest and not from his head.
‘This is the first ti.’
Serwin didn’t know what to call this feeling, so he was very confused.
*****
After the tea party, Alie saw Serena and Marchioness Lewin off. Serina was restless and wanted to keep saying sothing, but she eventually returned after reading the countenance of Marchioness Lewin.
‘What was it?’
Alie didn’t know what the reason for Serina had co to her.
‘If it’s sothing she has to say, she’ll co back again.’
Alie cleared her thoughts on Serina and looked at Serwin. The dignified black dog was looking up at her, wagging its tail.
Alie swept Serwin’s forehead. It was very lovely to see his eyes narrowing as his ears lean back.
‘That’s why Serwin often pats .’
Alie smiled and asked Serwin.
“Should we take a walk like this?”
However, Serwin shook his head. It was better to be a person to hold hands and talk.
“Then let’s go inside.”
Alie tried to enter the building with Serwin. But she heard soone running from behind her back.
“Young Lady Bowen?”
Turning her head, Serina was running towards Alie. She said to Alie while gasping for her breath.
“Wait, I want to talk to you—. Will it be okay? I won’t take a lot of ti.”
“Yes, I’m fine—. Shall we take a walk?”
Alie began walking along the trail with Serina. Between the two, Serwin walked with his tail wagging.
“First of all, I wanted to say I’m sorry. It was at a tea party. At that ti, Young Lady Renia ordered to do it, but I regret it forever.”
“Yes.”
“I wanted to apologize properly, but I didn’t have a chance—I will apologize now. I’m really sorry.”
Serina bowed her back deeply. Even with the polite apology, Alie trembled.
‘Are you trying to pretend you don’t know what’s going on at the Imperial Palace party?’
Does she think that she doesn’t know that Serina and Renia were involved? She shouldn’t just move on like that.
“That’s not the only thing that Young Lady should be sorry about.”
Alie pretended to be angry.
“Yes?”
Serina was greatly embarrassed.
Even when she was overtly ignored at the tea party, she didn’t get angry and didn’t even tell Serwin, so she thought that if she bowed a little like this, she would accept her apology.
‘Why are you getting angry?’
Angry Alie was pretty scary. Serina shrank her shoulders.
“What—if you explain in detail what you’re talking about—”.
“At the Imperial Palace party. You pulled my dress on purpose.”
“T, that’s—”
Serina’s eyes got bigger. She didn’t know Alie even knew about it.
“That’s because Young Lady Renia ordered to—”
Serina stuttered and made excuses. But Alie didn’t want to hear any excuses.
“Did you follow the Marchioness to say that?”
“That’s true—”
Serina hesitated for a mont. It wasn’t in the mood to ask for a favor, but if it wasn’t now, she might never see Alie again.
“I actually want to ask you a favor.”
Serina said with courage.
“All of a sudden?”
Alie opened her eyes wide and asked back, and Serina boiled her knees in front of Alie.
“Please help my family. Please, Miss Alie.”
“Yes?”
Alie was taken aback. She couldn’t understand why she asked her to do sothing to Count Bowen.
‘Did Serwin take revenge?’
Alie looked at Serwin. He shook his head as if he didn’t know anything.
“Actually, a letter has been coming to for a while. In the anti, my father or I have made a few minor mistakes, and they’re trying to threaten .”
Alie noticed that their mistake was never trivial, but she listened to Serina without saying much.
“It must have been His Majesty’s orders. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to know in detail.”
“Isn’t that too speculative?”
“No! There are Young Ladies who received similar threatening letters like . They’re all Young Ladies from a family close to Count Manvers.”
“So?”
“His Majesty, you are getting rid of the families of the Manvers faction. The families of the Young Ladies who received the letter are all being accused of cris and being detained or their property confiscated.”
“Isn’t that because they committed a cri worth it?”
“But our Count Bowen family is different from other Manvers factions’ families. We didn’t do anything bad. I swear on my grandfather’s honor.”
“Then can’t you just relax because you will be safe?”
“This is political retaliation. His Majesty is managing the aristocratic powers himself. Our family is only unfairly linked. Miss Alie, please help us.”
Alie looked at Serwin.
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