Chapter 61

I drank the tea in front of me, pretending to ignore the look in the Young Lady's eyes as if she was asking for my consent.

"Isn't this all due to the fact that she (Claire) didn't receive a proper home education?"

"The last time a banquet was held, I went to Baron Dana's mansion and found it to be very small and cramped, no different from a commoner's home."

The atmosphere turned cold for a moment. The young lady glanced at me as she spoke. She seemed to be worried that I wouldn't like her saying that she went to Claire's birthday party.

But when I remained silent, she continued to talk again, watching my face.

"They say you can tell a lot about a child by looking at their parents. The last time I saw the Baron, he didn't seem to be in his right mind either."

Some people tried to scold Claire for messing with me, while others simply spoke ill of her.

Right now, the people around Lady Flynn were bad-mouthing Claire in front of me, but if I wasn't here, they would surely talk about me.

These kinds of people were everywhere I went, so I didn't mind too much. However, these girls were so unkind.

Because they didn't know that every time they opened their mouths Lady Flynn's complexion would get harder and harder.

'If you knew this was going to happen, I would have gone somewhere else. Next time, let's go straight to the terrace.'

I was looking for a fluffy sofa and regretted my choice to come into this cave unintentionally. I sat for a while and then left my seat.

"Are you leaving already?"

"If I stay too long, my father will look for me. I'll go now."

Fortunately, there was no one to catch me.

Before I left the room, I made eye contact with Lady Flynn. Come to think of it, besides the Crown Prince, there was another person here who would not be cured no matter how many warnings I gave her.

Whatever it was that might have put her in a bad mood again, Lady Flynn silently glared at me. I closed the door behind me.

It was then that I saw someone's familiar silhouette across the hallway. It was Viscountess Willis, Roxana's nanny.

The nanny hurried somewhere with an anxious face. Then she disappeared soon after. It was not clear whether the nanny saw me.

I was a bit surprised at first, but soon remembered that she was also a noblewoman and could come to as many banquets as she wanted. Either way, it was no big deal for me to run into her, so I turned my head away. That was when it happened.

Someone called out to me from the direction from which the nanny had just emerged.

"Miss?"

It was Annie.

"I went back to the banquet hall, but I couldn't see you, so I looked around. I came here just in case and you were here. This is the box you mentioned, right?"

Annie quietly held out something to me. It was the wooden box in Annie's hand.

'Oh, I sent her on an errand a while ago.'

Annie's forehead was covered with sweat. I felt a little sorry for her, thinking about how she had wandered around looking for me.

I took the box from Annie and checked to see that it contained a present for the Duke.

"You got it right. Thank you for your hard work. Let's go now."

I handed her the box again and stepped out to walk back to the banquet hall. My legs didn't hurt from sitting, but I was more mentally exhausted...

When I returned to the banquet hall, I found the Duke standing in the same place as before, conversing with the emperor.

Instead of going to him, I settled in a moderately unnoticed place.

"Young lady, look over there."

Joan whispered quietly, just loud enough for me to hear.

I turned my gaze and saw Claire.

"I bumped into one of the servants earlier, and I must have dropped it. If you found something, please contact me....." (Claire)

A sullen looking Claire was surrounded by many people and was being comforted.

'It doesn't look good....'

Perhaps it was because of the Duke's scowl, but there were certainly fewer of them than usual.

However, their murmurs grew louder and louder.

"Claire, please don't worry too much."

"Why don't you go back to that spot you were at earlier, just in case?"

"It's hard to say what's really lost, but if it's something else..."

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt as if they were looking at me.

A moment later, my eyes met with one of the people in the crowd. When his gaze met mine, a man next to him poked him with his elbow.

After that, I couldn't make out what he was saying because he was whispering. Eventually, Claire gave a slight nod and left the banquet hall with a pitiful look on her face.

"Why did they look here? Rude. People who hang out with Lady Dana are on the same level."

Joan frowned, her face full of discomfort.

Apart from the fact that she usually thought lightly of Roxana, her words seemed to be filled with pride for Princess Lillian.

"So far they've been talking about the Lady without knowing their position. Why don't we learn all their faces and speak to His Excellency?"

Tien also responded to Joan's words. They used to think less of Roxana, but now they seemed to care for me.

Even though things had changed a lot in those days, in my eyes there was no difference between the maids and them. That was the reason why I trusted Annie these days.

Because she was the only one who has been there for Roxana from the beginning, unlike them who change their faces depending on the situation.

"I'm not a child and you want me to go to my father with every little thing?"

"Little things?"

Joan asked with a strange look on her face. If It were the real Roxana, she would have gritted her teeth and gotten angry, but I wasn't her.

"You don't have to worry about it. It's not like it's the first time these things happen, but you suddenly make a fuss today."

The expressions on the faces of the maids looking at me became a little strange at my answer.

"My thoughts were short. I was just concerned for the Lady."

Tien nodded. Joan's eyes were also full of wonder. A hint of sympathy drifted into their gazes, as if they were looking at a child born prematurely.

A little uncomfortable, I turned my gaze elsewhere, averting my eyes from the girls. Then my eyes met with the Crown Prince who was looking at me.

He was chatting with the nobles over drinks. He was acting as if he was a stranger to Claire, perhaps he was afraid of the emperor or Duke's presence.

He may be the next emperor, but in my eyes, he was just too smart for his own good. I quickly averted my gaze, but I could still feel the Crown Prince looking at me for a while.

No one had gone so far as to ask me for my first dance, since I had refused the Crown Prince's request for a dance.

'I suppose I can rest now.'

But it didn't take long for me to realize that it was entirely my illusion.

"Congratulations, young lady. The Duke won another victory."

"You must be so proud. Your father is such a great man. I'm really jealous."

"I'm really proud of him as an imperial citizen. Let's have a meal someday..."

This was due to the fact that people were trying to stick to me and use their praises to get connections to the duke's family. From a distance, the Duke was still conversing with the emperor, and before long, drinks were in their hands.

The Duke's face was expressionless as usual, but the mood seemed joyful as I saw a hint of satisfaction on the Emperor's face.

On a day like today, I kept a wry smile on my face as I tipped my cup, chatting with those who approached me. After a few drinks like that, my face became flushed.

I wasn't drunk yet because I had moderated myself, but it looked like I shouldn't drink more here. I went into the terrace, looking for a suitable place to rest quietly without people.

Sure enough, a breath of cool night air cooled the heat on my face and calmed my head.

"Annie, can you leave the box with Joan and bring me a cup of water?"

"Yes, I'll be right back."

Annie replied briskly, as she always did, and then hurried off. Her small, skinny back looked very reliable.

Watching her, my lips lifted up. I put my hands on the railing of the terrace and looked down. I could see the flowers blooming in the flowerbed just below.

The smell of the flowers coming up from the first floor was very fragrant. The inside and outside of the building were separated by a thin glass door, like a completely different world. Unlike the glamorous and bustling inside, the terrace was quiet and peaceful.

"Lady, it's dangerous. And if you fall....."

Unlike me, however, the maids looked uneasy. Joan, who was particularly weak, looked as if she was about to scream. It reminded me of my own crash at the Imperial Palace banquet hall the other day.

"Last time you were drunk and fell."

"It's fine. I'm not drunk now."

It was true. And it didn't matter because I fell that day wasn't because I was drunk. But the maids, who didn't know that, still looked uneasy.

My feet started to ache again after wearing the high shoes for so long. I sat down on the parapet. The wind was just blowing and my hair tickled my cheeks.

It was a peaceful time.

I could hear the faint sound of music through the glass door. The same was true for the laughter of the people outside. How long has it been?

The drunkenness subsided when I was exposed to the cool night breeze. Even my face, which had been hot, regained its original temperature. But Annie still didn't come back.

"It can't be taking this long."

I began to worry a little more about the delay. There were many reasons why a high status noble would normally bring an experienced maid to a banquet hall. But Annie was sincere, meticulous and serious, so she shouldn't cause any problems.

"That's right. That's strange."

Joan also nodded her head in wonder.

"I hope she didn't have an accident on her way here. She might be struggling with a bad-tempered aristocrat or drunkard."

Tien added with a worried look on his face. If such a thing happened, Annie was a commoner, so it would be difficult to deal with.

"Do you want me to go and look for her?"

Joan asked carefully when she saw my darkened expression.

"Okay. Go find out why she's not coming yet."

Joan nodded and left. A few moments later, Joan returned with a puzzled look on her face.

"Lady, it's trouble. Annie has been arrested for stealing Lady Dana's bracelet."