90 – The Cult (3)
Duk.
A drop of wine soaking the dress fell to the floor and made a noise.
Aside from that, no sound came out. Me, Shael, and even Perl in front couldn’t open their mouths.
Perl just stared in disbelief at my wine-splattered hands.
When the dripping drops of wine stopped, Perl let out a drool.
“⋯, That…”
Perle looked at me as if she would forgive me if I apologized. I coldly ignored her gaze and turned her head to Shael.
Shael was holding my arms. Then, like Perl’s expression just before, she was showing a sneer.
‘Looks fine now.’
But not a while ago. It’s because Perl has been making a bad fight.
A group led by the Duke of Anyden gave Shael a sharp look.
Shael overheard arguments that would normally be difficult to hear. It was natural to be worried about Shael.
So she asked Shael.
“⋯⋯ Are you okay?”
“Oh, it’s okay⋯!”
That answer was not Sael’s. It belonged to Perl, drenched in wine.
I said it while looking at Sael. Even if you don’t notice, there is not too much.
“Not you. You’re asking Shael.”
“⋯⋯.”
“It’s not okay.”
The last answer I heard was from Shael.
But she couldn’t help but smile at her answer.
‘Isn’t it okay?’
At Sael’s answer, she looked at Sael as if she wanted to say something. Then she said Shael.
“If it were me, I would have been able to spread it more naturally like a mistake.”
⋯⋯ Was that a complaint?
If Shael had spilled the wine in the first place, it would have been obvious to her that it wasn’t a mistake.
I answered Sael’s words with a blank smile. Then she looked at Perl, she said.
“What are you doing? I need to spend some intimate time with Shael.”
“⋯!”
If Perl is let go, it’s obvious that she will come out to the crowd and criticize Shael.
Still, it didn’t matter. From the beginning, Perl kept putting Shael down.
Somehow, I’m going to put a stop to that rumor.
“Ha!”
Perl, who let out a strong sigh as if he was dumbfounded, turned around. On the contrary, I exhaled happily.
It seems to have relieved the stress accumulated in the first time in a while. Even though there were still enemies left outside that I couldn’t deal with.
But it will be sooner or later that we will punish them. While laughing for a while, I heard Shael’s voice.
“Wait.”
They caught Perl as he was about to leave. Shael’s words continued.
“My wine, bring it back.”
“⋯⋯.”
Perl frowned at Sael’s words and left her balcony.
⋯I learned a few ways to raise medicine.
“You better go in now.”
“Yes. I need to go to the bathroom for a while. The wine splashed on me too.”
I left the balcony with Shael. Wearing a dress dripping with wine, she saw Perle conversing with other nobles.
It was obvious what they were talking about. Avoiding their gaze, I headed to the bathroom with Shael.
“I will wait in front.”
“Yes.”
Shael went into the bathroom. She’s worried, to be honest. Shael in a space where I can’t see.
It’s a bathroom in the imperial palace with tight security, and I’ve packed a lot of protection artifacts, so nothing’s going to happen.
‘I’m still worried, what should I do?’
I stared at the bathroom with my senses amplified as much as possible.
She felt sorry for Shael if she heard anything like looking at work, but she couldn’t help it.
Turb.
I heard footsteps in the bathroom. I was able to guess the exact location.
‘In front of the entrance?’
She couldn’t even enter the bathroom properly, and Shael stopped right in front of the entrance.
Then I saw Shael poking her head out. I turned her head away to avoid making eye contact with Shael.
‘Are they spying on me?’
You go into the bathroom and leave me alone on purpose?
Then a terrifying thought occurred to me. It was the idea of the ‘Ring of Control’.
In the dressing room, with Shael’s understanding, I was able to have a conversation with the owner. But then, what about the conversation with Perl?
I was constantly wearing the ring of control. So, it means that Shael allowed the conversation.
‘Since the dressing room, did I forget to set the Ring of Control?’
Maybe. But rather than that.
The assumption ‘to keep an eye on me’ was reasonable enough. Even now, Sael left me alone and went to the bathroom.
It also reminded me of the work in the wagon. Even though that Sael, she had a conversation with another woman without her knowledge, there is no way that she didn’t say anything.
Apart from trusting me, Sael was the strongest when it comes to jealousy.
I am nervous about Sael’s creepy behavior. It seems that I have to be more careful than usual in the social church.
Except to clear up rumors about Sael, I think we should avoid even talking.
But my promise was soon broken.
A group of people talking with Perl. So, the aristocrats who had been putting Shael down a while ago were approaching me.
Perl had gone to change her dress, but she was invisible.
Among them, the son of the Duke of Anyden said.
“My name is Denes from the Duke of Anyden. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while. Nice to meet you.”
“This is Eran Baslet. What are you doing?”
They had a conversation with Perl, whom I sprinkled with wine. So you don’t know what to do with me.
“I heard that Young master’ fiancé spilled wine on Perl. Gongja-nim must be having a hard time too.”
It seems that the situation was transmitted slightly reversed. That it was Sael who scattered the wine, not me.
‘Well, it must have been a bit difficult to say that it was me.’
Because my personality was rumored to be good.
On top of that, it would have been more convenient to cut off Shael. He would have wanted to make me in trouble by spreading rumors like this.
Anyway, it was an embarrassing situation. Most of the people in front of me were people of high status.
Even if they are descendants of the Duke of Anyden, they are a family with similar prestige to the Baslet family and the Azbel family.
That’s why I couldn’t just go out like I did with Perl. It’s hard to think only of the click right now, but you shouldn’t increase the number of enemies.
“Recently, the Empire is adding a system for divorce and breakup. What do you think, Prince Eran?”
It was a remark made while thinking of Sael and I’s engagement relationship.
Considering the relationship between the Duke of Anyden and the Azbel family, he would have said that because it would be beneficial for me to break off the marriage with Shael.
I chose silence for now. Then Denes Aniden went on with his words.
“By the way, where did Princess Shael go, leaving her princess alone?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
“I see. By the way, this time my good sister is getting married…”
Bring up the story of the marriage breakup, and bring up the story of her younger sister who is in the middle of marriage.
It was a word that blatantly revealed his inner feelings.
“I have a good relationship with Sael, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Really? I honestly don’t understand.”
⋯⋯ I’m like that, what the hell is the problem.
“Torturing commoners. Since childhood, I have been a nuisance to all kinds of people. I even throw wine on it.”
“⋯.”
“Everyone in the Empire points the finger at your fiancé.”
Denes Aiden continued without giving me time to answer.
“To be honest, Young master Eran is an inadequate woman. If anything happened, she would have to ask the Duke of Aniden for help.”
“⋯⋯.”
What should I do? Even if I try to express my feelings toward Shael, it seems to be of no use.
The rumors about Shael were not the only reason. The Arniden family, who are not on good terms with the Azbel family, would of course want to destroy the relationship between me and Sael.
Obviously, it’s probably best to stay still for now.
‘⋯⋯But.’
I didn’t want to stay still listening to their conversation. It was such a hard thing to hear a conversation that disparaged Sael.
There was also Shael watching me in the bathroom.
Shall hear them swear at Sael over and over again.
It is heartbreaking. Even for me, it would be very difficult for Sael if someone was swearing at me.
“What the hell is that about? Did you mean to have the Baslet family’s heirloom taken from you?”
A word that is not true at all. With a slightly angry voice, he tried to open his mouth. But.
Ttogak.
Ttogak.
The sound of shoes coming from the bathroom. Because of the sound of Sael’s shoes, she had no choice but to turn her head away without even opening her mouth.
Shael came to my side. Shael clings to me as if she would support her through her hardships.
“What should I do because I feel sorry for you? I already took everything from Eran.”
It was Sael’s voice. It was also the voice of the wicked woman. Of course, the evil woman naturally tells lies.
“I already had Eran’s child.”
It was a lie that I had no choice but to wipe my face. A lie that won’t help at all to erase the rumors floating around Sael.
‘I have no idea at all.’
But it’s also Sael’s thing…
I kept laughing. Thanks to Shael, I was able to cool her head that was not functioning properly.
How can she change the rumors about Sael and pay back to the nobles who cut her down?
A very good method started to come to mind. So, now it was my turn.