RETL 08

Chapter 8

“…Your Highness, it has been a long time.”

“Indeed, it has been a long time, Lady Edverbud.”

The last time they had met was the day she had held a dagger to her neck and threatened to kill herself, so this was their first meeting in about two months.

[I tried to break up with him, but he wouldn’t let me go.]

She was the person who had shown her just how pointless it had been to struggle desperately with her life on the line.

Perhaps because it had happened so long ago.

Once, she had been so jealous and resentful of her.

But now, she felt nothing at all.

“Since you have met, why don’t you have a little conversation? I’m sure you have many things to ask Lady Clora.”

Clora anxiously grabbed the hem of the woman’s dress as she spoke sarcastically.

Well, who knew what a crazy woman who had become so obsessed with her lover that she had even risked her life might do?

“I only came here because I had something to do. I have finished what I came for, so I will be leaving now.”

There was no reason to stay any longer when it would only make things uncomfortable for both of them.

She spoke to the shopkeeper.

“I will pay for everything now, so please load the goods into the carriage with the boxes.”

“Yes, yes, Your Highness.”

It was just as she finished paying and was about to turn around.

“Going shopping yourself even though you are being sent away to the North. Your Highness really is quite thrifty.”

Why did she keep picking a fight with someone who was quietly trying to leave?

Swallowing a sigh inside because she found it annoying, she asked,

“I don’t know who you are, but judging by how much you have been talking since earlier, it seems you have something to say to me.”

“Ha……!”

The woman gave a hollow laugh as if she found that ridiculous.

Her attitude was so rude that it was hard to believe she was speaking to a princess, but it was nothing surprising to her.

“L-Lady Roselin!”

Clora grabbed her arm in embarrassment and tried to stop her, but the woman gently brushed her hand away.

“My name is Roselin of House Velleno. We have met several times, yet you don’t remember me. I am deeply concerned about Your Highness’s health.”

Roselin.

Was she the one who often stuck close to Clora and picked fights with her?

There had been so many people who treated her carelessly that she could not be certain.

But judging by how confidently she was picking a fight with her, perhaps she was quite used to behaving this way.

‘It doesn’t matter who she is.’

What mattered was that if she let this pass quietly, the imperial social circles would be filled with rumors that the princess had tucked her tail between her legs and run away.

“All right. You said you were Lady Velleno? I will give you a chance. Stop going around in circles and tell me what you want to say.”

“You should apologize to Lady Edverbud before you leave.”

……Apologize?

“It is unfortunate that Your Highness was not chosen by Duke Trovitan, but is it really proper to leave without asking forgiveness after tormenting an innocent person like that?”

Lumiere was speechless for a moment.

The person involved had said nothing, yet a Viscount’s daughter who had nothing to do with the matter was standing before the princess and lecturing her.

She quietly called out to Clora, who was nervously fidgeting beside her.

“Lady Edverbud.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do I need to apologize to you?”

“…No.”

“Then do I need to ask for your forgiveness?”

“No. Your Highness, how could you……”

Clora answered in a trembling voice and lowered her head.

This was the proper attitude for a noble lady to take before a princess in a society ruled by social rank.

Lumiere took her eyes off Clora and asked,

“So she says that I do not. Then how do you intend to handle this situation?”

“Pardon……?”

“You dared to make a fool of the princess’s authority with your arrogant lecture. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for that?”

Before her regression, she had been a person who had completely broken down after years of abuse and oppression in the imperial palace.

Even when an ordinary maid looked down on her, or when she was treated like a mere ‘flower on the wall’ at every party, she could only tremble.

Even so, she had threatened Clora because she was terribly afraid of marrying the Grand Duke.

…She probably could not even have tried it if Clora had not seemed easy to deal with.

Perhaps because she was so used to her past self, who could not even speak up against others and simply endured everything.

Roselin hesitated for a moment, but soon regained her arrogant attitude.

“Responsibility? Anyone knows that the person who did something wrong should apologize.”

Well, she herself had never once received an apology until now.

When she gave a short, incredulous laugh, Roselin continued.

“And yet you threaten me simply for speaking the truth. I am deeply concerned about the future of the Grand Duchy, which will have to serve you as its future Grand Duchess.”

“The future of the Grand Duchy……”

She dared to speak of the future of the Grand Duchy in front of her.

There was no need to listen any further.

“I suppose I will have to teach you some manners.”

The moment Lumiere finished speaking, she swung her hand hard.

Smack!

A clear slapping sound rang through the shop, and Roselin’s face snapped to the side.

“D-Did you just hit me……?”

Roselin asked in shock while holding her cheek.

Lumiere asked back with an emotionless expression.

“Yes. Are you finally coming to your senses?”

“H-How dare you……!”

“Dare?”

“No, that’s not what I meant……!”

Had she secretly considered Lumiere beneath herself simply because she was a princess who had been treated poorly in the imperial palace?

“Perhaps you need a more serious lesson.”

In all her life, she never thought she would hear someone say, ‘How dare you.’

Lumiere slapped her cheek again.

Smack!

“Your Highness!”

Roselin, who had been struck again, glared sharply at her as if she had been treated unfairly.

Even after being slapped twice in a row, she did not lose her spirit. Instead, she glared at Lumiere insolently.

“Let’s see how long you can keep looking at me like that.”

She swung her hand with even more force than before.

Smack! Smack!

Every time Roselin’s head was knocked to the side, she stubbornly turned her face forward again and glared at Lumiere.

As if she wanted to compete with her.

Lumiere decided that she absolutely had to break that arrogant attitude.

Just as she was about to strike her sharply again with her stinging palm—

“Y-Your Highness!”

Clora stepped in and hugged Roselin, shielding her.

“…What are you doing?”

Lumiere narrowed her eyes as she stopped her hand in midair.

To interfere while a member of the imperial family was personally punishing someone.

It was not something a woman who had lowered herself before Lumiere just moments ago should have done.

“Y-Your Highness. Lady Roselin must have realized her mistake as well. So please, forgive her at this point……”

She should be begging on her knees, yet she was telling Lumiere to forgive her?

“Move aside.”

“Your Highness……”

“This is not something you should interfere with. So move aside.”

“But……”

“Can’t you hear me?”

It was while Clora hesitated uncertainly that—

“What on earth are you doing!”

A man who had suddenly appeared grabbed Lumiere’s wrist tightly.

“Duke Trovitan……?”

“Are you saying that you were threatening my fiancée?”

‘Why is the Duke here……?’

Her purple eyes trembled slightly.

Logan’s face was deeply frowned, as if he were furious from head to toe.

As she stared blankly at him, she suddenly remembered that Clora was here.

The day after she had been driven away to the North.

These two people had spent a pleasant time together here.

A hollow laugh escaped her.

Because she suddenly realized once again how foolish and pathetic her past self had been.

You foolish Lumiere……

What he had given you was nothing more than cheap pity. Why did you cling to him so desperately?

An inexplicable emptiness surged over her like a rising tide, and a subdued voice escaped her lips.

“…Duke, let go of my hand at once.”

“Didn’t I ask you if you threatened my fiancée?”

“Didn’t I tell you as well? Let go of my hand at once.”

She glared coldly at him and twisted her wrist.

Logan tightened his grip even more and spoke through clenched teeth.

“I clearly told you to stay quiet back then, didn’t I? And yet, even until the very end……!”

When the pain in her wrist felt as if it were being crushed, Lumiere let out a small groan and frowned.

“Take your hand off her.”

A large man, dark as a shadow, suddenly grabbed Logan’s wrist with all his strength.