Chapter 18: By any chance, do you need a lover?”
‘Why is he here again?’
My face stiffened the moment I saw him.
The person I was sure I wouldn’t run into in the ballroom—or anywhere in the Imperial Palace.
“Oh my! Could that be…?”
“My goodness. To think he’s attending this ball. Was he perhaps listening to our conversation?”
The noblewomen’s voices grew louder.
“Hmm? Who exactly is that? I didn’t know someone so handsome was around.”
“Oh, Marchioness Etroire. You don’t know who he is?”
“Is he someone famous?”
“Of course. That’s the renowned Leonard.”
“Oh! The commander of the Second Order of Knights?”
“Yes, precisely him.”
The man who had entered, drawing everyone’s attention, was none other than Leonard.
“As handsome as the rumors say… no, even more so. I heard he rarely attends such events.”
“Exactly. What on earth could have brought him here?”
The ballroom quickly buzzed with chatter about Leonard.
Indeed, as the women had said, he was dazzling as ever today.
Dressed not in his usual knightly uniform but in an ornate black outfit adorned with gold embellishments, he exuded a different aura.
Yet even the intricate gold embroidery paled in comparison to his looks.
They say the face completes the outfit, and in his case, it couldn’t be more true.
His beauty was so radiant that no one even noticed the details of his attire.
But I knew his true nature.
‘Ladies, don’t be fooled by his face.’
That man… he’s the one who will turn dark and shake the Empire to its core!
Yet, contrary to my inner thoughts, Leonard quickly became the center of the ballroom.
“Oh my!”
One of the noblewomen near me gasped, covering her mouth as she whispered in my ear.
“Leonard just glanced at Her Majesty the Empress.”
“That’s impossible. You must be mistaken.”
There’s no way he’d look over here, surrounded by so many people…
“…!”
…Our eyes met?
And it wasn’t accidental.
For the first time, his cold expression shifted as he made a meaningful face when our eyes locked.
He moved his lips silently, conveying a message.
‘It is an honor to see you again today, Your Majesty the Empress.’
At his cheeky remark, I grimaced.
Seeing my reaction, he smirked ever so slightly.
While the surrounding ladies let out gasps as if they were about to faint from his smile…
I waved my hand dismissively at him.
‘Why are you suddenly acting so ominous?!’
Seeing someone so inscrutable smile made me uneasy.
“Oh my, oh my. Now he’s blatantly staring at you.”
…Yes, I know.
That man is doing it on purpose.
I think teasing me is his hobby.
Or am I mistaken?
Just as I started to think Leonard was walking in my direction, a grand trumpet fanfare resounded throughout the hall.
“His Majesty the Emperor is arriving!”
At the servant’s booming announcement, knights in golden armor lined up on both sides of the hall.
The once-bustling ballroom instantly fell silent under the solemn atmosphere.
And then Jerome, the Emperor and my husband, appeared.
With the Imperial Consort Fay’s hand firmly clasped in his.
For a moment, I could feel the weight of everyone’s gazes.
The Emperor, appearing with the Imperial Consort instead of the Empress.
Everyone was clearly observing my reaction.
If it were the original Helena, she would have been scowling at this moment.
Muttering to herself about how humiliating it was.
But I am not the villainous Helena.
Am I jealous, you ask?
Not in the slightest.
It’s because I have no feelings for Jerome at all.
In fact, this scene was in the original story as well.
It marked Fay’s first public appearance as the Imperial Consort after gaining her title.
The author had described Fay’s fluttering excitement and nervous anticipation so vividly that I had been engrossed while reading it.
To think I’d witness this scene in real life.
It felt surreal.
As the Emperor appeared, everyone rose from their seats and bowed their heads.
I, too, stood from my seat.
But instead of bowing, I stepped forward to greet him.
“Your Majesty.”
“You are late.”
“…Business ran longer than expected.”
Jerome and I exchanged the customary formalities.
“…?”
For some reason, Jerome seemed to be in a bad mood.
In the original story, Jerome was described as being overwhelmed with emotion while escorting Fay.
However, his gaze looked anything but emotional—rather, it was terrifying.
Was he trying to assert dominance in advance, worried I might do something to Fay?
As if I’d cower.
I flashed a bright smile at him.
If you hate me so much, why don’t you just grant me a divorce?
Could he possibly understand what I was implying?
Jerome’s brows furrowed slightly.
But that was all.
He said nothing more and followed the knights guiding him away.
I also returned to my seat… only to be approached by an unexpected person.
‘Why are you here?’
It was Fay, the person I thought would remain by Jerome’s side, who followed me.
With a bright smile, she addressed the noblewomen gathered around me.
“I have something urgent to discuss with Her Majesty the Empress. I’m terribly sorry, but may I ask you to excuse us for a moment?”
Her words left me flustered.
She had something to say to me?
And she even asked others to leave so we could talk privately. What could it possibly be?
This wasn’t in the original story.
Moreover, her demeanor was nothing like how it had been described in the original.
If I recall correctly, she was supposed to be very nervous, sticking close to the Emperor during her first official event. That proximity only stoked the Empress’s jealousy further.
“Imperial Consort, what business do you have with me?”
“I wanted to apologize for the incident last time.”
“The incident last time?”
“The time I lost my ring, causing trouble for Your Majesty.”
Fidgeting with her hands, she continued.
“I’m truly sorry. I should have taken better care of it.”
I was momentarily speechless.
It’s not like I could just say, ‘Yes, please be more careful next time.’
“It was all my fault. I never imagined it would lead to your chambers being searched… I really didn’t know.”
Her eyes drooped, her expression pitiful enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings.
I looked at her with a mix of emotions.
If this were Helena, the villainess, she’d unleash a torrent of venomous words.
If this were one of the original story’s readers, they’d hold her hands, saying things like, ‘It’s okay,’ ‘I support you,’ ‘Stay strong, heroine.’
But I couldn’t choose either path.
Just as I am not the villainess Helena, the Fay before me was not quite the ‘heroine’ I remembered.
The dress incident, the ring incident—something felt off.
It was becoming clear that she wasn’t as innocent as she appeared in the original story.
With a radiant smile, Fay spoke again.
“I kept thinking about how I should apologize, and I decided it would be best to tell you in person.”
“…I see.”
My calm response seemed to catch her off guard.
She briefly wore an awkward expression before hastily summoning an attendant to order wine.
“I-I asked the maids for advice, and they said that in situations like this, sharing drinks and having a heartfelt conversation helps to resolve misunderstandings.”
She quickly downed a full glass of wine and then poured another into my empty glass.
The wine swirled and filled the glass to the brim.
Her crude behavior caused some noblewomen nearby to furrow their brows.
But oblivious to court etiquette, Fay smiled naively as she handed me the wine.
“Please accept this drink, Your Majesty.”
I shook my head.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I’ll pass. I’ve already had enough to drink.”
Still, Fay was persistent.
“I know I’m not to your liking, but I’ll try to do better. Please accept my drink.”
“Don’t worry about any misunderstandings. But we are being watched, so perhaps it’s better to be more cautious…”
“Please, just a little…”
“Ack!”
Before I could stop her, trouble ensued.
Despite my firm refusal, Fay, in her attempt to offer me the glass, ended up spilling the wine.
The spilled wine quickly seeped into my blue dress, staining it a deep crimson.
“Oh no! That wasn’t my intention. I’m so sorry.”
I could feel the weight of the stares directed at us.
People covered their mouths with fans and whispered amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, Fay repeatedly apologized, her voice quivering.
“It’s fine. I know it wasn’t intentional…”
I consoled the flustered Fay while simultaneously trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
And then.
“Well, it seems an accident occurred.”
A familiar deep voice spoke from above.
I looked up to find blue eyes gazing down at me.
Reflected in those mystical azure depths was my startled face.
‘Leonard?’
It was the same man who had made a grand entrance earlier, surrounded by admirers.
Why was he here?
Before I could say anything, he unfastened his black coat.
And like a painting.
Truly, like a masterpiece.
He knelt gracefully on one knee before me.
The sculpted man looked up at me.
Using his coat, he covered my stained dress.
Then, he brought his lips to the back of my hand.
“……!”
The sudden warmth startled me.
Noticing my reaction, his deep blue eyes fixed on me intensely.
Finally, he released my hand and spoke in a voice as intoxicating as wine.
“You look absolutely stunning tonight, Your Majesty.”
“…Ah, thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. However…”
The smile on his lips deepened.
And then, he said something I could never have imagined.
“By any chance, do you need a lover?”
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