◈ 181. [Side Story] Victory Party (5)
The chief chamberlain of the imperial palace, Alberto, stood still at the entrance of the detached palace.
Alberto, who was watering the tree planted next to the entrance with a gentle expression on his face, suddenly looked to the side.
“You are here.”
Alberto smiled softly.
“Serenade lady.”
“… … .”
The space next to Alberto shimmered transparently, and then, crumpled like clothes, someone took off their cloak and appeared.
It was a serenade.
What she took off after wearing was an [invisibility cloak]. It was an item that Ash gave me in advance to use in case of emergency.
Wearing this cloak and hiding, Serenade came to the villa here.
It was a place I had visited often as a child, so I was familiar with the road, and above all, it was because Ash had told me that helpers would be waiting for me here.
Looking up at the helper’s face, the serenade murmured painfully.
“Alberto… … .”
“long time no see. You have grown up a lot.”
Although we hadn’t seen each other in years, Alberto was friendly. Serenade smiled involuntarily.
“Alberto is still the same.”
But there was no time for the two to unwind. Soldiers’ footsteps began to echo around the villa.
Alberto nodded with a hard face.
“I heard the words from His Highness the Prince in advance. I will escort you to the grand banquet hall.”
Alberto took a quick look around and took Serenade by the hand and led her.
“Come this way.”
“But, Alberto!”
Serenade exclaimed in bewilderment.
“If you get caught helping me, it will have a bad effect on Alberto… … .”
“It has already been 50 years since I worked in this palace.”
Alberto calmly shrugged.
“It is time to retire.”
“… … .”
“Wouldn’t it be rather nice to be able to help the Countess’s granddaughter before retirement?”
Alberto smiled and started walking ahead.
“No one knows better than me the byways and shortcuts between palaces. Come on, let’s go. We will guide you faster than anyone else.”
Serenade, injured and staggering, followed Alberto and moved toward the banquet hall.
***
The sky of the ecliptic was red as evening approached.
The vermilion sunset covered the entire imperial palace.
The same was true of the grand banquet hall, the large building and the entire garden were all glowing red.
It’s already past 6:00 PM, the time the party starts.
Because of the time, all the nobles who were about to enter were already inside.
Because of this, the entrance to the grand banquet hall was quiet. Alberto and Serenade have just arrived here via a side road.
“You have suffered a long way, Serenade Lady.”
Alberto grinned as he pointed to the entrance of the great banquet hall.
“Come on in. His Highness, Prince Ash, will be waiting for you.”
“… … .”
Serenade suddenly looked down at her messed up appearance.
I still didn’t like anything from my hair to makeup to clothes. It was more miserable because they were attacked on the way.
Blood was seeping from his forehead until the carriage crashed.
The dress was torn at the hem and the stockings were torn. The heel of the shoe is broken and even rattles.
He didn’t look like he was going to a party.
I wanted to hide in a rat hole, let alone the banquet hall.
“A party like this… … .”
Serenade grabbed the hem of her dress with her hands.
“People will laugh… … .”
“What does it matter if you laugh at me?”
Alberto sighed earnestly.
“Are you the foolish people you have come to meet, who make fun of your appearance? Or is it Prince Ash, who is waiting for you?”
When Ash’s name came out, Serenade shrugged.
Because that person was waiting for him, he didn’t want to see this even more.
“Even Prince Nang… … You would be ashamed of me… … .”
“It’s not like that.”
Alberto affirmed.
“Believe me. His Highness the Prince will never be ashamed of the Serenade Lady.”
“… … .”
“His Highness Prince Ash told me. We really need a serenade girl today, so escort her to the grand banquet hall no matter what.”
“… … .”
“And the reason Prince Ash needs a serenade lady is probably not because of her appearance. Right?”
Serenade clenched her fists tightly.
okay.
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Ash came here because he needed him.
Even if Ash is ashamed of serenades, so what?
I will endure that shame.
“… … Thanks, Alberto.”
Having made up her mind, Serenade walked into the entrance of the grand banquet hall with a determined face.
Alberto, who smiled at the back of the serenade, eventually hardened his face and turned around.
I could see soldiers rushing towards me from afar.
“A pair of military boots stained with mud at a party… … You don’t know basic etiquette.”
Alberto straightened his tie and walked towards the soldiers with a stern voice.
“I’m going to need an old man’s twisty map.”
Leaving behind Alberto who blocked the soldiers with her body, Serenade entered the entrance of the grand banquet hall.
***
As soon as the serenade entered the banquet hall, stinging eyes poured in from all directions.
It’s already been a while since the party started.
The appearance of the serenade, staggering on the broken heel, stood out by far.
Some laughed, covering their mouths with fans, while others blew mocking whistles openly.
“I don’t think he’s a merchant from the low class, so I’ll take a look at it.”
“Aren’t there mirrors in the Wintersilver family?”
“If it were me, I would have been shy at the entrance and went back.”
There were words that flew like daggers and pierced the ears of Serenade, who struggled to endure all the contempt and headed inward.
“Prince Ash’s engagement to Princess Yoon has already been announced, but what kind of identity did the ex-fiancée come to?”
“… … .”
Ash’s marriage.
with another princess.
At those words, my eyes went blank.
Serenade staggered forward, stepping on the ground with her tiptoes trying to lose her senses.
“Didn’t you come to sprinkle ashes on that marriage?”
“It’s okay if you stretch out for 10 years, saying that you are the royal family and your in-laws. It’s soggy until the end.”
“Anyway, this is why Cheonchul is… … .”
My heart, which I had worked so hard to eat, became tattered in an instant.
Serenade bit her lip. He managed to suppress his burning eyes.
kiik-
At that time, I saw the emperor and the three princes coming out of the innermost room of the grand banquet hall.
It looks like they had a meeting or something.
“… … .”
“… … .”
“… … .”
The emperor and the other two princes sat down on their respective seats on the platform with hard faces.
Ash, the last member of the royal family, approached the girl with ivory hair who was waiting in front of the room and knelt down on one knee.
Serenade noticed at a glance. that girl
That beautiful girl… … Ash’s real marriage partner.
The prince in a black tailcoat and the princess in a pearl-colored dress matched each other perfectly.
On the other hand, what about yourself?
‘It’s like a crow whose paint has been erased… … .’
Serenade slowly stopped walking.
I couldn’t walk any longer. I didn’t have the courage to go to that splendid space.
How nice it would be if I could disappear from this spot without a trace… … .
It was then. After having a friendly conversation with the princess, Ash stood up and looked straight in the direction of the serenade.
and,
Tboob. Tboob.
I came down the platform and started walking straight towards the serenade.
There was a loud buzz all around. The nobles who participated in the party exchanged words with Ash and Serenade.
The serenade choked as she watched Ash approaching her with unwavering strides.
I don’t know why Ash called him here.
However, if she had used up her usefulness, had her marriage broken off as a fiancée, and if Ash had a new relationship with that princess… … .
He thought that this might be his last chance to see Ash.
“after.”
Serenade took a deep breath and straightened her back. And he raised his reddened silver eyes.
‘Yes, I will endure it.’
Even if all you have left to give me is separation and pain.
Even if only the thorny path of humiliation, disgrace, and wounds unfolds in front of the abandoned self.
‘If it’s what you gave me, I’ll gladly embrace you in this arms.’
When I made up my mind, my heart calmed down.
Ash came right in front of Serenade. Seeing this scene, the party hall, which had been noisy, became quiet for an instant.
“serenade.”
Ash smiled at me first.
She lifted her trembling mouth and smiled at the serenade.
“… … Your Highness, Prince Ash.”
Ash laughed at the serenade’s greeting.
“You can call me Nanggun-sama as usual.”
“but… … .”
Serenade sat on the platform and looked sideways at the princess who was looking this way.
“There is a princess who promised to marry you, right?”
“… … .”
Instead of saying anything, Ash slowly looked down at Serenade’s feet.
“You went through a lot of trouble getting here because of me.”
Looking at the tattered Serenade shoes, Ash suddenly said,
“It’s okay.”
slap!
He took off his shoes and casually threw them aside.
The people around her as well as the serenade opened their eyes wide in surprise at this unexpected action.
Then Ash carefully got down on one knee in front of Serenade, grabbed Serenade’s feet and lifted them up… … He took off the serenade’s shoes.
The buzz around them grew. The princess on the platform was also surprised and covered her mouth.
The serenade’s feet in the shoes were covered in dirt and blood.
“uh… … His Highness Prince Ash… … ?”
Watching Ash take off both of his broken shoes and throw them aside, Serenade murmured bewildered.
“What are you doing now… … ?”
“This way, even if I step on your feet again, it won’t hurt.”
“yes?”
Ash looked at the orchestra next to him and swung his arms wide.
Then the discerning conductor immediately grabbed the baton and swung it.
While the prelude to the waltz was being played, Ash smirked at the serenade.
“Isn’t there only one thing for a man and a woman who met at a party to do?”
“… … ?”
“We practiced together for a while. Then you should use it on the main stage as well.”
Ash grabbed Serenade’s hand and pulled her skillfully.
Take a waltz posture as if hugging each other.
Ash smiled mischievously.
Just like the smiles of those days when you were very young. glaringly.
“Shall we dance, Cinderella?”
the music started
Then, amidst everyone’s astonished gazes, the two men and women began to dance barefoot.
***
30 minutes before the arrival of Serenade.
The innermost room of the banquet hall.
At the guardians’ meeting that Ash had urgently convened.
“From now on, the Southern Front will reject all support from the Imperial Family.”
Ash said this to the emperor and his two older brothers.
“what?”
“what… … ?”
“… … .”
Lark, Fernandez, and the emperor all looked at the maknae who was suddenly spouting nonsense with puzzled eyes.
“I declare it clearly here.”
Whether it was or not, Ash declared confidently.
“As of this time, the Kaiju Front will take a completely independent route separate from the Empire.”
