[Chapter 010] The power of a man who is so overwhelming that he can't stand it

I didn't sleep a wink all night. Yes, I was nervous. I had already had my debutante ball, but back then, I had a chaperone, and my father and brother were there to protect me. And now… .

"Do I really have to go?"

"… ."

"…I guess I have to, yes."

It's just the Count of Acacia, who is on the verge of death.

I couldn't go to a major party like this, where most of the direct royal family members would be present, without a partner.

Many young ladies would be having their debutante balls there today. A handsome gentleman to escort me at the party was a must, but this was also beyond my control.

I wore the green dress that was the least noticeable of the dresses Blier had ordered. Of course, since I chose it from among the dresses 'Blier had ordered', it didn't match the ordinary debutante dress I had in mind.

The back was almost completely bare, and the front was just as revealing, so Yona had to spend the whole night sewing the decorations that had been on another dress onto it.

If Mazi hadn't managed to find a decent shawl early in the morning, I would have gone to the evening party dressed in an outfit that would have been appropriate for an opera singer, even though I was supposed to be at a debutante ball.

I also dressed up my face in a way I would never have done in the past. I asked for it to be done in a way that wasn't shabby, but the maids, who were excited about their mistress's first debutante ball, did a good job of making me look presentable.

The only thing that bothered me was that they had done my makeup 'the way they always did', which was a bit too heavy for my taste, the kind of makeup that Blier preferred. Blier must have thought her charm was sensuality.

The kind of alluring feel like the actresses on the covers of gossip magazines and tabloids.

It was a kind of makeup I would never have done in my original body, but it looked good on me, since Blier had 'always done it that way'. Dressed up like this, even if someone who knew Adrienne's face saw this look, they wouldn't recognize her immediately.

It was perfect for slipping away from the few great nobles who might recognize me and getting closer to Noebian. As soon as I got into the carriage, Mazi, Yona, and the other maids clenched their fists and cheered me on.

Even the old butler stood there, his eyes shining from afar. It was a level of welcome that was completely different from the first time I saw them. They sometimes ignored me or came too close, as if they were going to overstep their boundaries, unable to escape the memories of the past, but overall, they seemed to be slowly recognizing me as their mistress and taking care of me. 

'The biggest reason would be that I was invited to the victory celebration, which is called 'the glory of the family.'

I waved to them lightly. Yona jumped up and down with joy. I felt a strange, warm feeling in my heart. As I watched them disappear through the window, I heard the Count of Acacia sigh deeply as he looked at me. As the carriage passed through the central square of the capital and reached the entrance of the Imperial Palace, where the road began to get congested, his sighs reached a crescendo. And his face turned whiter as we got closer to the Imperial Palace.

"My wife, if I happen to collapse… please don't worry about me and have a good time."

"…Yes?"

"Huu, huu, huu-!"

The Count of Acacia, who had taken several short breaths, took a small cylindrical tin case from his pocket and put it in his mouth. It smelled sharp, so it must have been a medicine to relieve tension. I recognized it because I had taken it a few times when he had a mild seizure.

"Are you nervous?"

"You call that a question?!"

The Count of Acacia's amber eyes, filled with reproach, turned to me. He had never treated me like his wife, so I was no longer nervous in front of him, nor was I polite.

"Oh Lord, please take all the glory… and forgive the sins of your young lamb… ."

Suddenly, he began to pray. How devout he is. I sat up straight and watched the Count of Acacia fold his aged hands and recite the prayer.

"Since you are already married, everyone will understand even if you don't have a chaperone."

"I know."

I only said I knew, but he looked at me as if I were saying something he couldn't possibly know. Blier wouldn't know. I just shrugged my shoulders. The victory celebration party was quite grand, with carriages lining up from the entrance. We finally stepped into the entrance after waiting for a long time. Blier wasn't very tall, but the Count of Acacia was so short and I was wearing high heels, so we were about the same height. There was a servant at the entrance of the party who rang a bell to announce the arrival of guests, and he gave us a quick, unfamiliar look. The coachman handed him the invitation, and the servant looked at the invitation and the guest list for a while, then reluctantly rang the bell and called out our names.

"The Count and Countess of Acacia, enter!"

As expected, the party was bustling, as if no one cared about the Count and Countess of Acacia. When Noebian and I appeared at the parties I had attended a couple of times before his health deteriorated, everyone would look at us and the room would fall silent. Now, I could feel some people glancing at me, but it was less attention than the champagne that the servants were diligently carrying around. We stayed away from the attention of the people, standing close to the wall. The whole time, the Count's arm, which I was holding, was trembling. My own tension, which I had barely managed to suppress, was creeping back up, and with the Count acting like this, it was becoming increasingly stressful.

"…Calm down, Count."

"The, the Grand Duke hasn't arrived yet, I guess."

I tried to calm him down quietly behind my fan, but instead of calming down, the Count was startled by the word 'Grand Duke' that he had just uttered and closed his mouth. Just when I felt sorry for him, trembling, the arrogant servant at the entrance rang the bell three times: Dang! Dang! Dang! The people who had been sitting on chairs stood up, and those who had been giggling with their acquaintances closed their mouths and looked up at the endless staircase at the entrance.

The Emperor and Empress, the rulers of the great empire of Ronta, enter! The Crown Prince and Crown Princess, the hope of the empire, enter! And the Second Prince, who has distinguished himself by subduing the western rebels and demonstrating the strength of the empire, enters!

A thunderous applause erupted as the aged Emperor and the young Empress, who had only recently ascended to the throne, entered together. The applause continued as the Crown Prince and his wife appeared, reaching its peak when the Second Prince, Roardness, entered.

"Oh my! This is the first time I've seen the Second Prince!"

"Me too. Wow… . How can he look like a sculpted statue? But his eyes…?"

"Hush! Quiet!"

Amidst the whispers of the young ladies, I looked up at the man with an overwhelming presence, my eyes wide. His gaze swept across the entire hall, as if searching for someone, and I instinctively hid behind the Count of Acacia, covering my face with my fan. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! My heart, already tense, began to pound wildly. This was the first time I had seen the Second Prince Roardness, whose name was so famous. And the problem was that the Second Prince… .

'Crazy.'

It was the same man who had cried as if the world had crumbled before my tombstone! I peeked out from behind the Count of Acacia's shoulder. Roardness stood out among the glittering royals. The Crown Prince was handsome, but he was 'beautiful' beyond handsome. His platinum blonde hair shone, his red eyes, like those of a beast, were languidly open, and his arrogant expression and sensual lips were exactly as they were described as a playboy. There was no doubt. It was definitely the man I had seen at the cemetery.

"Well then, let us celebrate our victory and enjoy ourselves to the fullest tonight!"

The Emperor, after offering words of welcome and patting Roardness on the shoulder in praise, raised his champagne glass and shouted. At the same time, everyone in the hall raised their champagne glasses and shouted.

"Glory to the Lord! Prosperity to Ronta! Loyalty to the Emperor!"

"Glory to the Lord! Prosperity to Ronta! Loyalty to the Emperor!"

Once again, applause erupted. Everyone smiled, champagne in their mouths. The Emperor and Empress, watching with satisfaction, nodded slightly and ascended to the higher platform, taking their seats. The orchestra, stationed at the bottom of the stairs, tuned their instruments, and the people, as if they had been waiting for this moment, cleared the center of the hall, creating space. The Second Prince Roardness, the hero of the victory celebration, and the Crown Prince and his wife, descended to the hall. A low gasp erupted wherever Roardness's gaze rested.

"!"

I instinctively grabbed the Count of Acacia's arm, which was trembling. The moment our eyes met, his bright red eyes, I felt like prey in front of a predator. A slight crack appeared on Roardness's arrogant, cold face.

'No, no! Don't come over here!'

By this point, I couldn't tell if I was trembling or the Count was trembling. We were both afraid of different things, but we shared the same emotion. I barely managed to hide my pale face behind my fan and hid behind the Count of Acacia, who was already trembling like an aspen, when the people suddenly started to murmur. Roardness, who had definitely seen my face, looked down at a young lady who had approached him, then immediately asked her to dance. His face was very, very stiff, but the blonde girl, whose face was flushed red to her ears, readily took his hand and stepped into the center of the hall. The orchestra began to play, and the Crown Prince and his wife, along with the Second Prince's entourage, began to dance.

"Haah-."

Ten years of anxiety were lifted. Contrary to my worries, he didn't recognize me. Anyway, the person at the cemetery was the veiled Second Prince Roardness… . As the waltz reached its climax, I discreetly peeked out and cast my gaze towards the center of the hall. The girl stumbled occasionally, but Roardness danced perfectly to the music. The young ladies around me sighed deeply, almost like groans, whenever his hand brushed against the girl's waist or shoulder.

"Ugh-."

And beside me was the Count of Acacia, wiping away his cold sweat, making a strange sound. We were supposed to go out to dance soon. It was the rule of the party that after the host's first dance, the guests would immediately pour out onto the floor and dance with their partners.

"Are you alright?"

I finally checked on the Count, having regained my composure.

"Ah… . I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The Count looked genuinely apologetic. The first dance was already over. The Count, who had been swaying back and forth, pushed around by the nobles who were flooding in, had barely managed to wipe away his cold sweat.

"The, the Grand Duke…!"

The Count of Acacia, who had raised his head towards a certain point, finally… .

"Aaaah!"

"Hey!"

"Count!"

He pleaded, "Save me, save me… .", in a small voice that only I could hear, and then collapsed. The second dance was a fast and grand piece of music, so only a small commotion arose around us. I quickly tried to help the Count of Acacia up, but he just slumped against the wall, unconscious, and couldn't get up. No one dared to step forward, only the older ladies let out a faint scream, but a knight, who had somehow heard the sound, came over and laid the Count down. Soon, he and the other knights with him carried the Count away to the lounge. I should have followed, but I stood there, unable to do anything.

"…!"

In the midst of the crowd, someone had crossed my arms behind me and gently held them with one hand. A shiver ran down my spine instantly as my bare back, exposed by the fallen shawl, was revealed. It didn't hurt, but the man's strength was so overwhelming that I couldn't move at all. I was so startled that I couldn't even scream and froze.

The scent of lavender mixed with cigar smoke suddenly invaded my nostrils.

"…Found you."

At the same time, a low voice, as if vibrating the floor, seeped into my ears intensely.

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