[Chapter 155] The brightest star of the empire

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I noticed a very brief softening of his lips.

Since his face was devoid of any hint of a smile, the change was even more dramatic. It was just a simple smile, nothing out of the ordinary, but my heart fluttered.

Feeling embarrassed, I hid behind Blier and Epero.

When Roardnes gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, the ladies around me reacted strongly.

A handsome, unmarried crown prince would have been enough to set their hearts on fire.

With the Emperor's greeting, the servants waiting at the edge of the hall began to bring out champagne.

As everyone had a glass of champagne in hand, the Emperor's voice, which had been rather weak, suddenly became stronger.

"I, Julius Ronta, now admit and repent of the mistakes of the past, and hereby appoint my son, the Second Prince Roardnes, the fruit of my love with Empress Retina, as the greatest star of the empire!"

For a moment, a huge silence weighed down the hall.

When the word "admit and repent" came out of the Emperor's mouth, people who had been holding their breath began to stir.

At that moment.

Epero, who was in front of me, was the first to raise his champagne glass high above his head.

"Glory to the gods!"

Starting with Epero's loud voice, people who had come to their senses began to shout as well.

The nobles who had completely turned to Roardnes' side were particularly boisterous.

"Prosperity to Ronta!"

"Loyalty to the Emperor!"

The Atilchard Hall, which had been filled with tension, applauded the newly born greatest star of Ronta.

A faint smile appeared on Roardnes' face, which had been somewhat stiff since the Emperor had spoken.

As the orchestras stationed at the very bottom of the staircase landing began to tune their instruments, the hall transformed into a truly festive atmosphere.

Soon, the protagonist, Roardnes, would begin the first dance, and everyone would rush out into the hall to dance.

I stood there for a long time, feeling my heart pounding for no reason.

Roardnes, now officially the crown prince in front of everyone, descended slowly to the first floor, as befitting the protagonist.

And without a single moment of hesitation, he approached our group.

I realized that everyone's eyes were on us.

Interest, caution, jealousy. A variety of emotions seemed to come from them like waves, beating against Blier and me.

When Roardnes, who I thought would go to Blier, came in front of me as a matter of course, people started to murmur.

Blier and I were dressed so differently that even people who didn't know us well could tell us apart.

"I see you're having trouble without a partner."

It was clear that Roardnes coming to me instead of Blier, who was known as his lover, was a great source of interest.

"Do you need help?"

With a playful smile on his divinely sculpted face, he drew in a series of breaths from those around him.

Hesitating for a moment, I carefully stepped out from behind Epero.

"...Yes, I do."

And without hesitation, I took the hand that Roardnes had extended to me.

Roardnes smiled.

It was a sparkling smile worthy of the title of the empire's greatest star.

His hand, which gripped mine as if he would never let go, was as hot as if it held fire, even though he was wearing gloves.

"Adriene."

I don't even remember how we started dancing.

It felt like I was sweating on my back and the hand that Roardnes touched.

In a place where so many people were watching.

I, as Adriene, and he, as Roardnes.

It was the first time I had danced without borrowing someone else's body or wearing a mask.

"Do you remember the first time we danced?"

I spun around without saying a word.

After spinning around, I had to take a step back and bend my knees, but Roardnes pulled me back into his arms as if there was no next move. Even though the music wasn't very fast, I was out of breath.

"When you first entered this place, holding your brother's hand. I thought my heart would stop. Even though the masquerade was a place where you couldn't tell who was who, I recognized you right away."

Naturally, I recalled that day.

Among the sparse royal academy masks, I thought of Noebian who had a rose in his front pocket when he first appeared. The day I foolishly fell for it.

"I belatedly remembered what I said about wanting to share a sweet champagne when I became an adult. I should have prepared the best in the world. I was so nervous and worried about what your reaction would be when I met you and showed you my eyes that I only thought of it then."

"...Roan."

"I searched everywhere for champagne in a hurry. I even got a little drunk trying every single one to find the sweetest one. Strangely enough, I got a little courage when I got a little drunk. I felt like my heart was going to explode until I approached you, who had gone somewhere else in the meantime, and gave you the champagne."

It was me who felt like my heart was going to explode now.

I remembered that day clearly.

Noebian, who showed me his face and lied to me as Ann, and the time we returned to the "small forest".

Noebian, who seemed a little awkward, went to get a drink and soon returned wearing a mask again.

"..."So it was you?"

Roardnes lifted me up effortlessly with both hands around my waist and smiled faintly.

That was the answer.

Only then did the space where we were the only two feel real, and at the same time, I felt a strange chill as if I had gone back in time for a moment.

"When I handed you the champagne and you greeted me saying, 'I'm glad you came back early, Ann,' I wasn't in my right mind. I felt ecstatic that you recognized me immediately without any doubt. I danced and danced and danced. It was the first time I had ever felt so excited and happy."

It wasn't the dance I had with Noebian.

Because it was a masquerade, I had welcomed the person who appeared again wearing a mask and holding champagne without any suspicion.

"I didn't know anything. I couldn't even imagine that my brother and the Grand Duke would do such a thing."

Oh, what a fool Adriene was.

"Your brother took you away. I waited for the music to play again and for me to dance with you..."

I couldn't listen anymore. He didn't continue either.

After a long while, we must have danced again with Noebian, the masked man who brought the champagne.

Without realizing that the person behind the mask had changed. And the fluttering of my first love's heart even blew away the thought that something was a little strange.

The dance got faster.

I didn't even know how my feet were moving, but Roardnes led me perfectly.

I leaned my whole body on his hand and listened a little more.

"I was jealous, but I had to go to the battlefield right away. Actually, I should have left the day before. It's not your fault, Adriene. It's because I kept postponing and postponing showing you my eyes as much as possible. I thought I would send the proposal first, then rush to the east with the victory report and show you my eyes. And I wanted to be someone who could confidently tell you not to dance with anyone else."

And on the battlefield, he must have heard the news of my marriage to Noebian.

Without saying anything more, we danced as if we had had a lot of conversation with each other.

It was a familiar song.

The same song we danced for the first time when we were 20, the song I danced with him when I became Blier, and the song we are dancing together now.

The familiar music was repeated three times.

As if Roardnes had told him to do so.

****

We drank.

We danced.

We drank again.

We danced.

I felt like the sky was spinning even if I stood still. When the party was getting wild and one or two drunk people started falling into the golden fountain in the center of the hall...

We got out of the Atilchard Hall and got into the carriage.

Having slipped out like we were playing hide-and-seek, I was already out of breath.

But Roardnes, as if to compensate for his childhood grievances, mercilessly pulled me towards him and sat me on his lap.

And without a word, he pulled my head back and explored my lips.

I was so out of breath that I pushed his shoulder away, but I eventually gave up, suffocated by the heat he gave.

Roardnes wasn't drunk at all. It was because he hardly drank.

But my drunkenness seemed to have quickly transferred to Roardnes, and his marble-like face, which closed his eyes and focused on me, was flushed.

When I finally parted my lips, the carriage had already stopped.

"If only I had been braver that day."

"...Roan?"

I was nervous about the sudden return to the past. Roardnes ran his thumb over my wet lips and stared at them intently.

His face was calm, but his eyes, reflected in the moonlight, were filled with an unquenched heat.

"If only I could have taken off my mask and talked to you..."

He didn't take his eyes off me and opened the carriage door.

"There's something I want to tell you."

I followed him out of the carriage as if hypnotized.

"This is..."

It was a starry hill.

The beautiful and sad hill where I always sang in the letters I exchanged with Roardnes that I wanted to visit if I ever went to the capital, and where I finally came with him as Blier.

Was it because I was a little drunk?

It seemed like countless stars were pouring down on me, more sparsely than the last time I came.

I spun around in place.

Roardnes supported me with a slightly stiff face and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Last time there were intruders, but on second thought, I think it would be better to show you here."

When his low, whispering voice settled on my ears like a night fog.

Thousands, no, tens of thousands of stars poured down on me from beyond the hill.

"Ro...an?"

I rubbed my eyes once and stared blankly at the sight.

The stars that rose slowly like the dawn sun, no, the halos of light scattered in all directions, filled my eyes even when I looked to the side or behind.

It was as if the stars were falling and floating in the air.

I gently got out of Roardnes' arms and climbed the low hill.

The stars floating in the sky followed me and soon flew towards the pitch-black night sky, sparkling like perfect stars.

I could only open my mouth and stare at the sight as thousands and tens of thousands of meteors seemed to be preparing to shower me.

After staring at it like a fool for a long time, when I saw Roardnes coming up the hill after me, I couldn't help but feel tears welling up in my eyes for no reason.

In this lake of such brilliant stars.

Roardnes, the brightest star of the empire, was so sadly beautiful that my heart ached.

"...How is it?"

"What?"

I asked, trying to suppress the tears that were rising for no reason.

"These fireflies."

The man who was like the brightest star whispered softly.

Ah, fireflies.

Only then did I realize that the lights were the same fireflies he had briefly shown me before.

Thinking of Rossi who used fireflies as torches, I also thought of Roardnes who often visited Rossi.

Did he summon all these fireflies with magic?

"Do you know, Adriene?"

Roardnes came closer to me.

"These fireflies are lighting up like this to ask one female firefly to choose them."

I didn't understand the meaning, so I tightly held his hand that was holding mine.

"I'm courting you now."

Roardnes said with a serious face.

"Be my crown princess."

His eyes, still full of uncooled heat, were shining eagerly.

"I'll cover all your sad memories with good ones. I'll take you to the most sparkling and beautiful place in the world. I'll be the strong, kind, and beautiful knight you've always wanted and protect you for the rest of your life."

Among the flying stars.

I looked up quietly into the eyes of the man who was like the brightest star.

The light of the yellow and green fireflies was sparkling like stardust in there.

"Be my crown princess of Ronta."

Roardnes, dressed the most splendidly I had ever seen, knelt down without hesitation and brought the two hands I was holding together to his lips and kissed his fingertips.

"I will rise to such a position that no one can dare to harm you. You will be by my side too."

His long eyelashes cast a deep shadow as he lowered his eyes.

His trembling hand, as eager as it was, tickled my palm and heart mercilessly.

When his hot, trembling lips parted, I held back my tears and replied.

"No, I don't want to."

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