Chapter 24

#024 Handling (3)

I couldn't think of a quick response.

My mind was busy retracing the clues Eunseo had dropped over the years.

But no matter what memory I dredged up, the combination of words 'Holy Knight Cristel' was nowhere to be found.

I had mentioned the Holy Knight to explain that Cristel's abilities weren't bad, but I hadn't expected things to unfold this way.

I hadn't read 'The Retired Duke,' but I was certain the early parts didn't follow this flow.

With the engagement annulment and the protagonist's class change declaration, the plot twists grew larger as the blessing of Changhae disappeared.

This made me wonder what kind of power had granted the duchess's wish in the original story.

The most likely candidate was the divine artifact stolen from the Temple of the Border.

If it had been intact, the duchess might have saved her daughter and kept Changhae's blessing as a dowry.

Cristel wouldn't have gained the power of water either.

So, the remaining question was one: Who stole the divine artifact from the temple and for what purpose?

"Then... "

Just as I was about to speak,

-knock, knock, knock

A familiar knocking sound echoed, with the same rhythm as the 'Daehan Minguk!' cheer.

Prince Sedric reacted first.

Knowing who it was, he sighed through his nose and raised his gloved hand to draw a horizontal line in the air again.

-click

The lock clicked open. It was a truly amazing ability, even after seeing it twice.

The balcony door slowly opened, and a familiar person walked in with a smile.

The duchess and I immediately stood up.

"I see my favorite people are gathered here."

Cardinal Aurelie Boutier said softly.

She was wearing the cardinal's robes, which were several times more splendid than mine, with more layers of fabric and very dense embroidery.

With a gentle gesture, the servants standing behind her all retreated.

"Hello, Your Highness."

"Greetings, Your Eminence."

"Your Highness."

The duchess, the prince, and I greeted her in turn.

The cardinal responded with a smile, "I'm glad to see you too," and then looked at Demi on my shoulder with her beige eyes.

"You've trained him well, I see. I heard about your conversation earlier."

-ki

Demi made a short sound in response.

I was about to say that I would send this guy in the morning, but the cardinal spoke first.

"You did a good job with the confession, Prince. You didn't forget what you were taught."

She looked very pleased. My thoughts paused for a moment before continuing.

"Did you hear everything?"

"The soldiers said it was urgent, so I left Frederick behind. The balcony door was locked, so I waited inside."

Her face, which added a 'sorry,' showed no regret at all.

No matter how I looked at it, she seemed to have eavesdropped on purpose, but her innocent appearance made it hard to doubt her.

She slowly approached us and reached out to the duchess.

"You must be dehydrated from all the crying, Isabelle. Would you like some tea?"

Her voice was as gentle as a lullaby.

The duchess's face crumpled at her suggestion.

It reminded me of Eunseo when she was young.

When she fell and scraped her knee, she would bravely stand up, and only when I asked if she was okay would she start crying.

"Hmm... "

The duchess buried her face in the cardinal's shoulder.

I realized anew how much she must have suffered and how depressed she must have been.

While the prince and I stood silently, the cardinal patted the duchess's head and back, leading her inside.

To where her partner, the duke, and the prince's partner, the emperor, were waiting.

"By the way, Sedric."

The cardinal turned around as she was about to leave. The prince waited for her to continue.

"I heard the carriage of the Sarnez princess has arrived. Shouldn't you go out and see her?"

"..."

"It seems the planned engagement announcement should be canceled, but since you are her partner today..."

She smiled and continued walking without waiting for his response.

She was strangely forceful but also strangely hard to refuse.

Was this charisma or something?

"..."

The prince didn't respond.

He was staring at the cardinal's retreating back, but his thoughts seemed elsewhere.

Looking at his serious face, the fatigue and agitation I had forgotten about suddenly washed over me.

"Then, let's go inside."

I gave him a casual nod and gently took the squirming Demi off my collar.

It was time to leave.

"Was what you said earlier sincere?"

A deep, resonant voice hit the back of my head. I turned to see the prince looking down at me.

I thought he liked to omit pronouns, but now it seemed he just cut to the chase and said what he wanted.

"What do you mean by sincere?"

His orange eyes reflected me completely.

"About not thinking it's a curse..."

"Princess Cristel de Sarnez is entering!"

The prince's voice was drowned out by a loud announcement from inside the ballroom.

The bustling interior suddenly fell silent, as if doused with cold water.

The music, which had been playing continuously, abruptly stopped. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Indeed, the protagonist's debut in society was different from the start.

Unable to resist the sudden surge of curiosity, I moved closer to the balcony door.

Regardless of my desire to avoid the two main characters, I also wanted to see the character Eunseo cherished so much in the spotlight.

I needed to remember her appearance well to describe it to the kid.

"Are you interested?"

"No, I'm just looking."

I peeked out the door.

Fortunately, the guests showed no interest in me.

Holding transparent glasses or their partners' hands, the lavishly dressed nobles were all focused on one place.

The grand staircase from the second floor to the center of the hall.

A proud doll was descending the red carpeted stairs without an escort.

Her pink hair, tied high, swayed abundantly, and her gray eyes sparkled like jade under the chandelier's light.

Her white jacket, embroidered with luxurious blue silk, swayed slightly with her movements.

The navy blue suit and silver boots she wore underneath created a striking contrast.

Her expression, a mix of slight tension and high confidence, resembled a well-prepared employee about to give a presentation.

Or perhaps, an employee who had just submitted a resignation letter.

"Wow..."

She was different.

Completely different from the long-haired, pastel-toned dress-wearing girl on the cover of 'The Retired Duke.'

The current Cristel looked more like a young knight.

-click, click

The woman's boots made a brisk sound as they crossed the marble floor.

The nobles parted for her like a flock of sheep welcoming a prophet.

Cristel's destination, without a moment's hesitation, was in front of the emperor and the cardinal.

Beside them stood the Duke and Duchess of Sarnez.

"Wait a moment, Demi. I'll play with you in the carriage later."

Just as the nobles' murmurs grew louder, Demi's tail wagging in front of my eyes blocked my view.

"Excuse me."

At that moment, Prince Sedric passed by me and left the balcony.

His higher vantage point allowed him to find the shortest path to his mother and godmother with the precision of a navigation system.

Meanwhile, I finally took off the bishop's hat and put Demi inside.

The satisfied little guy sprouted a small azalea from his ear.

"Wow..."

The nobles blocking my view gasped in admiration.

I craned my neck to see the situation.

Cristel was kneeling before the emperor and the cardinal, as if pledging allegiance, and Prince Sedric was extending a hand to her, saying something briefly.

Though the conversation was inaudible from the distance, the atmosphere didn't seem negative.

-♩♪♬······

As Cristel took the prince's hand and stood up, the orchestra began playing a familiar waltz.

The nobles clapped and exclaimed in delight.

Several people were even shedding tears, moved by something, looking up to the heavens.

"Wow!"

"What a beautiful pair."

An admiring voice echoed. Prince Sedric and Cristel were dancing.

Though she was clearly inexperienced in ballroom dancing, she didn't make any major mistakes thanks to the prince's excellent lead.

His black formal suit, adorned with gold embroidery on the sleeves, complemented Cristel's outfit well.

"Indeed, it seems to be working out."

-ki?

I stroked Demi's nose, who was tilting his head in confusion. I felt a bit relieved.

I didn't know what Cristel had said while kneeling or what the prince had replied, but...

At least, there couldn't be a clearer green light than the two main characters holding hands and dancing on their first meeting.

"Good. Let's really go now."

As I said this and looked up, my eyes met Cristel's directly.

"..."

No, it must have been my imagination. We were far apart, and the crowd was dense.

She might have been looking at another noble, or it could have been a mere glance.

I repeated this to myself and took a step back.

The next moment, the prince, who had turned around and was looking at the balcony, met my gaze.

Startled, I quickly closed the balcony door and stepped outside.

The last thing I saw through the crack was Cristel's eyes, which had turned to look at me again.

"This isn't a horror movie or anything..."

It was chilling.

It felt like the handle