NOVEL NEXT Chapter 70
Emily and Brian arrived at Cyan’s room.
Emily couldn’t hide her flustered expression.
“Uh, excuse me, sir?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Two years ago, when Cyan had left for the academy, they had known each other as a maid and a coachman.
Of course, neither of them remembered that now.
“I don’t understand what’s going on here… What’s with this kid?”
A girl with sparkling eyes and cute lips that formed a half circle.
In contrast, Emily’s heavy eyes and awkwardly raised corners of her mouth made for quite the contrast.
Emily thought to herself.
She’s young.
About ten or eleven years old.
About Cyan’s age or a bit younger.
But she’s wearing a maid’s uniform, similar to her own.
And she’s in Cyan’s room wearing that uniform.
Which means…
“Nice to meet you! I’m Nana, the maid serving Sir Cyan Vert!”
Nana’s voice was both cute and resonant.
“A maid~?”
When people are too dumbfounded, words fail them, and Emily found herself laughing in disbelief.
“Leaving me behind and taking in such a young girl as a maid? Has the young master lost his mind?”
The more she heard, the more Brian sweated coldly.
How could she say such unimaginable things without blinking an eye?
He was almost in awe of how close she must have been to Cyan to speak like that.
“Hey, sir! Is the reason our young master hasn’t come home even during vacations because of her?”
Brian, in his innocence, answered straight.
“Well, that’s probably it. Since Nana is young, she needs a lot of care. There were times when he had to leave the academy temporarily for work, but never for a long term…”
“So it’s true then! He hasn’t come back because of this kid! Wow, unbelievable! Some of us declined offers and stayed out of loyalty, and he goes and gets himself another maid? Just wait until he comes back…!”
“Were you also our master’s maid?”
Unable to hold back her rising indignation, the bold little maid spoke up.
“Of course! I was his only personal maid!”
“Wow! Then how long have you been with him?”
“I’ve been with him since he was in diapers, so if you count the years, it’s been well over 5 years! No one has been with him longer than I have!”
It felt like she was boasting about a life achievement.
Even as she spoke indignantly, she was excitedly talking by herself.
Watching her, Brian thought to himself.
She seems like a very simple woman.
“Ah, speaking of which, I forgot to deliver this to the young master!”
“…!”
Nana’s previously bright face suddenly stiffened.
What Emily pulled out was a red bow tie.
“Is that a tie?”
“Yes, Master Aschel said it would suit the youngest well and asked me to deliver it in his stead.”
A red gem was embedded in the center of the bow tie.
“What should we do? Should I deliver it now?”
“Aaaaaah!”
A chilling scream echoed from the corridor.
Instantly, Nana’s ears popped out, but fortunately, Emily, startled by the scream, didn’t see them.
-Sniff, sniff
The faint smell of blood spread from the scream.
Detecting it, Nana’s eyes sharpened instantly.
“The scent of a beast!”
* * *
The banquet hall was filled with colorful flowers, each boasting its own beauty.
However, among these flowers, there was one that was the most beautiful of all.
“Ah…”
Regardless of gender, people’s eyes were lost, their faces flushed, and their hearts raced rapidly.
Such perfect beauty that no words of admiration could suffice.
Alice Vert, the eldest daughter of the Vert Ducal family, who was called the child of a god, finally revealed herself at the banquet hall.
“A goddess has descended to the mortal world…!”
An aura so noble that it seemed untouchable.
While some could not help but smile slyly at her, Alice herself did not particularly care about such gazes.
She simply strolled through the hall with a gentle smile on her face.
“You’ve truly become a lady of grace and beauty, Alice?”
At the sound of a familiar voice, Alice quickly turned her head.
“Teacher Silica!”
Silica responded to Alice’s bright smile with a smile in her eyes.
“You’re truly beautiful. Teacher! How have you managed to hide this all along?”
“It sounds like a compliment, but why do I feel so odd? How do you become prettier as time goes by?”
No teacher dislikes a student who is both well-behaved and academically excellent.
Similarly, no student rejects a teacher who is skilled and has a good reputation.
Among all the instructors at the academy, Alice’s relationship was especially strong with Silica.
A joyful reunion between teacher and student.
The two women continued their conversation, accompanied by endless laughter.
“I never expected you to attend the banquet, Teacher! You usually don’t like noisy places like this, do you?”
“How can someone live sticking only to their stubborn ways? Sometimes, you need to change the atmosphere like this to feel revitalized.”
“Ah, then you should get married! Even now, it seems like dozens of men would rush to confess to you, Teacher. You can’t just live for research forever!”
At the mention of marriage, Silica smiled awkwardly.
“This is like seeing two beautiful flowers blooming in the golden plains!”
A cheesy voice that made one cringe.
The gaze of the two women naturally turned.
Unlike Alice, who was startled, Silica’s face turned cold.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Alice. I am Drenian Nephelis, the second son of the Nephelis Ducal family.”
His bent mustache and sly eyes were of the kind that could make any woman feel uncomfortable.
Alice, struggling to maintain her composure, accepted his greeting.
“I inadvertently overheard your conversation. Alice is right. What Silica needs now is a splendid partner. And I intend to fulfill that role.”
Alice doubted her ears for a moment.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Ah, you weren’t aware?”
Drenian’s hand naturally reached towards Silica.
“We are to be engaged soon.”
The moment his detestable hand landed on the graceful Silica’s shoulder, Alice’s hands trembled with genuine dismay.
“That’s, I see. Co-congratulations!”
Throughout, Alice couldn’t bring herself to look at Silica’s face, knowing well of Drenian’s vile tastes.
“It seems the atmosphere of the banquet has gotten a bit loose. It feels like we need music that befits the beauty of you two. Excuse me for a moment.”
Having spoken arrogantly, Drenian left his spot with a sleazy wink.
“H- how did this happen, Teacher? How could you be with Drenian of all people…”
“You know, Alice, my wishes have nothing to do with this. It was simply arranged by the family without my consent.”
Arranged by the family meant it was a coercion without a choice.
Although Silica was the eldest daughter of her family, her age had surpassed 30, far beyond the typical age for marriage.
Despite being a widower nearing 40, with the background of being related to the empress, Drenian was an irreplaceable marriage candidate for Silica’s family.
Of course, Silica herself had no interest in marriage.
“Even so, this isn’t right. Isn’t there another way?”
“What power do I have? Unless someone kills that man, it’s difficult to reject him.”
“That’s a scary thing to say.”
It was a chilling joke with a hint of sincerity.
Their somber conversation paused for a moment,
In the hall’s corridor, numerous men and women in black tuxedos appeared, moving towards the center of the hall, presumably musicians given the instruments they carried.
All wore unknown white masks on their faces.
As the setting was completed, Drenian reappeared on the central stage, drawing everyone’s attention.
He then started explaining the reason for the musicians’ appearance with his unpleasant voice, mainly praising Silica’s beauty.
“……”
Alice was simply heartbroken.
That her respected teacher had to engage with such an inhuman man.
She desperately wanted to stop it by any means.
-Swish!
“……?”
Anyone who has ever held a sword would recognize that sound, the sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh.
Soon, a dispassionate falling sound was followed by a nearly severed scream.
“Aaaaah!”
Drenian’s neck was rolling on the ground in a dreadful state, with a sharp sword dripping bright red blood above it.
Not musicians, but masked individuals holding bizarre weapons.
They exuded a brutal aura of murder towards the terrified people.
“What in the world is this?”
The banquet hall instantly turned into a scene of chaos.
* * *
“What is that noise…! An attack by villains!”
Emperor Dione, who had been resting in his chamber, shouted in outrage.
“Please, calm yourself, Your Imperial Majesty! We must evacuate at once…!”
Evacuating while leaving the enemies unattended did not align with the Emperor’s temperament.
“I will see it with my own eyes! How dare such a disgraceful event occur in my sacred imperial palace… Urgh!”
The Emperor, who seemed ready to rush to the hall at any moment, suddenly collapsed.
In his excitement, his chronic heart disease had flared up.
“What are you doing? Why have you not taken His Majesty to a safe place!”
The one who appeared in the chamber was none other than the Crown Prince.
“Luinel…”
“I will take responsibility for resolving this situation! Please, Father, take care of yourself!”
He wanted to say something, but the pain rising from his heart blocked all means of expression.
“What in the world is happening!”
In the midst of the chaos, Empress Cassandra ran into the chamber.
“Drenian is dead! My brother is dead! What are we to do?!”
Luinel placed his hand on the Empress’s shoulder, speaking in a calm tone.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. Everything will end well. For now, please evacuate to a safe place with His Majesty.”
Soon, a man approached the Empress.
“Aschel. Please escort Her Majesty.”
A blond man with an extraordinary aura.
The Empress felt her frantic heart suddenly calm down.
“Are you Lord Aschel?”
“I will apologize later for not introducing myself properly! For now, please come with me!”
There was no sign of refusal on the Empress’s face.
Her eyes were deeply fascinated, as if enchanted by a beautiful flower.
Her expression seemed to say she would follow him even to the depths of hell.
“……”
Suddenly locking eyes, the Crown Prince and Aschel exchanged an indecipherable look.
(To be continued)