Episode 50
“Don’t you remember me from ten years ago? I met you at court when I was a little girl.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember every person I happen to pass by.”
Killian answered so coldly that it left the other party embarrassed, then abruptly threw his gaze toward Rowena like a sensitive beast.
The moment their eyes met defenselessly, Rowena, seeing the expression on his face as if beckoning her over, took a step without realizing it. But only a step or two. She avoided the eyes that were watching her so persistently.
With the crowd between them, while Killian and Rowena remained in a world of their own, Veronica, her face flushing bright red, gathered herself and cut into the silence.
“That’s all right. You can start remembering me from tonight.”
It was a statement that had taken all the courage she could muster, but no reply came.
“…
Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
Biting her lip under the heated gazes of the people around her, Veronica whirled around. Once the person involved had left the fascinating scene, the attention that had briefly gathered soon scattered.
Even after the situation ended, Killian kept his gaze fixed on Rowena until the very end. It was a tenacious look, like a predator hidden in the bushes watching its prey. Rowena was about to step back without realizing it.
Clatter.
She bumped into someone, and with the sound of a silver tray falling, glasses spilled and rolled across the floor. The countess and the waiter who had run into her spoke at the same time.
“Miss Philone!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“It’s all right.”
Rowena reassured the flustered waiter, who could not even straighten his back, then gestured to Joanne, who was standing at a distance.
“It seems to have gotten on my dress and shawl, so I’ll go change, Countess.”
“Of all times! All right. You must come back quickly. The vote will be soon.”
“I will.”
In fact, it was for the best. She needed an excuse to get away from him, even if only for a moment.
Using changing clothes as an excuse to catch her breath, Rowena returned to her place to find that the highlight of the night was already under way. The host, standing before a makeshift platform, was announcing one by one the votes that had been collected throughout the dinner party before the ladies and gentlemen.
“Why are you only coming now!”
As the votes were announced one by one and the audience remained quiet, the countess pulled Rowena over and whispered in her ear.
“Miss Philone is currently in the lead. It seems you needn’t worry.”
“By how many votes?”
“By as many as ten. Quite impressive.”
“It must be because His Grace won first place in the hunt. They said they would award extra points. The rest must be votes from people trying to curry favor with His Grace.”
“Oh, listen to you being modest.”
She had said she didn’t care, but perhaps because of what she had said earlier that day, her shoulders, which had risen without her realizing it, lowered.
“Where is His Grace?”
“Hoho. How can you ask me that, Miss Philone?”
“Ah… you’re right.”
“I’m joking. There he is.”
The countess chuckled and pointed somewhere with her fan. Killian was standing far from the others, as if having some serious conversation with Xenok. Rowena narrowed her eyes to examine his expression, and the countess familiarly linked arms with her.
“His Grace will be proud as well if Miss Philone becomes queen tonight. Though he won’t show it outwardly.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course. It would be proof that his woman is the most beautiful.”
The countess winked and turned her head back toward the platform. As Rowena tilted her head at the countess’s strangely restless complexion, unable to tell whether she was drunk or expecting something, the host unfolded the final card.
“And the long-awaited final vote goes to!”
After drawing out the moment, the host’s gaze fixed on Rowena, who stood at the back.
“Miss Philone, companion of His Grace, the Duke of Devonshire! Congratulations!”
“Wow!”
“Please come this way!”
Along with the sound of applause, everyone’s attention turned toward Rowena. Just as Rowena, awkward under the dozens of pairs of eyes that poured onto her all at once, was about to head toward the platform—
“Your Majesty!”
Veronica, who had been gnawing at her nails while glaring at Rowena, suddenly raised her voice.
“What? Her Majesty?”
“Where? Didn’t she say she wouldn’t participate?”
The crowd, which had been noisy only a moment before, instantly fell silent. Then one of the people murmuring and looking around saw someone approaching and hurriedly bent their knee.
“Your Majesty!”
The murmuring ceased, and one by one, the people bowed with full courtesy to the woman who had arrived with her maids. The person who had come was none other than the queen’s chief lady-in-waiting.
The countess explained to Rowena, who had awkwardly lowered herself along with everyone else.
“Do you see that her dress is decorated with gold thread at the front? When the chief lady-in-waiting of the royal castle is dressed like that, it means she has come in place of the queen. At times like this, it is proper to receive her with the same courtesy.”
“I see.”
“But this is strange. Why so suddenly?”
As the countess tilted her head at the unexpected situation, a solemn voice settled over the heads of the kneeling people.
“You may rise.”
With permission granted, people began to stand one by one. The chief lady-in-waiting took the place of the host, who had stepped back, and took out a tightly sealed letter.
“The reason I have come here is none other than to cast a vote at this special occasion in accordance with Her Majesty’s wishes, on behalf of Her Majesty, who was unavoidably unable to attend due to her unstable condition of mind and body.”
The queen’s one vote was equivalent to ten votes. The countess drew in a startled breath and looked at Rowena with worried eyes.
“Her Majesty has…”
The people, unable even to breathe properly, swallowed dryly and focused on the platform. As if enjoying that attention, the chief lady-in-waiting paused for a moment, glanced at Rowena, then smiled at Veronica.
“She has given her vote to Lady Taldon.”
It was the moment the result was overturned in an instant. At the same time, a deathly silence wrapped around the spacious hall.
In the silence, Rowena unconsciously turned her head toward Killian. Standing crookedly with his arms crossed, he looked utterly uninterested even in this situation.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
As soon as her business was finished, the chief lady-in-waiting, who had brought about this entire situation, left. The host, who had been standing blankly in the face of the sweeping reversal, belatedly declared,
“Th-the best lady of this year is Lady Taldon!”
“Congratulations, Lady Taldon!”
Amid thunderous applause, Veronica, now triumphant, stepped onto the platform. With her head held high, Veronica gave her greeting first.
“Thank you. It is an honor.”
“Truly, congratulations. Please accept the crown.”
What the host handed her was none other than a silver crown shaped like thorns. When Veronica bent her knees slightly and put on the silver crown, the applause grew even louder.
“So, what is your first command, our queen for one night?”
“I would like to designate the gentleman who will escort me.”
“No man who has a fiancée or is married is allowed. You are aware of that, yes?”
“Of course.”
In the atmosphere warmed by the host’s jesting, one sly gentleman playfully threw out a joke.
“How unfair! A married woman can become queen, but a married man cannot be chosen!”
“Then perhaps you should have been born a woman. Or perhaps been born about ten years later.”
At the host’s sharp retort, the crowd burst into laughter.
“Now, now! Please pay attention for a moment!”
The host silenced the noisy audience and cautioned them.
“As stated earlier, the gentleman who is designated, unless he has a fiancée or a wife, absolutely cannot refuse the command of our queen for one night!”
Rowena stood without moving an inch and looked at Veronica. Veronica, who had swept her eyes around the surroundings, also sensed her gaze and looked back at Rowena. As an invisible tug-of-war passed between the two women, the host cried out loudly.
“Then, shall you make your designation now? Though I believe we already know who it is!”
“Yes.”
Veronica lowered her eyes as if shy, then turned her head toward Killian, who stood far away.
“I designate His Grace, Killian, Duke of Devonshire.”
“As expected!”
Having chosen exactly the person everyone anticipated, Veronica added,
“Please escort me tonight. Until I go to bed.”
“Your Grace! Of course you will accept, won’t you?”
At the return of yet another fascinating situation, people looked back and forth among Killian, Rowena, and Veronica. While everyone kept their mouths shut and waited for the duke’s acceptance, Killian took one step after another. However, unlike the expectation that he would naturally head toward the platform, he was making his way toward Rowena, who stood at the back. Just as everyone exchanged glances, wondering what on earth was happening—
“I regret to say that I refuse.”
Rowena, startled and frozen, was about to step back when the shawl draped over her shoulders slid down. Killian removed the shawl and kissed the necklace revealed at her throat.
“Miss Philone is already my fiancée.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“My goodness, what is this?”
“So suddenly?”
The declaration, falling like a thunderbolt, plunged the surroundings into confusion in an instant. Rowena herself, the person involved, also had her mind go completely blank and could only stand with her mouth open.
“That’s absurd! Without even going through a proper ceremony, so arbitrarily!”
Veronica, who had nearly run down from the platform, approached them as if about to charge.
“Arbitrarily?”
“Countess. Was there any flaw in what I said?”
“No.”
As if she had been waiting, the countess shook her head, stepped forward a few paces, and explained in a loud voice to those around them.
“The betrothal ceremony is when the lady accepts and wears the betrothal gift from the gentleman’s mother. You all agree with me, do you not?”
“Th-that is true.”
“She is right. It is an old custom, but still.”
The people, who had been frozen, began to nod one by one in agreement. Having gained the people’s consent, the countess turned her head and pointed to Rowena’s neck.
“Everyone, please look at that beautiful necklace.”
Rowena’s eyes met the countess’s. Rowena instinctively realized what words would come from her mouth. No. Don’t say it. You can’t say it. No! Just as Rowena, her expression twisted, stretched out her hand to cover the countess’s mouth, her arm was seized with powerful force and she was turned around.
“Rowena.”
Gleaming blue eyes bound her in place. At the same time, behind her, the blade of the guillotine fell. With a proud expression, the countess testified.
“I swear upon my honor that the necklace Miss Philone has been wearing ever since she arrived here is unmistakably the betrothal necklace of the late duchess.”