Chapter 35
Time flew, and before long, the day of Lucas and Rozi's wedding arrived.
News that had only ever been encountered in newspapers became reality, and many people's footsteps lingered around the imperial palace. But as it was the empire's royal wedding, only the invited could enter.
Rozi waited in the bride's waiting room for the ceremony. Until yesterday, the days had changed breathlessly, but today, time flowed especially slowly.
Her hair was neatly pinned up, she wore a snow-white dress specially commissioned for this day alone, and she even held yellow flowers. The snow-white veil, matching her dress, made her vision hazy, giving her a dreamlike feeling.
Everything was truly ready. Soon the knights sent by Lucas would come to escort the bride.
The trembling of becoming Empress was greater than the thrill of getting married. Rozi gripped the bouquet of yellow flowers as if she would crush them.
The trembling would not subside.
At that moment, someone's hand touched her shoulder.
"Why are you trembling so?"
"Sister!"
The owner of the familiar voice was Helen. Rozi smiled a bright smile upon seeing her.
Rozi erased the smile she had worn for mere seconds and looked around. Fortunately, her father and mother were nowhere to be seen. It seemed nobles who had failed to attach themselves to the Platini family until now had seized today as an opportunity and come calling, keeping them busy.
"You didn't run into Father and Mother on your way here, did you?"
"So what if I did? Surely they wouldn't argue even in the imperial palace."
"I ask because I worry your feelings might be hurt. Father will conduct himself well since we're inside the palace and won't say anything unnecessary, but Mother lacks that discretion."
Since they had regarded Helen as a thorn in their eye since she returned to the mansion, it would have been strange not to worry. She considered it fortunate that they hadn't crossed paths on the way.
Seeing Rozi looking somewhat down, Helen took out the small box that was her purpose for coming here.
When she handed over the palm-sized box, Rozi tilted her head in question.
Then Helen laughed shortly and quickly spoke.
"I came to give you a gift. I didn't think I'd see you if not today."
"Are you leaving already?"
"This is where you'll be staying now. And I have no reason to come to the palace."
The palace gates weren't completely closed, and if she put her mind to it, she could come meet her anytime, but.
Rozi roughly understood Helen's feelings and hurriedly changed the subject to prevent an awkward atmosphere. To do that, she first dispelled the shadow that had fallen across her face.
"...I'm curious what kind of gift you've prepared!"
"It's nothing much."
At Rozi looking curious like a child, a flush spread across Helen's cheeks. Her face felt hot and she was embarrassed, so she pressed the small box into Rozi's hand.
With both hands free, Helen quickly fanned herself. Of course, she knew it was insufficient to calm her burning face.
Inside the beige-colored box was a bracelet.
"This is... a bracelet?"
"I specially asked a wizard for it. I didn't force it out of them; I paid proper compensation and requested it."
Though wine secretly taken from the mansion's underground cellar might be insufficient to call proper compensation.
The bracelet adorned with a yellow gem was the result of several days of wracking their brains together with Liandre. Since Rozi had likely already received most gifts from many people, the opinion that a small bracelet would be nice had been reflected.
The yellow gem was one Liandre had created with magic, a gem that couldn't be found anywhere. It didn't sparkle as brilliantly as a diamond, but its subtle yellow light suited Rozi well.
"The way it shines yellow is so beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it."
Helen quietly watched Rozi quickly fasten the bracelet around her wrist, then pointlessly checked the time. Though there was still some time before the ceremony began, the reason to stay here any longer had vanished.
"I should go wait in the ceremony hall now."
She had given her gift and exchanged greetings; she thought about leaving immediately, but this child had been the only one to welcome her at the mansion.
She knew this child was not at fault for her unhappy past. Yet she had hated her. She had envied this child, who lived happily unlike herself.
Even now, she was jealous of this child who, unlike her still-unhappy self, would continue to be happy today and tomorrow.
Helen placed her hand on Rozi's shoulder.
"Congratulations on your marriage."
* Sibello
After the ceremony, Liandre was in the process of moving luggage in order to leave straight for Hexilof. She had resided at the Platini mansion for about two months, so there was quite a lot to move.
She had arranged to meet him at the ceremony hall. Given the time, she figured he would likely be arriving just about now.
"So today has really come."
The day had come to break free from the Platini family, which had been the starting point of her misfortune. It was difficult to say she had completely escaped since the Hexilof territory was owned by the Platini family, but she was happy even for that much.
She had worn the most splendid dress among her clothes for the occasion, and it hindered her walking. It was because she had been mindful that there was no way to hide her red hair at a gathering of renowned nobles.
Attending in an unpresentable manner and disgracing the family would have been fine, but since it was a wedding, she decided to observe at least the minimum courtesy.
The way back to the ceremony hall felt longer. Her swollen legs seemed to play a bigger role than her mood.
Helen, who had been walking for some time, leaned her back against a white pillar. And she took off her shoes for a moment. Since she was wearing a long dress, there was no way for passersby to know she had removed her shoes.
She had to walk for at least three more minutes. The thought alone made her sigh.
"I should have gone with lower heels."
She had considered walking barefoot, but the dress would drag on the floor.
Reluctantly, she put her foot back into the shoe. But in the meantime, perhaps because her foot had swollen more, now it wouldn't go in.
With no other choice, she lifted the hem of her dress with her left hand, then held the back of the shoe with her right hand to help her foot slip in smoothly.
However, the voluminous dress obstructed her right hand. To make matters worse, the wind blew, and her red hair covered her vision.
Just when she thought nothing was going right, the shoe she had halfway put on tipped sideways, and her ankle twisted along with it.
"Ah!"
Her ankle wasn't severely twisted, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. A groan burst out involuntarily from the pain.
"What is this...."
What was this really? On a day when everyone was happy, today too only she had ended up unfortunate.
She couldn't tell whether it was because of her throbbing ankle or because reality was bitter, but her eyes welled up with tears.
And because it hurt—because it truly hurt—it was all the more bitter.
She wiped away the tears that had blurred her vision and tidied her hair, disheveled by the wind. She had tried to pin it up to expose her nape, but for some reason she wanted to let it hang long.
Had she known it was so that she could be unhappy today as well, she would have pinned it up firmly so that it would never come loose.
Before finally wiping away the tears settled at the corners of her eyes, she erased the tear tracks that had run down her cheeks. A familiar figure reflected in her pupils.
From the direction she needed to go, that person walked toward her.
"Carlyle?"
Despite his large strides, Carlyle maintained an even pace as he walked quickly, his expression dark.
Helen recalled what had happened at the Everett mansion. She assumed his dark expression was because she had pushed him away so terribly.
"Do you love His Majesty?"
"Do I love him? How unpleasant. Whatever I may feel toward His Majesty the Emperor, I don't believe I have any obligation to tell you, Duke."
It had been a night where they had written off debts owed to each other, a night where they had begged for each other's true feelings with nothing but lies.
Helen was terrified even to look at the man she had struggled to push away. Hoping that he was not coming toward her, she tried to cover her face. But the only thing she had to hide behind was her conspicuous red hair.
Please don't look. Even if you see me, pretend you didn't and pass by.
With nowhere to hide, Helen bowed her head deeply and prayed over and over. However, contrary to her wish, Carlyle's shoes stopped firmly right in front of her.
Hoping even that was a coincidence, she didn't raise her head. If Carlyle's voice hadn't reached her, she wouldn't have lifted it until he disappeared.
"It's been a while."
"...So it has."
As it was the first time since that night, it truly had been a while. It was a face she had tried to forget but couldn't, a face she wanted to see. And a face she didn't want to see.
If she saw this face, she would miss this person; if she heard this voice, he would linger in her mind. Why, of all days, did she have to run into him on the day she was leaving?
"So you came to the wedding as well, Duke."
"It is the wedding of His Majesty and a close friend, so it is only natural I would come."
"Then are you on your way back from seeing His Majesty?"
"No. I was on my way to see the one who will be Empress."
The one who would become Empress was Rozi. Though he had likely never met Rozi, there was nothing odd about saying he went simply to offer his congratulations. Was she not the woman who would become his friend's wife?
Ironically, though she was about to leave and had no need to be curious, she still wanted to know. Helen's brow gradually furrowed, becoming quite serious.
"Because if I went there, you would be there."
"Are you saying you were on your way to meet me?"
Carlyle nodded. Unlike Carlyle, whose face had brightened considerably, Helen's expression instead darkened.
She was anxious. That he might bring up that night. That night when, against her heart, she had forced him away and only hurt him.