Chapter 20
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond to Perfone calling my name.
“Lady Lyze?”
A sweet voice echoed from behind me, and I could feel the smile on Perfone's face freeze in place.
There was only one person in the royal palace who could elicit such a reaction from Perfone.
It was none other than...
“Lady Rozian.”
I rose from my seat and bowed my head slightly in acknowledgment.
Standing before me was the woman whose influence in the royal palace rivaled that of the Crown Prince himself, especially with the Emperor now lost to madness.
She tossed her wavy, light pink hair back, her jewel-like turquoise eyes glittering without a trace of dullness.
Rozian Staryu, the Emperor’s sole favored concubine, had made a sudden appearance.
“I heard that Lady Lyze was meeting with Perfone, so I decided to visit.”
“Ah...”
It was peculiar, indeed.
Before I had even entered the duke’s mansion at the age of thirteen, Rozian Staryu had already been a fixture at the palace.
Years had passed, yet her face remained unmarked by a single wrinkle, an ageless beauty that was as unsettling as it was captivating.
Though she smiled brightly at me, I could unmistakably sense her displeasure. The marriage alliance between the Lyze family and the royal family would undoubtedly weaken Rozian’s position.
“Lady Rozian.”
Perfone’s lips curled into a smile, but his eyes remained cold as he gazed at Rozian.
While his eyes had been warm and gentle when discussing our engagement, this steely demeanor reminded me of the golden lion that adorned the royal crest.
“I know how close you are to my father, but...”
“...”
“Even so, I don't believe I’ve given you permission to address me as Perfone.”
That was true.
Rozian was unlike the usual concubines.
She was simply a mistress, without title or formal standing.
Had she been capable of bearing a child, it might have been a different story, but she wasn’t.
After all, Rozian Staryu was a man.
It struck me as a relief that Rozian Staryu, being a man, could not bear a child.
The enchanting smile on Rozian’s face faltered, turning rigid.
“...Indeed, Your Highness.”
No matter how much the Emperor cherished him, Rozian wasn’t a noble. And even if he had been, no one in the royal family could or should treat Perfone with disrespect.
Perfone was, after all, the only one who would inherit the throne.
“Perhaps I became too familiar with Your Highness, having known you since childhood. Please forgive my impudence.”
The look of displeasure quickly faded from Rozian's face, replaced by a placating expression.
Soon enough, his gaze shifted to me.
“I’m glad to see Lady Lyze has recovered. It seems the Duke is also in good health.”
“...”
What is he talking about?
A slight furrow formed on my brow as I tried to decipher his words.
“Lady, would you mind leaving us for a moment?”
Perfone’s voice was gentle as he politely dismissed me.
Realizing that staying here would only result in getting caught in the middle of a power struggle, I nodded in agreement.
“When we meet again, I’ll be expecting a positive response to my earlier proposal.”
Even in this situation, Perfone managed to bring up the matter of our engagement. It was remarkable.
He had once been like a small kitten, but now he had grown into someone so much more formidable.
Without giving an affirmation or denial, I quietly left the garden.
“How strange.”
If Rozian was behaving in this manner, then it made sense for the Crown Prince to marry a duke’s daughter. It would give him the power to counter Rozian’s influence.
Unless there was someone else backing Perfone...
“But who in the empire could that be?”
There was no other house as powerful or as long-standing as the Lyze family.
The only other support Perfone could count on might come from the Grand Duke married to the Emperor’s half-sister, but that was unlikely since there was only one son between them—Damian.
And Damian’s relationship with Perfone wasn’t particularly strained.
Thinking of Damian, I bit the inside of my cheek.
“I have no idea what’s going on.”
I sighed, running a hand roughly through my hair.
“He has someone else in mind.”
Could it really be true?
It was surprising, to say the least.
It didn’t seem like a lie.
And considering Perfone’s personality as I had known it, he wasn’t the type to lie about something like that.
At twenty-two, it wasn’t surprising that the Crown Prince had fallen in love with someone else.
“Who could it be?”
I wasn’t particularly interested in the affairs of the duke’s household, but Perfone was different.
He had once been like a little brother to me, and if he had someone he liked, I genuinely wanted to help him in any way I could, discreetly of course.
As I wandered aimlessly through the imperial garden, not wanting to return to the duke’s mansion just yet, a thunderous voice suddenly broke the silence, making me flinch.
“How long do you expect us to put up with your obstinance?!”
Where was that coming from? I looked around, spotting a man in immaculate attire standing behind one of the garden buildings.
The Count of Betrice?
Sensing that nothing good would come of eavesdropping, I was about to turn back the way I came when I heard another voice, calmer but resolute.
“Do you have any idea how many people are looking down on Adolph because of your actions?!”
“I still have no intention of stopping.”
The voice belonged to Adonis, and it was clear that he was unfazed despite the Count’s anger.
“The only reason Adolph is still in the Second Knights is due to his own effort, not mine...”
Smack!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the quiet garden, and I involuntarily flinched.
The Count must have struck Adonis across the face in his frustration.
“I should never have allowed a girl to wield a sword.”
“...”
“Think of your brother and give up the sword.”
“I refuse.”
Adonis’s firm reply rooted me to the spot, stopping me from leaving.
“You…!”
Just as the Count raised his hand to strike again, I stepped forward and called out.
“Sir Adonis?”
Hearing her name, the Count turned, his furious expression softening slightly as he saw me. He quickly lowered his hand.
“...Lady Lyze?”
“So here you are. My brother was looking for you, Sir Adonis.”
“Looking for me?”
Adonis had changed since the last time I saw her. At the academy, she had worn her long hair in a ponytail, but now it was cut short, like Lian’s.
“Ahem.”
The Count cleared his throat and gave me a sharp look before brushing past me.
He’s gone.
I had foolishly stepped in where I didn’t belong, but there was no helping it now.
“I heard that you had returned to the mansion, Lady Lyze. I’m glad to see you in good health.”
“Thank you for your concern... Sir, you’re bleeding.”
Adonis had been struck hard enough to draw blood, and it looked like she had been biting her lip to keep from reacting.
It wasn’t my well-being that was the issue here; I should be asking Adonis if she was alright.
She wiped the blood away with the back of her hand, but I could tell it stung.
“Here.”
I offered her my handkerchief, but she shook her head.
“It’s alright. It’s just a small wound.”
When she refused to take the handkerchief, I pursed my lips.
“Sir Adonis, if you don’t take this handkerchief, my arm might just fall off.”
“...Pardon?”
“It’s not becoming of a knight to refuse a lady’s kindness.”
Though it was a minor thing, invoking chivalry finally got Adonis to accept the handkerchief.
“Your lip is cut, so be careful for the next few days.”
“...Thank you.”
She bowed her head slightly in gratitude, and just as I was about to turn and leave, she called out to me again.
“My lady.”
I turned back, tilting my head curiously.
“What is it?”
“What you just witnessed...”
Despite her earlier refusal, Adonis had already covered her bleeding lip with the handkerchief.
“Could you keep it a secret?”
Do I look like the type to gossip?
The question popped into my mind, not out of mockery, but genuine curiosity.
I held back from saying it because, to others, it might sound like a taunt. Besides, perhaps to Adonis, April had seemed like the kind of person who might spread such things.
“I don’t have a habit of spreading gossip.”
Especially not about someone being slapped by their own father. I nodded in agreement, and Adonis sighed in relief.
“Thank you.”
“No need to mention it.”
I had no desire to meddle in someone else’s family affairs.
“Keep the handkerchief.”
I had no intention of getting it back, so I turned and walked away.
I didn’t want to return to the duke’s mansion, but... Would Duke Lyze know about the Crown Prince’s intention to break the engagement?
He wouldn’t. If he had known, he would have mentioned it as something to be aware of.
The only person April might have confided in...
“Sir Adonis.”
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