Chapter 68: 63

Once everyone was seated, the maids began serving. Colorful and vibrant dishes were laid out in front of them.

「I see you are wearing a lovely dress.」

With a laugh, Viscountess Bolellan said.

「You too, you look gorgeous in your dress and jewelry.」

So I say it back with a ladylike smile.

It was Countess Bauer who cringed uncomfortably at our conversation.

Her bright red hair was carelessly pulled down and she was wearing what appeared to be a loungewear one-piece dress. Her face is swollen with swollen eyelids, perhaps from crying, and it is painful just to look at her.

「It’s okay. You’re very pretty.」

I said to Countess Bauer in a comforting way.

「Ah… thank you…」

Countess Bauer smiles at me awkwardly, but relieved, I guess.

She’s pretty bold to be concerned about her own attire under the circumstances, isn’t she? What a thought in the corner of my head. Well, to be honest, it is funny to be dressed like me and Viscountess Bolellan. Nothing to worry about. And Countess Bauer’s attire, although it was a loungewear dress, suited her very well and was lovely.

On the other hand, what about me and Viscountess Bolellan?

It is true that I spent more money on dresses than Countess Bauer. But I don’t wear my hair in a bun, nor do I wear a single piece of jewelry. I don’t even wear rouge. Even if only the dress is gorgeous, it’s not well-balanced and doesn’t receive a passing grade as a lady’s attire. What’s more, I hadn’t even been able to take a bath in the past few days, so my reputation is in the crapper.

And above all, it’s Viscountess Bolellan. At first glance, I think she has the most complete attire of us all. Gorgeous dresses and matching jewelry. I think the white powder, rouge, and cheek rouge are nice and well balanced to match the attire. But it’s a pity. The dress, jewelry, and makeup are all first class, but they don’t suit the most important person in the room, Viscountess Bolellan. It was almost comical.

Viscountess Bolellan took my earlier line in stride, but I gave her a guffaw. I told her that she was losing out on the dress and everything else.

This attire would be more appropriate for the Countess Bauer, who has a distinct face, rather than the Viscountess Bolellan, who has a modest appearance. But it is probably Her Royal Highness the Princess who looks better in this attire than anyone else. The jewelry she is wearing must have been stolen.

「Oh, what’s wrong? Please, enjoy your meal.」

Neither I nor Countess Bauer had even picked up the cutlery. With an innocent and harmless smile, Viscountess Bolellan「offers」us a meal, even though we can only guess what she thinks of us.

「You don’t have to worry so much… but it can’t be helped.」

Saddened at not being believed, Viscountess Bolellan quickly raised her hand. Two of the maids who had been serving us stepped forward and began to share a small portion of the food in front of me and Countess Bauer, tasting it before our eyes.

「Hey, it’s just fine, right?」

I gave Viscountess Bolellan a dismissive glance, smiling at her and saying, “So, please enjoy your meal in peace.”

I don’t mean it like that. The reason I don’t touch the food is not because I’m wary that it’s laced with poison. I am sure that Countess Bauer next to me feels the same way.

I reached for the cutlery with resignation. At the same time, Countess Bauer followed suit.

「Fufu, delicious, isn’t it?」

「Yes. It was very delicious.」

The food was really good. However, it wasn’t an enjoyable meal at all. The delicious food was not half as effective as it could have been.

「I, I’ve always wanted to talk to you. So I am very happy to have this opportunity to have meal with you.」

「…Is that so?」

I wasn’t happy at all, and I wouldn’t have wanted to talk to you if I could have.

「Hey, I have something I’d like you to take a look at.」

「…No problem, but?」

「Ufufu, I’m glad.」

Saying this, Viscountess Bollelan placed an object in front of her that she had her maid bring to her attention.

I wonder if she noticed my eyebrows raised for a moment at the familiar jewelry case. Countess Bauer next to me also looks dismayed at the case.

「Open it, please.」

Prompted, I gently opened the case to find a necklace of angel wing pearls, citrine, and green amethyst sitting there. As expected, it had to be the one I had seen at Anemone Jewelers that day.

「How would you interpret that?」

You are reading story Betrayed by My Fiancé, I Changed My Role from a Viscount’s Daughter to a Lady-in-Waiting to the Quee at novel35.com

「Interpret… you say?」

「Yes, that’s right. It’s a gift from a man to a woman. What do you think is the meaning behind it? Can you tell us?」

A certain man, that’d be Raul. A certain woman, is it me or the Royal Princess? Since she was the one who was responsible for the loss of the jewelry, I think that she is probably the Princess.

「Let’s see, I do not know who that is, but…」

I gave my interpretation, with a pretense of being bothered.

「Citrine is for『hope,』green amethyst for『love and healing,』and pearls for『purity』and『charity.』Pearls also have a maternal element to them, and considering the shape of this pearl, I wonder if it means『all things go well』or something…」

Meaning derived from the combination of it.

「I would say that I am sending you, my 『loving』and『chaste』mother,『hope』of『love and healing』so that 『all things will go well,』is it something like that?」

I am fed up with the interpretations I have come up with.

If this were a gift from a husband to his wife, it could be interpreted as『Your wish will be granted by me, your husband,』but if Raul gave it to the Princess, the meaning would be completely different. It’s a courtship of love to a married man and an invitation to infidelity. Uwaah, I feel sick!

「Well, that’s a very lovely interpretation.」

「Thank you, about that.」

This one was rotting my mouth, though.

「What would you do if it was a gift from your fiancé to another woman?」

Eh, what’s going on now? I wondered what she had misunderstood, and Viscountess Bolellan began to talk as if she were rambling on.

「This is a secret gift from Raul-sama to Priscilla-sama. I hope you are not surprised. But it’s the truth.」

Yeah, yeah, I thought it would be.

「I am sorry for being so mean. Forgive me for being so cruel as to ask you the meaning of a gift that your fiancée gives to another woman. I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart for you, Miss Gracis.」

Haha, I interpreted that premise from the beginning, though. And what’s more, what is it for me?

「It’s unforgivable. I can’t believe he would give such a gift to another woman, a married woman, when he is engaged to her! It is unforgivable. Priscilla-sama is in fault, too. It’s unforgivable for her to enjoy a secret love affair with Raul-sama while marrying into royalty and betraying His Royal Highness the Prince.」

Hey-hey-hey, what do you mean? Viscountess Bolellan is supposed to be the royal consort, or rather friend, of the Royal Princess. Well, if I say that, I would be committing an act of stealing from a friend of yours. But what is a “friend”?

「As a viscountess, I couldn’t disobey the Princess’s orders and was forced to help her with her secret love, but the moment I saw this necklace, I woke up. I knew I couldn’t go on like this..!」

Viscountess Bolellan’s eyes began to water. When did the flower garden theater open?

「I may be corrupt, but I’m on the fringe of royalty and nobility. There is no way I can leave Priscilla-sama and Raul-sama alone, who are betraying the royal family. I don’t want to help betray the maiden who has been waiting for her fiancé with all her heart and soul…! I… I don’t want to do it anymore…!!!!」

Uwah, she is a passionate performer…(reads with a stick) Moreover, she is a single-minded and healthy maiden (laughs).

「That is why I committed the crime of stealing jewelry from the Princess’s Palace, sacrificing myself to reveal this fact. To prove that it exists or doesn’t exist. All for the sake of the royal family, and above all, for you, who continue to have unrequited love for him.」

Eh—, she had some absurd theory.

「Please don’t worry about me. I wanted to be on your side as much as my heart. So whatever happens to me is not your fault. Don’t blame yourself.」

Yeah, there’s no reason to do it, no.

「I know that someone will understand what I am doing. So don’t worry.」

Nhn? Who’s going to understand that??

「But, let’s see. What if you think of me a little, what about that…?」

I was so graciously extended a hand to her.

「You and I will work together to uncover the secret relationship between those two and restore justice!」

She’s so, so, so, so sparkling, it’s so bright————!!! Where in the world is the justice in this!?!

Inwardly, I was screaming out loud. But in reality, I was applauding Viscountess Alia Bollelan.

With a very straight face.