Chapter 61: 61

Although I had learned a lot from the time I came here, I was still ignorant of the customs of the nobility.

I didn’t know he would proudly introduce me in a banquet where one had to hide their identity.

The thought of going out in front of the public wearing a humble cloth made my eyes darken.

Alan stroked my hair slowly, as if he had noticed my tension.

“It’s okay, Lily. Because I didn’t invite anyone who would be rude to you in the first place.”

…Somehow, I felt like I could properly taste the sweetness of power.

“Go out and do whatever you want. You can even pour champagne on the heads of passers-by.”

“I, I don’t do things like that…”

Nike knocked on the door while I was constantly trying not to become a rude princess.

“Duke, everyone is waiting for you!”

Alan walked slowly.

Whether or not Nike’s words made him nervous, he stopped at the door again.

“I heard that you found out about Hugo’s research.”

My heart, which was pounding with tension, fell down like a fruit on a tart.

Alan already knew what Hugo was studying.

“It’s up to you about what you think, but…”

Alan glanced at Hugo, who lowered his head as if he was ashamed, and spoke softly.

“Hugo did it because he missed you.”

He missed me. 

As he said that, Alan’s voice was strangely muffled.

“Please, just know that.” 

Without giving me a moment to answer, Alan went out to the central staircase.

The light from the crystal chandelier pouring in from the door clearly drew his silhouette.

My heart was pounding with the shouts that followed.

Because the words of ‘He missed you’ were so sincere.

“Duke Alan von Bauner is entering!”

At the same time as Nike shouted loudly into the hall, Alan appeared on the central staircase.

Cheers praising Alan filled the hall.

The thrill reached the waiting room where I was.

I leaned against the decorative window overlooking the ballroom and crept in.

Looking towards Alan’s side, I could see the ballroom was full of people.

Alan raised the champagne glass that Nike had brought him, his expression not changing no matter how much cheers poured in.

From that indifferent gesture, I felt no emotion other than a sense of duty to give the opening speech.

“There is only one thing everyone here has to do.”

Was he going to say, ‘That is, just enjoy the ball!’? He had a good sense.

“To congratulate the return of my daughter.”

….What sense? 

That was the end of Alan’s opening speech. He turned to me and gestured slowly.

“Let me introduce my beloved daughter, Lillietta von Bauner.”

I took a deep breath and proceeded with the correct posture as much as possible.

Any mistakes wouldn’t be noticeable because I had a cloth over me, but as soon as I went to the central stairway, the nobles who filled the ballroom looked up at me all at once.

At the stares that were so intense that I could feel them through the cloth, I felt like I was a target in the archery field.

It was the first time in my life that I had received so many gazes at once.

The ballroom was so quiet that not a single breath could be heard.

Everyone, of course, would be speechless.

The princess came out with just a piece of cloth for the ball.

Unconsciously, I grabbed Alan’s hand tightly, and he patted the back of my hand with his finger as if assuring me it was okay.

Still, I was not reassured. 

‘If I had known this would be the case, I would have worn something different!’

Clap, clap, clap. 

Then someone applauded slowly.

The applause spread everywhere. Soon, thunderous shouts filled the ballroom.

“Long live the Princess!” 

“Congratulations on your return!”

“Princess Lilietta von Bauner, hooray!”

I was totally stunned. 

Those who looked up at me seemed to have no intention of criticizing my clothes or manners.

Alan reached out to me with a look of satisfaction.

I reached out of the cloth and grabbed his gloved hand.

We went down the central staircase in that position.

He didn’t seem to care about his son that was left in the waiting room.

‘Wait, why isn’t he introducing Hugo?’ 

I was all embarrassed, but Hugo himself seemed to want nothing to do with it, he just quickly followed.

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As he looked around, he leaned close to me and whispered in my ear.

“Be careful, Lily. There are a lot of people who will try to entice you to look good to the Bauner family.”

I swallowed dry saliva. It was my first nobility social gathering, but I knew very well that I had to be careful with every word I said in a place like this.

Then Alan intervened indifferently.

“It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to worry about whether their attitude is real or fake. If there’s a problem, I’ll take care of it.”

A long table was placed under the central staircase, and five luxurious chairs were lined up in a row facing the venue.

Alan placed me in the center chair and he sat right next to me.

Then he gently grabbed my hand and murmured.

“Lily, you just have to have fun.”

What he meant was that I should have fun doing what I want, and let someone else handle it if I encountered a problem.

I felt like I had entered a model garden just for me.

It was a temptation too sweet for a child to refuse; if I were the real Lily, I might have grown up as a spoiled child by his words.

Then Nike hurried to our table.

“Duke, we have a problem.”

“What’s going on?”

“That is…”

Nike whispered to Alan.

As if it was a fairly serious matter, Alan’s expressionless face was distorted.

We had been together for a short time, so I knew, that was the expression he made when he was very annoyed.

“Stop it.”

Even if Alan gave strict orders, Nike did not easily back down and was sweating profusely.

“That’s… she entered through the plaza where residents gathered. If we send her back now, everyone gathered here will know about the disrespect we committed…”

Bababam! 

Suddenly, a loud trumpet sounded the eardrums.

The guards standing at the entrance rushed over and shouted loudly.

“H–Her, Her Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

Emperor? He said emperor, right? 

People were confused by the unexpected guest.

Everyone’s faces looked as if they had heard a joke, but the words of the guards weren’t lies.

The entrance to the ballroom opened and Emperor Igdrasil entered.

Unlike the last time when I saw her in white jade kiln, she now had a body similar to that of a normal person.

Her long, silky hair shone like thousands of meteor showers as it got to the tip of her hair.

Four masked attendants set down the palanquin and lifted Igdrasil’s hair and hem.

Igdrasil stepped barefoot in the ballroom and smiled at the highest seat where Alan and I sat.

The night view over the door further emphasized her mysterious atmosphere.

“This, this, did I disturb you?” 

The smooth voice sounded like an echo from inside a tree, it was louder than what could be made with human vocal cords.

I glanced sideways at Alan. As expected, he was frowning openly.

Confused, Nike ran up the stairs and shouted.

“W-Why is the music cut off!” 

The symphony orchestra, which was staring blankly at the emperor, straightened up and grabbed their instruments.

The waltz continued as if nothing had happened.

The people hurriedly dispersed and chatted, but no one was focused.

Dozens of pairs of eyes glanced at Emperor Igdrasil and Alan.

When Alan sat down like a rock and didn’t respond, Igdrasil came over to our chair.

“I’m sorry I came here when I wasn’t invited.”

Although she spoke very politely, Alan’s expression was still harsh.

He answered so bluntly.

“If you knew you would be sorry, I think you shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

It seemed that I was the only one who was bothered by his attitude.

Hugo folded his arms as if dissatisfied with the emperor’s appearance while Igdrasil smiled whether or not they showed a sharp attitude.

“Don’t say that too much. I felt sad that you didn’t come to the luncheon last time, so this time I decided to come. I want to deepen my friendship with the Bauner family.”

She seemed kind at first glance, but the words seem to have bones in them. 

Was I the only one who felt that way?

“We have separate guest seats, Your Majesty.”

Alan gestured at the other side of the table and looked at me as if there was nothing more to see.

Igdrasil laughed wildly and sat down in the guest’s seat, which was completely opposite to Bauner’s upper seat.

The nobles seemed very excited about the fact that they were in the same room as the emperor, but they couldn’t easily reach the emperor because they were wary of Alan.

Alan sighed softly and patted my cloth-covered hair.

“I’m sorry that this happened, Lily.”

I shook my head to say it was okay. Because I had no intention of becoming the main character of the ball in the first place.

I only had one question.

‘Why did the emperor suddenly come?’

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