The Abandoned Empress

Chapter 35

Lina kept hesitating, but reluctantly sat down across the table. She felt awkward only briefly. When I broke the ice, she quickly began to chat with me excitedly. Tilting my mug, I was listening while she was chatting, and at one point she clapped her hands as if she suddenly recalled something.

"Oh, my lady. I accidently looked out the window, bringing refreshments here. I saw Verita and Lars together. Did you know that?"

"Yes, they said they had something to say between themselves. Why, what happened? "

"Well, the atmosphere didn't look good. Verita was telling him something, but Lars was frowning a lot as if he wanted to hit."

"Really? Where are they?"

I thought as Allendis was always kind and calm, he would not cause any trouble. I wish I had stopped them going out. When I was about to stand up hurriedly, Lina, who was excited a lot, shook her hand and said, "It must be because of his jealousy. Both of them knew clearly that they had the same woman in mind. So, obviously they were trying to check against each other."

"Jealousy?" 'What? What the heck is that?' I grinned in spite of myself at Lina's guesswork.

These days Lina had been avidly reading romance novels, and perhaps she seemed to think about me in the context of my relationship with Verita and Lars.

In fact, reading romance novels in the empire is, in principle, banned, but romance novels were getting very popular among nobles as well as those commoners who were literate. So, on the days when a famous writer's new romance novel is released, bookstores all over the country are crowded with noblewomen. The most popular contents are mainly about the love between the nobles and commoners or between the knight and a lady. Recently, Madame Gem's < After the Moon Rises and Wanes Seven Times> was extremely popular.

"Nonsense. Why would they be jealous because of me?"

"Well, I am not sure about Lars, but obviously Verita likes you. Because a new man appeared while Verita was away, as you know. That's why Lars hates him very much. I'm not sure, but I think Verita told him something that rubbed him the wrong way."

"Well, Allendis and I are just friends. Besides, as a polite and well-mannered man, I don't think Allendis said something mean to him."

"How come you and Verita are just friends? I know he has proposed to you."

"Oh, no. It's not anything like a proposal. He cracked some jokes to break the ice when we first met. You know, a guy wouldn't like me from the beginning."

I know I don't have any charm to attract a man. Perhaps that's why he had never looked at me even though I dearly cared for him. He repeatedly said I was such a cold and heartless woman, telling me I meant nothing to him. When I recalled my heartbreaking memories related to him, I smiled bitterly in spite of myself.

"What the hell are you talking about? Don't you know how wonderful our lady is?"

Did she notice I felt under the weather? When Lina hastily tried to say something, the door was flung open.

"Hey, you!"

"What the heck is going on here?"

"What is the matter with you, Lars?"

"I told you earlier that I would talk to you like I used to."

"Are you kidding me? How is he related to you? "

"Are you talking about Allen?"

"Yes! That dumb bastard! "

With a sigh I lifted the mug. What's the matter again? My head throbbed, so I was drinking tea silently. But the boy took a seat that Lina just left and said as if he felt frustrated, "Don't ignore me! Anyway, you'd better keep a distance from that guy."