I Promise, I'll Leave! But, With No Regrets!!

Chapter 07

♦Chapter 07: His Contentment♦

The chandeliers shimmered and brought light to the setting with its stunning golden color.

And as Aiden and I entered the place, many set their gazes upon the two of us as they started to gossip either negative or positive things.

I convinced myself that there was a needn't to bother about this. However, I couldn't seem to be indifferent after overhearing an offending conversation from one group.

They talked about how pitiful I was for not being accompanied by the Emperor. Or rather, they mentioned false news of how I got the Queen Consort's position through blackmailing and others.

In truth, it was nerve-cracking that I even wished to cut their tongues right this moment. Nevertheless, being provoked that easily would be congruent of being smoothly faltered. Thus, I turned a blind eye to this trivial matter.

After infiltrating the place where the feast was held, I faced Aiden once more and told him of what I've decided.

"We're on our own for the moment, Earl Faremanne. I still need to greet the guests."

".....Is that so?"

"Yes."

After our short discussion, silence befall upon the two of us while Aiden somehow felt down without me knowing the reason.

"Is something bothering you, Earl Faremanne?", I asked.

He appeared to be attempting to give me an honest reply, but it seems like he hesitated and decided not to tell me as he said,

"It's nothing, Your Majesty."

Perhaps, he was being polite. Or maybe, it was something complex. Either way, I shouldn't pry into others' matters that much hence I decided to leave him be.

"I see. Well then, I will excuse myself.", I bid then parted with him.

Thereafter, I went to blend in with the other aristocrats and offered them sincere respect and gratitude for attending the ball.

At first, everything went as flat as a pancake. Until...

"Lady Melissa. What do you think of the Emperor and the Empress?"

My mind went blank after one lady brought up a surprising topic.

Soon, the others that were included in the group took the bait and kept complimenting the two.

"The two of them are a great pair, are they not?"

"Precisely! They suit each other too much that I even thought of them as a Prince and a Princess that came right out of a Märchen!"

"Lady Melissa also thinks the same, no?", one of them abruptly questioned me.

From the way they look, it seems like they merely chattered about it without even knowing that it was an indirect insult to the me who might've been seen as the third wheel in public.

They were much younger than me so it was a given. Even so, it couldn't change the fact that I also felt aggrieved.

I felt that way not because of the insult, but because of the fact that the way they describe the two were correct.

It was frustrating to hear for a someone like me that secretly grown fruitless emotions for the Empire's ruler.

I was humiliated in a way.

However, I sealed the sensation that lingered from deep within with a fake smile and briefly agreed with them.

"Yes. I think so too.", I lied.