n

n

nChapter 71

nProofreader: somnium

nArtizea danced two songs and then returned to her seat.

nThere seemed to be something like a butterfly in her chest. Whenever the hem of her skirt spread out like a flower petal, she felt a fluttering in her heart, and it was painful.

nArtizea turned away from it.

n‘I can do well.’

nBecause she has confidence in being patient.

nDon’t let your heart flutter.

nSo that he can’t hear the pounding sound of her heart.

nShe will be able to do well.

nAs she stood up, Cedric asked, holding her hand.

n“Where are you going?”

n“I’m going to get some fresh air.”

nArtizea consciously pressed her face and replied.

nShe took her hand out of Cedric’s hand.

nWhen she was held, it felt as if she couldn’t get out.

nBut when she tried to pull out her hand with strength, his entangled hand had no strength. She slipped out easily.

nCedric stood up after her.

n“The air is not good.”

n“You stay here. The master must not leave.”

n“It’s okay. Everyone is enjoying themselves.”

nThe atmosphere was happily bustling.

nUnimaginable numbers of bottles of alcohol had been emptied in Artizea’s honor. People danced in the hall to the cheerful dancing music and enjoyed it.

nIt wasn’t elegant, but it was a pleasant banquet. Even if Cedric is away for a while, the atmosphere won’t go away.

nBut Artizea got embarrassed. She went out on the excuse of getting a fresh air, but she was thinking of going back.

n“Rather, how about dancing with the lady here?”

nLysia stood up in confusion.

n“If the Grand Duchess allows, I’ll take the Grand Duke on board.”

n“It’s not possible to leave the banquet hall without dancing once. Did you go out even after receiving a dance request because of me?”

nArtizea said so with her smile. Lysia shook her head.

n“I’m not good at dancing, and I don’t like it.”

n“That’s better. He makes people like me dance quite nicely, so take this opportunity to learn.”

nArtizea said so and went outside.

nAlice, who was waiting behind her, quickly put a fur cape on her shoulder.

n“Madam, why are you doing that?”

n“What did I do?”

nAlice couldn’t answer because she hesitated.

nIt feels like Artizea is leaving Cedric to Lysia, but when she thinks about it, perhaps she said it because she was right next to her.

nCedric, who had been stunned for a moment, rushed to her way.

n“Tia.”

nAt the call, Artizea stopped her pace.

nCedric came by.

n“Are you angry?”

n“Do I look angry?”

nArtizea asked in a calm voice. Cedric could not answer.

nShe didn’t appear to be angry. She looked sad.

n“Tia.”

n“I’m just a little tired. Why would I be angry when nothing happened?”

n“Are you all right?”

nCedric reached out. Artizea took a half step back. Cedric paused his hand and then lowered it.

nArtizea said softly.

n“Don’t worry. I’m fine. It’s already past midnight, and now I want to rest.”

nIt was the same attitude and tone as usual.

nCedric didn’t want to stop her because she wanted to rest.

nShe had celebrated and danced. At other times, she would be tired, so he would have told her to go back and rest.

nBut she was different now. He realized that something was wrong.

nHowever, he couldn’t even guess what the problem was.

n“I’ll take you to your room.”

n“It’s okay. Go back. If both of us are missing, the people will be anxious.”

nArtizea said so and she turned her back. Alice bowed her head as if sorry to Cedric, and quickly followed Artizea.

nCedric watched until her back disappeared.

nArtizea never looked back at him and went all the way to the end of the hallway and climbed the stairs.

nCedric sighed and turned back to the banquet hall, where Lysia appeared.

n“Did Her Grace leave? Is she okay?”

n“I don’t know.”

nCedric sighed again. Lysia approached him, she asked.

n“Did I make a mistake?”

n“I don’t think so. You have nothing to worry about. If you had done something wrong, she would have definitely rebuked it.”

n“But isn’t she angry?”

n“I don’t know that either. She’s a person who doesn’t show her heart. Anyway, it’s not your problem.”

nCedric wiped his face once.

nIf he did something wrong….. But even when he looked back, he couldn’t guess what he had done wrong.

nLysia smiled.

n“I guess you really like her.”

nCedric blushed his face a little. Lysia laughed out loud.

n“Actually, my father was worried a lot. He heard rumors about dating or something like that, but he still didn’t believe it. He thought it would be an arranged marriage.”

n“Well. “

n“There were many people unsettled by Her Grace’s mother. My father was very concerned about your situation.

n“Because Baron Morten thinks it’s better for me not to be involved in central politics.”

n“Yes, I thought you were trying to get involved in the fight for the succession to the throne.”

n“Did you come to check that?”

n“What am I supposed to confirm? I just thought that if you were to be in Lord Lawrence’s faction, we’d better hide deeper in our village. I’m still young and I’m a girl of her age, so I came because I thought it wouldn’t be obvious. I didn’t know you had already told her everything.”

n“When it comes to your village, Tia knew even if I didn’t say anything.”

nLysia swallowed her breath.

n“If the villagers know, it will be a big deal.”

n“There’s nothing to worry about. Even if it’s known, I’m trying to get my head in politics so that it doesn’t matter when it’s known.”

nCedric said.

n“What do you think rather than that?”

n“About the Grand Duchess? Or, about Your Grace getting into politics?

n“Both.”

n“What does someone like me know?”

nCedric smiled. And he beckoned Lysia to follow him this way. This is because it was inappropriate to stand at the door of the banquet hall and have a conversation.

nLysia came to his side with a quick pace. The two walked towards the corridor for a while.

n“Because your intuition is good since you were very young. You are wise beyond your age.”

nLysia’s wisdom was a different kind from Artizea’s acuity.

nShe looked through lies as if she had the eyes of truth. Even for things that seem to be shifting and not clear at first glance, she pointed out the right direction intuitively, rather than logically.

nLysia said.

n“Not getting involved is a different way of getting involved in politics. Even the Evron Grand Duchy can’t help but be influenced by what the next emperor is like. If that’s the case, would it be better to choose the right person and support him?”

nIt was much less compared to Artizea’s judgment that even if she chose someone else to join the faction, she would eventually have to keep him in check.

nCedric thought Artizea’s judgment was right.

nHowever, Lysia’s words were also worth listening to.

nThis is what she said without knowing anything about the central politics. This would be one of the thoughts of the rebel villagers.

nFor Cedric, that was also an important issue.

nLysia said.

n“And you’re not married for it anyway. Your Majesty has been with someone you like, so I think that’s enough.”

nCedric coughed for nothing.

nLysia asked in amazement.

n“Isn’t it so from the perspective of Your Grace?

n“I didn’t get married for political gain like what the Baron Morten or you thought, but as the rumor goes… I married because I fell in love.”

nHe knew this marriage was mutually beneficial. He was also dependent on her resourcefulness.

nHowever, one of the reasons he initially accepted the contract marriage was that he thought he would protect her until she reached adulthood.

nThe right to inherit the throne as Artizea said is just a later thing. He didn’t take it seriously.

nAnd two years later, he knew that Artizea would divorce and end up with a separation.

nCedric sighed.

nLysia looked at him curiously.

n“You like her now. Wasn’t that enough? Is Her Grace’s heart different?”

n“It’s not that simple. Tia is still young.”

n“The age difference, it isn’t that much? The age difference between my parents will be twice that between Your Graces.”

n“But Tia is still 18.”

nCedric has already accepted in his heart.

nBut age is not just a number. It also marks the stage of life that a person must overcome.

nAnd the 18-year-old girl did not stand on the same stairs as Cedric. It is separate from the difference in numbers.

nArtizea finally escaped from her cruel house and began to live her own life.

nShe had a sharp reason and keen judgment. She looked through the heart of a person, and looked deeper and wider into the world with a vision that no one else had ever thought of.

nBut she was clumsy with her own feelings. She only knew how to put up with it.

nSo he thought he had to be careful.

nApproaching her as a man, needs to wait after a little more time… This is what Artizea could do after experiencing life some more. Now, he just has to settle for giving her a friendly heart.

nBut Cedric keeps forgetting it these days.

nUntil now, he had considered himself a self-controlled person. And he realized that he had overestimated himself.

n“Your Grace stood at the front line of the Thold Gate as the Master of Evron for the first time when you were 16, and by 18 you are already a warrior. Your Grace is already doing your job as the master and the Grand Duke. And I’m embarrassed to say it myself, but I am still here as a representative of Morten and the village.”

n“Because I wish you hadn’t grown up so fast, for you and Tia even more so.”

n“But you don’t look at the Grand Duchess as a child at all, right?”

n“I have nothing to say.”

n“Then what can I do, you already like her.”

nCedric again covered his eyes with his hands. His earlobes are red.

n“Don’t make fun of me.”

nLysia laughed.

n“Please take care of Tia. She seems to like you. Tia doesn’t have any friends, and she doesn’t have any chance to get along with her peers.”

n“It’s an honor for me to be called by her side.”

nCedric smiled and patted her hair lightly. It was the same attitude as when he was younger.

n“Thank you.”

nAnd he went back to the banquet hall first.

nLysia paused in thought for a moment, then she slowly turned around.

nThen, Aubrey, who had red eyes, made eye contact.

n