Chapter 42 - Last banquet

Everyone was in frozen mode, looking at the Evelyn and Fabian.

“It’s exactly as it is.”

In Fabian’s eyes, those low-grade ladies were no better than worms. So, he became even madder at Evelyn.

“Why did you just listen to those shitty ladies? Don’t you know that punishing and ruling is your duty, too? Or there’s no such rule in the Felice Kingdom?”

“I don’t know. But there’s a law in here too.”

Evelyn’s voice was calm, but her blue eyes were powerful. She was determined not to tolerate Fabian’s anger which she felt was out of place. Even though those ladies never knew it, why did he come and meddle in women’s stories? Why was he so angry at her?

“But, because they are the Empire’s ladies, they were here as the people of the Empire, right?”

“······What?”

Fabian’s voice was deeply angered, but Evelyn’s lips smiled faintly. It was a bitter, nostalgia smile from the past.

She could never forget the moment she first went with a swollen dream to the Imperial family. It wasn’t long after she had got a proposal from Fabian. But what awaited Evelyn was not Fabian but a huge amount of bridal and etiquette lessons.

“How could I, who have a higher status, take their faults in my mouth?”

What Evelyn had learned at that time was of no use to her life. It was like that when she was socializing with noble ladies and meeting them. Evelyn, who was young and delicate, was hurt many times by their harsh words.

On an unusually tough day, when Evelyn cautiously confessed it, Fabian’s response was a masterpiece.

“When my subordinates speak and rude laughably in front of me, it means that I don’t have any dignity and that I’m seen as a joke. If I-who-don’t-have-a-dignity- scold them, I’ll become a laughing stock. If I rule myself and have dignity, the rest will follow by itself.” Evelyn said, repeating what Fabian had told her in the past.

“Huh, you sound like a wise person after seeing this?” said Fabian coldly.

“It wasn’t a wise person, it was a life’s lesson from you.”

Evelyn was giving back what Fabian had said. Even he didn’t speak this long, but he thoughtlessly said something similar, as if it were a trivial matter, and after that, he suddenly fell asleep as if he were tired.

Then she would wake up when Fabian had fallen asleep. The memory of her who woke up crying out loud for fear beside the sleeping Fabian couldn’t be erased.

“I never taught you such a stuffy lesson.”

It wasn’t surprising. For Evelyn, Fabian was a person who couldn’t remember most of his actions, and he was a shameless man.

“What’s the difference between staying still and agreeing to them?”

“Your Majesty seems to have misinterpreted the woman’s way of speaking, but it’s okay because it wasn’t too wrong.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“It is difficult to hold a banquet in the Felice Kingdom as elegant as the imperial family. That’s why I borrowed the hand of the Lady Akshire. It’s important to serve Your Majesty, so I should avoid making mistakes.”

“Do you think I’m a fool?”

Lady Satin clearly had a different meaning. It’s likely if she was criticized because she could not serve the Emperor properly as an Empress, but Lady Satin mocked Evelyn’s life, asking if she could serve the Emperor properly in such a small kingdom.

“I don’t know what you mean. I’m probably the one who’s stupid.” Evelyn was still laughing, and it made Fabian more upset.

“Do you laugh even in this situation?”

“It’s not that bad. I’m used to this.”

Evelyn was looking straight into Fabian’s eyes. Her blue eyes seemed to blame Fabian for everything.

It wasn’t that far from reality. This was just a piece of Imperial life that Evelyn had gone through. It was the daily routine and humiliation from which Fabian turned away from.

“It’s unpleasant to blur the point.”

Actually, Fabian came forward after thinking about Evelyn’s situation, but looking at her response, it seemed that he had done something useless. No matter how ego-centred he was, Fabian could see that the person Evelyn despised was him not those ladies.

“If your Majesty is unpleasant, I think I was wrong. This is the Felice Kingdom, so may I correct their mistakes in my own way?”

Now, those ladies’ job was kind of good for Fabian. It was just disappointing that there was no trace of regret in Evelyn’s eyes.

“Such trivial things…Do as you please. ”

“Yes, it’s too trivial to disturb your sincerity.”

To the end, Evelyn kept dragging herself out of the past. Now, It was like bringing up the little things of the past, and she turned Fabian into a bad ex-husband.

But still, those bad ladies had done evil acts, and he had such eyes on them.

“Yes.”

Well, Evelyn never said she hated him. But she also never told him why. Then Fabian left as he pleased.

“I understood your meaning well.”

Fabian turned around roughly while pulling his robe back. The already-finished banquet came to an end with the Emperor’s departure.

Evelyn was the only one who remained calm. For her, this storm was nothing. And it was a good thing that Fabian had understood what she meant.

“Princess.”

Rebecca gently took Evelyn’s hand, and with her body temperature, she gave encouragement and comfort.

“It’s all right.” Evelyn nodded.

“I know.”

In fact, what Evelyn said a while ago was something Rebecca’s ex-husband said, not Fabian. Maybe Evelyn had a regretful heart now.

“The banquet we’ve been preparing for a long time has been a mess.”

“No, it’s starting now.” Rebecca said. Her green eyes were shining.

“Now you have to punish them with the law of the Felice Kingdom, right?”

Evelyn readout Rebecca’s excited expression. Besides, Fabian left a message to do as she wanted. So, it didn’t matter what the Emperor said and did, because this was the Felice Kingdom.

“Yes, I almost forgot the important thing.”

Somehow Rebecca’s face looked so bright. Arthur and Miriam declared that the banquet would be over and left the rest to Evelyn before leaving their seats. It meant that Arthur was handing over the full decision-making authority to his daughter.

“Wait a minute, I need to clean up first.” Rebecca smiled, and with her modest skill, she cleaned the surroundings and leaving the ladies and their husbands behind.

“This should have been Akshire…”

The dish turned so sad. The only thing that could serve in Akshire’s residence now was the jade’s tea. But it was quite breathtaking to see the ladies who were sitting on their fidgety knelt in front of Evelyn.

“Princess, something was misunderstood, we never mean ….”

At the moment, Evelyn put her index finger on her lips. Then Marquis Satin stabbed his wife with his elbow and closed her mouth.

“I made a mistake with my mouth and tongue, and I won’t make fun of you again.”

It was also annoying to hear their excuses. In truth, Evelyn herself hated their voices.

“I’m fine. It’s just a mistake, it’s not a big deal.” said Evelyn, “But if I don’t do anything, it will go against Your Majesty’s will… I can’t help it.”

Unlike her words, Evelyn’s expression was cold, and Rebecca couldn’t hide her smile.

“The law of Felice Kingdom is very simple. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Lady Satin’s hand trembled when she heard it.

“You’ve done wrong with your tongue, so you will have to pay the price with your tongue.”

Evelyn recalled what Fabian had said earlier, that he would pull her tongue out.

And all of a sudden the blue-feathers fan dropped to the floor.

“The deposition will be passed on to the royal decree soon.” It seemed that Evelyn threatened to punish them until they were terrified.

“Then, Rebecca?”

“Yes, Princess!”

Rebecca’s voice was really spirited. When Evelyn reached out, Rebecca escorted her as if she were looking forward to it.

“Oh, my.”

A sweet voice came out. Under Rebecca’s shoes, Lady Satin’s blue feather-fan was trampled like a chicken’s hair.

“I made a mistake ……”

After Rebecca slipped away, Evelyn’s shoes trampled on the fan again.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

She didn’t mean it, but her feet just moved on their own. How frightening was the subconscious? And, At the moment, Evelyn felt that her long-suffering was going down.

“There is a lot of chicken hair in my kingdom, so I will compensate with the same thing.”

After Evelyn had spat out to the last end, she turned her body arrogantly. The feeling of winning over the lower-class women, and the childish battle over anyone else, was surprisingly refreshing. She could feel the joy which gave no honour or nobility.

“Princess······.” As soon as she left the door, Rebecca said in a quivering voice.

“Huh?”

“If I were a man, I would propose to you right away.”

Evelyn laughed after listening to Rebecca’s sincere heart.

“I’m telling you. I’m completely in love with you.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t accept a proposal now.”

“Well, I agree with that.”

The steps of the two women were lighter than feathers. The banquet was over, but she kept walking forward as if she was dancing.

“Are you really going to pull their tongue out?”

“Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me sick.”

“That’s true. Instead, I have an idea. How if we make them speechless for a year in public?” said Rebecca with an evil smile.

Then Evelyn nodded unconsciously. Couldn’t speak ill and criticize people was the hardest punishment for them.

“Rebecca, I almost fell in love with you just now.”

The two women held their hands together. They no longer seemed to care if the banquet was ruined. Now the hearts of the two were beyond a banquet.

“But I’m also won’t accept proposal anymore.”

Rebecca’s refreshing words had lightened Evelyn’s heart.

“Today’s banquet, it was really the best.”

The biggest harvest was that Fabian finally knew what she meant. And that’s enough for Evelyn.

“Yes, I will never forget it forever. It is regrettable that I don’t meet my ex-husband….”

“The best ex-husband is the one you can’t see.” Evelyn said.

“Well, that’s true…”

Contrary to her concerns, Fabian seemed to left the kingdom in disgust by Evelyn’s attitude. But it was the ending that Evelyn wanted.

‘Probably, that was the last one.’

The wind was blowing softly.

Evelyn sent away Fabian with all her heart left in the wind.