Chapter 29

“That is all that I have to say.”

Esteban looked at Senir with a face of disbelief. It seemed like he had a lot to say, but wasn’t able to bring it up easily.

“If you’re done with your business, then I will be going.”

“No, wait. One more.”

“….”

“Why did you go to Rüden?”

Rüden was the Eastern port where ships from the West Continent docked. It was also a place that was famous for its pearl as their specialty. If one went further out into the sea from there, there was a large island that was no different from the home of the pirates.

Senir, who finished the conversation, got up from his seat.

“I will take my leave now.”

“….”

Esteban’s forehead crumpled up.

He didn’t know why he felt like he was being beaten like this when everything went the way he wanted.

“You jerk.”

In the end, Esteban cursed, feeling annoyed. When he kicked the table, a teacup rolled down. Nevertheless, his anger was not relieved.

That stiff attitude. That aloof behavior as if he was someone important, with his position, which was merely the Count’s outstanding commoner.

He was the only one who had that attitude towards him, who was part of the Royal Family. And it was clear that his attitude would not change even if his brother, Robert, became the Emperor.

“We have to somehow reduce the power of the Ohrid bastards.”

Jumping up, Esteban opened the lounge door roughly. It has been a long time since Senir and his escort knight left. The aide and the escort knights who were waiting looked at Esteban.

“Since my business is done, let us go back.”

About to leave the lounge just like that, Esteban paused. He almost forgot.

“Ah, and the one who wore a mask and left the lounge earlier… Find out who it is.”

***

“No, I mean, what kind of gloves are…”

At that moment, without realizing it herself, her inner thoughts came out. She slowly read the room, to check that there was no one who heard it.

Lord Serafina said.

“Other than me, there is no one who heard it.”

“Then that’s… a relief.”

When Diana pouted her lips, Serafina held back her laughter.

When she entered the store, it was fortunate that the employee who tried to explain this and that, and made her feel burdened was driven away.

Diana picked up a glove.

Delicate lace was attached to the top of the smooth-textured gloves, and the jewel which was woven grain after grain into the silver thread added even more splendor. However, it didn’t catch her eye very much.

“Will Senir be okay?”

“He will be alright.”

Serafina asserted. In truth, Serafina had never worried about the Little Young Master. Rather, if he was scared, she would be terrified.

Because he was not like a human.

“Since Lord Serafina must have been with Senir for a long time. Then, all right. He must be okay.”

Tudug tudug, tapping the shelf, Diana turned her gaze to the display case again.

[This year’s Meister Gautier collec—]

It was when Diana was reading the explanation below. A hand suddenly popped out and took the gloves she was looking at.

“Huh?”

Diana looked at her opponent in the unexpected situation. And then, just like that, she froze. It was fortunate that the mask covered her face which turned pale.

Approaching in a composed and orderly way to the back of Diana’s opponent, the Madam said,

“Haven’t you already bought gloves earlier? Atticia.”

It was Baroness Bordeaux and Atticia Bordeaux.

Diana put her hand over her throbbing chest.

The maid behind the Baroness was also a familiar face. However, the maid who hurriedly approached Atticia’s side was a face which Diana saw for the first time.

“It’s really pretty. It looks the best on the Young Miss.”

The maid who was next to Atticia cut in front of Diana. Serafina stepped up as she couldn’t stand seeing the situation like this.

“My Lady, there was someone who was looking at it first.”

However, Atticia looked back at Serafina with an expression of ‘so what’.

“So?”

“…Lady, please be courteous.”

“No, are you going to buy it?”

“That’s….”

“I asked if you were going to buy it or not.”

It was something that Serafina could not answer at will. However, Diana also could not open her mouth thoughtlessly.

“I’m just looking at the thing that you won’t even buy. Why are you so—”

Atticia, who had an arrogant expression, saw Diana and paused.

‘What’s with the mask? But it looks like… I’ve seen her somewhere, though?’

It was those eyes that caught her eye more than the mask.

The vivid scarlet eyes reminded Atticia of some unpleasant memories.

‘Diana…? She looks like her, though?’

However, Atticia, who had been looking at her opponent’s attire from the top to bottom, then shook her head.

The luxurious mask, which was covering the face, gave a glamorous yet secretive feeling, like the appearance of a high-status noble miss who secretly came out to play.

‘No. It’s impossible for it to be Diana.’

Even, the clear yellow topaz brooch which was fixed on her coat looked like it was worth more than Atticia’s best jewelry, even just by the size of the topaz.

‘Yeah. Diana won’t even know the value of such an accessory.’

However, for her to completely deny it, the shape of the face under the mask, the red lips that Atticia envied, and even their build were too similar.

It was an impulsive urge for Atticia, who was completely lost in her own thoughts, to reach her hand out to the mask.

Just who in the world was this opponent whose attire she envied and desired, the momentary desire of just wanting to have a glimpse at her face.

Someone grabbed Atticia’s hand, which was stretching out.

“What are you doing right now?”

It was a red-haired knight, who was standing next to the girl.

“What is wrong with you? Let go of me!”

Atticia frowned at once as she shook off her hand. No, she was trying to shake it off.

However, of course, there was not even a slight movement in the hand that she thought would fall off. Atticia was surprised and looked at the knight.

“I-I told you to let go!”

“What are you doing to my daughter?”

Only then did Baroness Bordeaux step up. Her previous stance of standing by and watching the commotion was nowhere to be seen.

“Just what kind of matter makes you think you are entitled to do this?”

“I grabbed her on the grounds that she was making suspicious gestures.”

“Suspicious gestures?”

“No, Mom! I was only going to take that mask off because it looked stuffy!”

The knight looked at Atticia with an absurd expression. The old maid who was next to the Baroness hurriedly stepped out.

“Knight, please let go. The Madam is Baroness Bordeaux. And the person whom the Knight is holding is the Lady of Baron Bordeaux, who is the Madam’s daughter.”

It was a certain status. Baroness Bordeaux thought that the knight who knew her status would definitely step down and apologize.

“Before I hear the explanation, I can not just let it slide.”

However, the knight spoke in an unchanged attitude.

“Hey. Even if she was rude like this….”

“What are you looking at? You can’t quickly stop it?”

She was an employee who didn’t know what to do since the commotion broke out. The employee, who got attention, closed her eyes tightly once and carefully opened her mouth.

“Excuse me, Knight.”

Serafina looked at the employee with a cold face. The terrified employee said as if she hoped for her to calm down.

“Th-the thing about letting go….”

There was nothing good about the interference of the employee, who was just a commoner, in the quarrel between the nobles.

But she knew that she couldn’t stay still when the Baroness, who was deathly pale, was glaring at her with her two eyes.

Serafina talked nicely.

“Step back. This is not a matter for you to intervene.”

However, Atticia wasn’t like that. Atticia pressed the employee.

“Quickly get rid of this crazy person!”

“About that, Knight, please calm down a bit, and….”

“Step back. If you also have eyes, you would have seen it clearly, though.”

When the employee hesitated, Atticia shouted again.

“I didn’t do anythi…! Ah! It hurts! It hurts!”

When Lord Serafina gave strength to her hand, Atticia screamed again.

Atticia’s maid, who was unable to do this or that while being terrified, ran somewhere. At a glance, Serafina pushed the employee away.

“Stand back.”

As the cape went up together at her movement, there could be seen the household symbol which was attached on the inside of the cape. The employee’s face turned pale.

“Lady, what should I do….”

Looking back at Diana, Serafina paused. Serafina threw away the wrist which she was holding.

“Kyaack!”

“What are you doing!?”

Atticia dropped down as she was screaming, and the Baroness, who grabbed her falling daughter, shouted sharply.

“It’s done. Let’s go now.”

Serafina, who blurted out, wrapped Diana around with her cape and turned around.

“You! Where are you going!? Aren’t you going to apologize right away?”

“Baroness, stopping here and going back is….”

It was when the employee, who approached hurriedly, was helping Atticia that–

Slap—

There was a sharp sound. Diana, who was buried inside the cape, poked her head out in surprise. The employee who covered her cheek couldn’t raise her head.

“Who do you think you are stopping right now?!”

It was Baroness Bordeaux. Without any time to take action, a sharp wave sound rang again. Then Baroness Bordeaux, who was gasping, raised Atticia up.

“Mommmmm.”

“Haven’t I told you to be careful in the Imperial Capital?”

Baroness Bordeaux patted Atticia. Then she glared fiercely at the employee and left.

The gazes which were looking, as if they were sightseeing, also moved away little by little.

Looking at the mother-daughter while grinding her teeth, Serafina looked at Diana.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

Her white complexion gradually returned to normal. Diana took a deep breath and exhaled.

“It’s okay. More than that….”

Diana’s gaze headed toward the employee who sunk down. There was a deep wound on her cheek that started to heat up red, as the Baroness had hit her with a ring on. It seemed like it would leave a pretty big scar. The blood which came from the wound fell down her cheek, and, tuk, dropped to the floor.

“Are you okay? The wound on your face…”

Diana, who was approaching, stopped at the feeling of something hitting at her feet.

Looking down at the floor, there could be seen the gloves.

The thin silver thread, which was decorating the back of the hand, was cut off, and the jewel, which was connecting grain after grain to the silver thread, could not even be seen.

Blocking Diana, who was trying to pick up the gloves, Lord Serafina picked it up.

“Um.”

“Oh my.”

Lord Serafina and Diana groaned.

The stamped footprints were clear on the light blue gloves. Lord Serafina shook her head.

“It can’t be used.”

“What should we do with this?”

“Maybe that employee will have to compensate.”

Diana looked back at the employee. The employee, who had her head down, saw the gloves and eventually burst into tears.

“I was only away for a moment….”

At the voice which she welcomed, Diana looked back.

“Senir!”

“But, what had happened in the meantime?”

It was a cold voice.