CH 24

I stared into those amber eyes in front of me and decided to pretend I hadn’t caught his lies.

I felt that this man didn’t want to reveal his identity.

He is the one who helped me, and I never stopped putting pressure on him.

In any case, this will be the last time we see each other.

“Don’t you have more questions?”

At the end of the waltz, the man asked me. I answered with a slight smile:

“I have no bad manners to ask questions about what you wish to hide.”

“I don’t want to hide… I hope you will understand everything yourself.”

“Yes?”

As the music ended, there was applause from the crowd.

I expected an answer from this man, but he, without saying anything, smiled and kissed my hand.

“Thanks for the dance.”

“…I also thank fate for being awarded this honor.”

As we left the center of the hall, an uncountable number of eyes turned on us.

When I already felt that my skin tingled from their looks, the man let go of my hand.

I looked at him and his amber eyes flashed.

“If you want to continue, then just give me a sign.”

What give you…?

There was more between us than this man helped me avoid shame twice?

But he turned around and walked away before I had the chance to ask him.

The man walked past the nobles with quick steps and left us before anyone could stop him.

What the heck?

I immediately looked around sharply and went up to Lisa and Raymond.

Raymond’s gaze stubbornly didn’t leave me. I ignored him and looked at Lisa.

When I was about to say that I was leaving for good, a servant came up to us with a tray.

Champagne and snacks were on display on a tray. And at that moment, when the servant came closer, the smell of food rose, which made my stomach ache.

And now the words of the doctor came to mind.

“You will be nauseous, so that’s okay.”

My awkwardness grew.

The smell of food irritated me, it got closer and became more and more disgusting.

I just wanted to throw this tray away.

I clenched my hands into fists and endured it all. No matter how hard it is for me, here I can’t give up.

Raymond was right in front of me, and a lot of nobles had gathered on the spot.

I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if I vomited now.

Lisa, who didn’t know that I thought that the servant would disappear as soon as possible, asked Raymond, holding a glass of champagne in her hand.

“Your Majesty, would you like a drink?”

“Instead of champagne, I would drink water. Could you bring it?” Raymond asked Lisa, but not the servant.

Lisa looked at Raymond, embarrassed, and then smiled.

“Yes, please wait.”

She put the glass on the tray and left us. Raymond sent the servant away.

The servant left and Raymond spoke to me.

“Are you okay? You’re pale.”

He stood in front of me, blocking the view of strangers.

He didn’t take his eyes off me and seemed to notice that I wasn’t feeling well.

I looked up and saw him looking at me with concern.

When I wanted your attention, you didn’t care at all.

It’s funny that now he’s worried about me.

Whether it was because I felt uncomfortable with his concern, in the end I couldn’t take it any longer.

I hastily covered my mouth and lowered my head, but that didn’t help.

“Ellie, are you feeling bad?”

He rushed closer to me. I wanted to dodge his hands, but nausea gripped me.

Suddenly I heard an embarrassed voice. At that time, someone took my shoulder.

“Young lady, are you okay?”

She turned out to be one of the noble women.

“I’m okay!”

I was trying to say that I didn’t need help. It is not good to attract too much attention here.

However, the lady who was trying to help me grabbed my shoulder even tighter.

“My God, I think you feel bad. Did you eat something wrong? Your Majesty, don’t worry. We will help her.”

Looks like she used me to stand out in front of the emperor.

She approached, as if trying to support me. I smelled a terrible perfume from this lady.

“Ugh!”

The smell made my nausea even worse.

“Call a doctor!”

The noble lady trembled and gripped my shoulder tighter.

She put on this show to get people’s attention. Thus, her story about the rescue of the former empress will spread throughout the world.

But her foul perfume drove me crazy.

I couldn’t stand this anymore.

I resisted the hands of this lady. Raymond flinched and was surprised at how quickly I pulled back.

But now his reaction didn’t matter to me at all. If they keep me here, sooner or later a doctor will come and announce my pregnancy to everyone.

Holding back my nausea as hard as I could, I looked at her with cold eyes.

“Milady, were you friends with me?”

“No, that’s… I’m just trying to help the young lady.”

“Did I ask for help?”

“No.”

“I don’t need your help, step back.”

I looked at her with cold eyes.

“…Sorry, young lady.”

As soon as this lady galloped away, Lisa returned to us.

She looked at that noble lady who had just disappeared in a hurry, and then looked around Raymond and me.

She must have noticed the drama around us.

“Your Majesty, I brought water.”

Lisa called to him, but Raymond didn’t respond. He constantly looked at me without batting an eye.

It wasn’t a worried look, but a sharp one, as if doubting something.

“I think we should call a doctor.”

“No, Your Majesty. I’m okay”.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Raymond’s eyebrows rose sharply when he heard this.

I felt his gaze slide over my body.

In case they did call the doctor, I pretended everything was fine and straightened my back. And even a smile spread across my lips.

But from his tenacious gaze, goosebumps ran down my spine.

“Lady Sios, I don’t think I should stay here any longer. Thanks for the invitation. I also heartily congratulate the prince on his birthday.”

“…Yes, thanks for coming.”

I knew Raymond’s gaze continued to point at me, but I didn’t pay attention.

However, I couldn’t leave, ignoring him, the emperor, so I bowed my head and prepared to give him my last favor.

“Your Majesty, I have to go.”

I was not going to wait for his answer, so I immediately turned to the exit.

A cold wind hit my face. I breathed a sigh of relief.

How much I was afraid that Raymond would guess.

As I left the party, my alarm heart felt better.

‘I shouldn’t have come at all. Helen was right.’

There were with Raymond and Lisa.

I have created good ground for all kinds of gossip. And I almost vomited in front of all these nobles.

It was too embarrassing.

And why did Raymond come here anyway?

Was his love for Lisa so deep that he forgot about the imperial dignity?

What if I regret what has already happened?

But everything didn’t matter, because I’m leaving.

Nothing else makes sense as long as the child is safe. People will forget all the gossip sooner or later.

When I approached the Duke’s carriage with these thoughts, I suddenly remembered those bright amber eyes and stopped.

“…Who the hell was this man?”

Even if I forget about everything, I couldn’t forget this person as easily.

Thanks to his help, I have already twice escaped the shame of being ‘an unfortunate woman abandoned by the emperor’.

But his last words were more memorable.

So I know you…

The first time I met with him in my memory was yesterday in front of the salon.

He made a mistake, or… Do you remember something that I don’t know about?

I would never have forgotten a person with such an aura around…

“Ellie.”

As I plunged into my thoughts, a voice rang out from behind.