CH 85

I whispered to him exactly so that the words reached only his ears.

And then he shifted his gaze to Lisa.

He closed his eyes and immediately opened them, as if bringing his emotions back under control.

“Your injury still needs care. You can’t walk like this.”

Raymond stroked the prince’s head. It was not a touch of love, but it was gentle nonetheless.

When I saw this, I remembered Carlisle’s face and felt somehow strange.

“But now everything is okay. My mother said that the Emperor was worried when he heard about that incident.”

Raymond’s eyebrows rose slightly.

Something he didn’t remember from himself such a reaction.

“If I had known in advance that His Majesty would arrive at the party, I would have came with you, I’m very sorry.”

Lisa came up to us and said.

“But you have worked so hard in recent days that you couldn’t even sleep normally. How can you go out in this state…? I’m afraid it’s bad for your health.”

She was now talking to the Emperor, holding the prince’s hand as if I weren’t there at all.

In addition, her words sounded like a loving wife was worried about her husband.

Was their relationship so strong?

There was tenderness in Lisa’s gaze.

Suddenly I wondered what kind of eyes Raymond would look at Lisa, but he didn’t turn to her at all.

However, whatever their connection, I shouldn’t appear in that circus.

Although I still wondered if she was really worried about Raymond?

This family of three looked so unreliable that it would be no surprise to hear about the breakup at any moment.

Raymond shielded Lisa by snapping back at her.

“Don’t talk nonsense. And you have nothing to think for me. You’d better keep looking after the prince,” said Raymond, taking away the hand that stroked the prince’s head.

The voice was muffled, but that only made it colder.

Raymond’s dark eyes showed no feeling towards Lisa.

It was like I was marking the line between them.

As if in embarrassment, Lisa’s lips trembled.

But soon she put on a slight smile and began again:

“His Majesty is so zealous for the heir, so I should just take this as an example. I will do everything to become the same parent as His Majesty.”

Lisa bowed her head to Raymond.

In an instant, she turned Raymond into a dad who is very worried about the good of the prince.

I saw Raymond staring at Lisa with empty eyes without feeling.

If this detail had escaped me, I would have been as astonished as the other nobility at Raymond’s paternal instincts.

But I distinctly felt the cold.

What Raymond said to Lisa was nothing more than a warning not to cross the line. And his concern for the prince was not genuine.

And even if I felt it, really our cunning Lisa didn’t heed it?

Lisa perfectly understood the hint and deliberately distorted Raymond’s words.

So that she doesn’t find herself at a disadvantage.

“Enough.”

Raymond looked at Lisa coldly, but didn’t say a word again.

Countless pairs of eyes were fixated on them now, and they just couldn’t keep up.

I don’t know which cat ran between them in recent years, but it seemed that neither Lisa nor Raymond had feelings for each other anymore.

In the midst of this awkward atmosphere, my father appeared.

“I didn’t know that His Highness would visit us. It is a great honor to host you.”

“I have not been to your banquet hall yet, but it is really gorgeous. No worse than ours at the palace,” the prince expressed his admiration.

“Everyone was really worried that the Duke would never return to the Imperial Palace, but I’m glad you were called innocent. I knew from the beginning that the Duke wouldn’t do wrong. Bad people, who slandered the Duke, we will punish them all.”

The prince laughed merrily, but the adults around him weren’t laughing.

A momentary confusion ran over my father’s face, and although it was only for an instant, I saw Lisa’s soft face flutter slightly.

It was none other than Marquis Sios who endangered Duke Croft, and it was Marquis Sios and Lisa who were to be punished by the Prince.

When her son said that, it seemed she couldn’t hide her embarrassment at the moment.

At this time, the father smiled, apparently in order to defuse the tense atmosphere.

“Thank you for taking care of our family, Your Highness.”

My father naturally turned to Raymond and spoke to him:

“Your Majesty, thank you for your visit. If you had told me in advance, I would have met you at the gate, I beg your pardon.”

“I came suddenly, you have nothing to apologize.”

Raymond turned to me again.

He looked at me with a completely different look than when he listened to Lisa’s chatter.

“The main character of this evening is Lady Croft. How could I not come? Lady Croft, I sincerely welcome your return to the Empire.”

His deep voice sounded calm at the party. In these eyes, which didn’t leave me, I saw a hint of tenderness. Something stuck in my throat.

I forcibly spat out the duty words to him:

“Thank you, sire,” I said, avoiding his gaze.

“Ellie, it looks like all the guests are here. Then let’s get started.”

At the words of my father, I turned to the open doors.

Jeremy.

Won’t you come?

I was sorry, but if you think about it…

If Jeremy and Raymond suddenly meet…

Even the thought ran a cold sweat down my spine.

“Ellie, are we waiting for someone?”

“No, we’re not.”

When I turned around, Raymond’s eyes met mine.

Are you suspecting something?

I went to the center of the hall with my father, pretending not to see his strange look.

The nobles gathered around, and my father spoke:

“I would like to express my gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have come to welcome my daughter’s return.”

My father looked at me.

“It’s been a long time since Croft’s house hosted the party, so I hope everyone has a great time. Thanks.”

Soft music poured. Here and there the clink of glasses was heard.

People gathered in groups to share their stories.

In particular, the nobles all flocked to the Emperor and the prince.

Raymond didn’t take his tenacious eyes off me.

There were so many people, but when I stood there under his gaze, it seemed to me that we were the only ones left in this large space.

And it was inconvenient.

“I’ll go and cover you.”

“Yeah.”

My father went to Raymond. I went where his gaze didn’t reach me.

At the table with light snacks and desserts, the nobility gathered.

And Rosaleen was sitting among them.

Since the conversation was in full swing, curious details reached me when I approached.

Among all the talk, Vistein’s gloomy voice cut my ears the most.

“Isn’t that so strange? Celine was just a couple of days ago in a shabby dress, now in the very splendor… Oh, so her! Where does the Marquis get the money?”

A young lady in a yellow dress replied:

“Her father is the commander of the garrison? It’s difficult to get news from the northern lands. How to know where he’s using his power?”

“Captain of the garrison, how many knights he can have at hand…”

This was an open accusation of abuse of power by the Marquis Celine.

“My father is not like that.”

Rosaleen’s voice was full of anger.

I took a step forward and wanted to express what they deserved, but froze at the last moment.

Vistein’s voice was heard again:

“Oh, then maybe there’s a new man in Celine’s house? While His Excellency Marquis served in distant lands… Isn’t that great?”