CH 26

To See What People Don’t See

The engagement celebration was magnificent. The ballroom of the Royal Palace was long and spacious, and the hardwood floor was smooth, so it was a great place to dance.

Kyrie Buchanan entered the ballroom with her father. As soon as she entered, people began to gossip like hyenas.

“Finally, the topic of interest has arrived. What is it like?”

“After the engagement with the Royal Family, Count Buchanan was on the rise, but what will happen now…”

Cesar Buchanan acted calmly for his own self-esteem rather than for his daughter. Even so, there were plenty of greetings from all over the place that scratched the Buchanan family.

Cesar was disgusted and disappeared into a group of politicians so he didn’t have to hear the talk. The only one left was Kyrie.

“By the way, Kyrie Buchanan really doesn’t make sense.”

“How did the socialite snow queen come to be like this? If I were her, I wouldn’t have come under the excuse of an illness.”

“You couldn’t help but come. Otherwise, it would become more ridiculous.”

“But she is a great woman. Come to think of it, even when the relationship between the Crown Prince and Rubinia Cassner was a fixed fact, she treated them without a change during the day, right?” (T/N: “Without a change during the day” it means Kyrie wasn’t jealous/angered)

“Very aristocratic. She took her own rice bowl elegantly and without any mistake.” (T/N: Maintained her dignity and cut off her engagement w/o any scene)

Kyrie still ignored the murmurs around her. If she participated, they’d laugh at her, but if she didn’t participate, they’d be better off with confidence.

It wasn’t just the wives and young kids who were talking. Rather, they only made noise and did not touch her directly, but the young men harassed Kyrie more directly.

“Hello, Miss Kyrie Buchanan. I said hello last time, didn’t I?”

A blunt man came up to Kyrie and said hello.

“Lord Alphyros Denverrow. Sure, I still remember talking about pheasant hunting.”

“I thought you would remember it.”

Alphyros Denverro was 16 years older than Kyrie. However, he thought it was worth considering her as a woman. Even though she was a Buchanan, she was also the woman who was dismissed by the Crown Prince and lost in value.

“How are you doing after that?”

“What do you mean that?”

Kyrie said deliberately as if she did not know the English language. Viscount Denverro coughed in vain.

“The breakup with the Crown Prince.”

“Alas. Are you talking about that? I’ve always been fine, and that’s not really a reason to misbehave, Viscount.”

“You are truly resolute. Such an appearance will set fire to the hearts of the men.”

Kyrie was cynical inside.

“There’s a fire in the middle. I hope it rains soon.”

“How are you going to put out the fire burning in the young man’s heart? The greatest joy that man can enjoy is the joy of the fire of love.”

“Because I tend to leave my greatest joy to myself. It’s not someone else’s attitude.”

Viscount Denverro smiled deeply. He glanced at Kyrie’s neckline and breastbone.

“That’s because Miss Buchanan didn’t feel the true pleasure.”

“What did you say?”

“The pleasure of love. Of course, it’s not mental, right?”

He giggled as he exchanged gazes with other men standing around like a folding screen. Overall, it was a very disgusting act.

‘A woman who’s broken off once looks easy. I can’t stand low anymore.’

Kyrie didn’t feel the need to be more polite. She raised her chin arrogantly.

“Well, at least it’s not the Lord of Denverro who’s going to tell me the ‘pleasure’, because the love of men gets really bad when you’re over 29 years old.”

Kyrie deliberately put emphasis on ’29 years old’.

Rumors of him buying aphrodisiacs were famous. Viscount Denverro’s face stiffened. Kyrie simply gave him an innocent look. 

“Did you just insult me?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Isn’t it too obvious an insult to talk about poor behavior at a specific age?”

[T/N: poor behavior = low stamina for intercourse]

“I’m so glad you felt that. It just gave me the greatest joy I could feel.”

“What?”

Viscount Denverro stepped in threateningly. He narrowed his eyes, pushed out his stomach, and smiled meanly.

“Because you are such a proud person, Your Majesty the Crown Prince could not handle it. Of course not.”

That was also the meanest remark he could ever make. Whatever now she says could be tied up as ‘Do you dare insult the royal family?’

Of course, Kyrie wasn’t stupid enough to lead to such a silly provocation.

“I’d appreciate it if you don’t involve His Majesty when you realize that you don’t have the ability to handle me.”

Kyrie glanced up and down at him.

“You can’t handle a woman for even 10 minutes. I guess you have a health problem, right? I hope you find a good medicine.”

“You mean that now…!”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to excuse myself because Viscount Denver finds me a difficult person to handle. Who can handle it…” (T/N: “who can handle it..” she means that she would go to that person who could handle her)

Kyrie turned around. From behind, she could hear the self-criticizing Denverro and some nameless idiots rattling around, but she ignored them.

‘It’s only been 10 minutes? That means we have to do this for another 6 hours. Oh, that’s great. That’s great. Yes.’

It was not surprising that Kyrie had to repeat the same conversation about six times while crossing the ballroom to find a chair to rest in.

Finally, she reached the end of the ballroom. It was far from the band and far from the entrance. It was a place where young men, who had no courage to talk to the Lady Buchanan, gathered.

Someone approached Kyrie who had sat down.

“Kyrie! “

Kyrie turned her head. Laura, with her curly orange hair adorned with peacock feathers, smiled widely at her.

“You were in a place like this?”

“Laura, you’re here?”

“Huh. Am I a little late?”

Laura stood out among the so-called wallflowers. Each of her movements was gorgeous. She looked around without worrying about her surroundings. (T/N: Many readers must have come across the term “wallflower” a term used to compare with the ladies who just stood and performed their duty as the young lady of their respective families)

“Why are you in a place like this? Ah, no, don’t tell me, I have a rough idea.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Who bothered our cutie? Can you write it down later and let me know?”

“What if I tell you? “

“Let me tell you what kind of family FortDucane is!”

“It doesn’t sound like a joke when you say that.”

“I’m not joking!”

Laura laughed. It was a confident smile.

“I’m afraid I’ll just do it for you. Why are they so involved in someone else’s marriage? I’ve been looking for you and I’ve heard your name about 17 times!”

“That’s a good number.”

“What? You cutie. Come here! Stay with me today! Maria said she’ll be a little late because she has to greet the adults.”

“By the way, is Maria going to take over soon? She looks fine.”

“It’s Maria!”

Since Kyrie was with Laura, it felt like the cloudy air was clearing. Laura had the talent to make the people around her feel good thanks to her unique youthfulness.

“So, when is the main character of today coming? Do you know, Kyrie?”

“Wouldn’t they appear soon? They will want to make fun of me.”

“What are you talking about? Today’s main character is not the two, but the Patriotic Lord!”

“Ah, that way.”

Kyrie smiled awkwardly. It was only a few days ago that she met the legendary Patriotic Lord.

“Are you interested in the Patriotic Lord, Laura?”

“I’m not interested in a man whose face no one has seen. It’s just because the Patriotic’s territory is close to the continent, so I wonder if I can open a port!”

It was a businessman’s remark. Laura said that and looked around the main area of the ballroom. She was full of vitality and energy. Kyrie lamented unknowingly.

“I wish I was half as smart as you, Laura.”

Laura’s head stopped moving here and there like a parrot at the helpless voice.

“What are you talking about? Who’s as smart as you?”

“You and Maria are doing their best, and I don’t think I am.”

It wasn’t a story to talk about at the ball, but it felt embarrassing to talk as if there was no one other than ‘the prince’s fiancée’ in all the rooms.

Laura gradually opened her mouth as she heard the story. In the end, she didn’t mind the shaking of her headdress and hugged Kyrie.

“Who the hell made you think that? Oh my gosh!  Kyrie, you have no problem! Your strengths are elsewhere!”

“Is that so?”

‘‘You said I will do my job well because I’m quick on calculating the changes of the dough I bought on the market.”

“That was really your strong point.”

“I didn’t know! I didn’t know! People told me every day that I was an extravagant woman with an empty head!”

“It’s from people who didn’t know you.”

“That’s exactly what I want to say, Kyrie!”

Laura’s eyes sparkled with a serious light. She held Kyrie’s hand tightly regardless of her surroundings.

“That’s your strength. To see what people don’t see… You didn’t know that Maria decided to become the duchess after listening to you, did you?”

Kyrie’s eyes wide open. At that appearance, Laura struck her chest with a fist.

“Maria is better than her brothers, but she’s always been discouraged. You were the one who told me so!”

“That’s because Maria is such a capable person…”

“That is true! At that time, Maria didn’t talk much and wasn’t talking about it? It was you who recognized it, Kyrie. So don’t say that! Anyone who says that, I’ll teach them a lesson!”

“What if that was the Crown Prince?”

“Then I can’t openly do it but I’ll defeat him from behind!”

Laura whispered so that only Kyrie could hear her. The two made eye contact and both giggled.

“Do you know we’re really funny?”

“Yes, it’s funny. “

“I want to stop laughing, so stop saying weird things, cutie!”

“Thanks, Laura. “

Laura smiled. She entered the dancing crowd holding Kyrie’s hand.

“Let’s dance, Kyrie! “

“If the Marquis knew, what wouldn’t he say?”

“My dad hasn’t said anything since I started making money!”

Just in time, a four-member dance that had no distinction between male and female roles began. The two danced between people who didn’t know their faces.

By the time they were exhausted, the protagonist of the ball appeared. It was the Crown Prince Eden Orewinbridge and Rubinia Cassner.