Chapter 11
The banquet came to a halt.
Jane hurriedly lowered her skirt and curled up in a corner of the terrace. She was dressed like the servants who had attended the banquet.
Rachel felt her chest go cold.
She had read the original story and thought she knew everything about Theodore and Jane, having compared all the details.
But Theodore had exceeded her expectations.
I can’t believe he would use the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet as a secret meeting place.
She thought she wouldn’t be shocked, yet her legs went weak from the surprise. Some unnamed noblewomen nearby supported her as she steadied herself.
“…Theo.”
At Rachel’s quiet voice, the frozen Theodore moved. He hurriedly adjusted his clothes and scanned the crowd to find his wife.
“R-Rachel… this… well… I, uh, somehow got drunk and—”
He had mistaken the gift meant for his mistress as something for his wife, invited his mistress to the hall, and even gazed at her lovingly in front of everyone—but now caught, he seemed flustered.
Or was he just pretending to be flustered because so many people were watching?
Berengela had somehow made her way into the crowd. Too embarrassed to scold Theodore directly, she hid her face behind her fan, standing guard silently.
“…Hello, Jane. We meet again here.”
Rachel’s slightly hoarse voice drew murmurs from the nobles.
Jane, trembling in the terrace corner, raised her head.
“C-Countess…”
“You promised to give me a perfume Theodore liked. At the time, I thought you were ignorant of etiquette. But now it seems you wanted to boast about your relationship with Theodore to me.”
“Ah… I’m really sorry…”
“Sorry? Don’t even say that.”
Jane’s face crumpled.
“You appeared deliberately in front of me and committed such vile acts with my husband at a banquet full of nobles. Did you think you wouldn’t get caught? Or did you secretly hope to be caught?”
As Rachel’s words continued, the surrounding whispers grew louder.
“Count Ellosa knows no shame.”
“Goodness, wearing cufflinks meant as a token of love while doing that with another woman.”
“Absolutely disgusting. And he’s a Count? It shames the nobility.”
“Who is that woman? I’ve never seen a servant from the palace before.”
“Did you forget the Count prepared the banquet?”
“Oh my, are you saying he prepared the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet just to bring that woman? How bold.”
Berengela’s face, visible over her fan, had turned white.
Sian, who had been standing quietly at a distance, now stepped toward Theodore. He held a dining knife in his hand, though it wasn’t clear when he had picked it up.
“Count Theodore Ellosa.”
At Sian’s low voice, Theodore jolted and looked up.
Sian extended the knife toward him.
It felt familiar. The situation reminded Rachel of when Graham had threatened Theodore.
“To use the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet for personal purposes… sacrilegious.”
“A-AH, Your Highness…!”
“The Count must face the consequences for insulting the royal family. The royal household and the council of nobles will carefully decide the punishment. And—”
Sian’s golden eyes flashed as he finished his words quietly. Normally, he would hide such sharpness when around others.
Though he had disguised himself as a guild informant, he was also a royal bloodline. At one point, people had said he suited the throne more than his elder brother Sigar.
Crushed by Sian’s presence, Theodore sank to the floor and tried to slink backward.
“Why are you running away?”
Sian knelt on one knee in front of Theodore. After studying the frightened man for a moment, he raised the knife and struck the floor between Theodore’s legs.
Crash!
“Ahhh!”
Theodore clutched his most sensitive area and fainted. Next to the knife, the pink cufflink rolled across the floor.
Ignoring the unconscious man, Sian picked up the cufflink and rubbed it clean on his own shirt sleeve.
“I told you, I wanted this as well.”
Muttering words the man couldn’t hear, Sian walked with measured steps away from the terrace. He stopped in front of Rachel and extended a hand to cover her eyes.
“Filthy. Don’t look.”
There was no authority or threat in Sian’s whispered voice.
“…Your Highness.”
“Turn around. I’ll escort you to the carriage.”
Rachel felt like a doll obeying orders. Almost reluctantly, she quietly turned.
While everyone’s eyes briefly lingered on Rachel and Sian, Berengela approached Theodore.
“Count! Count! Pull yourself together! Theodore!”
Smack!
The sound of Berengela striking the fainted Theodore’s cheek rang loudly.
What a disaster.
Will I be okay?
I already know everything. Why would I be shocked?
Human emotions aren’t that simple.
Sian had been right. She thought she wouldn’t be shocked, knowing everything—but that was arrogant.
Even a few days is enough. Seeing your husband commit infidelity right before your eyes naturally shocks you.
Her judgment had been short-sighted. It felt worse than expected.
Rachel bit her lips and staggered down the palace corridor.
The corridor was empty.
The scandal of the Count’s affair being exposed at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet had just erupted. The mistress and Count were still trapped on the balcony. The servants had surely rushed to the banquet hall to witness it.
Fortunately, she met no one.
“Madam.”
“Ah!”
Startled by the voice, Rachel’s already racing heart thumped wildly. She momentarily forgot Sian was with her.
“Y-Your Highness.”
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No… it’s fine. I… I was just distracted.”
“I understand.”
“I’m sorry. Even though you warned me I might be startled, this still happened.”
Her voice trembled.
Sian quietly reached out his hand.
Rachel tensed, thinking he might touch her, but he passed by her. Click. He turned a decorative ring, and a hidden door opened where she had thought there was only a wall.
Her ears flushed with embarrassment.
“So there was a door here.”
“The palace has many secret passages. I think we should rest here for a while.”
She wanted to refuse but her legs were trembling.
“…Thank you.”
“I’ll summon a carriage soon. If you need warm tea or anything else, tell me. I’ll take care of it.”
“No. I cannot demand anything from Your Highness. It’s already an honor that you are concerned for me.”
Sian shook his head.
“Of course I am concerned. Half… is my responsibility. For presenting the evidence so dramatically.”
Not wrong.
Rachel staggered to the chair in the sitting room Sian indicated and sank into it. Her tension eased, and she covered her face with both hands.
Calm down. Calm down.
This was what she wanted. Theodore’s affair was exposed—now all that remained was divorce.
Of course, Theodore was not an easy man. She still had to prepare for situations where he denied everything despite being caught, refused to sign divorce papers, and more.
…For now, just rest for one day.
Huuuh. She exhaled deeply, when suddenly something cold touched her cheek. Surprised, she brushed it away. Clang! The sound of metal falling rang out.
Sian, hit by her hand, stepped back.
“…I’m sorry. You didn’t answer when I called, so I applied medicine myself. There was a wound.”
“A wound?”
Only then did the herbal scent register. She realized it was a medicine vial.
She had forgotten to apply medicine to the wound from yesterday’s struggle with Theodore.
Clearing his throat, Sian picked up the vial from the floor.
“The palace keeps medicine in every sitting room. The Crown Prince often gets into trouble, so injuries happen frequently.”
“I see.”
“I’ve been concerned since the first time I saw it. How did a wound like this happen on the Countess’ face?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
She knew visible injuries were a big deal for nobles. But she didn’t want to flaunt the wound caused by conflict with her husband and son. Theodore didn’t need to know, but Graham had to be protected.
Her fingers touched the ointment left on her cheek.
Watching her slow movements, Sian hesitated before asking,
“…Madam. Are you alright?”
“Of course. It’s a minor wound, nothing worth remembering.”
“You mean regarding your husband’s affair?”
“Ah.”
Naturally, she was fine. She already knew and now had irrefutable evidence of his affair.
She wanted to smile brightly, but lacked energy. She forced a faint smile and said,
“I’m fine.”
She was only slightly shocked by the disgusting scene.
As she tried to speak further, Sian pressed a finger to her lips.
