Chapter 24 (1/2)

Hari’s POV

“Ha, really.”

I sighed as soon as I left the Imperial Palace Library.

It was because I had to wander through the spacious library looking for the book I wanted for an hour, but eventually I had to slump and turn around.

Ha, I can’t do this.

Ethan, who captured the frustration on my face, asked in a soft voice.

“Did you not see the book you are looking for?”

“Yes. I was hoping there were the books in the Imperial Palace library.”

“Have you told the librarian?”

“Well, I’m searching by myself.”

Dang, of course not.

No matter how much I can do, I can’t ask the librarian of the Imperial Palace if there is such a book?

The book I want to see is like the one in Erich’s room. It was a red-rated book similar to what I found.

But, anyway, even if there is such a book in the Imperial Palace library, I did not intend to borrow it. Because the loan record will remain.

Hmm, so if I found the book, I tried to come out after reading it a little.

In fact, it was not unfortunate that I would not die because I didn’t have the book, I wanted to search it because I visited the Imperial Palace library before meeting Dice.

But Ethan told me with a serious face.

“If you tell me the title, I’ll get it anyway.”

Coo, cool. Of course, thank you, but that’s not to be said.

I’d rather have a maid or I myself go to the bookstore alone and get the book.

“Thank you for your heart, Ethan.”

I hid my heart and laughed ahaha towards Ethan.

“Hari?”

But then, someone from far away called my name. I turned my head and found a nice person.

“Brother Johan!”

Light blue hair like cotton candy stood out even at a distance. It was Johannes who visited the Imperial Palace for some reason.

“I think you’re on your way to see his highness Dice?”

“Not yet, now I’m on my way to the inner palace.”

As soon as he saw me, he seemed to notice the purpose of my coming to the Imperial Palace.

The reason I first come to the Imperial Palace is almost the only one for Dice.

“What’s brother Johan doing?”

“I’m learning little by little from my father these days.”

Oh, I see.

Johannes is now a graduate from the Academy, so now he was able to learn the work of aristocracy directly from Count Vastia.

Of course, he haven’t entered the front line yet.

In fact, it was not normal for Eugene to lead the house when he was too young, and usually it was to follow the steps to prepare gradually like Johannes.

“I met Miss Cordis a while ago.”

Then suddenly I stopped at the name that came from Johannes’ mouth.

“I’ve responded in moderation as she’s asking you, but I think you’d better not stay close to her.”

What did Johannes say to me about what he had talked to with Lavender Cordis?

He said she asked my best regards, but if she had just said that, Johannes’ reaction would not have been the same now.

“Yes, I will never get close to her. Thanks for worrying.”

By the way, Johannes knew…

What about Ethan? He saw Ethan before and I recalled what Johannes asked.

‘Ethan Bishop… Did he introduce himself like that?’

Well, if I think about some of the people who have seen me and Ethan talking with each other, they’re so tight keeping words that wasn’t even a secret.

In fact, I would have been able to easily hear from Ethan or Eugene if I had tried to figure out something when I sensed discomfort.

“I want to talk a little more, but I don’t think I have time.”

“Yeah, until next time.”

I wanted to walk with Johannes to the garden, but it was impossible as I have a meeting with Dice.

“Hari, I’m always on your side. You know?”

A bright blue light came into my sight. His eyes were straight and clear as always.

“I know. Thanks.”

I was grateful for his heart and smiled.

Probably because of Lavender Cordis, I don’t know how far Johannes knows the conflict between her and me, but I was thankful to him being on my side like this.

We were so young, as we pledged promise back then.

Johannes is going towards the front door of the palace, and I am turning towards Dice’s palace.

We couldn’t take the escort knight to the inside of the palace, so I walked alone in the hallway leading to Dice’s room, guided by the assistant.

Then I found someone coming from the other side and I stopped.

“Miss Rosabella?”

Honey-like blondes and emerald green eyes. An elegant gait that stands out from a distance.

For some reason, Rosabella Velontia was walking out from the place where the room of the Imperial prince Dice was.

She too, after seeing me, paused for a moment.

I hid my surprise and asked her.

“Are you on the way to meet and see His Highness Dice?”

If I think about it, it wasn’t unexpected.

Just as I was invited by Dice to visit the palace, Rosabella could have been the same.

“Yes. I’m on my way to come out after a short chat. I think you’re on your way to His Highness.”

But as far as I know, Dice has met Rosabella first. It was inevitably a little surprising because he had never asked for her first.

What’s more, I knew that the reason was because of Dice’s heart for Rosabella.

“Then, I’ll excuse myself. See you next time, Hari.”

“Yes, until next time.”

I split up with Rosabella and started walking again towards Dice’s room.

My steps were the same as before, but my thoughts were busy passing through in my head.

It was the same thing when I approached Dice’s for visit.

“Lady Hari Ernst has visited.”

“Don’t ask, just come in.”

After Dice’s permission was dropped, the assistant opened the door.

As soon as I entered the room, I encountered a courtman who dragged the tray out.

I glanced at the plates, mugs, and utensils placed on the tray as I passed by the courtman who politely greeted me.

There was a guest here just before.

As I can tell from the fact, the warm steam was still rising in the liquid half filled in the teacup.

Dice, sitting on the chair watched me and then stood up, kicking his tongue.

“The assistant manager is very knowledgeable. Not even once or twice, but if the Lady visited and told me to meet her as soon as she came, the assistant would report like that.”

I walked along him leading me to the table. Then I sat down facing Dice and said to him.

“I just met Miss Rosabella.”

“Okay?”

Dice’s gaze turned to me.

As I stared at him, Dice sat cross-legged in the chair and raised his hand over his knee. He said with an unknown facial expression.

“Well, from now on, I’m going to take a look at the Lady.”

“What do you mean…?”

As soon as I heard Dice, I became confused.

No, what is this suddenly? What does he mean by imitating me? Suddenly, the flames were smeared, and he just blame it? I guess so…?

“Yes, don’t think too deeply. Should we talk about it more than that?”

Dice turned to me. It was an expression of a powerful ruler who was no longer willing to talk about Rosabella.

I was still confused, but he started to tell another story right away.

I couldn’t ask more about Rosabella.

There was a clear boundary between the crown prince and one young lady, no matter how much I was allowed to ask sometimes, as I was Dice’s companion and his friend.

So if Dice refused and cut the conversation like it is now, I couldn’t even dig this over.

Dice then treated me in the same way as usual, but I didn’t know when the stiffness in my heart would go.

*******

“Hey.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

And over time, when I got up, suddenly Dice called me. And what he said was what I could not understand in this language.

“I might surprise the Lady, but I apologize in advance.”

In his mysterious glance, he laughed with a face that looked somewhat ugly.

“So I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you the details.”

Then Dice seems to have said something suspicious to me again.

I saw him off.

Again, I had no choice but to exit the palace with my head being complicated.

And after a while I found out what was the reason Dice said that.

Surprisingly, Eugene and Rosabella had a breakup. I lost words to say in the unexpected news.

After about two years of engagement, the two ended and the two declared a breakup.

The reason was simple.

They both think each other as a good marriage partner, but because of their disqualification, they are no longer connected.

It was judged that the engagement could not be continued.

However, there was still more surprising news.

Soon afterward, I was shocked to be hit by the imperial announcement of the imperial palace known throughout Arlanta.

That was the news of the engagement of His Highness Dice and Rosabella Velontia.

“Miss Ernst, did you follow Sir Cabel today?”

“Are you planning on holding a dinner party in Ernst soon?”

“Please visit with your older brothers during this picnic!”

Inside the banquet hall, I was busy dealing with people approaching me.

Compared to the usual, today, the number of young ladies was significantly higher than those of young lords who approached me.

Perhaps it was because of Eugene.

After the breakup with Rosabella, Ernst’s fiancée position was now vacant.

‘Have you heard the news?’

It is in spring that Eugene and Rosabella engagement’s broken.

However, as soon as the season changed and it became summer, the news of the engagement of His Highness Dice spread.

Upon hearing it, I was surprised and went to find Eugene.

‘Are you okay?’

‘There is no reason not to be okay.’

However, Eugene met me with a calm face.

‘She and I are already decided. So it doesn’t matter who she is engaged to after that.’

Of course it was like that.

Eugene’s words and Dice and Rosabella’s engagement had nothing strange in their order of mind.

Although the breakdown of Eugene and Rosabella made Arlanta a noisy one, it wasn’t because the reason for the breakdown was that there was a disqualification on either side.

So it wouldn’t be a problem.

In addition, both Eugene and Rosabella were characters who seemed to have no defects, no matter how much they tried to tear them off, and even after the breakup, they acted implicitly and externally with each other, and the unfounded rumors circulated for some time gradually subsided.

However, I continued to worry about Eugene’s breakup and Dice’s engagement.

Isn’t this what I’ve never been through?

Besides, Dice said that he decided to imitate me.

Even if it was an expression of the will to live a life just like I want to do from now on…

In case I am unintentionally doing this, suspicion was raised as to whether or not my change affected the extent.

“Isn’t there any woman whom Duke Ernst meets separately yet….?”

Anyway, for that reason, the nobles who approached and talked to me with a heart of ignorance were throbbing.

Since the breakup with Eugene, I have never met Rosabella. Therefore, it was the last time I met in her in Dice’s palace.

Of course, I don’t know if either side asked me to meet her first, but neither did I or Rosabella done it.

It is also because the relationship between ‘brother’s ex-fiancee’ and ‘sister of the fiancé who annuled had an ambiguous corner.

I guess I was wondering if Rosabella was probably the same as hesitating as me in her mind.

After Eugene’s breakup, I was forced to avoid going out because of the successive days of the flock of nobles like today.

So I never happened to encounter Rosabella in another place.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I managed to get out of my place by dealing with people alone with a smile.

No, but why isn’t the second brother coming here? Does he take drinks by going to the kitchen?

At the banquet today, I had Cabel as my partner.

However, I was not excited to return to the second brother while he was excited by my request for some drinks.

“Miss Ernst! You attended the banquet today!”

“Hello, Miss Ped. Nice to see you after a long time.”

As it was a banquet that I attended, there were many people whom I saw their faces after a long time.

I haha hoho laughed and greeted the nice people.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“Hey!”

But after a while, isn’t Cabel’s voice heard from my behind?

The voice felt so close that I felt it was next to me, so I turned my head in the direction I heard it.

And then I opened my eyes wide to the sight that came into my view.

“What, what’s going on?”

No, why does Cabel hold Lavender Cordis’ arms?

But in the words of the following Cabel, I noticed the approximate situation.

“No, I think I’m trying to sprinkle this woman on you now.”

So, Lavender Cordis approached me without any sound or word, and tried to spray the champagne I’m holding in my hand, right?

Of course, she denied Cabel’s words. I wonder if her arm held by him is sore.

Lavender Cordis, who was craving for her released, laughed naturally.

“Hoho…! I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just glad Miss Ernst came and want to say hello.”

It looked pretty natural, but I was not deceived. Of course. Where are we supposed to welcome each other?

“No, I was afraid of the angle of the wrist.”

Lavender Cordis’s excuse was aroused as Cabel persistently walked over and drag her.

She grabbed her wrist as if she was letting go, but Cabel pulled her strength from her strong hand. It did not budge.

“Don’t do it, let her go.”

“Okay.”

But as soon as I said, Cabel released the arm of Lavender Cordis very easily. Oh, oh, my second brother is really good.

“I brought something to drink! Do you like this?”

“Thanks. That’s my older brother.”