Chapter 24
After Adrian left, Charlotte, who remained in the sitting room watching Laurencia, spoke with eyes shining.
“Lady Laurencia, if there’s anything you need, please tell me. I’ll support you in any way I can.”
Charlotte liked Laurencia. And unlike most nobles, she didn’t bother hiding it — her expression showed it clearly, just like Taishar’s did.
“Then… while I’m staying in the imperial palace, I’d like to study — I mean, I want to learn to read and write properly, Princess Charlotte.”
Laurencia had learned letters and numbers from her mother when she was young, but after her mother passed away, she hadn’t had the chance to continue her studies. Speaking and understanding people wasn’t an issue, but there were still many words she didn’t know.
It embarrassed her, but she put that shame aside and spoke honestly — because this was her chance to finally learn what she’d long missed.
“I learned the basics from my mother. But after she died, I never got to study properly.”
“Lady Laurencia, I’ll teach you myself,” said Taishar, who had been standing nearby.
Laurencia turned her gaze toward him.
“You, Marquis Spencer, will teach me?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
Laurencia tilted her head. From the very beginning, she had felt that Taishar was like Leo — desperate to stay near her no matter what.
“Lady Laurencia!” Charlotte suddenly called out, somewhat urgently.
“Yes, Princess Charlotte?”
“I’ll be the one to teach you.”
“But, Princess, aren’t you busy with your crown princess training? I wouldn’t want to take away from your duties.”
“I will be teaching Lady Laurencia.”
“No, I will.”
As Laurencia watched Charlotte and Taishar arguing over her, she felt a strange, unfamiliar emotion welling up in her chest. It wasn’t the same kind of embarrassment she’d felt when admitting she wanted to learn to read. It was something different — something that made her heart tingle in a strange but not unpleasant way.
“Since the princess is busy with crown princess lessons, I’ll take charge of teaching her,” Taishar said firmly, his expression hardening as though to tell Charlotte to back down.
But Charlotte was not one to yield so easily.
“Then let’s have Laurencia decide who she’d rather learn from.”
Both of them turned to look at Laurencia, who appeared a bit flustered.
Just then, someone knocked at the door.
“What is it?” Charlotte asked.
“Your Highness,” came the servant’s voice from outside. “Lady Ilina of House Heredian is here to see you.”
Charlotte instructed them to open the door, and Ilina stepped inside.
When Ilina hurried back to her family’s mansion after the empress’s tea party ended, she found that Taishar had already left with Laurencia.
Luanse, upon hearing the news, was furious.
“I can’t believe you let her go without bringing her back to the count’s estate!”
Not wanting to earn Luanse’s hatred, Ilina rushed straight to the imperial palace. Normally, she would have sent a letter first to request a meeting, but she claimed she had come out of worry for Laurencia — and everyone, taking pity on her, kindly directed her to Princess Charlotte’s private parlor, where Laurencia was said to be with Taishar.
“Greetings, Princess Charlotte. I am Ilina of House Heredian.”
After giving a polite curtsy, Ilina looked at Laurencia — who sat comfortably on the sofa, wearing a lovely lilac dress, smiling as she ate delicious pastries. The sight made irritation boil up inside her.
Especially because Taishar was sitting right beside Laurencia, leaning close to gently wipe her lips with a handkerchief, or cutting cake for her and serving it onto her plate himself.
“Ah, Lady Ilina — the kind sister who takes such good care of her poor older sister. I thought you might come out of worry.”
“Yes. I came because there are some private matters I need to discuss with my sister.”
“Private matters…”
Charlotte remembered what Laurencia had said earlier — that Ilina would probably come for her, and when that happened, she wanted to speak with her alone.
Just in case, Charlotte had already instructed the palace staff to bring Ilina straight to her parlor if she arrived. But she hadn’t truly expected it to happen — and neither had Taishar.
Charlotte’s curiosity about Laurencia only grew.
“Yes, it’s a family matter…” Ilina added carefully.
Charlotte glanced at Laurencia, then nodded and rang a bell to summon a maid.
“Show these two to a room where they can talk privately.”
A maid led Laurencia and Ilina to another reception room. When she opened the door, Laurencia entered first and leisurely looked around.
The room was decorated with cream-colored wallpaper, furniture without gaudy ornaments, and a deep brown table with fine carvings. Heavy burgundy curtains matched the interior perfectly.
When Ilina stepped inside, the maid quietly closed the door — leaving the two sisters alone.
Ilina immediately let out a long sigh.
“Laurencia. Are you insane?”
“Ilina, that tone of yours worries me as your sister.”
“What?”
“I just think a well-mannered noble lady should choose her words more carefully.”
Laurencia said this while gazing at her reflection in the mirror.
“Tell the princess that you’re returning to the mansion immediately.”
“Ilina, I don’t want to go back.”
“What did you just say? You don’t want to go back?”
“Princess Charlotte and Her Majesty the Empress have both told me to stay here in the palace for now. I must obey their orders.”
“You’ll tell them you’re leaving now! Be stubborn about it!”
“No.”
“If you go back later, you’ll get beaten even worse than last time! Is that what you want?”
“Those kinds of threats don’t work on me anymore, Ilina.”
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Ilina glared at Laurencia with murderous eyes.
“Honestly, would it really matter if one bastard child just disappeared?”
Laurencia smiled faintly at Ilina’s trembling fury.
“If I vanished right after meeting you, wouldn’t that cause you trouble, Ilina?”
“Is that something to joke about? How can you smile right now?”
Ilina grabbed Laurencia by the collar, shaking with anger.
“I asked if you can still smile! Answer me!”
Laurencia’s lips curled higher as she looked up at Ilina, as if amused.
“What’s wrong? Do you think staying in the palace makes me someone important now?”
Laurencia smiled even more brightly and nodded.
That was when Ilina’s hand came down — smack! — across Laurencia’s cheek.
Ilina’s fury burned so hot she could barely see straight. The sight of the once-terrified Laurencia daring to look up at her and mock her was unbearable.
“You disgusting monster. It’s because of you that my mother ended up in a convent!”
“So because of me, Madam Anne went to the convent. I suppose that makes you hate me, then.”
“Yes, I hate you — I hate you so much I wish you’d just die!”
“But Ilina… when you say that, I don’t feel any real hatred from you. Do you even know what you’re feeling?”
Laurencia’s calm, taunting tone only enraged Ilina more.
“Do you think shouting insults will make me feel your anger? Please!”
Laurencia suddenly raised her voice, and Ilina instinctively flinched.
“If you’re going to hate me, then do it properly — look at me and really hate me!”
“You’re completely insane.”
Ilina slapped her again — harder this time. The sharp sound echoed through the room, Laurencia’s head snapping to the side, her dress tearing where Ilina still gripped it.
Ilina shoved her to the floor. Laurencia fell but calmly stood up again, her expression unbothered.
That calm — that emptiness — sent a chill up Ilina’s spine. For a moment, it felt like someone was watching her from behind, eyes boring into her.
She turned quickly, but there was no one there — only Laurencia, looking at her coldly.
“How did it come to this, my sister? You don’t even have the innocent cruelty you once had when you killed small animals for fun.”
Laurencia took a step forward. Ilina took a step back. Laurencia advanced again — and Ilina retreated again, until her back hit the wall.
“All I feel from you now is anxiety,” Laurencia said, glancing at Ilina’s trembling hands.
“It worries me, Ilina.”
With a soft, almost affectionate smile, Laurencia reached out and brushed a hand through Ilina’s golden hair. Ilina flinched, her eyes darting toward the hand.
“You’re not already anxious because Prince Luanse has cast you aside… are you?”
“Cast me aside? He told me himself — I will be the crown princess.”
Laurencia’s lips parted — then she began to laugh faintly, almost dreamily.
“To see the same Ilina who once smiled as she killed small creatures now so innocently believing in someone…”
She stopped laughing and looked Ilina straight in the eyes.
“It’s such a strange disconnect.”
Ilina clenched her teeth so hard her jaw ached.
Because of Laurencia, Julie — who had served their household for years — had left. That was fine; servants could be replaced. But Anne was gone too. Now, the count’s mansion was empty, leaving Ilina completely alone.
The loneliness that followed was a kind of torment she had never experienced — one that stripped her of all strength. She had become like a kite with its string cut.
Now, the only people left she could still rely on were her father, Count Brandt… and Prince Luanse.
😶