CMI 09

Chapter 09

Pull Yourself  Together

Odette had slipped because she had hurriedly stood up without paying attention and stepped on shards of a broken teacup.

She had been so flustered that she didn’t even realize it until a beat later.

Truly, this was the worst.

Not only had she become the laughingstock in Walter and Regina’s love story, but she couldn’t even escape properly after breaking the teacup—she ended up falling flat.

Unconsciously, Odette squeezed her eyes shut.

Yet no matter how long she waited, she didn’t feel the cold floor.

Instead, a warm embrace wrapped around her completely.

Someone had caught her from behind.

“Pull yourself together.”

A low voice whispered in her ear.

Arrogant, or perhaps tender.

“You wouldn’t want to show yourself in such a mess in front of the worst man, would you?”

Even without opening her eyes, she knew who it was. The person with this cold voice yet a warm presence.

Walter… Duke Ertman.

She hadn’t realized it in her flustered state, but recalling it vaguely, she remembered Walter had stood up the moment the teacup broke.

He likes Regina…

Why was he doing this to her?

Pity? Or chivalry?

Either way, she didn’t like it.

As this thought struck her, the warmth that had felt so comforting became suffocating, and Odette tried to push Walter away.

No—she tried to.

“Ugh…!”

Immediately, a terrible pain shot through her ankle, and she staggered again.

It seemed she had twisted it slightly while falling.

Walter must have noticed as well because he let out a soft sigh and picked Odette up in his arms.

“…!”

“It seems Her Highness the Fourth Princess has injured her foot. Since I failed to properly support you, I will escort you to the palace myself. Your Majesty the Empress, please forgive my leaving without waiting for your response.”

As if this was the last of his patience, he didn’t wait for Katarina’s reply and left the tea party hall.

Left behind were Katarina, Regina, and the others.

The murmuring that had momentarily subsided began to spread even louder.

“Duke Ertman carried the Fourth Princess himself…”

“If that’s the case, we can’t be certain he’s interested in the Third Princess anymore.”

“Come to think of it, Duke Ertman did admit to having a secret meeting with the Fourth Princess.”

“True, and she really is a remarkable beauty…”

If Regina had a flashy, flower-like beauty, Odette possessed a pure, swan-like elegance.

The Fourth Princess, who had long stayed out of the public eye, was surprisingly beautiful and carried herself with the dignity expected of royalty. This won her favor with the people.

Moreover, the moment Walter had caught Odette as she was about to fall…

Ridiculously, the pair looked so well-matched that one could easily think of them as a couple.

It was the perfect, scandalous scene for gossip-hungry people.

The public, who had been sure Walter was interested in Regina, now leaned toward Odette.

Hearing people talk about the “Fourth Princess” from all around, Regina’s face twisted with uncontrollable displeasure.

She was furious that the attention, which had been on her, now shifted—and it was Odette who was the cause.

Odette… that insufferable girl…!

Most had probably missed it, but Regina had seen the moment Odette dropped the teacup.

Her slow, awkward movements.

She did it on purpose. Walter clearly has feelings for me, so that girl is trying to seduce him!!

Odette’s actions were infuriating enough, but Walter picking her up and carrying her out was even more frustrating.

Even if he had impeccable manners, he could have been reasonable. Yet he carried her out?

Regina had been thrilled by what she thought was Walter’s bold confession toward her, so this twist was especially painful.

Regina turned her anger toward Katarina, who should have been on her side.

“Mother! You saw that, didn’t you? Odette—how dare she flirt so blatantly like that! Are we just supposed to let it happen?”

“Then should I follow Duke Ertman and slap her?”

“Mother!”

“Silence! Don’t be so reckless.”

But Katarina’s response was unusually cold.

Katarina was the only one who knew the truth here.

Walter had come to see Odette, and Katarina, making excuses, had pushed Regina toward him instead.

At the time, she had intended to manipulate public opinion using Ertman’s name.

• As you know, unauthorized relationships often lead to unintended accidents.

The moment she said this, Walter’s gaze fixed on Katarina.

An unauthorized relationship. An unintended accident.

Katarina knew he was blatantly targeting her with those words.

This situation just got more troublesome.

Katarina’s brow furrowed slightly.

She had originally considered Walter a temporary pawn to use and discard.

By stirring up public opinion with Regina, she could withdraw if the Emperor showed displeasure.

But now I can’t back out.

In one move, he had created a rivalry between the Third and Fourth Princesses.

A rivalry even the Emperor could not interfere with.

If it became known that Walter’s interest was in the Fourth Princess…

It would be a total disgrace.

Especially since it had been Katarina’s idea to start rumors connecting Walter and Regina.

Did that mean Walter Ertman had planned all of this from the beginning?

Katarina’s face twisted slowly—too subtly to frown, so it looked like a smile.

“…It can’t be helped now. Let’s go. There’s nothing good to hear by staying here.”

Katarina stood, followed by Regina.

A shadow walking ahead spoke coldly to the shadow following her through the quiet corridor.

“Regina. If this humiliates you, His Majesty will not only be displeased with me but also with your brother.”

That would make it even harder for Blake to push Cedric aside and become Crown Prince.

“That must not happen, right? Especially since it’s my daughter.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ve let you do as you please until now, but if it won’t help your brother, do not stand in the way. I won’t forgive it then.”

Katarina’s cold warning left Regina with one clear directive:

No matter what, you must not let Odette steal Duke Ertman from you…

Regina’s hand trembled with indignation. A maid trailing behind spoke, worried.

“Your Highness… are you all right?”

“Do I look all right right now?!”

Regina shouted and then took several breaths to calm herself, speaking in a steadier voice.

“Call Count Xavier. Odette—that girl must be warned what happens if she oversteps.”

The worst. Truly the worst.

It was as bad as the day she had accidentally eaten a cookie filled with dirt during a tea party and then spilled mop water on herself.

Why her foot slipped here, and why it had to twist as well…

And why of all people, was it Walter Ertman who helped me?

If it had been anyone else, she could have felt embarrassed but genuinely grateful.

Instead, she was now in the arms of the man she had sworn never to see again.

Odette squeezed her eyes shut and then spoke.

“…What exactly do you want by doing this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even if you didn’t do this, Regina already likes you. You don’t have to make her jealous using me.”

Walter didn’t answer immediately.

When she slightly opened her eyes, she caught him rolling his eyes upward as if exasperated.

Of course, he quickly lowered them again, forcing her to blink.

“I have no interest in the Third Princess. I don’t care what she thinks.”

“Liar.”

“Do you think I gain anything by lying to a princess? I’m the one who proposed to you.”

Proposal.

The word made Odette’s tightly shut eyes snap open.

Their gaze met immediately.

“Now you finally want to open your eyes?”

“…Did you do that on purpose, just to make me look at you?”

“Opportunities to see a princess’s eyes up close are rare. If you keep them closed like a clam, it’s a shame. Is that so wrong?”

Walter asked with a faint smile.

His handsome face, relaxed into a gentle curve, was irresistibly charming, leaving Odette momentarily speechless.

“…Duke, how many people have you said that to?”

“That kind of thing?”

“The ‘it’s a shame’ comment.”

And smiling so charmingly afterward.

“You’re the only one.”

“Of course I am.”

Odette chuckled.

The moment she saw that smile, she was certain:

This man is a pro.

He surely knew exactly how to appear seductive.

With his looks, it wasn’t even difficult.

If someone else had experienced this, they would have thought he had feelings for them.

Even Odette, who had locked her heart tightly, was confused.

Others would be even more so.

Since he had proposed out of the blue, they would constantly wonder, Does he…?

But Odette was different.

She had already been outmaneuvered by a master.

She could tell Walter was intentionally trying to tempt her.

Realizing this made her very irritated.

“Just be honest. You want to marry the Third Princess, but since the Emperor would oppose it, you’re using someone easy like me to get around him, right?”

Walter raised an eyebrow at her accusation.

“…I don’t know why you keep thinking that, but I have never lied.”

“A common excuse from a liar.”

“Did I not say from the beginning that I want you?”

“And I said from the start that you’re the worst.”

That thought had faded slightly over the past few days, only to return sharply just now.

The moment she guessed why he was trying to tempt her.

“No matter what you do, I will never love you.”

She was about to tell him to stop involving her unnecessarily when Walter’s hand tightened, and a firm voice flowed out.

“…Is that because you love Louis Clovis?”