The next day, the entire Britt was in shock.
“Tennis Queen Olivia Blanchet Declares War on Princess Anneblyn”
Before the Britt royal family could do anything, the unfortunate news quickly spread across the entire continent. Considering that the island nation of Britt was not connected to the continent by a telegraph system, the ripple effect was as if someone had prepared and simultaneously released the news to the press in each country.
So, Cecil’s wish that Anneblyn would not know about this incident, which the whole world had come to know, was a futile one.
Anneblyn’s hands, clutching the corner of the newspaper, were trembling slightly.
It seemed that a clumsy maid had failed to properly handle the newspaper that had been hidden all along, fearing the shock it would bring to the princess who had been discharged from the Royal Hospital and was staying at the West Palace two days ago.
Cecil watched the princess reading the newspaper article, fearing she might collapse again.
“So she can do things like this, too. How dare she.”
Cecil, who had expected a huge fuss, was a little flustered. Anneblyn’s reaction was calm as she folded the newspaper and put it down.
Anneblyn slightly lifted her glass with her well-manicured nails.
The insignificant thing had quite some guts.
She thought she understood what aspect of her had caught Edgar’s attention.
Olivia Blanchet had a naive face but was impertinent and bold. That contrast must have captivated men.
But it seemed that even that charm was only good for two months with Edgar. Just like his other lovers.
Anneblyn tilted her glass. The sound of transparent ice cubes clinking against the crystal glass shattered brightly in the midday sun. Between the sounds, a voice announcing the crown prince’s visit was heard from outside the door.
Despite the bright morning sunlight, a strong smell of alcohol filled the lady’s bedroom. Alex frowned and commanded in a low voice, “Clean all this up, Cecil.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Leave them.”
“Anne.”
As Cecil hesitated between the conflicting orders, Anneblyn poured alcohol into the empty glass again. Alex looked down at his sister, who was now quite like a drunkard, with a sense of despair.
A while ago, Alex had summoned Duke Lancelot regarding the matter of Edgar and Grand Justiciar Carlos.
‘I heard he bribed the judges. And that he intends to put Anneblyn on trial.’
‘…’
‘Make it go away quietly, Duke. I don’t want this to reach His Majesty the King either.’
The Duke looked quite troubled but showed his unwavering loyalty by proving he would disown his son and expel him from the family. It was a natural outcome, as Alex was determined to thwart Edgar’s disrespectful plan, even if it meant charging the Duke of Lancelot’s family with treason.
He thought it would just pass by quietly.
But who would have thought it would explode like this?
Frustrated, Alex let out a long sigh and sat opposite Anneblyn.
“Want a drink?”
“I’m thinking of meeting Ms. Blanchet.”
“…”
His first thought was to persuade her to withdraw the lawsuit. In a situation where there was so much public attention, this was the most natural solution.
If Anneblyn were to stand in court, it would be no different from the Britt royal family standing trial. In an era of upheaval where the royal family’s existence depended on the support of the people, they had to prevent Anneblyn’s wrongdoings from being revealed to the world. They couldn’t let the backlash spread to the entire royal family and fall together.
“First, I’ll meet her and-”
“No. Don’t do that, Brother. You’ll only make yourself look ridiculous.”
Anneblyn cut him off firmly. The sound of water from the Grand Fountain carried on the breeze from beyond the open window.
Anneblyn watched the grand fountain, where the foam was breaking refreshingly, for a moment before she spoke.
“No royal has ever been summoned to court. It’s an unprecedented event. So what are you worried about? We have Grand Justiciar Nigel.”
“Grand Justiciar Carlos was also bribed. If we hadn’t had the information, we would have been caught completely off guard.”
“They can’t easily put a royal in court. You know that, Alex. Besides, a commoner like Carlos and an old noble of Londos have different loyalties.”
“No one is without a weakness, Anne.”
“If Grand Justiciar Nigel has a weakness, it’s that he’s pathologically incorruptible.”
Anneblyn looked at Alex with a relaxed smile.
“Grand Justiciar Nigel is a pro-royalist and is close to Father, so he’ll never allow it to pass. You know him better than I do, Brother.”
The head of the Britt Supreme Court, the Grand Justiciar. That honorable position, which is appointed by the King from among the noble-born judges and approved by the Parliament, is given a powerful authority to overturn a vote.
Even if the request to summon a royal to court is passed by a majority vote of the twelve judges, the Grand Justiciar’s power can overturn the decision.
That was the reason why there had never been a single royal on trial in the history of Britt.
“So, don’t worry and have a drink, Brother.”
Anneblyn pulled up her lips and pushed the glass toward him. The amber liquid shimmered inside the transparent glass.
To dare to sue the Princess of Britt in the land of Britt.
Olivia Blanchet, after becoming the queen, was foolishly holding the gun upside down and pulling the trigger.
How stupid.
It was so pathetic it was almost tear-inducing.
Clink. The brandy that went down her throat with a sound felt incredibly sweet.
The doorbell rang.
Olivia, who was struggling with unfamiliar kitchen tasks in Anne’s place, cautiously approached the front door.
“…Who is it?”
“It’s me, Olivia.”
Olivia, who was nervous that it might be reporters, was relieved and happily opened the front door when she heard a familiar voice from behind the door.
“You’re here, Coach.”
Russell Junior was standing beyond the open door.
He looked at Olivia with an awkward expression for a moment, then hesitated and slowly moved aside.
“…”
Olivia’s brightly smiling expression instantly hardened.
Johann Leopold was standing there.
In the clear morning sunlight of early autumn, their eyes met, and she was left defenseless.
His deep, calm eyes under the shadow of his silk hat looked down at her and said in a low voice, “You couldn’t go far, could you?”
Heat rose to Olivia’s cheeks as she stared at Johann in a daze.
His perfectly tailored jet-black suit made the lean man’s body stand out even more. The sleek jacket, which was casually draped over his shoulder, gently fluttered as the man walked up the entrance stairs with a confident stride.
He calmly passed by the flustered Olivia and entered the house.
Russell Junior mouthed something to the dazed Olivia.
‘I’m sorry, Olivia.’ And then he quickly said goodbye.
“I’ll be going now.”
“You can’t just leave like this…”
What about this man? Russell Junior, who deliberately avoided her pleading gaze, apologized once again.
“I’m really sorry for not keeping my promise. I’ll definitely keep it a secret from Edgar, Olivia. See you later, then.”
Russell Junior slightly raised and lowered his gentleman’s hat and hurried into the carriage. His flustered manner was almost the speed of someone fleeing.
Olivia, feeling lost, stood there until the Dixon family’s carriage became a dot and disappeared at the end of the main street.
‘Wait.’
A low voice on the cool breeze that had crossed the threshold of autumn brushed past her ears.
Johann, who was sitting deep in the sofa backrest, slowly took off his hat and placed it on the table.
The transparent sunlight from the window gathered in his grey-blue eyes, which were like a cloudy sky. Johann looked at Olivia with an unreadable gaze.
She felt uneasy, wondering why he was looking at her like that.
The clear sound of the crystal chandelier, gently swaying and clinking in the breeze, occasionally broke the silence between the two.
“How many are there?”
Olivia, who was momentarily lost in thought, raised her downcast eyes and looked at him.
The man, who had beautifully broken her expectation that he would question her about leaving on her own, slightly raised his eyebrows and asked an absurd question.
“The men I need to know about.”
“…”
Olivia figured out the meaning of his question, frowned, and said, “Mr. Dixon is my coach. I’m just staying with him for a while.”
The aftermath of the press conference made Olivia’s predicament even more difficult. It took two hours just to get her carriage out of Golden Avenue. The problem was what happened next. The reporters started chasing her carriage like wild dogs.
‘There’s a suitable place on Royal Park Street. Let’s go there for now.’
Russell Junior, who had shaken off the carriages, guided Olivia to the Dixon family’s townhouse. It was empty since the family had returned to Lakewood after the social season ended.
Olivia, who was in no position to be picky, decided to stay there until the trial was over.
She didn’t expect this man to barge in less than a day after she moved in.
It was inevitable that a long sigh escaped her.
Anne brought tea. The fresh breeze from Royal Park mixed with the subtle scent of black tea. Olivia let her gaze, which had nowhere to go, fall onto the teacup.
“I think I told you to wait.”
Johann raised his gloved hand and held the teacup.
Due to his large hands, the unusually white teacup looked like a toy.
The moment her gaze went to his fingers that completely filled the handle, Olivia’s neck felt hot. The shocking sensation of his lips forcing their way in came back vividly, and the fine hairs on her body stood on end. At that moment, their eyes met, and she felt flustered.
“Because there was no reason to wait. Why did you come here?”
Olivia tried to compose her expression and spoke a little coldly.
“The lawsuit has been officially accepted.”
He took a sip of tea, then placed the teacup silently on the saucer and replied.
Olivia nodded silently. As it was a case that had garnered a lot of attention, the lawsuit would be formally accepted. The problem was…
“Will it be… indicted?”
Olivia asked as if to herself, looking at the faint steam rising from the teacup in the sunlight.
This place was different from the world she used to live in. It was a strict class society. She could tell just by looking at the articles pouring out every day.
The conclusion they had reached was consistent. The opponent was a royal, and the lawsuit had a nearly 100% chance of being dismissed. If that were to happen, it would be difficult to avoid Princess Anneblyn’s counterattack.
