A Celebration and a Confrontation
“Well, look who it is.”
Ryan jeered as Edgar, who had been absent from the social club for a while, made an appearance.
The traitor who hadn’t shown his face during his little romance, and who had lost his golden wings of Lancelot, approached them with his usual arrogant smile.
“Well, you have to get drunk on a day like this, don’t you? Get drunk! You young men of Britte!”
One of the group members raised his glass in a theatrical voice.
The ugly downfall of Princess Annelin, who had been the nation’s sweetheart, was a shock that was difficult to bear with a clear mind. It was only natural, as nine out of ten men gathered here had Princess Annelin as their first love.
“Was I the only one who missed you?”
Ryan asked playfully as he handed a glass of whiskey to Edgar, who had sunk into the sofa.
“Psycho.”
Edgar cursed briefly and emptied his glass. The rest of the group snickered and gulped down their drinks. The transparent ice cubes in the glasses clinked against each other on the table, making a clear sound.
“I lost a good amount of money because of you, Ed.”
Ryan, who was quite drunk, sighed, and the layabouts snickered. Edgar lit the end of his cigar, as if asking what he was talking about, and looked at Ryan.
“We made a bet on whether Miss Blanchett would continue after the Wimbledon Championship. And you had a proposal ring ready, so I was sure you were going to get married. Me. You cold-blooded bastard.”
The group members, who had made a good profit from Ryan’s wager, clinked their glasses and giggled. Ryan, suddenly getting angry as he remembered, cursed. Edgar was somehow special when he was with Olivia Blanchett. Ryan hadn’t missed that subtle difference. So he asked,
“Did you dump her? Or did that Johan guy steal her?”
Edgar exhaled the cigar smoke he had taken in and squinted his eyes.
The extra edition of the newspaper was distributed throughout Lytton. A single photograph decorated the front page. Olivia was next to Johan in that picture.
“That bastard? No way. That quick-witted guy probably just got rid of her because she was no longer useful. Besides, what’s there to gain from getting close to a woman who has become a target for the royal family and the nobles?”
The topic of conversation had shifted from Edgar’s failed romance to the princess’s sentence, for whom they had professed pure love. Another round of bets was started among the layabouts, this time regarding the verdict of the trial that had turned Britte upside down.
Edgar looked at them with a lack of emotion and tilted his glass. He loosely held his cigar in his hand and raised his glass.
‘You can’t win against me.’
Johan’s voice echoed quietly amidst the heckling of the layabouts.
Can I really not?
Edgar slowly tilted his glass, a sudden sense of defeat washing over him. When he erased the deep-seated anguish that was spreading throughout his body with the liquor, only one thought remained.
I won’t know until I see it through to the end.
He couldn’t let her go now, not when he hadn’t even truly started.
The sound of crystal glasses clinking echoed clearly. The sweet scent of champagne filled the dining room that Johan had prepared for the Princess of Krantz.
“Thank you so much, Princess.”
Olivia expressed her sincere gratitude to Irene.
“It was nothing. It was the right thing to do.”
Irene smiled quietly and continued.
“I wish I had remembered sooner. But I’m glad I arrived before it was too late.”
The letter Johan had given her in the carriage was from Irene. She said she was embarrassed that she had to send it directly to the Duke because she didn’t know Olivia’s address. She kindly added that she hadn’t been in contact with him otherwise.
The dinner, which had started without Johan, fell into an awkward silence as the conversation died down. As a result, the glasses were emptied and refilled repeatedly.
“By the way, the Duke is late.”
As the grandfather clock chimed nine, Irene turned her head toward the entrance. At that moment, the door opened wide with a knock. It was Johan.
“I apologize for my lateness.”
Johan, who had bowed respectfully, looked at Olivia and sat down next to her.
Finally, the three people whose honor had almost been thrown into the gutter by Annelin’s evil deeds were all together in one place. If Johan hadn’t intervened, they would have had an unwanted and terrible encounter in Room 3016 and would have suffered an unspeakable humiliation in front of the guests who had gathered there that day.
“Shall we make a toast?”
Irene suggested.
With a clink, the crystal glasses under the brilliant chandelier light clinked, and the golden liquid sloshed.
The autumn night breeze, full of autumn charm, wafted through the open window and passed over the table.
Olivia just lightly wetted her lips and put down her glass. The wind on her cheeks felt cool. The alcohol from the champagne she had been sipping during the awkward silences was gradually rising, which was a problem.
“By the way, how did you get hurt?”
Irene asked carefully, looking at Johan’s right arm.
Olivia’s gaze also went to the same place. He had a black suit jacket draped over his shoulders and was wearing a black sling.
“I was careless.”
Johan replied calmly and looked at Olivia.
His gaze mostly stayed on her. A smile appeared on Irene’s face as she saw the two of them. Then she felt like she had overstayed her welcome and was an uninvited guest interrupting their time alone.
Irene, who had decided it would be best to leave at that point, was about to speak after wiping her mouth with a napkin when Johan put down his glass and asked a question.
“How is Chris doing?”
“He seems to be back to his old self. I’m sure he’s trying to make it seem that way, but I’m grateful for that alone.”
Irene’s pale cheeks turned rosy. Johan’s gaze as he looked at the princess was deep and calm.
“How long do you plan to stay in Lytton?”
“I plan to return on the morning boat tomorrow.”
“Why? Why not stay a little longer?”
“Chris is waiting for me.”
Irene smiled shyly. Johan smiled softly, following her lead. He then slowly emptied the glass with the melting ice.
“What do you like so much about him?”
“Everything.” Facing the princess, who was blushing shyly, he smiled again.
So, he was a man who could smile like this.
Olivia couldn’t take her eyes off him. It was a cold yet gentle smile, like a spring flower blooming in a winter field.
It was as if he was looking at a lover. When her thoughts reached that point, she felt like she could understand why he had become so broken.
But that was as far as she would go. Olivia decided not to look any deeper.
The priority now was to leave before she got drunk.
“Princess. Would it be alright if I leave first?”
“Are you not feeling well?”
“No. I just remembered I have to take care of some documents related to the trial. I apologize, Princess.”
Johan’s eyebrows rose slightly. He pulled up his sleeve and checked his watch. It had only been 30 minutes since he arrived.
Is it so hard to stand me for even an hour?
The rest of the formal procedures had been entrusted to her legal representative. There was nothing left for Olivia to do. A sneer came to his lips at her clumsy excuse. The time and effort he had invested to give her this victory were only worth 30 minutes.
‘…Even if I have nowhere to go… I’d rather not be with you.’
Johan watched the back of Olivia, who had bowed respectfully to the princess and was leaving the dining room.
Olivia finally let out a small sigh as she walked down the hallway.
Her steps felt heavy from the fatigue of a long day and a pleasant amount of drunkenness. Just as she was walking, wanting to go back and rest, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. As soon as she turned her head, their eyes met as if he had been waiting for it.
“Did you really leave the princess alone?”
Olivia tried to twist her wrist to pull it out of his grip. He tightened his hold on her hand.
“Then I should have come out with you?”
“…”
His breath, smelling of wine, touched the tip of her nose.
“Please let go of my hand.”
The space between them slowly loosened. Olivia said, as she rubbed her twisted and freed wrist, “You should go back in.”
“What do you mean?”
Johan asked, his eyebrows furrowed. The expression on his face, as if he didn’t understand, was quite sharp.
“You came all this way for this matter…”
“And?”
“It would be rude to leave the princess alone.”
“So you’re letting me into a lady’s room alone at this hour to avoid being rude?”
Johan tilted his head and looked down at Olivia. His gray eyes, which were slightly lowered, came closer. Olivia, surprised, instinctively took a step back and asked,
“I thought you wanted to.”
“…”
For the first time, Olivia saw a stupid expression on the face of a man who seemed to be perfect. She concluded that it was due to the embarrassment of having his intentions exposed.
“What did you think I wanted?”
“…Time alone.”
“With whom?”
“With the princess, of course…”
“Did I ever give you that impression?”
“…”
This time, it was Olivia who tilted her head. She looked into the air, lost in thought.
“I wanted you. Olivia Blanchett.”
