"It seems you've been serving quite enthusiastically in the bedroom. Father couldn't even budge."
A flash of disgust crossed Arikx's eyes before quickly vanishing.
"To order Schmaichel's assassination—Father won't be able to shelter you at this point. Fine, then......"
Eventually, Arikx looked straight at me.
"Duke Schmaichel, I offer my advance apologies for the unfortunate accidents that will befall your kin tomorrow. I express my condolences on behalf of the royal family."
"Thank you, Your Highness. Is that all you have to say?"
As I played along with the prince-and-subject game and raised the stakes one more notch, Arikx threw his head back in a hearty laugh as if he had expected as much.
"Then how about I let you know the royal knight order's patrol routes tomorrow in advance?"
"I'm afraid that's still not enough."
"...Ruthless bastard."
Arikx clicked his tongue briefly and added one more concession.
"Should there be any suspicious movements, I'll have them blocked in advance. Will that suffice?"
Only after securing a firm promise that he would take care of even the assassins hired by the collateral relatives—
Cheok.
I smirked and extended my hand to Arikx.
"I am grateful for Your Highness's consideration."
"Don't mention it. This much is worth it to gain Schmaichel."
Teop.
Arikx grasped my hand.
The deal was sealed.
**
At that very moment, in the powder room at one corner of the banquet hall.
"Cordelia, it seems a window has been left open. Suddenly there's a fishy smell of earth in here."
Tatiana Voronov raised her voice, covering her mouth with her fan.
"Perhaps... it's a smell brought in from outside. No matter how much you wash weeds, the stench of their roots never fades."
Cordelia, sitting beside her, let out an open sneer.
"True enough, I heard His Grace the Duke of Schmaichel has taken up an interest in charity lately. They say he even plucks weeds from the roadside out of pity and puts them in vases?"
Tatiana never once looked directly at Rose. But it was obvious what "weeds" referred to.
"Wouldn't it be more fitting for them to stay on the ground and be trampled instead?"
"Quite right."
Cordelia chimed in with a clear voice as she lightly waved her fan.
"It'll wither and be tossed away soon enough—it would be troublesome if it mistook itself for an ornamental rose just because it had a sip of fancy water."
"How pitiful, truly. If it were me, I'd know my place and crawl back to the countryside on my own."
"How could someone of Your Ladyship's noble bloodline and refined eye possibly understand the feelings of a weed?"
Hohoho!
Kkal-kkal!
The other young ladies seated around laughed aloud.
They were young ladies from families aligned with the Second Prince's faction, including the Voronov ducal house in the east, where Consort Lavenna's family was based.
Kkuyuk.
Blue veins bulged on Helena's clenched fists as she stood behind Rose.
'I should crush those bitches.'
Using Rose's status as a pretext to belittle her for being unworthy of Schmaichel.
She wanted to draw her dagger and hold it to their throats right then and there.
'Cordelia, she's really something else.'
The Countess of Holland also gritted her teeth.
Cordelia was attacking Rose to curry favor with Tatiana and to soothe her own inferiority complex.
'If the madam cries, the master won't stand for it.'
'If His Grace finds out about this... hoo, I don't even want to imagine.'
Helena and Sophia glanced at Rose, each carrying her own concern.
"-!"
And both of them flinched in surprise.
Because not a single crack had appeared on Rose's clear, composed face.
Sabak.
Rose simply sat down in her chair calmly, as if nothing had just happened. Even though there was no way she couldn't have heard those voices in this cramped powder room.
"Rune, could you fix my hair a bit?"
"...Yes, my lady."
Helena stepped closer behind her, once again admiring Rose's serene composure.
'Oh my.'
Sophia, too, was impressed by Rose's elegant handling of the situation.
First of all, they had never once referred to Rose by name.
So even if Rose were to get angry here,
'We were only talking about flowers—does she fancy herself a weed?'
she would be counterattacked like that.
Moreover, even if she tried to refute them logically,
'Ugh, so noisy. Isn't that the sound of insects somewhere?'
they would surely reject the conversation itself.
In other words, the best course of action available right now was complete indifference.
Sabak.
Like Rose calmly smoothing out the hem of her dress.
'It seems I've been playing the role of a wife rather well.'
Unlike what Helena and Sophia feared, Rose was making a cool-headed judgment.
If she had appeared to be just a woman who would briefly stay by Dane's side, Tatiana or Cordelia would have scoffed and dismissed her.
Paradoxically, because that wasn't the case, they were trying to break Rose's spirit even in this manner.
'I just need to endure for a little while.'
Listening to insults like this was actually something Rose was used to.
Only the content had changed.
"……."
At Rose's lack of reaction, Tatiana's eyes twitched with irritation.
She should at least flush with shame or shed a few tears for it to be entertaining.
"...Hm."
Tatiana's gaze swept across the powder room and stopped at the vase with flowers in it.
It looked perfect for knocking over under the pretense of watering the weeds.
"Girls, let's be on our way. The stench is so strong it's giving me a headache."
Tatiana said primly as she rose from her seat. Cordelia and the other young ladies stood up quickly at Tatiana's cue.
Ttoktak.
Helena tracked Tatiana's movements with sharp eyes.
'Is that bitch crazy?'
It was plainly obvious what she intended to do.
If the vase water was poured on her, it would reek of stagnant water mixed with plant sap, drenching her and making everything sticky.
It was a scheme to ruin Rose's dress and her mood alike.
'Bring it on.'
Helena quietly shifted her body. She loosened her wrists and prepared to intercept.
That vase would hit Cordelia's dress instead of Rose's.
Ttoktak.
Just as Tatiana and Cordelia were slowly approaching the vase while pretending to head for the door—
Deolkeodeong!
The powder room door was thrown open violently as someone barged in. Behind her, maidservants came rushing in, drenched in sweat.
"Hm."
The one who appeared was none other than Princess Beatrice. At the sudden intrusion, everyone in the powder room froze.
"Why are there so many flies in here?"
Beatrice glanced around, then picked up one of the vases,
Chwaak!
and suddenly splashed the vase water all over the floor.
"Kkyaaak!"
"Eomat!"
The spray was so forceful that the water splashed onto Tatiana and Cordelia's dresses as well.
"Y-you...!"
Tatiana's face flushed bright red.
"Princess Beatrice, what is the meaning of this!"
"Hm? Tatiana?"
Beatrice turned to the side as if she had only just noticed Tatiana.
"Oh, you were there? I didn't notice. Why do you look like that?"
"Your Highness... the water...!"
"Ah, did I? I was catching flies."
Beatrice waved the vase around nonchalantly. Then she strode over and stood before Tatiana.
"Strange. Why are there still flies buzzing about?"
Beatrice's golden eyes gleamed menacingly as they fixed on Tatiana.
"Ah, did you come following the scent? The mouthwatering aroma of the kingdom's flesh?"
"……!"
Tatiana's face turned pale.
She had realized that she was the fly.
"Your Highness...! You go too far! What do you take our Voronov family for...!"
"Exactly, why don't you learn your proper place?"
Beatrice pressed Tatiana down with overwhelming authority, without the slightest hesitation.
"How dare you buzz your way in here."
"Such an insult...!"
"Insult? If you have a problem, go cry to your daddy and beg for a crown."
"……!!"
Tatiana could no longer argue back. The cold killing intent emanating from Beatrice had surged up to her throat.
"...L-Lady Voronov. Let us leave."
Cordelia hesitantly grabbed Tatiana's arm. The two of them along with the other young ladies scrambled out of the powder room on shaking legs.
"……."
Rose, Helena, and Sophia could only watch with their mouths slightly agape.
It was as if a storm had just blown through.
Kung.
Only after the door closed did Beatrice turn around. Her intense golden gaze met Rose's directly.
'Wow...'
Rose gulped as she looked at Princess Beatrice.
They said she was the spitting image of the late queen and the kingdom's foremost beauty—her reputation was well deserved.
However, with her confident posture and slightly tanned skin, she gave off the impression of a warrior more than a princess. She looked like a lithe black panther poised to strike.
And yet... she wasn't frightening.
'She came to help me.'
Before coming to the harvest festival, she had studied the noble family trees and the royal house thoroughly with Dane.
'Beatrice is... my friend.'
'It seemed like she hesitated quite a bit just now, though?'
'It's just your imagination. Betty is a reliable ally. Just... be careful not to get swept along by her.'
Recalling her conversation with Dane, Rose slowly rose from her seat.
"I greet Your Highness, Princess Beatrice."
"I greet Your Highness."
Sophia, beside her, bowed as well.
"Now I can finally breathe with those noisy flies gone. Don't you think?"
Beatrice grinned and set down the vase she was holding, rather carelessly. The maidservants who had followed her in began hurrying to tidy up the area.
Rose hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.
"...Thank you for your help, Your Highness."
"What help? I only shooed away some flies."
Beatrice strode over to Rose.
Tak.
She gently lifted Rose's chin and gazed at her carefully. Like a black panther examining its prey closely before tasting it.
"Heh. This one's got a good eye."
A pleased smile spread across Beatrice's lips. She spoke without looking back.
"Sophia, are you going to keep staying here?"
"...No, I'm not."
Sophia stepped back, quick to take the hint.
"The rest of you, leave as well. I need to have a conversation between a duchess and a lady."
Beatrice ordered the maidservants.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Everyone meekly bowed their heads, apparently accustomed to Beatrice's behavior.
No one here could stand up to a princess.
Tak.
In an instant, everyone had filed out, leaving only Rose and Beatrice in the powder room.