Chapter 13 – Lawrence’s Suspicion
Translator: Lioness
He initially speculated that she will open a new merchant company in Nakran Empire under the Marquia Hamilton name but it shattered. Bewilderedly, he looked at her, but he couldn’t see any lie in her eyes.
Feeling that her twinkling eyes were burdening him, he shifted his eyes from her. And ignoring his movement, she blurted,
“I’m not really going to do anything. I’ll just live quietly. So, take me there.”
“If that is so, you can live here in Erha Empire. Why bother going to our Empire?”
“I want to get out of here.”
Alice’s face darkened. Lawrence held his breath involuntarily at the sudden change in her expression.
‘There’s something wrong.’
The Young Lady who used to always be in the crowd disappeared somewhere, and the same person who had a shift of expression went to his Empire; Nakran Empire. He was curious about her circumstances somehow. What could be the reason for wanting to settle in Nakran Empire?
“Is it because you made a mistake with the Crown Princess?”
“No, not like that.”
In response to Lawrence’s question, Alice bit her lip. Because she didn’t know what to say.
‘It’s hilarious to say that this world is inside, and I have to escape.’
She didn’t have to go deep. Alice, determined, her eyes lit up.
“Will you take me?”
“If I take you, would there be no problem?”
To Lawrence’s question, Alice thought for a moment before answering. The Marquis will probably search for her so she will write him a letter after her arrival there.
“I will tell is to my Father.”
Thinking that she could get away with it and make amends, Alice lied without changing her expression. Lawrence noticed that and smirked.
‘This is a lie.’
Then Lawrence, who judged that her reaction was true until then, decided to listen to Alice’s request.
“Then, I will grant you that request.”
Upon hearing Lawrence’s words, Alice smiled brightly. It’s not a smile that seems worried somewhere, but a bright smile in relief. Seeing that smile for the first time, Lawrence looked away from her. She struggled while she thought of something else.
‘Because it’s better to stay close and keep an eye on her than to keep suspecting.’
Of course, his intention is not that all clean.
****
The third day of the birthday party of the Crown Princess.
It was time for the 3rd banquet of the 5-day banquet to begin. Alice was waiting for Lawrence at the Marquis’s estate, ready to apologize to the Crown Princess.
‘Why is he still not here?’
She woke up early in the morning, dressed up, but yet to hear any news from him. Ten minutes had passed since she went to the drawing room, and she was also tired. She felt the annoyance of the glances from the maids as they came in.
“What is she doing there?”
“I heard that someone will escort her?”
“Who?”
“They say he’s the Duke of the Nakran Empire who came before.”
“Really?”
The servants were arguing how did Lawrence became her escort, spitting various words.
“Here you are.”
The servants who were talking about him were surprised and scattered after hearing him, who leaned against the door, coming into the drawing room. Her face reddened with shame. It was not because of excitement, but with embarrassment.
She really couldn’t keep such an image of a noble lady.
‘I should have yelled at them.’
Although she doesn’t have to put up with ugly attitudes of the servants, it was not that easy to change her habit of the past four years overnight. She then decided that she would do what she wanted without hesitating. She straightened her expression and stood up.
“You arrived?”
“You told me to come, so I did.”
At the tinge of nonsense in his voice that said, ‘You asked me to come’, she steadied her expression, which was about to turn sour.
‘I can’t say anything.’
He wondered why he came all the way here when he pretty dislikes her. Nevertheless, the Diamond of the Abyss was a very important item for him.
“What about the diamonds?”
“Do not worry. I hid it.”
“When will you give it to me?”
“What if I write a contract?”
“Contract?”
“A contract containing you will take me safely to the Nakran Empire. I am preparing it, so please wait a bit.”
“I wonder if you’re still the Marquis’s daughter….”
“It’s good to be thorough with anything.”
Alice didn’t care about Lawrence’s words. Going to Nakran Empire was the most important thing to her. Maybe more than she apologized to the Crown Princess. Today’s escort was to ask Lawrence to take her to the Nakran Empire, but he had already said that, so there was no need.
“I can go alone.”
“You already told the Marquis, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
She inwardly applauded Lawrence’s determination to keep his word, even though it wasn’t what she wanted. She already had a plan. The Marquis would think it strange if she went alone and apologized, so she would use Lawrence as an excuse.
‘A duke from another empire invited me to apologize, so won’t you accept it?’
It stung her heart a little at the thought of leaning on Lawrence’s authority and apologizing, but Alice had to take advantage of whatever was available.
“Shall we go?”
Still expressionless, Lawrence held out his hand. Alice put her hand on top of his. After leaving the marquis’ residence, the two climbed into the carriage and headed for the imperial palace.
“It is very big.”
Alice muttered as she got off the carriage with Lawrence in front of the banquet hall of the imperial palace. Recognizing her low voice, he asked again.
“Haven’t you been here before?”
“The size didn’t catch my eye back then.”
“Then?”
“I have work to do… Wait, why am I saying this?”
Alice, who had almost unknowingly told Lawrence the reaspm, asked in a pointed voice.
“What a waste.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was a chance to find out the secret.”
“Th, there are no secrets!”
Alice shouted, not hiding her flushed face. Attention was drawn to her loud voice. She could hear the people in the banquet hall whispering.
“Shameless.”
“That’s right. It’s fortunate that Your Grace is kind.”
“If it wasn’t for that, would I have been able to attend this banquet?”
Not only the women but also the men who attended the banquet made fun of themselves. It was felt that each of the nobles who saw Lawrence’s eyes shut their mouths.
“Was it always like this?”
“Nobles are people who feel strongly that I shouldn’t be in commerce.”
“I don’t suppose there’s more to it than that?”
“Well, I’m also an adopted child.”
“Oh, right, an adopted child.”
“Yes.”
But Lawrence’s heart was not comfortable listening to her. Last time, he coughed in vain, thinking that he had said something unnecessary because it was Alice who had a sad expression on the subject.
“It’s nothing so I am okay.”
“Why is it nothing?”
“I heard so many things… My father saved me.”
‘Was that why you want to leave?’
Lawrence, suspicious of her not knowing that she had such a situation, openly looked at the whispering nobles one by one, feeling sorry for her. The nobles fell silent at his sharp gaze, and the surroundings became a little quiet.
“You don’t have to…”
“They were the one who offended you, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
Answering without even looking at Alice, Lawrence looked at the ballroom door. The appearance of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess was delayed.
“You’re coming in late today.”
“Yes.”
It was an indispensable principle of the novel that the main character appeared late. But today it was too late at the latest. Even the emperor and his wife were at the banquet hall, and the Crown prince and the Crown Princess were even more late than them.
It was something that could go up and down in the mouths of nobles. In particular, to the nobles of the opposite faction who did not like the crown prince. A typical example was Duke Karus Shellington, watching Alice from afar.
“Why are the two of them together?”
“There was no contact, but….”
“But?”
“They were spotted together at a bakery store.”
“A bakery shop? That Lawrence Littenverk went to the confectionery? A person who hates sweets?”
“That’s right.”
Karus narrowed his eyes at the aide’s words. The Lawrence he knew was not one to be kind for no reason. Curious, Karus moved towards them to see the situation for himself.
“Was there a noble woman with whom the duke of the neighboring empire was close?”
“None of your business.”
All the nobles in the banquet hall knew that Lawrence and Karus were enemies because their bad relationship was famous. After graduating from the same academy, not only did they fight for the top and bottom seats, but they both used swords similarly.
If one was a wizard, the situation would have been different, but unfortunately both had excellent swordsmanship, so if Lawrence won once, Karus would win the next. Moreover, since they were dukes of two bordering empires, their relationship was even worse.
Adding the incident of Diamond of the Abyss in which Karus’s attempt of stealing is has never erased in Lawrence’s memory.
“My name is Karus Shellington.”
“I am Alice Hamilton.”
Alice couldn’t pretend she didn’t know what the duke of the empire was saying, so Alice reluctantly showed her nobility. The jealous glances at her as she shared greetings with the dukes did not disappear.
‘I’m going to choke to death.’
Alice, who received those gazes, held her breath because of the sparks between Lawrence and Karus.
‘Why are they doing this before my eyes?’
She complained inwardly, but the situation did not change.
