13. Words can hurt.
Karthus shook his head. He looked over at Frances and continued his words.
“I will not accept rejection. I’ve already sent a request for a breakup…….”
“Now, wait a minute. What do you mean by that?”
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“Didn’t you hear? She said she would break up with you.”
France’s eyes widened when she was suddenly asked to break off the engagement. His lower lip, visible from his slightly parted mouth, trembled. The face he found out he didn’t want to believe.
She began to argue with Karthus as if she had barely managed to catch her spirit.
“Uh, why? What did i do wrong… !”
“Ha. That’s funny.”
However, Karthus immediately cut her off. She even laughs and looks at Frances with contempt.
“France Descartes. Duke’s shame. This is the modifier that the Duke of Descartes calls you. I can’t help but see the honor of the Persian duke getting cracked.”
“That… !”
France’s eyes began to shake. She wouldn’t have even thought of it. She has resorted to all sorts of luxuries to hide being ignored at home. She took hold of her social circle to elevate her own status by donning an ill-suited mask.
But the Duke of Persia noticed that. It must have been news like a thunderbolt for her.
As the scenario of this game progresses, we learn about her past.
Now I can say for sure. She is not a villain I’m just a victim of this game.
France grabbed Karthus’ hand. Her face was full of desperation and earnestness.
“Karthus!”
Looks like he’s about to cry. Contrary to her desperate wish, Karthus simply cut off France’s hand.
“Tsk, where are you putting your dirty hands? The scum of the Descartes family will be transferred to the curse.”
His vitriol didn’t end there.
“In the family, he shows such a weak side, but outside, he spends extravagantly and abuses the nobles of a lower class than himself. Frances, this is what you’ve been doing all this time. What is it if not garbage?”
There was a thorn in his tongue. No, if you go, you’re a nobleman. His tongue was like a blade.
“If the Descartes family is destroyed, it will be your fault, Frances. I hope you don’t transfer that curse to someone else and disappear while carrying it alone.”
I really want you to stop now.
“The engagement was requested by the Duke of Descartes as the transfer of the diamond mine, so the engagement was forced, but there must have been a reason for the transfer of the diamond mine. Who would have known that you were such a flawed woman. Duke Descartes must have known that and handed over the mine.”
Karthus hated it and adjusted her tie.
“There is nothing more to say, so I want you to disappear from my sight. I hope I never see you again in any form. The terrible curse of Frances Descartes will be transferred to you.”
At that moment, a huge weight fell in France’s heart with a thump.
The words made of sound are not visible, so it is impossible to know what they look like.
In the world, it would be divided into those who can see it and those who cannot see it, but Karthus was the one who couldn’t see it.
Because he didn’t know that his words were flying like daggers.
“… ….”
Kook. At some point, without realizing it, her fists were clenched. It may be anger, it may be hatred.
Perhaps the reason the fist was clenched was to swing something at Karthus. That’s why my emotions, which were like a calm lake, fluctuated greatly.
Severely shocked, Frances was unable to speak for a while, and eventually ran out of the party. I got up from the place where her escort knights had gathered and followed her.
The place where she came out is the garden of the Marquis of Eldas. The party was in full swing, so no one came and no sound was heard.
In this garden where only silence flows, she gazes at the night sky alone, maintaining her solitude.
Innumerable stars twinkled in the black sky. The starlight is beautiful. But to France, this would not have seemed like a mere starlight.
After today, Francesca said she might never see the stars in the night sky again. That’s because her wounds were deep at night.
I opened my mouth quietly.
“Master.”
There was no reply. Frances simply quietly admired the stars in the night sky.
“Master.”
“… Leave me alone for now.”
“I can’t do that.”
France turned around and looked at me. Her tear-stained eyes glistened in the moonlight.
“If you weren’t a slave, you would have abandoned me long ago, right?”
Well. How about If I hadn’t been a slave, would I have abandoned you in this situation?
“… ….”
I couldn’t answer easily. It was for a simple reason. She didn’t know what to say to her to comfort her.
France looked at me and smiled. It was a flower of laughter.
“Looking at you not being able to answer, you must be right. Well, of course not. Because we are not special, it’s just a master-slave relationship. It’s okay to join the escort knights’ party, so why don’t you go? I have no orders for you now.”
She turned her head again and looked up at the night sky. Chilly air. Right now, Frances heart will be infinitely cold like this air.
She was abandoned by the one she trusted. The only way out is gone. She must go back to that family and suffer the same persecution she has been subjected to. Since her betrothal to the Persian duchy was broken, she will be persecuted even more severely.
Her future is obvious.
What words will comfort you? What should I do to heal the wounds in her heart? What can i do here
A lot of thoughts and worries passed by. And, my conclusion is this.
“I will be on your side.”
Usually, it was something I would spit out because it was cheesy, but it didn’t feel like that because Jin and the assimilation progressed.
Said Frances.
“Yeah, thank you for saying that even if it’s empty words.”
“This is not an empty word.”
“… What does that mean?”
“A word I made up through my feelings.”
“Aren’t you packing for me?”
“Yes.”
There was a heavy silence. Frances stared at me silently, and eventually ahahahaha! Burst into laughter
“You are the only emotional slave like you in this world. How could you say that to the kingdom’s enemy, the daughter of the duchy of the empire? Have you forgotten your faithful men? Have you forgotten the royal family of Warenberg?”
I can understand why you talk that way to the person who comforted you the most, to the only person who stood by your side. I deliberately say it strongly because I want to show my weakness.
Because human beings naturally hide their weaknesses.
The treatment she received from her family was not France’s weakness. It was just someone’s ‘harm’. On the other hand, this situation was France’s own ‘weakness’ itself.
So I can understand. She can understand her, and she can comfort her.
“What a funny slave. Yeah, thanks to you, I feel better. Do the Barenbergs have a sense of humor too?”
“I didn’t learn it.”
“So. Well, what does that have to do with coming now? It’s just mine now.”
Now the tears have come in. Then now is the time to start the revenge I thought of.
“Master.”
“Why?”
“Would you like to go back to the party?”
“… You don’t have a partner?”
“I will be your partner.”
Stand tall. Frances stiffened and glared at me.
“You haven’t forgotten that you are a slave, have you? It is not uncommon to take an escort knight as a partner, but who would take a slave as a partner?”
Um. Certainly it is. But I have a plan, so don’t worry.
“Even though I have become a lowly person now, I used to be a member of the royal family of a country. Don’t worry about etiquette. The slave authentication choker is also hidden, so it should be fine.”
France expressed her doubts.
“What’s the point of doing that?”
“If you take your partner right away, rumors will spread that the problem is not with you, but with the Duke of Persia.”
I lifted her head and met her eyes with her. Was what she said.
“To get revenge on him.”
Then the question came back.
“Wouldn’t rumors spread that the Duke of So asked for a breakup because I was caught cheating? Then my status would really drop to the bottom.”
Frances opened her eyes shallowly.
“I have a plan. It’s a very simple plan.”
Fishik. She laughed.
“Yes. Let’s say you have a plan. But what if that doesn’t work? I’m not stupid enough to gamble on schemes I don’t even know about.”
But I was determined.
“You won’t regret it. Everything I think has a plan. I will make sure that there is no crack in the master’s honor and status. Please trust me this time.”
The silence that arose again. Frances stared at me quietly. I took her word for it to give her a little more credibility.
“Did I tell you? I’ll be on the master’s side. Isn’t that the only order given to me, and the last one? There is no way I would do something that would endanger my lifeline.”
Continuing persuasion. She stared at me quietly, then nodded her head.
“Yes, since your eyes are full of confidence, I will trust you. But do you know if that plan goes back to nothing?”
“There will be no waste.”
“You have to see that to know.”
Frances got up from her seat and held out her hand.
“Will you tell me what the plan is?”
“I will go in and tell you the details.”
“Yes. It’s like this anyway, so you can do whatever you want.”
So we headed back to the party.
* * *
―Princess Descartes is entering again!
Do I really need to advertise that it is re-entering?
As we entered, the party got boisterous again. Through the Sword Master’s excellent hearing, they could hear their whispers.
-You entered right away, didn’t you? I think something happened with Duke So.
―There is a man next to you whom you are seeing for the first time?
―Your face is smooth… Could it be that the princess is having an affair?
-Ah… ! That’s why Duke So asked for a breakup!
―A breakup?!
―I heard people around me say that Duke So asked for a unilateral breakup!
The gossip at the party turned into us in an instant. France must have heard these words as well, so she licked her lips and bowed her head.
“I understand that you are shocked and upset, but keep your head up for now. It shows integrity.”
Frances cautiously lifted her head and looked at me. I followed her up to cheer her up with her elated face.
“Now is the start.”
