The Abandoned Empress

Chapter 176: Chapter 176

I tried to refuse his offer, but I couldn’t say anything when I noticed his cold gaze at me at the moment. Looking at me hesitating for a moment, he said with a deep sigh, “You should prepare for the banquet on the second day, so let me tell them you are absent because of my order. So, just go back and take a good rest.”

“… Thanks so much, Your Majesty. ”

“Thanks for your hard work today. See you tomorrow. Sir Lank, Sir Strah, escort Lady Monique to her house.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

I mounted a horse with a sigh, watching him turn back, escorted by the royal guards.

‘I really don’t know what to do. I will work it out in one way or another.”

Escorted by two knights dressed in white uniforms, I turned the horse’s head to my house.

The sun was unusually hot in the afternoon.

Clink!

A sharp sound rang out in the banquet hall where soft music was playing. I managed to control my crumpling expression at the sound and turned up my trembling mouth slightly.

‘Is it the third time already?’

While pressing down my surging annoyance, I asked for the understanding of the ladies who were talking with each other. As soon as I took a few steps off, I heard several people whispering among themselves as if they found it was funny.

Carsein already appeared before me and said, “Is it the third time? It seems like he was determined to do so.”

“I guess so.”

“What are you going to do about him?”

“Well, I have to cope with it.”

Staring at me blankly, he nodded and reached out.

‘I can solve it on my own…’

With a sigh, I put my hand on his. Anyway, since my partner today is Carsein, I thought it would be good to move around with him.

“What is going on?”

“Sorry, Lady Monique. I made a mistake because I didn’t realize Lady Lanier was standing behind me.”

The servant, who was leaning forward to pick up pieces of glass scattered on the floor, apologized. I felt really annoyed.

‘Mistake? No way! Lady Lanier stood right behind you on purpose.’

Those who were in charge of chores at the Imperial Palace were usually senior or middle-level servants, so they must have been commoners. That’s why he felt he had to apologize, even though he was not responsible.

I turned to the woman with sandy hair who was looking at her dress, at a loss what to do. Watching her embarrassed, I unwittingly broke into a smile.

‘Oh, you are quite good at disguising yourself! Why don’t you try playing an actor on this occasion?’

“Lady Lanier, your dress was ruined. What a pity!”

“I know, Lady Monique. It’s my favorite dress…The servants here are very careless today. The banquet started only a little while ago. I don’t know how many ladies ruined their dresses.”

Although I was dumbfounded by her spitting out lousy complaints, I barely managed to make an apologetic expression instead of frowning.

“I am sorry that your favorite dress was ruined. Let me report this guy’s mistake to the palace affairs bureau. By the way, I think you need to change first. Let me tell a maid to escort you to a guest room.”

“Fine. Let me tell my maid to do so. I’m afraid your maid might make the same mistake as the servant. Excuse me then.”

She roughly bowed to me and quickly disappeared.

I once again suppressed my surging annoyance. I unwittingly tightened my grip on Carsein’s hand.

I recited the words ‘Let me be patient’ deep down, and said to the servant, who was lowering his head, “Were you injured at all?”

“… No, my lady. Sorry.”

“If you were not wounded, that’s good. Whew! Be more careful next time.”

Fortunately, it seemed that he understood what I was trying to talk about.

I turned around, who kept bowing to me as if he was moved by my kind encouragement.

When I let out a deep sigh, Caresein looked at me regrettably and said, “It looks like you’re very frustrated. What can you do about it? You can’t leave this place. Why don’t you go to the lounge for a short break?”

“No. I have to tell the chief servant and chief maid to be more careful. ”

“I really can’t understand why they are acting so mean. Why are they playing dirty?” said Carsein.

I agreed to him, who was shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it, then ordered a servant to bring the chief servant and the chief maid to me.

At that moment, several young men approached me and Carsein hesitantly, checking our expression. When I looked at them with a bright smile, a young gray-haired man stepped forward and said, “Hello, Sir Carsein, Lady Monique!”

“Um, you must be Gray, right?”

“Yes, I’m. You remember me,” he said, brightening his face at Carsein’s appreciation.

‘Is he Viscount Gray’s son?’

When I was thinking about it, five or six young boys around me suddenly said hello to me.

Gray asked Carsein first, “There are rumors that you’re learning the fencing skills from Marquis Monique directly. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Oh, I see why you are called a genius of swordsmanship. I heard that the fencing skills of your family are also very difficult. Now you’re trying even to master the Monique family’s fencing skills…”

I noticed the gray-haired man looked at Carsein with envy.

Suddenly, I was puzzled, ‘Is the Lars family’s fencing swordsmanship difficult?’

Looking back at me when I looked puzzled, Carsein giggled, then replied to the young man.

“Why? Because Marquis Monique is really a great swordsman. Individual fencing is important in swordsmanship by nature, but the master should have superior capabilities, too.”

“Absolutely.”

I knitted my brows, not caring much about these young men who were nodding to Carsein’s comments.

‘Is Carsein telling them that he is excellent enough to teach me fencing?’

I didn’t want to deny that he was a very good teacher, but I felt a bit upset. I really had a hard time trying to catch up with his coaching.

At that moment I noticed the chief servant and the chief maid approaching me. After seeking their understanding, I got out of the place. And I asked the two to pay special attention and double check where the interior decoration was alright and whether drinks and food were sufficient for the banquet.

I slowly looked around the banquet hall. Crystal chandeliers lighting up brilliantly, cream and light sky-blue curtains with geometric patterns on the doorway to the balcony, tapestries with the embroideries of the empire-building process and achievements of the first emperor across the wall, flowers decorating the dining tables, and a woman with light purple hair standing in front of the table.

Wait a moment. Light purple?

‘Oh my, she is Lady Hamel!’

I moved away from her hurriedly, not knowing what kind of trouble she might cause this time, but it was already late. Touching her forehead as if she felt dizzy, she deliberately stepped on the tablecloths that hung on the floor and fell. At that moment, a terrible sound rang out throughout the banquet hall.

God, this is too much!

I bit my lip and hurried to the scene. But she fell so adroitly that she emerged unscathed from the messy floor where there were broken glasses, the spilled drink, and lots of food.

‘How mean you are!’

Suppressing my raging anger, I barely controlled my expression. Then I approached her who was standing up with the help of a young man from the noble faction, and asked with a worried voice, “Are you okay, Lady Hamel?”

“Oh, Lady Monique, I am very sorry. I suddenly felt dizzy.”

“I see. I’m glad you were not injured, thought.”

“I’m sorry if you felt that way. I was almost hurt a lot because of the tablecloth that was thrown down to the floor. Besides, I was so surprised. ”

I was going to give her a piece of mind when she was trying to ridicule me, giggling at me, when somebody suddenly came in between her and me. She was Jiun who raised her black eyes foreciously.

“The way you speak to her is so rude, Lady Hamel. Apologize to right away. ”

“… Lady Jena.”

When Jiun shouted at her with an angry voice, she raised her head as if it were unfair.

But I saw something like ridicule in their eye contacts, apparently aimed at me.

“Whew!”

I closed my eyes slowly and opened them. I found deep anger surging from deep down.

‘So, you are going to get on my nerves?’