I Opened The Birdcage Door - Chapter 2

I bit my lip.

The maid disappeared, and my thighs were helplessly wet from the spilled champagne. As the wet feeling grew, my heart became miserable.

I sneakily looked for my parents, but I couldn’t see them because there were so many people they had to greet.

The voices of people standing around began to be heard.

“I think I just heard something breaking?

“Princess Aileen dropped a glass of champagne.”

I clenched my fists. All eyes were on me.

What are they talking about? What do you say about me?

Among those voices, there must be Daphne’s.

Wheelchair built-in, Aileen. A princess who can’t walk, Aileen…

Daphne’s voice I heard 7 years ago vividly came to my mind. Voices that I didn’t know if they were hallucinations or real passed through my ears.

My heart was beating so fast as if it was about to explode. My hands were shaking and I was sweating.

That was when I bowed my head.

A large shadow came and stood in front of me. As if embracing a small me, the shadow that spread out in front of me.

Slowly raising my head, I held my breath. Sebastian Hughes. He had approached me. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it to me.

“Are you okay, Princess?”

“…”

It felt like his words touched my skin vividly. All the voices and eyes that passed my ears and eyes seemed to disappear.

I looked around. People would glance at this place, but as usual, they were dancing and chatting.

And I realized, it was the first time someone spoke to me in this banquet hall.

“…I’m sorry. I have committed some disrespect.”

Sebastian said as if he was doing something wrong when I didn’t accept the handkerchief. I said urgently to him as he was putting the handkerchief away.

I took the handkerchief.

“No, no…..Thank you.”

When I reached out, Sebastian smiled a little and held out the handkerchief again. The moment the handkerchief touched my hand, a hot sensation spread. Sebastian’s hand touched mine. Our eyes met.

That moment, I will never forget. His amber eyes staring at me. His beautiful face facing me. The first and last time I heard his sweet voice.The existence of a person named Sebastian who was the only one who approached me, a lonely floating island. It was the first time in my life when I was greedy.

****

“I want to marry Sebastian Hughes.”

When I came home after the banquet, for the first time in 7 years, I said what I wanted to do again.

My parents looked at me blankly. For the first time, a daughter who lost the use of her legs and acted as if she had given up her life, wanted something.

It was a desire expressed by saying that he wanted something.

Mother began to cry.

Wanting something means to have meaning to continue life. At least for me and my parents, Sebastian Hughes meant a lot.

After crying for a long time, mother wiped her tears and said to father.

“Let’s have a chat with Count Hughes right away tomorrow, honey.”

“Of course, Madam. I will prepare for the marriage proposal right away tomorrow.”

“What if he refuses? Maybe he doesn’t like me because of my legs..… ”

First, I requested marriage, but I became timid. He and I met at the ball only one time. Other than the handkerchief he gave me, a point of contact that may have been just meaningless kindness, there was no interaction between us.

Yes, kindness that may not mean much.

Sebastian showed me the kindness that others would have passed. At the banquet, where everyone was busy whispering and no one approached me. He saved me from a nightmare, and he was the only one who came to me. Maybe it was a natural process for me to fall in love with him?

“Don’t worry, my daughter. Of course, Count Hughes will accept our proposal.”

My father said as if to be relieved.

“You are the only princess in the empire. No other family in the Empire would hesitate to engage in a marriage affair on the grounds that your legs are not working. So you should be confident.”

“Yes, Aileen. You don’t have to worry too much. You’re going to marry the man you mentioned somehow.”

My mother also said in a tone of reassurance. I immediately nodded and my cheeks turned red. I thought everyone would agree to the marriage of course.

However.

<I am sorry that I dared to refuse the proposal of the Duke family. My husband and I want to give our only son the marriage he wants. I believe there must be a man in the social world who is more suited to the princess than our son.>

“What is this……!”

My parents let out a gasp. Less than a day after the marriage proposal was sent, the reply returned by the messenger contained a clear intention of refusal.

My parents were outraged. A Count who dared to reject the proposal of the only duke family in the empire. Sebastian Hughes who dared to reject their daughter.

I thought in the meantime. Why did Sebastian refuse to marry me?

Is it because of my legs?

….I guess so.

I was disappointed. Then why did he show me kindness? Why did he hand me the handkerchief? If it was a meaningless kindness, it would have been better if he hadn’t done it, but it would have been better if he hadn’t approached me no matter how I looked like.

I thought that was the end of my relationship with Sebastian. But that wasn’t all.

Yes, the tragedy probably started then.

***

[The Hughes family is facing bankruptcy]

Shortly after Count Hughes refused to marry the daughter of Duke Lowell, a large article appeared in the newspaper. I looked at it with a curious expression. My parents, standing next to me, said with a proud face.

“We told you not to worry, Aileen. Now, Count Hughes will not be able to avoid the marriage proposal that our family had offered.”

My parents were crazy about me. Rather than dying, they feared that their daughter’s will for life, which was shown after 7 years, would be broken.

My parents began to take away everything from Count Hughes, one by one, by any means possible. In their hearts, there was resentment towards the Hughes family, who dared to refuse the Duke’s proposal, and there was also a trick to drive Sebastian into a corner and make him unable to get married to anyone else.

I was confused, but at the same time expected. So I didn’t stop my parents. There was always hope. If only I could keep Sebastian by my side. If only I could spend the rest of my life with that brilliant man.

It was when Sebastian came to see me that I felt something was going wrong.

“Why are you doing this to our family, Princess?”

When I met Sebastian’s eyes, it felt like a heavy stone dropped on my heart.

He had a completely different look from when he handed me the handkerchief.

The eyes of the person who watched helplessly as everything around him was ruined looked like he was standing in front of a cliff. There was also resentment towards me.

“Recently, my family business has been in turmoil to a strange extent, so I looked into it. Everything had to do with the Duke. My parents are having a hard time. So I came here myself. I think it’s probably because of me.”

“…..”

“Please restore our family to its original state. What am I supposed to do?”

“It will end when you accept the marriage proposal.”

I did not necessarily deny the Duke’s atrocities. Instead, I asked him for it.

“Please stay by my side, Young master. If you do that, I will restore everything to its original state. Although my physical condition is not very healthy, I think it is not a bad condition considering the status of a Duke.”

I pulled out something very carefully. It was the handkerchief I received from Sebastian that day.

“That day… Thank you for the handkerchief. It was a very embarrassing moment, but your kindness saved me from that nightmare moment.”

“….”

“I want you to stay by my side from now on. I know it’s going to sound ridiculous. But…. I fell in love with you that day.”

“….”

It was a confession that seemed impossible for a princess, but it was also the sincere confession I could make toward him at that moment.

Sebastian was my only savior. He was the only person who made me want to open my heart to someone again since the day I accidentally overheard Daphne’s mockery and cut off all social activities. The handkerchief he gave me meant that much.

But Sebastian looked at me with an incomprehensible expression. He turned his head and thought for a moment. Then he let out a dejected laugh. As if he finally realized that the cause of all this was the handkerchief he had given me.

He turned to me.

“Princess. I’m sorry, but this won’t change my decision.”

“Why?”

There was firmness in his voice. I asked in a trembling voice.

“The reason I refused to marry the princess is not because of her legs.”

“Then… Why are you refusing to marry the Duke’s daughter? It would never be a bad condition.”

He looked at me. His eyes seemed to measure my reaction for a moment,  then he opened his mouth.

“I have someone else I love.”

“….!”

I looked at him blankly. It was clearly a tone of confidence about his love. When I heard those words, the first thing I felt was despair and helplessness. It felt as if I had met a barrier that could never be crossed.

“So I will never marry the princess. The handkerchief was just my kindness, so don’t be mistaken.”

“….”

“I think this is enough of an answer. Please restore my family to its original state.”

After he spoke coldly, he turned and walked away. Looking at his back, I bit my lip. It was miserable.

It was even more so when I found out after a while that the woman he loved was a maid working for his family.