The Male Lead Knelt Before Me - Chapter 115

Chapter 115
To Be Together

Vivian then added.

“In the meantime, you can go to where mother is, oreabeoni.”

“Eum……”

Edmund’s expression was far from reserved.

I pushed Edmund first because he looked concerned.

“You may go, Lord.”

“Even then, the commander told me to stay with you.”

“Don’t worry, Lord.”

Am I a child?

“Caleb will return if I stay here. So there’s no need for you or Lady Vessel to stick close to me, Lord.”

Above all, I couldn’t have Vivian with me.

Because I thought that I would ask her about the necklace if we were together.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

……

So, I was going to send her away, but……

I cast a sidelong glance.

Then I looked at Vivian who was standing next to me.

‘I thought she would be going with Lord Vessel to the Marchioness.’

Vivian stubbornly stayed by my side.

Unexpectedly.

My lips dried up as I stared at Vivian.

Because I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask.

Is the necklace I received from Veloka truly yours? Are you the real Elena?

Of course, I was unable to spit anything out.

I simply suppress that urge and change the subject.

“Do you really want to stick by my side?”

Vivian’s eyes widened at my words.

“Do you find me uncomfortable, Lady Oreu?”

“Rather than that, Lady, I believe I’ve bothered you.”

“It was me who said that I would stay here until my brother comes back. “

Vivian added, waving her hand.

“There’s something I’d like to ask Lady.”

“To me?”

Vivian opened her mouth again after nodding.

“The last time…… ah.”

Vivian shrank unexpectedly. As if she had witnessed something terrifying.

What in the world did she see?

When I shifted my eyes inadvertently, I noticed a familiar face.

‘The crown prince?’

Technically, the crown prince was not the only one present.

Because he was accompanied by a young woman I had never seen before.

By sweeping down the crown prince’s chest, the woman boldly indicated their relationship.

He claimed to have cleaned his girlfriend…… Indeed, what is once trash is forever trash.

‘Is it the lady whom the crown prince dating now?’

For a brief moment, I was intrigued, but I soon wondered what it had to do with me.

More importantly, I was concerned about Vivian’s reaction.

‘I think it’s because of the crown prince, not the woman.’

Vivian’s eyes moved in time with the prince’s gesture.

It was not uncommon for the noble ladies to have strange things related to the crown prince that made them feel uneasy.

Vivian’s face, however, appeared to be in intrinsic fear mixed with other emotions rather than uncomfortable.

I wanted to ask her why at that point.

“Were you here, Elena?”

A familiar voice came from right next to me.

Though I already had a hunch before I turned my head, the owner of the voice was Caleb.

“Good day, Duke.”

Then Vivian’s soothing voice could be heard.

So calm that her earlier crouching while looking at the crown prince seemed to to be an illusion.

Caleb’s gaze shifted to Vivian.

But that’s all……

Is it perhaps because I’ve been preoccupied with the original story? Somehow, it was difficult for me to get over that moment easily.

Apart from the fact that I know Caleb loves me and that I might be the original heroine.

I moved my arm and folded it against Caleb’s.

“You returned right away”

“The conversation was cut short. Where is Lord Vessel going, by the way? And have you been with Lady Vessel the whole time?”

“The marchioness called for Lord Vessel.”

I cast a glance at Edmund and the Marchioness.

“Instead, Lady Vessel stayed next to me.”

“I see. Lady, I appreciate your kindness.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Duke. It was because I wanted to be here.”

Vivian gave a soft smile.

Perhaps it was because she had lost weight and had become thinner than before, but her smile seemed pitiful to me.

Without realizing it, I strengthened the hand that was holding Caleb’s arm.

“I’ll leave now that the Duke has arrived.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I hope we get the chance to talk again soon.”

Then.

Vivian, who bowed her head slightly, soon moved away.

I was only able to exhale the breath I had been holding back after some distance.

“Are you nervous?”

Huh?

When I looked up in awe at Caleb, he winked at his arm. When I turned my head to look, I saw that my hand was still holding his arm.

“Ah……”

He appeared to have misinterpreted my nervousness about the banquet.

But there were times when it was better not to know the truth.

“Because I’ll be performing soon. Perhaps that’s why.”

It was when I softly smiled.

Across the hall, a loud trumpet sounded.

The presence of the emperor and empress was announced by a sound.

The emperor and empress emerged from the door of the stairway in the center of the hall.

The banquet hall fell silent in an instant.

Meanwhile, the emperor, who had finally arrived, opened his mouth.

“First and foremost, thank you for coming to the banquet. Today’s banquet was planned to welcome my dear friends.”

Some people were murmuring nearby, as the majority of them were oblivious.

The majority of the comments were along the lines of, ‘His Majesty’s dear friend? Who is it?’ 

“The protagonist of this banquet should not be left out at the banquet. Let me introduce my friends who haven’t been to the empire in a long time.”

The emperor turned around and pointed to the banquet hall’s door.

At the same time, the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged couple.

The clothes they wore were obviously similar to the uniforms, but there was an air of alienation about them.

The emperor’s voice could be heard as I stared up at them blankly.

“Adele’s Archduke Caesar and his wife.”

They are Adele’s Archduke and Archduchess……

When the Archduke and his wife entered the banquet hall, it was chaotic.

‘The Archduke couple!’ shouted people from all over the place.

And the majority of them were taken aback by the Archduke couple. I was among them.

I couldn’t take my gaze away from the Archduke and his wife.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the Archduke’s strange alienation or because they’re the ‘audience’ I need to please.

It was back then.

Caleb had wrapped his arms around my waist.

I was taken aback by the unexpected contact.

I turned my head to face him.

Caleb would normally have explained the reason to me right away.

But for some reason, he wasn’t even looking at me anymore.

His unusual behavior caused me to shake my head.

Though I didn’t care much about it.

Then I returned my attention to the Archduke couple.

The Archduchess’s eyes darted around at that moment.

It’s as if she was looking at me and then averted her gaze when I turned my gaze to her.

A fleeting thought shook my head, accompanied by a faint smile.

‘What kind of ambiguity is this?’

Why is the Archduchess staring at me?

Oh, no. It’s not like that.

The emperor may have forewarned the Archduke and his wife.

That I will sing for them.

“Then it’s time to start dancing. The very first dance… Wouldn’t it be better if the protagonist of this banquet had the first dance?”

The emperor looked at the Archduke and his wife, who nodded and said yes.

Soon, calming music began to play.

The Archduke and his wife descended the stairwell and entered the hall for the first dance.

The others then began to emerge gradually.

“Elena.”

Caleb reached his hand out to me.

“Would you give me the honor of dancing with you?”

“Of course.”

I eagerly took Caleb’s hand.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

The song was finished.

Vivian let go of the man with whom she was dancing.

Her partner in the dance was a noble son whose name she can’t recall.

Regardless, they danced together because the man requested it first.

Vivian could have refused without having to accept it, but she came to the hall and accepted the man’s invitation to dance because she was pushed by the atmosphere.

Because standing alone while everyone else was dancing would feel strange.

Furthermore, since Vivian still does not have a marriage partner, the men would undoubtedly apply.

If the lady had a good feeling, she could talk while dancing with her partner and extend their dance to the next song without letting go of her partner’s hand.

But Vivian had no plans to do so.

‘It’s fine now because I’ve already danced.’

Not only did she let go of her hand, but Vivian also took a step back.

Simultaneously, the man who had just danced with her said.

“It was a pleasure, Lady.”

But the expressions on his face said otherwise.

Vivian could see the man’s disappointed expression, but she turned casually because she had seen similar reactions so many times before.

It was time for her to break through the crowd and move ahead.

Someone approached her.

It was a clear request for a dance.

Vivian sighed so quietly that his opponent didn’t notice.

“I’m sorry, but…”

“Are you sure you’re going to say no?”

Vivian flinched as she heard a voice in her ears.

She raised her head, a ‘no way’ expression on her face. She stiffened her face when she saw Enosh.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince, why did you……”

“Does it take a special occasion for a single man to ask a single woman to dance? If not, then……”

“……”

“Do you think I’m not good enough for you, Lady?”

“No. No, Your Highness.”

Then he grasped my hand.

The Crown Prince elaborated.

“Vivian Vessel.”

Vivian looked around and at the prince’s hand.

There was no one who looked at this place significantly.

The crown prince’s career as a womanizer may have played a role.

Only her mother, the Marchioness, was concernedly looking to her place.

“Will you not take my hand?”

Vivian reluctantly took Enosh’s hand in hers.

The second song was played just in time.

The two blended in with the crowd.

With a nervous expression on her face, Vivian danced with Enosh.

It is customary to relax the atmosphere by engaging in light conversation, but neither Enosh nor Vivian were speaking.

Enosh finally opened his mouth after a while of silent dancing.

“You like Duke Egon, don’t you?”

Vivian tripped at that exact moment. However, she did not fall.

This is because Enosh supported her waist as if he had expected it.

He even expertly induced Vivian to take the next step.

Vivian’s face was still blank, despite avoiding embarrassment.

“How can you……?”

“Isn’t it weirder if I don’t know? I have a list of everything you’ve done, Lady.”

“……”

“You sold your brother’s name and entered the knight’s quarter, where you were quickly kicked out.”

“……”

“But you still can’t let go of your lingering feelings, so you eventually joined the other young ladies riding the horse in front of the knight’s quarter, where you ended up falling from the horse.”

Enosh recited Vivian’s history casually.

“But I’m curious as to why you’re not in a bad relationship with Lady Oreu. I heard you were impolite with the other ladies in the past.”

“Please excuse me, Your Highness. I’m not sure what you mean when you say this to me.”

“Don’t you want to steal the Duke? From Lady Oreu.”

“Steal the Duke?”

“Yes, I shall help you on that.”

Vivian frowned.

“The Duke and Lady Oreu have already gotten engaged.”

“However, they have yet to marry. Even if they’re married, you still can make them divorced, aren’t you?”

“I don’t intend to go that far. More than that……”

Vivian, who was speaking, came to a halt and closed her mouth.

“……More than that? Keep talking.”

“……I’m not sure why Your Highness is suggesting this to me.”

“Lady does not need to know. If you want my support, all you have to do is say yes.”

“Then I’ll say it firmly now.”

“……”

“I refuse.” “How come? You like duke, don’t you?”

“That is undeniable, but I have no intention of interfering with the two, to the point where I request help from others.”

“Really? Then let us alter the terms.”

Enosh immediately came up with another solution, as expected.

“Make Lady Oreu misunderstand your relationship with the Duke. Create distrust between them.”

“So that is your intention all along, Your Highness.”

There was no response, but Vivian realized what she had said was correct.

But she still didn’t get it.

“Why do you want to separate them, Your Highness?”

“Once again, there is no need for you to know that, Lady.”

“It doesn’t look like I’m getting anything from that.”

“If you can do that, I will elevate you to the position of the future empress.”

Vivian twisted her face violently for a moment. So violently that anyone who knew her would think she had been insulted if they saw her expression.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think the empress’ seat has anything enticing.”

“You don’t think the Empress’ position is enticing?”

Vivian simply averted her gaze, as if she didn’t want to respond.

“Oh, I didn’t see that coming.”

Enosh chuckled briefly.

“I didn’t want to bring it up, but I couldn’t help myself.”

Enosh then changed his expression, as if he had never chuckled.

“There was a time when ‘someone’ purposefully pushed a lady into the lake until she drowned at His Majesty’s birthday banquet.”

“Why are you telling me that……”

“Because that ‘someone,’ Lady, is you.”