"I have told you everything about myself from the bottom and you hide secrets from me"
"I wanted to be careful, so I left some things," I said, feeling desperate.
"Tell me honestly. If I hadn't asked you directly, would you have said anything?"
"If I had something to hide from you, I wouldn't have told you about my meeting with the Emperor in the first place, right?"
"…"
Odeletta couldn't find an answer to that, and I sighed briefly.
"It's true that I was being careful so that you wouldn't get hurt," I tried to explain. "I'm not going to deny that. But I didn't want to say anything wrong about it, and I was going to say everything in the end."
"His Majesty told you something."
"He asked me what my relationship with the Crown Prince was like. I told him that we were just acquaintances, friends."
I wasn't lying, but there was a significant story about Xaiver. But Odeletta still distrusted me.
"How do I know if it's a lie or not?" He asked with suspicion.
"Odeletta", die with a firm tone, and at this point my patience was beginning to stretch. Don't you believe me? If you were worried about this in the first place, then I shouldn't have said anything."
"Then you should have stopped talking."
'.. What?"
"You know exactly how I feel about the Crown Prince... Did you have to tell me this story?"
I was stunned, because I had never imagined such a reaction from her.
I squeezed my jaw before opening my mouth to speak.
"Are you saying that I shouldn't have told you anything from the beginning?" I
I preferred.
"Or you should have said everything from the beginning."
"But whatever way you think I'm lying, are you sure you can fully trust the other side?" Demand with a trembling voice, but
Odeletta didn't respond. I took it as a tacit denial and had a taciturn expression. "So you don't trust me, Odeletta."
"It was you who acted like this first," he said.
"Act like?"
"… Let's stop." Odeletta seemed to have given up talking to me.
"Tell me, Odeletta. Did I do something wrong?" I asked
"If I tell you, will you fix it?"
"As much as I can."
"Don't get along with the Crown Prince," Odeletta said in a completely serious voice, and I felt as if I had been hit on the head.
"... What?"
"Please stop going to Thurman Palace, Marie. Please."
"…"
I had no words to say now. I never dreamed that I would hear this
Odeletta.
"I have never had such intentions towards His Highness. The only feelings I have for him is as a friend," I insisted, trying to save the
Situation.
"That's what you think. How can you conclude that the Crown Prince also thinks that way?" For the first time, Odeletta spoke to me in a harsh and penetrating voice, and my heart accelerated inside my chest.
"He also has eyes to look at others. And you and Your Highness are of marriageable age."
"Odeletta, you...
.. you sound like Dorothea. Are you saying that this is the only relationship between men and women? According to that logic, I can't even mix with the Duke, who is also of marriageable age. That would cause a misunderstanding.
"It's possible," she replied. My face hardened immediately.
"... you didn't say that last time."
Odeletta shook her head.
"I didn't say that. Dorothea did."
"Your position is not so different now. In my opinion, you are not particularly different from Dorothea.
"Don't compare me to her, or anyone else. I don't like that."
"Yes." I started, looking at Odeletta with a pleading look.
"If I no longer walk with the Crown Prince, then won't you get angry?"
"I won't do it"
"Then are you worried that I am with the Crown Prince?" I asked, hoping to clarify things.
"If I'm honest, yes." His voice became high. "After learning that I met with the Emperor, my worries grew."
"…"
I didn't speak for a moment, and after a while I ventured in a hesitant voice. "But Odeletta... I don't think I'm not the one the Crown Prince likes."
"…"
"It can't be true, Odeletta. Isn't it? So, why...?"
"I don't know," she interrupted abruptly once again, and I looked at her with an expression of amazement. This was the first time she looked so dark in front of me in this life. "But I'm still worried. Can't you understand that, Marie?" She said.
"But I don't understand anything, Odeletta. What are you worried about?" I asked him in a confused voice. Wasn't this common sense? Xavier was already in love with someone else, so how could Odeletta worry about me? From the image of Xavier that he had seen in the novel, I was sure that he was a man of principles.
"The Crown Prince doesn't like it as someone of the opposite sex, so there is nothing to worry about if he likes me as a friend, right?"
I pointed out.
Odeletta's lips were frowned. "I don't know. Humans are fickle.
If you keep going to Thurman Palace and love often... Your Highness could change your mind about you, right?"
"Odeletta, you...
"My words wavered once again. Then, after a while, I spoke again in a confused voice.
"I keep repeating this to you. I would never go after the man my friend likes. I was worried about you and wanted to reassure you, and I thought it would be fine because we are friends and we trust each other."
"…"
"Will you be happier if I don't see the Crown Prince? If so, I'll try,
Odeletta. But... would it really mean anything?" I said something sad, and Odeletta psychied without saying anything. I knew it would be impossible for us to be together for the rest of the day, so I slowly got up from my seat.
"Maybe today is not the day. It's hotter than usual, so maybe we're being too sensitive," I murmured.
"…"
"I'll leave now. I came here to give you the fruit cheong anyway. Have a good rest." I turned around and left the room. Odeletta didn't stop me, which only made me worry more.
Marquise Trakos saw me leave the room earlier than usual and looked at me with an expression of bewilderment.
"Are you leaving early today, Lady Maristella?"
I wasn't even sure what kind of expression I was doing at the time, but I felt like I was going to cry, so I repressed it.
"I'm a little sick today. I came here to give him the fruit cheong, so I'm leaving now," I offered as an excuse.
"Oh, I see. I can't keep someone who is sick." The Marquise
Trakos, as always, spoke to me with a warm expression. "But Odel isn't even saying goodbye to her friend."
"Oh, I stopped her, Marquise Trakos. I didn't want to overwhelm her."
"But he's not polite…"
"I'm fine, my lady. We are friends." Even while I was saying that, I felt a pang of pain in my heart. "I can go. You are here too."
"But-"
"I'll see you again."
I politely left Trakos Mansion. As soon as I left, I felt that a wave of pain threatened to sink. But I couldn't show tears, so I bit my lip and managed to control my emotions.
Things didn't change even after I got on the carriage.
I was more sorry that the situation had ended this way.
Was being close to Xavier really the root of all these problems?
Did it seem to others that my simultaneous friendship with Claude was two tempos? But that wasn't the truth, so why were people looking for reasons for it to be like that? Would things return to normal if I placed an iron wall and stayed away from both?
'No.'
After a while, I completely rejected the idea. It was ridiculous. If he did, Xavier and Claude could act as if they didn't care, but they would get hurt. It was a selfish idea.
"I'm proud of myself and I have nothing to hide."
It is possible that my values will not be accepted in this world, and since I came to Rome, I would do what the Romans do. However, this was a matter of common sense rather than a question of the world.
'I will be consistent. It will be me.'
Odeletta was my best friend, but Xavier and Claude were also my friends.
I didn't want to leave them carelessly.
There must be another way.
That's what I thought. But even if there was no other way, there was no way for me to cut ties with those two that way.