"Are you alright?"
Waiting for the carriage, Eustaf brought it back, so Ran laughed without realizing it.
"How many times is it...?"
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I should have been looking at you properly. I'm distracted by something else."
He kicked his tongue at himself painfully.
"No, It's fine."
Suddenly Ran frowned as she tried to speak.
"Isn't he just the crazy guy?"
"That's right."
Ran smiled small at the refreshing answer and began to cry without realizing it. Ran turned her head in embarrassment.
"Uh, no, it's weird."
My lips were shaking.
"It's all right."
Eustaf whispered low and hugged her more strongly. Ran buried her head in his arms without realizing it.
When he got on the wagon that arrived just in time, Eustaf did not put Ran down or open his cape. So, Ran remained still in his arms until she calmed down.
'Oh'
my heart.
It was not until I stopped crying that I could hear my heart pounding. After crying, I felt somewhat embarrassed and relieved.
After roughly wiping her eyes with her hands and wiping her face with a cape, Ran pulled down the cape that covered her face.
"I'm better now."
When she spoke quietly, Eustaf only looked at her.
"Will you be able to sit down?"
"Oh, yes, I'm heavy."
As Eustaf said she was embarrassed and pulled Ran up so that he could sit next to her, not opposite her.
"That's the weight of your clothes."
Ran laughed without realizing it. She relaxed and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"But I'm glad I have Eus."
Eustaf peeked at Ran and asked back, "Really?" Ran said, "Ah!" and raised herself up.
"Duel! What are you going to do?"
"There's nothing I can do. That's all I have to say when I'm in a duel."
"No, what if you hurt the Crown Prince? What if the imperial family says they don't use ice crystals--"
"If the imperial family says no, it's a magical thing to see, of course, I'll refrain. However, it will be difficult to give up things that are already conveniently mixed with life. It's not just about selling ice crystals to the Empire anyway. Even the Crown Prince is just a knight in a duel."
In a logical statement, Ran even wondered if he had planned this.
"No."
"Huh?"
"You're just wondering if I planned this."
"Huh? Really?"
Surprised, Ran felt her face. No, how do you know that much?
"If I had known, I would have prevented it from happening."
Speaking, Eustaf held back from questioning, 'Why the hell didn't you follow Label?'
It's a different thing, but it might feel like you're blaming her for nothing.
Instead, Eustaf inhaled deeply between his lips and said, "Maybe I'll have an agent."
"Oh? Ah... the Prince will not appear in the arena directly."
"Yes, but that's enough."
Ran asked, sneaking a glance at Eustaf's eyes.
"But isn't that too much of a match for the Emperor?"
"If he come to coordinate, that would be great. But I don't think so..."
Eustaf crossed his legs in a relaxed manner.
"Wouldn't he want to show a powerful emperor who stands out unlike his incompetent son? Only in front of the emperor Lazia is quiet."
"Huh?"
"That's what I'm going to encourage. Besides, I don't think the stupid prince can take it very well. So."
Eustaf grinned.
"If there's a quarrel between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, that's the first step."
Ran got goose bumps on her back.
It was definitely an accident, and Eustaf calculated it all in one moment. Eustaf looked at her face and reached out her hand.
Ran unconsciously placed her hands on his hands, and Eustaf said, holding them.
"We will go back to Lazia when this things are all over"
This time, Ran agreed.
"Yes, let's go back."
At the words, Eustaf smiled broadly, and Ran thought it was good for him.
'Come to think of it.'
Why?
These days, Eustaf seems to have become very soft. There are no critical eyes or facial expressions like before.
"Eus."
"Yes."
"You've decided to recognize me as your sister?"
At that word, Eustaf's face hardened at once.
"No way."
Ran said, "Oh, really?" awkwardly laughed, and Eustaf let go of her hand and crossed his arms.
Ran shouldn't have brought it up. What if I did? And put my hand on my chest.
'It's okay now.'
I was really surprised earlier, and I didn't think I'd calm down for a long time, but now I'm fine. She glanced at Eustaf.
"Eus."
"Yes."
"Thanks again."
At the words, Eustaf frowned, bit his lips, and pulled her shoulder around.
"Please say your gratitude the next time I'd done it perfectly."
At the words, Ran smiled and leaned on his shoulder.
"I look forward to it."
Eustaf briefly silenced in a shaky carriage and glanced back at Ran. Ran was asleep on his shoulder at some point.
He swallowed a sigh and touch Ran's eye with his fingertips carefully. I was watching her go out for a walk in the garden with Label, and it was good to see him come back alone.
'Where did she go.'
Eustaf breathed out a long breath to quell his fierce anger again. Ruth should be thankful that his neck is attached. The carriage soon arrived in front of the green arch.
Footman, who opened the door, looked a little surprised when he saw her sleeping. After several awkward moves, Eustaf was able to hold her and get off the wagon.
The footmen quickly set the stage and grabbed the door.
The servants were looking at the worm-like covered Lord that was being carried by their master, and quickly bowed to Eustaf's cold gaze.
When I entered the green arch, the butler asked in embarrassment.
"What's going on?"
"Let's talk."
Eustaf felt no need to explain. Rumors will spread throughout the society before the end of tonight anyway, and rumors will be in the ears of the servants by tomorrow morning.
It was better to say it in advance.
"Come to the Oval Office with the maids."
"All right. So, the Lord..."
Eustaf hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll take her in."
"All right."
The butler bowed faithfully, and Eustaf took Ran into her room. But she sat on the living room couch and shook her shoulders, not the bedroom.
"Noonim."
"Uh... "
"Wake up. I'd like to let you sleep, but not now."
He shook her shoulders more strongly, so Ran woke up.
"Huh...?"
Ran, who blinked for a moment, looked around and looked away.
"Where am I...?"
Eustaf smirked as if she were still asleep and whining like a child.
"Green arch."
Only then did Ran come to her senses.
"Really? When did I get here?"
"A while ago, and you're going to have to explain what happened to the disciple now. The rumor will be out of control tomorrow."
At Eustaf's words, Ran took a deep breath. She got up from her seat and told Kara, who was waiting next to her.
"I'm going to fix my makeup and change my clothes. New hair."
"Yes, my lord."
When Kara bowed her head and stepped back, Ran grinned and saw Eustaf.
"Thank you. I didn't handle it alone."
"Noonim should tell this story."
Eustaf spoke in a relaxed tone and greeted slightly.
"Then I'll go change myself."
"Yes, tell them to get together in the study."
"Yes."
Ran sighed as he stepped back. In the meantime, Kara and Soda, who brought in the wash, quickly began to help her with her wit.
After a while, Ran changed into clean new clothes and became a clean and innocent face without any signs of luck.
The hair was just loosened, stretched, and the bangs were tilted to fix them with crescent-shaped platinum and pearl pins.
Ran looked in the mirror, saw that her face was fine, smiled, and said, "Then I'll go."
When I left the room, Sir Blaine stood, and Ran smiled at him slightly and began to walk ahead.
When I arrived at the study, the maid, butler, and Eustaf were already waiting. Blaine closed the door last time.
Everyone looked anxious and puzzled about what was going on.
"Suddenly you're wondering what's going on, but there's a serious problem today, so I called you to talk."
Ran said so and talked about what happened at the ball today.
At the end of her story, the butler, Rolf, said with an unbearable look.
"How dare he do such a thing to the Lord! What does the imperial family think of the Duchess of Lazia?!"
Blaine's face was completely hardened with anger, too.
"I think we should file a formal complaint about this. No, we have to accept his apology!"
Eustaf raised his hand to calm the two down and said.
"It's not easy to get an apology. Let's see how the duel is going. Noonim, let's go to see the Emperor tomorrow. With me."
"Yes"
Ran nodded. I already heard Eustaf plan earlier, so there was no resistance. She took a deep breath and continued.
"Tomorrow, everyone will be rumored. I'm sure there will be malicious rumors about the Duchess of Lazia. That's why I'm telling you in advance. It's better to hear it in advance than to hear it from others. Let our people know."
The butler, the maid of honor, and Blaine looked at each other's faces and nodded.
"All right."
Ran thought it over and added.
"Maybe we'd better get the rumor out first, so don't get the rumor off."
And Ran grinned.
"The more favorable rumors we have, the better. A weak, pitiful, innocent image of the Duchess of Lazia would be fine."
By saying so, Ran forced three people to step back. Blaine seemed to have something to say to Eustaf, but he quietly bowed his head to see if he had decided to do it next time.
When the disciple left, Ran sighed and sat on her desk.
"The powerless, poor, innocent Duchess of Lazia?"
When asked by Eustaf, Ran quickly blinked green eyes and asked.
"Isn't that the way it really is?"
Eustaf said without raising an eyebrow.
"A lovely, cute, innocent Duchess of Lazia."
Ran said, "Euaa...!" And rubbed her arm for the goosebumps.
I didn't know I'd hear this from Eustaf's mouth. Ignoring her reaction, he continued.
"I don't like press wars."
"Yes, but this is a perfect situation to be gossiped about, and I won't make the same mistake as when I was with Baron Lindbergh."
If necessary, we should have a press conference. If I could, I'd like to capture gossip and spray it, but there was no such media in the world yet.
Although there is metal type, all printing machines are manual, not automatic, and the illiteracy rate is so high that books were exclusive to expensive upper classes everywhere.
"Do you know what the others below are talking about? is also a major story. It's good to lose support for the Crown Prince."
Eustaf nodded at Ran's words. Ran came down from the desk with a sigh.
"Then I'm going to wash up and go to bed. I'll have to move early tomorrow morning."
"Go to sleep."
"Yes, good night, Eus."
Afterward she went out of the study. When the door closed, Eustaf smiled coldly.
'Then it's really time to meet this prince.'