CH 19

Episode 19: My Husband’s Birthday Banquet

These terrible people.

As always, taking pain killers didn’t help.

I had a hard time and fell asleep. When I woke up, I realized a lot of time had already passed. As far as I know, the banquet starts at 6 p.m., but it’s already past 5 p.m.

If someone had come to inform me to prepare for the banquet, they would have come sooner.

If the maid lied to me, she could have told Ellenia that I was ill and was in no condition to attend the banquet.

It was true that I wasn’t feeling well, so she didn’t lie to her master.

Or maybe she just told me the truth.

Either way, I couldn’t stay still.

I had to check it for now. Fortunately, after a little sleep, my condition  was bearable compared to before.

“Did you call, ma’am?”

First, I pulled the rope just in case, but somehow Lucille appeared immediately.

She showed up so fast that I wondered if she was watching me.

“Can you help me? It’s already this late, and I have to hurry up and change.”

“But, ma’am, I heard…….”

Lucille, who had blurred the end of her words vaguely, looked at me. No wonder she looked troubled.

It was not clear whether Isaac really intended to lock me up in the room or if the head maid had meticulously told the maids below her after plotting with all of the servants.

What was certain was that even if the maid gave me medicine, there wouldn’t be many people on my side.

So I couldn’t stay still.

I had to convince my bastard husband somehow. As long as he has shown me any emotion, I have to catch the straw.

Let’s just check first, just check…….

“I know. Just help me get dressed.”

“Madam, I…….”

“I just want to feel better. I’ve been in my room for a few days, so I feel stuffy. Please?”

Lucille had an odd expression on her face, but as soon as I held out my diamond hairpin, she agreed to help me change into my new suit and sneak me into the garden.

* * *

I hid myself among the lilac bushes and tucked my embroidered handkerchief and letter into my long sleeves.

Phew, what the hell am I doing?

Being a big fan is really not for everyone. My lower abdomen and waist were throbbing mercilessly, but it was tolerable.

I’ll just peek, check the atmosphere, and then……. I’ll give him this present and go back.

Still, it’s his birthday, but as an interesting and passionate fan, I have to give a gift as a tribute

Regardless of the situation, I had to meet him.

It was terrifying to wait impatiently for disposition in cold silence.

I didn’t really eat anything for a few days, but I kept wanting to vomit.

I’d rather be beaten up, but this probation was hard to bear.

Rumbling, bang!

God, you really don’t like me, huh? Why is it that the rain suddenly comes out at a time like this?

In an instant, the sky turned black and untimely rain poured down.

I paused for a moment and wrapped my sleeves which had the gift tightly.

In order to avoid rain as much as possible, I chose the side where the trees were thicker and walked underneath, but in the end I still got wet.

It was fortunate that the dress was made of stiff lace.

As I approached the annex, I could hear noises coming from it.

The sound of laughter from the guests who had just arrived due to a sudden rain shower, the sound of cheerful jokes stating that the sky must have been angry because it’s his birthday.

I hid behind a nearby juniper tree and peered into the banquet hall entrance

Flamboyantly dressed people were walking in, laughing, chatting and greeting. What makes others so happy?

Everyone went completely inside and I approached the stairs for a moment, staring at the empty space.

Hiding behind the pillar again, I peeked inside and saw a lively and luxurious party scene.

“……How hard I worked to prepare this gift.”

“It’s true that you really struggled.”

“I hate you anyway.”

“I told you milady, you don’t need to be so nice.”

“Why are you here?”

“This bastard really hates to celebrate here.”

Chatter. A group of men and women were chatting happily down the stairs leading to the center of the banquet hall.

A couple of paladins wearing black armor today too and two ladies.

Familiar faces intermingled.  It’s something I feel every time I see them, but they seem to have a great sense of pride as paladins.

Ellenia in an elegant blue dress, was escorted by the paladin, looked like a goddess, and so was Freya, who gracefully designed her pale blonde hair that went well with a pink dress.

She laughed and hit the silver-haired knight on the shoulder.

I could not see Isaac’s expression because he turned his head, but he seemed very happy.

I felt strange. It was like going back to that day in my high school days.

On the night of the dance party, I hid in the garden, abandoned by my partner and watched white students who were completely different from me.….

The banquet hall door closed slowly.

Bang , the sound made me wake up.

I should go back. It would be embarrassing to show up like this.

Besides, looking at the atmosphere, it didn’t seem that the maid lied to me.

Soon, the rain stopped.

I squatted behind the post for a while to soothe my sore back.

Let’s go back. I think the present is wet and ruined anyway, and I can’t give him anything like this. I can think of different ways.

Pfft, I shouldn’t have worked so hard. It’s my fault for forgetting for a moment how heartless he is.

Yes, no matter how mean the head maid is, telling such a lie is too much.

I’ll go and make a new plan for what to do in the future. If it’s too late, I’ll sneak it while he’s sleeping at home…… Is it too much?

“Achoo!”

I sneezed as I went back to the bushy road.

It’s bad luck to have sudden rainfall. If I’m sick, I’m the only one who loses, but I unintentionally turned into a foolish bitch…….

Wait, is this the way I came earlier?

Wake up, you idiot. I raised my fist and hit my forehead.

But I cried a little because I hit it too hard.

When I looked around while rubbing my forehead, I felt like I was walking aimlessly and went into the back of the building.

What are you doing loitering around alone?

I picked up my pace, hoping that no one looked out of the window in the meantime.

As I turned around the corner, finding the way where I had come from, I bumped into something violently on my shoulder.

It hurts. What’s wrong with me today?

There was a pungent smell of smoke.

Is it the smell of a torch? I know it doesn’t stop even when it rains.

I suddenly want to see Popo. Even though it’s a monster that carries corpses in its mouth, there’s never been anyone as kind to me as that monster. It even put a leaf on my forehead so that I wouldn’t bleed…….

“Madam?”

I kept walking without stopping.

I don’t know who he is, but please forget my foolishness today. Phew, my back is about to break.

“Madam. Lady Rudbeckia.”

He’s a persistent man. If he just let me go, would it hurt?

As I held back my irritation and turned my head, I could see a familiar face for some reason. Pale blonde hair covering the nape of the neck. Round, dark purple eyes.

Oh, it’s him. I’m so unlucky today to get caught by him.

“Are you sick?”

I stared Lorenzo in the face for a moment. His face seemed as if he was ridiculing me.

What’s so funny? Also why do this brother and sister come out everywhere I go?

“You can just curse.”

“What?”

“You can just curse at me comfortably. You can realize it from the moment you look at my appearance. You don’t have to go through the trouble of singing like you did back then.”

“What……”

It’s funny how he pulls the corners of his lips like he’s speechless.

He looked kind of embarrassed. Why are you doing this while you sang such a disgusting song? I blinked and smiled softly.

“What kind of misunderstanding are you having…… When did I ever…….”

“It’s okay. I know you don’t like me. I’m good at figuring out those kinds of things. Don’t worry, I won’t be greedy about anything and live as a dead rat.”

My voice was blurred and my vision stinged.

What am I doing with this bastard? Apparently, because of Mother Nature’s visitation, my judgment was slightly lowered than usual.

They are useless crowds no matter what I say, but I really appreciate my acting skills that still managed to show me as a harmless person instead of swearing in the middle of my rant.

Yes, look at me as an idiot. Why don’t you go tell your sister how insignificant I am?

I don’t want to die.

I really don’t want to die. I want to live. I can do anything to achieve that.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and turned away from Lorenzo.

But then I saw something right in front of me.

I thought it wasn’t a welcoming moment.

Why are these men here? Obviously, until now, in the banquet hall…….

While I was briefly surprised by the unexpected scene, the proud Northern Paladins seemed more surprised than I was.

It’s kind of ridiculous to see each of them holding a leaf cigarette in their hand and staring at us with a frozen expression on their face.

Was that the real source of the pungent scent smoke?

In particular, Sir Ivan seemed to be so much in shock that he didn’t even notice that a cigarette was resting between his fingers.

Standing with a box of matches, Endymion took another shot and continued to strike a match that had already been burned black.

I know, I don’t look good.

I’m embarrassed to death, but I think they heard everything I just said.

Ahh, a rat hole, a rat hole! If this is a joke, it’s not funny to me at all!