Chapter 6
"By the way, His Highness the Crown Prince came here to congratulate my brother on his birthday..."
"I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince... Happy birthday, Ducal Prince."
"I've always heard that a woman's marriage is always such a waste."
"I was hoping you'd bravely break off the engagement because of the last incident, but I'm thrilled that you're here, shining in this place."
"No, your words... and Your Highness's! If you say that, then what would become of me then?"
As Assad and Benya exchanged words playfully, Lethias began to grumble, seemingly lamenting. But perhaps conscious of Alfonsina's presence, he held back a little.
"But it seems you haven't had a drink yet."
"...Didn't I tell you I'm sober, Your Highness?"
"Are you? I'm sure you've had a drink or two. By the way, what is the name of this masterpiece? I don't think I've heard the name of the hotel yet."
That's right, the hotel's name! What is it?
As I gazed intently, wondering what they had decided upon, Lethias showed no signs of replying. No, instead of answering, he looked back at me.
And to make matters worse, Benya also turned to me, instead of pointing out his brother's fault. Thus, the Crown Prince and Alfonsina also naturally followed their gazes and looked in my direction.
No way, these idiots!
Do they not know what they're going to name it on the spot? Are they just that clueless?
"This is Wendy's Hotel, Your Highness."
Mr. Wendy was among the many dolls we grew up with. It was a common name from my generation, but it was the only name that came to mind.
A mischievous smile flickered in the eyes of these two schemers (?).
The Crown Prince tilted his head for a moment, then smiled as if the room had suddenly brightened.
"It's a name I've heard a lot. It feels simple and friendly, which makes it even more appealing. Are you treating me to the best of your ability, Duke?"
"If not, would you like me to take you away from here?"
"I'm considering it."
I heard Juan mumble something. It seemed like everyone was talking about what a commotion this was. I looked in his sister's direction, silently wishing that the siscon would disappear.
Adriana simply stared blankly at her friend, frozen in place, her expression no different from the others. She must be quite taken aback. If I were someone else, I probably wouldn't have recognized her either.
Of course, when comparing beauty alone, Alfonsina couldn't quite match Adriana, but what I sought from her was not just a simple improvement in appearance.
The style that emphasized her strengths was only a basic element to ignite her confidence.
Clearing away the dirt of misunderstanding and ridicule, and allowing her true beauty to shine brilliantly. The process was going to be quite enjoyable.
"Certainly, everyone's mood changes drastically depending on their style. Don't you think so?"
"...What? Ah, yes. Indeed. Of course."
As I cautiously spoke, our female lead seemed flabbergasted for a moment, but soon regained her composure and tapped her brother's side, who was standing nearby.
"Stop that and have some fun. You couldn't even look around earlier. I'm going to chat with them here."
"...Why is Noona like this..."
"Again, just one more time."
"...Damn, okay. Got it."
Instead of Juan, who grumbled and left, Alfonsina joined our table.
The Serpent brothers, including the Crown Prince, seemed to be engaged in a serious conversation and moved away from us. Seriously, what are the three of them talking about so seriously?
"I was really surprised, Alsie. You should've done this earlier. I almost didn't recognize you."
"Thank you. It's all thanks to Sasha's help. Thank you, Sasha. And Valentina."
"Oh, so did Sasha give my friend some fashion advice?"
Pale pink eyes stared at me with a twinkling light. I smiled and shook my head.
"How could I be so presumptuous? I'm just trying to help her a little. Valen, have you eaten yet?"
"Ah, I thought I was going to die of hunger. Is this chicken?"
"Swan meat. Princess, this is my classmate, Valentina. Did you see her last time?"
"Nice to meet you, Valentina."
"Nice to meet you, Princess."
In a friendly atmosphere, the four of us had a meal and chatted about various things, mainly trivial stories about the hotel—the Grand Canal, the luxury of the Sky Lounge, and the fountain show starting at midnight.
By the time I filled my stomach and had dessert with a cocktail, Valentina changed the topic by tidying up my necklace.
"By the way, Sasha, what a nice necklace. Even I, who have a knack for pretty much any type of accessory, would like it. Did the Ducal Prince give it to you as a present?"
"I went through such a hard time, so I asked him why he's not giving me a bonus."
Valentina laughed when I answered with a shudder. The two noble ladies at the table scrambled to keep their eyes wide open.
"It's a gift from the Prince? No wonder... That's awesome. Actually, I've been curious about it since before, but I didn't ask because I didn't want to be rude."
"What is there to be sorry about? It's just an ornament."
"Still, if it's a necklace like that..."
"It suits you... very well, Sasha. I can't imagine it on anyone else."
What a wonderful compliment, young lady. I gave Alfonsina a grateful smile and picked up a cocktail glass. There were quite a lot of different colors, but I chose orange, which looked refreshing.
"More than that, Princess, how is your mother?"
"Phew, I'm in trouble because I can't see any improvement yet. Thank you for your concern... So, is Sasha taking a break for a while?"
"So far... Cough! Excuse me, cough!"
Oops, the alcohol concentration was thicker than I thought, and I had a cough that came out from time to time. As I turned around, finished coughing, and straightened my posture again...
"Sasha!"
Valentina grabbed my hand and suddenly shouted sharply, startling me.
Her green eyes were really wide open. I had never imagined that Valentina would make such an expression, or react so violently to something, so I felt strange all over again. I tried to ask her why.
"S-Sasha...?"
"Sasha?!"
When I looked forward, even Adriana and Alfonsina were staring at me with expressions similar to Valentina's. Their faces were pale as if they were seeing something unexpected.
Why is everyone like this all of a sudden? I opened my mouth to ask why but then raised my hand to my mouth when I felt something hot running down my chin.
The liquid that dripped down on my milky skin was red. It was not the drink I had consumed.
"What the..."
I tried to speak, but my voice stopped coming out. As the faces of the three women, side by side, passed through my vision, all my senses gradually faded.
The last thing I saw before consciousness slipped away completely was the figure of Benya, running towards me with an indescribable expression on his face.
* * *
Comments
Post a Comment