C85
As Jacob's horse passed by the stands, all the noble women took a deep breath. The handsome second prince, with his sapphire-blue eyes and honey-blonde hair, smiled. And he was still single!
How wonderful it would be to receive his rose. As Jacob drew closer and closer, the noble women trembled, unsure if they would be the recipient or not. On the other hand, Bianca's expression hardened terribly. She had a sinister premonition.
And such premonitions tended to be quite accurate.
As expected, Jacob's horse stopped in front of Bianca. At first glance, he appeared sacred enough to resemble a paladin, but Bianca knew that the devil lurked in that armor. Bianca's tense body clung to the backrest of her seat.
Jacob handed Bianca the clean and immaculate rose from his chest, not even paying attention to Bianca's discomfort.
"I apologize for not being able to show you my performance, still... Will you accept my rose, Countess de Arno?"
The title Countess de Arno felt sarcastic. The rose Jacob gave her was clearer and more beautiful than any rose Bianca had received before, but Bianca's face showed disgust.
"Why is Jacob giving me a rose? What the hell is he planning...?"
Bianca hesitated, unable to reach out her hand, and Jacob smiled.
"Countess, are you sure you want to reject my rose?"
If Bianca didn't accept it, she would be accused of disrespecting the royal family. Added to that was the scandal of playing with his knightly honor. The eyes around her were already sharp. Bianca distorted her face.
Bianca slowly extended her hand. Reluctant even to touch Jacob, she grabbed the stem of the rose with her trembling hands.
Although forced, Bianca received the rose.
Jacob smiled brilliantly. It was as if he thought he had won. The smile at the corner of his mouth, rising as he drew an arc, was as bright as the summer sunlight, but from Bianca's point of view, it was only dark and terrifying, as if it had cast a shadow over her life.
She shouldn't have insisted to Yvonne. The words she had said to the anxious Yvonne had rebounded and hit Bianca in the back of her head. She shouldn't say things like "do as you wish." Bianca bit her lip and glared bitterly at the rose Jacob had given her.
The glances around her, which had been discreet until now, became more explicit after Jacob handed the rose to Bianca. It was a look she could feel even without looking back.
The women of the royal family also looked at Bianca with curious eyes. Was it Bianca's misunderstanding that the eyes of Princess Odelli gleamed? Bianca could even hear them whispering here and there.
"What is the relationship between Prince Jacob and the countess?"
"The Arno family is the closest collaborator of Prince Gautier. They have a strained relationship with Prince Jacob..."
"Isn't it suspicious? Isn't there really something there?"
"By the way, the Countess was in the royal garden..."
"Excuse me? Did that really happen?"
"That's right. There are people who saw it firsthand. Moreover..."
"Oh my God, how can she be so shameless...?"
Whether intentional or coincidental, the comments were muffled and difficult to hear. However, it was something she could understand even if she didn't hear it. It would have been obvious what the content would be in a situation like this. It must be about her virtue. She knew in advance that rumors were circulating about her, so they were quick to judge the situation.
Yvonne's face flushed. Instead of embarrassment, it seemed like she was trying to contain her anger. Bianca clicked her tongue.
If she had known this would happen, she would have let Yvonne reject him when she received Gaspard's confession. It's a bit regrettable to hear something that will ruin your day.
"I should hold on to my husband. It would be embarrassing if that woman stands beside him and seduces him."
"She's not even pretty... Her hair color is also a reddish brown similar to tree bark. It's incomparable to the blond hair of the Sevran family. At least she wears expensive clothes, so it's worth taking a look."
"She must have bought those expensive clothes with her husband's money, Count Arno... she has no shame."
The gossip didn't stop. She had been confined to her room since arriving in the capital, but unbeknownst to her, Bianca seemed to have become a hot topic of conversation.
What the hell are they talking about? She should ask Yvonne. At this point, she didn't even realize they were talking about herself due to the gap.
When Bianca's mood worsened, Fernand quietly approached her. Should she threaten to hit him? Bianca's mood worsened even more. She hadn't seen him for a while, so she thought he had left and erased him from her memory, but seeing him sneakily appear was like a nightmare.
"I have heard of the fame of Prince Jacob, but seeing him in person is truly admirable... Even the handsome prince seems to be in love with Madam."
".........."
Fernand's words were smooth, as if he had oiled his tongue. Even as he spoke, Fernand's head was spinning.
A bee cannot obtain nectar from just one flower. After Bianca left, Fernand wandered in search of other prey. And it didn't take long for him to find a noblewoman. Although she was a baroness, she seemed to have a lot of money, and above all, she was a bold woman.
Fernand, reveling at her side, finally stepped out of the public eye and had a powerful exchange with the woman.
The baroness, who was very satisfied, directed an enamored look at Fernand. And Fernand heard an auditory hallucination of coins sliding into his pocket...
The baroness returned to her chamber to fix her clothes, and Fernand headed to the stands to find another prey. While you're young and strong, you have to make the most of it.
Just as Fernand was about to climb the stands while adjusting his pants, he saw Jacob handing a rose to Bianca. And his eyes widened.
"Do you mean that woman has a relationship with the second prince?"
Jacob was handsome enough to surpass even Fernand, who was proud of his appearance. If that woman had such a relationship with Jacob, it was obvious that she wouldn't even bat an eye at Fernand's face.
"It's strange... Obviously, she knows that Prince Jacob is not dating anyone..."
Jacob wasn't the type of person who would hide even if his partner was a married woman. Perplexed, Fernand listened to the voices of the noblewomen talking beside him. The issue was that Bianca's family was very wealthy, accustomed to indulging herself with her husband's money, and had several men pursuing her.
"I don't know what kind of family she is, but if she likes men that much, it might be worth a try!"
Fernand approached Bianca with a smile on his face. Due to the sharp gazes surrounding her, he thought that as long as he became her conversation partner, he could warmly penetrate her heart. There was nothing wrong with receiving some money in return.
Fernand, who couldn't figure out which men gave roses to Bianca because he was focused on the baroness, studied how to please Bianca and carefully said.
"It's understandable. What is Madam's beauty? Excuse me, but may I sing a song that praises your beauty? Of course, I wouldn't be able to express even a fraction of the lady's elegance, but..."
Of course, Fernand's cautious comments didn't work very well. To Bianca's ears, it was just a string of meaningless words. The retort to stop fell silent in Bianca's throat.
He was like a fly, buzzing and fluttering around her. It was unpleasant and annoying.
The seduction of 21-year-old Fernand was insignificant to Bianca.
It was truly unpleasant that he clung to her despite knowing she was married.
Now that she thought about it, even in her previous life, although she knew she had a husband, he flirted with her. At that time, she thought Fernand's attitude was the innocence of a man who fell in love and didn't know what to do. It was even funny to think about it.
No matter who was behind Fernand, Bianca no longer wanted to talk to him.
She could dig up information by pretending to accept his flirtatious attitude, but every time she looked at him, her will disappeared. He was like a fly entangled with rotten flesh.
Bianca muttered many foul words internally and scolded Fernand in annoyance.
"Soon it will be my husband's turn, he is distracting me. I'm not very interested in your songs, so go find someone who is."
"If your husband is participating in the tournament, you must be very worried. Your trembling heart, won't it calm down a bit if you spend time with me? Join me and let's pray for your husband's victory."
Despite the cold words, Fernand remained firm. Fernand smiled softly and took a step closer to Bianca. The smell of his repugnant perfume pierced Bianca's nose. Just as Bianca was about to reject Fernand once again, the tournament spokesperson announced.
"Thank you all for waiting. Finally, the last match of the tournament! Here comes the hero of Sevran, the Iron Blood Count, the Battlefield Wolf, Count Zachary de Arno!"
Tags:
TWB (Novel)