A New Year’s party heralding the start of the year.
It was a grand imperial ball on par with the Founding Festival and the Imperial Family’s Birthday.
Aeplin wore a dress that accentuated her slender waist, with a hem that spread like waves.
On the pure white silk dress, green bead embroidery was intricately worked, so that from afar it looked like a moth orchid blooming in a snowfield.
Her avoidance of excessive exposure and ornaments gave her a restrained elegance that, in turn, made Aeplin’s beauty stand out.
She danced to the melody of a waltz with Crown Prince Serge, her longtime lover.
“The future of the imperial family is truly dazzling.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince and the daughter of Count Hapen are truly like a painting.”
“Surely, the god of fate split one soul in two and joined them as lovers.”
The distinguished guests praised them with one voice as the perfect pair who would one day become emperor and empress.
Soon the dance music surged to its climax, and Aeplin and the Crown Prince’s dance ended perfectly.
The two felt the guests’ continued applause and admiring gazes as they moved away.
“Aeplin, I’d like to go somewhere quiet for a moment.”
“Very well, Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince spoke in a quiet, meaningful tone and led Aeplin out of the ballroom.
Serge led Aeplin toward the corridor lined with marble columns.
It was a sparsely populated place, good for an intimate conversation.
But Serge’s face was markedly different from when he had been dancing.
The smile filled with affection had vanished completely, and his tense expression was strangely unfamiliar.
He only moved his lips slightly and could not easily bring himself to speak.
“Your Highness, please speak comfortably. I am all right.”
Aeplin met Serge when she was eight years old, spent time with him as a friend, and now they had become lovers.
Because they had been together for twelve years, she could gauge his inner thoughts just by looking at his expression.
“Aeplin, I… I have a woman I love.”
“……?!”
“I want us to end our relationship.”
She had never expected to hear such words from her lover at a party flowing with light and joy.
Aeplin’s heart shook as if an earthquake had struck, but she held her breath as much as she could and listened attentively to his words.
“I think I’ve finally realized what the meaning of true love is.”
“I see.”
No one could know how hard Aeplin tried not to reveal her emotions outwardly even as she listened to the Crown Prince’s lengthy story.
Because she had been educated that way from the moment she was born, even when she was being abandoned by her lover, revealing her inner feelings was out of the question.
“I believe. In the greatness of love……. Differences in status turned out not to be a problem. Being helplessly drawn by a strong force of fate. That was the love I had never known.”
As if a one-sided breakup were not enough, anger surged at Serge’s attitude, which showed not the slightest concern for her feelings and honor.
Even so, it was rather refreshing that the woman who had captured his soul was a lowborn opera singer.
“I respect Your Highness’s love. And I will sincerely bless you.”
“As expected, Aeplin, I believed you would understand me.”
Understand him? Absolutely not.
She was merely protecting her honor and pride because they were more important than his love.
That was the dignity of Aeplin von Hapen, the daughter of Count Hapen.
In addition, she finally realized her ambiguous feelings toward Serge.
Judging from the fact that she felt no urge at all to tremble with betrayal, to be jealous, or to cling, it seemed hers had not been a passionate love.
Serge smiled as if relieved and said.
“Aeplin, let’s return to the banquet hall. We shouldn’t be away for long.”
“Before that…….”
“Hm?”
“Please apologize to me sincerely. I believe that is the courtesy owed to a longtime lover.”
Aeplin smiled gently and asked him for an apology, her emotions unruffled.
Soon Serge’s eyes narrowed, and one corner of his mouth curled upward.
“I am still in love. It’s just that the person is different. That feeling is not a sin. Rather, I am sacrificing myself and trying to uphold the nobility of love. So why should I apologize?”
“Pardon?”
Just then, the sound of a dog barking drifted through the night air from somewhere.
It was probably Serge’s pet dog.
‘I had hoped he would not be the worst until the very end…….’
“Your Highness’s words are right. Love does not change. It is the human heart that changes.”
Only now did she realize that Serge lacked sound judgment, had no sense of courtesy in his relationships, and was a self-righteous man.
Thinking she knew him well had been a complete illusion.
‘The price of that illusion is too great.’
Aeplin stopped there.
She had a great deal to say to him, but if she did, they would only end up arguing over the definition of love or proper human relationships……. and in the end, it would turn into a mudslinging fight.
***
The carriage carrying Aeplin and her mother did not arrive at the count’s residence until late at night.
Before Henry, the butler whose knees were not in good condition, could approach with his slow steps, Aeplin opened the door first.
If she were any later, her mother Lilien would surely snap at the old butler.
“Thank you, Henry.”
Aeplin took Henry’s hand and stepped down from the carriage.
Then Lilien climbed out, humming, and hastily wrapped her fur cloak around herself against the biting cold wind.
“Did you see Her Majesty the Empress’s diamond necklace? Truly, it was absolutely enchanting.”
Lilien did not stop talking for even a moment, recalling the Empress’s dress and jewelry that had shone especially brightly tonight.
Even in the carriage on the way back, she seemed intent on savoring the afterglow of the party, so Aeplin could not bring herself to tell her about the breakup with the Crown Prince.
“How wonderful it would have been if your father had been with us too.”
“He is on the New Continent.”
Aeplin’s tone as she answered was rather gloomy.
Her father, Count Hapen, had emptied his entire fortune and invested it in mines on the New Continent.
At first, news that the business was proceeding smoothly had arrived from time to time, but at some point, all news had stopped.
But the moment they set foot in the lobby, another piece of news was waiting for them.
The moment Aeplin saw the letter on the silver tray Henry was holding, a crease formed between her delicate brows.
“Henry, give it here.”
Not wanting to dampen her mother’s excitement, Aeplin picked up the letter first.
The letter was sealed with red wax, and the name Attorney Edmon was written on it.
He had long served as the count family’s attorney, and was also currently the intermediary who relayed news of her father on the New Continent.
‘Surely not……. Has something happened to Father?’
Ominous premonitions never fail to come true—such is the law of life.
Aeplin’s heart suddenly pounded, and her fingertips trembled as she tore open the envelope.
Soon the letter lay open in her hands.
[Dear Lady Hapen, I am sorry to greet you with anything but good news. Currently, Count Marcel von Hapen is in a dangerous situation. A revolution has broken out in Senebaron on the New Continent, and he has been taken hostage by the rebels…….]
The alarming words swam frantically before Aeplin’s eyes.
At the same time, it felt as though her pounding heart had finally fallen and was rolling somewhere on the floor.
“What on earth is it that’s got you like this?”
Lilien practically snatched the letter from Aeplin’s hand, and it did not take long for her scream to make the chandelier hanging from the ceiling shake.
“Your father is in danger of dying? Aeplin, are they telling us to prepare a ransom of 3 billion sallings right now? And within a month?”
Before Aeplin could even answer, Lilien fainted dead away.
It was an unprecedented event in her life, and it was impossible for the delicate Lilien to handle.
“Mother!”
Aeplin trembled at the surging chill.
Even when she tried to open her mouth, her throat was parched, and it was even hard to breathe.
***
Lucent set down the cigar he had been smoking in a crystal ashtray at the sound of a knock on the mahogany door.
He drank a glass of water and leaned back in a plush leather chair.
Soon the door opened, and his secretary, Leon, appeared.
“Boss, we’ve received word from Senebaron.”
“Report.”
The secretary relayed the news that Count Hapen was currently captured by the rebels in Senebaron, his life was in danger, and they were demanding 3 billion sallings as ransom.
“This is serious. Execute the next plan immediately.”
“Yes, and the Crown Prince……”
“I know.”
Lucent nodded with an indifferent face and murmured.
The principal alone that he had lent Count Hapen was 6 billion sallings, and with interest overdue for a year, he had activated informants in Senebaron.
But now the Count’s life was in danger.
He rose from his seat and headed to the window where purple velvet curtains hung.
With both hands thrust into his trouser pockets, he looked at the secretary’s reflection in the glass window.
“What remains of the Hapen family’s fortune?”
He asked his secretary in a distinctly indifferent tone.
“Nothing. Count Hapen put up his entire fortune as collateral.”
At the secretary’s words, Lucent’s brow furrowed slightly, and he turned around.
“Can you be certain?”
“Pardon?”
“What is visible is not everything.”
At Lucent’s words, Leon’s eyes darted about frantically, and at last he found the answer.
“If what is visible is not everything, then there must be something left.”
“Exactly.”
Only then did Lucent answer with satisfaction.
His secretary had a knack for catching on quickly even when something was tossed out carelessly.
Sometimes he even thought the man might be his soulmate.
It was probably the result of having worked together for so long.
