North x Northwest

Chapter 337

“Nowadays, the word of the middle class becomes the law… Those who are wasting precious paper by producing all these newspapers… Well, it cannot be considered a waste of paper if they are actually succeeding in influencing public opinion with just a few sheets of it… Times are changing, Liloa. No matter how wealthy or influential you are, you should not ignore such a trend… Unfortunately, everyone is still too foolish to see.”

“..!”

‘Annette’s outlook on matters has always been broad and sophisticated. That’s how she survived in this fierce court until now.’

Annette placed her hand on Lil’s shoulder and looked into the younger woman’s eyes through the mirror.

“It is better to resolve complaints while they are small. If left unattended, they can become sources of trouble in the future. That is how the problem of bandits along the Great Trade Route has reached this point.”

Lil gazed at the woman who was especially benevolent to her. As before, Annette gave her friendly advice and volunteered to be her helper. However, she also still had the same beliefs as before, that things would get better if she decorated Lil splendidly before sending her out.

“Your Majesty.”

“What is wrong?”

“I have not changed. So…”

‘…No matter how well you treat me, I will disappoint you in the same way I have done before.’

Lil swallowed her words and refined her sentence a little better.

“I will keep making you uncomfortable…”

“Do you think I am doing this to make myself comfortable?”

“…”

“You really have no tact. It is frustrating for me to see.”

As Annette stroked Lil’s face, her fingers brushed over the makeup on her blushed cheek.

“How good would it be to use this weapon, even for a little bit?”

“I…”

As her delicate hand landed on Lil’s shoulder again, Annette let out a sigh.

“Thirty years, Liloa. Thirty years, from the death of my first husband until now. What kind of world do you think I have been through? The agony that you are obsessed with for so long passed me by twenty years ago. Are you still resentful that I told you to turn a blind eye to the difficult road and take the easier one?”

“…”

Annette and Lil were still looking at each other through the mirror.

“If I did not know how difficult it was, how could I have called this path easy?”

“…”

Annette pinned a small hat-shaped veil to Lil’s head.

“This is one of my favourites. Just use it.”

Lil couldn’t bear to refuse Annette’s favour.

‘As time goes by and I get older, will I be able to fully understand her?’

Lil felt the familiarity of an old and deep feeling from the older lady as she rashly brought up her past and didn’t expect her to understand.

‘I have always thought I had grown up, but now that I’m right in front of Annette again, I just feel as young as I used to be…’

“Your eyes have become very hard, Liloa… Then shall I tell you what I think?”

“…”

Annette leaned down to Lil’s ear where she was sitting. However, as Lil was tall compared to Annette’s smaller frame, the gesture wasn’t a big move.

A gentle whisper soon rang in Lil’s ears.

“I am not the same person as I was before. And I know now that you are not bent nor broken, or ever will be. So will you give me a chance to make it up to you?”

“You do not have to, you have always been good to me. More than I can understand.”

“Really? I am glad you think so.”

The maids who had finished dressing her up stepped aside from the dressing table. Lil then got up from her seat and stood looking at Annette. Annette’s face, which had been smiling proudly, soon turned suspicious.

“But… Do you not have a partner?”

“…No.”

“I am not asking about your partner for tonight’s banquet…”

“..!”

Annette’s eyes bent mischievously, and her index finger poked Lil’s shoulder.

“Are you really going to let me say it first? I have heard it all. Even news from the far West comes to Annette first.”

“Ah, um…”

‘She’s obviously asking because she knows about the relationship between Ed and me…’

Lil rolled her eyes awkwardly, like a child who had been caught deviating from their parents. Even if Annette became upset and slapped her on the back, there was nothing she could say.

“Do not make me ask again. Where is your partner?”

“He… is a little busy right now.”

“What an elusive fellow. I have thought so for a long time. Even His Majesty was all that upset because of him.”

“Right…”

“Ah! But I cannot even imagine. You and the bastard of the Peninsula?”

Lil remembered Ed’s tag that she had almost forgotten.

‘He could’ve lived a more quiet life. Why did he go around making trouble for himself in Sesbron?’

“I guess you are finally going to tell me something interesting. I cannot help but wonder how that happened.”

“He is not as crazy as people think.”

“Oh, look at you. Are you taking his side already? Are you sure you are the Liloa I know?”

“I am not taking sides… No, actually, I have been a bit strange these days. It is like I am not my usual self. I do funny things and speak childishly. You have no idea how embarrassing it is when I think about it later…”

Annette threw back her head and laughed loudly at Lil’s honest display of self-awareness. The maids next to the dressing table also pursed and straightened their lips as they tried to suppress their laughter.

“You should have been dating hard 10 years ago. You missed your chance, so are you not all confused even if you are all growing up? How cute!”

“…”

Annette, who was still smiling lightly, wrapped her arm with Lil’s and led her out of the boudoir.

“Of course, I do not know what exactly is going on, but Liloa, the way I see it… you seem to put a lot of weight on the looks of the opposite sex, huh.”

Lil was about to say no, but when she remembered how often she looked at Ed’s face in appreciation, she quickly zipped her lips.

‘At times like that, I’m always left quite satisfied. Sometimes, I would even admire him alone and when I catch myself doing it, I’d feel sorry for myself and hit my head…’

Lil answered without much confidence.

“…Not to a very large extent…”

Annette laughed hard again. As she continued to laugh, they passed through the corridors and gardens in the meantime. The night air was cool, water flowing from the fountain reflected the moonlight and a bug chirped somewhere in the grass.

Soon they approached the banquet hall, where people were chatting loudly. The soldiers at the entrance recognized them instantly and shouted for everyone to hear.

“Your Majesty the Empress and the Grand Lady!”

The banquet hall was filled with rumours and speculation about Lil. Even just while walking a short distance, she had already heard all kinds of murmurs; Roahn, Admiral Retiro, the town of Kano, Simena, the passenger ship Clotilde, the Duke of Mireille, a marriage proposal, molestation, the Archduke of Obernyu…

‘Rumours spread quickly indeed these days…’

After parting ways with Lil, Annette went up to the podium next to the emperor. The trumpets sounded in unison, and the emperor stood up and gave a congratulatory speech expressing his joy at seeing Lil again.

And then, the music resumed.

Fortunately, since it was a banquet with hundreds of people, not everyone was focused on Lil. Men and women were looking for marriage partners, artists were looking to network and find sponsors, gourmets were eager to taste the delicacies of the banquet, and some people were even looking to be simply entertained by the dancers on stage. People moved for all kinds of different purposes…

“Miss Liloa.”

A man in a dark robe came next to her. He was a man whose scent and presence were all too familiar to her. Lil turned her head to look up at him and was met with his neatly swept-back blond hair, shining brightly under the banquet hall’s chandelier.

Lil’s eyelids trembled slightly.

‘We meet in an unexpected place again.’

She turned to him and bobbed her head.

“Sir Cesar.”

A crowd of ladies was about to approach Lil to inquire about her relationship with Ed, before turning their attention to Cesar with their young, yearning eyes. The officers around him, on the other hand, looked at him with respect.

‘Just as I thought, the sight of Cesar receiving all the attention in a banquet hall such as this is as wonderful as always.’

Unknowingly, a corner of her heart felt stuffy.

“It has been a while, Miss Liloa.”

“Why are you being so formal?”

“…Have you forgotten? We first met at LeBrun, where we were both aspirants… And we remained as such…”

“You can be comfortable.”

“I am more comfortable this way.”

“…”

Nodding his head, Cesar held out his hand.

“Your favourite song has just started.”

Lil thought for a moment, but there were still many people taking turns looking at them.

‘Dancing seems indeed the best way to avoid eavesdropping ears.’

Lil folded her hand into his. Both were wearing gloves, but the moment their fingers touched, Cesar’s jaw clenched.

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