e curtsied, l her head in submissively, "Your standing is high enough for you to own whatever you see fit, Yhness. I was just edug that lowborn on his position. He didn't know his pce."
The Prince bent over, pig up the handkerchief from under e's heel. She let go, allowing him. "So if this is mine now," he said, lifting the handkerchief, "You won't pin if I give it to him?"
"Yhness, you are too generous." e smiled, her voice siingly sweet. "If you wish to teach me a lesson, I would be happy to learn, but if you wish to humiliate me, you have already succeeded. There is o repeat your triumph."
The Prince was quiet, studying her, before he suddenly tossed the handkerchief back to the masked man, who barely mao catch it. "Leave us."
The man didn't o be told twid scattered away.
The moment the man was gohe Priioned for e to follow, and walked ahead.
e ched her jaw. She hesitated for a sed, but ultimately, followed. He was too fast, and she couldn't match his stride, "Yhness, could you please slow down," she requested, breathing hard.
A few guests who had been lingering outside g them, and quickly looked away when she shot a warning gre in their dire.
She could already imagiomorrow rumors, 'Desperate for the Prince's attention, Lady e Rochefort chases after him like a beggar after food.'
It was only when they arrived before the study room, did the Priop and order the servants to clear the area. It rivate room filled with shelves or books, far enough from the guests, and away fr eyes.
"You haven't ged," the Prinented, "Still as arrogant and haughty as ever. I thought after the e an, you would at least try to be less unbearable, and learn not to pick a fight with everyone you e across."
"Don't fet it's with everyo you, Yhness," e chuckled, letting her gaze sweep over the vish room, "You have a great heart tive my missteps, and even spared my life, despite what I have doruly, you are the of all men."
The Prince barely spared her a gnce as he looked out the window. "And you shouldn't fet that I still have you beheaded for your words," he said coldly, "So drop the fake fttery. I have no use for empty words."
"My words have always been chosen carefully, Yhness. They do not carry the slightest i of disrespeg you."
They both kept their silence, and only wheension eased did the Priurn and look at her, his gray eyes expressionless, "What do you want?"
e tilted her head, feigning fusion, "Pardon me?"
"I won't ask a sed time," the Prince said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone, "Speak. Or else..."
"Would you honor me with a dance?" e asked, her voice sweet but edged with sarcasm. "Of course, only if it suits Yhness."
His eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, "You really have a nerve, don't you?"
"It was just a thought, Yhness," e paced around him, "There's no way Yhness would have touched a sullied woman, would you?" she tapped her thoughtfully, "The sapphire mine would have been lovely, and if I could request, may I have o sounds like a small price for not intervening with your affairs. As a token of gratitude for the Rochefort house, naturally."
A hand shot out, grabbing her neck. "Are you threatening me, Lady Rochefort?" the Prince growled, his face turning dark as he lifted her up, "I didn't know there was such a snake uhe guise of a foolish and haughty, noble dy. Does yreed know no limits? Is everything, and everyone, a stepping stone for you to climb higher, and higher?"
e rasped, struggling, her nails digging into the Prince's hand, trying to pull him off, "What did I gain from that i? Nothing. What did you gain? Everything. I deserve pensation, wouldn't you agree? Or does Yhness believe I should have given my honor to protect yours for free, and that would be fair?"
The Prince's grip tightened, choking her, "Stay away from her. Or I will destroy you, and everything you hold dear," he whispered, his tohreatening, "If I find out that you've approached her in any way, shape or form, your fate will be worse thah." He released her, and watched her stumble and fall, coughing and gasping for breath. "The mine's deed, I'll send it over to Rochefort's estate but know this," he added, leaning down, whispering into her ear, "I'll have my eye on you, and one wrong move, and your life will be over."
e coughed violently, clutg her neck. Her chest heaved, the pressure of the corset making it hard to breathe, the pain spreading through her rib cage, "Not even a little spite?" she asked pyfully, f herself to meet his cold gaze, "I'm still a human, and a grudge is bound to build if not allowed to be released. After all, it's not me who had an affair outside of agement. "
It didn't matter if the Prince killed the servant she spent the most time with, then spread a lie that he caught them together ─ all to protect that Dollface. It would be his words against hers, and a man's words always carried more weight, no matter the truth.
"What a great actress," The Prince removed his mask, the cold facade crag, a sneer pulling his lips, "You had me fooled for years, didn't you? If it wasn't for that i, would I have been able to see past your charade?"
"I was just fulfilling my duty as your fiance, Yhness," e said, "I've always done everything to keep your reputation, and the Prince's prestige, safe. Even when I was framed, I didn't dare to speak, ahers snder me. Wasn't I a loyal partner, Yhness?"
He became silent again, and only after a long while, did he finally respond, "All I remember is an annoying, self-entitled noble dy, who did more harm than good."
e bowed her head, smiling bitterly. "Then I apologize for wasting your time, Yhness," she replied, "Please allow me to retire. I fear that the evening's excitement has tired me out."
The anger in his eyes faded, repced with a diplomatic expression, "It's te. I will have you escorted, and make sure that you reach your estate safely. It would be a pity, if the King's guest got harmed during the ba, wouldn't it?"
He anded a few of his guards, and instructed them to keep her "safe" and to ehat no harm befell her. It olite way of making sure she didn't step out of line. "Have a safe trip, Lady Rochefort."
"Thank you for your kind , Yhness." e's fiwitched, holding back from grabbing a book and smashing it into his face, break his nose, and give him two bck eyes. The image made her smile at him.
· · ─────── · ???· ─────── · ·
Only when the Prince left, did e's shoulders sag, the weight on her chest feeling heavier than before. She was still on the ground, and none of the guards made a move, and no one offered a helping hand.
She gave them a once over, and scoffed, w whie was the snitch who always had an ear out, the one who always reported her as to the Prihe spy who was a thorn in her side - a shadow guard, hidden in pin sight.
Their job was to blend in, to appear normal, to not attract attention, and it recisely because of this, that finding them was impossible.
The only way to get rid of them, was to make sure that their ears and eyes were always occupied with false reports, unreliable information, and misdires, so much so that they'd have no time, or energy, to dig deeper and look further.
Now that she graduated from the academy, she would e the Rocheforts' estate from the rats, and then pnt her own eyes and ears.
"You there," e poi one of the guards. The stiff olirapped her legs, and the heavy yers of fabric weighed her down, making it clear it would take forever to stand on her own, "Help me up."
The guard looked taken aback. He g the uard, afraid, hesitant. "Lady Rochefort," he bowed, his voice wavering, "It's not a proper thing for me to do. I'm not in the position to─"
"Do you know what your job is?"
"Of course," the guard straightened his posture, his voice firmer, "To assure your safety, and escort you home. To make sure no harm es to you."
"And do you think by leaving me here, on the floor, you are aplishing your task?"
He swallowed thickly, "I-I didn't mean any disrespect, Lady Rochefort. Please five me." He looked around, searg for support, but none of his fellow soldiers came to his aid. Instead, they all avoided eye tact, pretending as if they didn't hear anything.
"Just hand me over your sword, and step away," e extended her arm, reag out, her voice ced with impatience.
The guard quickly handed over his on, but before stepping back, he warned, "Please be careful with that, dy Rochefort."
e grabbed the sword, and used it as a e, to stand up, and bance herself. She held it for a moment, her grip steady, before returning it. With a g her refle in the window, she took a moment to adjust her hair.
Her hand stopped, wheiced the bruise around her neck, already beginning to form, the anger from before returning, boiling inside of her.
She moved toward the exit, her fioug the books' spines as she walked, dropping them off the shelf, one by one, "No, too thin, no, too light, no, no, no, no..."
Drop, drop, drop. The books fell oer another, until a thick book reached her hands.
"Here you are," she took it out and flung it around, testing the weight, "Perfect."