Because of the orchestra playing, conversations at the table were inaudible. In the same way, the conversations of the knights standing near the walls did not reach the table. Everyone knew this, but no one dared to speak first.
People brought food one after another. The dishes that filled the table were more than enough for three. In addition, individual food was served for everyone. Obviously, the tastes were studied in advance and selected accordingly. The clinking of dishes and the sounds of conversations were drowned out by the music being played.
— It’s rare to see you.
Lef's words were the same. They couldn't be heard there, but here they could. “He finally spoke.” Adi frowned.
They weren't alone here. Nearby was the Knight Bodyguard of the Crown Prince. No matter what is discussed, the entire conversation will be conveyed to the Crown Prince. This means that words had to be filtered and many things kept silent.
Of course, that would be the best thing.
- Adrian.
- Shut up, don't talk to me.
Don't engage in dialogue at all. Yes, she didn’t want to talk from the very beginning.
- Even if you behave like this, the plan will not change.
“Please, at least shut him up.” Isn't it better to just remain silent than to chatter about some plan and let it reach the ears of the Crown Prince? It cannot be that he does not understand such simple things. And since he still talks about it, it means he does it on purpose.
Or maybe it was precisely because she was avoiding him that he did not want to miss this moment. Be that as it may, the situation was extremely undesirable for Adi.
“Mr. Count will eventually do what he said from the very beginning.”
- This is still unknown, Lef.
It was impossible to speak politely to someone who was deliberately trying to cause inconvenience. She couldn’t stand him before, but after Count Adi’s plan, she hated Lef even more.
- Lef.
- What.
- They say you have agreed to spar with my friend?
- Friend...
His tone seemed to say: “Do you even have friends?” Of course, Adrina had no friends. Who would dare to be friends with a walking curse in that place? But here everything is different.
No, and here, to be honest, it wasn’t either - but Roy was different.
- How close are you?
- This is my only friend.
“I thought your only friend was me.”
- Were we really friends?
- That's right, we will have a different relationship.
-......
Nearby, an interested expression flashed on his face. It was as if he was wondering what kind of relationship awaited them. Or maybe not. He was Zeed and she was Grimaldi, so perhaps he was simply implying a bond between loyal vassal and overlord.
But the feeling of inferiority that came from somewhere - after all, she perfectly understood for what purposes the count would use her - forced her to involuntarily perceive everything in a gloomy light. She was disgusted by both catching such glances and thinking about it.
Since Adi did not respond, Lef spoke again.
“There aren’t many strong fighters here.”
- Impolite words.
— The glory of Palesa is a thing of the past. Jonad is much better now.
You could see the person standing next to him nod. Apparently, he was also from Jonad. Adi did not serve as a page in Palesa, but if she had to choose between two capitals, she would, of course, choose Palesa.
“Although, of course, you won’t get to Jonad.”
“Palesa is also quite good, Lef.”
— Palesa is already a thing of the past. Now she is behind.
- Yes? Then let's check it out in sparring.
— They say the best fighter in Pales is Illich. I beat him in sparring.
He seemed to be talking about a genius who doesn't put in the effort. That genius didn't seem particularly interested in the sparring itself. If Adi really had the opportunity to hire someone, she would hire someone like Illich.
Whether he is a nobleman or not, what difference does it make? On the contrary, the fact that a person from such a class had risen to such a position was rather admirable.
- The past is the past. Things may be different now.
— People for the most part do not change. They always remain approximately at the same level. Time does not make a person better.
“...I would like to hope that it only seemed to me that this was said to me.”
“That's not what I meant, Adrian.”
- Don't call me that.
Every time someone who knew the past addressed her by this name, nausea rose in her throat. With the Count or others, it’s still tolerable. It was strange. The dislike for Lef, the disgust from being forced to be close to him was almost unbearable. It must be because she knew the way he looked at her.
-You won't get what you want.
A look has much more power than it seems. And now it was the same - Adi wanted to run away from Lef, whose face was turned directly to her.
- Do you even know what I want?
- I know. I still know.
But it's not time yet.
“That’s why I say, you won’t get what you want.”
Can't be shown.
“And you don’t even have the guts to accept the Curse.”
“...That Curse is over.”
Adi smiled wryly. And for the first time she turned her head to look at Lef.
Lef Zid, the brilliant swordsman of Grimaldi, seems to have been unable to break free from these shackles. Everyone who comes from the Grimaldi family fears and dreads the Curse. But so that no one notices this fear, they pretend that they feel only disgust.
Lef wasn't pretending.
In the past.
- Is this really so?
-......
More precisely, he only pretended that it was not so.
— Lef Zid.
To take this place.
“That’s why it didn’t work out for you.”
Zeed always made the best choice. Of those that were available in this family. Just as his mother became a servant, and his father became an accomplice who traveled around and exterminated Witches, Lef also pretended not to be afraid of the Curse, just to stay near Adi and, ultimately, penetrate into the very heart of Grimaldi.
Adrina,” he called. This is a story from childhood.
- You then.
Was also close to Adrian. Together with him he picked up a sword and rode a horse with him.
“You shouldn’t have gone to Jonad, but stayed close to Adi and protected her.”
“You speak as if I killed Adi.”
But in the end Adrian died, and a grave was dug for Adrina. The only one who got out of that hole was Lef.
- You killed Adi, Adrian.
- Yes, it's my fault.
Adi admitted this. Adrian's death is on his conscience.
- Yours too.
Adi does not blame Lef Zid. He only feels disgust and hatred towards him. After all, it was Lef who ultimately became the beginning of that Curse of the Twins.
Perhaps he just wanted to blame someone. And Lef accidentally ended up in this place. But Adi - Adrina - cannot forgive Lef.
“You too can die by my hand, Lef.”
- If you become a count, this is quite possible.
Both Adi and Lef knew that he would never become a count. Pretending to be kind, pretending to care, but hitting other people’s vulnerable spots is truly in the spirit of a native of the lands of Grimaldi.
Adi grinned. At the same moment the music stopped.
Adi's face hardened. The smile stopped at once, and she thought that she had done something wrong, but when she saw Claude raise his hand, she realized that that was not the case.
— Julius.
Said the Crown Prince.
- What, Claude?
- Lend me a bodyguard knight for a while.
-...
Nobody understood what this was for. Only Claude, with an amused expression on his face, looked at the knights-bodyguards lined up against the wall.
Julius tilted the glass of water and said:
“Apparently, the skill of your bodyguard knights leaves much to be desired.”
“The skill of my bodyguard knights is excellent. But they are inferior to yours in beauty.
Treated like a thing. In the strange silence, the scraping of cutlery on a plate was heard. It was Count Grimaldi. With a straight face, he cut off a piece of meat on his plate. His serene expression seemed to say that he did not care that his son was being made the subject of conversation.
Julius smiled wryly.
- That's right. Definitely not a face that is pleasant to look at. But mine is nice.
- Yes. Enviable Handsome.
“Even if you’re jealous, there’s nothing you can do.” Mine, after all.
- Not forever yours. It was originally mine. It was I who made him a knight.
I saw the face for the first time only in Pales, and there I was “made a knight.”
- I'll just borrow it for a while. I'll be back in an hour.
At this almost pleading tone from Claude, Jules turned his gaze to Adi. Unperturbed facial expression. Exactly the same as the Count's. Yuls averted his eyes and looked at the Count. The most serene face in the entire room belonged to the Count - even in this awkward atmosphere, the food seemed to be good for him: he ate with gusto.
- OK.
Or maybe he was just pretending.
- Exactly one hour.
What's on the Count's mind and what's on Claude's mind.
- Return it on time.
If she asked Adrian what they were talking about, would Adrian be able to give her a clear answer?
There was no certainty.