After the conversation was over, Gerold picked up two glasses of champagne from a servant's silver tray, and politely held one of them out to Atha.
It looked very natural from afar, as if he had asked some questions to choose the type of champagne, then selected the appropriate drink for the woman standing next to him.
Atha smiled as she took the drink that was offered to her.
“Is your conversation over?”
Gerold smiled warmly, too.
“Did you hear something?”
Atha sipped a little champagne to moisten her lips.
“I didn't hear well, but it seemed like you were just talking about work, so I waited.
Now let's go see upstairs.”
Gerold drank from his cup to hide his desire to smile sarcastically.
If she were an ordinary noblewoman, the idea of a scion of the imperial family talking business matters with a prom servant would never have occurred to her…
He didn't know if it was her lack of prejudice, or her lack of suspicion, but there was something that intrigued him even more now.
It is this woman's relationship with the Marquis d'Albert.
Gerold had seen the same investigation report that Alisto had seen, and he knew that there were no points of convergence between them, but Marquis d'Albert's eyes were too intense for two unrelated people.
As he followed her up the stairs to the upper floor, he couldn't hold back his tongue, so he suddenly asked.
“Do you know Marquis Cédric d’Albert?”
At that moment, Gerold noticed Atha's shoulders shaking.
It was a very slight tremor, but for some reason Gerold felt an ominous feeling.
Atha glanced at Gerold following her, then spoke quietly.
"Is there anyone in the empire these days who does not know Marquis Cedric d'Albert?
Of course I do.
Didn't he completely eliminate the pirates in the southern maritime regions a short time ago and obtain the title of Knight of the Sun?"
Atha regained her breath for a moment after she reached the end of the stairs.
What kind of body gets tired just from climbing these stairs?
“Is that all you know?”
“Mmm...should there be more?”
Atha turned to Gerold as she took a sip of the champagne he had given her earlier, then continued her question.
Of course, she made her look look naive, and she did not forget to use a tone that suggested simplicity.
“And yet… if I had had a personal relationship with Marquis d’Albert, wouldn’t you have known about it, sir?
I’ve heard rumors that you conduct careful investigations when bringing anyone into Blossom.
Oh, was that just a baseless rumour, too?”
At first glance, it seemed as if Atha didn't really know the Marquis, but Gerold was not the type to dismiss his suspicions easily.
“What you said is not wrong.
But based on the investigations, he was supposed to be a candidate to meet you for marriage.
Why did you drop this part of your statement?”
Atha tilted her head in astonishment.
“You really investigated my past?”
Gerold's features had already frozen.
“It was just a procedural investigation that is usually done when someone is brought into Blossom.
Don’t change the subject.”
Atha shrugged her shoulders lightly as if she meant nothing else.
“Mmm, there was an appointment to arrange a meeting for the marriage, but we did not meet.
Right before the appointment, I met His Highness Prince Alisto and entered the Imperial Palace...
I think you already know that.”
“Didn’t you exchange letters before the meeting?
Of course there was no trace of it at the post office, but I am asking to be sure, as the exchange may have taken place through a personal maid.”
At this point, question marks began to appear in Atha's mind as well.
"Never.
Not once.
But why do you ask so insistently?
Is there a reason?"
“…there is none”
Jerrold finally closed his mouth.
If he had said that Marquis d'Albert was staring at his sister-in-law too intently, he might have unnecessarily aroused her curiosity and brought trouble for himself.
'Hey.
Did I just think of Miss Atha as my sister-in-law?'
While Gerold was deep in thought, Atha added a few more adjectives to her assessment of him.
He is a naturally rude person, very pushy, and exhausting.
***
After wandering around the hall, Atha decided to settle in the banquet hall.
She took a position in the corner as much as possible so as not to attract attention, and began to focus on the grilled beef and chicken.
She put a piece of perfectly roasted beef into her mouth.
'Delicious... very delicious...'
She thought that well-roasted meat would be so delicious even with just salt, and she chewed it very slowly and carefully.
She had to slow down the speed of the meat entering her stomach, in order to match the speed and timing of digestion.
And of course, she kept her back straight.
If her body position is not correct and her stomach shrinks, she will not be able to stack pieces of meat on top of each other regularly from the bottom of her stomach.
She had a determination to eat constantly and as much as possible.
With her stomach somewhat full, she had room to look around.
People were gathering in small groups and exchanging interesting conversations, and the scene looked like an artistic painting.
Ancient and luxurious decor, tall men in custom-made tuxedos, and pale-skinned, graceful beauties wearing fluffy dresses.
And not only that.
The nobles were holding champagne or wine glasses elegantly in their hands, with calm smiles on their faces.
At one point, she felt as if she had stepped into a famous painting that she had glimpsed somewhere.
But it was not a new and pleasant feeling of being inside a painting.
Rather, it was closer to a feeling of estrangement, as if she had fallen into a strange place that was not the place she belonged to.
Is this what it feels like when you are the only one colored in black and white in a world overflowing with bright colors?
While a strange chill ran down her spine, her eyes met a person who also seemed to be colored black and white like her.
Of course, that person wasn't really black and white, but was just a black-haired man wearing white priestly robes.
An idea suddenly came to Atha's mind.
If this was a world in which there was a temple and a female saint, couldn't it be possible that there was also a ruler?
And if the ruler exists, doesn't he already know that she came from another world?
She stared for a long time at the priest, who was watching her steadily, as if fixing his gaze with nails.
Despite the distance that made it impossible to hear his voice, his low voice seemed to be whispering in her ears.
'Nice to meet you'
Atha asked herself unconsciously.
'Do you know me?'
Then, the priest smiled as if he heard her question.
Is it normal for the features of a distant person to appear so clearly?
This strange situation ended when a man entered Atha's field of vision.
He knocked on the table next to her and asked, “Can I sit down?”
She looked up at Alisto, who approached her, and quickly adjusted her facial expressions.
“Yes, of course”
At the same time, she looked surreptitiously at the place where the priest was standing.
'Where did he go?'
Unfortunately, he suddenly disappeared.
As if it never existed in the first place.
Rather, was he really human?
As soon as she realized that he was gone, she felt as if the lights had suddenly turned on.
She no longer feels that alienation, as if she were painted in black and white among multiple colors.
For a moment, Atha felt as if she had caught a glimpse of the other side of the world, and at the same time she felt sorry for the end of that mysterious time.
Of course, she didn't show any trace of that on her face.
After straightening her facial expressions, her eyes met the Crown Prince's and she said jokingly, “Your Highness, would you like to try this?
The roasted chicken is indeed very delicious.”
Alisto seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment at this frank suggestion, so he kept staring at the saint before smiling automatically.
It had only been a few days since they had met, and it was funny to hear her talking about meat for the third time already.
But, despite all this talk about meat, isn't she still very skinny?
Alisto found himself watching the saint's mouth move while she ate.
How she chews so hard with that happy expression on her face...
He poured her water himself into the cup, which was half empty.
“Is it that delicious?”
“Yes, I will give you a piece of mine!”
Alisto had no particular desire to eat, but before he could respond, Atha had stuck her fork into a large piece of meat and held it out towards him.
He felt a little embarrassed.
He had never shared a fork with anyone before, and he had never imagined something like this.