16. Flashback [9]
The duke's year-end party was prepared completely differently than before. Like the Crystal chandeliers, the finest champagne, expensive gifts and food made from rare ingredients. . . . It was a budget that worth three previous year-end parties.
Cliff and the Duchess tried to stop her several times, but Lizzy spoke as if she was frustrated with them.
"We must use this opportunity to show the dignity of the Ludwig family, who have become the Emperor's closest confidants. So there's no more family like the Riegelhoff's family would looks down on this family."
It was a deliberate excuse she added to humiliate Edith, but despite her intentions, the duchess only sighed when she remembered Edith who is humble person and witty.
Anyway, the year-end party was so extravagant and fancy that it drew everyone attention's, just as Lizzy had planned. Lizzy was introduced as a hostess who successfully prepared a large banquet in her first year of marriage, and even Princess Catherine attended to elevate her status.
'Yes, that it!'
Lizzy felt like she was finally could breathe for the first in a long time, when she surrounded by people with a admiration and envy her.
'There wouldn't be a single person here would think of Edith.'
She was also able to get closer to the heir of Count Lieberman family, who was the purpose of the year-end party.
"Would you like to dance with me this time, Lady?"
Seeing him suggest a dance with a slightly trembling voice, Lizzy was inwardly rejoiced. Dancing with him and sharing champagne glasses made her heart flutter after a long time. Cliff's expression hardened at that time, but Lizzy completely ignored him.
'So what? It's a fish I caught anyway.'
Lizzy believed that her life will blossom as brightly as in the original story on that day. Because the heir of Count Lieberman brought up the story of the crown prince to her like in the original story.
"Did I tell you that I studied with His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Huh? With His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Yes. Actually, my father was His highness the Crown Prince's history teacher. Haha!"
Even his slightly arrogant tone was nice.
"That's awesome. I only saw His Highness the Crown Prince from afar."
"Is that so? Then, how about going with me to the crown prince palace sometime? I am sure His Highness the Crown Prince will be delighted with your visit."
"Really. . . . I can go with you?"
"Of course! I will let you know later. Hahaha!"
Looking at that smiling face that seemed to be crazy about her. Lizzy was relieved.
'As expected! Although my power has disappeared, the big events in this episode still happened like in the original.'
Now, if she could meet the crown prince and solve his problems, also help him find the emperor's lost nephew, Lizzy would be able to ask the Emperor's favor. However a few days later, while she was anticipating the future that still continue as the original, she heard something that annoyed her.
"Here's a New Year's greeting letter from Mrs Edith, No from Countess Ryzen!"
Philip, the butler handed out Edith's letter to the Duke, Duchess, Cliff, and Linan with a happy face. Even Philip, the head maid, the gardener and the yacht manager seemed to have received the letter as well. The atmosphere of the mansion, which had been quite tense recently, suddenly brightened when the letter from Ryzen arrived. Cliff handed the letter he had read with a bright smile to Lizzy.
"My sister in law also asked about you, Lizzy."
Lizzy accepted the letter with nervous feeling, the letter full of detail about they life at Ryzen territory, how busy they are, how they adjust to life there and how they been doing.
[. . . . Lizzy, how are you? I'm sure you must be helping the duchess more with her work now after you marring Cliff. But I'm worried you overworked your slender body. I was so confident about my physically strength before, but after playing my role as a countess here, I could feel my body drained out. You won't gain weight no matter how much you eat, so I hope you eat better and take care of your health. . . . ]
It was as if she was worried about her close sister-in-law. However, Lizzy was unable to take the words straight away.
'Does she mocked me?' She gritted her teeth. She lose her authority power because Edith fulfilled all the conditions , and now she she live happily in Ryzen. Even the Duke and those people who had been on my side in the original, acted like they missed Edith too.
"Where are you going, Linan?"
Seeing Linan come out on a rare occasion, Lizzy asked him lightly as if she want say her greetings, but the answer that come out on his mouth scratched her nerves sharply.
"I'm going to the post office to mail some letter."
She could see there's several letters tied with a string in his hand. Since there were several different types of envelopes there, she was sure that the letters wasn't written by one person, and if he went to send the letters written by several people in one place, it's was obvious that those letters destination was Ryzen.
". . . . I see, have a nice day."
Lizzy didn't have time to pay attention how her expression looked like or how her voice sounded like.
'I heard Linan also helped save Edith's life, right? I won't leave him alone.'
The burning hatred extended to Linan. Since that day, Lizzy began to make fun every little thing about Linan. But Linan never panicked or succumbed. Lizzy didn't want to give up either, because she believed the crown prince would be ob her side soon.
She shouldn't predict the success too early. 'There's nothing works.'
In the carriage returning to duke mansion from the Crown Prince's Palace, Lizzy in nervous bit her lips. It went smoothly like in the original story, until Count Lieberman's heir introduced me to the crown prince.
The crown prince she met today was supposed to be quite excited by Lizzy's presence, also attracted by her personality and wisdom. However, the Crown Prince's attitude was a little different from the original.
"I heard the story about you from Isaac. Actually even if it wasn't Isaac, i could hear the stories about you everywhere, the most beautiful woman in society."
She could feel the the crown prince's smile, it was very different from what she set in the original story.
'What do you mean? What story you heard about me?'
Although he said it was a story about the 'most beautiful woman', but the slightly crooked smile on his face had a hint of mockery.
'Am I being to sensitive?'
I tried not to think about it and just move on, but the crown prince who rose from his seat and said he would meet her again, leave the room without saying anything more.
"I'll see you again next time when I have a free time." He said and their meeting ended just like that.
In the original, he invited her to his social gathering with a no regrets in his eyes.
'At this rate, i won't be able to get introduced to the crown prince's allied!'
In the original story, Lizzy interacts with the crown prince and his allies and impresses them with her wisdom, because that the only change she had to appeal those noble who still look down on her, because she is an illegitimate child. So to change their minds she need meet them.
'No. Let's not get too anxious. There must some other way to change the nobility's view on me.'
A few days have passed since Lizzy felt dissatisfied with the episode that didn't go as she expected and tried to find another way. But the worries that plagued Lizzy all day, came lightly at that noon.
"Call Lizzy here now!"
Duke Ludwig, who had returned from the imperial palace, gave stern orders with angry face. That was the first time he called Lizzy so angry. A confused Lizzy enters his office and the Duke asks her quy without looking at her.
"Have you ever met His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The day Lizzy went to meet the crown prince, she kept her schedule secretly. Because she thought, when she receives the crown prince's support later, the Ludwig family would be more stunned by her hidden abilities. But looking the duke attitude he seemed already know everything.
"Yes. Recently, with the introduction of Count Lieberman heir. . . ."
"You didn't even say a single words to me or Cliff that you went to see the royal family?"
At those words, Lizzy's forehead wrinkled slightly.
"It was a meeting arranged by the heirs of Count Lieberman. We just having a light cup of tea. Do I have to report to you in detail about me going there for tea?"
"You think it's a tea time just like you with the other wives or ladies? That person is crown prince! Have you ever wondered what His Majesty the Emperor would thinks?"
No way. I didn't met the crown prince for something like that. Lizzy became more confused.
"I don't know what are you trying to say?"
"His majesty the emperor said that Duke Ludwig's eldest daughter-in-law came out from the Crown Prince's palace flirting. No wonder anyone would misunderstand that Duke Ludwig is already on the Crown Prince side."
"It's not that His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't meet anyone in private, but does it a bit over leap?"
In response to Lizzy protest, Duke Ludwig let out a long sigh, as if to release his anger that boiling inside him.
"The problem is the Ludwig family, not anyone else. Since you held the end-of-year party so lavishly that the whole of empire knew about it, everyone thought that our family had finally entered the political arena!"
"What. . . . ?"
Duke Ludwig continued and told her that the emperor himself summoned him and asked, 'What are you up to that you stepped over me and meet the crown prince in private?' He said that the emperor began to feel anxious, fearing that duke Ludwig who had the right power to protect the emperor would point their swords at him.
"I did it for Ludwig family benefit! I didn't expect His Majesty the Emperor would misunderstand it like that!"
Lizzy was angry with that statement, but inwardly confused inside.
'It wasn't like this in the original. . . . ?'
Her mind went blank. Since then, Lizzy lost her spirit for a while. Although she knew that the original story had already been destroyed, but when the reality unfolded differently than she expected, the fear that she had never felt before invaded her entire body. Lizzy's nerves became more sharp, as if she had raised a tightly knotted thorn.
She slapped the young lady, who seemed to ignore her at the party, and she had a big fight with Cliff because she was mad at Cliff, for allowing her to be placed on probation.
Everything was a mess.
In the meantime, Linan, who had been quietly, quit his job as a duke aide and left to Ryzen.
Lizzy feels like she going crazy because everything seems to move around Edith.