Chapter 46
Rosetta slowly turned around, a small flicker of hope in her eyes as she saw him staring directly at her.
Maybe he’d be a little surprised to see me like this now? I’ve put so much effort into this.
But as soon as he saw Rosetta, he looked away and held out one arm to her.
“If you’re ready, let’s go.”
Rosetta was beyond disappointed. She hadn’t been expecting a compliment the way the men of Lysa did, but still, she hadn’t expected such a cold response.
“Have a good time.”
“Goodbye.”
Rosetta lifted the corner of her lips at Thelma and Benny’s goodbyes. Then she took his arm and they headed for the banquet hall.
As they walked, Rosetta kept a straight face. Since it’s a fake marriage, shouldn’t he at least say something nice, if not give me a gift? No. Why would I want that from him?
This is normal. I’m not even his real wife. No, but why did he just turn his head away like he saw something he shouldn’t have? At least show some basic manners.
As these thoughts raced through her head, he said, “Try not to talk too much at the banquet. Though I doubt many people will talk to you anyway.”
Rosetta nodded. “You mean I should just be a nonentity? Don’t worry, I’m really good at that.”
Even in Lysa, Rosetta rarely spoke in public. It was a long-established habit. She had spent so much time in bed as a child that she didn’t have many friends, and even at banquets she would only occasionally interact with people.
Her brother, sister, and Iselle were always by her side. Surrounded by them, no one dared to approach her. As a result, even at banquets, Rosetta’s conversations were always limited.
Rashid looked at her and noticed that her mood was uncharacteristically low, and after a moment, he spoke again, “Thelma said you bought very little jewelry and trinkets…”
“I don’t need them, I told you, I already have plenty of them,” Rosetta replied dryly.
She wasn’t kidding, there really was a lot of that stuff in the palace. As a child, she’d played with the jewelry lying around.
The Kingdom of Lysa had been around for a thousand years, and it had overwhelmed its neighbors with the most advanced culture and military might in the entire eastern and western continents, so it was inevitable that the wealth and riches that flowed in would pile up.
“It doesn’t really mean much to me.”
When Iselle gave her a bracelet made from a rare emerald, she wasn’t overly impressed. He just looked so happy when she wore it on her wrist that she wore it all the time.
Suddenly, Rosetta remembered that giving a woman an expensive gift sometimes feeds a man’s ego. At banquets, men would flaunt their wealth by talking about how expensive and precious something was for their lover or wife.
She doesn’t think Rashid is one of those men. But given his status as Riga, Rosetta was a little worried that she had hurt his ego.
“Look, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mean to belittle your wealth…”
That’s when he pulled something out of his arms. “Then I guess you can take this one without much thought.”
In his hand is a green scarf, a hair tie that might have looked ordinary, but Rosetta quickly realized that its vivid green color and luster were out of the ordinary.
“This is…”
“Normally, one might prefer a regular piece of jewelry or trinket, but you’re the kind of person who likes unusual things,” he added, handing it to Rosetta.
“It’s made out of silkworms.”
“Silkworms?”
Rosetta looked at it up close, amazed. She knew that trinkets made from silkworms were very valuable, but she had never seen them so perfectly colored on fabric.
Rosetta exclaimed, “It’s a good thing there aren’t any silkworms in my garden; if there were, I’d catch them all!”
“Like a scarab?”
Rosetta nodded happily, glad to see that he remembered what she had said in passing.
“Yes, and good for my mother, too, because otherwise she would have gotten another bug present.”
Her sullen expression from a moment ago was gone, and now she was smiling as brightly as she could.
Rashid smiled and stared at her, his gaze soon falling on Rosetta’s hair, perfectly styled in braids and a veil.
He took hold of her wrist. “Save this for later, when you need it.”
He wrapped the scarf around her wrist. Only when he had finished with it did he let go of her wrist, and then he turned his head to the other side. It was the same look he’d given her earlier, when he’d turned away as soon as he saw her.
Rosetta realized now that he wasn’t looking away because he wasn’t interested, but to hide his shy expression.
“T- thank you…”
For some reason, she felt her face flush. As they started walking again, Rosetta fingered the green scarf around her wrist.
“I’ll give you a gift too,” she said as they neared the banquet hall.
Rashid looked at her questioningly. He wanted to know what she was going to give him.
“I don’t have anything, so I can’t give you any goods, but I can give you this…”
Rosetta lifted her hand high in the air. Her fingertips brushed his forehead and heart.
“I bless thee…”
A holy spell. A magical power granted only to the King of Lysa and his descendants. But when it came to marriage, it was a blessing granted to ordinary royalty.
In preparation for her marriage, Rosetta had practiced this ritual countless times. For Iselle, of course. Normally, these words would be spoken to him at the wedding. It never occurred to her that she would say it to a man other than him first.
But now that I have nothing, this is all I can give him.
“When tribulation comes, he will cover you with his feathers…”
Reciting a holy spell now would have no power. But it’s never just a spell.
So she told him now. It might not be effective, but it would at least convey her feelings.
The last of her fingertips touched his lips, and she could see his eyes widen.
“Under his wings, Myastra, you will be completely safe.”
At that moment, the doors burst open, revealing the dazzling lights of the banquet hall. Looking into the startled blue eyes, Rosetta smiled.
***
The long tables in the banquet hall were filled with food. A huge roast boar, roast turkey, lobster, and fruit were piled high on each table.
In the center of the room, dancers were dancing to the sounds of musical instruments. The sword dance, performed with long swords, is local to the Ardennes and is characterized by its extreme showmanship and theatricality.
Then the music stopped. As the dancers sat down and bowed their heads, the sound of loud applause settled over them.
“That was quite a spectacle, wasn’t it?”
It was Ragetti, the Basque chieftain, sitting at the head of the table, who spoke up. His gaze fell on the young man seated next to him.
The handsome young man responded with a light laugh. “Yes, this is the first time I’ve seen a sword dance, and it’s beautiful.”
He is Duke Iselle Scallion, the man who will be the next Lord of Hezen and King Lysa’s son-in-law.
Ragetti sipped his drink and watched his expression closely. In fact, he’d been watching the Duke’s every move and expression throughout the banquet.
It was only natural. For now, it was urgent for him to determine if the Duke’s visit was truly a coincidence, or if there was an ulterior motive.
Today, the Duke of Scallion entered the Basque lands unannounced. According to reports, the Duke was out hunting and accidentally crossed the Basque border, killing fattened deer belonging to the Ragetti at will.
His actions were discovered by scouts. When they questioned him about it, the Duke immediately revealed his identity. He apologized in person for the damage he had done to the chieftain’s property and offered to make amends. Thus, out of the blue, Ragetti found himself hosting such a banquet for such a distinguished guest.
Normally, he would have gladly welcomed the Duke’s visit. No, not just welcome, but would have done anything to win his favor on this occasion. Hezen is an important ally in his own right, and Iselle Scallion is Princess Rosetta’s betrothed, and he would have given his liver, his guts, and everything else to build a good relationship with him.
If only he had come here ten days ago.
Now Ragetti was in a state of extreme anxiety and nervousness, wondering why he had come at this time of year. He couldn’t tell if it was really a coincidence or if he knew something.
He decided to ask the Duke what was on his mind first. “By the way, I forgot to tell you the most important thing: I would like to congratulate you in advance on your upcoming marriage to the Princess of Lysa.”
“Congratulations.”
“I sincerely congratulate you on your upcoming marriage!”
The chieftain spoke first, and those gathered chanted the same words, raising their glasses high.
The Duke accepted the toast with a smile. “I will convey your congratulations to the Princess at a later date.”
There was no wavering in the Duke’s face. Only a polite smile floated lightly on his lips. Ragetti gulped down his drink, his throat burning.
Does this man really know nothing?