(I have never seen a person like that.)
Overcome with disbelief, she squeezed her folded hands sitting near her lap tighter. Could this sense of exaltation welling up inside her be... happiness?
Maybe it was simply because he was sociable, but Claudio was moving back and forth around the room striking up conversations—all the while, the girl was tracking him with her eyes. It wasn’t until she got close enough to distinguish his face that she realized how powerful his features were. He’d been smiling amicably as he conversed with the guests, but she could see that he looked a tad pale in the face.
“...Heidi.” Her voice cracked as she called to her maid standing just behind her. Her heart was pounding like mad. The sound of it drove her up the wall. She placed her hand upon her chest for composure.
“Yes, my princess. Might I offer you some water? Please, help yourself.”
“Huh? Ah, yes, thank you. Um, but...”
“Oh, do you feel faint? I have come readily prepared with smelling salts if need be. Or, perhaps you feel nauseous? Please, do not go anywhere. I will go fetch a bucket and...”
“No, those aren’t the issues I’m facing here...” Without an ounce of panic, her maid attempted to tend to her needs, but Rosemarie stopped her before things got into full swing. She tightened her hand around the glass of water she’d been given.
“I... I will be that man’s wife.” Not even noticing that her maid’s mouth was open wide in a dumbfounded and shameless display, Rosemarie made her way straight toward the young man. Her legs trembled in nervousness.
“P-Princess, as much as I would love to see you walk the aisle as a bride-to-be, are you truly—and I mean truly—set on that individual over there?” Her maid asked with extra added emphasis in an oddly flustered, yet hushed, tone. Rosemarie kept front and center, squeezing the glass in her hand even harder.
“Yes... he is the one. I don’t think I can settle with anyone but him.” She was doing it to have claim of peace of mind.
Besides, she would eventually need to marry for the sake of her land. In which case, that black-haired crown prince would be the one to take her hand in marriage.
She had never wanted anything as badly as this in her entire life.
“And, after all, he is the first one that doesn’t look like one of those.” The fact that he didn’t look like he had a beast head was bona fide proof, devoid of any falsehood. If she let this slip away, then she was certain that man would be gone forever.
Her soft murmur was probably too low for her maid to hear. She could hear the chatterings of disapproval still going on from behind her, but that did not stop her stride.
Claudio slowly turned around to face her, perhaps noticing someone was behind him. Even looking at him up close, it was clear that he looked far too pale. Could it be that he was feeling sick, or something to that effect?
Claudio scanned Rosemarie as she stood there, a mystified yet innocuous smile forming on his face.
“Who might you—”
“I am, um, you see...” she said, her voice cracking. Her nerves blocked her throat, keeping her words from coming out. Rosemarie stared straight at Claudio as he waited in gentlemanly fashion, pale face and all, for her to speak. She gulped, and then...
“Um, your condition is, well, um...”
“Pardon?”
“I-I think it would be best for you to get some rest!” Her pathetically shivering voice echoed through the chatter-filled hall.
Silence draped over the vicinity. The crown prince stared questioningly at Rosemarie.
Once Rosemarie had snapped back to her senses, she took a step back and hung her head.
(Wait... just a second... I... and I meant... )
What was she even saying? She completely skipped any kind of greeting or introduction.
Suspicious looks tore into her from all around. Every look was from the eyes of a different beast. Her breathing sped up, and she started to feel lightheaded. She panicked as she attempted to spin her words into something more coherent.
“Um, I saw that your face... looked very... um, pale...”
“Pale? Are you saying that you know how pale my face is?”
She was slightly confused at his doubtful tone. It wasn’t about “knowing,” per se; he was clearly pale, and in a bad way.
“Yes, I do... And, well, it looks as though you’re quite exhausted. You have... bags under your eyes...” Why was no one was telling him to rest despite him looking so clearly pale and haggard?
Her ears caught wind of the chatterings of pity seeping from the crowd watching the situation unfold, bewildering her.
(Could it be that they can’t see it? Why?)
Was she seeing something different from everyone else again? A sharp pain ran through her chest.
As if backing up her statement, Claudio suddenly laughed aloud.
“Is that so? Bags? I see. However, it appears to me you’re the one who is exhausted. You seem likely to topple at any moment. It would be best if you were to retire. Could someone... ah, yes, you.” Most likely noticing Heidi waiting in the wings right behind Rosemarie, Claudio placed his hand on her shoulder in attempt to urge her along toward her. The very next instant, it happened.
“—Ngh!” His hand was hot as it touched her. The heat almost felt as though she was being scalded by hot water, making her shake Claudio’s hand away instinctively. The momentum caused her to drop the glass that she had been holding this entire time.
Along with sound of the shattering glass, the image of a forest beyond the sturdy castle of Baltzar suddenly popped into her mind. The scenery looked somewhat familiar to her.
(What was that just now...?) She looked up at Claudio with a dumbfounded gaze, clueless as to what had just happened. He stared intently, eyes wide, at the hand that Rosemarie had brushed aside. When he pulled his gaze over to her, for whatever reason, a wide smile formed on his face.
It wasn’t an innocuous smile like earlier, but a joyful, heartened smile. She was completely caught off guard.
“Um, I’m sorry... that was rude of me...” She slowly started to pull herself back, but Claudio took her hand respectively, his cheeks tinged red. She put up her guard involuntarily, but she didn’t feel any of the heat from earlier. However, his blue eyes, half-open now thanks to his wide smile, took a sharp look at her down below. Seeing him with his lips in that smile made him as a whole look vaguely unsettling.
“You are not hurt, are you? It seems you are exhausted, just as I suspected. Allow me to send you to the waiting room. —Alto, see to her. I want you to escort her until I arrive later.”
“M’lord!” said a stalwart-looking knight, who was apparently Claudio’s aide, extending his services. She found no relief from the knight’s still human face, and instead timidly looked around her. That is when she spotted Heidi, jaw clenched and face pale for some reason. Looking at her expression slightly perplexed Rosemarie.
(Did I do something? All I did was brush away his hand... right? I mean, he doesn’t have a beast head and I’m pretty sure he isn’t angry at me... Also, why the escort?)
As Rosemarie stood there, still bewildered, Claudio passed off her hand to the knight.
“Ah, yes, how rude of me. I haven’t even asked you for your name.” Still without a clue, just as Rosemarie was about to start following the knight leading her away, she slowly turned around in response to suave voice from behind. She didn’t want to say it for some odd reason, but there was probably no point in trying to resist.
“...My name is Rosemarie Volland.”
Claudio appeared thoughtful for a moment. Then his smile grew broader.
“Lady Rosemarie... a fine name, indeed.”
Hearing him speak her name as if ruminating on it, then follow it up with a compliment, caught Rosemarie by surprise. All she could do was stare back at Claudio in utter confusion.