Reclaiming the Emerald Bishop
Now that it's time to fix our relationship, I'll take care of it myself. All you have to do is follow along.
Who in their right mind would interpret that as a breakup? Especially delivered in a letter!
Romantic interest? Niguel? What about the thief and that poor little bat?
Ha. What nonsense.
Theophanie rubbed her throbbing head with her fingers, and an unwelcome memory struck her out of nowhere.
A void stripped of prayer and music, and the two of them.
Close, yet not close enough. A suspended stillness where a single step would shatter the balance. Something she, despite being his betrothed, had been unable to intrude upon.
The frozen young woman near the bag, and the emerald bishop glowing an unnerving emerald from her fingertips.
The situation had been simple. Yet their atmosphere was anything but.
Was it merely the embarrassment of having witnessed a mistake instead of the thrill of catching a thief?
That was incredibly annoying.
She wanted to shift every gaze onto herself while simultaneously craving to steal a glance at Niguel's choice from beyond her own eyes. The conflict tore at her.
“Your hands are trembling.”
A mocking voice echoed through the chapel.
“Reckless and cunning.”
With the harsh scrape of marble flooring and a rough slam of the bag's flap.
“Don't dally. Get out.”
His teeth bared as he spat the words. He yanked the flap shut, then turned away from her without a trace of hesitation, exactly as he had always intended.
He believed order had been restored.
Yet the moment those eyes had excluded her and pushed her aside surfaced again, the humiliation of rationalizing it gnawed at her nerves.
A single question converged on her like a blade.
Why hadn't he reclaimed the bishop?
The greedy child should have required correction.
Brutal responsibility had driven her. She had naturally baited Basil to exploit him. But the plan had unraveled the moment Basil's mouth opened.
If I hadn't spoken nonsense just to catch Niguel's eye…
Theophanie herself felt disoriented as the yellow dress fluttered behind her. Only after Niguel questioned her about seeing the runaway student did she realize how dazed she had truly been.
That was the reason.
She had unconsciously pointed in the opposite direction.
It didn't matter that he hadn't returned to Archerfield after escorting her from the chaotic party to the palace.
Since that day, Kayla had not attended classes, and Basil had been removed from her sight.
That should have been enough. It should have ended there…
Theophanie glanced down at her bandaged left arm, supported by a makeshift brace.
When she had first learned to ride, she had been the one to fall.
“My lady, the approach to conquest has gone awry.”
A sly old bastard.
It shamed her, but inverting Gerard's words suggested their bond was not yet over.
If the path to conquest wasn't Niguel, then the answer was clear.
Good. I'll turn your first day into a monumental one.
Just then, the maid announced Lady Moss's arrival.
Shortly after, Kayla entered.
She now wore a faded white waist mink coat and pointed-toe wool slippers.
The pale photo of Princess Isabella made Theophanie's stomach churn with displeasure.
“I was having lunch on the balcony,” Kayla said shyly, offering the excuse as if it were an afterthought.
But Theophanie had already grown weary of the contrived smile.
She lifted only the corners of her mouth, resting her bandaged hand on the cushion that had risen like a balloon.
“Sit.”
When Kayla seated herself, the multi-course meal arrived one dish at a time.
The salmon canapés were arranged, the customary toast exchanged, and the maid positioned herself beside Theophanie to serve.
While the pumpkin soup and seafood dishes were cleared, Kayla consumed every course with flawless etiquette, undeterred.
Theophanie smiled brightly, her eyes full of satisfaction.
“As expected. One must be educated. Look, she’s changed.”
She paused, scanning the maids in the room with a puzzled smile.
“Oh, I see the misunderstanding. I was referring to the quality of the environment.”
Then, as if discovering something new, she continued.
“Now that I think of it, this is the first time I've dined with you. In the academy you never kept to meal times. You were always dashing over the dormitory walls in the morning…”
She kept her face impassive, eyes dim with the haze of memory.
“And for that punishment, you had to catch mice at lunch. Ah, in the evening you were late because of Basil's homework, weren't you?”
Theophanie kept her eyes on the maids, noting their subtle reactions to the name Basil.
As the proper meal unfolded and the maids began plating the duck confit, Theophanie suddenly blurted out.
“He received a document in Duncan’s church. It seems he had dealings with Basil during that time.”
For a split second, the maids' hands froze unnaturally.
“…That is not true.”
Toward the firm Kayla, Theophanie curved her lips into a smile.
“I see no reason to hide it now. You two were quite close, weren't you? Close enough to attend the founding party as partners.”
“…”
The only sound was the maid's quiet service, deepening the awkward silence.
Kayla lowered her eyelids as if concealing her expression, then picked up knife and fork to slice the duck's drumstick.
“It was only once. It was the last time Basil came to the house.”
Theophanie watched with a complicated expression, pretending calm.
“To the house?”
Kayla glanced at her briefly, then spoke steadily.
“The princess's royal invitation sufficed. She said I shouldn't abandon my studies.”
“…”
“Even then, it was better. She spoke as if sacrificing herself were a fulfilled dream.”
The awkward silence lingered until Theophanie suddenly laughed lightly, as if she had heard enough.
“Of course she would. She put in so much effort. You always loved glittering things. Objects, Basil, everything. Now…”
Her emerald eyes swept the opulent salon with faint sorrow, then she sighed softly, looking at her bandaged hand.
“How do you feel, viewing this?”
She raised her gaze to Kayla.
“Like a tragic heroine?”
Her eyes flickered like a dying flame, her tone full of pitiful self-abandonment.
The maids in the room exchanged uneasy glances, then stole sideways looks at Kayla with slightly stiff faces.
“Basil once said that sincerity and truth could differ. …Now I understand.”
Neither the action of setting down knife and fork nor her expression toward him offered any clue.
“What do you mean?”
“The truth is, Your Highness does not suit the word ‘tragic heroine’.”
“Then what is the truth?”
Theophanie waited with a sly smile, curious where Kayla would draw the line.
“Niguel and I are—”
“…”
Theophanie nearly dropped her napkin.
The party concerned blinked in confusion, coloring her face with embarrassment.
“Niguel and I are now beginning our married life, but with you, Your Highness, we have remained close friends for a long time, bound by an unchanging lord and faithful servant relationship. That is the truth.”
It was preposterous. The way she equated the bond of ruler and subject to a shaky marriage left Theophanie speechless.
“I, too, will follow his example and become a subject who pleases your eyes.”
Her smile was smooth and strange. To outsiders, it looked genuine.
“Even if I have high standards.”
She met the retort with a face that showed she was no fool.
“Still, one must thank you.”
The maid speared a piece of meat with her fork and placed it in her mouth, her classically refined features watching closely.
Chewing as if she wished to devour the one in front of her, she swallowed it down.
“Oh, the bishop. That emerald. It was hanging around your neck. It was probably a memento of the princess. Niguel must have returned it to you?”
Was the sudden flash of the past embarrassing? Theophanie tilted her head, watching the fading color in Kayla's face.
“No way… you still have it?”
Theophanie, startled, patted the back of Kayla's hand with the hand that had dropped her fork.
“Quickly return it. Without that one, you wouldn't be able to play chess, which you like so much. But…”
She stared fixedly into Kayla's green eyes, gripping her stiffened hand firmly.
“You still have it?”
With her face paling, Kayla remained silent. Theophanie feigned a sympathetic expression.
“Remember. The beginning of a new relationship is not about digging up the past with resentment, but about moving forward.”
She gestured elegantly for the dessert to be brought and sank deeper into the chair, shaking her head slightly.
“Indeed, if it were you…”
She looked at Kayla as if waiting for something impossible.