‘What happened to this relic in my first life?’
She didn’t remember its fate, but that might be because Gasper sold it along with the mansion.
As Juliet continued to think about the key, she remembered an incident.
‘When I was a child, I remember being scolded for playing with it without my father knowing.’
Young Juliet thought that somewhere in the mansion there must be a door that this key could open.
So she went to every room with that key, trying to find the right door.
The reason she thought so was very simple.
Since this key was 300 years old and the Monad mansion that was given to them by the first Emperor was also 300 years old, she thought there was a connection between the two.
However, no matter how many times she went around the mansion, she couldn’t find a door that could be opened with this key.
When Juliet told this story to her father, he laughed and said:
“Maybe it wasn’t made to open a door.”
“What then does it open, if not the door?”
What is this key for?
“Sorry, but even I don’t know what it should open.”
Count Monad smiled softly and spoke again.
“Now it’is yours. I’m sure you’ll find how to use it.”
* * *
But, since the summer ball has to be the next day, both Juliet and her father completely forgot about the key.
And all because of ‘Bluebell’.
This was the official name of the summer ball, although more often it was simply called the ‘bell party’, it was considered a holiday and was on a par with such major events as, for example, the New Year’s ball held in winter and the spring debutants’ ball.
But, compared to the New Year’s ball, which was attended by the imperial family without fail, the ‘bells’ ball, held in the summer, was less official.
All men and women who had reached the coming of age could attend. Also, during this celebration, all the guests had to give a small bouquet of bells to one of the guests, then, as a result, the person who received the most bouquets became the favorite of this ball and was solemnly presented with a wreath of bells, after which he could make a wish, and the guests had to do it.
Due to this unique rule, this ball was very popular among young single nobles.
And it was for this reason that the servants didn’t leave Juliet all day.
“You must have at all costs a wreath of bluebells, miss!”
“…I will try.”
“That’s not enough, miss!”
The young maids who styled Juliet’s hair tried to stir up a spirit of rivalry in her.
“You are ready!”
The maids skillfully decorated Juliet’s long brown hair with white flowers and small pearls.
As Juliet told Fatima earlier, she wore her mother’s dress to the ball.
The elegant dress, made of light blue and smoky silk, seemed airy and perfect for cool summer weather, while emphasizing Juliet’s thin waist.
Juliet really liked this dress.
Her mother, Countess Monad, who seemed at first upset by her daughter’s decision to refuse to buy a new dress, was very proud looking at her daughter in this beautiful dress.
And Juliet’s father even said a few words with a big smile on his lips as soon as he saw his daughter.
“You look like a beautiful summer fairy.”
The Count’s carriage arrived at the imperial palace just before the ball start of the ball.
When Juliet got out of the carriage, she felt the cool night air on her skin, which she found very pleasant after the heat of the day.
Since the dress code for this ball was relatively loose, there were a lot of sumptuously dressed people in fancy costumes around.
In addition, there were quite a few guests who wore masks, like at a masquerade ball.
But most of all, Juliet liked the soft lighting installed throughout the banquet hall, and the vases, both small and large, with blue bells.
Entering the banquet hall, Juliet immediately found a bright pink dress there.
“Fatima!”
“Huh? …Juliet?”
Fatima seemed very surprised when she saw Juliet, and began to look her over from head to toe.
Meanwhile Juliet was thinking about the fact that she had come to the ball for a reason, because she liked it more than she thought.
And for some reason she felt that the evening would go smoothly.
“Today we have a very important guest, whom we would like to introduce to you!”
This was until the moment when the man who was the personal servant of the Empress stepped forward with a haughty air.
Ding-ding.
He drew the attention of all those present, tapping the glass with a silver spoon, and then introduced an important guest who was just entering the banquet hall.
“Duke Carlyle!”
Crack!
In the next moment, the glass of champagne in Juliet’s hand fell to the floor and shattered into pieces…
* * *
“Oh…”
“Are you all right, Juliet?”
“Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt?”
Soon, frightened servants ran up and began to hastily remove the glass pieces.
“I’m really sorry. It slipped from my hand.”
Juliet bowed her head guiltily and apologized.
She didn’t dare to raise her head again.
A moment ago, as he had just entered the banquet hall, Lennox Carlyle’s eyes and hers met. Although it was only for a moment.
Black hair and blood red eyes.
The young Duke from the North looked exactly as she remembered.
‘No, he looks… a little younger?’
Juliet couldn’t bring herself to raise her head again.
However, this moment was enough for her to recognize him. She could never forget the face of the man who killed her.
Juliet hurriedly began to make her way to the farthest corner of the hall through the dancing guests in order to avoid meeting him.
Meanwhile, the Duke, who had attracted the attention of the guests, kept his eyes on the servant of the Empress.
“Your Highness, let me explain to you the rules of this ball…”
It was very regrettable to watch the servant, who, by order of the Empress, explained the rules to Lennox, trembling all over.
“This bouquet…”
After the servant gave him a long explanation, he pushed a small bouquet into his hand.
“And what should I do with it?”
Duke Carlyle, who didn’t seem to be listening to the servant at all, asked the question with a bored expression.
Juliet meanwhile, watching him from a distance, calmed down a bit.
“…I guess I overreacted.”
Despite the fact that the indifferent red eyes, which didn’t contain a single emotion, only stopped at her for a moment, Juliet, remembering this, immediately felt an irresistible desire to run out of the hall.
‘But it can’t be.’
According to her memoirs, Duke Carlyle always appeared in the capital only at the New Year’s banquet.
For this reason, Juliet, under various pretexts, avoided attending the New Year’s ball so as not to run into him.
But why? Why has it changed?
What action did she take to cause the butterfly effect?
“Are you okay, Juliet? You look very pale.”
“I’m okay. I need to go out for one minute… sorry.”
Juliet apologized to her fiancé, who had just approached her, and hurried to go out.
She didn’t even come up with a convincing excuse, feeling that if she stayed there any longer, she would faint from the dizzying excitement.
But, as soon as Juliet went out, she saw a familiar carriage.
“Father?”
“Juliet…”
It was her family’s carriage with the emblem of Count Monad on it.
Her parents and a servant from their mansion were standing in front of her.
“What’s going on, dad? We’re leaving?”
“Juliet, please stay here.”
“Miss, a thief got into the house!”
Said the servant in an excited voice, almost crying, but he instantly shut up when he saw the angry look Count Monad gave him.
Upon hearing his words, Juliet thought that this was a great excuse to leave the ball.
“I have contacted the Capital Guard, so they will be here soon. You have nothing to worry about…”
“I will go with you.”
Any excuse to get out of this place was good.
Count Monad opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but before he could do so, Juliet had already jumped into the carriage.
The bright stars that had recently twinkled in the sky were no longer visible. The night sky that hung over her was covered with dark clouds, which didn’t bode well.
In the end, when Juliet’s father and mother also got into the carriage, they drove away from the imperial palace.
Some time later, they entered a narrow road that ran through a forest on the outskirts of the capital.
“Is anyone hurt?” Very softly asked Lillian, Countess Monad.
“I can’t say that. Once we get to the mansion, we’ll take care of the wounded…”
It happened at that very moment.
Nieghhh!
The horse neighed loudly and reared up.
Juliet, not understanding what had happened, tried to look out the window.
Flash!
But in the next second there was a strong thud, and Juliet lost her balance, after which she felt severe pain, as if from a blow to the head.
And then her surroundings turned black…