ตอน 26: Father and Daughter (2)
The Empress was bowing her head low to the Grand duke Cortez.
This action attracted quite a number of eyes.
What was her majesty doing? This was what the nosy nobles and envoys wanted to know at the moment.
''What are you doing?'' The Grand duke was surprised with the sudden action. Did his daughter not understand what she was doing by bowing her head down to him?
According to the hierarchy of the empire, The empress could only bow her head down to the emperor and no one else. Not even him, her father, who was related to her by blood.
''You are my father, are you not?'' Rose repeated that same question. At the same time, she raised herself and faced the grand duke with a warm smile.
A father.
Even if this man was not her real father, she at least got the chance to experience having a father to herself.
''....Oh…'' The grand duke stared at his daughter, whose smile brightened up the entire features of her face. At the same time, his eyes widened slightly as another face overlapped hers in his sight.
''Haha…'' The grand duke chuckled lightly to himself. ''Well, I had a hand in bringing you into this world, didn't I?'' He faced his daughter with a smile of his own.
His daughter was different.
Almost as if the light before that incident had returned to her. Whatever happened that brought about this change, he was thankful that he got to have this experience.
''You are my daughter, are you not?''
'Call me father once more, Rose.' The grand duke wished earnestly as he waited for the reply from his daughter. He had always been hoping to hear the word 'father' from his daughter.
If not for that incident, they might have grown up as a normal family, and the distance between them might not have happened in the first place.
''That goes without saying, father.'' Rose replied with a smile. The twirling movement at a distance from them caught her attention from the side of her eyes.
''Does your majesty mind dancing with this old father of yours?'' As though the grand duke understood her next intention, he requested a dance in the manner of a nobleman.
Old?
''Father should not be too humble. It is unsightly.'' Rose did not waste time accepting the fingers stretched towards her.
''Unsightly?''
Together, the father and daughter ventured to the dancing floor and started to dance as though they were in a world of their own.
''Yes.'' Rose replied to the red-haired man. The grand duke should never call himself an old man. Which man with this kind of face and body could be called old?
When the grand duke came to her, her mind had been inserted with the feelings of the empress. Now that her mind was cleared, she finally registered the presence of the grand duke.
All she had to say was that the genes of this family were certainly strong and beautiful.
Just like the empress, the man had long hair like burning flames with a face carefully sculpted by the heavens. Though one could sight the signs of aging if observed closely. With the grand duke looking like this, Rose understood where the empress got her outstanding features from. There was no way the child would be ugly with a father's face like that.
Unless the mother got in the way.
'Your mother….I will attend her next anniversary in your stead.' Rose said to the empress within her. She would also like to pay her respect to the mother of this body, and apologize for taking over.
As Rose twirled around with the grand duke, the long sleeves of her gown trailed after her every movement, whirling in the motion of the air. Her steps followed the rhythm of the music and she moved her body like it was one with the tune. No mistake could be found in her steps. The chains shook as well, making tiny clinking sound at every moment.
A relaxed smile settled on Rose's face as she enjoyed the wonderful moment with the grand duke. She had never known that spending time with a loved one was this relaxing and good.
Perhaps it was because of the beauty of her gown, the father and daughter pair attracted a number of eyes.
''I never knew her majesty could make that kind of face.''
''Her majesty certainly took after the grand duke.''
''What about the grand duchess?''
''I heard her majesty took her eyes.''
''It seems the father and daughter are close unlike the rumors.''
''Her majesty is the one that surprises me the most. Bowing her head to the grand duke? Wasn't she aware of the emperor?''
''Her majesty's gown…I wonder if that work is from Madam Giselle?''
''It can't be from Madam Giselle. Her highness is always wearing the latest works from Madam Giselle.''
''Her majesty doesn't seem to be wearing a corset.''
''I heard she wore something new to the Archduchess's tea party.''
''I heard her majesty had gotten a seamstress.''
''Oh yes, that time that her majesty called for the entire designers in the empire.''
''Honestly I had felt her majesty was humiliating the prestige of the imperial family, but the seamstress seems quite skilled.''
''You're right. The gown fits her majesty perfectly much more than her dresses from Madam Giselle.''
The nobles chattered among themselves as always. Other than to observe and chatter, there was nothing else for them to do, apart from making connections.
Among the nobles was a pair of mother and daughter bearing resemblance with their green hair and eyes like the color of nature.
'That girl…' The Archduchess Windsor gritted her teeth behind her hand fan. To think the empress was doing so well without being regretful of the damage she had done in her tea party. What she had always feared had come to reality. No one was concentrating on her as the only elder of the imperial family. Rather, they were so focused on the empress.
She had purposely worn the best of her dresses to show the empress what her position as an elder meant, yet no one had casted a second glance in her direction.
'I have to get it back.' The Archduchess vowed in her mind. 'I have to get it all back!' The resentment was spilling out of control from the Archduchess's eyes.
Meanwhile, the Archduchess's daughter, Renee, casted a glance in her mother's way before moving her thoughtful gaze to the empress dancing with the grand duke.
On the other hand, surrounded by the nobles, a certain pink-haired gave the father and daughter a brief look with a plastered smile on her lips. If one could notice sharply, they would catch the sight of the queen's overlapped hands grasping each other in a tight hold.
''Your grace.'' Still on the dance floor, Rose and the Grand duke just ended the dance before another person joined the pair.
'…Red hair?' The first thing that Rose took notice of was the color of the person's hair. It was the exact color like hers and the grand duke.
That trait was also showing the bloodline of the House Cortez.
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