The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 37: Of Old Friends and First Love (I)

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After only two days, Charlotte visited the grand ducal residence.

As soon as she entered, the first thing that caught Eristella’s eye was her silver hair, which gleamed in the sunlight.

Her wavy hair, which was once long, was now curly and short, almost reaching her chin.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Grand Duchy.”

“Right.”

“I see Your Excellency the Grand Duke. This is Charlotte’s first time here.”

Charlotte smiled as she greeted Heinricion.

Her intense red eyes, which at times appeared dangerous, were shining like jewels.

They suited her well.

Her short hair, light clothes, and outspoken behavior.

None of them fit the social etiquette, but they seemed to go rather well with her.

A heretic in the imperial social circles.

A woman who was once a lady, but after she kicked herself out of that position, she changed her name and became an opera singer.

Her estrangement from the imperial family. Her real name is Delilah Leonardo.

Of course, she was also acquainted with Heinricion, though he hadn’t met her since she became an opera singer.

“…Sonia requested me to invite you. to make it easy for you two to talk.”

Heinricion was about to take his leave.

“You were willing to allow me to visit, but I didn’t expect that you would meet me in person like this.”

Numerous rumors followed Charlotte. Just after a brief hello to her, or a visit somewhere, or a conversation, a lot of imagination resulted from those occasions. 

That was why those who needed to maintain their reputation were extremely careful when meeting her and tended to avoid her.

On the other hand, Heinricion’s behavior was surprising to Eristella.

“I just invited an acquaintance after a long time. Is there anything else to consider?”

It meant that he would treat Charlotte the same as he did when they were young even if people’s views and attitudes had changed.

“Then thank you, I’m grateful. Let’s get along like we used to like before. It’s been a long time since we chatted, hasn’t it?”

“Well, shall we?”

In the end, Heinrichion also sat down. So four people… No, the conversation between three people and a fox began.

After small talk and light updates came and went, a story that stimulated Heinricion’s ears came out.

“Isn’t the reason that Eristella hasn’t appeared until now is because she’s with her first love?”

‘What is this all of a sudden!’

Eristella looked at Charlotte in surprise. Charlotte’s mouth was starting to run wild.

Kwak!

Eristella tried to interrupt the conversation by biting the lady’s arm, but she was caught and stopped by Heinricion.

“Sometimes I think about it.”

‘Don’t think about it!’

“I don’t know who he was, but Eristella said that it could never continue.”

‘Hey. Hey. You!’

‘I’ll go crazy and jump on you!’

Eristella tried to stop Charlotte’s mouth somehow, but a fox couldn’t stop a crazy racing horse.

“That’s why I thought she secretly ran away. For her love.”

‘What kind of bullshit is this!’

“Eristella’s first love?”

Heinricion asked Charlotte with his body turned halfway. 

It was the first he had heard of it.

Eristella’s first love. Besides, just by hearing this small tidbit, he felt there was more to this story.

He glanced at the fox, but it struggled, flailing its four limbs, avoiding his gaze.

The reaction was questionable.

Heinricion’s gaze turned to Charlotte and Sonia. He was urging them to tell the truth.

“There was. There definitely was.”

As Charlotte muttered meaningfully, she nodded firmly.

Heinricion’s thin eyes turned to Sonia.

“Yes. Obviously there was. I think she liked him quite a bit.”

Sonia also responded to Heinricion’s pressure.

‘I… Why am I sweating?’

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know that far. She never told me who it was.”

What Sonia said was true.

Fortunately, during that night when Eristella was drunk and poured out all the words that should have been kept silent, she completely collapsed before she uttered his name.

‘If that’s luck out of misfortune, then it’s a relief.’

Heinricion’s head turned automatically.

His sharp gaze turned to the fox, who pretended not to know anything.

Why did this topic suddenly come up?

Contrary to the flustered Eristella, the conversation was getting hotter.

“She said she was dumped before she even confessed.”

“Did you say she got dumped?”

‘Please stop talking. There are a lot of other things to talk about, so why must you keep talking about this topic?’

Eristella was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide in a mouse hole immediately.

‘Please stop! Shut your mouth!’

Heinricion’s head suddenly turned toward the fox. He seemed to know what it was saying just by looking at it.

—What kind of guy did you meet and do weird things with? Tell me who it is later.

“So who is it?”

‘…Eww.’

“Who is that great first love?”

Heinricion asked tenaciously. Eristella avoided his gaze each time, but he never gave up.

‘I’m going crazy really!’

‘How can I say that? I’ll never say it! I can’t say it! I can’t say it even when I return. I will not!’

Eristella quickly directed her eyes away.

Then, Heinricion spoke to Charlotte and Sonia in a pompous manner. Of course, his lips tugged upward in an insidious manner.

Heinricion was really persistent.

“I’m curious. If I had known that such a person existed, I would have helped.”

‘I don’t need your help.’

Eristella adamantly refused and turned her head away from him.

“On your behalf, I did give her some advice.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

However, no matter how hard Eristella tried to shut them out, Charlotte and Heinricion continued their conversation as if they were the best of friends.

“I think she did as I said… Looks like it didn’t go very well. You see, she was very snarky to me afterwards.”

‘That’s because you gave me weird advice from the start!’

Thanks to Charlotte, Eristella was reminded of the black history she had built up, and so she cried out.

Awwooo–!

Either way, Charlotte’s mouth kept moving.

“There are a few people I can suspect, but…”

Charlotte said, her voice furtively lowered.

“Who is it?”

“It’s not easy to say.”

Charlotte kept her mouth shut even though she seemed like she was going to divulge everything. However, Eristella felt like she would say it all if Heinricion was to pry a little more.

‘Who the hell are you thinking of?’

‘Absolutely not. Whoever you are thinking of can’t be right.’

‘Please close that mouth!’

Luckily for Eristella, despite Charlotte’s subtle demeanor, she did not say anything else.

In the end, Heinricion’s strong-willed gaze turned to Eristella again. She had a feeling that he would continue to dig even after Charlotte left the place. 

Though she would never reveal it anyway.

Since then, as if to tease the fox, Heinricion and Charlotte made the missing princess the main topic and chatted about everything regarding her.

Eventually, all Eristella could do was to rest her head down on her table in desperation.

‘I think I made a mistake…’

She was so exhausted. She thought that she shouldn’t reveal her identity to Charlotte.

‘And Sonia agreed with her too!’

Rather, a warning signal was ringing in her head. It was when Eristella pressed her head even harder against the table.

“It’s fun to talk like this after a long time.”

Charlotte, who was talking happily, burst into laughter as if it was refreshing.

“I never expected that I would be able to experience something like this after Princess Eristella disappeared.”

Come to think of it, that’s right.

After Eristella disappeared, most of the topics related to her remained the same.

What happened to her? Is she alive? Or was she dead?

Charlotte never got to laugh like this while she shared stories about Eristella.

Of course, a few who were present here know that Eristella is alive. So it was a different feeling for Charlotte, who was still unaware.

“Eristella must be doing well.”

Charlotte mumbled to herself as she continued telling her stories to Heinricion.

“Some people are just like that. They will never die no matter what.”

“…….”

“Eristella was such a person to me. Maybe that’s why I think she’s doing well somewhere and in her own way.”

Heinricion glanced at the fox sitting next to him.

—Here’s another one. Who believes you will be alive.

His eyes were saying that.

“So I didn’t even go to the funeral.”

Charlotte smiled lightly, not showing her longing as much as possible.

Her red eyes pierced the interior of the mansion with a knowing look.

Then she leisurely drank her tea in one go.

“Sonia, you didn’t just call me to see your new job, did you? So what is it here?”

“Lady Charlotte.”

“Please get rid of that title. I am an opera singer now.”

“I will try.”

“Sonia still has a serious side. Well, that’s why you’re here.”

“Yes?”

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed mischievously, leading the flow of conversation.

“Sonia. Since when do you think I’ve known the princess?”

“Since childhood…”

“Yes. I’ve seen the princess since the time when her magic control was unstable. I have seen everything.”

Charlotte’s head turned slowly. Her gaze touched the fox.

Ame: uwu another one who believes in Eristella!! *squeals* but… Charlotte, spill on that first love! 

AP: But we all know who her crush was… kekekekekeke. I want more embarrassing stories about Eri. *grabs snacks and movies glasses*

Poor Eristella…