The Ugly Lady’s Secret Pouch

When Lila stood in front of Charlotte, she spoke as if she had been waiting.

“Can you get me some fresh tea?”

“Pfft.”

“Oh.”

Everyone burst out laughing, ladies and gentlemen alike. Even Monaca, who had been glaring at Charlotte, quickly covered her face with her fan.

When Lila squinted and looked away, Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, I thought you were a courtier, Lady Este. What are you doing, why are you not sitting down.”

Charlotte’s acting was as natural as water, as if she had just recognized Lila.

At that moment, a young lady, who was right next to Charlotte, spoke up.

“Lady Pinatelli, I think we’ve ran out of chairs.”

“That’s right… I’ll have to talk to my courtier and have him bring me a chair.”

“But I haven’t seen any courtiers since earlier, is something wrong?”

“Hmm, I suppose so, so what do we do?”

Charlotte arched an eyebrow as if asking for permission. Then she slowly parted her lips. The quivering lips seemed to be fighting to hold back laughter.

“I suppose you’ll have to stand and wait until a courtier arrives, Lady Este.”

“Oh, how wise you are, Lady Pinatelli.”

“I suppose that’s the only way.”

“Or would you like to go outside for a while? It must be uncomfortable for you to be here.”

Each was desperate to shame and humiliate Lila. In unison, they waited for her to make a face and storm out.

Lila was furious at the absurdity of it all. What kind of noble could think to do such a childish thing?

Doesn’t it occur to them that a position of vested interest requires them to maintain their dignity?

Lila twisted her lips. In her time with Lucas, she had unwittingly picked up his habits.

One young lady, though hidden by her bonnet, saw the twist of her lips and fell silent.

This was not the ugly young woman they had in mind.

She must have already fled from the tent. She must have.

While Charlotte, who was still unaware of the situation, and the young lady and her companions were laughing, Lila slowly spoke up.

“Lady Pinatelli, you must have bad eyesight.”

“…Yes?”

Charlotte, too busy laughing to catch on, looked up at Lila out of the corner of her eye. For a moment, Charlotte flinched at the cobalt-colored eyes that met hers.

Lila searched not only Charlotte’s face, but the faces of everyone around her.

Then, with a hint of laughter in her voice, she asked.

“What makes you so happy, I want to join you.”

“Look here, Lady Este.”

Charlotte said, unable to hide her displeasure.

“What do you mean by I have bad eyes?”

Lila replied, not avoiding Charlotte’s golden eyes.

“You couldn’t tell the difference between a nobleman and a courtier, so I thought maybe your eyesight was failing you, since a courtier would wear court clothes.”

Charlotte raised her voice to Lila, shrugging her lightly. Charlotte was embarrassed by Lila not coming out of her own accord.

“You’re standing instead of sitting, I thought you were a courtier! Why are you standing?”

“Oh, is it your head that’s bad, not your eyes?”

“I beg your pardon!”

Everyone looked at Lila in unison as if to say, ‘Did that ugly young lady really say that?’

“Since you just said yourself that I can’t sit down because there’s no chair, yet you’re asking again. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way.”

“…You can’t help it until the court lady comes.”

Charlotte replied, trying to calm her rolling insides. She hadn’t even started yet. Today, here and now, she was going to crush the ugly young lady once and for all.

How dare she even think of standing next to Lucas.

“Why do we have to wait for a courtier to come?”

“Excuse me?”

But Charlotte could not contain her anger at Lila’s next words.

“I may be a prospective duchess, but I am a member of the Duke of Montefeltra’s family, and there is no one of higher rank than me in this room. Isn’t it time for Lady Pinatelli to give me a seat? That seat should be mine.”

Glaring at Charlotte, who was seated at the head of the table, Lila looked around slowly before speaking in a low voice.

“We’ll have to push the seats around, I can’t believe everyone can’t even find their own seats… Isn’t there some kind of epidemic going around the capital, something that makes your eyesight go bad?”

“Let’s see. I said let’s see!”

“Why? Do you have something to say?”

Lila didn’t look away from Charlotte’s murderous eyes. Despite her calm demeanor, Lila was fuming.

She was sick and tired of this.

If they had nothing better to do, they could be doing charity work, or improving their own abilities, or working on their hobbies, or any number of other things, and this was the only thing they did.

By helping them, they get out of their position of weakness.

They don’t care, it’s none of their business.

It was obvious why they thought Lila was beneath them.

Because she was ugly.

Uglier than them.

She should be beneath them because she’s uglier than them, and because she isn’t, she’s showing them up.

Your place is not here, but in the baron’s shabby chambers.

Why did you leave your post?

Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing this to you.

‘You’re talking nonsense.’

Lila remembered everything that had been done to her. Slowly crossing her arms, Lila tilted her head.

It was exactly what Lucas did when he was angry.

“Speaking of let’s see, what’s the story behind this, Countess Charlotte Pinatelli?”

The cracks in the golden eyes threatened to tear. Charlotte never broke eye contact. No, she couldn’t. The moment she averted her gaze, everyone in this room would think, ‘Oh, no.
That Lady Pinatelli had been defeated by this ugly girl.’

But she couldn’t think of anything to say in response. As planned, as prepared, as scripted, as unmoving, Charlotte had nothing to say to her character.

“If you don’t have anything to say, can you give me a break? My legs are killing me from being on my feet since a while ago.”

After speaking, Lila drew a thick arc. She felt a little relieved.

* * *

In the dense forest, Lucas moved with ease. He was relieved to find no one following him.

But that was short-lived, as he heard the sound of hooves in the distance and his brow furrowed.

Several horses were coming in his direction.

“There you are.”

Theobald said in a low, sunken voice. Lucas turned his horse’s head and bowed to him.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off the handkerchief hanging from Lucas’s bow. His mood sank as he remembered what had happened earlier.

Even though he knew he was clearly different from the woman of his dreams, he was increasingly drawn to Lila.

He was unhappy to see Lucas by her side, still thinking she wasn’t right for him, but he couldn’t help himself..

“You didn’t catch any.”

Theobald said after seeing the magic tool hanging from the horse. The magic tool should change light after catching the prey was silent.

“I haven’t found it yet.”

“Well, this is your first hunting tournament, so that’s to be expected.”

“Then, Your Highness, will Lucas move with us?”

Heinrich, who was at the crown prince’s side, asked. For a moment, Theobald wore a look of displeasure on his face, but then he nodded bluntly.

“Lucas, come hunt with us. There’s more game in the other direction than this way.”

The nobles, all of whom had already hunted, chimed in.

“It’s a shame you’re so lost, Duke. If you’d joined us a while ago, you’d have gotten a taste of the action.”

“I don’t know much about the North, but I would like an invitation. If the Duke would only invite me, I would come at once.”

The nobles, who had heard rumors of Theobald’s reluctance to meet Lucas, seemed relieved to see him today.

Lucas was dying of annoyance. This was why he’d come out, but he didn’t want to go out of his way to interrupt them.

Without another word, he grabbed the reins and galloped away. In unison, the horses followed him.

Theobald didn’t like that either, and he pushed past Lucas to take the lead. As they moved through the familiar terrain, he spotted a deer running ahead.

“It’s a white deer.”

Leaving Alfonso behind in a low whisper, Theobald raised his bow. His bow was inlaid with a high-grade magic stone, a magical tool that increased the speed of his arrows.

Aiming at the deer, Theobald released the string. The sound of the wind cut through the air.

Hearing the sound, the deer suddenly turned and began to run.

“What a waste, Your Highness.”

Everyone held their breath, hoping the crown prince would catch his prey, but he didn’t. As they exchanged glances, Lucas quietly drew his bow.

Theobald scoffed at the sight of the plain bow, which was not even studded with an inferior magic stone.

“That’s not going to cut it…”

Lucas released the bowstring before Theobald could finish his sentence. The arrow flew with a loud crack, louder than the one Theobald had just shot, and lodged in the nape of the deer’s neck.

“Ca, caught it!”

Lucas urged his horse to a leisurely walk to the deer, his expression unchanged. He didn’t care how the others were looking at him.

No, it was more like he couldn’t.

‘A white deer’s hide is light and warm.’

Winters in the north were bitterly cold, nothing like those in the capital. Thinking of Lila, who hadn’t experienced winter yet, he couldn’t let the white deer go.

Leaping lightly from his horse, Lucas gently picked up the deer and placed it in his harness.

The male nobles looked on in awe as he mounted his horse without a trace of blood.

Theobald swallowed down the jealousy that twisted the corners of his mouth.

“There’s a silver fox, Your Highness.”

Heinrich watched Theobald’s expression carefully. Theobald spotted the silver fox in the distance, its tail wagging gently, and quickly drew his arrow.

But Lucas was one step ahead of him.

‘That’s a good way to keep warm. And it’s aesthetically pleasing, too.’

Imagining Lila in a silver fox shawl, Lucas grabbed the reins and galloped away.

He was so engrossed in the hunt that he forgot the others were there.

‘Hmm, it’ll be quicker to find a fur that doesn’t suit Lala.’

There was only one person occupying his mind, Lila.