The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 89: The Distance Between (X)

Rowen’s reports continued like a never-ending song.

Eristella, who was listening to it beside Heinricion, let out a deep sigh.

‘Oh, I hate it. Why do I have to watch Heinricion’s love from the sidelines?’

‘I really don’t like this banquet.’

The fox pushed the cup, spilling coffee all over the list of names, and pretended it was a mistake. 

*******

The meat dangling from the fox’s mouth fell out. At the same time, the head went down.

‘I have no appetite.’

‘I don’t crave meat that much. Every time I swallow food, my throat gets sore.’

‘I couldn’t even eat half of my usual meal.’

‘Why do I feel so down?’

“Are you done already?”

Eristella nodded her head slightly at Sonia’s question.

‘Yes. I want to stop eating.’

Her stomach was bloated as if she was having indigestion, and she felt stuffy. There seemed to be a throbbing pain…

She could barely taste the food in front of her.

Eventually, the fox got off the table and trudged down the aisle. It was a time when its energy was drained and its steps slowed down.

“Fox. Why are you so weak?”

As soon as Anessa, who had been carrying a stack of papers from the other side, noticed the fox, she approached it anxiously.

“Fox. Are you in a bad mood? I think your tail is drooping…”

Anessa’s worry almost made Eristella cry without realizing it.

Come to think of it, recently, the employees’ interest in the fox had decreased because they were preoccupied with preparing for the banquet. Eristella, who naturally spent more time alone, felt very lonely.

‘As expected, Anessa is the only one who gives me the most…’ It was when the fox’s tail was moving little by little and was about to wrap around Anessa’s leg.

“Shall I bring some meat?”

Dun. For a second, Eristella’s four limbs almost tipped her off balance.

Anessa’s concern was sincere, but she was surprisingly not very sensitive.

“Anessa. The fox doesn’t even answer, so why are you asking as if you’re talking to a person?”

As it turns out, Anessa wasn’t alone. Rowen’s voice was heard. 

“But the fox responds as if it understands.”

What? The fox almost had a hiccup in an instant.

All this while, Anessa had been talking to the fox unusually often. But it was thought it was just her personality… Wasn’t it?

Eristella’s gaze wavered. She couldn’t tell whether Anessa was quick-witted or dull.

But first, an excuse was necessary. Thus, Eristella reacted differently, deliberately pretending not to understand.

“Look at this. Anessa, you take it as you please. Stop being silly.”

Rowen lightly chided Anessa. Anessa did not give in and tried to speak to the fox a few more times, but the more she tried, the more Eristella did her best to remain ignorant.

“It’s strange. Usually, it seems to understand me very well.”

Eheheh…

A cold sweat broke out on the fox’s back.

*******

As expected, when Heinricion was determined to be nicely dressed, he looked so cool that even Eristella thought he was eye-catching. 

‘Huh. Looks good.’

Eristella didn’t know why she was grumpy. And she didn’t want Heinricion to find out about this.

So she deliberately turned her attention away from him, and focused on herself.

The fox’s appearance in the diamonds and dress specially prepared by Serian was not inferior to Heinricion.

‘Indeed, I’m the best.’

Eristella, intoxicated with her own reflection in the mirror, finally placed a satisfied smile on her lips.

*******

As soon as Heinricion arrived at the banquet hall of the Imperial Palace, everyone’s eyes were on him.

Most of those present knew about the countless marriage proposals entering the grand duchy. There was a sense of tension and war of nerves surrounding Heinricion in the hall.

It was a time when those around began to feel that the order was implicitly set as to who would go first.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

The emperor appeared in the banquet hall.

Even at a glance, his complexion was brighter and healthier than before.

“His Majesty, amazingly, looks much healthier than before.”

“In fact, there are rumors that he deliberately pretended to be ill in order to clean up the impure forces.”

“So you’re saying that everything we’ve seen so far has been fake?”

“I don’t know. There is no way to know what the truth is. However, it is up to each individual to decide which image best suits His Majesty.”

It was a rumor that was circulating among the nobles who had been watching the emperor’s recent moves.

The fox, listening to the nobles’ conversation with her ears perked up, raised one corner of its mouth.

‘It’s not a bad thing. Good. Great.’

Such a misunderstanding could instill a sense of awe or fear of the emperor.

And perhaps the emperor deliberately induced people to think this way.

‘Yes, he is my brother.’ Eristella watched the emperor’s speech proudly.

The purpose of this banquet was to show the emperor’s health, but it was never to be revealed explicitly.

On the surface, this banquet was a place for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves, since the conflict with black magic that had been going on for so long had been resolved to some extent.

The emperor also created a festive atmosphere by giving a simple and light speech, saying that he would like everyone to enjoy it; absolutely no heavy or serious words.

The start of a full-scale banquet.

Whether it was because of the relaxed atmosphere or because they came for this purpose from the beginning, the gaze of the nobles looking at Heinricion was blatant.

It was so hot that it wouldn’t be strange if someone came running right away.

“Your Excellency. I am Beatrice of the County of Rogarde.”

A young lady approached Heinricion as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Actually, I’m happy just having a conversation like this with Your Excellency. You’re a very difficult person to approach.”

Heinricion was also different from before.

He politely greeted the approaching young ladies and continued his conversation with some of them.

In addition to the active offense of the young ladies, there were many cases in which other members of their family approached Heinricion and had a private conversation with him.

On the other hand, those going to Rowen and Anessa at the banquet were no less.

The ones who couldn’t speak with Heinricion went to the two to get information about him.

“What does His Excellency the Grand Duke like?”

“I don’t know. His Excellency doesn’t have many likes or dislikes.”

“A little thing is fine. I beg of you.”

At the young ladies’ earnest request, Anessa looked at Rowen with trembling eyes, but he indifferently crossed his arms and said,

“Anessa, do as you please. It doesn’t really matter.”

It meant that it didn’t matter if she told them whatever she wanted.

“Huh… His Excellency cares for the Adelasia family very much.”

“It makes sense.”

The young ladies’ voices sank. It was an obvious thing that no imperial citizen wouldn’t know.

Rowen’s smirk, and thought, ‘Well, look at that.’

“Umm… Something else His Excellency is interested in… Oh, yes!”

“What is it?”

“The fox! The thing that His Excellency has been paying the most attention to and cherishing lately is the fox.”

Anessa revealed this confidently like there was nothing to worry about.

“The fox that His Excellency takes with him everywhere he goes and is still with him?”

“Yes. Yes. That’s the fox! His Excellency always knows where the fox is at once! It’s only possible with great interest.”

“…It’s that much?”

“Of course! It’s a treasure that brings glory to our grand duchy.”

Anessa proudly declared, her eyes shining. Already, she was speaking on her own terms, not Heinricion’s, but only Rowen noticed.

But those who didn’t know much about Anessa took her word as it was.

*******

‘It stings.’

The fox glanced around; it’s mood sour.

‘It’s the same no matter which side I look at.’

From a certain moment on, the fox felt the various gazes fixed on it, like being pricked with a needle. Not just one, but too many to count.

Besides, when it eavesdropped on the words of the young ladies, it kept hearing the word ‘fox’.

‘What are they saying now? The fox… To His Excellency the Grand Duke… Do you think it works well? What?’

‘Hey, I can’t hear you! What are you all saying now?’

Eristella’s ears stretched out as she listened intently to the chatter around her.

‘You have to entice the fox… to get a chance? Wait a minute, is this…?’

‘I think the criteria for obtaining Heinricion’s favor is strange?’

‘Why did I become the standard?’

‘Could it be that now everyone thinks of me as a stepping stone that connects to Heinricion?’

‘It’s like, having to get permission from the opposite-sex friend to marry him?’

‘No, it’s more of… Do they need to get permission for the pet too?’

Eristella was enveloped in a complex and delicate feeling.

‘Besides, it seems that Heinricion knows about it and is making use of it?’

Ame: Am I doing this right? Hahaha