Chapter 160
Yekaterina’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as she confirmed the identity of the person before her.
Why was he here, when he was practically the guest of honor at today’s banquet? Fortunately, she was standing in a less conspicuous area; had it been in the center of the hall, all eyes would surely have been on them.
Furthermore.
“What are you doing here?”
“Is that the first thing you say after seeing me again?”
“Have you already forgotten? We agreed to avoid running into each other as much as possible.”
Yekaterina’s voice dropped to a sharp whisper.
On the day she carried the wounded Leonid to the First Prince’s palace, she had told Yuri before leaving.
— I intend to have no further connections with Rostislav. Therefore, it would be wise for you to avoid any face-to-face encounters with the Offenbach family as well.
Yuri could not have misunderstood her intention to sever all ties made in Rostislav. In fact, he even offered to help ensure Leonid and Yekaterina did not cross paths. Their relationship wasn’t particularly close, but they agreed on the necessity of keeping Yekaterina away for Leonid’s safety.
Yet here he was, approaching her in the banquet hall. It was only natural for Yekaterina’s eyes to sharpen at this development.
But Yuri, seemingly expecting her reaction, sighed and rubbed his temples.
“Yekaterina Offenbach, do you think I’d come here without a reason? There’s a valid one.”
The intensity of Yekaterina’s demeanor slightly eased, but her expression remained rigid. If Yuri had not come to find her in his right mind, then there weren’t many reasons he would be looking for her.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s indeed something wrong. Leonid is causing a commotion trying to find you.”
Her heart sank.
“…Me?”
Despite her hopes for denial, Yuri shook his head mercilessly.
“Once he learned you’d be attending, he acted like a madman. I couldn’t stop him. Even now, he’s likely searching for you.”
Yuri spoke with a troubled tone, explaining how he couldn’t help but rush over after seeing Yekaterina standing cluelessly in the banquet hall.
With every word Yuri spoke, Yekaterina’s face hardened further.
“What exactly happened?”
“…It’s a long story. Let’s change locations first.”
At Yuri’s suggestion, Yekaterina glanced around before nodding. It would likely take some time before Dmitry returned.
‘So, it should be fine to hear him out and return afterward.’
It was a thought not unlike a pheasant burying its head in the bushes to escape a hunter. Had the circumstances been different, Yekaterina would have realized this too.
As a seasoned hunter, she was someone who took careful steps. But after hearing that Leonid was searching for her, her heart raced so much that rational thought became impossible.
All she wanted was to escape somehow. Still, some vestige of her reason remained.
‘First, I need an excuse to leave.’
While bringing subordinates into the banquet was forbidden at the Vesna banquet, it was permitted here. Thus, it was likely that Dmitry’s loyal subordinates were watching from nearby.
Yekaterina pretended to share casual pleasantries with Yuri and then swiftly grabbed a wine glass from a tray carried by a servant. She timed her action deliberately to create a distraction.
As a result, the wine glass clattered back onto the tray just as it left, spilling the wine all over Yekaterina’s dress.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!”
“It’s alright. I have spare clothes. However, the only place to change is…”
“There’s a lounge designated for the imperial family. I can lend you the space.”
Though it was a hastily concocted act, fortunately, Yuri played along perfectly.
Yekaterina hurriedly took Yuri’s hand and exited the banquet hall. Even then, her mind was filled with thoughts of Leonid.
‘My heart is racing too fast.’
Am I really losing my mind?
She had never felt this tense before, even in the face of monstrous threats. The mere notion that Leonid was searching for her sent her heart racing and her breath trembling.
Yekaterina found it all very strange.
Really, it was peculiar.
* * *
Yuri led Yekaterina to a lounge that was only accessible to him. The spacious lounge, assigned to direct imperial family members, was equipped with a partition for changing clothes.
While Yekaterina changed, Yuri explained the situation from behind the partition.
“…I had set everything up, but then my mother said she saw you.”
“Surely she hasn’t regained her senses?”
“She hasn’t regained them. But she claimed she witnessed ‘Marina’ carrying Leonid inside and begging for help…”
“…So it seems we have an unexpected witness.”
Yekaterina finally grasped how things had gone awry. However, Yuri’s voice grew increasingly troubled.
“I truly feel sorry for bringing this up. But… because of my mother’s testimony, Leonid has uncovered the whole truth.”
“How much does he know?”
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