Chapter 4
It was Catherine Avery, her mother’s worried voice. The guardian who would immediately pick her up and take her away from here. Anne forced herself to move toward the direction of the sound.
“Oh my, oh my, oh my!”
“What is it? What is it?!”
The party fell into chaos in an instant. All Anne could see was the moss-covered stone ground and people’s shoes. She ran this way and that, dodging their feet. Because of that, she quickly lost all sense of direction.
She tried to stop belatedly, but that didn’t work either. Like a bull that had lost its target, she charged forward recklessly. Thud thud thud thud.
“Uwaaaaa?!”
“Khk…!”
Thump! Anne’s head slammed into an obstacle. Maybe a table, or someone’s knee. Bracing for pain, she squeezed her eyes shut. But the object that collided head-on with the crown of her head wasn’t that hard. Compared to a skull, it was fair to call it soft.
At least it made her stop, which was a relief. Anne tried to lift her head, moving her neck slightly.
Before she knew it, everything around her had gone quiet. Shwaaaaa, a gentle breeze passed through the branches of the garden trees. The surroundings were so silent that the sound was clear.
Anne barely raised her head.
What she saw was a pair of wide, bright blue eyes, and Logan’s face, just as pale as those eyes were blue. Slowly, Anne lowered her gaze.
There was the obstacle she had slammed into at full power.
The male lead, in other words, the prince who was celebrating his seventh birthday today… and his g***n.
A clear round mark stood out against his tight trousers. Judging by the circumference and the diameter, it was unmistakably the imprint left by her head.
Thud. Logan’s knees gave out. As if time had finally resumed, people rushed over all at once.
“Ahh, Your Highness…!”
“W-What is happening?!”
The prince, eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth. Looking at Logan, who had fainted in a manner completely unbefitting a male lead, Anne thought.
This is bad. For both him and me.
* * *
House Avery ended up staying overnight at the royal palace. It was presented as consideration so their daughter could recover from the shock of her sudden episode, but everyone knew that wasn’t the real reason. Unlike the prince, Anne didn’t have a single injury anywhere on her body.
It was simply to detain the culprit in case she tried to flee.
Ruining a party hosted by the royal family wasn’t even an issue. Compared to attacking the prince, that would have been a very minor mistake. Whether she would be judged as someone who injured the prince or someone who attempted regicide, the decision would determine her punishment.
Catherine quietly opened the door connected to the drawing room. A dark bedroom with the lights out. On the ornate bed lay a small, motionless figure. She quietly closed the door again and turned back.
Russell, seated on the sofa, also wore a deeply troubled expression. Seeing that he had already opened the bottle of liquor the servants brought, his state of mind was clearly far from calm. Catherine approached her husband and spoke.
“Do you think… His Highness was badly hurt?”
“Most likely.”
Russell rubbed his face dryly. Judging by the prince’s reaction earlier, the injury was certainly serious. And it was to a place that could be critical for a royal heir. The Duke and Duchess of Avery had no idea how to resolve this situation.
Although someone else’s son had gotten injured, the couple was more worried about their own daughter right now. They were on the verge of losing the daughter they had barely managed to save. Catherine pressed a hand to her forehead as a headache surged.
“Then our Annie…”
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to Anne.”
Duke Avery spoke in his usual steady voice. But it wasn’t enough to reassure his wife. Forgetting that her daughter was sleeping in the next room, Catherine raised her voice.
“His Highness the Prince was injured. And not just anywhere, but that place…!”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. Of all places, she had to crash into that.
Even during their time at the country estate, Anne had committed all sorts of strange antics. Crawling on all fours was nothing, she had once smelled a flower and then chewed and swallowed it, and during a meal she had plunged her nose into a glass of water and nearly suffocated. But none of those compared to headbutting a prince’s g***n.
Russell Avery downed his drink in one gulp. It felt like he had aged ten years in a single day. In a weak voice, completely unlike his usual self, he said,
“I’ll find a way somehow or another, so you should get some rest too.”
Catherine took the empty glass from her husband’s hand. She poured strong liquor generously and brought it straight to her lips. Russell didn’t stop her. No matter how proper and refined a lady might be, in a situation like this, strong drink was necessary.
The two of them continued drinking late into the night.
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