Chapter 111 Scandal Headlines
My head felt like it was about to explode when the morning sunlight slipped through the curtains.
Not because of leftover wine from last night, but because the images from last night's palace drama kept replaying in my mind like a broken record.
And when Hans knocked on my door and put a stack of newspapers on the little table, I just knew today was going to be another tabloid circus.
The engagement of Prince Didier and Lysandra, which everyone thought would be the front-page headline in every imperial paper, had completely vanished as if swallowed by the earth.
Instead, splashed across the front page in huge, bold black letters: PALACE SCANDAL! GRAND GENERAL CLAUS VALERIUS MAXIMILIAN D'ALECON CAUGHT RED-HANDED DANCING AND WEARING MATCHING COUPLE OUTFITS WITH THE VISCOUNT VARANNES' DAUGHTER!
Perfect. The whole empire was in an uproar the next day.
Bakeries on street corners, market stalls where cabbage vendors shout their wares, coffee shops, even the palace's underground tunnels—everyone was talking about one thing: me.
The Viscount Varannes's daughter who, just last night, dared to sneak away on foot because she was tired of being a public spectacle, was now being called the official girlfriend of the most feared general in the country.
Threatening letters from Claus's hardcore fans had piled up under our front door since dawn.
Some sent love notes with a side of terror, some sent ashes, and some even openly challenged me to a sword duel in the city square this morning.
My life was anything but peaceful. I had just wanted to sip my hot tea to calm my nerves when someone started banging on my bedroom door.
Not a polite knock like the butler—no, this was the kind of pounding that sounded like a burglar breaking in.
"ILSE!" shrieked a very familiar voice.
Before I could answer, the door was shoved open so hard it slammed into the wall.
Gisella stood there, a bit out of breath.
Her travel cloak was still dusty from the carriage ride, her shoulder-length hair a little messy.
She'd just come back from the Mercer family estate in the north—her temporary exile after her engagement to Didier was called off.
She was supposed to be resting for her mental health, but as soon as she reached the capital and heard the juicy gossip, she ran straight to my house without even changing clothes.
Gisella's face was red, not from exhaustion, but from holding back laughter.
She marched right up to my bed, yanked the blanket I'd wrapped around myself, and burst out laughing so hard she had to clutch her stomach. Her loud laughter echoed through my little room, probably all the way down the second-floor hallway.
"God... hahaha... Ilse, you're insane!" Gisella cackled, collapsing onto the little sofa in the corner. "I just got off the carriage at the north gate, and the postman was already yelling about your dance with Duke Claus in a couple's outfit! I nearly fell out of the carriage from shock!"
I could only pout, lips sticking out as far as possible, shooting a suffering glare at my best friend.
"Go ahead and laugh. Enjoy it while you can," I grumbled, lazily setting my teacup on the table. "If I actually get poisoned by one of Duke Claus's crazed fans, you'll be the first person I haunt as a ghost."
Gisella laughed even harder. She perched on the edge of my bed, patting my leg, still delighted.
"Oh, Ilse, seriously! You hit the jackpot! Did you know? Every noble lady in the capital is sobbing on the salon floor because of this news. The coldest, scariest, most adored man in the empire suddenly asked you for a romantic dance? What kind of plot twist is that?!"
"A disaster plot," I muttered, yanking a pillow over my face. "You know all I want is a peaceful life. Last night I even ran away just to avoid more drama. And look—now the whole kingdom is going wild!"
Gisella pulled the pillow off my face, still grinning with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, please. That pitiful face isn't helping, Ilse," she teased. "The story of you running away just made your reputation even wilder. Now everyone thinks you're an independent girl playing hard to get with the Grand Duke. Your real-life story beats any novel."
I pouted even more. If my lips stuck out any further, they could be used as a coat hook. Last night's events were the craziest of my life. It felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. And now, instead of sympathy from my best friend, Gisella had come just to roast me.
"So what's your plan now?" Gisella asked once her laughter died down, though her wide smile lingered. "Are you actually going to date him? General Claus, Ilse. He's not just the palace gardener."
"How would I know?" I grumbled, hugging my knees on the bed. "I'm still trying to survive this week without getting a poisoned arrow from his fans. My head is spinning, okay?"
Gisella nudged my arm, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Just enjoy it. It's not every day a girl can make the ice general bend. Besides, since the Mercer family was sent north, I was scared we'd be lonely and under attack. But with your new status, no noble will dare mess with the Varannes."
All I could do was let out a long sigh. Gisella had a point. At least now we were safer from other background characters. Still, being the center of attention in the whole empire was not what I'd hoped for when I decided to live quietly in this novel world.