122.

Silence fell over the corridor.

“……”

“……”

The retainers were momentarily taken aback by Lucian’s outburst, but it didn’t take long for them to respond with even more frustration.

“Lord, is it true that you intend to take Lady Lepherian as your partner to the imperial party?!”

The long-held grievances exploded into the open.

“If you must take someone, wouldn’t Lady Marguerite be a better choice?!”

“At least Lady Marguerite is someone who is essential to you and the Kalleid family!”

“We simply can’t understand why you continue to associate with this woman, especially given her bad reputation!”

Lucian curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile.

“So, the Duke of Kalleid now needs his retainers’ permission to choose a dance partner?”

“But, my Lord…!”

“Enough! My partner will be Lady Lepherian. End of discussion.”

Lucian drew a firm line in the sand.

Even to me, his declaration sounded forced.

The retainers’ concerns were, after all, reasonable.

‘From their point of view, it’s understandable.’

It wasn’t long ago that the Craig Viscount family had been controlling the Kalleid estate in Lucian’s absence. Lucian had just regained his title, and it made sense that the retainers would want him to act in the best interest of the family—especially by avoiding someone like me, with my tarnished reputation.

And those retainers weren’t just any nobles; they were middle-ranking nobles with significant influence in aristocratic society.

‘Lucian can’t keep suppressing their dissatisfaction forever.’

I glanced at Lucian from the corner of my eye.

Loyal retainers who had served for years.

And me, the so-called villainess, formerly rumored to be the lover of Marquis Offenheir, dragging along endless gossip.

The choice of who to deal with seemed painfully obvious.

“Leave.”

Lucian commanded sharply.

The retainers exchanged disgruntled looks but seemed to realize that pressing further would get them nowhere.

“As the head of Kalleid, we hope you will make the wise decision, my Lord.”

With that, they finally withdrew.

Their glares were sharp as knives as they brushed past me.

And then, silence descended once more, leaving only Lucian and me in the empty corridor.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Duke, it’s really alright if I’m not your partner for the ball—”

“I told you it’s not alright!”

Lucian interrupted, practically shouting.

I flinched, my shoulders stiffening.

After a brief pause, Lucian ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath.

“Damn it… I’m sorry for yelling.”

“It’s fine,” I replied softly.

Lucian cast a troubled glance at me before turning sharply and walking ahead.

“Let’s go.”

I quietly followed him, though my mind was spinning with memories long buried, suddenly pulled back to the surface.

The night of the cocktail party at the imperial palace.

[So, like the Second Prince, the rest of the royal family has a habit of ignoring people as if they’re invisible?]

[Elze clearly greeted Her Majesty, and I saw it with my own eyes.]

 

I remembered how Dante had bared his teeth, forcing those around him to show respect.

Dante had faced the imperial family without breaking a sweat, maintaining his usual calm demeanor, while Lucian now seemed to struggle even with his retainers’ dissatisfaction…

‘Stop it.’

I forced the thoughts of Dante from my mind, wondering why I still found myself comparing him to Lucian.

* * *

After that confrontation, Lucian kept true to his word.

He sent an official notice to the imperial court announcing that Lady Elze Lepherian would be his partner for the upcoming ball.

The announcement that Lucian, Duke of Kalleid, would take Elze Lepherian, the daughter of a viscount, as his partner to the imperial ball sent shockwaves through the social circles.

To summarize the gossip:

[The notorious villainess who once clung to Marquis Offenheir for a life of luxury has now managed to ensnare the Duke of Kalleid.]

Lucian looked at me in awe.

“You look stunning, Lady.”

He said with admiration in his voice.

“……”

I glanced at the mirror with a detached gaze. Staring back at me was a woman dressed as beautifully as a rose, her expression blank.

“Thank you.”

I said, my voice flat.

“It’s all thanks to you, Duke.”

Lucian had insisted on bringing me as his partner to the imperial ball, and now I was fully dressed and ready to attend.

It felt as if I were a sacrificial lamb adorned with flowers, being led to slaughter.

The irony was almost laughable—spending so much effort to prepare for an event I desperately wished to avoid.

“The rumors, Duke…”

I started cautiously.

“Oh, those?”

Lucian shrugged, dismissing the topic.

“They’re just baseless gossip.”

Baseless gossip.

The ability to wave off such malicious rumors with just a word—that was the privilege of power. And Lucian would likely never understand that.

He reassured me.

“Don’t worry about it. Those rumors will die down soon enough.”

“……”

I gave Lucian a small, polite smile.

“Yes.”

Of course, I knew Lucian had no reason to worry about the rumors. He was the victim in this story, after all.

In the narrative of the social elite, I was the scheming villainess who seduced powerful men, and Lucian was the naive, inexperienced young duke who had fallen prey to my manipulation.

It had always been that way—whether in the past, the present, or likely in the future. I was the villain, and the men entangled with me were the innocent victims.

Lucian and I would remain parallel lines, never truly understanding one another.

“Shall we go?”

Lucian offered his arm.

I hesitated for a moment, then gently placed my hand on his arm.

It felt like swallowing a stone, the weight heavy in my chest.

* * *

The imperial ball, held annually at the end of the year, was a grand event hosted in the main ballroom of the imperial palace. It was a far cry from the lighthearted atmosphere of the autumn cocktail parties.

This was an occasion where not only the empire’s top officials but also high-ranking nobles from all corners of the empire gathered—a place where those who rarely met would finally come together.

But this year, there was one attendee who didn’t quite fit the grandeur of the event.

That person was Elze Lepherian, a woman infamous for supposedly seducing both Marquis Offenheir and Duke Kalleid.

“Isn’t that Lady Lepherian?”

“She’s shameless. She used to flaunt her relationship with Marquis Offenheir, and now she’s with Duke Kalleid?”

“So the rumors were true… she really did switch allegiances.”

Hidden behind fans, the laughter of aristocratic women mixed with the sound of their whispers.

Between the sweeping gowns and the polished shoes of the gentlemen, the gossip spread, growing larger and larger, like a snowball rolling down a hill.

“What is the Duke thinking, associating with her?”

“What will become of Kalleid’s future with a woman like that?”

Even Kalleid’s retainers didn’t bother to hide their disdain.

At that moment, the hand holding mine tightened slightly.

It was Lucian.

“Don’t mind them, Lady.”

He said, his clear blue eyes looking down at me.

“Just focus on me.”

Lucian offered me a graceful bow, in the manner of a gentleman asking a lady for a dance.

“Lady Lepherian.”

He said, his voice gentle.

In an instant, the eyes already watching me became even more intense, piercing.

Lucian, however, smiled as if he were an untainted angel, completely unaffected by the world’s malice.

“May I have the honor of your first dance?”

“……”

Was this a punishment?

When Lucian and I first met, back when I was his handler at the boarding school, I had used him as my escape without hesitation.

So now, being swept along in Lucian’s whims—was this simply my due?

“Yes, of course.”

I hid my emotions behind a mask of a smile as I accepted Lucian’s offer to dance.

A waltz began to play.

Lucian and I twirled around the floor, moving to the rhythm of the elegant music. In his arms, I felt like a toy ballerina trapped inside a music box.

Curiosity, hatred, envy, animosity—all these emotions filled the eyes of the people watching us.

Everyone was looking at me.

And I knew I couldn’t escape those stares.

…It made me feel sick.