Wilhazelle had been pacing back and forth near the reception room for several tens of minutes, feeling anxious.
She nervously nibbled on her fingernails.
‘He has to do well. He absolutely can’t slip up in front of my parents… But what could they be talking about for so long?’
“Miss.”
The butler, Merhyn, approached Lizelle.
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait inside your room instead of here, like this?”
“Oh… no, it’s fine. I’ll wait here.”
“Shall I bring you a chair, then?”
Merhyn worried that her legs might tire from pacing.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Since Wilhazelle insisted she was fine, Merhyn couldn’t push further and returned to his duties.
‘He’s doing well, right?’
Now left alone again, Wilhazelle pressed her ear against the door.
However, all she could hear was the occasional faint hum of voices, too muffled to make out any words.
She couldn’t even tell who was speaking, it was too quiet.
The conversation continued for almost twenty minutes after she was kicked out of the room.
What on earth were they talking about for so long?
It didn’t seem like this would end easily, her father was so strongly against it…
“Ha…”
What good was worrying now? Her parents and Chase were already in that room together.
All she could do was hope for the best and wait.
“Ahh!”
At that moment, the door suddenly opened and Lizelle’s body, which had been resting her ear against the door, stumbled forward.
“Are you okay?”
Chase, who had just come out, quickly caught her, wrapping an arm around her waist before she could fall.
They were now so close that Wilhazelle could feel his breath against her ear.
“Well then, feel free to take your time and join us in the dining room.”
The Baron’s expression hardened, and he was about to say something, but Rosalind quickly grabbed his hand and led him away, so he missed the opportunity to speak and was forced to leave.
As her parents disappeared, Chase gently helped Wilhazelle stand upright.
“Did you wait long?”
“N-no.”
Wilhazelle stammered, her cheeks slightly flushed, embarrassed to have been caught eavesdropping.
Chase noticed the redness of her ears as she kept her head lowered, and a soft smile crept across his lips.
Everything she did seemed endearing to him.
“Did the conversation go well?”
After cooling her flushed face, Wilhazelle looked at Chase and asked.
Judging by her parents’ expressions, it seemed like the worst was over.
“Of course.”
Despite the fact that Wilhazelle was standing steadily on her own, Chase didn’t let go of her waist.
But Lizelle, too preoccupied with curiosity about the conversation, didn’t even notice.
“What did you talk about?”
“Well…”
“Well?”
She pressed him for an answer when he hesitated.
‘What is it? What did you about?’
Her curious eyes seemed to ask the question for her.
Chase chuckled softly, leaning in to whisper near her ear.
“It’s a secret.”
* * *
“Big news! Big news!”
A maid came running over to the group, her voice full of excitement. Everyone’s attention immediately turned to her.
“What’s going on?”
“The Duke has reserved the temple for a wedding!”
“What?”
Regina, who was standing a bit farther away, pushed her way through the group upon hearing the news.
“Say that again!”
With a sharp voice, she pressured the maid who brought the news.
“Well… um, the Duke is getting married. Apparently, he’s reserved the temple for the ceremony.”
The servants around them began to murmur.
“Marriage, all of a sudden? Who’s the bride?”
“I think I know. It’s Lady Wilhazelle, isn’t it?”
“Really?”
“Of course. There’s no other woman around the Duke.”
The other servants also seemed somewhat convinced by the plausible reasoning.
After all, none of them had ever seen or heard of the Duke associating with other women while working in the estate.
For the Duke to suddenly announce a wedding…
The bride was obvious.
Since Lady Wilhazelle arrived a month ago, she was the only woman who had been close to the Duke.
“Couldn’t it be someone else? Maybe it’s an arranged marriage between families?”
“Maybe. We don’t know for sure, but the Duke will definitely be getting married at the temple.”
The maid added that she overheard something while cleaning.
The butler, Rohan, was ordering someone to reserve the temple and mentioning the Duke’s wedding.
“Are you sure about this?”
Regina glared at the maid with chilling intensity. Her clenched fists dug sharp nails into her palms.
“I’m sure. I heard it directly from the butler.”
The maid finished speaking, glancing at Regina.
“No way.”
Regina muttered in a voice filled with anger. Her maddened eyes did not look normal.
“Uh… let’s get going…”
The servants, realizing that Regina’s condition was serious, nodded and nudged each other.
“Yeah, we still have work to do.”
“Wasn’t there a staircase to clean?”
Awkward excuses spilled out as the group of servants quickly scattered, leaving Regina behind.
“Regina is seriously delusional. If she has a crush, she should keep it classy. Last time, she muttered something about the Duke liking her. What a joke!”
“I know, right? She’s crazy. Why would the Duke like her?”
“Just leave her alone. She probably just wants attention.”
Once they were out of earshot, the servants began mocking Regina, laughing quietly among themselves.
Given how Regina used her position under the head maid to look down on them, they found this satisfying.
The only reason they hadn’t confronted her nonsense before was that they figured she’d trip over her own schemes eventually.
“You don’t think she’ll do something reckless, do you?”
One of the maids, who had seen the madness in Regina’s eyes, looked a little worried.
“If she does and gets kicked out, good riddance. How many extra tasks has she dumped on us? We’re paid the same, but we do all the work. Isn’t that right?”
The maid who delivered the marriage news vented her frustration.
Then, one by one, they began to nod their heads in agreement.
“You’re right about that.”
“Last week, she told me to clean the sewers! Even the head maid doesn’t do that—who does she think she is?”
The servants continued to criticize Regina endlessly, as if venting all the grievances they had built up inside them.
Meanwhile, Regina, left alone, bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
The Duke is getting married.
The Duke, who she always believed would one day return her feelings, is getting married…
“It’s because of that woman…”
The sound of her teeth grinding escaped through her clenched jaw, her bloodshot eyes losing focus.
Wilhazelle. From the moment that woman arrived at the estate, something felt off. Now, everything was falling apart.
“The Duke must have some kind of weakness she’s exploiting.”
As the delusions continued, Regina became enraged. She stared into space and trembled all over.
“If that woman were gone, the Duke would come back to me.”
With a terrifying glint in her eyes, Regina began to walk.
Consumed by jealousy, anger, and madness, she was left with nothing but venom in her heart.
* * *
The meal, which had the potential to be awkward for the four of them, surprisingly went smoothly.
It was thanks to one thing.
The topic they all had in common.
Raphelion.
Before Raphelion moved to the Duke’s estate he spent time at the Baron’s residence. This allowed the four of them to share stories and talk about him for a long time.
The lighthearted atmosphere continued even through teatime.
But the real challenge came afterward.
“Your Grace, do you enjoy drinking?”
“I drink occasionally.”
Chase replied, answering each of the Baron’s questions diligently since earlier.
“Then would you care to join me for a drink?”
“Father.”
Lizelle looked at the Baron as if scolding him.
Drinking in broad daylight.
She told him it was going to be a light meal, drinking might be a burden to him.
“it’s fine.”
Chase, sensing her concern, spoke lightly as if it were nothing.
“Then let’s go.”
As the Baron stood, Chase followed suit.
“I’ll go too.”
“Lizelle. Please let the Duke and your father have some time alone.”
Lizelle, who was trying to follow, was unable to do anything due to her mother’s words.
Chase lightly squeezed Lizelle’s hand.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Chase smiled faintly, reassuring the worried Lizelle.
She looked up at Chase silently.
His gaze and the way he held her hand were so gentle and tender that she couldn’t help but be moved.
‘He could totally become an actor.’
His acting looked so natural.
It was so convincing that even she, who knew the truth, found herself almost believing it was real.
