Ian’s obvious gaze felt overly direct. Why was he suddenly paying me such intense attention?
I didn’t want his interest. I turned my gaze away naturally to avoid showing my discomfort.
“Well, should I say someone caught my eye?”
“…”
“To be precise, I’ve wanted to meet them for a long time. I just never had the opportunity.”
Of course, back then, I hadn’t taken over this body yet.
Ian’s expression became complicated after hearing my answer.
“You’ve been waiting for the opportunity…”
“Pardon?”
He muttered something, but it was too quiet for me to hear.
‘Why is he acting so serious?’
I almost told him it was the princess, but decided against it.
After all, Ian and the princess were half-siblings, even though they shared blood.
There was no point in revealing that I was wary of the princess.
‘Not that Ian is the type to report anything to her…’
“I’ll tell you more about it later.”
I shrugged lightly. I picked up the pace again, but somehow, Ian seemed more disgruntled than before.
Even so, he didn’t let go of my hand. Before long, we reached the front of the glass conservatory.
Although we had attracted attention while walking, now that we were at the entrance to the main venue, the number of gazes pouring in increased dramatically.
Some people glanced over discreetly, while others openly stared at me and Ian. The one thing they all had in common was that their expressions were filled with shock.
“This is as far as I need you to escort me.”
I stopped in my tracks and smiled at him.
As I moved to withdraw my hand, Ian tightened his grip and gently pulled me closer.
“Hm?”
Puzzled, I looked at him. He glanced around and then turned towards me.
The sunlight above cast a faint shadow over his cyan eyes as they rested on me.
“As you requested a polite escort, I will fulfill my duty.”
“What?”
Before I could respond, he turned to face me.
He lifted my hand and bowed, pressing his soft lips firmly against my hand.
…Huh?
‘What is he doing?’
Before I could fully register what was happening, Ian withdrew his lips from my hand after lingering just a moment too long.
His transparent gaze fixated on me with an intensity that felt almost unnerving.
“…”
The afternoon sun shimmered in his blue eyes, casting a glow.
Yet, his face remained cold, devoid of any emotion. The breeze blew gently.
“Have a pleasant time.”
Somehow, the word pleasant felt subtly emphasized.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
With a brief farewell, he released my hand and turned to go.
“Oh my…”
“Did you see that?”
The whispers from the surrounding nobles echoed in my ears like a distant hum.
“…”
‘What the…’
It took a moment for reality to sink in.
Flustered, I quickly covered my hand with the other, trying to conceal the unfamiliar sensation that still lingered on my skin.
‘Did he eat something strange for breakfast? He’s not acting like himself.’
My heart raced, unsettled. Sure, a hand-kiss was a common gesture of politeness towards a lady, but this was Ian we were talking about.
He wasn’t one to do such things. And why did he press his lips so firmly? It felt more like a seal than a kiss.
Embarrassed by the warmth creeping into my hand, I quickly adjusted my posture.
The way everyone’s eyes were fixed on me made it impossible not to notice. I straightened my back and stood tall.
Ahem.
Time to quietly assess the situation. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a servant and strode confidently across the ballroom. With this much attention already garnered, someone was bound to approach me.
All I had to do was categorize them—potential allies or foes.
‘Though, in a situation like this, finding someone friendly toward me might be the bigger challenge.’
As expected, it wasn’t long before a group of women approached me.
“Greetings to the Grand Duchess.”
I turned my head slightly to observe them.
Judging by their ages, they were not young ladies but likely fellow noblewomen, or perhaps unmarried young women of marriageable age.
“I never imagined we’d meet like this. I’m Isabella, the second daughter of the Marquis of Howard.”
The woman with brown hair standing in the middle slightly bowed as she introduced herself, and the others followed suit, introducing themselves one by one.
The daughter of this marquis, the daughter of that baron…
As anticipated, most of them were noblewomen, with a few eligible young ladies mixed in, including Isabella.
‘Wait a second… Some of these names sound familiar.’
I narrowed my eyes, observing them closely.
They weren’t from any particularly notable families, but their faces were oddly familiar. After thinking for a while, I let out a silent gasp.
‘I remember now.’
I knew them. They were the ragtag group that appeared at every social event in the original story, constantly humiliating Diana for petty reasons.
‘Wow, I’m really seeing them in person.’
Among them, that Isabella Howard was the youngest daughter of the Marquis and had been in love with Ian for a long time.
However, when she confessed to him after turning eighteen, she was rejected harshly.
When Diana returned from the academy and started developing an unusual dynamic with Ian, Isabella couldn’t bear the humiliation and began to cause all sorts of trouble for Diana.
I remember this well because, thanks to her, Diana’s dress got drenched in wine in the early part of the story.
It was a heartbreaking episode where Diana had to rush home amidst everyone’s laughter.
‘It was that beautiful sky-blue dress Diana had chosen so carefully! She was so upset that day!’
As I remembered this, my expression soured.
“Er, Your Grace, the Grand Duchess?”
Isabella cleared her throat and called out to me again. It was only then that I realized I had been glaring at them silently with all my might.
“Oh, my apologies.”
I quickly softened my expression and forced a smile. I could feel my lips trembling.
“No need to apologize, Your Grace.”
Isabella smiled warmly, her eyes curving in a show of politeness.
“How have you been?”
‘What’s with the friendly tone?’
Given how she had treated Diana, it made sense to be wary of her.
What was she up to, trying to act all buddy-buddy now?
But, of course, Isabella, unaware of my thoughts, continued to speak cheerfully.
“I was truly surprised. I never expected to see Your Grace here.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. It’s so rare to see you out and about.”
The young lady beside her quickly chimed in.
“That’s right, it’s been… what, a year?”
“Yes, the last time was at Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday celebration.”
“Has it really been that long?”
“You must have been very busy, Your Grace.”
They surrounded me, each making a comment, but the atmosphere felt off. It didn’t take long to figure out what was going on.
‘Of course.’
Ragtag group or not, their intentions were clear. They had all gathered here to subtly mock me.
As expected, Isabella glanced around at the other noblewomen and young ladies, covering her mouth with her fan and chuckling.
“…Which is why, they say it’s harder to see Your Grace than the royal family.”
“Oh my….”
Several people gasped as if on cue.
“I think I’ve heard that, too.”
“Oh my, me too.”
“Is it really that difficult to see you, Your Grace?”
“Aren’t you practically the most elusive face in the Empire now?”
“Mystique, perhaps? Maybe that’s what it is.”
“Oh my, is that so? I almost forgot what Your Grace looked like.”
The people around me let out twisted remarks and chuckled among themselves.
This was the notorious noble style of backhanded compliments, and I could feel each one hitting its mark.
And my impression?
‘Wow… they’re really doing this.’
It was fascinating.
♧♧♧
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Ian ya marcando territorio