“……?”
I looked at him curiously, but he just stared straight into my eyes without a word. For a long while, he said nothing, merely holding my gaze with unwavering eyes.
I, too, found myself quietly meeting his gaze. The golden-brown eyes, always so warm, seemed for the first time to hold an unfathomable depth.
Without words, his eyes told me everything he wanted to say.
I’m here.
I’m on your side.
Trust me.
Ares conveyed his feelings entirely through his gaze and the touch of his hand holding mine.
How could I doubt him? This was the most honest conversation, more than any words could express!
Finally, I could smile brightly.
At least for tonight, Ares was wholly mine. I wasn’t going into this dinner alone to fight Lea’s shadow.
The carriage came to a stop at the mansion’s entrance. With a somewhat haughty smile, I extended my hand.
“Will you escort me?”
Ares, like a knight serving his queen, took my hand and pressed his lips firmly against the back of it.
“Of course.”
While I had encountered Ares’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Stanley, at various social gatherings, this was my first time being personally invited to dinner.
The Duchess of Stanley, in particular, held a status among the noblewomen that rivaled that of the Empress herself, yet she rarely attended parties. She preferred solitude and disliked the hustle and bustle of crowded gatherings, finding them incompatible with her nature.
As I descended from the carriage with Ares’s hand, the Stanley family’s butler, whom I had previously met at the Bureau of Public Order, greeted me.
“Welcome, Lady Uranos.”
I nodded slightly in response, and Ares asked him.
“Where are my parents?”
“They are preparing to receive the guest. I will guide you to the drawing room first.”
“There’s no need for that.”
After answering the butler, Ares turned to me with a gentle smile.
“I’ll guide her myself.”
“Understood.”
The butler bowed politely and stepped back.
Ares lightly held my hand and walked confidently.
“We’ll wait in the drawing room for a bit. My parents will join us there, and then we can go to the dining room together.”
“Alright. I understand.”
My voice was still a bit stiff, probably because I hadn’t fully relaxed yet. I took another deep breath.
“Phew…”
Seeing me like that, Ares chuckled softly.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you this nervous.”
I managed a smile and shook my head slightly.
“I didn’t expect to be this nervous either. Were you not nervous when you met my parents?”
“Hmm, maybe not as much as you…”
Could this be the difference between being formally invited and running into them unexpectedly?
But I think I would have been nervous either way.
“This way, Bianca.”
The drawing room wasn’t far from the entrance. In the elegantly decorated room, I sat down on a sofa to catch my breath.
Ares brewed tea for me himself.
“I’m not as good at this as you are, but…”
Despite his words, I knew that Ares was quite adept at brewing tea, just as well as any woman.
Sipping the tea made by Ares, I offered genuine praise.
“This is really delicious. Thank you, Ares.”
The warm sensation spread through my chest, and it felt like the tension that had frozen inside me was beginning to melt away.
At that moment, there was a knock on the drawing room door, followed by its opening. I reflexively rose from my seat.
“I present the Duke of Stanley. I also offer my regards to the Duchess.”
As I spoke, I slightly bent my knees, grasped the hem of my dress, and lowered my gaze while lightly bowing my upper body. Fortunately, my ingrained, perfect etiquette was magnificently displayed at this moment.
“Welcome, Lady Uranus.”
A deep, resonant voice, reminiscent of Ares, responded to my greeting.
I slowly straightened up and looked at the Duke and Duchess with a graceful smile.
Honestly, my mind was a blank, and I couldn’t think of anything. I was incredibly more nervous now than I had been at the palace banquet with Princess Ariel.
What on earth is this!
The Duchess of Stanley’s melodious voice pierced my ears.
“Lady Uranus, I’m delighted you could join us. I’ve heard of your reputation, but this is the first time we’re meeting face-to-face and having a proper conversation, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Hohoho… Let’s move to the dining room for now. I’d like to have a leisurely conversation over dinner.”
“Thank you for your kindness. And please, speak to me in a more familiar manner. I don’t know how to behave.”
“Oh, is that alright?”
“Of course, madam.”
Seeing her beaming smile, my tense fingertips began to relax.
I had successfully passed the first hurdle!
The Duke and Duchess led the way, and I followed them with Ares’s hand guiding me. Ares whispered into my ear.
“You say you’re nervous, but it doesn’t seem like it.”
“It’s true, Ares. I’m really not in my right mind right now.”
“Hm…”
Seeing Ares’s incredulous expression, I couldn’t help but smile slightly.
I guess it was a sign that my tension was easing a bit.
As we entered the dining room holding hands, the table was already lavishly set with decorations and tableware. I thought to myself, it looked like they were hosting royalty!
“The appetizers will be served first, followed by the main course. Please, take your seats.”
The Duchess waved us over and urged us to sit. Following her instructions, the Duke, Ares, and I each took our designated places according to etiquette.
It seemed that the Duchess was leading this dinner, not the Duke. It was common for the lady of the house to manage domestic affairs, and it appeared that the Duke’s family followed this practice faithfully.
As the dinner began in earnest, I started to feel myself gradually returning to my original self.
Is this what they call being a “stage person”? It’s a term used for ballet dancers, and it truly felt fitting for this situation.
“When Ares told me that he was courting Lady Uranus, I was honestly very surprised. It was completely unexpected.”
The Duke spoke with a smile, but I felt a bitterness in my mouth. Surely, the Duke must have expected Ares to become involved with Leia.
But I shouldn’t voice my thoughts directly.
“I suppose it was surprising because you had little personal interaction with her before.”
“Yes, that’s part of it.”
The Duke nodded at my response. The Duchess then spoke.
“It was also surprising that such a renowned lady had no suitors until now. It’s been over two years since her debut in society, and yet, no suitor has come forward for such a beautiful lady.”
Oh, what kind of expression should I have here? I shouldn’t look too pleased, but it’s difficult. Oh dear.
As I awkwardly tried to smile, Ares answered on my behalf.
“I consider myself lucky. I can only say that I’m glad it wasn’t too late before another suitor came along.”
…What is this feeling of second-hand embarrassment? It’s so awkward. Haha.
“Indeed. You certainly have a knack for making your mother anxious,” the Duke said with a chuckle.
The Duchess frowned slightly and clicked her tongue.
“Well, I’m just glad my son hasn’t completely forgotten common sense. I was worried he was living like a wild man.”
“Ah, Mother…”
Ares sighed in a troubled manner and trailed off.
I immediately understood what the Duchess was implying. She was likely referring to Ares’s close friendship with Leia.
Only then did I vaguely grasp why the Duke and Duchess were extending such a warm welcome to me. It meant they had been extremely concerned about Ares’s involvement with Leia.
A part of me felt a bit wistful.
It wasn’t me who had to fight off someone’s shadow. In the future, when the novel reaches its happy ending and Leia becomes Ares’s partner, Leia will have to struggle to overcome my shadow.
This should be a joyous situation, but for some reason, I wasn’t happy at all. Perhaps it was because I could clearly see that Ares would later suffer from conflicts with his in-laws.
I just awkwardly smiled and continued eating. I had no place to insert myself into the conversation, and honestly, I didn’t want Leia to lose any more favor with the Duke and Duchess.
Hmm… Well, if it ends happily, it means that everyone around them will eventually bless their union, so perhaps Ares’s parents will also willingly accept Leia in the end?
Sigh. It’s probably not something I need to worry about. Surely the ‘author’ will pave a smooth path for the protagonist Leia. As long as Ares is happy, that’s enough for me.
“It seems like it’s time to change Ares’s room. How about a bedroom connected to the couple’s quarters?”
“Gulp!”
The Duchess brought up the topic of the couple’s bedroom with such a calm and natural tone, as if asking “What’s for dinner tomorrow?” that I ended up choking on the wine I was drinking!
“Oh my, Lady Uranus!”
“Ah, I… cough cough!”
As I continued to cough uncontrollably, Ares, with a worried expression, handed me a glass of cold water.
I didn’t even manage to meet his gaze and hastily took the glass to drink.
“Mother, it might be better to discuss such matters with me privately another time.”
Instead of me, Ares responded to the Duchess.
I’m so grateful! I’ll have to give him a thank-you kiss later!
“Hem hem, since the Uranus family has only one heiress, it would be ideal for the count to secure a stable successor as soon as possible, wouldn’t you agree?”
Just when I thought I had gotten through one crisis, it was the Duke’s turn!
What on earth did they plan when they invited me today?
“…Yes, indeed.”
“Then I think it would be wise for the heiress to seriously consider marriage.”
“Yes, thank you for your advice…”
I couldn’t even tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose! Someone please stop these two!
Having heard from the ‘author’ about the novel’s ending and my fate before I could even properly talk to Ares, I had hardly thought about marriage with him.
Isn’t it obvious? His fated partner is someone else!
However, the Duke and Duchess of Stanley, unaware of these circumstances, seemed to have already earmarked me as a potential daughter-in-law.
This is quite a predicament.
“Do you like the food?”
The Duchess asked gently, snapping me out of my daze. I quickly composed myself and replied.
“Yes, it’s very delicious. You have an excellent chef.”
“I’m glad to hear that. We might not need to hire another chef.”
What on earth is this about? While trying to figure it out, the Duke chimed in.
“It suits our family in many ways. I’m relieved to see that Ares has found someone suitable.”
Ares then silently flashed a bright smile, making me stare blankly at him again.
When he suddenly makes such expressions, I can’t think of anything and just end up admiring him. Oh dear.
In any case, the dinner went smoothly. The Duke and Duchess were so charming towards me that my hands and feet felt all tingly.
