It seemed my trembling had reached Raynan’s hand as well.
But he didn’t seem to find it particularly strange.
He probably thought it was because I was nervous about the party.
As if to help me relax, Raynan held my hand the whole time and tried to comfort me.
But that wasn’t enough to stop my trembling.
Still, Raynan kept gently patting my hand and didn’t forget to remind me to stay close to him.
When the carriage finally stopped and I got off, a completely different world unfolded before my eyes.
This time, I really did start to feel nervous—because of the party I had to attend right away.
I had already imagined it, but the palace was much grander and more luxurious than I had expected.
As I took a deep breath, Raynan gently pulled my hand and linked it through his arm. Then he whispered softly.
“No need to be nervous. Just smile. Because the most beautiful thing here is you.”
His joking, light tone made me smile without even realizing it.
“Yeah. Just like that.”
He gave a smile similar to mine, as if relieved, and said,
“The Duke of Loerian and his fiancée have arrived.”
As soon as we stepped into the ballroom, a firm voice announced our entrance.
Compared to the ballroom I saw at Loerian Manor, this one was on a whole different scale, both in size and appearance.
It was an enormous space, but there didn’t seem to be a single corner that wasn’t perfectly polished.
The fact that they managed to decorate and maintain all of this was impressive in itself.
Maybe that’s why. It was the first time I felt so overwhelmed just by being in a place.
And the moment the voice announced Raynan and me, I could instantly feel the air shift.
The sudden silence, followed by small murmurs, left no doubt about who they were reacting to.
Without realizing it, my body tensed up. Raynan covered my hand on his arm with his own.
He stood still for a moment, as if giving me time, then began to move again.
As we began to walk, the curious stares grew even more intense.
And it was easy to feel that they weren’t exactly warm.
I had experienced this kind of thing many times at Loerian Manor, but this was on another level.
The sharpness and harshness in their gazes felt like poison seeping into my skin.
Was it Amelia who once said there would be worse things to come?
Now I truly understood what she meant.
Raynan slowly looked around with a neutral expression.
Even though he was calm, those who met his gaze quickly looked away.
“Renee.”
“Yes?”
“Pointless curiosity could be what kills you. Never forget that.”
Raynan offered his advice in a gentle voice directed at me.
But his voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear, making it clear that the warning wasn’t just for me.
“Yes. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Satisfied with my response, he started walking again.
Everyone’s attention was still focused on us.
Maybe it was because Raynan was with me, but I was starting to relax a little.
Soon, I was calm enough to look around.
And I could see why Cecil and Amelia had been so fired up and even held meetings over this.
Everyone was striding through the ballroom dressed so glamorously and dazzlingly.
Seeing them reminded me of the time we went shopping for accessories.
Just like then, everything here was so beautiful and sparkly that it all blended together and didn’t catch my eye anymore.
I quickly grew tired of it.
Unlike last night’s night market, where time flew by, here I was already counting the minutes to leave.
“We meet again, Duke Loerian.”
Several people approached with smiling faces, offering similar greetings to Raynan.
Raynan replied coldly, and those who had been watching for a chance had to give up asking about me and quietly leave.
Just as he’d warned me before. I shouldn’t stray from Raynan’s side.
It was only because he was here that they backed off like this—
if he wasn’t, I would’ve had to face all of them alone.
And unlike how they acted toward Raynan, they wouldn’t hesitate to show their true selves to me.
But not everyone was intimidated by Raynan or cared about his presence.
“It’s been a while. I don’t think we’ve met since you became Duke.”
A middle-aged man approached Raynan with a friendly tone.
His refined words carried politeness, but something about him didn’t quite fit.
Above all, his eyes were cold and chilling.
He seemed surrounded by a dark, creepy aura I couldn’t place.
Raynan smiled calmly despite the man’s presence and spoke.
“They say memory fades with age. Maybe it’s true after all. You really should take better care of your health.”
“Worried about my health, are you? You haven’t changed a bit.”
They exchanged smiling words, but the atmosphere was anything but warm.
Listening to them felt like walking on thin ice.
“I’m always concerned about the Duke’s well-being. May you stay healthy—always.”
Raynan turned his back after that, leaving behind a remark that could have been concern or a curse.
But the man didn’t seem ready to let him go.
“I hear you’re engaged. Won’t you introduce her?”
The man stepped forward and stood in front of us just as we paused.
“To meet the famous fiancée of Duke Loerian—it’s an honor. I’m Benjamin Schneider.”
Schneider?
Surprised, I froze for a moment before quickly offering my greeting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Renee.”
He made me introduce myself first.
Noticing my awkwardness, Schneider didn’t drop his smile and said,
“It’s quite all right. After all, since the Duke isn’t going to introduce you, I had no choice but to say hello myself.”
His words sounded like he was being considerate, but there was a sharpness hidden in his tone.
When I looked at Raynan, his face clearly showed how little he liked Schneider.
While the two of them stared silently at each other, I took another careful look at Schneider.
He seemed to be about the same age as Raynan’s father.
His age, and everything about him, gave off a completely different image.
After a moment, Schneider looked at me with a kind smile.
As if trying to judge me, he slowly looked me over from bottom to top.
That snake-like gaze crawling up my body made me cling to Raynan’s arm without even realizing it.
Even if I hadn’t known he was Schneider, I still wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere near him.
“It seems we’re done here. Then we’ll be going.”
Raynan’s farewell was polite but didn’t bother to hide his displeasure—yet once again, someone interrupted.
“We meet again.”
Bella approached, wearing a dress as dazzling as her face.
She was someone who’d look beautiful in anything. But the way she went all out like this…
“So dizzy.”
“What was that?”
Just looking at her made my eyes and head spin.
I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but apparently Bella heard the tiny mutter and raised her eyebrows.
“No, it’s nothing. It’s nice to see you again. Did you enjoy yesterday’s outing?”
Worried that she really had heard me, I quickly changed the subject—but it didn’t seem to work that well.
Her bright, glowing smile crumbled in an instant.
Was it because the memory of yesterday came back? Or did I say something wrong again?
Feeling flustered, I glanced up at Raynan.
He was looking down at me with a satisfied smile on his face.
That’s when I realized—once again, I hadn’t said quite the right thing for the moment.
Bella, who had briefly tensed up, quickly put on a bright smile again.
“You’re right. Seeing each other two days in a row—it must be fate.”
Her tone was sweet, but she couldn’t completely hide the irritation in her voice.
Taking a deep breath as if to shake off all the negativity, she walked away with a proud stride.
It seemed she had come with a partner, as she went off and linked arms with someone.
And when I saw who it was, my mouth fell open slightly.
It was quite the surprising pairing.
Raynan, on the other hand, didn’t seem all that shocked. In fact, the corners of his lips curled slightly, as if amused.
“I didn’t realize you two were that close.”
Raynan glanced at Bella’s arm, looped through Schneider’s, as he spoke.
Despite the mockery in his voice, neither Bella nor Schneider showed any sign of being offended.
“What a shame. I wish things had gone better with your engagement, Your Grace. But frankly, the offer didn’t meet my standards.”
She laughed airily as she spoke, but it sounded as though she was the one who had turned down Raynan’s proposal.
No—she wanted it to sound that way.
Her voice was loud enough for those nearby to hear, and she even slowly turned her head as she spoke to make sure it was noticed.
“So you’re planning to get engaged to Duke Schneider instead?”
“As if.”
“Of course.”
To Raynan’s casual question, their answers diverged.
Schneider flatly denied it, while Bella’s face turned red in an instant.
Watching this, Raynan let out a short laugh.
Then he spoke indifferently, like he truly didn’t care.
“Either way, it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, I hope it’s the right decision.”
Maybe he was fed up with all the interruptions, because this time Raynan turned away without even saying goodbye.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Ah… No. I’m actually doing better than I thought.”
Whatever Bella had been saying was completely drowned out by Raynan’s question.
At this point, it felt like he was pretending Bella and Schneider didn’t even exist.
I could hear Bella’s hurried footsteps trying to catch up, but it seemed Schneider had stopped her.
Only once we were some distance away did Raynan finally come to a stop, and I cautiously asked,
“There were rumors of you being engaged to her… so why is she with Schneider?”
“Her pride must’ve taken quite a hit. Everyone assumed we’d be engaged, but it didn’t turn out that way at all.”
“And then there’s me—the woman who used to be Edwin’s nanny—now your fiancée.”
Raynan looked down at me with amusement in his eyes.
“Exactly. That probably hurt her pride even more. But you’re quite the character, saying it so plainly like that.”
“Well, it’s not wrong.”
“True. Still, I’m both proud and a little sad that you’ve started reading the flow of things now.”
“Proud and sad…? That’s a strange combination.”
“Maybe. But since you still can’t read that, I’m feeling a bit better.”
“Are you teasing me right now?”
“Of course not.”
He answered firmly, but the laughter in his voice said otherwise.
Even if he was teasing me, that was fine. No—maybe it was actually a relief.
Because despite running into Schneider, he didn’t seem upset at all. And that alone was a relief.
“But why would Bella say she’s going to get engaged to Schneider? He even denied it. What’s going on between them?”
“They’re the type to chew each other up whenever they get the chance. An engagement? Not a chance.”
Raynan scoffed, like it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
