“Ah, I see. You entered with Jerome Petrov… Do you two know each other?”
“We didn’t have partners, so we just teamed up for a while.”
Estelle responded playfully, and Claude’s face brightened. This playful side of Estelle was exactly what he loved about her.
“Did you read the letter I sent?”
“Yes, I did. But I have no intention of replying.”
“You don’t need to reply. As long as you’ve read it. If my sincerity can just reach you…”
He gazed at her with a distant, longing look.
Who wouldn’t feel their heart soften at the sight of such a sorrowful face, carved like a statue?
But Estelle steeled herself and remained resolute.
“There’s something I want to say about that, too. Duke Richard, I have no intention of getting married. Not to you, nor to anyone else.”
“…”
“So if you wish to start a family, it will have to be with someone else, not me.”
If he wanted to start a ‘family,’ there was no point in waiting for her.
“What if I don’t want a family?”
“Pardon?”
“What if it’s not a ‘wife’ I want, but you, Estelle? Does that make a difference?”
“That…”
Estelle’s face flushed bright red at his bold statement. She quickly covered her face with her fan and replied hurriedly.
“That’s your choice, Duke, and not something I can comment on. But as the head of a trading company, I’ll be spending more time abroad than at home. As a lover, I’d be a complete failure.”
After all, there’s a saying that distance weakens affection.
The combination of Estelle, who constantly traveled abroad, and Claude, who had to stay within the country, seemed destined for disaster.
“That doesn’t matter. I’ll wait here, until my heart has nothing left to give.”
Bang!
At that moment, a light firework burst behind Claude, perfectly timed. While Estelle paused for a moment, the names of the main figures were finally announced.
“Presenting His Highness, Crown Prince Leon Ilyhard, and Lady Lydia Dorothea, the second daughter of the Duke of Dorothea!”
Whispers filled the air.
As people rushed forward to get a better view, Claude and Estelle were swept into the crowd. They exchanged glances for a brief moment before turning their attention back to the scene.
The stars of the wedding were entering.
***
Dum-dum-da-da, dum-dum-da-da.
To the tune of the famous wedding march, Lydia walked in slowly, hand in hand with Leon.
Since the main ceremony was reserved for the royal family and priests in a solemn atmosphere, the guests could only attend the reception afterward.
Lydia’s dress was also for the reception. Though it was more simplified compared to the ceremonial dress, it was still incredibly extravagant, befitting the star of the wedding.
More than anything, the lace handwoven by master artisans gracefully adorned the dress.
Lace, being the epitome of luxury, was so valuable that a single piece crafted by a skilled artisan could fetch an extraordinary price. It was said that dozens of artisans had been brought in for this wedding.
‘It’s supposed to be more expensive than jewels…’
And it truly was. The geometric patterns of the lace fluttered delicately, enhancing Lydia’s beauty even more.
Lydia, who had been casting her eyes down modestly, lifted her gaze and met Natasha’s eyes.
With a bright smile, Lydia quickly approached her.
“Natasha!”
Hug!
The sudden, affectionate hug caught Natasha slightly off guard. She was worried that the precious lace, more valuable than gold, might get snagged on her brooch or earrings and be damaged.
“Lady Lydia—no, Your Highness, Crown Princess. Congratulations on your wedding.”
“You can just call me Lydia. It’s Natasha, after all!”
As Lydia flaunted her close friendship with Natasha, the surrounding nobles buzzed with whispers.
Even the high-nosed aristocrats who had not been kind to Natasha were visibly flustered.
In truth, there were more people hostile toward Natasha than those friendly to her. They believed that ignoring someone was the ultimate insult, and so they treated Natasha as if she didn’t exist.
But with Lydia openly acknowledging Natasha, they were now at a loss as to how to respond.
:Should they now try to acknowledge Natasha because of her connection to the new Crown Princess, or should they maintain their pride by continuing to ignore a commoner?’
They found themselves at a crossroads.
Natasha, feeling the tension in the air, quietly whispered to Lydia.
“Is it alright for you to be wearing this kind of dress?”
“It’s fine! I chose one with the least amount of pressure on my abdomen. The doctor approved it, too.”
Lydia twirled her skirt dramatically. The waistline of the dress was just below her chest, so the skirt wasn’t excessively voluminous.
It was a design that might have seemed plain, but the lace gave it an understated elegance.
Though, the bride herself was a bit too lively for such a dress.
“You look absolutely stunning, Lady Lydia.”
Denis had approached her side at some point.
“It’s as if an angel has descended from the heavens…”
Aidan took it a step further. While Natasha briefly shuddered at the cheesy line, Lydia responded smoothly.
“Thanks for the compliment, both of you. You two look great in those suits as well. It’s quite a change!”
When Lydia smiled playfully, Aidan stood there, stunned.
“It’s a shame I missed the wedding dress~. But since the ceremony dress suits you so well, I suppose I can manage.”
“Do you want to see the video later? But the dress was so uncomfortable and heavy! I’ll never wear it again.”
“Lady Lydia, does that mean, as promised, you’ll spend the ceremony with us?”
“Yeah. I made a promise with Leon.”
Natasha watched the affectionate couple, feeling the intensity double, and quietly stepped back.
“Natasha, I promised to spend the ceremony with these two, but I’ll come find you later!”
“There’s no need to.”
“I need to check in regularly, or I lose my sense of reality~.”
As if her life could be any more dynamic, what sense of reality was she talking about? Though Natasha didn’t quite understand, she nodded vaguely.
“Shall we head to the terrace? Oh, this cocktail is delicious!”
As the three moved on noisily, Natasha found herself standing alone. People began subtly circling around her, curious.
They were eager to ask how she knew the crown princess, how close they were, and what kind of gifts the recently returned, mysterious princess preferred. It was clear they were itching to spill questions.
The atmosphere was tense, as if one word from someone would unleash a flood of questions.
Natasha sipped her cocktail calmly, pretending not to notice the rising tension.
‘How do I get out of this?’
It was obvious that getting caught up in their inquiries would lead to annoyance.
‘Politics never ends well.’
Especially for a commoner, who was often positioned as a mere pawn on the grand chessboard.
As soon as she lowered the glass from her lips, someone would undoubtedly approach her.
‘What should I do?’
Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd.
To the left, a nameless nobleman stared at her with burning curiosity. To the right, a lady fanned herself while sneaking glances at her.
It was a stalemate. The moment she let her guard down, she’d be swept up in a crowd.
“!”
Suddenly, an idea hit her.
“Jerome! …Lord Petrov.”
She called his name the moment she set her glass down. No matter how crowded it was, she could always spot him right away.
“Would you like to dance?”
Natasha smiled gently as she asked, and he nodded, bewildered.
Both her polite tone and her elegant appearance felt unfamiliar.
“Then, please escort me.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Jerome felt as if he had traveled back to his childhood.
There had been countless times like this when they were learning ballroom dance together.
The dance always began with an escort. Their strict tutor had ingrained that rule into them, making Jerome practice escorting her repeatedly.
The past and present overlapped. Natasha’s hand rested lightly on Jerome’s outstretched palm.
The music happened to be an Illyhad waltz.
It was the basic piece that noble children first learned when practicing ballroom dance.
Naturally, when Natasha and Jerome learned this song for the first time, they practiced with each other.
Their steps were soft and graceful. Having rehearsed so many times, their movements flowed naturally like water.
“…”
“Were you close with Lady Estelle?”
“I only met her just now.”
“I see. I thought you had become friends. How about Mikhail?”
“He’s still not doing well. He seems to have visited the east a few times, though…”
“Oh dear. Late regrets are always painful.”
Especially if it’s a home you destroyed with your own hands.
“And you?”
“…”
“Don’t tell me you’re still sulking over what happened back then?”
“…I’m not.”
He couldn’t hide his expression, so there was no convincing her otherwise.
“Jerome.”
While waltzing, Natasha quietly advised him.
“You and I, we live in different worlds.”
Her voice carried a deep weight, hinting at the countless frustrations that had led her to speak so plainly.
“So, whether the feelings you hold for me are mixed with resentment, pity, or even familial love… just pretend not to notice.”
Jerome frowned, feeling as if she had read him too well. He didn’t even know what kind of emotions he held for Natasha.
Calling it familial love didn’t quite fit, as bouts of anger often flared up. But calling it pure anger didn’t seem right either, as he felt a deep pity for her at times.
It was hard to untangle the complex web of feelings he had for her.
“Pretend not to notice, and let’s just act like nothing ever happened. It’s the simplest way.”
After all, Natasha wouldn’t change. No matter how many times Jerome questioned her about her behavior, nothing would be different.
The one who would inevitably give up first would be Jerome. She knew this, which is why she offered him the most comfortable and straightforward path.
“…What if I don’t want to?”
“What?”
“What if I don’t want to just act like nothing happened? Would you still pretend not to notice?”
Natasha’s eyes widened at Jerome’s unexpected defiance. She hadn’t imagined he would react this way.
Jerome’s green eyes sparkled beautifully under the chandelier’s light. He was looking at her intently, as if waiting for an answer.
“…”
For some reason, she found herself at a loss for words. Natasha averted her gaze slightly.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the last time. About what it meant. You’re right—just because we were in the same place doesn’t mean we were in the same position.”
Jerome continued as Natasha remained silent.
“But to me, you’ve always just been ‘Natasha.’”
Not a Petrov, not a lawyer. Just Natasha.
“And you still are.”
“…”
“Before coming here, I had a lot of thoughts… but I think I’m finally starting to sort them out.”
Jerome spoke in a way that was hard to understand. His eyes, clearer than she’d ever seen, hinted that something had changed.
Just as she was about to ask him what he meant, the waltz ended. Natasha curtseyed politely to him.
“Shall we dance another?”
As Natasha was about to leave, Jerome caught her.
“You called me over to avoid the crowd, didn’t you? If you go back now, they’ll swarm you again.”
“Your awareness has improved.”
“Thanks to someone.”
Despite the lingering confusion in her heart, it seemed Jerome had no intention of revisiting their earlier conversation.
All things considered, it wasn’t a bad suggestion.
It wasn’t customary to dance two songs in a row with the same partner at a ball, but so what?
Neither Natasha nor Jerome had come here to search for a spouse.
“Then…”
“Would you do me the honor of the next dance?”
At that moment, an uninvited guest interrupted.
A man whose tall frame naturally drew attention wherever he went. Yet his sharp, cold aura kept others from easily approaching him.
“…Duke Winchester.”
“She’s my partner, and it would be a shame not to share at least one dance, don’t you think?”
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
