Chapter 03
Just before the dish was served, the table was set with a venison steak cooked to perfection, accompanied by a sauce made from stewed figs.
The head chef had just uncorked a bottle of Ermaning 1952 vintage wine and stepped beside Cedric.
“The Count has such a great memory. You remembered how I was disappointed with the 1931 vintage and got the 1952 one for this occasion. Am I right?” Gloria suddenly spoke up as Cedric’s glass was being filled.
“Ah, yes. You mentioned that the 1931 vintage had a rough taste you didn’t like.”
“That’s right. I heard somewhere that different people perceive aging in wine differently.
Do you remember, Marieanne? You enjoyed the 1931 vintage back then. It was at that restaurant by the opera house.”
I clearly remembered that dinner on the floating restaurant near the opera house. It was both mine and Gloria’s birthday, and Cedric had joined us.
Just as Gloria said, we had enjoyed the 1931 vintage, and I even mentioned how I liked the lingering taste in my mouth—the very taste that Gloria had disliked.
“The 1931 vintage wasn’t bad, but I’m looking forward to this 1952 one…”
“Marieanne is so lucky. She gets to spend her life with such a kind husband,” Gloria suddenly interrupted me.
She often liked to take center stage in conversations, but for some reason, it bothered me more than usual today.
It was also irritating how Cedric, who had forgotten our wedding anniversary, remembered a conversation from months ago so vividly.
‘Why do I feel so uneasy?’
I touched my chest as if trying to ease an unseen burden. My fingers, stained with ink from reviewing documents earlier, were slowly turning cold.
I ended up eating much less than usual, while Gloria became completely intoxicated by the fragrant wine.
When she stood up, saying she needed some fresh air, she suddenly lost balance and collapsed right into Cedric’s arms. Without a moment’s hesitation, he supported her, displaying his usual gentlemanly manner.
“You smell…”
“Pardon, madam?”
“The scent. Mmm, what is this smell? Did you visit the workshop today? You have a very nice scent on you.”
Her flushed cheeks, her nose pressed against Cedric’s neck as she inhaled his scent—it made my head spin.
I quickly called for my maid, Bella.
“Bella, get a servant to help Gloria back to her room.”
“No need, Marieanne,” an unexpected voice answered.
I turned to Cedric, puzzled.
“I will take the Duchess to her room myself.”
“But you’re quite drunk as well. Carrying her to her room could be dangerous.”
“I can manage. It would be better for me to do it than to have another man touch her.”
Before I could protest, Cedric lifted Gloria effortlessly with the help of a maid.
I quietly set down my knife.
I had suppressed my suspicions countless times before.
But watching my husband carry Gloria in his arms, the immoral thoughts I had tried to push away started creeping back in.
‘Why do I feel so uneasy about the two of them together?’
Unable to suppress my feelings, I followed them out of the dining hall.
Once they reached Gloria’s room, Cedric gently laid her on the bed. Then, with barely a sound, he stepped out and closed the door softly behind him, making sure not to wake her.
“Marieanne,” he called my name, meeting my eyes.
“It’s a shame we didn’t get to spend our anniversary together properly.”
“It’s alright, Cedric.”
“You must have felt disappointed. And I haven’t even given you your anniversary gift yet.”
“You already did. The wine was a wonderful gift.”
“I wouldn’t call that a proper gift.”
He chuckled as if amused by my innocent response.
“I ordered a custom perfume from Victor, the perfumer I met today. It’s taking longer to make than expected, but I’ll bring it home as soon as it’s ready.”
“Oh…”
For a brief moment, hope flickered inside me. Maybe he hadn’t completely forgotten about our anniversary after all.
‘But then why did he look so embarrassed when Gloria first mentioned our anniversary?’
That reaction was too genuine to be fake.
‘He’s lying. He’s just trying to cover up his mistake.’
There are some lies in this world that, even if we see through them, we must pretend to believe.
To maintain this marriage.
To keep the peace between us.
“Thank you, Cedric,” I said with a forced smile.
“I should be thanking you, Marieanne. I’m grateful that you became my wife.”
He kissed the back of my hand.
I stared at that familiar gesture, lost in thought, when something suddenly came back to me.
‘Oh, the gift.’
Unlike Cedric, I had prepared a present in advance, but I had left it in the dining hall.
“I have something for you too. I left it in the dining hall—I’ll be right back.”
Gifts exchanged out of obligation felt meaningless.
But without them, there would be nothing left between us.
Feeling somewhat empty, I made my way back to the dining hall.
Just as I reached the door, I overheard the maids talking inside.
“Our lady is pitiful.”
“I know, right? Did you see her face at dinner? She looked so sad.”
“The Duchess is too much. Why did she have to be there even on their anniversary?”
Their topic of conversation was Cedric and Gloria.
‘If even the servants are saying this, it must be a problem.’
Rumors start from whispers like this. If left unchecked, they could spread outside the mansion.
‘I need to put a stop to this before it turns into a scandal.’
Just as I was about to enter and reprimand them—
“Sometimes, I can’t tell who the real lady of the house is. They look so alike, and honestly, the Duchess seems more like the wife.”
“Did you see her running out to greet the master? She even took his coat for him. That was so improper!”
“At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to take the lady’s place.”
The doubts that had been plaguing me all day suddenly sharpened into a painful reality.
Everything I had tried to dismiss as overthinking was being confirmed by their words.
Unable to hold back any longer, I pushed the door open.
“Oh… my lady!”
“Wh-what brings you here…?”
The maids bowed, flustered. Ignoring them, I walked straight to the chair where I had left the gift box.
“I’m looking for the velvet box that was here.”
One of the maids quickly retrieved it.
“Here it is, my lady.”
I took the box and turned to leave, but not before issuing a firm warning.
“Even inside this mansion, there are always eyes and ears watching. Selly, Rina, I will call you both tomorrow. We need to talk.”
They hurriedly apologized, but my mind was elsewhere.
That night, I waited for Cedric to return to our bedroom.
I couldn’t ignore this anymore. I had to talk to him about Gloria.
‘Why is he taking so long?’
Midnight came and went. Unable to wait any longer, I left the room and walked to his study.
‘How should I even begin this conversation?’
I thought about Gloria’s personality—how she always needed to be the center of attention, how she hated when someone else outshined her.
I had believed she had changed over the years, but perhaps she hadn’t.
‘She doesn’t realize when she crosses the line. I need to tell Cedric to set boundaries.’
I could talk to Gloria in the morning. But Cedric—I needed to speak to him first.
His study was just ahead.
I knocked on the door.
“Cedric, it’s me, Marieanne.”
No answer.
I knocked again, waiting.
Still silence.
‘Did he fall asleep in the next room?’
His study had a small adjacent room with a bed, where he sometimes rested after working late.
A faint light was coming from the slightly open door.
And then, I heard voices.
“Spread your legs more, Ria.”
It was Cedric’s voice.
And if I had heard correctly, the person he was calling for was—
Gloria. My twin sister.
