Chapter 07
With our faces still hidden behind our fans, Lilianne and I, along with Sabrina, stared blankly at the man in front of us.
The man blushed slightly and scratched his head awkwardly.
“Ah, I’m not a suspicious person. My name is Alex von Orlando, the second son of the Marquis of Orlando.”
The Orlando Marquis family was one of the noble houses closely tied to the royal family, just like the Sinclair Marquis family.
But why was he suddenly introducing himself to us?
Still not fully understanding the situation, we just stared at him. Seeing our blank expressions, Alex gave an embarrassed smile.
“The men over there aren’t suspicious either. One of them is His Highness, Crown Prince Mikael, and the other is the young duke of the Laurentino family.”
As if I wouldn’t recognize my own fiancé.
“If it’s alright with you, would you care to join us for tea?”
At his unexpected offer, Lilianne, Sabrina, and I froze on the spot.
With disbelief written all over our faces, we glanced over at Mathieu, still keeping our faces half-covered by our fans.
Mathieu, who had been watching us intently, suddenly smiled—a charming, confident smile.
That was when I became certain.
That bastard didn’t recognize me.
Sure, my face was half-hidden behind the fan.
Sure, my dress and hairstyle were completely different from before.
But still… how could he not recognize me at all? Was the difference really that drastic?
As I stood there, frozen in shock, Sabrina answered in my place.
“Sorry, but we already have prior engagements.”
Her rejection was swift and sharp.
Alex looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected to be turned down.
His face showed clear disappointment, but he still tried one last time, glancing at me and Lilianne.
“Do the other ladies feel the same way…?”
But before either of us could answer, Sabrina cut in with a cold expression.
“They’re quite shy. Could you leave us be?”
“…Then, may I at least know which noble families you belong to?”
It seemed that if he had to leave empty-handed, he wanted to at least gather some information.
But Sabrina’s expression turned even colder.
“A true gentleman should know when to accept a lady’s refusal.”
“…I see. My apologies.”
Left with no other choice, Alex awkwardly scratched his head and finally walked away.
As soon as he was gone, Lilianne and I let out a deep sigh of relief.
“He really didn’t recognize us, did he?”
Lilianne nodded at my words.
“If Mikael had recognized me, he would’ve spoken to me right away. We should leave before anything else happens.”
Just as we were about to quickly leave, leaving the cleanup to the waiting servants, Sabrina suddenly muttered in a deadpan voice.
“He’s coming back.”
“…What?”
“This time, it’s your trash fiancé.”
Lilianne and I snapped our heads around in shock.
Sure enough, Mathieu was walking toward us.
And, as always, he looked ridiculously handsome—almost like he was glowing.
It was honestly annoying.
Panicked, I quickly hid my face behind my fan again and turned away.
But then… I suddenly felt irritated.
Why was I the one going through all this effort to avoid him?
Before I could dwell on it further, Mathieu had already reached us.
With an elegant smile, he gave a slight bow.
“I apologize on Alex’s behalf if he was rude to you, ladies.”
Even though he was speaking to all of us, his gaze was fixed entirely on me.
Feeling flustered, I avoided his eyes and quickly responded.
“There’s no need for an apology. We were just about to leave—”
I turned, ready to walk away, but—
He suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
Still hiding behind my fan, I instinctively frowned.
“May I ask for your name, my lady?”
…Was this bastard testing me on purpose? Or did he really not recognize me?
“Have we… met somewhere before?”
Oh, for the love of—
- Am. Your. Fiancée.
Hearing him flirt so cluelessly made me want to throw my fan at his face and yell the truth right then and there.
I almost did.
But before I could, Sabrina suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha! My lord, I’m terribly sorry, but we’re in a bit of a hurry!”
At the same time, she started pushing me from behind.
Lilianne, still covering her face with her fan, grabbed my arm and pulled me along as well.
“Hey, let me go! Let go of me!”
Despite my protests, the two of them dragged me away, leaving Mathieu staring after us with a look of disappointment.
Only when we were safely out of sight did they finally release me.
Sabrina let out a deep sigh and crossed her arms.
“Claire, you were about to reveal yourself, weren’t you?”
I avoided her gaze with a sulky expression.
“…It was annoying. The guy who ignored his own fiancée was hitting on her without even realizing who she was.”
At my grumbled complaint, Sabrina pinched the bridge of her nose.
“I don’t care if you reveal yourself. But you cannot let him find out the three of us are working together.”
When I gave her a confused look, Lilianne gently stroked my arm, trying to calm me down.
“We’re planning to corner him, remember? If he realizes we know each other, it might ruin our plans. It’s better if he stays unaware for now.”
Realizing she was right, I finally nodded.
If Mathieu found out we were friends, it would only make things more complicated.
With my identity exposed, I’d have far less freedom to act.
Sabrina grinned wickedly.
“Let’s save the big reveal for the Marquis’ banquet.”
Lilianne, usually so gentle, gave a chilling smile of her own.
“The look on his face when he finds out the truth… I can’t wait to see it.”
…My friends are scary.
* * *
When I returned to the Count’s estate, the whole mansion was in chaos in preparation for the Sinclair Marquis’ banquet.
My stepmother and Sophia were trying on countless dresses, surrounded by a flurry of maids rushing to assist them.
Even my personal maid was among them, looking rather overwhelmed.
When she noticed me, she hesitated before bowing her head with an apologetic look.
I understood her predicament.
Even though she was my maid, the true lady of this house was Ophelia. She had no choice but to follow orders.
“Emma, bring me a different pair of shoes.”
At Sophia’s command, my maid quickly turned to obey.
…She was definitely doing this on purpose, flaunting her control over my personal maid right in front of me.
I sighed at the childish power play and turned to leave.
But then, Ophelia spoke up.
“Oh my, is that any way to greet your family after coming home?”
I flinched and stiffened my shoulders before turning around.
Ophelia didn’t even look at me; she was too busy admiring herself in the mirror while holding up a dress.
“You looked busy,” I replied indifferently, giving a slight nod before turning to leave.
Just then, Ophelia spoke again.
“Oh, about the Sinclair Marquisate’s ball the day after tomorrow.”
Hearing the word “ball,” my body instinctively reacted. I looked at Ophelia, and only then did she finally turn to face me with a smile.
“This time, Sophia and I will be attending alone.”
She smiled sweetly, but it was clear she was deliberately excluding me.
“Alright, do as you please,” I answered with a calm smile.
My unaffected response must have made her uneasy because she quickly added an explanation.
“You already have a fiancé, and social balls are practically marriage markets.”
It wasn’t surprising. Unless I was attending with my father or as the Young Duke’s partner, they had always left me out of these events for the same reason.
“There’s no need to tell me,” I said coolly.
Ophelia frowned slightly.
“Anyone would think I leave you behind all the time. Your father is going on a business trip again, so someone needs to stay and look after the house.”
Am I a guard dog?
There are butlers and maids—why does it have to be me?
I swallowed my frustration and forced a polite smile.
“Of course.”
Without showing my true feelings, I turned and walked away.
As soon as I entered my room and closed the door, I quietly pulled something from my pocket.
It was a personal invitation from Lilianne.
I had acted clueless in front of my stepmother, but I had no intention of staying quietly at home.
