I heard the announcement that another central figure of the evening, Ains Graham, was entering the ballroom. As Ains made his entrance, the ballroom fell silent once again. It was similar to my own entrance, but with a subtle difference. Not all eyes were solely on Ains; some people were casting glances in my direction.
I could understand the meaning behind those looks. They were probably curious about how Ains and I would interact. The only publicly known fact was that we had divorced, leading to much speculation about the reasons behind it. Based on the snippets of conversation I’d overheard earlier, the prevailing theories seemed to involve infidelity on either my part or Ains’s.
But these were just rumors, and people were eager to see our actual reactions when we met. What kind of reaction were they expecting? I could guess that they were hoping for something dramatic.
I watched Ains slowly walk into the ballroom before turning away. Having divorced, I didn’t want to give people any unnecessary reasons to misunderstand my actions. Even if Ains didn’t care, I wanted to avoid any misconceptions for my own sake. The gazes directed at me felt raw and unfiltered now that I no longer had the protection of the Graham name.
As Ains reached the center of the ballroom, the atmosphere became lively, unlike my entrance. People flocked to him, eager to engage in conversation. Among them were young ladies of marriageable age, waiting their turn to introduce themselves to him with bright smiles.
It was all too predictable. Ains was the only duke in the empire and a prominent businessman running one of the most successful trading companies. While I was his spouse, they had kept their distance, but now that we were divorced, they saw this as their chance.
Marrying Ains would not only make them the only duchess in the empire but also grant them unparalleled wealth. From my experience, all of that was an illusion, but they didn’t know that. They were eager to introduce their daughters or sisters to him, hoping one of them might capture his heart.
Who knows? Maybe one of them would succeed where I had failed. If someone did manage to win Ains’s heart, perhaps his demeanor would change, and he might turn out to be the romantic partner of the century.
…Regardless, if such a person did appear, I hoped he would treat her better than he had treated me. One person suffering from a lack of love was enough. The last thing I wanted was for someone else to go through what I had.
Hoping that no one else would have to endure what I did, I turned away from Ains completely and headed towards the terrace. There were already a few people out there getting some fresh air. I found an empty spot and stepped outside. The cool breeze greeted me as I opened the door.
The weather had been warm during the day, but it had become quite chilly at night. Though I knew I couldn’t stay out long, I didn’t want to go back inside. Ains was in there, and being in the same space as him was too much for me to handle.
Once the Emperor made his entrance, I would stay a little longer and then leave. I exhaled deeply and looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled in the dusky sky, something I hadn’t had the chance to appreciate at previous balls. I had always been too busy surrounded by people and engaged in conversations.
But now, with the change in my circumstances, I had the time to count the stars. I suppose this was a positive outcome of the situation. I set my wine glass on the railing and began to count the stars. The more chaotic my mind felt, the more beautiful the stars seemed to shine.
I wasn’t sure how long I had been standing there when I suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind. The terrace door opened, and I heard a voice.
“Oh, I didn’t realize someone was already here.”
A man, who seemed a bit flustered upon discovering me, spoke. I turned to see who it was. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him.
“I’m sorry if I’m intruding on your break.”
“No, it’s fine. If you want to stay here, I’ll move.”
“No, I can’t let you do that. I arrived later.”
As I picked up my wine glass to leave, the man quickly waved his hands to stop me.
“I should be the one to leave, but…” he trailed off, smiling brightly.
Even compared to Ains, his handsome face and bright smile caught my attention.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I stay here with you?”
“I don’t see why not.”
I smiled politely and responded. The man sighed in relief and placed his wine glass on the railing before taking off his coat. I watched him, curious about what he was doing, and then he draped his coat over my shoulders.
“What…?”
I looked at him in surprise, my eyes wide. He shrugged.
“I thought you might catch a cold dressed like that. Please wear it while you’re out here.”
“Oh…”
It was then that I realized the warmth emanating from his coat, likely heated by his body temperature. His gesture was unexpectedly kind. I considered refusing but sensed no ill intent.
I hesitated, touching the coat draped over my shoulders, then nodded slightly in gratitude.
“Thank you. I’ll return it to you later.”
“Sure, return it whenever you like. By the way, I’m Cadia Moldovan,” he introduced himself with a bright smile. The name Moldovan sounded familiar.
“Are you Viscount Moldovan?” I asked, trying to recall, and he nodded.
“You remember. We met once before, but I figured my face was easy to forget,” he said, though his appearance was far from ordinary. He was quite handsome, the kind of person you’d notice in a crowd.
Still, beyond recognizing him as Viscount Moldovan, I couldn’t remember much, so I smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I was quite overwhelmed back then and only managed to remember your name. I’m Cecilia Marves.”
Back when I was the Duchess of Graham, so many people tried to get close to me that it was impossible to remember everyone who greeted me. Now, it was clear how meaningless those connections were. The moment I divorced Ains, they all acted like they didn’t know me.
Moldovan walked over to stand beside me, his long strides bringing him quickly to my side. He looked up at the sky just as I had. I glanced at my almost empty wine glass, feeling the elegant music and distant conversations from the ballroom settle between us.
“People can be so fickle, can’t they?” he said, breaking the silence just as the orchestra’s music and the sound of laughter blended together.
I glanced at him and nodded. “I can’t deny it.”
It was true that I felt hurt and resentful towards those who changed their attitudes so quickly. I understood their perspective to some extent, but I wasn’t magnanimous enough to accept it with a smile. The looks, the whispers, the mocking laughter—all of it pierced my heart.
“It must be upsetting. Everyone used to try so hard to please you, and now they don’t even give you a second glance,” Moldovan said, touching on a sore spot. Though his words were uncomfortable, I forced a smile.
“It was just that kind of relationship,” I replied casually, looking back into the ballroom. In the distance, Ains was surrounded by people. As he chatted, he suddenly looked up and our eyes met. I quickly turned away, pretending nothing had happened, and focused on Moldovan.
Sensing my gaze, Moldovan turned to look at me and then frowned apologetically. “I apologize if I brought up an unpleasant topic. I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s fine, really,” I assured him.
Despite my reassurances, Moldovan remained silent for a while, simply watching me. Curious about his persistent gaze, I looked back at him. He gave a bitter smile.
“Viscountess Marves,” he began hesitantly.
“Yes?” I responded.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked, “Do you still have feelings for Duke Graham?”
