Chapter 68
A young man, looking somewhat youthful, entered the party hall and approached me.
“I-It’s an honor to meet you. I am Rius, the fourth son of the Belpero Viscount family.”
The Belpero Viscount family… I recalled that they served the Cassio Marquis family.
Judging by his young face, he had probably just come to the capital to make his social debut.
Seeing how stiff and awkward he looked, I gently lifted the hem of my dress and greeted him.
“It’s nice to meet you, young sir. I hope you enjoy the party.”
“Y-Yes, of course.”
He seemed extremely nervous, his cheeks flushing as he stammered. His short, spiky hair only made him look even more innocent, and I smiled faintly.
“The flowers placed around the hall are truly beautiful, aren’t they? And I heard the Stantar Orchestra is very exclusive—they rarely accept invitations from just any noble family. I never imagined I’d hear them perform here! Oh, I mean… I suppose it’s only natural for a duke’s household.”
“Their performance is wonderful, isn’t it? I enjoyed listening to them last time, so I personally suggested inviting them again.”
Their music had left a deep impression on me during our wedding. I was pleased with my decision to bring them back.
At that moment, the young man’s face turned even redder.
“L-Lady! Would you grant me the honor of a dance—?”
“Darling.”
I looked up at the sudden voice.
“Did you have a good conversation with Marquis Mayer?” I asked.
Marquis Mayer had come to greet me earlier. Given how busy he had been assisting the crown prince lately, I was surprised he managed to attend.
“Of course,” Harold replied. Then, his gaze turned sharp as he looked at the young man.
“But while I was away… a little fly seems to have wandered in.”
“Harold…!”
I gasped, tugging at his arm and whispering his name.
Calling a young nobleman a “fly” just because he made a small mistake? That was far too harsh!
Even though I shot him a scolding look, Harold merely shrugged.
“D-Duke…? A-Are you really the Duke…?”
The young man’s face turned pale.
“She is my wife,” Harold said before I could respond. His voice was ice-cold as he continued,
“And what business do you have with my Diana?”
“Hiiik! N-Nothing at all! I’m so sorry!”
Without another word, the young man bolted out of the party hall.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“I don’t think he realized who I was. There was no need to run away just because he made a small mistake…”
It was understandable—he was new to social events and nervous. It wasn’t uncommon for young nobles to make such mistakes during their debut.
“So you think it was just nervousness that made him act that way?” Harold asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Wasn’t it?”
It certainly looked like that to me.
Harold’s sharp gaze narrowed, but then he suddenly relaxed and smiled.
“…Now that I think about it, you’re probably right.”
“See? Then what did you mistake it for?”
“Nothing important,” he replied, avoiding my gaze with a sly smile.
Just then, Harold’s expression changed, and I followed his gaze.
“Diana, they’ve arrived.”
“…Yes, I see them.”
Ella was approaching, her arm linked with Kaiden’s.
With her golden hair styled in elegant curls and dressed in a pure white gown, she looked like an angel. The moment people saw her, they gasped in admiration.
When our eyes met, she curved her lips into a smile—but within a blink, she quickly changed her expression, making herself appear timid and frightened.
“The Duke and Duchess,” Kaiden greeted us first, offering a slight bow. “Thank you for inviting us to your party.”
Harold clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly manner.
“It’s been a while, Kaiden. How is work treating you?”
“It’s not too difficult.”
“Then I suppose I can assign you more tasks.”
“Do I really need to handle jobs that should be done by administrators?”
“They’re not minor tasks—they’re important responsibilities.”
“…I will obey your orders.”
Kaiden’s eye twitched slightly in frustration, but then, just for a brief moment, his red gaze flickered toward me.
“Thank you for gracing the party with your presence, Young Master.”
“…It’s an honor to attend such a wonderful event.”
I had been slightly worried that Kaiden would act the same way as before.
But after saying those words, he coldly averted his gaze, as if I no longer mattered to him.
‘Does that mean he no longer suspects me?’
Relieved, I turned my attention away from him and focused on Ella.
She tensed slightly under my gaze but still spoke clearly.
“It’s an honor to be invited to the Duke and Duchess’s first grand party since your wedding.”
“Thank you for coming, Lady Ella. I hope you enjoy the party.”
“I hope the Duchess enjoys it too—until the very end.”
Her golden eyes gleamed sharply as she leaned into Kaiden.
To others, they might have seemed to sparkle brightly, but to me, they looked dark and murky.
After they left, we continued greeting other guests.
Then, the second guest I had been waiting for arrived.
Lady Russell entered, elegantly waving her jewel-adorned fan with a charming smile.
“Oh my, thank you so much for inviting me to this splendid event. It’s been quite some time since I last visited.”
She glanced around the hall as if reminiscing about the past, slowly fanning herself.
“Seeing this place again reminds me of the Duke’s childhood.”
Harold’s childhood?!
My ears perked up instantly. Before I even realized it, I was staring at Lady Russell, completely absorbed.
“The Duke was always quick to learn,” she continued, smiling. “Whether it was academics or physical training, he mastered everything with ease. Especially swordsmanship—his talent was truly exceptional… Oh.”
Lady Russell suddenly paused, covering her mouth with her fan. Then, she looked beside me.
At that moment, I finally remembered that Harold was standing right next to me, and my cheeks suddenly felt hot.
…No way. It couldn’t be, right?
“The Duke seems to only have eyes for his wife. Hoho.”
Countess Russell smirked as she confirmed it for me.
“I should take my leave now so I don’t interrupt you two.”
After Countess Russell left, I rolled my eyes nervously and looked up at Harold.
I felt embarrassed, realizing that I had openly shown interest in his past right in front of him.
Awkwardly, I smiled and took a small step back. But Harold’s gaze followed me persistently, as if he would catch me at any moment.
“Harold. Don’t you have an appointment to attend?”
“…Yes, I do.”
Harold let out a small chuckle and gently stroked my cheek.
“I’ll see you later, Diana.”
Ella bit the inside of her cheek as she glared at Countess Russell, who was chatting with other noble ladies.
Why?
If everything had gone according to plan, Countess Russell should have been making a huge scene, shouting, “Diana deceived the Duke!”
While Diana, unaware of anything, tried to deny the accusations, the evidence proving her infertility was supposed to expose her as a liar in front of everyone.
But why?
Countess Russell had simply spoken with Diana kindly and then stepped away as if nothing had happened. As if she had never learned that Diana was infertile.
This isn’t how it was supposed to go.
Ella couldn’t understand why Countess Russell was acting like this. Wasn’t she the one most furious about Diana’s infertility?
I’ve been looking forward to this day so much.
Just then, Kaiden called out to her.
“Ella.”
“What?”
“My brother is looking for me, so I’ll be stepping away for a moment.”
Ella absentmindedly nodded in response.
Normally, she wouldn’t have acted so dismissively, but right now, all her focus was on Countess Russell.
Even after Kaiden left, Ella kept her eyes fixed on the Countess.
Then, she noticed Countess Russell separating from the group of noble ladies.
Ella immediately followed after her.
“Countess Russell.”
“…Lady Ella.”
“I’d like to have a private conversation with you.”
Suppressing all her frustration, Ella forced a smile as she made her request.
Countess Russell slowly fanned herself and nodded.
“Very well, my dear. Follow me.”
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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Advance chapters of this novel are available of my kofi channel
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