Chapter – 13
“I’m sorry, but today really—”
“You’d better prepare to attend the princess’s banquet.”
“…….”
Evangeline’s eyes, always doll-like, widened in surprise at his unexpected words. Only then did his lips twitch with a faint satisfaction, but the words he spoke remained cruel.
“I can’t very well ruin such an important invitation that you went all the way to get in secret, can I?”
“But if I go there……”
“It’s better than sleeping with me, isn’t it?”
His rough voice cracked at the end. He knew perfectly well what it meant for her to attend the princess’s party. In fact, he knew so well that it was almost tiresome—but he had no intention of changing his mind.
Apparently, this woman still thought of him as little more than a beast.
Well, in that case, there was no harm in meeting expectations. The way she had resignedly lowered her gaze the moment he grabbed her wrist earlier grated on Decarno’s nerves.
Who knew? If she gave a proper response now……
“Yes. Then let’s get ready.”
“…….”
Evangeline obediently returned to her perfect, doll-like state. Her usual smiles and expressions—the ones he found convenient and satisfying in a future duchess—were unusually irritating today. Once the perfectly composed Evangeline closed the door and left after a flawless “rest well,” he habitually pulled out a cigar from his coat.
More precisely, from the empty cigar case he had burned entirely earlier today.
◇ ◆ ◇
“If it’s something that has to be faced once in life, it’s better to do it with a smile—for both you and the other party.”
Her father had always indulged her wishes, but sometimes he was firm. Whether it was refusing to board a ship due to seasickness or dealing with people who simply could not understand reason, he insisted on confronting certain unavoidable experiences.
If he had seen her today, he probably would have said the same thing.
“Ha……”
She stood before the mirror in a dazzling silver dress. Even thinking about attending the princess’s party made her stomach churn, but it was something she had to endure at least once.
‘Yes. This is manageable.’
Now that she bore the title of future Duchess of Teze, she could no longer hide forever. Above all, she had no intention of pleading further with Decarno, so she hurried to finish her preparations. Her hands moved busily, straightening the remaining details before departure.
Normally, a maid would have done this, but after her father’s incident, she kept them at a distance. The late duchess had warned that the most dangerous enemy could be internal. In the worst-case scenario, she could not afford to show weakness to anyone. Now, there was no one left to comfort or console her.
At the precise moment a knock sounded and the door opened, Evangeline hastily wiped the gloomy expression from her face.
“……Come in. I’m ready; just fasten the buttons on the back.”
“You mean this?”
“Why are you—!”
Despite her effort to control her voice, Evangeline’s face flushed with shock. Naturally assuming the maid would do it, she tried to lift the slipping dress, but Decarno, standing behind her, remained unabashedly confident. Even as her back was exposed between the open seams, he remained as composed as if reviewing documents.
“Turn around. If we leave now, we’ll be late.”
“I-I know, so just step out for a moment……”
“Doesn’t matter. This isn’t the first time.”
Though he likely didn’t intend it, Decarno’s words echoed the ones she had spoken a few days prior, and they sounded teasingly malicious. Evangeline, unwilling to be unsettled, reluctantly straightened her back. True to his words, this wasn’t the first time he had seen her body; he had helped tie her robe after nights spent together.
“Lift your hair.”
“…….”
His hot breath brushed her neck, and her back tensed. Parched, she hurriedly raised her hair with both hands. She could feel his hands brushing her back as he fastened each button, just close enough to notice.
“Impressive. To fit into something like this.”
“I’ve worn it before, so it’s fine.”
“You have clothes you’ve worn more than twice?”
His disbelief made her smile faintly. Perhaps this man, so meticulous in all else, was completely unaware of the current situation. As she smiled weakly, unsure how to respond, his hand picked up another item.
“This necklace will do.”
“……It’s too flashy. Everyone will be staring at me already.”
“It’s something you must experience at least once. Better to blind them with brilliance than worry about their gazes.”
“…….”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Decarno picked up one of the late duchess’s most extravagant diamonds, noticing her gaze in the mirror. Her normally steady eyes flickered unexpectedly, but it was better than her behaving like a freshly made doll.
“Lift your chin.”
“…….”
As he carefully fastened the necklace, his eyes met Evangeline’s reflection in the mirror. Perhaps this moment, facing each other even more intently than they had in bed, was more provocative than any night together.
“……If you have something to say, just say it.”
“I don’t.”
“If you really don’t want to go, you can say so now—”
“No. I’ll go.”
Finally averting her gaze from the mirror, she turned to face him. The intense look in the reflection seemed mundane once faced directly. In front of him, clearly dissatisfied with her answer, she fiddled with the necklace unnecessarily.
“I just like this necklace.”
To Bellona’s disappointment, the princess’s socialite ball wasn’t popular.
The event overly mimicked the Teze Duchy, and it was difficult to cater to the haughty princess’s tastes.
The fact that it was held at the imperial palace was also a deterrent. A proper ball was meant to be enjoyed freely, with tipsy indulgence, but at the palace under the emperor’s watch, one had to be careful. As a result, many nobles agonized over how to politely decline the princess’s invitation.
Yet this party became a resounding success—the first in its history. The reason was obvious.
“Presenting the Duke of Teze and his fiancée, Miss Ohara!”
“…….”
All heads in the crowded hall turned at the loud announcement of the steward at the entrance. Truly, no flaw could be found in their appearance. Admiration, envy, exclamations of awe, and even a special kind of curiosity today clung to the crowd.
That she actually came here!
It was her first official appearance since the Ohara Company’s bankruptcy. The overt curiosity surrounding Evangeline, who had fallen overnight from social queen to society’s underground, was immense. Men admired her beauty like a perfect work of art, regardless of her ruined family, and women tugged on their husbands’ arms in jealousy.
Still, the expressions of the two walking straight ahead were detached, almost transcendent.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“…….”
By the fountain, Decarno leaned toward her ear. Even this slight motion made the ladies’ eyes sparkle, though his words were far from romantic.
“Straighten your shoulders. You said you’d come.”
“……I know.”
“No matter what others think, you are Teze. Play your role properly.”
His voice had a sharp edge. On the way from the mansion in the carriage, it had been the same. She didn’t know what had twisted his temperament—then again, perhaps “temperament” wasn’t the right word.
“Don’t worry. I won’t cause any more trouble.”
“……Ha.”
Evangeline’s words raised an eyebrow on Decarno. He had started it himself, yet now looked displeased, clenching his jaw. Anyone seeing them might have thought he was being dragged to a party he didn’t want to attend.
“All right. Let’s see how well you handle this.”
“Go on. It seems the duke is waiting over there.”
Ignoring his gaze, she pointed to the smoking room where the men had gathered. Before the princess arrived, men and women traditionally mingled separately at palace balls. Yet Decarno lingered oddly, pretending ignorance of tradition.
“……Anything else to say to me?”
“Who, me?”
Tilting her head, Evangeline watched as he finally turned and strode away, hastening as if making up for lost time. She swallowed a wry smile, wondering what people might whisper about his bold pace.
