Chapter 10: What It Means to Become Real
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“Are you that pleased?”
Max asked playfully as he savored the crisp, tangy aroma that popped in the air. Kaylon, who had been lost in deep thought while his gaze rested absently on the dance floor, belatedly asked in return.
“About what?”
“I’m just saying since you haven’t taken your eyes off her for a second. If you’re that worried, why not just keep her in your pocket?”
“Worried? Hardly.”
“So unlike you to be evasive. I can clearly see how anxious you are.”
His grinning face was full of amusement. Since their reunion, his friend had worn the expression of a stuffy old man, but the moment he looked at his lover, his eyes changed completely—how could it be otherwise?
Max continued as Kaylon’s gaze returned to him, speaking as though he found it pathetic.
“What’s wrong with everyone’s eyes? Now they’re even saying she might not be your real lover? Not even recognizing your obvious yearning.”
“…”
Max didn’t find anything strange in Kaylon’s silence as he merely narrowed his brow. He quietly observed his friend, who seemed to have quickly fallen into different thoughts, and then spoke in a playful tone. His face suggested he had more teasing in store.
“You might lose your lover at this rate.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kaylon raised an eyebrow at Max, who was pretending to be somewhat serious even in the midst of this.
“It seems Miss Vuitton has set her sights on your fiancée. Look at them now. Is this even proper—two women paired together for a polka?”
Despite Max rambling on about how it had already caused quite a commotion earlier, Kaylon merely smirked.
He had thought it might be good for Lyra to do something unexpected once in a while, but he never imagined she actually would.
As if to confirm Max’s words, he glanced briefly at the dance floor before raising his champagne glass. Then, rolling the sparkling liquid on his tongue, he listened to Max’s continued remarks.
“People might understand given Miss Vuitton’s eccentric nature, but the problem is that her partner happens to be your fiancée. She might earn another reputation by tomorrow.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Are you serious?”
Max’s face had grown suddenly serious as he asked. Though he had been joking, it wasn’t something to be entirely amused about.
“Isn’t a positive reputation better than infamy?”
Yet all he offered was this kind of wordplay.
By this point, even Max Heister was beginning to have his doubts. No matter how much he didn’t want to misinterpret Kaylon Blaske’s true intentions, whenever he displayed such a cynical attitude, questions inevitably filled Max’s mind.
No, surely not. The Duke of Lianton wouldn’t voluntarily go through such troublesome affairs over one woman. If he wanted to ignore her, he would have simply ignored her—this pretend lover business seemed excessive…
Above all, though one could fabricate words, sometimes a person’s eyes revealed more truth.
Max decided to set aside his bubbling curiosity about the truth for now. This man wouldn’t give a straightforward answer about such private matters even if asked.
He returned to his usual playful demeanor and broached another topic of interest.
“By the way, what did you do with that fellow? From the atmosphere, it seemed like you were ready to half kill him.”
“Why are you curious about that?”
Kaylon asked in a nonchalant tone as he swirled his slender glass, inhaling the subtle apple aroma. Immediately, an accusation flew back, as if he were offended.
“How could I not be curious? The Duke of Lianton dragging away some man who was harassing his fiancée?”
“It’s nothing…”
About to dismiss it as nonsense not worth listening to, Kaylon closed his mouth. The annoyance resurged as he recalled the earlier incident.
‘A villainess who has blinded the Duke…’
“Such trash should rightfully be disposed of by trash. She’s nothing but a worn-out woman who would tarnish the honor of House Lianton. You should be thanking me instead.”
“Since when did you become Lianton’s watchdog?”
“I’m ready to come running whenever you call. So just this once, please show leniency…”
“Lord Cody, have you never thought you might be overstepping?”
“What?”
“I wonder what’s inside that head of yours that dares treat the Duke’s fiancée like a prostitute.”
“That… e-everyone says so! Lyra Norris is a woman who crawled out of the back alleys! She approached you for her pretty face alone and improved her circumstances! They say the Duke is so blinded he can’t tell right from wrong, and we should drive out the villainess as soon as possible.”
“…”
“Aaagh! I-I’m sorry! Please, d-d-don’t sh-shoot…!”
It was maddening. Of course, he knew how women were evaluated. He even knew what kind of spark his passive stance had ignited. But why did he feel so wretched about it?
Was it because he resented seeing her belittled by such trash, even if it was largely intentional? Or was he irritated by the woman who wouldn’t ask for help despite such treatment?
Either way, he should have been pleased since things were progressing as he’d desired, yet the unpleasantness that had seeped through the cracks refused to dissipate. Even though he had ensured Cody Ferret would never set foot in society again.
“Reenact exactly what you did.”
“What? No, w-why would you want…”
“You never know. It might help reduce your sentence.”
“…”
“What are you waiting for?”
“Are you… really going to forgive me?”
“If you’re going to be stupid, you should at least be perceptive, Lord Cody.”
“What?”
“Don’t you understand what ‘reduced sentence’ means?”
“T-then…”
“You’d better do your best. The moment even one lie is detected, your family will vanish without a trace. Probably starting with you.”
“I-I’ll do it! Just… give me a moment… Hey, y-you there, play along. That’s right, l-lean against the tree, and tilt your head like t-this…”
THUD!
As the filthy, obscene behavior came to mind, he felt contaminated himself. Kaylon turned his head toward the dance floor, not even realizing he had roughly set down his champagne glass on the table.
‘And yet she didn’t say a word.’
His cold amber eyes fixed on the face of the woman dancing joyfully. For some reason, his unresolved emotions kept turning toward her.
