Chapter 42
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
After that, life at the duke’s residence flowed without any issues.
I spent most of my time preparing for the debutante ball. In between, I practiced dancing with Hyperion.
“Two, two, three, three, two, three, four, two, three. One, ta, ta, one, ta, ta.”
To the signal of Madam Montfort, Hyperion and I twirled and danced. Thanks to the intense practice over a short period, I had reached a level where I could dance with my eyes closed.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
After the dance ended, we greeted each other, and loud applause erupted. Madam Montfort and the Duchess clapped with very pleased expressions, and Rose, who had been lying quietly beside them, barked along excitedly.
As I sat in a chair with Hyperion for a moment of rest, Rose came over and nudged her head against me. I gently stroked her fluffy white fur, which felt like cotton candy.
“You two really suit each other. I’ve never seen a more well-matched couple in my life.”
At the words of the viscountess, who seemed genuinely impressed, the duchess smiled meaningfully.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Surely, you will capture everyone’s attention at the debutante ball. I hope that day comes soon so that those ridiculous rumors about the lady can disappear quickly.”
“Rumors?”
At my question, the duchess jumped up in surprise and stood up abruptly. She then hurriedly pulled the viscountess to her feet.
“Madam, let’s leave them to practice together now. I baked a delicious raspberry cake today; would you like to join us? This way, please.”
Once again, the duchess quickly ushered the viscountess and Rose out of the room.
After briefly staring at the closed door, I turned sharply to Hyperion.
“Are there rumors about me going around outside?”
Unexpectedly, Hyperion chuckled softly.
“It’s just nonsense, as the viscountess said. Don’t worry about it.”
“I need to know what the rumors are before I can decide whether to care about them or not.”
It was confirmed that there were no counterfeit coins among those I had collected in the capital. Consequently, I distanced myself from the counterfeiting case and spent most of my time within the Duke’s residence. What rumors could possibly circulate about me?
“The debutante ball is coming up soon, yet you haven’t shown your face to the nobility at all. Because of that, curiosity about you seems to have generated several rumors. For example, that you’re avoiding people because you’re too ugly…”
“What?”
“My mother has also fanned the flames of those rumors a bit. That’s why she hurriedly left.”
I stared at Hyperion with my mouth agape. The Duchess not only didn’t deny the rumors but actually encouraged them? Was she secretly colluding with the enemy?
“Don’t misunderstand. My mother was really angry about the gossip the nobles spread about you last time, and she intends to repay them properly this time. Once the nobles who talked about you see you, they’ll keep their mouths shut. They’ll regret getting caught up in the nonsense. Anyone can see that you’re beautiful.”
People who are naturally loose-lipped find it very difficult to change their ways. At least, they should become a bit more cautious after getting into trouble because of rumors. Just like Cecile, who became more tight-lipped after getting scolded for gossiping about me at the Grand Duchy.
“And the more people regret their actions, the better. That way, there will be more who will be careful.”
Hyperion was right. The more people who contributed to this rumor, the fewer there would be who would speak carelessly about me in the future.
So, if rumors were going to spread, it would be more beneficial for them to be loud.
As I nodded along, I suddenly recalled Hyperion’s last statement.
“By the way, were you serious about that?”
“What do you mean?”
“That I’m beautiful.”
How can he say such a thing so plainly? Like he’s talking about today’s weather. It’s something unimaginable from the stoic men of the North.
Hyperion, who was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, stared at me intently. His eyes sparkled blue in the sunlight streaming through the window.
He was dressed casually today since it was his day off. A soft white silk shirt paired with plain black trousers. Despite such a simple outfit, he still embodied the very essence of an elegant nobleman.
He continued to speak with an indifferent expression.
“Yeah, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”
“……Oh my, my dad was right.”
“What?”
“My dad said that men from the capital have sweet talk as a default setting.”
To be more precise, he warned me to be careful of the deceitful tongues of the men from the capital, saying that most of what they say isn’t sincere, so there’s no need to think too deeply about it.
At that, Hyperion let out a light scoff.
“Why do you think I would lie just to make others feel good? There’s no need for that at all.”
That was truly a statement befitting a proud nobleman. It meant he felt no need to care about what others thought.
“I’m just being honest because I think you’re beautiful.”
Hearing such an embarrassing statement made me feel even more flustered. If it had been mere flattery, I wouldn’t have thought much of it.
“Ah, I get it, so stop.”
Feeling inexplicably warmer, I fanned myself with my hand. Strangely enough, talking to Hyperion made me feel a bit shy.
“Are all southern men like you? Always saying things like ‘you’re beautiful’ that make you feel all tingly? Northern men aren’t like that.”
“I don’t completely agree with such a binary distinction, but I do think your father is right about being cautious of the men here.”
“But you’re a man from here too.”
“That’s true. So it would be wise for you to be cautious.”
Hyperion stood up and approached me. Then he bent down and extended his hand.
“Beautiful lady from the north, would you grant me the honor of dancing with you once again?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his boldness as I took his hand.
Just as we were about to dance again, he said, “This time, don’t think of it as a test; just trust me with your body.”
“What do you mean by a test?”
“Until now, you’ve been dancing, thinking it’s a test you absolutely can’t get wrong.”
With that, Hyperion gently held my waist and spun me around. We began to dance lightly.
“If you feel burdened, you’ll naturally get tense, and then you might make mistakes you wouldn’t usually make.”
“Do you really think I would get tense over something like dancing?”
I laughed, truly incredulous. Despite appearances, I had been through a lot—battles, hardships, and the chaos of life. I was different from those who had been protected as nobles from the start.
“I don’t get tense.”
“Arcadia, no one can be perfect all the time. What matters is whether you can recover from mistakes when they happen. At least when you’re dancing, you can fully rely on your partner. Try to relax a little.”
I looked up at him, as if he knew something I didn’t.
As Hyperion said, I had felt the need to be perfect all this time. Otherwise, my mother’s status and the fact that I was a woman could become sharp blades ready to attack me at any moment. Ultimately, any blame for this would fall on my father, who had chosen me as his successor.
So, I had to always excel and couldn’t afford to make mistakes. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all my efforts had shaped who I was now.
Could someone like me truly rely on someone else? Could such a person even exist for me?
I had planned to marry a kind man without greed within a few years. That way, he wouldn’t covet the title of Grand Duke and would be satisfied with what I offered.
But could I really rely on such a man? Absolutely not.
“I don’t want to hear that from you. You, of all people, are flawless.”
“Flawless, you say? That’s quite a compliment for a successor born without magical power in a family of magicians.”
Hyperion chuckled softly. His expression and voice were calm, contrasting with the negativity of his words.
During my time here, I had learned one thing: the Duke’s household, despite being a long line of magicians, was surprisingly ordinary. There were none of the numerous magical items or barriers one might expect in a magician’s mansion.
It turned out that after discovering Hyperion had no magical power, the Duke had taken special care of him. It was out of consideration for a successor born without magical abilities.
However, even if the Duke hadn’t been considerate, Hyperion likely wouldn’t have cared at all.
Just now, there was no hint of inferiority in Hyperion. It was as if he had willingly let go of something he wanted but couldn’t have.
