Chapter 47
But why does he keep speaking informally? Just as I was about to point that out again, the music ended.
When the dance was over, it was customary for a gentleman to escort the lady to where her family or friends were, so we couldn’t just turn our backs on each other right away. Holding onto his arm, I repeated to myself several times that I just had to endure a little longer.
Eventually, we arrived in front of the Duchess. The Countess Montfort and Derek were there as well.
“Duchess Acanthus.”
At Persis’s greeting, the duchess slightly bent her knee.
“I greet Your Highness, the Prince.”
As the duchess raised her head, her expression was truly complex and subtle. Anyone who had witnessed our combative dance just moments ago would have felt the same.
“Well then.”
He handed me over to the duchess as if disposing of a burdensome load and left the area without a second thought.
If he was going to do that, then why did he even ask me to dance? People were truly incomprehensible creatures.
“It seems the dance with the prince didn’t go well. Is he completely excluded from your list of potential husbands?”
The duchess whispered to me, covering her mouth with her fan. I shook my head vigorously.
“Of course. It was the worst.”
“Oh my, is that so? How fortunate… No, I mean, how regrettable.”
Didn’t she just say it was fortunate?
As I stared blankly at the duchess, the Countess Montfort glanced over and said, “Is it because the lady has caught the attention of two popular young men in succession? Everyone seems hesitant to step forward and is just watching.”
Now that I thought about it, a considerable number of young noblemen were watching me from a distance. The duchess leaned in closer and whispered, “Ar, please indicate whether you’ll dance again or take a break.”
Typically, after dancing two or three times, one would take a break. It seemed they were hesitating because they couldn’t tell if I was going to dance again or if I intended to rest. Yet, they didn’t have the courage to step forward first and risk rejection. So it was a kind of game of reading the room.
I reached out my hand to Derek, who was next to me. Rather than dancing with those timid guys, it was better to dance with our bold and oblivious Derek.
“Derek, I want to dance with you this time.”
“Yes, Lady Ar!”
Derek replied eagerly and took my hand. We had danced countless times at the Grand Duke’s residence, so it was a familiar situation.
Derek and I moved to the center. As the new music began, Derek whispered to me while we danced.
“Look, the young lord and the princess are over there too.”
Turning my head, I saw Hyperion and the princess dancing. Every time they moved, the princess’s red dress and Hyperion’s blue evening suit created a striking contrast.
Seeing them like this, they looked quite good together. It was a combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, after all. Moreover, isn’t it said that opposites attract? Their hair, eyes, and outfits all had completely different colors.
At that moment, Derek tilted his head and said, “Does the young lord not like the princess very much?”
I looked at Derek with a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, it just seems that the young lord’s expression isn’t very good.”
“To me, it looks the same as usual.”
Derek shook his head.
“No, it’s subtly different.”
I shot him a disbelieving glance.
“How would you know that subtle difference?”
“Because I already know what he looks like when he dislikes someone. He dislikes me.”
“What are you talking about? Hyperion dislikes you?”
“I don’t know why, but it’s clear that he doesn’t like me.”
“Last time at dinner, he was just being nice to you, though?”
Derek let out a deep sigh.
“There’s a certain vibe that only the person involved can feel. The way he looks at me has been icy from the start!”
I tilted my head slightly and said, “Actually, I heard something similar from someone else earlier.”
“What did they say?”
“That Hyperion dislikes the princess.”
“See? I told you I was right!”
Derek gestured toward Hyperion and the princess.
“Look closely at the young lord right now. His mouth is smiling, but his eyes aren’t smiling at all.”
As I observed Hyperion closely, I began to understand what Derek meant. His expression while looking at the princess hadn’t changed much from usual. He was smiling gently. However, contrary to his soft smile, his eyes were not smiling at all.
At that moment, our eyes met with Hyperion’s. I realized I was staring at them too intently and quickly turned my head away.
“By the way, what was going on with the prince earlier?”
“Don’t even mention that guy. He’s such a pain.”
“Do you know how anxious I was watching? I was worried you might throw the prince to the ground.”
“I should have just gone all out.”
“Have you forgotten my advice? You must never hit him! All the potential husbands will run away!”
“It’s fine. If that happens, I can just marry you, so what’s there to worry about?”
“Ahhh!”
Seeing Derek’s shocked expression made me laugh out loud.
“Even as a joke, please don’t say things like that. It’s really scary!”
“If you don’t want to marry me, hurry up and find your match. Then I’ll give up completely.”
“Just wait and see. I’ll definitely bring someone to marry during this social season.”
I burst into laughter again.
“Well then, what about that lady over there?”
Derek turned his head at my gesture and was taken aback.
“That woman in the dress that shows her chest? No way!”
“Didn’t you hear what Bell said earlier? Bold dress designs are in fashion here.”
“It doesn’t matter what others wear, but my woman can’t.”
“You sound like a conservative northern man.”
After dancing with Derek, I returned to the Duchess.
After dancing three times in a row, I took a break, and this time, people gathered around me.
They were all waiting for me to speak first, as none of them were of higher status than I.
I nodded slightly toward the young man with bright brown hair at the front. He responded with a bright smile.
“Princess Arcadia Iskas.”
The young man bowed to me.
“I am Rikael Remier, the second son of Count Remier. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“I’m pleased to meet you too, Lord Remier.”
I extended my hand to him. After he kissed my fingers, he smiled widely at me.
“I was curious about who you were since you hadn’t shown yourself at all. You’re even more beautiful than the rumors said, and I’m truly surprised.”
“Are you referring to the rumor that I’m a plain-looking person?”
Several people flinched at my words. I smiled gently, rescuing them from the awkwardness.
“Rumors tend to be fanciful and distorted, after all.”
At that, laughter erupted from the crowd as if they had rehearsed it. Exactly. There’s no need to pay attention to such strange rumors. Surely someone spread those rumors out of jealousy toward, and so on.
Now it was the turn of the lady next to Lord Remier.
“Lady Iskas, it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Mary Bruneau.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Countess. It’s nice to finally see your face after hearing about you.”
The lady’s face brightened.
“Do you know me?”
“Of course. I’ve heard several stories from my father about your husband, Viscount Bruneau.”
“What kind of stories did you share?”
“My father said that Viscount Bruneau has an exceptional eye for predicting the future. Didn’t he foresee the rise in salt prices last year due to unfavorable climate conditions? Thanks to that, the Grand Duchy purchased salt in advance and avoided significant losses.”
“I see! That’s quite impressive!”
I could see her fondness for me increasing.
When giving compliments, it’s essential to be specific and sincere. This is one of the key principles of social conduct.
The Bruneau family is an ancient noble lineage; while not particularly powerful, they are a respected household. The reputation of the viscount and viscountess in society is quite good. It wouldn’t hurt to maintain a close relationship with them.
Thus, I exchanged greetings with the nobles one by one. Once I had finished greeting those gathered around me, a lady asked me a question.
“Milady, I’ve been curious about the Grand Duchy for a while. Could you tell me what it’s like?”
I was delighted that the Grand Duchy had come up in conversation and smiled broadly.
