Chapter 32
Chapter 32
When a grand carriage bearing the Battenberg crest entered the Harrods estate, all eyes turned toward it. A tall, strikingly handsome man descended from the carriage, Alphonse, and extended his hand inside to escort his companion.
Chloe took his hand and stepped down. After exiting the carriage, the two exchanged a few words. Chloe smiled with a surprisingly sweet expression. Then, looking affectionate, the couple headed together toward the mansion.
The onlookers were left speechless.
“They don’t look like they dislike each other at all.”
“What are you talking about? You only saw them get out of a carriage. Things will be different once they’re inside.”
Such conversations broke out as people hurried to follow the Battenberg couple.
But the surprises didn’t stop there.
Alphonse escorted Chloe with noticeable care. He didn’t seem to be acting out of duty, the way he usually did with women.
To others, he didn’t appear bothered or annoyed to be with Chloe. For those who knew the usual Alphonse, this was shocking.
However, the person whose transformation stunned people even more than Alphonse’s was Chloe.
“Is that really the Duchess of Battenberg beside His Grace?”
“I think it is…”
“But I heard the duchess always looked timid and seemed terrified of her husband…”
One person trailed off. No more words were needed; everyone understood.
This Chloe was not the shy, anxious, and scorned woman of rumor.
Even aside from her reputation, most people found Alphonse intimidating. He had the status, demeanor, and eyes that made others uneasy. His presence alone, with those blood-red eyes that could freeze even a seasoned mercenary, drew a clear line that no one dared to cross.
And yet, this Chloe wasn’t the least bit intimidated. She could smile at Alphonse with clear, radiant eyes. She treated him comfortably, maintaining appropriate manners without a trace of fear.
‘How can she act like that?’
‘How can she be so casual with His Grace?’
‘And how can he allow someone to treat him that way?’
These were the unspoken thoughts of those who knew Alphonse.
Of course, some refused to accept what they were seeing.
“Hmph, what’s the big deal? I’ve been much more casual with His Grace before.”
“She’s the only one smiling. The duke hasn’t smiled once. Obviously, he has no interest in his wife.”
These voices mainly belonged to those who had once been romantically involved with Alphonse or who secretly pined for him—consumed with jealousy over his wife.
Still, among those observing the couple, there were others who said:
“Actually, they kind of look good together.”
“I know, right? I used to think they were the worst possible match.”
Whatever their opinions, the Duke and Duchess of Battenberg had become the center of attention and curiosity.
Meanwhile, Chloe had no idea she was the main character in countless whispered conversations and watchful stares. As she stood there, Alphonse leaned down and murmured that he had to step away to discuss business. At gatherings like this, unless dancing, men and women usually socialized separately with same-sex groups. Chloe smiled and told him to go ahead.
Once Alphonse left to find Count Harrods, Chloe decided to sample some drinks and snacks. But her plan was quickly thwarted.
“Oh my, good evening, Duchess of Battenberg. It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’m…”
“Duchess, your gown is stunning! May I ask the designer’s name?”
“Duchess of Battenberg…”
As soon as Alphonse walked away, a group of noblewomen swarmed to pull Chloe into their circle. Chloe herself didn’t realize it, but she was the most talked-about figure at this ball, and the attention was inevitable.
Completely caught off guard, Chloe was bewildered. She held the high title of duchess, but her influence in social circles had always been weak. She had never been popular at these kinds of events. What on earth was going on today?
Still, setting aside her confusion, Chloe did her best to respond politely—without seeming timid. As someone still new to her title and not yet used to aristocratic speech patterns, she quickly grew mentally exhausted trying to keep up with everyone speaking at once.
While conversing, Chloe gradually realized why everyone was so interested in her. Though they spoke indirectly, their curiosity centered on her relationship with Alphonse.
‘So they’re curious because Alphonse and I seem to get along better than expected.’
Chloe tried to respond honestly but within reason. If she exaggerated just to save face, she might regret it later.
Then it happened.
“Oh my, Your Grace and the Duke seem to be very close.”
The Marchioness of Dyer smiled slyly as she narrowed her eyes.
“The way you two interact—it’s so relaxed, almost like siblings. My husband just adores me. He can’t stand to be apart from me for even a moment, it’s really quite troublesome. A husband like yours, who treats you like a sister, seems much more comfortable.”
There was no way Chloe wouldn’t understand the barbed insult disguised as admiration. It was a veiled jab: My husband loves me, and yours doesn’t—how sad for you.
If she failed to catch the underlying tone and responded cheerfully, that too would be laughed at behind her back. Chloe calmly replied:
“Yes, I see.”
Seeing that her jab didn’t wound Chloe, the Marchioness’s gaze turned momentarily cold. She raised the stakes:
“A good relationship with one’s husband is a woman’s highest virtue. In that sense, Your Grace really has nothing to worry about. After all, your husband dotes on you like a sister. As you know, being loved by one’s husband is the true source of a woman’s happiness.”
It was a roundabout way of saying: You’ll never be happy, because you’re not loved as a woman. Unlike me.
Whispers from the people around her, who had sensed the malice, began to rise. Ignoring them, Chloe calmly took a sip of her drink and spoke.
“The Marchioness of Dyer may believe that. But I don’t think a woman’s happiness solely depends on whether or not she is loved by a man.”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Everyone seemed shocked.
It was understandable. In an empire where women’s rights were low, being loved by one’s husband was considered the pinnacle of a woman’s happiness, and a woman’s role was thought to be supporting her husband and raising children.
So when a duchess so openly challenged that idea, it was only natural that everyone would be surprised.
Chloe continued.
“I believe there are many things beyond a husband’s love or raising children that can make life rich and fulfilling. Marchioness Dyer, do you not have anything like that? Something so enjoyable that you’d stay up all night or skip meals to do it? Something you want to know more about, learn more deeply? Something that fills your body with a sparkling energy just from the joy of it, making you feel, ‘Ah, I’m alive.’ Just having something like that can change your life dramatically.”
“Th-that kind of thing… Is there really anything other than loving one’s husband? Do you truly have such a thing, Duchess?”
“Yes.”
Chloe smiled.
“I feel that way when I brew tea. When I pour hot water over the leaves and inhale the rising sweet aroma. When I cover the pot with a cozy and wait with a fluttering heart for the tea to steep. When I take a sip of perfectly brewed tea, I feel alive. My heart beats with excitement when I taste a new kind of tea, and I want to learn more about the things I don’t know. That sensation is a happiness I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
She spoke as if dreaming. Marchioness Dyer, who had been dazed, flinched at Chloe’s words.
“I hope you, too, will one day experience such a feeling, Marchioness.”
“Th-that…”
Having tried to start an argument and failed, the Marchioness flushed with shame. Murmurs surrounded Chloe and the Marchioness.
Everyone there could sense it—Chloe was sincere. She knew how to enrich her life and nourish her soul beyond simply supporting her husband or raising children.
“Th-thank you for the advice.”
Still trembling slightly, Marchioness Dyer left in a hurry, saying she was going to the powder room. Once she disappeared, the murmuring subsided.
A noblewoman who had been observing the situation approached Chloe and spoke.
“You handled that very well, Duchess. I was deeply impressed.”
“Oh, not at all.”
Chloe replied shyly. The noblewoman shook her head.
“In truth, the Marchioness of Dyer courted your husband quite persistently in her youth. Her family even sent a large dowry and a formal marriage proposal, but your husband rejected them all. I suspect her earlier behavior stemmed from jealousy.”
So that was it. Chloe finally understood the reason behind the Marchioness’s malice. She had once been in love with Alphonse but, rejected, married the Marquess of Dyer instead. Yet she hadn’t been able to let go of her attachment and even went so far as to openly provoke Chloe.
“I see. Thank you for telling me, madam.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
After that, the noblewomen’s conversation flowed peacefully without any further malice or tension. Chloe, now calmer, was able to chat pleasantly with them.
How long had they talked? Soon, the overture to a dance played through the ballroom, performed by the orchestra. It signaled that it was time for dancing.
One by one, the ladies around her found their partners or accepted invitations from other gentlemen. Watching them, Chloe suddenly thought:
‘Will His Grace ask me to dance?’
Not that it really mattered either way. Though they had grown closer thanks to Chloe’s recent efforts, the two were still a couple without love.
‘Well, you don’t have to be in love to dance together.’
In any case, Chloe didn’t mind if Alphonse didn’t pay her any more attention. He hadn’t come for her but for work.
‘And yet…’
Chloe felt a faint sting in her chest.
They didn’t have to be in love. But still… he was her husband. Was it too much to hope they could be just a little closer… that he might care just a little more?
At that moment…
“Madam.”
A hand was extended toward her. Surprised, Chloe looked up.
Standing before her was a young man she had never seen before. Stylishly dressed and quite handsome, he exuded charm.
“Would you honor me with a dance?”
There was a strange confidence in his expression, he clearly knew just how attractive he was.
Despite that, Chloe felt a flicker of disappointment.
She remembered Alphonse’s perpetually emotionless eyes. Chloe laughed to herself. Right—how foolish to expect anything from someone like that. He should just keep working. She would have fun on her own.
Chloe smiled brightly and reached for the young man’s hand.
“Please, I’d be delighted…”
But she couldn’t.
Chloe realized her hand wasn’t moving. It was tightly held by someone else’s large hand.
She looked to her side.
“Your Grace…”
Alphonse was gripping her hand tightly, staring at the young man. He was much taller than the already tall young man. And in his eyes, very unusually, Chloe saw emotion. Was it… anger? No, more like irritation?
Alphonse had been speaking with someone about business when he realized it was time to dance, so he came looking for Chloe—only to find her being invited by another man.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t his place to interfere. A woman didn’t need to dance only with her husband—it was her choice.
And yet, surprisingly and irrationally… Alphonse felt a surge of quiet irritation.
‘You couldn’t wait just a little longer?’
He had come as soon as the music started. It couldn’t have taken him long. Yet she couldn’t wait that short while and was already ready to dance with someone else? His annoyance spiked.
It was absurd for someone as rational and composed as Alphonse to feel that way. But it happened so suddenly, he hadn’t realized it himself.
