Episode 7
TL: Jasmine
For a moment, Chloe had the illusion that she had traveled back in time to the forest at Verdier’s estate rather than in the party hall with sparkling chandeliers. The Duke, with whom she reunited after three years, was in the same uniform as when they first met.
It was natural for women to attend the ball in dresses and men in banquet attire without having to open the etiquette books. The duke was wearing the uniform of a soldier who had completed formal training and even with a sword, but no one could object to his attire. This is because power, by nature, includes the power to ignore so-called etiquette.
“T….thank you, Duke”
The young lady who had been asked to dance turned her face red and grabbed his hand. The person the Duke asked to dance was a young lady who had to stay in the waiting room all night, like Chloe.
“You’re welcome, Agnes Young lady.”
Chloe trembled without realizing it when her eyes met with Damien, who was whispering in the woman’s ear. Chloe saw his slightly narrowed eyes and his lips rising in an arc, and she had a feeling that all the positive
scenarios she desperately hoped for were ruined from the time he came to the party.
The duke must have remembered. As clear as she remembered.
“Excuse me.”
As soon as the music began, Chloe carefully moved through the crowd. Since this happened, she had to find Alice as soon as possible. She had already missed the opportunity to greet the Duke once so it was better to mix with people as soon as the dance ends, thank them and disappear from the party. This is because the party was eventually going to end now.
‘Where is she?’
But the problem was Alice.
Alice, who was supposed to be in the tea room with Count Cromwell, was nowhere to be seen.
“Pardon me, Count Cromwell. But weren’t you with my younger sister?”
Chloe took the liberty to approach Count Cromwell and carefully ask him, who was talking to someone.
“Ah, Chloe Young lady. It bothered me to bring Miss Alice without an escort, so we talked for a while and parted our ways.”
Talking alone with an unmarried woman for a long time was against manners. Chloe smiled to thank him for his consideration.
“Looks like I have missed her. Thank you.”
“Where did she go?’
She couldn’t find Alice on her way while coming from the banquet hall to this place. Chloe became nervous. As soon as she hurriedly grabbed the cane and turned around, a small sigh broke out from Chloe’s lips.
“Ah… Duke.”
“Miss Chloe Verdier.”
Duke Tisse stood like a fallen tree in front of her
“I remember being greatly indebted to the Viscount that time. It was polite to visit him in person, but couldn’t keep up to my schedule. Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
Watching the Duke greeting her with perfect manners, Chloe also bowed her knees and officially took courtesy.
“I am honored to be invited by you. To the duke who returned safely after ending the war, my father is also deeply grateful as a citizen of the kingdom.”
The last time she greeted him like this, Chloe stumbled out of balance in the forest. Even now, holding on with one foot requires considerable strength, but since that day, she has been training so much that she has convulses in her legs. A strange smile cast on the Duke’s face as he stood silently looking at her gently raising herself after bending gracefully while holding her cane horizontally with her
fan.
“Would you like to dance on a song with me?”
Chloe’s face hardened a little as soon as the Duke reached out his hand. It was not her illusion that the air around her suddenly changed. Chloe put off the calm Duke’s astonishing proposal with a polite smile
“I’m sorry, Duke. I don’t think I’m good enough to dance with his excellency.”
“Do I have to wait for my turn?”
Chloe’s neck heated up. There was no gentleman who would be rude enough to ask a lady holding a cane to dance with him in the ball. Except the one who malfunctioned.
“If not, I want to dance with you, so please don’t refuse.”
It was an attitude that showed a strong will to see her limping and her clumsy movements. Chloe then deeply realized that the duke had not changed at all.
“What’s wrong with the duke?’
“Can’t he see the poor young lady holding a cane?’
‘No way.’
She seemed to feel the sympathetic look from the people on her. Chloe’s eyes blinked quickly as if trying to hide shame and embarrassment. The opponent was the highest noble person, and Chloe was the one who had to bend and give in under any circumstances Chloe who was hesitating on how to decline the request, suddenly a man arrived behind her and spoke,
“Damien. Are you being mischievous to a lady again?”
“His Highness, the prince has entered”
With the prince’s appearance, everyone in the hall made way for him and took courtesy. Duke Tisse was the prince’s maternal cousin, so his appearance was not strange. Only Chloe had a hard time enduring this situation where everyone’s attention was focused.
“Look at that. Can’t you see that pitiful face that looks like it’s about to burst into tears?”
“It’s not against etiquette to ask a beautiful lady to dance. And I bet she won’t be the type to cry easily.”
According to etiquette, the duke who knew both her and the prince should come forward and introduce her. This is because Chloe, who had a low status, could not greet first unless the prince allowed her,
“I apologize on behalf of my bad-tempered cousin. Young lady’s name is…”
Chloe looked into the Duke’s eyes, who seemed unwilling to speak, and finally gave a small answer
“My name is Chloe, the eldest daughter of the Verdier family. Your Highness.”
Chloe was even more anxious about Alice’s absence at this moment. It was her negligence that she didn’t think that His Highness would attend. By any chance …. Is she having the same accident as last year…..?
“Cousin. It’s not gentlemanly to torment a girl with a disability. You forgot all the basic manners because you were in the military for too long?”
“If she’s not going to dance, there’s no reason to attend the party.”
The eyes of everyone were now more blatantly focused on them. Some of the people even gave Chloe an eye of sympathy. Duke Tisse was an outstanding soldier and he was also a proficient in royal politics. His specialty was to relentlessly step on those who did, not help him. The other people were probably thinking that the poor lady’s family had done, something wrong.
Chloe took a quiet breath, feeling as if she were standing barefoot on thorns, her neck was burning and she wanted to get out of here right away, but she had to endure this moment even if she had to go home and groan.
“With all due respect, your highness. The Duke seems to have taken care of me, who is incapacitated and become a flower on the wall.”
The duke looked straight at her, and the prince was surprised by the unexpected reaction and laughed. The flower on the wall was a round expression for aristocrats who could not receive a dance request from anyone. In other words, it was clear that Chloe was skillfully refusing the Duke’s kindness and using her words to raise him.
“You’re a smart lady. Did you say Verdier?”
Prince Johannes tilted his head slightly as he looked at her.
“Yes, Your Highness the Prince. My father, Viscount Verdier, is the lord of a small estate in the southwest of the kingdom.”
“I definitely remember inviting two people.”
The silent Duke finally spoke, but it was not at all pleasant to Chloe.
“Oh. Really? I want to meet Viscount once. I wonder who raised his daughter so resolutely.”
Chloe’s face hardened a little. The other person the Duke invited was not her father, but her sister. However, the Duke was only looking at her as if he had no intention of resolving the prince’s misunderstanding. Chloe bowed her head politely and hid her trembling voice.
“I’m sorry, your highness. I attended with my younger sister, not my father.”
“Where is she?”
“She has never been invited to a party of this size, so she is dancing until her shoes wear out.”
“Haha, that’s right. If she looks like the young lady, she would have captured the attention of all the gentlemen in the hall, so it’s no wonder.”
“I’m flattered.”
Unlike the Duke, Chloe deeply thanked Prince Johannes for treating her with a friendly speech.
“Then let’s say bye later. First of all, I think I have to dance one song for the boring band.”
The music resumed when the prince smiled and signaled. An exciting song to dance as a group came in, and nobles gathered around the prince and began
to dance. Even though the prince disappeared from sight, Chloe could not relax.
“So where is your little sister, Verdier Young lady?”
All the others went out to dance in pairs on the floor because of that only one person was remaining next to her.
“The castle is so wide that I cannot find her. If the Duke allows it, I will look for her.” “Whatever” As soon as only the two were left, his manners disappeared. Chloe bowed her head to him and tried to leave, but she couldn’t leave because the cane in her hand was already in his hand. The light snatching movement was so agile that it could not be noticed. Is he a robber, not a noble?
“Duke.”
“Chloe Verdier”
The voice of the Duke reading the name engraved on the cane was subtle as if reciting a beautiful verse of a poem.
“Did you engrave your name because you were afraid someone would steal it?”
“Give it back, Duke.”
“Do you remember our promise? A secret promise about the cane.”