After recalling the past, Halbert finally handed over a document he had left that day.
Edlade frowned as he looked at the magic seal that could not be a fake.
“What’s this?”
“It is a command to use Your Excellency generously for the sake of My Lady.”
“Did I stamp this thing?”
“Yes.”
Of course not.
It was a possible forgery because the seal was stamped on it by telling them to write it down on their own.
Halbert didn’t blink a single eye, even as he received all eyes full of irritation and suspicion.
“If that woman needs me, will I have to help her unconditionally?”
“Yes.”
“If I need to accompany her to a social event, do I have to do it too?”
“Yes.”
“Even when she goes out?”
“Yes.”
“Halbert.”
“Yes.”
“I guess you are tired of living.”
“Unfortunately, I’m going to have a long life.”
Edlade’s laughter was heard, but Halbert casually talked about today’s schedule.
“Today, you must go to the spring flower ball with your wife.”
“Have you seen me attend such an event?”
“Of course not, but this is the first social event that My Lady takes part in. It’s been two months since you got married, so you have to go together.”
“Why should I?”
“If you don’t go with your wife, your wife will be anxious about the first socialite start. What’s more, the Spring Flower Ball is an event where the exchange between the opposite gender is active, there are a lot of crazy people. So there could be unfavorable contact with your wife.”
“Ha, that’s crazy.”
“Would it be possible for the wife of the Philomen family to receive no attention from the social events? There might even be rumors that the duchess was discarded by His Excellency?”
“It’s none of my business.”
“Your Excellency, you need to know. If it’s such a big event, the Rayburn family will also attend. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be possible for the Lady to be beaten up without anyone protecting her?”
Edlade’s hand twitched slightly at those words.
‘Abuse from childhood,’ written on the first page of the document Halbert handed over. Edlade just can’t ignore it.
Halbert said with a sly smile inside.
“Oh, then, if your wife is insulted and humiliated by the Marquis of Rayburn at the first social event…”
“……”
“It’s as good as losing to the Marquis of the Rayburn family, as well as the Philomen family’s honor…”
“Let’s go.”
With a smile that couldn’t be deeper than this, Halbert slowly lowered his back to bow him.
“Then we will prepare for your departure.”
The head of the Duke Philemon family, who had nothing to fear in the world, hated losing to others more than anyone else.
He hated losing, so he always reigned supreme.
Halbert scratched Edlade’s ego without hesitation, knowing that Edlade would be obedient if he touched his ego.
“Please check the documents carefully. Even if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t show it.”
“….Sigh.”
“Again, please be kind to My Lady. Think about how a wife who has a husband who can’t remember herself would feel.”
“….”
“You don’t want the current state of your Excellency to be revealed to the whole world, do you? Please be kind to the Lady so that no one doubts.”
Edlade’s anger could be heard, but Halbert turned his gaze away, pretending to be unaware.
***
The spring flower ball was a favorite of both men and women.
Maybe it’s because there is a saying that love is eternal when a couple and lovers dance their last dance at the spring flower ball.
One of the highlights of the festival was to ask for the last dance to the person you normally love.
In my previous life, I attended the spring flower ball three times, and I was only able to dance with Edlade at the last one.
Of course, I couldn’t get close to him the first time, and I couldn’t attend the second one because I was sick with a cold.
In the end, it wasn’t until the third year that I was able to dance with him for the last time.
I remembered that awkward and embarrassing dance and swallowed a laugh.
As I slowly passed through the lobby and exited the main gate, Edlade, dressed in stylish clothes, was standing in front of the carriage.
He seemed to be directing Halbert what he had to do while he was away.
‘How can he be so cool?’
Wearing a corsage he gifted me and a dress, I blankly stopped walking.
Edlade was a powerful man admired by all, a wealthy man, a perfect man with a god-given appearance and devilish sexiness.
‘I don’t know who said it in the first place, but it’s a really good expression.’
He was dressed in an ordinary suit, wearing a collarless white shirt with a coat in his hand due to the warmer weather.
The only difference was that he had the two buttons on his shirt unbuttoned and his arms rolled up to reveal his luscious collarbones and his firm forearms.
‘Let me calm down.’
The beauty that makes people doubt their eyes makes people feel foolish.
Edlade’s beauty was lethal, and his gaze made my legs weak.
It was the first time I saw him in a month.
After waking up from bed, I couldn’t see Edlade.
I quickly realized that one thing I didn’t get to see him, even though I didn’t specifically avoid him, was because he was avoiding me.
Edlade, who openly avoids others in this way, was unfamiliar.
However, I, who must have been a stranger, could not approach him first.
One of the reasons was that I was so busy that I had to hire a new aide and prepare for the ball.
Staggering.
So it was only natural for me to see him and stumble without strength in my legs.
“My Lady!”
I was able to avoid an accident due to Lasha, who quickly approached me and supported me as if I was about to collapse.
Nevertheless, I still can’t take my eyes off him.
“My Lady, are you okay?”
At Lasha’s worried words, I said it was okay and gave strength to my legs.
His gaze on me from the beginning was still there.
I awkwardly refused Lasha’s support and calmly settled my heart.
As I slowly took a step towards him, I felt a cold gaze following me, and my body was stiff with tension.
“My Lady, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”
Halbert asked me as he saw me stumble.
“No, I’m nervous.”
“Well, it’s probably because it’s your first outdoor event as a Duchess.”
Fortunately, Halbert fully believed in my excuses.
“So, Your Excellency. I hope you didn’t forget what I said in the morning.”
“……”
“For sure. certainly! Please hold my requests in your head! You must not forget it.”
“You’ve already said that for the tenth time.”
Edlade barely looked away from me.
Hearing Halbert’s nagging, he slowly lowered his head and held out his hand to me.
“I think the preparations are over, let’s go.”
“……..Yes.”
It was his gesture of reaching out his hand to make it easier to get on the carriage.
The skilled escort reminded me of that day exactly a month ago, and I swallowed my saliva.
As he bowed his head, the softly flowing hair seemed to bother him, and with an attitude of raising the opposite hand, he swept his hair slowly.
‘Oh god, calm down my heart.’
‘He doesn’t remember me.’
‘So don’t make a big fuss.’
I was escorted by him and climbed into the carriage. Edlade looked at me for a moment and turned away as he leaned against the carriage.
“That’s alright, Halbert.”
I thought of this as I watched Edlade speaking skillfully with one corner of his mouth raised towards Halbert, who had his mouth wide open.
Maybe my heart will burst and die today.
*****
The Spring Flower Ball is an evening ball hosted by the imperial family and could be seen as a noble version of the Spring Flower Festival held during this period.
The Spring Flower Festival was a free festival in which people danced happily with music on a stage decorated with spring flowers in full bloom, with stalls offering spring vegetables and spring food.
The difference between the Spring Flower Festival and the Spring Flower Ball was that it was held in an imperial park, unlike a festival held on the street, and that elegance and splendor were different.
“Beautiful.”
The spring flower ball was so splendid that I could even say that it was beautiful without realizing it.
The daffodils decorated the table with the fragrant hyacinth flower which made the spring flower ball even more dazzling.
A cluster of tulips was carefully handed out by the attendant at the entrance. It was a symbol of an event only possible at the spring flower ball.
All colorful tulips are given to the lover as a single bouquet, and they ask for the final dance of the spring flower ball.
Looking around, it is not strange to see the girls who received the flowers already blushing.
“The flowers are very pretty.”
“Is it your first time seeing tulips?”
“It’s not that…”
I glanced at Edlade’s face.
He looked annoyed just by being handed over tulips and wanted to throw them away right away.
It was clear that someone would think it was hard and expressionless because of the bangs that covered his eyebrows.
“It’s my first time having a spring flower ball.”
“Why… ah.”
He was about to ask why, but he nodded as if he had remembered something.
Then he clicked his tongue and turned his head away.
It was a very small gesture, but for me, I knew it was a kind of consideration.
Halbert must have said a little bit about my past.
It was a little bothering because it reminds me of the useless past.
Holding back a smile that was about to come out, I carefully took the tulip from his hand, which was loosely held in his hand.
With a severely wrinkled face, he said with his eyes, ‘What are you doing?’
“I thought you didn’t like it.”
Seeing my smiling face, he clicked his tongue once more and moved in annoyance.
‘Hmm, I thought he didn’t want to…’
Of course, he hated that someone took a bunch of his tulips.
I was embarrassed to show the slightest bit of jealousy when I saw him leave me behind.
However, I managed my expression because of the gazes that were drawn to me along with the noises around me.
It was better to get his shallow attention, but now I had to stop what would happen at the spring flower ball and deal with them.
‘I don’t get hit twice.’
At the same time, a familiar face of a woman was seen entering.