Chapter 52

The air in the tea party venue, completely dominated by Helena, was incredibly chilling.

I subtly observed Duchess Regwin, who had entered with me.

As the hostess of this tea party, she seemed displeased with the current atmosphere, but appeared to be enduring it for the time being.

‘She must be letting it slide because Helena is a young lady who isn’t even married yet.’

Regardless, it seemed she wasn’t particularly keen on looking after me in this awkward situation.

“I hope you enjoy this tea party, Duchess.”

Duchess Regwin merely showed me to my seat, uttered that one phrase, and then immediately went to approach the other noblewomen.

Once even she left, the tea party venue became amicable again, as if it had never been chilling.

The young ladies gathered together, sharing light conversation and letting out cheerful laughter.

“Oh, really?”

“Of course. Do I ever lie?”

“…”

Except for me, of course.

‘Ha.’

A hollow laugh escaped me internally at the atmosphere of blatant exclusion.

I knew Helena’s methods better than anyone. This current situation was, in fact, on the milder side for something she’d orchestrated.

Though it wasn’t out of any consideration for me that she held back.

Since I had no one to talk to anyway, I relaxed, sipped my tea, and slowly sank into thought.

‘Nine.’

Having observed Helena constantly at the academy, I knew.

The feelings she harbored for Nine were not love or romantic affection.

For Helena, who was just a Duke’s daughter and not the heir to the Oswald Dukedom, there weren’t many futures she could choose from.

Moreover, having been born into a ducal house, she was bound to drop in status unless she married someone from an equal ducal house.

For the arrogant Helena, a drop in status was unacceptable.

Yet, she wouldn’t want to marry just anyone just because they were from a ducal family or the Imperial Family.

‘She knows her own worth well.’

Her beautiful appearance. Her brilliant mind that secured her the second-highest spot at the academy.

Such a woman desired an equal, or someone superior, as a partner.

The one who fulfilled all the conditions she required was ‘Duke Nine Eclipse.’

‘Though he wasn’t someone easy to approach from the start.’

That fact itself must have been pleasing to Helena.

What isn’t easily acquired is often considered valuable. That’s why the more Nine rejected her, the more obsessed she became.

Clearly, the emotion Helena held for Nine was something darker than love.

A dark desire—not to want him because she liked him, but to acquire something precious to prove her own worth.

I had secretly felt sorry for her when I saw that side of her.

‘With Helena’s ability, she could have aimed for the heir position of the Oswald family.’

I set down my teacup, ending my brief contemplation.

Helena was sitting at another table, nestled between Duchess Regwin and a few noblewomen, conversing cheerfully.

Just as she’d intended, she wasn’t hiding among the noblewomen like at the Imperial Ball; she was prominently displayed.

‘Has about thirty minutes passed now?’

I glanced at the empty chairs at my table.

The tea party table where I was seated still had no one approaching it, and I sat there alone.

It was as if people had RSVP’d to the invitation but deliberately hadn’t come.

At events like this, people usually reply to the invitation beforehand to confirm attendance, and the host assigns seats accordingly.

For seats prepared that way to remain empty until this hour was, naturally, unnatural.

‘Helena must have been behind this, too.’

I took a sip of tea, pretending everything was fine.

Then, the escort knight who accompanied me cautiously whispered to me.

“Duchess, are you alright?”

I didn’t answer right away, not understanding her meaning. Soon, following the knight’s gaze, I realized what she was referring to.

Even to the knight, who wasn’t familiar with the social scene, the current situation seemed strange.

“I’m fine.”

I smiled and nodded without saying more.

The knight still looked troubled despite my assurance, but since I said I was fine, she didn’t press the matter and stood rigidly behind me again.

I smiled at her once more to reassure her and then looked around.

Excluding myself, the attendees here were largely divided into two groups.

The main group, centered around Helena and Duchess Regwin, consisting of those with high social standing.

And the young ladies or noblewomen who didn’t belong to that group.

Those who weren’t part of the main group weren’t lacking in family prestige, as they wouldn’t have been invited by Duchess Regwin in the first place.

So, those who didn’t join the group were usually people with poor social skills or those who disliked stepping into the limelight.

I watched them nervously sipping tea and then turned my head away.

In a typical situation, I should have approached them and formed a faction to oppose Helena.

‘If I needed to remain as the Duchess, that is.’

So, I didn’t move from my seat after all.

At the Imperial Ball, I had momentarily faltered after seeing Nine and avoided Helena’s wine, but my goal wasn’t to confront Helena from the start.

My goal was to let Helena vent her frustration by giving in to her moderately, and then quietly inherit the Blueberry Countship after the divorce.

Giggle.

Suddenly, the voices of Helena’s group grew louder. Their voices, clearly raised to be heard, were delivered straight to my seat.

“How can people live in the North? Aren’t the monsters terrifying?”

“Don’t even get me started. They say everyone lives a barbaric life, carrying clubs themselves.”

“Oh my, in this day and age?”

It was clearly an attempt to provoke me.

Although I was annoyed, I endured it and gently patted the hand of my escort knight, who was trembling beside me.

When I shook my head toward the knight, whose expression was slightly cracking with anger, she reluctantly kept quiet, though she looked aggrieved.

Just as I was silently sipping my tea.

The piercing voices suddenly subsided, and a strange murmuring began.

“Oh dear!”

“Why, why is he here?”

Some stopped talking in surprise, and others even stammered in shock.

I raised my head in confusion, and Nine was standing at the entrance, as if he had just stepped into the garden.

Nine, who had arrived at some unknown time, was coldly staring at the women in Helena’s group.

‘He heard.’

It happened right when Helena’s group was badmouthing the North while trying to provoke me.

The women, realizing their slander had been exposed by his expression, flushed and hastily stood up to offer their greetings.

“We… we greet Duke Eclipse.”

The atmosphere in the tea party venue grew chilling. It was a heavier silence than when I first entered.

Nine, who had been silently watching them, returned their greetings with a simple nod.

Then, with a frigid look, he glanced once at Duchess Regwin and Helena before approaching me.

I was so flustered that I looked at him with a blank expression. Nine held out his hand to me and spoke in a gentle voice.

“I’ve come to pick you up.”

“…”

I felt like my mind was going blank again, but I managed to collect myself, took his hand, and rose from my seat.

“Then.”

Nine escorted me out, offering a slightly rude, brief farewell to Duchess Regwin as we departed.

However, neither Duchess Regwin nor anyone else could point out his rudeness.

Because they didn’t want to upset Nine.

‘Now they must know what they said.’

Everyone here was living a peaceful and affluent life thanks to the North holding back the monsters.

If the Eclipse Dukedom were to declare that they would no longer manage the monsters, how many places in the Empire could truly protect their territories?

Furthermore, in the worst-case scenario, what if Nine’s troops, who were facing the monsters, turned their attention to them instead?

‘There would be no place that could pose a threat to Eclipse.’

The faces of the women, who realized what they had done, turned pale.

Nine didn’t spare them a glance and led me out of the tea party venue.

“…”

“…”

Nine silently led me to the carriage.

Then, he carefully helped me into the carriage, as if I were fragile glass, and sat across from me.

‘He said he’d come to pick me up, but I thought he’d wait by the carriage.’

Although I wondered why he had come all the way inside the tea party venue, I kept silent.

I couldn’t bring myself to ask, feeling too apologetic for simply sitting there and listening to the insults against the Dukedom as the Duchess.

I didn’t even dare to meet his eyes, nor could I look at his face to see if he was angry; I simply kept my head bowed.