Chapter 54

After receiving the Viscountess’s advice, Norman had to make time in his already busy schedule to take a carriage out of the mansion with Nine.

The reason, of course, was to “meet and greet” his wife, as advised.

The carriage carrying Nine and Norman smoothly made its way to Duke Regwin’s townhouse.

During the social season, nobles left their estates to gather information.

This was the main purpose for Nine as well, and as he hadn’t engaged in social activities until recently, he’d been spending intensely busy days.

Despite this, Nine determinedly came out to protect Chacha, and as if to perfectly play the role of ‘a Duke who loves his wife,’ instead of riding his favorite, modest horse as usual, he chose the most extravagant carriage in the family.

‘This much?’

Though the thought crossed his mind, the sensible aide kept his mouth shut and followed his master.

Behind the splendid carriage. Norman, who had gotten out of the carriage reserved for the vassals, stood idly, looking up at the Duke of Regwin’s townhouse.

As soon as Nine stepped out of the carriage, he walked toward where the Duchess was without looking back.

A flustered attendant scurried behind him, seemingly trying to guide him.

‘What is the point of this?’

Norman felt a deep sense of cynicism about this situation, which yielded little gain for the Ducal family or his master.

Yet, the reason he didn’t stop Nine was that his own perception of Chacha had changed, so he could only let out a sigh.

‘I also owe her a debt.’

Chacha might not know it, but Norman felt a slight sense of guilt for turning away when she asked for help in the North.

He belatedly realized the matter was more serious than he thought, but he knew this was only an excuse.

But above all.

‘There’s something more.’

Norman recalled the documents he’d skimmed before leaving the mansion.

The more he reinvestigated the love potion incident, the firmer his conviction became that Chacha was not the true culprit.

It was an undeniable fact that she had been involved in that incident, but…

“Wow…”

While lost in thought, standing in front of the carriage, he suddenly heard hushed gasps of admiration from the surroundings.

He raised his head to see the servants of the families attending the tea party subtly glancing at the extravagant carriage with the Eclipse Ducal House’s crest.

‘Well, the rumor will certainly spread.’

Although this was intentional, the eyes of those looking over were so filled with interest that Norman wondered if the rumor might spread more than Nine intended.

How long did it take?

Just as the spectators had gotten a good look at the carriage, Nine and Chacha appeared, their hands clasped tightly together.

“…”

Norman was momentarily flustered by the very affectionate display, but as a professional aide, he hid his awkwardness and opened the carriage door himself.

Nine carefully checked her complexion and then escorted her into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, they wouldn’t be clearly visible from the outside, so the acting could stop, but Norman’s master held her hand and asked in a gentle voice.

“Are you alright?”

“…”

‘Who on earth is that?’

‘Where did the Duke who kept all women at a distance go?’

Nine was tending to Chacha with such extreme care that Norman wondered if the past had been a dream.

Norman, who was starting to get goosebumps from his master’s new demeanor, quickly closed the carriage door.

Frozen in shock for a moment, he rubbed his arms and then climbed into the plain carriage prepared for him and Chacha’s maid, **Annie**.

“Hehehe.”

Annie had already boarded the carriage and was beaming, her face flushed with a smile and blush, clearly delighted about something.

Norman didn’t ask what was so good.

He didn’t really want to know the backstory.

***

Nine’s ostentatious public greeting immediately showed its effect the next day.

The malicious rumors about Chacha, likely manufactured at the behest of Lady Helena, began to change their nature slightly starting yesterday.

Chacha’s marriage was a major social issue because she had married right after graduation without any prior notice, and because the groom was Nine.

However, Chacha didn’t have a good reputation in society, and because even the extensive intelligence networks of those who had investigated like hawks found no common ground between the couple, gossips had been saying:

‘The Duke did not want to marry the current Duchess but was forced to marry her due to some circumstance.’

This rumor quickly solidified as established fact, and as all sorts of speculation ran rampant in society, Chacha’s already poor reputation plummeted further.

But Nine’s greeting yesterday planted a seed of doubt in the rumor that had been believed to be true.

‘The Duke was too affectionate and attentive to think it was a forced marriage.’

Norman adjusted his stiff cravat and stepped out of the carriage.

Only yesterday, Nine had squeezed time out of his packed schedule, but after witnessing something at that tea party, Nine immediately informed Norman upon his return.

He declared that he would also attend the ball held at Count Bernard’s estate.

That’s why Norman was now standing in front of Count Bernard’s estate.

‘What is this busy man doing?’

Contrary to his inner thoughts, Norman politely opened the door to the carriage carrying the Ducal couple.

“Oh, thank you.”

Originally, Chacha was supposed to attend this ball alone. But since Nine was accompanying her, she seemed surprised herself, her eyes wide until she was escorted out of the carriage by Nine.

Norman maintained a distance and followed behind the two, who superficially looked like an affectionate couple.

“His Grace, Duke Nine Eclipse, and Her Grace, Duchess Chacha Eclipse, enter!”

While the servant announced the couple’s entrance, Norman quickly scanned the faces inside the ballroom visible beyond them.

Most of the nobles looked surprised, covering their mouths and unable to take their eyes off the entering couple.

In that instant, Norman saw a woman’s expression contort for a fleeting moment.

It was Lady Helena, who would be the most displeased by Nine’s attendance.

She quickly composed her twisted expression and silently blended back into the ballroom.

Norman waited a moment after the Ducal couple’s entrance before quietly stepping in.

As the third son of the Viscount of Pellona, his rank wasn’t significant enough for the servant to announce him loudly.

Norman’s gaze quickly followed his master.

Chacha and Nine, whose outfits matched in accent colors, exchanged whispers like two lovers sharing secrets.

When Nine first leaned in to whisper, Chacha was startled and blushed, but after exchanging a few words, she seemed to grow accustomed to it.

As the two—or rather, as the Duchess smiled and the Duke watched her, whispering again—the eyes of those around them began to change slightly.

‘By tomorrow, the content of the rumor will have completely changed.’

The rumor would be that Duke Eclipse was utterly smitten with his wife.

Perhaps displeased by this sight, Lady Helena and her followers retreated into the powder room.

Norman snorted at the sight and took a glass of champagne from a passing servant.

Nine, who already had many strange rumors attached to him, would undoubtedly cause a sensation in society with his current behavior.

Then, the Viscountess’s advice—the initial objective—would certainly be effective.

Norman, recalling his busy schedule, wished Nine would focus on work again, but at the same time, he had a premonition that he might not.

When he sat down appropriately and looked back at the Ducal couple, they were already in the center of the hall, surrendering themselves to the music.

Norman was lost in thought, observing his master’s actions and gaze.

‘Is that truly just based on simple liking?’

Having served Nine for a long time, Norman knew just how astonishing his current behavior was.

Of course, now that they were married, it wouldn’t be a major issue if affection or love blossomed between the two.

‘But, just in case.’

If the woman holding the Duke’s hand and whose cheeks were flushed was truly the culprit of the love potion incident.

If both he and Nine had been fooled by her after all.

Norman couldn’t dismiss that slim, one-in-a-million possibility.

However…

“They look good together.”

Before long, everyone at the ball was captivated by them.

Their gaze was not one of mere curiosity, as it had been upon their entrance, but the natural way one follows something brilliant.

Their appearance was that bright. As if all the light in the ballroom was pouring onto the two of them.

‘No, is that not it?’

Perhaps it was because of the smiles on their faces as they looked at each other, and because they looked so happy, that they were drawing everyone’s attention like this.

“…”

Norman swallowed the low-proof champagne, his mouth tasting slightly bitter.

If they truly harbored such feelings for each other, he hoped this beautiful couple’s dance would continue.

Yet, Norman wished that the entanglement between the two would finally cease.