(2)">Chapter 71 [part 2] - (2) (1/2)

Chapter 71 [part 2] (2)

In order to survive in the bloody social world that was no different from the wild, it was necessary to have a discerning gaze and grasp the trends. The minds of the noblewomen quickly leaned towards the Duchess.

The Duchess who had begun social activities for the first time was not a princess that knew nothing about the world, nor was she a hollow container called a Duchess.

Without raising her voice and without changing her expression, she easily brushed off the past woman of her husband. It was not the composure of the 19 year old young lady who hadn’t been married for long. There had been a common curiosity in the minds of all the women who had attended the party today.

‘Let’s see how beautiful she is.’

But now, there were almost no women who cared about that. The Duchess was not as beautiful as the rumors depicted but one couldn’t say she was ugly. If she turned out to be barely beautiful, they would have said, ‘psh, as expected of a rumor’ and laughed it off but the reception of the Duchess’ beauty varied from person to person. Some were indecisive while some thought it matched the rumors. Either ways, their impression was favorable.

Not all women could have the latest standard of beauty which was a glamorous body and luxurious features. Ordinary women envied beauty and couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. But the appearance and atmosphere of the Duchess made them think, ‘what if I try doing it this way?’. The dresses with different styles from the current fashion suddenly seemed elegant.

The women seated at the same table as Lucia were people with a line of connections in high society. They had considerable influence but it was not lopsided and their influences were about the same. It was very important to them how good their connection was. They were very skillful and naturally transformed into followers of the Duchess.

The atmosphere was harmonious. The noblewomen diligently chattered away, providing a topic of conversation for the Duchess and continued to make the Duchess the center of the conversation.

Lucia only had to listen to their conversations and give an appropriate answer to their questions. With just that alone, Lucia was the center of the table. It felt like she had become a queen. As she entertained her position, Lucia made sure to stay away from becoming too drunk on the atmosphere.

If one got carried away by the atmosphere in high society, one could disgrace themselves. Lucia had seen people compromise themselves in that way several times. It was very clear from the outside but if one had narrow sight, one couldn’t see it.

If Lucia was of high repute in the social circle and made a mistake, the people would overlook it but she had only just begun. It was better to be careful and even more careful.

“I heard a rumor from somewhere. Apparently, His Grace the Duke purchased all the jewelry on display at a jeweler’s for the Duchess.”

“Ah. I heard that as well. It was Sepia Jewelry.”

“Is the necklace Duchess is wearing also from Sepia Jewelry?”

Lucia nodded slightly and gave a smile. The women interpreted that as a positive answer that the Duke had swept the display of jewelry clean. Lucia’s necklace was evidence in of itself. The women who were somewhat doubtful of the rumor whispered amongst themselves saying, ‘wow, it’s really true.’

“And earlier, I saw His Grace the Duke escort the Duchess all the way here.”

“I also saw that.”

“Oh my. Really?”

The woman who had witnessed the scene nodded and the woman who had discovered a new fact showed amazement and regret that she was not there to witness the rare sight.

What is all this about? Lucia was puzzled when she was met with the gazes of the noblewomen that was filled with curiosity. She didn’t know that this would become the focus of attention.

At the time, when he said that he would see her off, she had thought he didn’t have to go that far but she didn’t go out of her way to refuse. He said he would casually escort her there and because Jerome didn’t say anything, she assumed it wouldn’t matter too much. She reasoned that it was similar to the case where men escorted women to balls.

The noblewomen were more amazed at the point that the man was the Duke of Taran rather than the fact that a man escorted her.

“He was quite worried because I was going to my first tea party. He pays a lot of attention to things that are ordinarily meticulous.” (Lucia)(1)

The noblewomen responded dramatically to Lucia’s simple reply.

“How affectionate.”

“How romantic.”

Chattering came from all over the place. The women who had personally seen the scene earlier did not think that the Duke escorting was the Duchess was simple. Like Queen Beth, they realized that the ‘beauty of the century’ part of the rumor was not important and ‘the Duke was smitten’ part was the core.

At the table, Sofia was isolated and alone by herself. There was no one who gave Sofia a glance as she sat down with her mouth shut. Sofia looked at the women who were trying to squeeze in a word in order to catch the Duchess’ eye.

Not long ago, Sofia was the woman that was sucked up to. They flatteringly called her Countess, Countess but in an instant, they changed their attitude. Even though Sofia knew well that it was the way the high society worked, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

It was not the betrayal of the noblewomen that annoyed Sofia. She had replayed the scene from earlier more than a dozen times in her head. The Duke of Taran looked at the Duchess with a warm and affectionate gaze as he kissed her cheek and held her hand. Their skinship was natural. A devastating sense of misery and defeat took hold of Sofia.

‘He…has never looked at me with such eyes.’

The Duke of Taran did not attend most parties unless it was necessary. Sofia had only attended parties as his partner a couple of times. They always met in the bedroom and when she woke up in the morning, he was never there. When she asked for a gift, it would quickly land in her hands but it was always through a messenger. He had never given it himself. His expression was always cold and he seldom truly smiled. However, Sofia liked his dazzling cold red eyes looking at her. She also liked his blunt and cold appearance. She liked everything.

He was a man that could look at a woman with such a passionate gaze. He was a man that could give a woman such a warm smile. The Duchess was not as beautiful as the rumors said but she was brimming with confidence as a woman who was loved.

Compared to the confident Duchess, Sofia felt very pathetic. Her heart hurt like it was being squeezed. As the subject of the Duke escorting the Duchess became the topic of conversation and the women fussed dramatically, something suddenly rose up from deep within Sofia. The ill desire to see the Duchess’ composed expression get shaken.

“He is a more affectionate person than he is known for. When we met a while ago, he was just as before.”

The moment Sofia opened her mouth, the atmosphere froze. The noblewomen could not open their mouth in the cold atmosphere so they lowered their voices and whispered irritatedly amongst themselves.

“What is up with her?”

“Tell me about it. Even when one is quiet, one gets attacked.”

Lucia’s gaze froze over. Sofia’s intention to humiliate her by sitting at the same table was shameful but Lucia tried to let it pass. She tried to understand it as the lingering regret of a harshly dumped woman. The scene of Sofia being cruelly rejected by him had planted a seed of compassion in Lucia’s mind. However, Sofia was crossing the line.

No matter how generous the society was to an affair, it did not approve of putting it out in public. Even if the whole world knew, one had to shut their mouth. For the nobility, face was a serious matter and it was as valuable as their life. The act of mentioning a private affair in front of the spouse concerned was a foolish action that had no excuse.

“I know my husband’s schedule but seeing as he is extremely busy with official duties, I do not know when he could have had the time.”