Chapter 15: 15

Chapter 15

Kathleen earnestly wished that her child would grow up receiving a lot of love from their father, unlike her.

“While Madame is at the ball, I will look for medicinal herbs that are good for the body. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it doesn’t reach other people’s ears.”

“Thank you.”

Kathleen quickly returned to the main building. As she had just entered the dressing room, Emily, who had already prepared, babbled and brought several dresses.

“It’s a ball, I didn’t know the Master would attend. With Madame too!”

“I also just heard about it. I don’t have time, so I’ll wear something simple. Choose one that is not too tight in the waist.”

“But if you want to wear a dress with a rich skirt, you have no choice but to follow the latest trends…….”

“Just give me something with a shirring.”

In formal occasions, ladies wore tight dresses to emphasize their slender waists. Kathleen was well aware of the etiquette, but she was cautious when she thought of her child.

It wasn’t until sunset when Kathleen changed into a relatively comfortable shimmering silver dress and went out.

The carriage was already waiting.

Alexis waited for her as she came neatly dressed. Kathleen took his hand and climbed into the carriage.  She glanced sideways, and thought.

‘It’s the suit from last month.’

Although her husband was of imperial blood, he rarely attended social gatherings except for must-attend parties, and had very few tailcoats prepared. Kathleen was saddened by that, so she called in a famous wardrobe designer and had her tailor several suits.

Alexis didn’t know, but it was fine.

“When you enter the banquet hall, stay by my side.”

He said during the silence.

“The people who like to talk about others in Trivellian will all be gathered there.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure I don’t get caught in it.”

He looked away again. The sky outside the window was getting darker.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped and the sound of laughter and chatter was heard along with cheerful music playing. Alexis opened the door first and went down and reached out his hand to her. Kathleen carefully grabbed his hand and lowered them as she looked at his smiling face.

Unlike in the Duke’s residence, he had a smile that was as sweet and beautiful as honey.

It was the perfect mask.

“The Duke and Duchess of Walten have arrived.”

The banquet hall was on the first floor, and a lot of people’s gazes gathered on them in an instant. Everyone couldn’t hide their surprise as Kathleen and Alexis passed by them with their arms linked in a friendly way.

It was bittersweet to see this, but Kathleen was sad.

“Duke. I didn’t know you would come.”

The Marchioness of Rawlings, dressed in a splendid red dress as the ball’s host, spoke with a sly smile. Of course, not towards Kathleen.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for your appearance at my balls.”

“If I had known that the Marchioness was waiting for me all this time, I would have attended earlier. It would have been trouble if my wife hadn’t asked.”

“Aha… Your wife asked you to come with her first, right?”

Marchioness Rawlings then turned to Kathleen, vaguely lengthening her words. For a brief moment, her gaze fell on Kathleen’s dress, and then disappeared. She skillfully spoke her words to Kathleen.

“I am grateful. It was a pity I couldn’t see you at the tea party before, but it’s nice to see you like this now.”

“Yes, me too. Next time I’ll invite the Marchioness to the Duke’s residence. I apologize for not being able to attend at that time.”

“Oh my. That’s kind of you.”

She flapped her feathered fan and covered her mouth, revealing that she disagreed. But Kathleen wasn’t serious either, so she said her greetings and walked as Alexis led.

“Let’s go over there.”

Alexis smiled softly and greeted the others, but he mumbled so much and only Kathleen could hear it.

“I have no intention of wasting my time on scumbags.”

They headed towards an oak table with party food, befitting the name of a grand ball.

Since most of the attendees did not come for a meal, the place was empty. Alexis pulled out a chair and helped Kathleen sit down. The eyes of the nobles, who had gathered in twos or threes, were naturally drawn to the table. Not only the young ladies flapping their fans and trying to pretend to not look in their direction, but also young lords trying to make connections, and middle-aged nobles looking for business partners were all paying attention to the Duke and Duchess of Walten.

“You haven’t had dinner yet, right?”

Alexis asked. He was still smiling and looking at her like a husband who loved her the most in the world.

Even though she knew he didn’t mean it, Kathleen answered dazedly.

“Ah yes. I didn’t have time for that because I suddenly needed to get ready to go out.”

“I knew it.”

After looking around, some nobles began to approach them, judging that Alexis was in a good mood. Alexis seemed to know it too. His gaze, slowly scanning the table, stopped on a pretty blue plate.

“It might be a good time to check out the culinary skills of the Rawlings.”

He reached for the plate. The nobles got closer.

“It’s my wife’s favorite food. Get one.”

Kathleen stared at the food on the plate he had pushed in front of her and stiffened.

Salmon canapes.

The moment the fresh scarlet color caught her eye, she felt sick to my stomach.

It was morning sickness.

“What’s wrong?”

He questioned in a sweet voice.

“Your Grace, Duke Walten.”

The nobles approached.

Everyone watched as the Duke of Walten offered food to the Duchess.

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The nobles nearby would have heard what he was saying. If it was revealed that the Duke, who had loved his wife so much, enough to close his eyes to the fact that she was a maid, did not even know her taste, it was clear that bad rumors would circulate.

Kathleen took a deep breath, trying to calm her stomach.

“It’s nothing.”

“You must be hungry. Come on, I’ll feed you.”

But Alexis didn’t seem to have any intention of ending the act quickly. He picked up a canape and offered it to her.

The smell of salmon approaching made her stomach upset again.

Kathleen unknowingly avoided it and turned her head.

Then she quickly brushed Alexis’ shoulder and said.

“Wait. What’s on the Duke’s clothes?”

Fortunately, the other people were standing on the other side of Alexis, so no one knew what Kathleen was brushing off his clean clothes.

Kathleen’s heart pounded as she looked at him while pretending to be calm.

The lips smiling at her were the same. However, she could clearly see the coldness in his gold pupils that had not yet disappeared.

“Wife, you always.”

Alexis, who put down the salmon canapes with a natural touch like flowing water, murmured as if moved with emotions.

“You always take care of me first.”

His voice was clear enough to be heard by everyone around. Like a perfect shop display, a married couple’s performance.

“Haha, you’ve been married for over a year, but you’re still so close.”

A middle-aged nobleman, who was looking for an opportunity, pushed everyone else aside and spoke to him skillfully. Alexis smiled and stood up, offering to shake hands.

“Count Hopewell. Long time no see.”

Hopewell?

At the name, Kathleen, who tried to stand up after Alexis, hit a glass of champagne with her elbow.

Crash!

The crystal glass shattered with a sharp sound. Thanks to this, the refreshing scent of grapes surrounded her and calmed Kathleen’s queasy stomach, but a bigger problem arose.

“Don’t step on it.”

Alexis wrapped one of his arms around her, pulled her in and called an attendant. Meanwhile, she faced the Duke of Hopewell, rather, the Count.

“Madame, it’s been a year. Even at the wedding, I couldn’t greet you properly because you were so busy, is this the first time we’ve talked like this?”

“……Yes, Count. That’s right. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kathleen managed to smile and reached out to shake his hand. But she had to try not to show her hatred when his skin touched her palm.

‘Shameless man..’

Although she was wearing gloves, Kathleen unconsciously wiped her hands on the hem of her dress.

“I am so lucky today to be able to speak here with Your Grace.”

“You don’t have to say that. You are always welcome at my estate.”

“Your Grace is busy managing your territories, I can’t possibly bother you.”

Even though he said that, he looked like he wanted to talk about something in earnest. Kathleen brought it up tactfully.

“I will stop by the break room for a bit while the gentlemen speak about their frustrations.”

“Are you not hurt?”

“Yes. Do not worry.”

She smiled at her husband, who still wore his mask, and then slowly left. After taking a few steps from him, she glanced back to see Alexis conversing with Count Hopewell with a serious face.

A bitter laugh escaped. But it must be him, not her, that her husband needed now.

‘You don’t even know he was the one who killed you.’

The past passed like a dream. But it was an unforgettable reality for Kathleen.

***

Coming out of the break room, Kathleen recalled the still vivid night.

‘I wouldn’t have made that mistake if I had known there was another way.’

Kathleen spent the night with him and eventually became the wife of the Duke of Walten, because she only knew of one solution on how to drain the dr*g from his body.

‘Why did I approach him?’

She wanted to pretend she didn’t know, but her heart was troubled. After returning from her death, she had an unexpected marriage, and Kathleen paid attention to the nanny after that.

Because she wasn’t sure who the nanny was referring to back then. The mere fact that Count Hopewell had killed Alexis in the past life made it difficult to accuse him as the culprit without evidence.

However, Count Hopewell did not move until Alexis was caught with evidence of conspiring with the Empress and the nanny was punished.

‘Are the nanny, the Empress, and Count Hopewell on different sides?’

Just as she and Emily had not died, She thought that Count Hopewell’s life could be different. But she couldn’t stay relaxed forever.

“Kathleen.”

Alexis, who saw her come back, turned to look at her. Count Hopewell also expressed his welcome and gestured.

“Come here, Madame. I have someone to introduce you to.”

“Introduce? Who….”

“This is my partner.”

He stepped back and behind him she saw a woman in a gorgeous purple dress. She was someone Kathleen knew well.

“Older sister, hello.”

Isabella Winston.

Her sister.

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