Chapter 77
Alicia glanced briefly at the hound circling Zeppelin.
It was a hound stationed with the purpose of stopping anyone who dared to gossip about Rebecca.
But her opponent was Duke Latranis.
Unable to handle the situation on her own, the hound hurried over to Octavio.
Karim narrowed his eyes and looked down at Alicia, who was frantically trying to steer the conversation away.
“While I’m honored you recognize me…?”
Karim studied Alicia’s golden hair and deep blue eyes carefully.
For a moment, interest flickered in his eyes.
Karim twisted his lips into a mischievous smile.
“That dazzling attire of yours, reminiscent of someone… is it the Count’s taste, or the product of your own desire? I suspect it’s the latter.”
‘This man!’
Karim’s words were blatantly intended to embarrass Alicia.
Alicia glared at him, her eyes hardening.
Karim seemed to enjoy her reaction, a grin spreading across his face.
Only Zeppelin looked puzzled, tilting his head in confusion.
“What on earth have you been talking about since earlier…?”
“Duke! I’ve arranged to serve a special fifty-year-old rosé wine at this year’s banquet. Do listen. You there, could you come here for a moment?”
A servant carrying wine approached Alicia with a tray.
It was clearly sent by Octavio.
It was wine they had planned to share later when the banquet reached its peak, but to divert Karim’s interest, this was necessary.
Alicia snatched the wine glass and thrust it into Karim’s hand.
Accepting the wine, Karim leisurely savored her flustered state.
“Well, if you insist this much. The banquet is long; we can have a detailed conversation later.”
Karim nonchalantly sipped the wine. Then, with a satisfied smile, he raised his glass.
“Truly the finest wine in the Empire.”
Alicia desperately wanted to escape this situation.
His well-defined lips, which she had once found handsome, now felt like a time bomb.
Alicia gently took Zeppelin’s arm. Then, she quickly gave Karim a short bow.
“Then, I must excuse myself as I have many other guests to attend to. Count, you mentioned you would introduce me to Marchioness Petunia, didn’t you?”
Alicia looked towards Petunia, who was surrounded by people in the distance.
Zeppelin looked at the hurrying Alicia with bewilderment.
“Madam, what on earth is the matter…?”
As Alicia led Zeppelin by the hand, the banquet hall suddenly fell silent.
Even the people standing around Petunia were all looking in the same direction.
Every single one of them wore expressions of astonishment.
A servant announcing the arrival of a distinguished guest stammered and shouted.
“H, His Grace Duke Julian Johannes! And… his fiancée!”
The crowd of chattering guests parted to both sides.
The center of the banquet hall emptied, as if a stage had been prepared just for Julian.
Three black cats with golden ribbons around their necks walked ahead of their master.
The three cats walking in unison carried a dignity reminiscent of black panthers.
Following them, Julian appeared, gently holding a lady’s hand.
Normally, all eyes would be on the beautiful Julian, but today was different.
The lady holding Julian’s hand walked with light steps towards the very center of the hall.
The countless golden threads embroidered on her dress shimmered dazzlingly under the brilliant light of the chandeliers.
The dress, which looked as soft as cream at a glance, draped elegantly along the lady’s curvaceous figure.
The sapphire necklace around her neck glowed with a deep blue hue, like the intensely blue eyes hidden behind her mask.
She wore a mask covering her entire face, so her detailed features were unknown.
But the mysterious aura emanating from her entire body clearly revealed her charm.
A commotion broke out.
Heated discussions ensued as people speculated about the identity of this woman who was clearly a stunning beauty.
People whispered that she must be the woman from the rumors.
The fact that Julian had a consistent lover was surprising enough, but a fiancée? It was utterly unexpected.
Cutting through the commotion, Karim shouted with a stunned expression.
“Julian? Julian brought a woman?”
Karim’s jaw dropped as he stared at Julian, who was meticulously escorting his delicate fiancée.
‘Re, Rebecca?’
For a moment, Alicia thought the mysterious woman looked like Rebecca and blinked.
But she soon shook her head.
The woman said to be the fiancée of Duke Johannes was exceedingly beautiful.
Her exposed shoulders, distinct collarbones, and long, deer-like neck were smooth and flawless.
It was impossible for Rebecca, who had been covered in blisters, to look like that.
‘Right, it can’t be Rebecca. And besides, how could she possibly be engaged to that Duke Johannes? A divorced woman, no less…’
Yet, a creeping anxiety unsettled Alicia.
Was it because the place Rebecca was staying was the territory of Duke Johannes?
Or was it because this woman, who had appeared out of nowhere, was effortlessly receiving all the attention that should have been hers, something she had grown accustomed to?
If not that, was it because of Zeppelin, who hadn’t been able to take his eyes off the woman since earlier?
Swallowing her fear with effort, Alicia placed a trembling hand on Zeppelin’s arm.
“Count…?”
Zeppelin, not even noticing Alicia’s call, stared intently at the unidentified woman gliding towards him.
“Everyone can’t take their eyes off you.”
Julian said in a slightly displeased tone.
Rebecca whispered from behind her mask.
“Isn’t that why we made such an entrance? Their dumbfounded faces are amusing. I’m most looking forward to Zeppelin’s reaction. Will he recognize me? It’s a shame we won’t reveal my identity tonight.”
Rebecca laughed contentedly.
The two of them, walking through the center of the empty banquet hall as if they were the protagonists, soon stopped before Zeppelin and Alicia.
Julian greeted Zeppelin first.
“My, at the Count’s banquet, we seem to have stolen all the attention. How unfortunate.”
“Duke Johannes…”
Facing Julian’s bright yellow eyes, Zeppelin unconsciously clenched his fist.
Unlike the other guests gathered here, his memories of Julian were a tangled, confusing mess.
Zeppelin frowned from a stabbing headache.
But one thing was certain.
‘Disgusting.’
The moment he saw Julian, he felt an unbearable disgust, as if he had encountered filth.
Moreover, seeing the three cats glaring at Julian as if he were their parents’ enemy made every single one of his respiratory passages itch.
Regardless of what their past connection was, Zeppelin recognized that he and Julian had shared considerable bad blood in the past.
Zeppelin glanced around subtly.
Everyone’s eyes were on him and Julian.
If he made a wrong move here, he would be the one laughed at.
He promptly cleared his throat, which was feeling prickly.
“Ahem, ahem. Not at all. We are just grateful that you have come.”
“Really? Last time we met, you told me not to make passes at your wife. Today, you welcome me so warmly; I don’t know how to act.”
Alicia’s eyes widened as she looked at Julian.
She heard he was close with Karim, and his behavior was just the same.
Alicia hurriedly addressed Julian.
“Alicia Devonshire has the honor of meeting His Grace Julian Johannes for the first time. I heard you always travel alone, but you’ve brought a beautiful lady today. Everyone is curious about her; would you care to introduce her?”
Julian swept his eyes over Alicia and retorted curtly.
“You, are we close? I believe this is our first meeting, so why are you being so familiar? Ah, perhaps a ‘lady-like’ person wouldn’t know such etiquette. I don’t know by what face you are here, but I can see very clearly that you don’t belong here.”
“Excuse me?”
Julian had put particular emphasis on the word ‘lady-like’.
Perhaps several people had similar thoughts, as laughter leaked from the audience.
Rebecca discreetly took Julian’s hand.
When Julian looked at her, Rebecca whispered in a voice only he could hear.
“That’s enough.”
“Ah, sorry. Seeing that bizarre sight put me in a bad mood.”
Julian looked at Alicia, whose face was red to the roots of her hair.
He was furious that she, who had even tried to kill Rebecca, was now imitating her.
Furthermore, Zeppelin’s gaze, which had been scanning Rebecca with a foolish expression since earlier, was also irritating.
Zeppelin, whose wife was being insulted by Julian, was still captivated by Rebecca.
Julian twisted the corner of his mouth upwards.
“But I should still offer congratulations. Alicia, was it? Congratulations on finally achieving your dream. I can only imagine how much effort you put into securing the position of Countess. It’s truly magnificent.”
No one pointed out Julian’s sarcastic tone.
Among the people gathered here, there wasn’t a single one who hadn’t been on the receiving end of Julian’s blunt words.
His immaturity and rudeness were as natural as the sun rising tomorrow morning.
In fact, more people agreed with his statement just now.
A common-born woman had pushed out the noble-born first wife and become the Countess.
No matter how diseased and infertile that first wife, Rebecca, had been, in their world, this was nothing short of insubordination.
Many secretly harbored anger towards Alicia, who had coveted a noble’s position as if it were her own.
Needle-like stares pierced into Alicia.
Alicia clutched her dress tightly.
Compared to the dress worn by Duke Johannes’s fiancée, her own dress was shabby beyond compare.
Just moments ago, Alicia had been happy, feeling like she had become part of aristocratic society, but now she felt miserable and wanted to cry immediately.
No matter how fancy a shell she wore, there was a huge wall between them and herself.
It felt as if the whole world was laughing at her, and her breath grew short.
“She’s no match for Lady Rebecca.”
At someone’s murmured words, Alicia’s spirits sharply lifted.
That’s right! Rebecca—what would Rebecca have done in a situation like this?
‘She would have broken the wall.’
Alicia raised her head. The pooled tears streamed down her cheeks.
But her tear ducts did not refill.
