Chapter 68
After I Died, the Little Groom
The Harvest Festival, hosted by the Imperial Family, was an event as grand as the annual debutante ball held every May.
The towering gates of the Imperial Palace opened, and elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies streamed endlessly into the grand hall.
The herald announcing each noble’s name was shouting so much that his voice began to crack.
“Lady Nadia of House Hess, Baron of Hess, is entering!”
Feeling a twinge of sympathy for the hoarse herald, Nadia stepped gracefully into the ballroom.
Among the nobles filling the hall, some turned to look at her, some didn’t bother at all, and others seemed about to approach—
—but then a tall, handsome blond man stopped in front of her, and the rest quickly diverted their gazes, biding their time for another opportunity.
Sensing the shifting eyes around her, Nadia smiled warmly at the familiar face.
“Arkis, you never seem to miss a party.”
When Nadia teased him, Arkis rubbed the bridge of his nose, slightly embarrassed, before politely extending his arm.
“Since you appear to have entered without a partner, may I have the honor of escorting you?”
“Of course.”
Nadia rested her hand on his arm and followed his lead toward one of the tables.
The table was piled high with bite-sized delicacies that seemed never-ending, and the fresh, sweet scent of fruit filled the air.
Arkis handed her a glass of champagne without alcohol.
“You don’t enjoy drinking, do you, Nadia?”
“You even remember my preferences now?”
“We’re friends, after all.”
“Not Yuria’s friend instead?”
When Nadia rolled her eyes jokingly, Arkis raised his hands in mock surrender.
They both laughed and took a sip of champagne.
Then Arkis’s tone shifted slightly, his expression becoming more serious.
“How is Baron Hess?”
“Father is well. We’re hoping that once it’s clear he had no malicious intent, His Majesty might show some mercy.”
Nadia didn’t mention the Marchioness of Desmond, the Emperor’s mistress, or Tasha—she only spoke of what was publicly known.
It wasn’t that she distrusted Arkis, but there was no reason to speak of secrets in a hall full of people.
Arkis looked at her thoughtfully, then spoke in a slightly mischievous tone.
“So, you didn’t need my help after all?”
“Ah…”
“Or did you just completely forget I was in the capital?”
As his words, half teasing and half serious, continued, Nadia finally gave in.
“I’m sorry, truly. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Convince me. If it’s a poor excuse, I’ll team up with Yuria later to tease you about it.”
“…I believe in my father’s innocence, but he is technically a criminal of the Empire right now. I didn’t want to burden anyone.”
Nadia spoke honestly, and Arkis folded his arms, pretending to think deeply.
“I’ve decided. You deserve to be teased.”
“Arkis!”
“You just called me a friend, yet you talk about being a burden. That’s what’s wrong, Nadia. Do you realize how hurtful that is?”
“…Yes, I know.”
Nadia glanced sideways at Vivian as she answered.
She always seemed to hurt the people she cared about most, even when she didn’t mean to—Vivian, her parents, her friends, and Heinrich too.
When Nadia’s expression turned a little gloomy, Arkis gently took her arm, then let go.
“I didn’t say that to make you sad. It’s just—you care too much about others. In special relationships, sometimes that kind of restraint isn’t necessary.”
“Restraint isn’t necessary?”
“Of course, even the closest relationships need respect. But sometimes, you have to forget about noble etiquette—embrace each other, show up unannounced, lean on one another, complain. That’s how real closeness forms, don’t you think?”
Nadia tilted her head, not quite understanding. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vivian nodding furiously, as if to say exactly that!
Maybe what she’d been lacking all this time wasn’t kindness, but the ability to sometimes not be considerate.
After a moment’s hesitation, Nadia nodded slowly.
“I’ll try.”
Vivian was still nodding enthusiastically—so much that Nadia worried she might strain her neck.
Nadia chuckled softly behind her hand, then changed the subject.
She asked how Yuria was doing, and whether anything interesting had happened in the capital lately.
As they chatted amiably, Nadia suddenly noticed someone approaching her with wild eyes.
“My lady.”
Vivian immediately stepped closer, standing protectively at her side. Arkis also caught the odd tension, his gaze sharpening.
“Isn’t that the Marquis of Desmond?”
He reached out an arm, pulling Nadia slightly behind him.
“Ah, the Marquis of Desmond,” Nadia murmured.
She had never seen him before, but upon hearing Arkis’s words, she immediately understood.
With his neatly combed navy mustache, frilled shirt, and an embroidered waistcoat of gold thread, he looked less like a marquis and more like a nouveau riche merchant.
The “upstart marquis” — that was the impression he gave. His face was flushed crimson, and he was practically snorting with rage as he stomped toward her.
Of course he was angry. The seed Nadia had planted had likely grown deep roots in the Desmond estate by now.
But before he could reach her, a lady in a voluminous gown stepped in front of him.
“Marquis Desmond?”
Her voice was high and cold as ice.
At that, the Marquis’s furious face drained of color.
“Baroness Ove…”
“My lord husband has been sending letters for days without receiving a single reply. And yet, here you are, attending a ball?”
“It’s not what you think! Whatever you’ve heard—it’s all a misunderstanding!”
Baroness Ove gracefully produced two sheets of paper.
“One is the appraisal report you personally gave my husband. The other, one I requested separately. They’re… quite different. I’m not good with complicated matters, so perhaps you could explain?”
Though her tone was polite, fire practically blazed in her eyes.
The surrounding nobles began to stare openly. It wasn’t every day one saw a lady of lower rank publicly confronting a marquis—and with the marquis clearly losing ground.
Whispers began to spread like wildfire.
“An appraisal report? What does she mean they’re different? Surely not that kind of difference?”
“Is she saying Marquis Desmond defrauded Baron Ove? Even if nobles can freely do business these days, this is too much…”
“If His Majesty hears about this, imagine the outrage!”
Sweat began to pour down the Marquis’s face.
Baroness Ove’s courage seemed to spark others to speak up.
“I never imagined the Desmond family would give out fake appraisal reports!”
“I knew something was wrong, but they’re close to the Imperial Palace—I was too afraid to say anything!”
As more victims spoke up, the shock in the hall deepened.
Nadia gently released Arkis’s arm and slipped away through the murmuring crowd. The Marquis could no longer attack her now.
“Marquis Desmond,” Nadia called, her calm voice cutting through the noise. “Is it true that the diamond mine on your estate has been depleted?”
Her question caused another uproar. The rumor had circulated for some time, but since the Imperial contract remained intact, few had believed it.
The Marquis swayed, his vision spinning, then suddenly roared like a madman.
“Impossible! My family has traded with the Imperial Palace since the founding of the Empire! How dare you spread such baseless lies—!”
“Well, after that long, it wouldn’t be strange if the deposits had run dry.”
“You insolent woman!”
“Then prove it.”
“…Prove it?”
While the Marquis raged, Nadia remained perfectly composed.
Her small frame, standing firm and unshaken, made the blustering marquis look more like a beast than a man.
“Prove that the diamond mine of House Desmond still holds value. Only the gems themselves can do that.”
At her words, the trap finally sprang shut.
Now that diamonds themselves were the focus, no other kind of evidence would satisfy anyone.
Unless the Marquis could produce jewels that convinced the crowd, no one would believe him.
And so, Marquis Desmond had no choice but to reveal his final, most desperate card.
