Chapter 21
The Countess of Dazellan’s tea party, by coincidence, was held at the café inside the lounge of the Winters Hotel.
She claimed that a sudden cold wave had caused some issues at the count’s estate.
Still, she insisted she didn’t want to waste her precious time with the distinguished ladies she had invited, and so she informed us of the change in location.
I stepped into the Winters Hotel lounge, glancing around anxiously in case I might run into Eugene.
“Marchioness of Wolfhaze, your party is waiting inside,”
one of the staff members recognized me and approached to escort me.
I handed a 10-dalt bill to Vivi, who had accompanied me, and told her to spend some time outside until I was done.
As I moved farther in, a private room came into view — elegantly decorated, like a drawing room in a noble’s mansion.
“Oh my! Marchioness, you’re here!”
The hostess, Countess Dazellan, rose from her seat and smiled warmly.
“Thank you for coming, even though we had to change venues so suddenly.”
I approached the chair next to her, and she expressed her gratitude once again.
“Not at all. I’m grateful you still invited me despite how busy things must have been for you.”
After exchanging the usual pleasantries with the other ladies, I took my seat.
“How has everyone been lately?”
Countess Dazellan opened the floor with a smile, and I joined in with a pleasant expression.
The tea party gathered wives of high-ranking officials from both the political and business worlds. It was one of those events Hayden had recommended I attend to maintain connections as the Marchioness of Wolfhaze.
Outwardly, the conversations seemed to revolve around trivial matters — the weather, lacework, or the latest dress designs — but beneath the surface, they were quite different.
They discussed their husbands’ work, where they were traveling, and whom they were meeting.
Catching useful tidbits that could help one’s husband was, after all, part of a wife’s job.
“By the way, Marchioness, that necklace you’re wearing today is simply dazzling.”
“I was just thinking the same! It’s so beautiful — I can’t take my eyes off it.”
The ladies’ attention turned toward the diamond necklace around my neck.
“Oh…” I lightly touched it with my fingers and smiled modestly.
“It was our wedding anniversary not long ago. Hayden gave it to me as a gift.”
“Oh my, how wonderful! So it’s an anniversary present? No wonder it’s so lovely.”
“I actually heard about that,” another lady chimed in. “The Marquis of Wolfhaze bought an extravagant gift recently — I suppose this was it.”
Their eyes sparkled with admiration — a luxurious gift combined with a special occasion was always an irresistible combination.
“I wish my husband were even half as thoughtful as yours.”
“Tell me about it. It’s only been three years since we got married, and my husband already forgets our anniversary!”
The wives bonded over complaints about their husbands — a conversation I couldn’t quite join, given how “perfect” mine supposedly was.
“My mother-in-law says I should just be grateful my husband doesn’t see other women. Can you believe that?”
“Well, maybe she’s not entirely wrong. Even if he’s not affectionate, as long as he only has eyes for you, that’s not such a bad husband.”
Countess Dazellan giggled. The young wives around the table laughed along playfully, but I only felt a heaviness settle in my chest.
“That’s true,” I replied softly.
The moment the words left my mouth, the atmosphere shifted — ever so slightly, but enough to sense it.
“Come to think of it… Marchioness, you’re quite close with that actress, Chloe Bennet, aren’t you?”
It wasn’t hard to see where this was going. Their curious, calculating gazes made it clear they were searching for flaws in the supposedly flawless Wolfhaze couple.
I straightened my posture, maintaining a calm, composed smile.
“Yes, Chloe and I have known each other since our academy days.”
“Oh, really? How lovely. Not many noble ladies would maintain such close ties with a commoner. You must be quite… down-to-earth.”
Countess Dazellan smiled thinly.
I knew full well how odd it seemed to some — a noblewoman befriending a commoner. I’d endured such looks since my academy years, so I wasn’t particularly bothered.
I simply answered her with another polite smile. The other ladies exchanged glances, silently measuring the mood.
“But I’ve been wondering… may I ask you something?”
The youngest among us, Viscountess Polida, smiled sweetly as she locked eyes with me.
“They say the Marquis of Wolfhaze left a banquet with that actress, Chloe Bennet. Is that true?”
The room froze.
Polida’s lack of tact was nothing new, but usually someone stepped in to smooth things over.
Today, however, no one did. They all just waited — because her question was the one everyone secretly wanted to ask.
“Yes, it’s true.”
I admitted it calmly, nodding. This much had been anticipated.
“Oh my! Really? Why?”
“There were… personal circumstances involved. I’m afraid it’s not something I can discuss openly.”
I deliberately trailed off, withholding a clear answer. My composure unsettled them; they looked at one another, dissatisfied.
It wasn’t the reaction they were hoping for.
“I suppose that’s why the Marquis and Marchioness of Wolfhaze have such a sterling reputation — not just for his devotion, but for her discretion as well.”
It was Countess Talla who spoke quietly this time.
“Still, no one’s perfect,” she added. “Surely even you have your grievances, but you never let them show.”
With only a few young wives present, complaints about husbands usually flowed freely.
I could tell they found my silence stifling — as if I was too proud to confide in them.
All I could do was smile awkwardly in response.
“Oh, you know I didn’t mean anything by it,” Countess Dazellan quickly interjected. “Some people simply have nothing to complain about, after all. Let’s not invent problems where there are none.”
“But still—”
“Why go looking for flaws in a man who’s famous for his kindness? Let’s leave it there,” Dazellan cut Polida off sharply.
Her firm tone silenced the viscountess.
As expected, not many in this circle truly welcomed me. I realized that again, with a faint, bitter smile.
Even so, I couldn’t just stop attending. It was part of my duty as a marchioness.
“Oh, by the way — did you hear that the second son of the Felterwins family attended the recent ball?” Dazellan shifted the topic.
Of all subjects, it had to be Eugene.
“I only heard rumors. They say he’s quite handsome?”
“Yes, though he doesn’t resemble his older brother much — except maybe the black hair.”
“Is it true what they say? That he’s not really the duchess’s son…?”
“But the Princess herself denied that rumor.”
“Well, who really knows for sure?”
The ladies lowered their voices, whispering conspiratorially.
“By the way, Marchioness — aren’t you acquainted with the Felterwins’ second son? You seemed rather familiar with him.”
Once again, Polida spoke up, and once again, every gaze turned toward me. I stifled a sigh.
“Actually, I saw it myself,” she added eagerly. “When you were leaving, you and he went home together.”
Honestly. The woman lacked tact but not eyesight.
“Oh? Truly? Marchioness, are you close with him?”
“We met a few times when we were young — that’s all.”
A pang of regret struck me. I shouldn’t have come today.
Even the diamond necklace on my neck now felt unbearably heavy.
“In that case,” Dazellan said brightly, “would you consider matchmaking? My younger sister just came of age and hasn’t found a good match yet.”
Her cheerful tone was rather audacious, considering she’d just been questioning his legitimacy moments ago.
“If the chance arises, I’ll ask,” I replied mildly.
Dazellan nodded, satisfied.
“My husband actually mentioned he’d love for the young man to join their gentlemen’s club. Perhaps you could pass that along too — it’s always better when these things come through the right channels, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so.”
“By the way, the Marquis must be quite busy these days, isn’t he?”
I blinked, puzzled by the sudden turn in her tone — not yet realizing what she was implying.
(To be continued…)
