Chapter 102
“Are you an idiot?
Elaina strode quickly down the corridor. She was so furious that every step made her heels strike the wooden floor with a sharp, echoing clack.
Idiot. Moron. The most arrogant man to ever exist. Bastard.
They said when anger grows too great, tears spill out—and Elaina was experiencing that firsthand.
“You said it meant nothing. That I was a burden.”
He had talked about providing sufficient alimony, acting as though they would never see each other again.
“And now you say it was to protect me?”
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into the soft flesh of her palms. She felt like storming straight to the grand duke’s residence, grabbing him by the collar, and shaking out every secret he was hiding and enduring alone.
She was furious. She had believed she’d been a great help to Lyle. She wanted to be a place of rest, a refuge, for a man who had wandered outside the safety of a home for ten long years. No—she had thought she already was that person to him.
And yet, that damned man hadn’t relied on her even the slightest bit.
He would shoulder all the danger himself, endure it, bear it alone? And she was supposed to remain ignorant, merely receiving protection?
By what right did he decide all of that on his own?
“Hic… sob…!”
The resentment finally burst forth as tears.
Why didn’t he understand?
Just as he worried about her, she too was constantly anxious that Lyle might be hurt.
At last, Elaina collapsed into a corner of the corridor and burst into tears like a child. Ironically, it was the very spot where Lyle had once proposed to her.
The Harvest Festival Ball was held as the weather turned chilly. Normally, the spotlight would have gone to the debutantes from a few weeks earlier, but unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—the star of the evening was someone else.
That someone was Elaina Grant.
Or perhaps, in the not-so-distant future, Elaina “Winchester” once more—the grand duchess-to-be.
After abruptly fleeing the grand duke’s residence and returning to her family home, she had remained shut inside for over a month, giving rise to countless rumors about her relationship with her husband.
Then, without warning, she announced her intention to attend the Harvest Festival Ball—despite having avoided not only social events but even simple outings. As a result, this year’s ball was more crowded than ever.
Those in attendance remembered clearly what had happened around this time the previous year. In their memories, it was always Elaina who had taken the initiative in her relationship with Grand Duke Grant. After all, without Elaina’s determination, a marriage between the failing Grant family and the Winchester family would have been impossible.
People had whispered that the match was absurd from the start, yet surprisingly, the marriage had gone smoothly.
Elaina had looked genuinely happy, and at her side, the dark and ominous air surrounding Lyle Grant had gradually faded. After marrying Elaina, it was as if divine favor had descended upon him—nothing but good fortune followed.
“Men are all the same. Once their pockets grow full, they start thinking differently.”
“No matter what, isn’t this too cruel? The Grant family is only this stable because of the grand duchess and the support of House Winchester.”
Many sensed that something catastrophic had occurred between Lyle and Elaina. The easiest conclusion was another woman. The fact that Elaina had returned to House Winchester without taking a single belonging spoke volumes about how sickened she was by House Grant.
Their sidelong glances drifted toward one corner of the ballroom.
There stood Lyle Grant, clad in a black tailcoat. Despite being husband and wife, the two had not entered together. Lyle had arrived alone, with no trace of Elaina by his side.
That alone confirmed there was trouble between them. The gossipers eagerly anticipated Elaina’s appearance, expecting her to be haggard and pitiful. Betrayed by the man she had fallen for without regard for status—how deeply must her pride have been wounded?
Contrary to their expectations, Elaina entered holding her father’s hand, looking anything but pitiful.
“L-Look at that.”
A noblewoman gasped, tapping the shoulder of the person beside her.
Elaina appeared as radiant as ever. She wore a gown that began in pale lavender at the top and gradually shifted into pink toward the hem. Her hair was swept up, revealing her slender neck, adorned with a pink necklace. Her relaxed, confident smile was unchanged.
What truly caught everyone’s attention, however, was the ring on her left ring finger.
“Th-That ring… it’s there.”
“That ring is definitely—”
It was the ring once given by Grand Duke Grant during his proposal—the former grand duchess’s ring. Because of its significance, Elaina often wore it to important social events, and those with a keen eye recognized it immediately.
“What’s going on? If things were truly bad between them, she’d never wear that ring.”
As those words were spoken, their gazes naturally shifted to one place.
Lyle Grant, who had entered the ballroom as though they were strangers, stared at Elaina with a stiff expression, clearly taken aback by the unexpected sight.
People alternated their gazes between Elaina and Lyle, wearing dazed expressions. A man who appeared having erased all traces of his wife, and a woman who arrived wearing her engagement ring. Whatever the truth, something was bound to happen tonight.
After entering, Elaina seemed to search for someone. Her gaze stopped at one point, and she smiled brightly, bid her father farewell, and walked toward him.
Click, click.
With every step she took closer to him, a strange silence settled over the ballroom.
At last, she stopped before him.
Facing the man who stubbornly kept his lips sealed, Elaina spoke.
“It’s a song I like. If you’re not too busy, would you care to dance with me, Your Grace?”
Her eyes curved into a gentle crescent as she smiled.
A slow waltz in three-quarter time. Listening to the measured rhythm, Lyle moved his feet in time and thought that he had experienced a similar situation once before.
Unlike himself, who couldn’t bring himself to smile, Elaina seemed to be in high spirits. Unable to endure her humming, Lyle spoke.
“You didn’t hear it from Nathan?”
“Hear what?”
She lifted the corners of her lips into a smile.
Lyle fell silent. That was the smile she wore when she was extremely angry.
“That ridiculous story about how all of this was to protect me?”
“Elaina.”
“You’ve misjudged me, Your Grace.”
She was addressing him as she had before their marriage. Holding Lyle’s hand, she turned gracefully.
“If I’d hated danger, I wouldn’t have married you in the first place. What truly makes me angry is—”
Feigning a misstep, Elaina stomped hard on Lyle’s foot. For today, Madame Mabella had made her the highest heels she possibly could.
“That you never once thought of trusting me.”
Lyle stared at her in silence. It had been a long time since he’d seen those golden eyes up close, and they were scolding him now.
“If you want to complain, do it after everything is resolved. For now, just do as I say.”
Trust her?
If he could, he would have. No—he wanted to pour out everything to her right now.
But a primal instinct rejected the idea. Elaina didn’t understand his fear.
If he were to lose her, like he had lost his entire family back then… The thought alone turned Lyle into a coward. This wasn’t a matter of trust.
The wavering emotions he felt while meeting her gaze gradually settled. With a hardened expression, Lyle said,
“Give up Nathan’s drug usage rights.”
“No. That will never happen.”
“Listen to me.”
“If you wanted an obedient wife, you shouldn’t have married me in the first place.”
Elaina looked straight up at him.
“Elaina.”
“You want to protect me? Then do it. But don’t expect me to cooperate. The last time I followed your will without protest was when I signed the divorce papers.”
She continued stubbornly.
“I don’t know why you’re so terrified, but I’m not a child, Your Grace. I’m not someone so fragile that I need to be protected.”
“Protection isn’t only for children. I— No. Let me rephrase. Give up the drug usage rights.”
Elaina frowned.
“You really are infuriating. This makes asking for a conversation pointless.”
At this rate, they would only continue running parallel lines, never finding common ground.
As the song neared its end, Elaina let out a deep sigh.
“Fine. To be honest, I expected you to react like this.”
She leaned close and whispered into Lyle’s ear.
“I gave you a chance. You’re the one who didn’t take it—so don’t be too surprised by whatever I do from now on.”
With those words, Elaina stepped away. Facing Lyle’s rigid expression, she lifted the hem of her dress and offered an elegant bow.
