Chapter 23
As soon as they stepped outside again, the atmosphere of the party turned noisy as people swarmed around the Grand Duke and Evelyn.
Evelyn forced a smile as she looked at the crowd.
It was the first time nobles had approached her first at a party. When she was tormented by the stigma of the curse, even those who had once been close to her parents gradually distanced themselves.
Evelyn held back the heat rising to her eyes.
If she wanted to gain power from these people, she had to use this situation to her advantage.
Sponsorship, marriage—it was all just business. Thinking that way, there was no reason to be shaken.
And yet, her heart kept fluttering uncontrollably.
Could she really rely on this person? The warmth gently supporting her arm made her want to cry, but she held back the expression.
She must not cause trouble for him.
She would give her all to defeat the evil god.
Just as she had once resolved to become a hero for her brother, now she wanted to bring peace to the North—the peace the Grand Duke so desperately longed for.
She had to pay back the help she received, in full.
Evelyn didn’t want to ever disappoint this warmth. She had to become a warrior worthy of him.
That single vow kept her smiling throughout the party.
“You’re really something.”
“What?”
As the commotion briefly calmed down, Evelyn was headed to the lounge when Rozie blocked her way.
“I didn’t expect you to go all the way to the North and seduce the Grand Duke.”
At the sarcastic remark, Evelyn stopped and looked at her. Red hair. Eyes full of injustice.
Rozie Clover, who had insulted her from the moment they met at the party, used to be someone who hung out with Aile in their childhood.
Evelyn had worked so hard to stay on her good side.
She didn’t want to lose the last friend she had after Aile was gone.
But it had all been meaningless.
Evelyn sighed lightly at how Rozie hadn’t changed.
“Did you not hear what I said earlier?”
“Ha, everyone knows I send a marriage proposal to the Grand Duke every month—”
“So what? He never replied. That means it doesn’t concern you, right?”
She had only stepped outside for a breath of air, but Rozie had followed her.
“You and the Grand Duke aren’t anything to each other.”
Tears welled up in Rozie’s red eyes.
“Hng. I didn’t think our friendship meant so little. I’ve always gone around explaining things for you.”
As a tear rolled down, Evelyn held back a sigh. She was tired of the same old act.
“Lady Barrett! Are you bullying Lady Clover again?!”
As if they had coordinated it, a group of young ladies rushed out and glared at Evelyn when they saw Rozie crying.
Though many nobles had begun to accept Evelyn, these women clearly had no intention of doing so.
“No, Lady Clover is crying by herself.”
But Evelyn didn’t care.
In the past, no one ever listened when she tried to explain her side. But now, things were different.
Evelyn held her head high.
“I have no connection to her. Whatever’s bothering you, I hope you calm yourself.”
She didn’t even see the point in engaging anymore. Evelyn gently patted Rozie’s shoulder.
She couldn’t believe how much she used to fret over her. She laughed at her own changed reaction.
‘I didn’t do anything wrong, so I don’t need to shrink back. And I have Grand Duke Graham behind me.
I’ll protect him, and he’ll protect me.’
That single thought gave her strength. She wouldn’t be broken again.
Evelyn walked past the crowd with a calm face. Rozie, who would normally follow her and harass her, didn’t chase after her this time.
Crash!
Rozie, unable to control her anger, threw a vase.
“Eek!”
The maid standing nearby swallowed her scream in shock.
Terrified of the outburst that might come, the maid clasped her hands and trembled.
“Evelyn Barrett was proposed to by the Grand Duke?! Why didn’t anyone know?!”
Rozie’s arm shook violently.
“She even managed to hide becoming a Sword Master!”
“Lady Barrett has had no contact even with her own family, so no information was available.”
The maid relayed what she had heard and seen, trembling all the while.
“How dare she steal Grand Duke Graham.”
Rozie let out a sigh like she had just heard the most absurd news.
“She’s a Sword Master, so he proposed? Ha, ridiculous. There must’ve been some deal.”
She had rejected proposals from other noble families, only to suddenly marry Evelyn Barrett? Ha.
Rozie couldn’t forget the humiliation she had suffered at the party. The look Evelyn gave her from above.
Nor could she forget the dazzling golden aura.
‘The princess must have known.’
When Rozie collapsed into a chair, the maid said she’d bring tea and quickly left. Another maid, reading the mood, began cleaning up the shattered vase.
‘There’s no way that stiff girl seduced the Grand Duke. What bait did she use?’
Rozie twirled her red hair around her finger, deep in thought.
“Married already?”
With that cursed woman? The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. All that echoed in her mind was “Why? How?”
The Grand Duke hadn’t completely stepped away from the capital’s affairs. He must’ve heard the rumors about Evelyn being cursed.
Was the situation in the North truly that desperate? Rozie bit her lip.
“There must be a serious enough problem in the North that the Grand Duke had to propose to Barrett. I’ll need someone to investigate the situation there.”
“Shall I find an informant?”
The maid cautiously asked.
“Yes. Even if it costs money, I must find out everything.”
Rozie asked the maid for stationery and began writing a serious letter.
“Young Lady!”
Evelyn looked up at the voice of the butler calling urgently.
“What is it?”
“You’ve received a letter from Lady Rozie Clover.”
Evelyn paused at the tension in the butler’s face. Everyone in the Barrett household knew Evelyn and Rozie were on bad terms.
Ever since the news of her brother’s recovery and her engagement to the Grand Duke broke out at the party, letters had poured in.
But none from Rozie. In fact, they hadn’t exchanged a single letter since childhood.
“Maybe she’s finally come to her senses. She probably wants forgiveness for what she’s done.”
The butler snorted.
Had it been anyone else’s letter, a maid would’ve delivered it. But he brought it himself for this reason.
After Master Leonel’s recovery, many nobles expressed their desire to connect and socialize.
And the Young Lady was no exception.
After the news of her engagement spread a few days ago, the attention grew even more.
Still, it made him happy to see her once-empty letterbox overflowing.
“The Grand Duke would never accept her. Is Lady Clover as beautiful as you? Or a Sword Master? No!”
The butler laughed as if he had accomplished it himself.
When he first heard the Countess would be receiving the Grand Duke’s support, he couldn’t believe it. But once the marriage news came, he felt it was destiny.
He believed the Grand Duke had recognized the unique value of the beautiful young lady he’d watched grow up.
“Burn it, Tinya.”
“You’re not going to reply?”
The butler’s eyes widened at Evelyn’s firm tone. If it had been someone who had tormented her, wouldn’t anyone want to return the pain?
“Are you really just going to let it go?”
The butler looked pitiful, but Evelyn nodded. Rozie clearly hadn’t accepted her engagement and was probably digging around for the truth.
She must feel like the Grand Duke was stolen from her. With her clever mind, she might even discover the real reason behind the marriage.
“Refuse all other invitations and social calls as well.”
Until the wedding, Evelyn had no intention of participating in any events. Helping her brother solidify his position as the heir to the Barrett family was more important.
Rumors had spread, likely thanks to Baron Quartz and Hynt, that if her brother didn’t recover, Hynt would naturally become the heir.
“My brother establishing his place in society comes before me.”
“As expected, no one cares for the young master more than you, Young Lady!”
The butler’s eyes misted as he handed the letter to Tinya. Immersed in old memories, he released long-held sorrow.
“You two always had such a strong bond. When your laughter filled the manor, it warmed everyone’s hearts.”
After her brother’s recovery, Evelyn and Tinya paid no attention to what had become routine and returned to their tasks.
