Chapter 77
The crowd, who had gasped in shock when Gustavo lunged violently at Elicia, now began to murmur again—but for a very different reason.
That was because Tirzen had brushed aside Gustavo’s reaching hand with ease and was now holding Elicia in his arms, gazing down at her with a worried expression.
“You still haven’t come to your senses! How dare you lay a hand on her?”
Gustavo’s face twisted hideously as Tirzen shoved him away.
Even though he had inherited the title of Verato, the stigma of being a bastard had always left Gustavo with a deep inferiority complex. No one openly scorned him, but he could always feel the subtle contempt lurking beneath the surface whenever the nobles dealt with him. He hated that. And so, knowing that even those who prided themselves on lineage bowed their heads before wealth, he struggled desperately—by any means necessary—to amass fortune.
But despite years of effort, his riches had scarcely grown. His ambition far outweighed the luck that followed him. Then, at last, a chance to climb higher presented itself.
To become the son-in-law of a duke—that was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize his lifelong dream. For Gustavo, the announcement that Duke Mares would be adopting an heir was like a bolt from the blue.
In a fit of anger, he had broken off his engagement with Elicia, but when he realized how rare such a chance was, the position he had thrown away became something he desperately craved again. That thread—the only thread that could pull him up to the highest tier of noble society—was slipping from his grasp, so it was only natural that Gustavo lost his mind.
Now, utterly unhinged, the only thought raging in his head was that he must tear Elicia from Tirzen’s arms.
Why is that bastard holding my woman?
Unable to suppress his rising fury, Gustavo charged again, trying to rip the two apart.
At his crazed advance, Elicia shrank back in fright.
Tirzen turned her so that her back was against his chest, wrapping his arm firmly around her.
As she pressed against his broad, solid chest, Elicia felt a wave of relief. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she clung tightly. With him holding her, she felt that no one could threaten her safety.
But before Gustavo could reach them, a sharp pain pierced his shin, and he collapsed onto the floor.
“Ugh! Not only do you steal my woman, you dare raise your hand against me…?”
“Stop spouting nonsense. The only woman you can call yours is the one sitting over there.”
Tirzen jerked his chin toward Letisa, who was still seated on the ground.
Letisa, who had been sobbing pitifully moments earlier, had now dried her tears and was simply watching events unfold.
“Elicia is my fiancée!”
At Gustavo’s desperate outcry, the onlookers gasped.
Elicia heard Tirzen chuckle softly above her head.
But when Gustavo’s angry voice rang out from behind, she trembled and burrowed even deeper into Tirzen’s embrace. No storm could reach her as long as she was here.
Her arms tightened around his waist, instinctively clinging as if she would never let him go, not even if he tried.
The sight made Gustavo’s eyes go wild.
“You pretended to be so pure, and yet you were sneaking around with him behind my back?”
Though still clutching his bruised shin, Gustavo screamed accusations at Elicia.
“Come to your senses, Gustavo Verato. Everyone in the Netor Empire knows your engagement with Lady Mares was broken months ago. Bastard-born you may be, but I will not tolerate further insolence. If you continue this disturbance, you will be removed by force.”
Even at Tirzen’s warning, Gustavo tried to lunge forward again.
At Tirzen’s signal, two waiting guards stepped in, seizing him by both arms. More soldiers rushed over at another gesture and hauled Gustavo to his feet.
He tried to shake them off, but he could not move. The more he struggled, the tighter they bound him.
“Will you behave yourself, or shall you be dragged out?”
Tirzen’s warning left Gustavo glaring at the two figures locked in each other’s arms. But he said nothing. Being thrown out would mean being cast out of society itself.
As the commotion settled, Elicia slowly lifted her face from Tirzen’s chest.
Relieved now that Gustavo could no longer harm her, she turned her head—only to find countless eyes fixed upon her.
Having had little social experience, she had already felt burdened by all the stares when first entering the ballroom. Now, being the very center of a scandal, she was utterly overwhelmed.
Looking down at her, Tirzen smiled faintly and cupped the back of her head in his hand.
And so, the audience’s gaze shifted to the crown of Elicia’s head nestled securely against his chest. Feeling their stares prickling her scalp, she pressed herself even deeper into his arms.
The sight of Tirzen smiling sent the noble ladies and young maidens into a frenzy.
“Kyaa! His Grace is smiling!”
“He danced with her earlier, and now he’s holding her!”
“I thought my heart was going to stop.”
“I’ve never seen him like this before!”
Excited whispers rippled through the hall, their tone sweetened with giddy delight.
But not everyone viewed the scene so favorably. To some, it looked like nothing more than a sordid love scandal.
“Honestly, this is a mess on all sides, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. One man with his fiancée’s friend, and the other with his cousin’s betrothed.”
“This might become the Netor Empire’s most notorious love scandal.”
“I wonder which came first?”
“They say Lady Mares is the picture of virtue, but who knows what the truth really is?”
Not wanting Elicia to hear such slander, Tirzen covered her ear with his palm.
With a single cold glance, he could have silenced them all instantly, but he restrained himself. That would only be a temporary fix, not a real solution.
There was someone else meant to resolve this.
Meeting Tirzen’s gaze, Empress Asta gave a small nod.
It was her turn to step forward.
When the Empress, with regal dignity, turned and swept her gaze across the hall, the murmurs quickly died down.
Once silence fell completely, she spoke.
“Some of you may have heard strange rumors about the Grand Duke of Verato.”
At her words, the murmurs resumed.
Everyone knew the gossip—that some woman was carrying Tirzen’s child.
“That rumor was merely a distortion of something His Majesty and I discussed.”
“A distortion? What exactly do you mean?”
A brave noblewoman dared to ask.
“All of you know that Lady Mares fell gravely ill after losing her brother.”
“Of course we know.”
“Who wouldn’t?”
“Indeed. She was even abandoned by her fiancé because of it.”
The crowd chimed in, echoing the Empress’s words.
“Yes, Lady Mares became ill, was cast aside, and left the capital to prepare for the end of her life.”
“Good heavens…!”
The Empress waited until their shock and chatter subsided before continuing.
“It was to the seaside villa at Lidere that Lady Mares retreated, intending to spend her last days.”
Her words sparked another wave of murmurs.
“My family has a villa there too—it is truly a beautiful place.”
“So she sought peace and beauty in which to prepare for death.”
“To fall ill just before her wedding and be abandoned… her heart must have been shattered.”
Elicia, bewildered, lifted her face slightly from Tirzen’s chest to glance around.
She had only pretended to be ill for a while, yet now people spoke as though she had gone there to die. That the Empress herself was spreading such wild tales was beyond comprehension.
Tirzen firmly pressed her head back against his chest, holding her tightly, forcing her to listen with her ear instead.
“When Lady Mares arrived at Lidere, she was said to be on the brink of death.”
The hall erupted again.
Though the incident had occurred some time ago, no one had known, making the revelation all the more shocking. It took quite a while for silence to return.
“How do you know this, Your Majesty? Did Lady Mares tell you herself?”
“No. I heard it from the Grand Duke of Verato.”
A slow smile curved the Empress’s lips.
The crowd’s attention shifted from her to Tirzen, still holding Elicia tightly. Their eyes brimmed with questions.
Had the Grand Duke been more approachable, they might have asked him outright, but no one dared. Most were too intimidated even to meet his gaze.
It was again the Empress who answered their unspoken questions.
“As it happened, the Grand Duke was there on business and nursed Lady Mares when she was at death’s door.”
The heavy mood instantly transformed into something rosy and romantic.
To young noblewomen dreaming of destiny, this was the sweetest love story imaginable.
“So that is how the two came to be together?”
“Indeed. When His Majesty heard of it and relayed it to me, the tale was distorted.”
“But how could the story of them becoming a couple be twisted into rumors of her bearing his child? That makes no sense.”
One skeptical noblewoman voiced the doubt others also felt.
For those hardened by reality, a scandalous rumor was far more satisfying than a pink-tinted romance.
