Chapter 40
Viscount Algernon
“What perfume is that?”
Hildegard glared at Count Martin as she spoke.
The man looked fine at first glance, but apart from spending money, he seemed incapable of any real thought.
And yet, he had the audacity to frequently try to seduce Hildegard—it was utterly ridiculous.
“Do you like it? This is the new Sauvage collection from our company, with a base of deep cotton scent.”
“Do I look like I’m asking because I like it? If this were our company, we’d have fired the employee who sold that perfume.”
“How heartless.”
Despite Hildegard’s rebuke, Count Martin smiled faintly, completely unconcerned. He seemed to think his unshakable composure was charming.
Hildegard’s irritation boiled over, her head beginning to throb. She leaned back into her chair.
At the moment she had first entered the banquet hall, everything had been going smoothly.
As she had entered, receiving the eyes of everyone present, she had believed herself the star of the evening.
So why had it come to this? Hildegard lifted her gaze and surveyed the hall.
In the distance, a group of young ladies surrounded Anje.
Seeing some of her own attendants among them, Hildegard’s expression hardened further.
“What could they be talking about with such serious looks?”
Curiosity gnawed at her, but pride prevented her from seeking out Anje herself.
She considered calling Mariana to figure out the situation, but she noticed from the corner of her eye that Mariana, who disliked crowded places, had just left the banquet hall and headed toward the garden.
“Hah—”
Hildegard let out a deep sigh and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Should I have someone bring me some headache medicine?”
She frowned at Count Martin, who wore a mock expression of concern. If only she could get rid of him, her headache might ease.
“Don’t forget why you came here. We didn’t come just to enjoy ourselves, did we?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to achieve our goal and enjoy ourselves at the same time?”
Hildegard twisted her lips in displeasure.
He was already forgetting what he was supposed to do.
“If you intend to achieve your goal, shouldn’t you be looking for Mariana first?”
“Ah!”
Count Martin frowned and uttered a small exclamation, as if confirming Hildegard’s guess.
He straightened his disheveled clothes as he stood.
“Where could this young lady have gone…?”
There was a languid laziness in his muttered voice.
“Mariana didn’t even enjoy banquets back at the academy. And now she’s a lady? Pathetic. She doesn’t even know what she has.”
Interest sparked in Count Martin’s eyes.
“Do you dislike Miss Mariana that much?”
Hildegard’s icy gaze met his.
“Let’s focus on what we came here to do and leave the trivialities aside. From what I saw earlier, Mariana went outside alone.”
“Is that so?”
The sun had already set, and attendants lit lamps throughout the area.
Through an open window, the scent of flowers mixed with the earthy fragrance of the garden.
Soon, the emperor would enter and officially begin the banquet.
Count Martin, who had been hoping for a first dance with Hildegard, swallowed his disappointment. The woman clearly had no intention of dancing with him.
‘Just because he has money… Hmph!’
With a disdainful look at Hildegard, Count Martin set off to find Mariana. He intended to woo the lady properly now that circumstances allowed.
Mariana, having left the banquet hall, looked up at a pergola tucked away in a secluded corner of the garden.
This long-neglected pergola, overgrown with moss and pitted from years of exposure, was an unattractive place few people visited.
Mariana had discovered it by chance during her debut and had since spent time at this pond, avoiding the gaze of others.
The small statues surrounding the pond were grotesque, resembling monsters from children’s storybooks.
Covered in damp moss, the statues were particularly off-putting at night, so most people avoided this area.
Unbothered, Mariana walked slowly around the pond, examining the small statues.
“They’re not scary… they’re so small and cute, with such comical expressions.”
She reached out and stroked the head of one little creature, feeling the soft texture of moss under her fingers.
In the dim light, the statues’ playful expressions seemed almost alive, and Mariana couldn’t help but laugh quietly.
“Are you not afraid?”
“Ah! You startled me!”
Mariana’s eyes widened at the human voice. Someone else had come to this secluded spot.
She turned to look and saw the shadow of a man leaning against a pergola pillar.
His thin, elongated silhouette looked extremely frail.
‘His voice also sounds rather weak.’
“They’re not scary. I find them quite cute,” Mariana said, her voice slightly pouting.
The man chuckled softly, perhaps annoyed at her reaction.
“I apologize if I startled you. But you are the first person, whether gentleman or lady, to touch these creatures without hesitation. My name is Algernon Frederick.”
Mariana narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar name.
Occasionally, uninvited guests tried sneaking into imperial banquets out of curiosity; could he be one of them?
If so, she might be in danger.
But Algernon, as if reading her thoughts, waved his hand dismissively.
“I can guess what you’re thinking, but I assure you, I am not suspicious. I am a little older, and I recently recovered from illness, so I don’t go around doing such things.”
Indeed, even in the dark, he looked exhausted.
In the faint light, his bony hands were visible.
He brushed his face and stepped out from the shadow of the pergola, approaching Mariana.
His face was so pale it had a bluish tint; his cheekbones were prominent, and his face seemed almost skeletal.
Yet beneath his neatly trimmed blond hair, his straight forehead and elegant nose were refined, and his green eyes radiated calm intelligence.
“I… am Mariana Side,” she said.
“Ah!”
The man let out a small exclamation and nodded.
“So, you are a daughter of the Side family. I have heard of you.”
Mariana frowned, recalling the many rumors about herself, and lowered her head to hide her expression.
“The Duke holds you in high regard. Now I understand why.”
Hearing that her brother supposedly “cherishes” her, Mariana frowned. While their relationship wasn’t bad, her brother wouldn’t put it that way. Something felt off.
“Um, perhaps you’re confusing my brother with my father?”
The man’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Your brother?”
“My father passed away a few years ago. My brother succeeded him as Duke.”
He brushed his forehead and muttered in a heavy voice.
“My apologies. I had been abroad for a long time. The previous Duke was quite healthy, so I am unsure what happened.”
“Only outwardly, perhaps. He had a long-term illness. With proper care, he could have lived longer, but that year was unusually busy, and he overexerted himself.”
The silence was brief. Suddenly, the sky brightened and the music grew louder.
Over the palace’s rounded roof, colorful fireworks erupted in a continuous display.
“The Emperor… His Majesty has entered.”
Perhaps due to his long stay abroad, Algernon’s tone carried a faint irreverence.
‘It must just be my imagination.’
The fireworks illuminated the once-dark, secluded garden.
Mariana finally took in Algernon’s appearance in full clarity and drew in a breath.
