---
When there was silence after I asked about his whereabouts, I stared at Archduke Richard, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Actually, I smelled blood on your clothes that night...and I was worried—”
“You don't need to be upset.”
He interrupted me.
Because I could not retreat like this, I hurriedly continued my speech.
“Still, if there's anything I need to know—”
“It's just a personal matter.”
The Archduke turned his head from the window and remained silent, as if he did not want to discuss the matter further.
'Even if it's a personal matter, it's normal for us to be concerned about someone coming home late at night covered in blood.'
The words I wanted to say remained stuck in my throat, but I couldn't say anything more.
The light streaming through the carriage window drew a line between us, sitting facing each other.
The line seemed to symbolize our 'contractual marriage', and I felt bitterness in my mouth.
A relationship in which personal feelings should never be delved into.
∗ ∗ ∗
The summer party was held in what until a few days ago had been the Duke of Bovary's villa.
Of course, it was now Villa Claire.
As we entered the palace, past the gardens decorated with colorful flowers, we were greeted by a sumptuous crystal chandelier and dazzling marble sculptures.
Just before entering the ballroom, I linked arms with the Archduke.
His body trembled.
“This is our first official appearance as a couple in front of the imperial nobility, so please bear with this inconvenience.”
I tried to hide my embarrassment and whispered softly to the Archduke.
As I carefully stepped onto the luxurious, carefully arranged carpet, I caught the attention of the people in the ballroom.
Curiosity, interest, caution, contempt.
Different looks fell on me and the Archduke.
It was understandable, a couple of the emperor's illegitimate son, accused of murder, and his commoner wife.
“Greetings, Archduke and Archduchess Richard.
Thank you for attending the ceremony in person.”
It was Claire, who had been known as the Duchess of Bovary until a few days ago, who brushed off countless conflicting looks.
She dismissed all the attendees who had gathered around her, then walked towards us with wide strides.
“Thank you for the invitation, Claire.”
“You're welcome, Elena.
It's an honor to have you here.”
The nobles who were staring at us muttered quietly.
For nobles to call each other by their first names indicates true intimacy.
Therefore, they couldn't help but be amazed that Claire, the most influential person in imperial society, was so close to me, a commoner, that I could call her by her first name.
“You are still as beautiful as ever, Archduchess.”
The next to approach was the young Marquis Spencer.
His usual bright smile seemed to have disappeared from his coldness yesterday.
He was already usually neat and tidy, but today he seemed even more elegant.
With his soft brown hair tied tightly back, his kind eyes and high nose stood out more, making him look as handsome as Archduke Richard.
“Thank you, Young Marquis.”
I sighed lightly, and glanced at the handkerchief pinned to his left chest.
He saw my dress yesterday, and apparently he matched the color to the handkerchief.
The Marquis smiled at the Archduke.
“Benedict, it seems we had a disagreement yesterday.
How about we postpone our plans to another date?”
“No, let's talk a little.”
"now?"
“One moment is enough.”
At Benedict's suggestion, the young Marquis shrugged his shoulders as if he had no help and followed him out of the banquet hall.
“Elena, come from here.”
After the two men left, Claire led me to the center of the banquet hall.
In the blink of an eye, I was among the ladies in the dazzling dresses.
“I've heard of you for a long time.
I've always wanted to meet you.”
“I'd like to invite you to a tea party next week.
Can you spare some time?”
“I will send you some of our family wine.”
Claire's influence was much stronger than she expected.
The noble ladies, their expressions suddenly changing, seemed very impressed with me.
They were more reluctant to bow before the Archduchess, born of a commoner, than to be excluded from the social milieu.
Like professional society women, they seemed to have finished their accounts in the blink of an eye.
"Elena, this is Ms.
Lorelai, and this is Ms.
Morris.
Oh, my God.
Someone very important has arrived."
Claire bowed deeply, leaving her introductions in the background.
Everyone around her bowed at once.
“I greet Her Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.”
“It has been a long time, Duchess of Bovary.
Oh, shall I call you Princess Zacharias now?”
With her eyes raised arrogantly, her slightly raised chin, and her cold voice – the Empress seemed to exude an unapproachable intensity.
I stared and contemplated Lawrence, who appeared behind the Empress.
While he still looked dominant, Vivian, who entered next to him, looked a little frightened.
‘Vivian has suffered a lot thanks to the Empress.’
The middle part of the original novel was about Vivian's journey as a married woman.
This is due to the Empress's strong opposition to her marriage to Lawrence.
A little later, following the guidance of the hostess, Claire, I welcomed the Empress as well.
“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.
My name is Elena Richard.”
“It is nothing surprising.
He was of low, low birth from the beginning.
He chose a partner of very low stock.”
This blatant insult raised the eyebrows of those around me.
Honestly, I wasn't shocked at all compared to the surprised ladies.
Technically, the Empress was my legal mother-in-law, but it was a relationship that would end in my imminent divorce.
I had no reason to impress her, and compared to the verbal abuse I had suffered in my past life, this was a mild insult.
'I'm more worried about the Archduke…'
In the end, the Empress wanted to trample on Archduke Richard, the Emperor's illegitimate son.
I looked around to see if the Archduke had returned.
Fortunately, he still seemed to be outside the banquet hall, talking with the young Marquis Spencer.
Suddenly, it was Crown Prince Lawrence who exploded in anger.
“Mom, wouldn’t it be better to refrain from speaking in public?”
A hint of anger appeared on his face as he spoke.
The Empress's lips curled strangely.
"The Crown Prince is talking about something I said to the Archduchess.
Do you feel wronged?
Or have you become interested in your sister-in-law?"
في هذا الجوّ المتوتر، وكأننا على جليدٍ رقيق، تحوّلت أنظار الجميع بهدوءٍ وانشغال، لتستقرّ أخيرًا على فيفيان.
It was not just the 'common' and vulgar lineage that the Empress referred to.
‘It seems that the Empress is still upset with Vivian.’
I frowned as Vivian's shoulders shook.
It was Claire who immediately thawed the frozen atmosphere.
“Your Majesty, I am honored to say that the Crown Princess has specially prepared wine for this year’s summer party toast.”
“Aha.”
“This is a winery that has been producing exceptionally high-quality wine lately.
I thought it might be a good idea to display it at the summer gala and then make it a supplier to the Imperial Family, so I prepared it.”
Vivian finally regained her composure, bowed to the Empress and spoke in a low voice.
Claire nodded, and the servants brought the wine at the same time.
The Empress's expression remained steady as she took a sip.
Then the Empress spoke slowly.
“I heard that you have seized more than half of the Duke of Bovary’s wealth.”
“Yes, that's definitely true...”
Claire studied the expressions of the Crown Prince and his wife with a worried look.
The Empress stared at Lawrence with a cold look, as if she had made up her mind.
It appeared as if she was retaliating against the Crown Prince, who had previously pointed out her comment publicly.
“I'm concerned that your personal circumstances have significantly reduced the budget for this summer's party.”
“...!”
So, although it was an indirect remark, in the end it was a comment on the cheap wine Vivian had brought.
An uneasy silence and confused gasps prevailed in the concert hall.
“I think I'll need time to go to the beauty room.”
The Empress, who had been talking evasively about washing her mouth with poor-quality wine, left with a cold expression.
Vivian's face was pale and stiff.
After a while, the flight attendant, Claire, tried to calm the turbulent atmosphere somehow.
With her skillful guidance, champagne was served instead of wine to lighten the mood.
The ballroom music quickly turned into a dance segment.
Thanks to this, the atmosphere returned to joy, and suddenly, the hall was filled with dancers.
I took advantage of the chaos to look for Lawrence.
I thought he was with Vivian, but he was not around, only young noblewomen comforting her.
'Where is he?' 'I need to know something.'
As I walked anxiously through the crowded hall, the back of a young woman dancing touched my shoulder.
My body, which was already tense from the high heels, lost its balance and twisted.
“Oh.”
With a short scream, my knees buckled, and then suddenly, a large hand reached out and grabbed my arm.
“Be careful.”
“...!”
It was Archduke Richard who had saved me from falling, and he had returned to the ballroom.
I blinked in surprise, still clinging to his arm.
I looked directly into his glowing red eyes, and my cheeks flushed.
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
خفضتُ عينيّ بسرعةٍ محاولةً الفرار من قبضته، لكن قبضته على معصمي اشتدّت أكثر.
I felt confused and stuttered.
“Enough...your hand...”
But his hand did not leave my arm, but rather pulled it closer to him.
Finally, a faint voice descended on the top of my feverish head.
“The dance has begun.”
“Ah...”
I bit my lower lip and looked at Young Marquis Spencer with a troubled expression.
He was standing a few steps away, staring at us.
“Elena.”
“...!”
My astonished gaze returned to the Archduke.
The voice calling to me was soft, eager, and surprisingly affectionate.
This strange feeling that I was experiencing for the first time made me feel dizzy.
“Dance with me.
Let me be your first partner at the dance party.”