Ethan remained silent, lowering his gaze, lost in thought.
I wondered, he was acting strange today.
Something wrong? But I couldn't think of anything specific.
I shook my head and decided not to dwell on it.
There was already a lot to worry about.
The carriage was silent all the way to Viscount Rochefort's house.
***
With my hand on Ethan's arm, we entered the dance floor, and all eyes turned to us.
There were whispers and shouts of surprise from around the room.
Even without hearing their words, I could guess the topics of their whispered conversations. No doubt they were surprised to see us together, and discussed the truth of the rumours.
“Everyone seems so surprised,” I whispered to Ethan, moving closer to his face. Even though Camille was a bit tall, Ethan's height made me look up noticeably.
“We expected this response. Just act normal and calm,” Ethan said.
“I know,” I answered as I approached him.
I felt Ethan shiver slightly.
"What do you do?"
“You asked me to act normal,” I reminded him.
“But we don't usually stand that close to each other,” he noted.
“Really? Well, I thought I’d better be as affectionate as possible. Isn’t that what I planned?” I tilted my head and looked at him.
“……”
When our eyes met, Ethan quickly looked away.
"Your facial expression is too rigid. People might take that wrong. Try smiling a little," I suggested.
“……”
Despite my words, Ethan's face remained impassive and I sighed softly.
“Duke Dumont, Duchess,” someone’s voice called out to us.
I turned to see Viscount Rochefort approaching us.
He seemed short of breath. He rushed to us when he saw us.
“Ah, Viscount Rochefort. Thank you for the invitation today,” I said with a bright smile.
"No, no, it's my pleasure. I'm honored to have you here," Viscount Rochefort replied, bowing his head and then looking at Ethan.
I nudged Ethan's side.
A slight expression appeared between his eyebrows.
“…Thank you for the warm welcome, Viscount Rochefort,” Ethan spoke reluctantly.
“Oh, not at all. My pleasure, Duke,” replied Viscount Rochefort, bowing repeatedly. I couldn't help but fear that he would strain his neck with this enthusiastic gesture.
"The Duke has been looking forward to this event for days. He doesn't attend these gatherings often, so he must be excited," I added.
"What …?" Ethan started to frown, so I poked him in the side again.
"No need to be shy. We're here to have a good time," I said, and Ethan's eyes met my playful smile.
He sighed quietly and said nothing.
Viscount Rochefort looked at us with a somewhat confused expression.
"Something wrong?"
“No, it just seems like you two are very close to each other.”
“Well, of course. We're married, after all.”
“Yes, of course you are,” Viscount Rochefort agreed, laughing.
Looks like our plan is working, I thought.
Since we entered the dance floor, people's eyes have been on us.
Those nearby listened silently to our conversation, even if they did not openly stare at us.
It may seem to viewers like I'm the one clinging to Ethan... but that's nothing new.
This should help dispel the rumors about me and Liam having an affair and keeping me housebound.
“By the way, where is the Viscountess?”
“Oh, she was here a while ago... I'm sorry, wait a minute. I'll go look for her right away,” Viscount Rochefort said, ready to set off.
"No, it's not necessary. She must be busy organizing the party. I will greet her when we meet later. Don't worry," she reassured him.
“Oh, thank you for understanding.”
“Viscount Rochefort, may I speak to you?” Ethan interrupted.
Viscount Rochefort blinked in astonishment.
"Sure, Duke. What's the matter?"
Ethan looked at me, "I have some practical matters to discuss with the Viscount. Can you wait a moment?"
"Sure. Don't worry about me," I said smiling.
Ethan and Viscount Rochefort moved to the corner of the ballroom.
“Okay then...”
As I was turning around to look for something to drink, a group of women approached me, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“The Duchess of Dumont,” greeted by three young women the same age as Camille.
One had red hair and freckles spread across her nose, another had droopy eyes and a beauty mark below her lip, and the third was tall and luscious, looking just like Camille.
They all matched the descriptions Audrey described to me.
“Ah, the Marchioness Leroy, the Countess Marder, Madame Laforet,” I greeted them, meeting their eyes.
"It's been a long time. Are you okay now?" Marchioness Nadia Le Roy asked, smiling.
“Yes, thank you for your interest.”
"We were so worried. The last time we saw you at a party, you looked perfectly fine. It wasn't seriously ill, was it?" Nadia asked, her eyes full of makeup widening with mock concern.
Oh, look at her.
I thought, barely suppressing my bitter smile.
Marchioness Nadia Le Roy also appeared in the original story.
She lost her husband a few years after their marriage. In her early days, she was almost as prominent a society lady as Camille.
But Ethan chose Camille, and Nadia reluctantly settled for Marquis Leroy.
Since then, she has subtly tortured Camille, and after the Marquis's death in an accident, she openly flirts with Ethan. Naturally, Ethan never loved her back, but always rejected her coldly.
She always held a grudge against Camille. She may have thought she was no less than Camille, but in the end she lost Ethan and became just a Marchioness. No wonder she's so bitter.
In high society, it was common to insult someone with a smiley face, but Nadia's comment was hardly convincing.
It was an outright mockery.
Camille, as naive as she was, would not have had the ability to handle such sly comments.
If the insults are too subtle, Camille won't understand them, and if they're overt, she won't know how to respond.
Her face will turn red with anger, and Nadia will feign innocence, claiming that she didn't mean it, and then laugh behind her back.
I can imagine the scenario easily.
While I remained silent, Countess Bérénice Marder and Madame Marianne Laforet joined her.
"Today's dress is completely different from what you usually wear. Is it because it's been so long since your last party?"
“Perhaps because you are with the Duke.” “He is a very generous man.”
“Oh my God,” they laughed, covering their mouths.
They get along great. They must have been bored while I was in detention.
But what a pity, they are no longer dealing with Camille herself.
“You are unusually quiet today. Are you still feeling unwell?” Nadia asked, feigning concern.
I shook my head slightly and smiled.
“No, like I said, I'm perfectly fine now.”
“Oh, that's a relief,” Nadia said, her voice full of insincerity.
“All thanks to him. He took good care of me, and made sure I focused on recovery. Whenever the fever kept me awake at night, he would change the cold compresses himself and hold my hand until I fell asleep. “I am very grateful to him.”
“……”
The women's eyes widened in amazement.
It was normal. Anyone who knows Ethan even a little would know that such a scenario is impossible.
“This is… surprising. I never imagined the Duke to be so kind,” Berenice said, blinking in surprise.
“He may appear aloof, but he is actually very warm towards those he cares about.”
This wasn't a lie. In fact, Ethan was destined to be a very loving father to Elodie.
“However, this is hard to believe considering the Duke I saw. “Honestly, it's not easy to believe him,” Nadia said, frowning slightly. The other two women quickly nodded.
“I understand why Marchioness Leroy finds this difficult to believe. That’s why I mentioned “those who care about them.” I said with a nice smile.
Nadia's face hardened at my words.