“...What did you just say?” Nadia asked the server, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“The Duke of Dumont has arrived.”
“At this hour, Duke Dumont...is here?”
“Yes. I've taken him to the living room now, but if I make a mistake...”
“Don't be silly. This can only be true,” Nadia interrupted, hurriedly getting up from the sofa, “Tell him I'll be there right away. No, tell him I'll be there in five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the servant bowed and quickly left.
Nadia sat in front of her table and shouted in a sharp voice: “Bring Mila immediately! Hurry!”
“Yes ma'am”
Is this a dream or reality? she asked, her face reflected in the mirror glowing with a rosy flush.
She hesitated whether to reduce her redness with makeup or leave it on, unsure of Ethan's preference for her despite all her years of longing for him.
Her nerves were tense with anticipation. Ethan's visit to a woman's home at this late hour can only be a significant event.
Mila, her maid, arrived quickly, and quickly touched up Nadia's makeup and hair. Although she wanted to change her clothes, there was no time.
Ethan's punctuality was known, and after telling the butler five minutes, she couldn't be even ten seconds late.
Nadia grabbed her skirt and ran into the living room.
As she entered, she saw Ethan standing with his back to her.
Even his back was absolutely perfect.
“Duke Dumont”
Ethan turned around, and the icy gaze he directed at her sent a shiver down her spine.
She was panting from the rush, but instead of hiding her heaving chest, she subtly pushed it forward, making it more visible.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting… and for not being there when you arrived. I will make you some tea right away.”
"No need. It won't be long. I just have to check some facts, then I'll leave," Ethan said in a colder voice than usual.
Could it be because of the message I sent this morning?
In her excitement and surprise at Ethan's visit, Nadia did not think about why he had come. When she sent the letters to Ethan, she was very careful to remain anonymous. But, given Ethan's identity, it was likely that he would have found out.
“Please, speak up.”
“What did you say to my wife at the party last night?” Ethan's unexpected question left Nadia speechless for a moment.
"…Sorry?"
“I asked you, what did you talk to my wife about last night?” , Ethan's sharp gaze stared at her, as if his eyes could pierce her.
“Why don’t you answer? Don’t you remember?”
“…Oh, yeah. I remember now.”
“So?”
Countless questions raced through her mind. Why is Ethan asking this? What should she say? She had no idea.
“I don't think we talked about anything special.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. We exchanged pleasantries, talked about the current state of the social circles...that's all,” Nadia's voice trembled slightly.
The humiliation she endured from Camille still made her blood boil, but she decided it wouldn't do her any good to share this with Ethan.
“This is strange”
"Excuse me? What's weird...?"
“What you said does not match what I heard from my wife.”
“……”
Nadia's eyes widened.
“My wife said you insulted her. You humiliated her intolerably as Duchess Dumont.”
"This is ridiculous! I was the one insulted by the Duchess!" Nadia screamed, raising her voice involuntarily.
"Is this correct?"
“Yes, the Duchess made fun of me, and even mentioned my late husband. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Countess Marder and Madame Laforet. They were there.”
“Countess Marder and Mrs. Laforet, hmm...” Ethan said in a cold tone, “Do you really think that they will be impartial witnesses? I heard that they are like your ladies-in-waiting, following you everywhere and constantly flattering you.”
“This…this is an unfair accusation. It is true that we are close, but this is a gross misrepresentation. Did you hear that from the Duchess as well?”
“No. My subordinates collected this information, and confirmed it with at least a dozen people familiar with social affairs.”
“……”
Nadia's features hardened at Ethan's words.
“That's not all. I learned that over the past five years, the three of you have been constantly mocking and teasing Camille, always in a way that allows you to deny it later.”
Nadia's mouth went dry and she swallowed hard, "...That's not true, Your Highness. It's a misunderstanding."
“Misunderstanding? Are you saying that the information my subordinates gathered is wrong?” Ethan's eyes narrowed even more.
“Do you mean that the people I have hand-picked and entrusted for more than a decade are incompetent? That I lack the ability to evaluate the capabilities of others?”
“…Your Highness”
“Not only have you been tormenting my wife all this time, but now you are also questioning my competence,” Ethan let out a sarcastic chuckle, “It seems you don’t think highly of Dumont.”
“Your Majesty, no, that is not what is meant. I did not mean...”
Ethan looked at Nadia with ice-cold eyes, as if she were just an insect.
Fear and pain overwhelmed her, and tears streamed from her eyes.
“...You are so cruel, Your Majesty. You know my feelings. You know that I have only admired you all these years. How can you say such things to me?” As she spoke, her sadness increased, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
But Ethan's expression remained steady.
“Are you really asking because you don't know?”
“Your Highness...”
“Listen carefully. This is your first and last warning. If I hear that you insult or mock my wife again, I won’t be so nice next time.”
“……”
Ethan turned around as if it was over.
Nadia, staring at his retreating back with a blank stare, suddenly bit her lip hard.
“She doesn't deserve your love!”
Ethan's steps stopped.
“Do you really not know? Do you have any idea what she did behind your back? Your social circle is full of rumours. And yet you still consider her your wife? The woman who betrayed you.”
Ethan slowly turned to face Nadia.
Surprisingly, his expression was completely calm, except for a hint of a sarcastic smile at the corner of his lips.
“I thought you were looking down on me the whole time, but now I realize. You're just an idiot.”
“...What did you say?”
“If the rumors are true, do you think my wife will still be by my side?”
Nadia was stunned.
That was true. As far as she knew, Ethan wasn't the type to condone or forgive his wife's infidelity.
So she sent another message revealing Camille's alleged affair, believing that Ethan would never tolerate it.
“No, but...”
She saw it with her own eyes. Camille's look at Baron Bernard was, without a doubt, that of a woman in love.
“Then, stop spreading these false rumors. Otherwise, our next meeting will be in court,” Ethan made his final cold statement and left the reception room.
Nadia stood there for a long time, her face contorted with anger and frustration.
***
“So, what is the latest news about the Marchioness Leroy?”
"She doesn't seem to be spreading any new rumours. In fact, she seems very cautious talking about the Duchess. It seems your warning has paid off," Jack emphasized the word 'warning,' but Ethan showed no reaction.
That night, Ethan visits Leroy's house in person to confront her about Camille. Considering Ethan's usual disposition and relationship with the Duchess, this was an unexpected move.