“There are many delicious desserts. Some of them are hard to find in Oslant. Do you have a favorite dessert, miss?” Nicholas asked.
“It seems you are mistaken. I have been married for a long time.”
“…Is that so? I apologize again. I didn’t really realize it. Madam, you are so young and beautiful that—”
I interrupted him before he could finish his expected comment, “It's okay now that I know. Anyway, can you leave me alone? For personal reasons, I would rather not be seen alone with a young man like you.”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I had no ill intentions in addressing you.”
“I don't care about your intentions. The truth is, I attract attention. Look, how many eyes are watching us now.”
Nicholas turned calmly.
Indeed, several of the people who had been watching us quickly pretended to look elsewhere when they met his gaze.
“…I understand. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble, so I’ll leave today.”
The phrase “today” made it clear that he had no intention of giving up.
After bowing slightly, Nicholas left. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he left the concert hall, letting out a quiet sigh.
This was the right decision at the moment.
But what about the future?
In fact, the answer was clear.
All I had to do was keep pretending to be the Duchess of Dumont whom Nicholas would find acceptable, cooperating with him.
Sooner or later, Marlon will learn of the situation and will likely remember Nicholas, telling him to stop interfering.
As long as he ensured that Nicholas did not reveal his identity to anyone on Dumont's side, Marlon would not take any dangerous actions.
But the real issue comes after that.
The plot of the story had deviated significantly from the original story, meaning that relying on the original plot to predict future events would become increasingly meaningless.
It's time to reconsider everything, including my original plans.
“Ma’am, are you okay? You seem a little worried...”
Before I knew it, Audrey approached me.
I looked at her and smiled warmly, "Yes, I'm fine. That guy said he was from Oslant, so it seems he didn't know me."
“Ah, I see. Sorry, I didn't notice sooner...”
“Oh, don't apologize, Audrey. It's okay.”
I smiled as I continued, “He said his name was Clement Cowness. Do you know him?”
Audrey thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I don't think so. This is the first time I've heard of him. I think he's someone my husband met on business. I heard that we recently opened for trade with Oslant."
“Ah, I see”
As it was originally.
Even if it was a fake identity that was only used for one day, he was always well prepared. This was the rule among Gerard's clients, to ensure that no leads were left unfinished.
This means they didn't just fudge the guest list. They may have even interfered with the real contacts in Viscount Grandbert's business deals... Did Nicholas manage this on his own?
If so, this raises the possibility that Nicholas did not act alone.
If Marlon had ordered this, it would change everything.
Although I still thought this was unlikely, it was worth confirming.
“Would you mind asking Viscount Grandbert later if he knew that man? He had brown hair and a long mustache, and he looked to be in his mid-twenties,” I said, a slightly worried look on my face as I spoke.
“Oh, sure. I'll ask.”
“Thank you, Audrey,” I said with a smile.
***
That night, when I returned to the Dumont house, I found myself sitting at my desk for the first time in a while, a lamp glowing next to me.
In the early chapters of the original novel, Marlon Gerard's name appears only rarely.
This was because Marlon didn't make any big moves for several years after the Dumont notebook incident with Liam.
He intended to stay out of the limelight, as he did not want to be exposed as the mastermind, and found some satisfaction in damaging the Dumont family's reputation by divorcing Ethan and Camille.
But now that I changed the story, everything changed.
Ethan exposed Marlon's involvement in the notebook case, and Camille was not caught cheating and was not fired.
At that time, I was doing everything I could to survive... who would have thought it could cause such a butterfly effect?
Of course, my primary goal has not changed.
My safety and peace remain my top priority.
But I don't want Elodie and Ethan to suffer because of that...
If I had no other choice, that's one thing, but I didn't want to save myself by sacrificing others.
Even if I could survive this way, guilt would prevent me from being truly happy.
I have to make sure that Elodie and Ethan reach a happy ending, just like in the original story. I have to hit all the milestones along the way.
With that in mind, there were two immediate tasks at hand.
One of them was dealing with Nicholas.
The other thing was to make sure that Elodie could be safely adopted into the Dumont family.
For that to happen...
***
Meanwhile, at the Dumont house, in Victor's room.
Victor motioned for Mael to sit down, “I apologize for this oversight, Sir Mael. I couldn’t find another place for a private conversation.”
Mael shook his head with a slight smile, “No need to apologize. It’s well taken care of, just like its owner. A room reflects its owner’s personality, after all.”
“Thank you for saying that. Here, have a drink. It’s been a long time since I made tea myself, so I can’t guarantee its taste.”
“With your skill, there is no doubt that it will be excellent.”
Mile took a sip, “Excellent, as I expected. The aroma and flavor are impeccable.”
“Thank you.”
Viktor and Mile exchanged smiles.
What are these two grown men doing?
Jack watched them with a puzzled look.
He couldn't get used to the warm atmosphere they exuded.
“Victor, why did you call us here?” Jack asked.
"Ah, right. Since you're both busy, I'll try to keep the conversation short. I wanted to discuss the possibility of reconciliation between the Duke and Duchess."
Hearing Victor, Mael nodded.
“I see. I've been thinking about similar things lately.”
“Do you have?”
“Yes. Although she has hidden her truth for a long time, the current Duchess is an inseparable part of Dumont. If we let her leave now, the Duke will definitely regret it.”
“True. Even among the staff, it is said that the lady has changed a lot. She no longer gets angry or throws things like she used to. The atmosphere in the palace has improved significantly.”
Victor's face brightened as he continued his speech: "It reassures me to know that you are on board, Sir Mile. Since you are the Duke's closest advisors, if you talk to him, he will not ignore the matter."
Jack asked, “So what's the plan?”
“Well, first of all, we have to resolve the misunderstanding between them. As far as I know, the lady has completely closed her heart to the Duke due to previous events. This is the biggest problem now.”
Jack shrugged as he spoke, “Well, it's not surprising. The Duke has certainly neglected the Duchess.”
Victor sighed, “That's why it's so difficult to defend the Duke in front of her. Everything she says is true.”
“It seems like it all depends on the Duke. If he can show her that he has changed, maybe the Duchess will reconsider.”
“I agree with you, Mr. Mael. But as you know, the Duke is very stubborn...” Victor fell silent, a worried look on his face.
“But he still refuses to divorce, right? That means, at least to some extent, that he still wants to keep her.”
“It's complicated”
Jack's response made Mile look at him.
"The Duke's position is this: Unless the suspicions surrounding Baron Bernard are dispelled, he cannot leave the Duchess. He also suspects ulterior motives behind her sudden request for divorce."