Duke Sadie sent an invitation to the Starr family.
“What you said at the banquet was true.”
Emily shook her head at the Duke of Sadie's invitation. Everyone knew she and the Duke were ex-fiancées, so how could she possibly have the face to go there?
It was perfect prey for the affluent.
Emily began to write down a long and detailed account of how difficult it would be for her to go up North, and her current physical condition.
"Lady."
At that moment, Butler Alvin knocked on the door.
“Come in. What’s going on?”
“Young Lady Marlene Huppert has come to see you.”
“Marlene?”
Emily had the impression that she had been acting a lot friendlier since she had earned the title of social queen.
“Yes, I invited her inside because she said there was something she had to tell you as a friend.”
“Hmm, I see.”
'I guess I'll have to make it clear that we're not friends.'
When Emily went to the reception room, Marlene was looking around the room with a noble demeanor, holding a teacup.
“What’s going on here?”
Marlene frowned as she watched Emily suddenly start ticking.
“Why don’t you just sprinkle salt in front of me?”
“Why are you giving me that expensive thing?”
“I was going to say that Marquis Starr is better than I thought, but what’s your attitude now?”
Emily, embarrassed by Marlene's words, cleared her throat and sat down on the sofa opposite her.
“Yes. Let me tell you why you came.”
“Before we get to the point, what on earth happened that day?”
“That day?”
Only then did Emily let out a low sigh at Marlene's words. Come to think of it, she hadn't been able to convey much news to Marlene since the incident at the Gallery Molineux.
"You should have seen His Excellency the Marquis of Starr's face then. Do you know how scared I was?"
Marlene still felt goosebumps when she remembered that day, running her arms down her back. No matter how handsome he was, she felt she couldn't marry a mafia member.
Emily looked amazing all over again.
“I was in a hurry that day. I’m sorry, I just went.”
“What, did that mean guy really try to harm you?”
“Don’t worry, my husband came before that and nothing happened.”
“I’m glad you have a man to protect you.”
Marlene said with a hint of envy in her tone.
“Enough with this story. What is your business?”
“You're also impatient.”
Marlene clicked her tongue and took out the invitation.
“It’s a pretty familiar invitation...”
“That’s right. It’s an invitation from the Duke of Charles Sadie.”
"What?"
Emily took the invitation and checked it. It was exactly the same as the one sent to her, even the content.
“You’re saying it wasn’t just sent to me?”
"Yes."
Marlene said, taking the invitation back from Emily's hands.
“You were definitely writing a rejection letter, weren’t you?”
The corners of Marlene's mouth went up in a smirk at Emily's expression, as if asking how she knew.
“I told you, no one knows you better than I do.”
“I would have said no.”
"Yeah, right, friend. Of. The. Middle. Uh! I thought you said no one knew you better than me. Yes?"
"Yes."
Marlene, feeling better at Emily's affirmation, continued the conversation from earlier.
"His Excellency the Duke sent invitations not only to you, but also to me, the House of Blois, and the House of Touchet. What do you think we have in common?"
Emily answered easily without hesitation.
“Except for us, all the other families are equally famous.”
“Right. You're married, so you have to go, don't you? To boost your pathetic family's reputation.”
“What you said at the banquet was true.”
Emily shook her head at the Duke of Sadie's invitation. Everyone knew she and the Duke were ex-fiancées, so how could she possibly have the face to go there?
It was perfect prey for the affluent.
Emily began to write down a long and detailed account of how difficult it would be for her to go up North, and her current physical condition.
"Lady."
At that moment, Butler Alvin knocked on the door.
“Come in. What’s going on?”
“Young Lady Marlene Huppert has come to see you.”
“Marlene?”
Emily had the impression that she had been acting a lot friendlier since she had earned the title of social queen.
“Yes, I invited her inside because she said there was something she had to tell you as a friend.”
“Hmm, I see.”
'I guess I'll have to make it clear that we're not friends.'
When Emily went to the reception room, Marlene was looking around the room with a noble demeanor, holding a teacup.
“What’s going on here?”
Marlene frowned as she watched Emily suddenly start ticking.
“Why don’t you just sprinkle salt in front of me?”
“Why are you giving me that expensive thing?”
“I was going to say that Marquis Starr is better than I thought, but what’s your attitude now?”
Emily, embarrassed by Marlene's words, cleared her throat and sat down on the sofa opposite her.
“Yes. Let me tell you why you came.”
“Before we get to the point, what on earth happened that day?”
“That day?”
Only then did Emily let out a low sigh at Marlene's words. Come to think of it, she hadn't been able to convey much news to Marlene since the incident at the Gallery Molineux.
"You should have seen His Excellency the Marquis of Starr's face then. Do you know how scared I was?"
Marlene still felt goosebumps when she remembered that day, running her arms down her back. No matter how handsome he was, she felt she couldn't marry a mafia member.
Emily looked amazing all over again.
“I was in a hurry that day. I’m sorry, I just went.”
“What, did that mean guy really try to harm you?”
“Don’t worry, my husband came before that and nothing happened.”
“I’m glad you have a man to protect you.”
Marlene said with a hint of envy in her tone.
“Enough with this story. What is your business?”
“You're also impatient.”
Marlene clicked her tongue and took out the invitation.
“It’s a pretty familiar invitation...”
“That’s right. It’s an invitation from the Duke of Charles Sadie.”
"What?"
Emily took the invitation and checked it. It was exactly the same as the one sent to her, even the content.
“You’re saying it wasn’t just sent to me?”
"Yes."
Marlene said, taking the invitation back from Emily's hands.
“You were definitely writing a rejection letter, weren’t you?”
The corners of Marlene's mouth went up in a smirk at Emily's expression, as if asking how she knew.
“I told you, no one knows you better than I do.”
“I would have said no.”
"Yeah, right, friend. Of. The. Middle. Uh! I thought you said no one knew you better than me. Yes?"
"Yes."
Marlene, feeling better at Emily's affirmation, continued the conversation from earlier.
"His Excellency the Duke sent invitations not only to you, but also to me, the House of Blois, and the House of Touchet. What do you think we have in common?"
Emily answered easily without hesitation.
“Except for us, all the other families are equally famous.”
“Right. You're married, so you have to go, don't you? To boost your pathetic family's reputation.”
Emily wondered why Marlene, who was so desperate to eat her, was saying this.
“What on earth are you up to?”
At those words, Marlene suddenly put down her teacup and sighed. Emily tilted her head at the sight of her gloomy expression, something she'd never seen before.
“Is something bad happening?”
“My life has become so monotonous and boring since you, my rival in social circles, disappeared.”
“Then why don’t you just start dating?”
"No! That's a realm no man can fill. I miss the way we used to be."
Emily looked at Marlene with a strange expression and said.
"If people hear us, they'll think we're dating. Be careful what you say."
“Anyway, I’m going to put you back in there this time.”
“Huh? Where to?”
“Into the whirlpool of fate.”
Emily frowned at the sudden remark.
“What? ...What kind of crazy nonsense is that?”
Marlene stood up from her seat, glaring menacingly.
“So are you going or not?”
After attending this palace banquet, Emily realized the hard truth: the Marquis Starr was not yet recognized as a noble.
To truly rise to the ranks of nobility, it seemed best to accept this invitation, as Marlene had suggested.
“I’m going.”
Emily's expression also became serious.
Emily, who had been waiting for Marlene to leave and Killian to return home, showed him the invitation as soon as he returned to the mansion.
When Charles actually sent the invitation, a moment of discomfort passed through Killian's eyes.
“Do you want to go?”
"Yes."
Emily didn't say anything about Starr's reputation or anything like that in front of Killian. Perhaps because such words might hurt Killian's pride as a commoner.
“I absolutely have no ulterior motives toward His Excellency the Duke.”
“Then why do you have to go?”
“That, that is...”
Instead, Emily forced out the words that were stuck in her throat.
"My only friend, Marlene, really wanted to go with me. She was invited, but she doesn't have any friends besides me."
Killian nodded after hearing Emily's words. He was already worried that her marriage would sever her friendships with the nobles, but he couldn't stop his wife's social activities.
"Great."
“Yes? Really?”
“Instead, I have to go with you.”
“That’s obvious.”
Killian had to accompany her on this journey, if only to minimize the scandal.
But contrary to his easy consent, Killian's expression was not good the whole next day.
“My Lord.”
Eventually, that evening, Emily spoke to him first.
“Are you concerned about being invited by His Excellency the Duke?”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems like you have some complaints about me.”
There wasn't much conversation between the two to begin with, but that doesn't mean the atmosphere itself was bad.
But today, Killian didn't even make eye contact with Emily, nor did he speak to her first.
“I think you misunderstood. I don’t really care.”
When Emily pointed it out to Killian, he was embarrassed and tried to ignore it.
"Is it so?"
Emily glanced at him suspiciously. But when there was still no response from Killian, she had no choice but to go up to her room.
After making sure Emily was completely inside the room, Killian returned to the table and took out the liquor.
In fact, the thought that he simply had to go there was rising in his throat. The Duke Charles Sadie, as Giovanni had discovered, was a perfect man.
***
So, the night before, Killian had secretly sent Giovanni to investigate the Duke of Sadie without Emily knowing.
“Have you looked into it?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Giovanni handed him a thick file.
“As you can see from reading the material, he is praised as a near-perfect man within this half-century.”
“The perfect man?”
"Yes. The first head of the family was a founding father, and since then, they've been the most powerful Duke in the empire. Almost all the wealth in the north comes from there, so their wealth is considerable."
When Giovanni noticed the furrow between Killian's eyebrows and couldn't continue speaking, he nodded.
“Keep going.”
"Ahem, Duke Sadie, in particular, is a sword master, undefeated in every battle. Furthermore, he possesses a striking face and figure, making him a true and sought-after groom for many women."
Killian, who had been listening to Giovanni, asked what had been bothering him the whole time.
"Why isn't he married yet? Isn't he seeing a woman?"
This time, Giovanni hesitated as if he really didn't want to speak.
“If you don’t report properly, you’d better be prepared.”
"Ha, that's... I'm hesitant to tell you this, since it's just a rumor. Your Excellency, please consider it a rumor."
“I understand, so tell me.”
Giovanni swallowed hard and continued.
“You know that Duke Sadie fell in love with Madam at first sight in the Sinope estate and personally proposed marriage to the Emperor. Is that correct?”
“Yes. But didn’t they abandon it as soon as the Sinope family fell?”
He was a very ungrateful and weak-willed guy.
“But they say that’s not the case.”
"What?"
“It is said that it was not the Duke but the Emperor who broke up the marriage, and that the loyal Duke of Sadie did not dare to disobey the Emperor’s orders.”
The Emperor's involvement in this matter, Killian's expression hardened gravely. Giovanni glanced at him and spoke again.
“And the Emperor said that if the Duke performed some official duties, he would arrange a new engagement between him and the Madame, but in the meantime...”
“I snatched her and married her?”
“...Yes, that’s true. But it’s just a rumor, so don’t worry too much about it.”
"You don't seem to care!" Killian ripped and crumpled the paper he was looking at. It was strange that the Duke didn't have any lingering feelings for Emily after parting ways like this.
Now, he felt uneasy because he was seen as a villain caught between the male and female protagonists.
After sending Giovanni away, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and tried to control his excitement.
A few minutes later, he opened his eyes again and threw the report Giovanni had given him into the trash can.
It didn't matter if he became a villain. After all, Emily was by his side now.
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