What Remains at the End of Regret - Chapter 38

“Place the flowers closer together. Gather more of the moderately extravagant ones.”

Hurrying yet maintaining her dignity, Catherine issued concise instructions, moving to ensure the success of the ball to be held in this beautiful mansion.

The day she returned to the mansion alone.

The Duke returned at a reasonable hour.

It wasn’t a big deal.

Nevertheless, the unsettling feeling of unease was surely due to the man’s clear rejection, avoiding answering her question while looking at the sea.

She didn’t try to ask further. She was confident she could change his mind and somewhat agreed with the Duke’s opinion that his position wasn’t so precarious that he desperately needed a spouse yet. After that, they walked together, enjoying the sea view.

Entering the small but cozy-looking bookstore was simply a matter of following where her feet led.

The tearful, disheveled expression of the woman she saw in the humble bookstore. It was a decent outing, except that the expression kept bringing an unsettling feeling. The woman’s deep eyes, which wavered when she saw Edmund, were quite bothersome, probably because the woman had a pretty face that could stir a man’s heart.

But this time, Catherine decided to ignore the intuition that had always given her confidence. It was also a matter of trusting the Duke. She made the decision because she was sure that the Duke’s attitude, which showed a definite reaction, was much more trustworthy than an uncertain and unpleasant premonition.

A beauty too good for a rural village.

How often would such a woman encounter the Duke by chance?

And so, Catherine was finally able to regain her composure.

What she needed to focus on now was not such an insignificant woman, but the ball to be held tonight. A stage that Catherine von Berveroth, under the name of Lockberg, would direct from beginning to end. Knowing the significance of this better than anyone, there could be no mistakes.

Her luscious red hair, swaying at the end of her waist, moved quietly in time with her steps.

“What should we do with these?”

Catherine, looking at the daisies in the vase presented before her, frowned and ordered in a voice like venom.

“Get rid of them all.”

Insignificant weeds that didn’t suit this place where a splendid ball would be held.

The servants, busily moving according to her orders, seemed to express their firm determination to make tonight’s ball a success. Feeling satisfied with their precise, doll-like movements, Catherine wore a contented smile.

＊ ＊ ＊

Felix, leisurely watching the servants bustling through the hall, whistled softly.

“It seems the other side is already done preparing to be the mistress.”

Felix, leaning on the railing and giggling, narrowed his eyes.

“…….”

Edmund’s eyes, following his cousin’s gaze, which showed interest as if it had nothing to do with him, flickered with a different light.

The preparations that had begun early in the morning were now nearing their end.

The ball this evening was directed from beginning to end by Catherine, who had been given authority by his grandmother, and as a result, an unprecedented crowd had flocked to the mansion for several days. It was the result of greed, burning with a will to win as if staking everything on this ball.

As splendidly as possible.

Catherine von Berveroth summoned renowned decorators and artisans from all over the continent as if that were the only value. He couldn’t help but admire her when she brought Parsons, a decorator known for being picky, to the mansion.

Curtains with dazzling diamonds embedded everywhere.

Fragments of sharply carved jewels floated in the air, piercing sharply into the depths of the field of vision.

The mistress of Lockberg.

While staying in Fober, the Grand Duchess was slowly but surely establishing her place.

The servants, already acting as if she were the Duchess, seemed to be blinded by the honor that Catherine, the Emperor’s cousin and the Grand Duke’s daughter, would bring as the mistress. It was impossible not to know where the strange heat that enveloped the mansion originated.

A life directly connected to the status of the master they serve. Perhaps there was no one more perfect than Catherine von Berveroth. The name of the imperial family to be added to the name of Lockberg, which has maintained an excellent lineage for centuries. The loyalty of the servants, who had calculated how much influence her imperial blood would have on enhancing the family’s reputation, was truly remarkable.

But surprisingly, Edmund felt no interest in any of it.

He had made a decision, and that decision did not include the option of welcoming Catherine as the mistress.

Nevertheless, the only reason he was playing along with this comedy-like game was because of his grandmother, Catherine Anait.

The only flaw of the daughter she loved. A proud aristocrat who had poured the rest of her life into proving that her grandson was not broken. He wouldn’t be a docile grandson, but he didn’t intend to completely go against his grandmother either.

The sun, which had brilliantly colored today, slowly set.

When the red sky lost its light, it would be the turn of the ball’s chandeliers to emit even brighter light. Edmund moved his steps, stepping on the vermilion sunset reflected through the transparent window.

＊ ＊ ＊

The quiet Fober was creating an unprecedentedly noisy atmosphere with the carriages arriving one after another. Vivian, hiding her anxiousness, got out of the carriage and stepped down.

It doesn’t seem like the place I knew.

The mansion, towering as if to pierce the sky, revealed its noble figure with more splendid light than ever. Dazzling lights and deep colors and scents permeating everywhere. It was a place she always saw, but today, the sense of oppression coming to her felt distinctly different.

“Don’t be nervous.”

Hayden, gently holding Vivian’s hand, leaned over and whispered softly in her ear. It was a gentle and soft voice that melted the anxiety of being thrown into an unfamiliar space. Smiling softly and nodding, Vivian slowly moved her steps towards the wide-open entrance.

Vivian, who suddenly stopped and turned around, saw an endless procession in the distance.

Dazzling carriages and glimpses of people were mixed up in confusion. Everyone getting out of there seemed to have an elegant and dignified figure that was impossible to approach, and Vivian’s shoulders drooped powerlessly.

“Should we go back now?”

“That’s out of the question.”

Mrs. Pourin, who appeared behind Vivian, caught Vivian’s attention with a firm voice. Briefly pointing out Vivian’s lips, which had fallen without confidence, Pourin moved her steps forward.

The unexpected news that Countess Diane, who had suddenly disappeared from the capital’s social circles after losing her husband, was teaching Vivian, reached the Grand Duchess’s ears.

It was surprising that Pourin, who had considerable influence in the capital’s social circles, had suddenly disappeared, but it was certainly unusual for her to be acting as a etiquette teacher for a rural noble lady like Vivian in Fober.

Thanks to the Grand Duchess’s favor, the Baron family, including Mrs. Pourin, was able to attend the ball. In addition, Bender Harper, a wealthy merchant who was about to marry into the Baron family, was also included. It was an opportunity that Bender Harper, who was gradually gaining a foothold in aristocratic society, could not miss.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be by your side.”

Hayden, quietly whispering as he put a little strength into the hand he was holding, led Vivian into the brilliantly shining world.

The hall they entered was so wide and magnificent that it was hard to take in at a glance. Overwhelmed by the oppressive scale, Vivian’s heart began to beat faster and louder.

The space, which spread out widely around the main hall, where two branches of stairs gradually intertwined and fell, was dazzlingly pierced by pure white marble and golden decorations that reflected intense lighting.

The nobles, who seemed to already be acquainted, gathered together and whispered in unison about how beautiful and splendid Lockberg’s summer villa was.

And the appearance of an unfamiliar person always attracts attention. Overt gazes, glancing without pretending not to, gathered together.

“Who is that woman?”

“I’ve never seen her before.”

More precisely, to the very beautiful woman following behind her.

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