Chapter 5

When the party began, the Duke of Lindertho stood at the foot of the grand staircase in the center of the hall.

With his hair neatly swept back and dressed in a dark navy suit, he looked especially tall and striking today.

Dominic quickly scanned the people continuing to enter the hall.

Then, at some point, his golden eyes recognized someone, and a brilliant light flickered within them.

“She finally came.”

Elin entered the ballroom, nervously looking around.

Whenever she spotted a young man of a similar build to the duke amid the crowded hall, she quickly covered her face with her fan.

Phew. Not him.

Even as she lowered the fan slightly, she never stopped looking around.

Completely unaware that the duke was watching her every move from somewhere in the hall.

Heh.

Watching her look as though she had returned to the scene of a crime, Dominic let out a quiet chuckle.

He didn’t hurry.

He wanted to leisurely enjoy Elin Nilson’s comical display of nervousness for a little while longer.

Just then, an extravagant fragrance wafted toward him, and Sylvia approached his side.

“Why did you only decide to hold such a wonderful party now? Everyone seems to be having a great time.”

She smiled as she handed him the glass she had brought.

Red wine swayed inside the tall glass.

Dominic looked at it suspiciously before accepting it. Then, without hesitation, he placed it on the tray of a passing servant.

“I’m glad they’re enjoying themselves.”

He answered absentmindedly, paying little attention to Sylvia’s heated gaze.

“The Crown Prince was looking for you quite intently earlier.”

At the duke’s indifferent remark, Sylvia’s lips pursed slightly in a pout.

“I already saw him. Is that all you have to say to me?”

She didn’t bother hiding her feelings and openly showed her disappointment.

“I wore a red dress for the first time today. Don’t you think it goes well with your suit?”

At her words, Dominic shifted his gaze to her dress.

“I suppose so. It suits you very well.”

He gave her a brief compliment, then turned his attention elsewhere.

Elin Nilson, who had been in his line of sight until just moments ago, had disappeared while he looked away.

As the duke scanned the ballroom as though searching for someone, Sylvia also looked around curiously.

“Who are you looking for?”

As though he hadn’t heard her, he continued scanning the crowd with a swift gaze.

“Then, enjoy yourself.”

Finally, the duke lightly kissed the back of Sylvia’s gloved hand and left first.

“Your Grace!”

When she called after him, he turned around and added one final remark.

“The highlight of tonight’s party will be seeing you dance with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

As Sylvia watched the duke walk away, her shoulders drooped in disappointment.

“Sylvia?”

As though he had been waiting for that very moment, the Crown Prince appeared in front of her again and politely asked her for a dance.

Noticing the attention of those around her, Sylvia took Jonathan’s outstretched hand.

Just as Dominic had predicted, the sight of the Crown Prince and Sylvia dancing drew everyone’s attention in the hall.

Dominic exchanged polite nods with the guests while quickly scanning the ballroom.

Elin Nilson had vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, Elin approached the area where the food had been laid out.

“I should be able to catch my breath here.”

Everyone was busy socializing, so only the servants carrying food were bustling around the tables.

They’re so pretty.

She popped one of the adorable bite-sized desserts into her mouth and chewed happily.

“Elin?”

A warm voice calling her name from somewhere startled her so badly that she choked.

Elin touched her throat as she coughed and turned around.

A familiar, welcome face greeted her.

“Charlotte!”

It was Charlotte, a friend she had grown up with as a child.

It was wonderful to see her again after so long, especially since Charlotte had married young and moved far away with her husband.

“I didn’t know you were coming. You wrote to me last time saying you were staying at your great-aunt’s house.”

“Yeah. I’m back now. What happened to you?”

“My husband went abroad for a while because of business. I decided to stay at my parents’ house while he’s away.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m so happy to see you again.”

The two friends clasped hands happily, as though they had suddenly returned to their childhood.

“I saw Jenis earlier too. She was practically glued to Royce like a pair of cockroaches.”

Charlotte had always called Royce, who had married Jenis, a despicable man, so she seemed even more furious about the situation than Elin herself.

Seeing Charlotte like that, Elin couldn’t help laughing.

“How’s Edward?”

“About the same. Still, he seems much more at ease than he was at home.”

Understanding the meaning behind Elin’s words, Charlotte looked troubled and turned her gaze toward Rosanna.

“You must be so distressed.”

“Let’s stop talking about depressing things. Tell me about yourself instead.”

Elin deliberately changed the subject, and the two of them spent a long-overdue evening chatting happily like young ladies their age.

While Elin was talking with Charlotte at the edge of the ballroom, Rosanna searched for her.

Just then, Jenis hurried over and grabbed her mother’s arm.

“Mother. The count’s daughter is over there. Come on, let’s go greet her.”

“Sylvia Muas?”

“Everyone says she’ll probably become the duchess soon. They say the duke even threw this party for her.”

Upon hearing her daughter’s words, Rosanna’s eyes widened as she nodded.

“Then let’s go. Of course we should greet the future duchess.”

Rosanna completely forgot that she had been searching for Elin and approached Sylvia with her daughter.

Sylvia looked at the mother and daughter charging toward her with an annoyed expression.

“Sylvia. You look absolutely beautiful today.”

“It’s such a wonderful party, isn’t it?”

Sylvia slowly looked the mother and daughter up and down with tired eyes.

They were wearing the latest fashions, but the colors and jewel embellishments were terribly gaudy.

“Is that so? Thank you. I hope you two have a pleasant evening as well.”

She gave them a small, polite smile before turning away as though they weren’t worth any more of her attention.

The mother and daughter exchanged slightly distorted expressions.

“She certainly is cold.”

“Mother! Don’t say things like that. At least we got to greet her.”

Jenis gazed after Sylvia as though she were looking at someone she deeply admired.

“She’ll soon become the duchess. How wonderful that must be.”

An envious sigh escaped her lips.

At that moment, Charlotte left to greet some other people, leaving Elin alone again. Elin began slowly looking around the duke’s residence.

“The Count of Muas’s residence was impressive last time too, but the duke’s residence really can’t be compared to it.”

Perhaps because she was now convinced that there was no way the duke would recognize her among so many people, she began noticing things she hadn’t seen earlier.

The magnificent ceiling covered in beautiful paintings, the enormous marble pillars, and the arched staircase coated in gold.

What took her breath away the moment she saw it was the romantic terrace, where statues had been arranged like works of art.

What would it feel like to wake up somewhere like this every day?

As she gazed at the fountain spraying water in the garden beyond the terrace, Elin felt as though this moment couldn’t possibly be real.

The voices of people and the music coming from the ballroom sounded as though they were drifting in from a distant dream.

And then—

“Are you waiting for someone to come here alone again today?”

A man’s deep, low voice sounded from very close by.

Elin turned around and froze as though she had been turned to stone.

The Duke of Lindertho was standing there, his arms loosely crossed and his upper body casually leaning against the wall as he looked at her.

“D-Duke!”

Seeing the woman staring at him with wide, innocent green eyes, he let out a quiet laugh.

The last time they had met in the greenhouse, she had initially worn that same frightened expression.

Yet later, she had provoked him.

She was the woman who had spent a passionate night with him, only to disappear without a trace as though it had all been nothing more than a midsummer night’s dream.

This time, his large body blocked the path between her and the ballroom, leaving her nowhere to run.

“I think we have something to talk about.”

Elin cursed herself for foolishly letting her guard down.

She should never have come to this party.

But what was done was done. Right now, instead of running away, she had to find a way to deal with this disastrous situation.

How much does he remember about that night? Perhaps he only remembers meeting me in the greenhouse. Maybe he wants to ask about the memories he’s lost.

She tried to cling to that hopeful possibility, but the duke spoke as though he had entered her thoughts himself.

“I remember everything. Even how you seduced me.”

Elin’s legs went weak, and she grabbed the curtain beside her tightly.

What am I going to do?

“T-That night, you were the one who was very drunk… I didn’t mean to do anything. You suddenly appeared in the greenhouse, and…”

Her words kept coming out wrong.

As she backed away from the duke one step at a time, she soon found herself outside on the terrace.

The cool night breeze brushed across her heated face and ruffled the duke’s hair.

Only then did Elin’s mind clear a little.

Don’t be stupid. Don’t run away. Just tell him the truth!

She calmed her pounding heart and spoke to the duke as calmly as she could.

“I heard people approaching that night, so I had to leave first. I’m sorry I disappeared without saying anything, but I thought you would be in an even more difficult situation if I stayed.”

It wasn’t a lie.

And the duke wasn’t the only one who would have gotten into trouble. To be honest, Elin herself had been terrified of being dragged into uncontrollable rumors.

“Why didn’t you ever think of coming to find me another day?”

“You didn’t come looking for me either.”

“So you assumed I didn’t remember and intended to keep the secret all by yourself for the rest of your life? Or did you have some other motive?”

Elin’s eyes widened at his words.

“Some other motive? If you were worried that I might go around telling everyone about it, you worried for nothing. That will never happen, not until the day I die.”

Her expression showed quite plainly that she was offended at being misunderstood.

“Then that’s a relief.”

“I was sorry about what happened that day in many ways. If you could just erase it from your mind, then I could pretend it never happened either…”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“What?”

Her wide eyes looked up at him in bewilderment.

“Ever since that day, my peaceful life has been a complete mess. I can’t even concentrate on my work because I keep thinking about you.”

Elin continued backing away until she had nowhere left to go. Her back touched the terrace railing.

The duke placed one hand on the railing, trapping her within the circle of his arm.

His breathtakingly handsome face leaned over her, golden eyes gleaming as he looked down at her.

“If you’ve shaken me up this badly, it’s only right that you take responsibility. Don’t you think so, my lady?”

“Responsibility…? What exactly are you asking me to do to take responsibility…?”

Seeing her face on the verge of tears, the duke had to suppress a laugh.

“Come see me alone tomorrow. We’ll figure out together how you should take responsibility.”

He lowered his head until his lips were almost against the pale nape of her neck and whispered dangerously into her ear.