I Never Wanted His Child - Chapter 13
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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She had anticipated a situation like this.
As Emilia entered the ballroom with Mikhail, she couldn’t help but feel the intimidating gaze of the people fixed upon her. They openly scrutinized her from head to toe and began to chuckle.
“How shameless. If I were her, I would have died of embarrassment.”
“She abandoned her family and the lord she served to become the duke’s wife. It’s quite the story, isn’t it?”
“Oh my, I heard they discarded Lady Emilia to live, not the other way around. It doesn’t really matter which version is true.”
The honor of the family had plummeted. Mocking voices echoed endlessly in her ears.
“Even so, what lightning struck Duke Heinrich?”
“He had no choice but to accept it. He’s a gentleman, after all. Would he want to share a bed with someone whose beliefs don’t align? It would be dreadful.”
Gentleman?
Emilia couldn’t help but snort at the women who called him a gentleman. A true gentleman wouldn’t take advantage of a lady like a beast. At the very least, he should have upheld the lady’s honor.
There were even people in this gathering who had supported King Conrad in the past. However, now they seemed to be firmly on Adrian’s side, and they didn’t utter a word of blame towards each other.
Derogatory words continued to circulate, starting from criticizing her hair that resembled flowing blood to belittling remarks that tore her down. In this ballroom, Emilia felt like the lone target.
“There they are. Come on in, Duke Heinrich and Mrs. Heinrich.”
Adrian’s face lit up with a smile as he looked down at the two from the dais, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Emilia involuntarily recalled the memory of that day. The relentless, unyielding gaze from outside the curtains that day.
Her stomach churned, and she felt nauseous.
Adrian’s lips curled up even more as he leaned forward slightly, savoring her appearance.
“When the two of you entered, everyone’s gaze naturally turned to you. Back then, I didn’t know, but now, it’s quite…”
Adrian’s gaze shifted towards her chest. Her dress, which exposed her collarbone, was adorned with a green emerald necklace, and his eyes lingered on it as his words trailed off.
Simultaneously, Emilia’s face flushed with humiliation. It was undoubtedly an attempt to publicly disgrace her in front of everyone.
Even if everyone knew that she had become Duke Heinrich’s wife, no one would know the details of the process, at least not now.
She bit her lips hard, for fear that she might curse Adrian right here if she didn’t. In fact, she wanted to unleash the words she had bottled up for so long, but her lips remained tightly sealed. Perhaps because she had learned that her actions could lead to the death of someone else.
Even though he might not be a sane king, he wouldn’t let his subjects go up and down on other people’s tongues just to humiliate her.
‘Well, I hope not.’
Unless he’s completely insane.
She clung to a tiny sliver of hope. But when she looked into his amethyst-like eyes, she realized.
“I should have realized this would happen. I regretted it when I only saw you behind the curtain, but now that you’re properly dressed, you look like a rose blooming in the garden.”
The current king was undoubtedly insane.
The eyes of those attending the reception darted busily. In an attempt to understand the meaning of the king’s words to her, they observed the situation, each unfolding their own flights of fancy.
“My goodness! Did His Majesty invite her to his bedroom? Surely, I must have misheard.”
“Who would think that Duke Heinrich’s wife has become a courtesan?”
A courtesan. What distinguished her from a courtesan? Perhaps the courtesan’s position was far better than hers.
The voices of whispering women filled the hall.
Adrian had left the room before the two could share the bed. However, his words were enough to stir misunderstandings among the nobility.
The act of selecting a legitimate heir in the royal family was not related to the nobility. It was natural for them to never imagine such a thing as spying on a private conversation between spouses.
But above all, such a thing had not happened. Adrian had left the room with a sigh of regret, but he hadn’t witnessed the act.
‘A beastly man. He’s not even fit to be a king.’
Emilia silently cursed him in her mind. No matter what insults she hurled, it would be insignificant compared to the current king.
“So, what does His Majesty’s statement actually mean? He spoke as if he had seen her naked…”
Now that the orchestra had stopped playing, the reception hall was abuzz with nobles gossiping about the king’s shocking declaration.
Adrian paid no attention to the gossiping nobles, flicking his hand against the armrest, seemingly muttering to himself.
Emilia’s tightly clenched fist trembled at Adrian’s actions, as if he were relishing the current situation.
“Those red roses of the Loren family boast colors of such purity that everyone would shower them with praises, didn’t they? And they sell for quite a high price. Oh, of course, it must be the price set by those who secretly stole them.”
Adrian seemed oblivious to the idea of closing his mouth.
He wanted to leave Emilia with unforgettable memories as she bowed her head slightly but didn’t kneel.
