The Past Life of the Arrogant Archduke - Chapter 4
The coming-of-age ceremony at the grand ducal estate was attended only by high-ranking nobles of Count rank and above, and temple priests. Yulia and the other nobles were guided to the ballroom.
The ballroom was incredibly luxurious. Despite it being winter, the tables were lavishly decorated with fresh flowers and gemstones.
Chandeliers filled the high ceiling, scattering light in every direction. The nobles who sampled the champagne marveled, saying it was a rare vintage not easily obtained.
Yulia quietly reached out and picked up a glass of champagne for herself. She was, as always, performing her duty as a wallflower—but she wasn’t in a bad mood.
‘For my final party to be one hosted by the Grand Duchy… how fancy and nice. Mmm. The champagne’s delicious too. Should I try some of the Grand Duke’s finger foods?’
As Yulia made her way toward the table laden with food, an attendant continued announcing the names of high-ranking nobles as they entered. When she turned her gaze toward the entrance, she saw people who were unmistakably high nobility entering the hall.
‘Looks like the coming-of-age ceremony is over.’
With her curiosity fading, Yulia eagerly looked over the finger foods.
Tiny dishes made with great care from a variety of ingredients were displayed like works of art.
It was more extravagant and beautiful than any party she had ever attended. Swallowing hard, Yulia picked up a biscuit topped with an unknown red berry and placed it onto a small, light plate.
Crunch.
The biscuit crumbled in her mouth and mixed with the white cream. Pop. The tart berries burst between her teeth.
‘Delicious!’
As Yulia closed her eyes and swept her tongue across her mouth—
“Presenting the heir of the House of Arrogance, Lord Raymond Generosus Arrogance!”
The attendant loudly announced the heir’s arrival.
Yulia opened her eyes and turned to face the entrance. There, a man of striking appearance was stepping into the ballroom.
The air was filled with murmurs and gasps from the ladies.
“Wow.”
Even Yulia couldn’t help but let out a breath of admiration.
A tall man, easily over 190 centimeters, with black hair, wore black garments embroidered with silver thread from head to toe. The sheer presence he exuded was overwhelming.
It was like a wild beast cloaked in fine fabric.
A cold and arrogant expression. Sharply squared shoulders and a rigid posture. The sword at his waist—clearly ceremonial—still radiated a palpable sharpness despite being sheathed.
The heir emanated the charm of a dangerous man, in every sense of the word.
Ladies approached him as if hypnotized. Their goal: to become the first dance partner of the now-marriage-eligible heir.
But they all left the ballroom in tears, one after another, rejected coldly by the heir.
‘He’s definitely good-looking, but still…’
In high society, no man ever refuses a woman’s invitation to dance. It was considered extremely rude.
The name ‘Raymond’, which carried an image of kindness and wisdom, suited him terribly.
To Yulia, he looked like a walking human warning sign. In that case, were the ladies like moths drawn to a very well-dressed flame?
‘There’s even a rumor he’s impotent. I wonder if it’s true?’
If it were, Yulia thought, it would actually be kind of funny—because the heir’s name happened to be the same as her favorite toy from her past life.
The official name of the d***o had been ‘My Boyfriend, the Wolf’. On the packaging was a picture of a handsome gray wolf.
“Oh. Gray… so that’s ‘Ray’. Your name must be Ray from the C. family.”
Ray had been a name that rolled off the tongue. A name perfect to moan in the heat of passion, like you were calling out your lover’s name.
Yulia murmured softly, with a touch of wistfulness.
“Ray…”
Maybe in this life, she could meet a man named Ray.
‘Hmm… not a bad idea. The heir’s name is Raymond, after all. Maybe it won’t be that hard to find one.’
As she smiled to herself, lost in her own amusing thoughts, Yulia suddenly felt as if her eyes had met the heir’s.
Her gaze wavered for a brief moment.
‘No way. Just my imagination, right?’
But that thought quickly vanished…
Because the Grand Duke’s heir was walking toward her, staring straight at her.
