The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 106
Grace deliberately kept her distance from Aria while observing the gazes directed at them.
Whenever Aria and Grace engaged in conversation, she could feel the keen interest from not only other groups but also the people from the temple.
‘As expected.’
However, there was another pressing issue to address: the dress.
If the design had been a trending one, it could have been brushed off as a coincidence. Unfortunately, both of their outfits followed an antique style that was not in vogue.
Grace needed to deal with this quickly, check the list of those who had used the lounge, and then find Benjamin. There was much to do.
‘Wait, wasn’t the person who got ridiculed for wearing a similar dress the one who did something mean to Aria, which caused the problem in the first place?’
Realizing this, Grace wondered if she might not be in trouble after all, rolling her eyes thoughtfully.
‘As long as I don’t suddenly go crazy and start bothering Aria, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?’
Grace felt relieved. Although the murmurs around her still bothered her, she could ignore them.
“Miss Aria, there are some people I’d like to introduce you to. I think they could become your good friends.”
It was time for Grace to implement her plan.
She intended to introduce Aria to the group of Marchioness Charles.
At the mention of friends, Aria seemed quite excited. After inquiring with the Imperial attendants, they learned that the group had already rented one of the lounges.
‘Perfect timing.’
It was better to head to the lounge than to stay in the hall without a partner and attract odd stares.
‘Everyone there will understand if I say I’m leaving Aria here to go see Benjamin.’
It wasn’t entirely a lie. As she would visit him after checking the list of those who used the other lounges.
As she led Aria to the lounge where Marchioness Charles was, she could sense the cheerful atmosphere.
“Oh my, Madam!”
“The Saintess is here too! Welcome!”
It seemed they hadn’t expected Aria to come, as everyone who had been enjoying their tea time quickly rose from their seats.
“I got separated from His Excellency during a walk and lost my way while wandering alone. Thankfully, I ran into the Saintess and she brought me inside. Would you mind spending some time with her?”
“It would be our honor!”
Grace judged that it was better to leave Aria with these friendly people, who were on her side, rather than leaving her alone in the hall. It would also help to build allies for Aria.
“Then I’ll leave with peace of mind to find His Excellency. He must be looking for me.”
“You two seem to have a wonderful relationship.”
“I hope to have such a married life one day too…”
Of course, Grace and Benjamin’s relationship wasn’t bad, but they were in the process of getting a divorce. Burying that fact, Grace simply lifted the corners of her lips slightly and stepped outside.
From behind, she could hear various compliments and praises directed at Aria.
“Saintess, how do you maintain your appearance?”
“Do you also use ‘Eternal Blossom’ products?”
“Since long ago…”
Creak.
The door closed, silencing the cheerful voices, leaving the hallway in silence. The stark contrast between the opulence of the hallway and the surrounding quietness was striking.
“Madam.”
A knight from the Felton Duchy, who had been waiting outside, approached Grace.
“Where is His Excellency?”
“He is currently in the Crown Prince’s room.”
The knight of the Felton Duchy primarily served to protect the duke but followed Benjamin’s orders first and foremost. If Benjamin had ordered to keep his location secret, the knight wouldn’t have disclosed it. His willingness to answer Grace’s question indicated that he would also guide her if asked.
“Then I want to get a drink before I go. If I send a servant, rumors might spread, so could you bring it for me?”
“Understood.”
The knight left to carry out Grace’s order without hesitation. Seeing that the hallway was empty, Grace quickly headed towards the Hall of Mirrors.
‘…Still no one here.’
The Hall of Mirrors was a revered place adorned with portraits of past Imperial family members. Such a location typically had guards, yet there wasn’t a single shadow in the hallway.
‘This is strange.’
Today, the Hall of Mirrors was open to all visitors, so it shouldn’t have been this quiet.
Grace glanced at the card attached to the lounge nearby, noticing no markings. She tore off a blank card, tucked it into her sleeve, and looked around.
‘If there are no knights, at least a servant should be here.’
It couldn’t just be a coincidence that no one was there, even when she visited earlier. As Grace entered the hall of mirrors, a man she had never seen before was standing there.
“…It’s my first time seeing you in person rather than in a painting.”
He stood before the portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Felton.
‘Who is he?’
The man had jet-black hair, captivating eyes, and blood-red irises. He was a strikingly handsome man, exuding an aura entirely different from Benjamin.
However, rather than being impressed by his looks, Grace felt a sense of unease.
“I hope you liked the gift I sent you earlier.”
“Excuse me, but who are you?”
“…Ah.”
Only then did he smile with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“I am Jade Byman. His Majesty the Emperor has granted me the title of Duke of Jarte.”
“…!”
“Regrettably, my portrait isn’t displayed in the Hall of Mirrors, nor do I like attending official events, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know me.”
‘So, he is the Duke of Jarte.’
In the original story, he wasn’t as prominent as Grace but was still significant. Yet, as Grace acted differently, he also deviated from his original path.
Grace couldn’t be sure what expression she wore, but she guessed it was probably an awkward one.
“…Thanks to the supplies Your Grace provided, we were able to complete our tasks smoothly.”
“Not at all. Everything is for the sake of the Empire, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it must be God’s grace that you were in the Barony of Jekyll at that time, Your Grace.”
Though it was suspicious that the Duke of Jarte happened to be in the Barony of Jekyll.
‘The Barony of Jekyll never supported the Ardel County, yet they were in contact with the Duke Jarte?’
Did Duke Jarte really not know about the situation in Ardel County? Grace didn’t believe that he, who was running the Pharmacists Union, was entirely unaware of the circumstances.
At the very least, the fact that he was in the Barony of Jekyll indicated that he had some level of interaction with the acting lord running the barony.
The Duke of Jarte spoke with a gentle smile.
“Of course. Grace always descends upon the righteous.”
‘Come to think of it, where is the knight from our side who was sent to escort Duke Jarte at that time?’
She hadn’t heard of his return. While it wasn’t necessarily something that had to be reported to her, seeing the Duke now made her incredibly anxious about it.
“…Then, as much as Your Grace has shown benevolence, the gods will surely bestow their grace upon you.”
Grace bowed slightly to excuse herself, eager to leave the area.
“I hope to meet you in a more pleasant setting next time. I shall take my leave now.”
“It was an honor to meet you, My Lady.”
‘Honor, my foot.’
It was a polite farewell.
Grace quickly stepped back and exited the room. Out in the hallway, she saw the knight carrying a drink, hurriedly looking for her.
“Madam…!”
“Sorry, I got caught up looking at the portraits for a moment.”
“I feared something had happened to you within the palace.”
“If that were the case, you would have been in big trouble, right?”
“That wasn’t my concern.”
Grace offered an awkward smile and asked the knight to guide her to where His Excellency was.
⋆★⋆
“Your Excellency, why are you outside?”
As Grace made her way to where Benjamin was supposed to be, she found him standing in the hallway instead of a room.
He was examining something with a slightly serious expression, but his face softened when he saw Grace.
“I must have known you were coming.”
“Let’s be serious for now. Is His Highness the Crown Prince’s condition serious?”
“No, the wound has healed well without leaving a scar. However, his breathing is a bit shallow, which is concerning. Perhaps the shock was too great.”
“…?”
“So, I thought time would help, but it seems we need to keep an eye on him. The physician assured me there’s no health issue, so it might just be my worry.”
Benjamin, who had known Sylvester since he was a child, muttered with an expression of lingering concern.
“At least it didn’t escalate into a bigger issue immediately. If word had spread, it would have overshadowed the essence of the banquet.”
“That’s true.”
Grace smiled faintly and handed Benjamin a drink.
“You’ve worked hard. Let’s go back to the banquet hall.”
“I wish this night wouldn’t end.”
“Why is that?”
“Because there’s so much to look into again tomorrow.”
“Haha.”
Grace couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Benjamin had been genuinely grumbling, but seeing his wife laugh at his complaint made his eyes widen in surprise before he too chuckled softly.
“May I have the honor of escorting you?”
“Gladly.”
When Grace accepted Benjamin’s escort and they returned to the hall, the atmosphere inside had strangely calmed down.
