Chapter 3 – Part 11

The party that Marie thought was going to reveal the dark secret about Ruby has so far been uneventful.

Arlen, always a bothersome presence at Mary’s parties, remained unchanged.

And as usual, Eli casually ignored her.

Eli had to pay attention to Ruby, block the gazes of those looking at Ruby, and observe Marie’s reactions.

Today, there was no room for Arlen’s broad discretion.

“I need to step away for a moment. Can you wait here?”

Eli asked Ruby as he spotted Kane strolling into the party hall.

“Of course.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Ruby didn’t seem to care much about Eli’s polite words.

“You should come to greet her too.”

“Oh, yes, I should.”

Eli tried to appear as friendly as possible, but as soon as his eyes met Sorvan’s, he couldn’t hide the hint of hostility that surfaced.

“Viscount. In future parties, do not make eye contact with Ruby.”

Eli warned Sorvan in a voice only he could hear.

Despite being called an ally, he was only acting in a way that irritated Eli.

Sorvan looked like he had a lot to say, but he just agreed. It was evident that he was not happy about it.

That’s how rumors spread.

Given the situation, Eli decided not to point it out any further and let it go for now.

“How was it?”

Due to the late arrival, Kane, who was busy assessing the situation, quietly asked Elijah.

“Not bad.”

“Good.”

Eli must have gotten away with it because the people around him didn’t seem to stir, even though he was with Sorvan.

“Are you okay?”

Even though it was their first meeting, Kane, as if they were old friends, asked Sorvan while giving him a light hug.

“I’m trying my best.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

After the hug, the friendly gesture of tapping the shoulder made it seem like they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

“I didn’t expect to have a conversation with the Marquis today, but thanks to the Viscount, I made the effort to come all the way here.”

The Viscount Starlet greeted them in a cheerful voice, referring to Eli, who had been stuck with Ruby all along.

“Are you enjoying the party?”

Eli wore a sly smile.

“It’s a party hosted by the Marquis’ wife. How can I have anything else to say? My wife, although she is highly regarded in the capital, still wants to learn from the Marquis’ wife.”

It was Viscount Starlet’s tone. playful, as if teasing the other party, but there was a subtle meaning hidden within.

It was evident in his words that he was indirectly praising Eli’s wife, implying either superiority or a desire to be more distinguished than Marie.

Receiving acknowledgement from them made it feel quite satisfying.

“Haha. Is that so?”

Eli shrugged it off as if it didn’t bother him, though inwardly he thought it was conceit.

“I suppose it’s because my family has been in Luben for generations.”

“The Marquis of Grit is bragging about being a founding family as if anyone doesn’t know that. The Marquis is a bit much sometimes.”

Viscount Starlet laughed at that as if it didn’t matter. There was a hint of condescension in it, perhaps directed at Eli himself.

“Some people just don’t know unless you tell them.”

Eli shrugged.

“Are there people like that?”

“Most of them make mistakes out of ignorance, like you, Viscount.”

For a moment, the atmosphere turned icy.

Viscount Starlet, who seemed to be in a good mood, stopped smiling, and Kane and Sorvan, who were listening, glanced away.

Only Eli maintained his grin.

“And I see that the Viscountess is following your footsteps, so you’ll have to keep your house in order.”

“I think that’s a bit harsh.”

Eli stepped closer to Viscount Starlet, who was flushed with embarrassment.

“Take good care of your business, My Lord, because I heard some of it was dangerous if it got out.”

“What nonsense……”

“I’ve heard you’ve been known to sell items that can only be obtained by trafficking, and you’ve had some fun.”

Eli pinched the collar of the Viscount’s banquet suit between his index finger and thumb.

“Uh, what do you mean? Are you going to do…”

“If I say I’m going to do something, are you prepared for it?”

Eli grinned up at him, a hint of madness on his face.

“Well, let’s see how far you can prepare for it, shall we?”

“What do you want?”

The Viscount seemed to realize that the trafficking Eli had told him about was not just one incident.

“I’m just saying, don’t forget. What kind of man I am, what kind of family the Marquis of Grit is.”

“…….”

“The people of the Marquis of Grit are all my people. Don’t forget that.”

“…….”

“I won’t put up with it twice.”

Eli’s smile never faltered as he spoke.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of the party, Lord Starlet.”

As Eli took a step away, his smile became polite again.

And as soon as he turned around, the smile and the half-curved corners of his eyes were back in place.

Eli ended his conversation with the Viscount and headed straight for Ruby.

But she was nowhere to be seen, and he wondered if she was there, though he soon spotted her and quickly approached.

“Ruby.”

He kissed her forehead lightly, hiding his anxiety for a moment.

“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

“I was thirsty.”

Eli’s eyes fell to the wine in her hand.

“Good.”

The enchanting wine tasted so much like Ruby that he impulsively took it from her and tasted it.

It was sweet and mesmerizing, just like her.

“If you want to drink wine, it’s over there.”

Ruby, oblivious to Eli’s thoughts, whined.

“It’ll only wet your lips; I’ll get some for you.”

Eli chuckled, looking at Ruby, who was lightly pouting. His stifled breath seemed to loosen a bit.

“It’s been a while, My lady.”

Kane, who came accompanied by Sorvan, greeted Ruby with a friendly tone. Even though he exchanged friendly greetings with Ruby, there was a sense of reproach in his gaze towards Eli.

“Viscount, it’s been a while.”

Upon hearing Ruby’s warm greeting, even Kane, the person in question, seemed surprised.

“It’s the first time since the wedding.”

“Yes. I’m glad you’re doing well.”

How did she react when he came in? She seemed flustered.

Eli’s eyebrows were involuntarily furrowed.

“This tastes good. What wine is this?”

As Kane, busy with greetings with Arlen, spoke, Eli, wanting to bring Ruby’s attention back to him, asked about the wine even though he already knew.

“I didn’t check.”

Eli knew because he had seen Marie’s meticulous preparations for the party.

It was a wine chosen by Ruby, and the coincidence was that it was the wine from Viscount Vance’s territory.

“Oh, it’s a wine produced in Viscount Vance’s territory. No wonder it’s sweet.”

Thinking of the first impression when he took away Ruby’s wine, Eli nodded.

“Oh, Viscount Vance’s estate. No wonder it tasted sweet.”

Ruby’s heart fluttered at Eli’s understanding words.

“Since Lady Grit praised it, our wine will probably sell well.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

Following Kane’s inevitable words, Ruby was genuinely surprised but pleased.

“Haha, how modest of you.”

“My wife is overly modest, if that’s a flaw.”

“That’s right. It’s okay for the Marchioness to be a bit more assertive. After all, she’s Lady Grit.”

Kane’s words, backed by Eli and Sorvan’s opinions, made Ruby genuinely surprised and embarrassed.

“But humility is one of the virtues a lady should possess,” Lady Arlen said.

“In that sense, the Marchioness is doing well. Isn’t that right?”

Arlen was smugly passing judgment on Ruby right in front of her eyes. It was ridiculous that she was asking for agreement when she didn’t even know her subject.

“Certainly, my wife is doing well.”

The words slipped out of his mouth. For a moment, a smug smile crossed Eli’s face.

“Especially coming from you, who has a lot of learning to do.”

It was the kind of tone usually reserved for getting on someone’s nerves.

When he was done talking, there was an undercurrent in the air similar to the one he’d felt when facing Viscount Starlet.

But again, it was none of his business. even if she was embarrassed by it.

“I need to excuse myself for a moment.” Then, without another word, Arlen left, much to the annoyance of the impatient Kane.

He then turned to Ruby and tried to talk to him behind his back.

“If you ever feel angry or want to vent, find me, especially regarding this guy.”

With playful anger, Kane made a joke, and the tense atmosphere dissipated thanks to his words.

It wasn’t long before Countess Chain approached, exchanging pleasantries with Ruby.

As Eli listened to the greetings of the young ladies who followed Countess Chain, he vowed that once this party was over, he would not be attending any more parties for a while.