Chapter 44. The Troublemaker

Enoch.

Though it was quite a distance, I had no trouble reading Angela Besnard’s lips. She called him by his name familiarly.

How have you been?

Her greeting was informal and simple, as one would expect between old acquaintances.

Enoch opened his mouth to reply, but instead of watching his lips, I turned my gaze away. I couldn’t understand why I did that, even to myself.

“Miss Lopez, don’t worry too much. Miss Besnard rarely appears in social circles. More importantly, His Highness has no interest in her.”

One of the ladies spoke softly to comfort me and gestured for me to look back at Enoch.

Despite the unfamiliar feelings swirling inside me, I forced myself to appear calm and looked in his direction again. And I saw it. Enoch talking with an utterly uninterested expression.

“……”

Why did I feel so cowardly, feeling relieved by that? I barely swallowed the self-mockery that almost escaped. My heart pounded erratically, as if sensing the prelude to some fate that would lead to my ruin…

“We’re fine here, so why don’t you go to His Highness?”

“Yes, you should spend more time together while you can.”

The ladies gently encouraged me. Struggling to calm my chaotic emotions, I opened my mouth to respond.

A commotion spread from the entrance—followed by the doorman’s loud announcement.

“His Grace, Duke Julian Bernstein, has arrived!”

Duke Bernstein. His full name was Julian Bernstein Frederick.

He was none other than the third prince of the Frederick royal family. The former king had bestowed upon him the title of Duke Bernstein among his many names and titles, and Julian Frederick was more often referred to as His Grace, ‘Duke Bernstein,’ than as Prince.

Today, as usual, he was introduced as Duke Bernstein, but everyone present knew he was a royal.

Additionally, everyone knew that unlike his two brothers—Henry and Enoch—he was a notorious playboy with an endless string of scandals.

Adding fuel to his infamous reputation, he attended the ball with two high-class courtesans dressed in revealing gowns that exposed their chests and legs. It was an unsightly scene, but the man himself was unabashed. Someone nearby murmured quietly. The prodigal son has returned.

Most of the attendees likely had the same thought. —The royal family’s prodigal son had returned. Having just come back from a luxurious overseas trip with multiple mistresses, it was hardly an honorable return.

“He bought a yacht at an outrageous price and left for an overseas trip the very next day, didn’t he?”

“With seven mistresses, no less. All of them were high-class courtesans…”

“The blonde woman on his left arm is Euclaire. She was a famous opera singer just a year ago.”

I listened quietly to the ladies’ whispers. Naturally, this was my first time seeing Julian Berstein. When I was frequenting social circles to find a replacement for Anderson, he was off on a luxurious overseas trip.

“Will he greet His Highness the Grand Duke first?”

“Probably.”

No one approached Julian Berstein with friendly greetings. He was so infamous for his debauchery that the well-bred ladies of the social circle avoided him, and the gentlemen knew there was nothing to gain from associating with him.

Of course, even he had a few people he could call friends. These friends were typically as dissolute as he was, had gambling and alcohol addiction issues, or were artists in need of his patronage.

I wasn’t sure if Julian Berstein got along with Enoch. From what I heard, they had exchanged blows a few times but were otherwise like any other brothers…

Anyway, I would have to greet the Duke Berstein today, so I needed to be mindful of my behavior. As I adjusted my attire, Julian Berstein’s gaze turned toward me.

His eyes gleamed sharply as he spotted me, as if he had found something very interesting. With a joyful smile, he turned and began walking straight towards me without hesitation.

“Oh my, why is he coming here?”

I wasn’t the only one shocked. The ladies around me exchanged looks of dismay, their expressions saying this was a disaster. Then their eyes turned to me… Well, I suppose I was the cause.

“You’re Miss Ellenore Lopez, right?”

Duke Berstein approached and spoke with a smile. He was a man who felt dangerous in a different way than Enoch. I hoped my expression wasn’t awkward as I greeted him politely.

“Your Grace, Duke Berstein, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Honor, what a load of b*llshit.”

It was shocking to hear such coarse language from a man in social circles, especially towards a lady, but I maintained a composed smile. …Despite everything, I didn’t want to give those who disliked me any reason to criticize me.

“What honor is there in meeting someone like me? Isn’t that right, Miss Lopez?”

His tone was light like Enoch’s, but his deep and languid voice made it sound insolent and rough, unlike Enoch’s pleasant tone. In short, he came across as a nasty thug.

I had to work hard to keep my thoughts from showing on my face. If I appeared rude, it would reflect poorly on Enoch.

“No, I truly consider it an honor.”

“Oh, then would you dance with me? It wouldn’t be a very pleasant sight for an engaged woman to dance with her future brother-in-law, would it?”

Future sister-in-law… Come to think of it, is that how it works? Julian Berstein was a year older than me.

And he was royalty. Being called ‘sister-in-law’ felt strange. It felt like I was forcing myself into a role I didn’t deserve… I would probably continue feeling like this. Essentially, I was deceiving everyone here.

In any case, I calmly gave the standard response.

“…I don’t know why it wouldn’t be a pleasant sight, but it’s common for unmarried men to dance with their brothers’ fiancées or wives. It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong.”

“You don’t know? Are you serious, Miss Lopez? Don’t you know my reputation?”

He raised his voice sharply and pulled his two mistresses closer. They giggled, glancing at me as they nestled into his arms.

In this situation, a high-ranking lady would naturally show her displeasure, but aside from being the Grand Duke’s fiancée, my status was insignificant, so responding straightforwardly was difficult.

So, I decided to use my weakness to my advantage and feign ignorance. Acting clueless would make it more understandable for everyone, and Duke Berstein—unless he was utterly mad—wouldn’t push further.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I’ve been out of social circles and haven’t been active outside, so I’m not familiar with the rumors. All I know is that you are Enoch’s brother.”

Technically, half-brother. Of the four siblings in the Frederick royal family, only Enoch had a different mother. And Enoch was the son the former king favored the most. Meanwhile, Julian was the son the former king found most troublesome.

“…You’re more interesting than I thought. I wondered if Enoch was pulling a national scam, but—on second thought, you suit that guy quite well, Miss Lopez.”

Julian Berstein sneered, his smile turning savage. If he had seemed like a street thug before, now he looked like a wounded wild animal, eyes sharp and alive.

For a moment, it felt like I glimpsed a side of him unknown to others. I clasped my hands demurely and blinked innocently. The best course of action was to pretend not to understand his words. Hopefully, he’d leave out of frustration. That was my hope.

“But I’m curious. Is this really Enoch’s taste? What charm do you have? I don’t see it.”

Pushing his mistresses aside, he stepped closer to me. I instinctively stepped back, and to my surprise, Countess Verbille stepped forward, looking determined to protect me.

Julian Berstein raised an eyebrow at her. Just as he opened his mouth, looking rather annoyed, a voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

“Julian, my troublesome little brother.”

The voice was sharp, but it carried a sense of ease, slicing through the air.

“You still find me amusing, don’t you? Calling me by name without respect. And what? ‘That guy’?”

The owner of the voice, fierce and refreshing like a strong current, invaded the space. He naturally wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his embrace.

The familiar woody scent washed over me, and I felt a strange sense of relief as I looked up at him. His eyes, like sunlight, were cold and frosty.

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