Chapter 4 – Part 6

“Oh, my God, it is such an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”

“Count and Countess Smith.”

Marcus replied grimly, then looked away. Liese’s eyes narrowed, and her face paled.

Having exchanged brief greetings, Marcus had been about to move on, but upon seeing her like that, he changed his mind.

Despite joking to ease the tension moments ago, Liese had stiffened in the meantime… She was indeed a woman of many complexities.Thinking he could use a little practice with the trembler in front of him, Marcus put his arm around Liese’s back.

His large hands easily drew her slender body against his own, half-hugging her and gently stroking her with his fingertips.

Liese didn’t flinch at the contact that would have been unwelcome a moment ago. She was already mesmerized.

“Please meet my partner, Miss Lieselotte Brennan.”

The Count of Smith lowered his gaze to lock eyes with Liese, his expression pleased. His smile faltered slightly as he recognized her from his distant gaze.

A moment of furrowed brows and desperate recollection followed. Then, to Marcus’s utter amazement, the count’s eyes and mouth widened in astonishment.

For a moment, there was the most chilling silence Liese had ever experienced in her life.

It was impossible to tell which of the three was the most surprised, Count Smith, frozen as a statue; the Countess, contemplative beside him; or Liese.

“Miss Liselotte comes from a family that has contributed to the well-being of the kingdom for generations, just as Balthazar did, and her ancestors were honored for their exploits on the battlefield.”

Marcus shamelessly recited the family history Liese had given him earlier. The count and countess were still staring at Liese, dumbfounded. Marcus tilted his chin at an angle.

“I’m finally introducing my partner.”

“…….”

“Aren’t you going to greet her? Why are you just standing there with your mouth open like a fish?”

“Oh, yes, yes…. I’m so, so impressed… How do you do?”

Count Smith didn’t seem to know what he was talking about. When Liese remained silent, the hand around her waist moved gently, as if it were her turn to answer.

Liese’s eyes grew calmer as she watched them. A thunderbolt of an idea flashed through her mind—a way to get them away from Charlie once and for all.

“I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Liese calmly spoke up.

“Count Smith and the Countess.”

She turned her head to stare at Freya. The countess looked shocked, unable to fathom what the hell was going on. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the Duke and Liese as the realization dawned on her.

“It’s a pleasure….”

The countess, barely able to speak, smiled with all her might, and then repeated it in disbelief.

“You mean to tell me that this lady is the Duke’s partner?”

“Just what have you heard until now?”

Marcus’s flat response caused the lady to turn contemplative and fall silent. The Duke looked down at Liese as if it didn’t matter. His expression was mischievous.

“I have no intention of stopping at just being a partner. I wonder what Miss Brennan’s intentions are.”

It was a subtle reminder that they were more than just banquet partners. Liese smiled awkwardly, noticing the hand rubbing her waistline.

It was understandable, given her apparent embarrassment. Marcus gave them a quick bow.

“Enjoy the banquet.”

“…Excuse me.”

Liese, who had refused to comply with his tug, stared straight at Count Smith and his wife.

“It seems there’s some sort of connection between the two of you and my family.”

Liese continued in a low, hushed voice.

“Doesn’t your son attend the little school near Fountain Square? I remember seeing him often when I went to pick up my brother.”

The pale faces grew even paler at the sudden broaching of the subject they had most wanted to avoid. Count Smith barely managed to reply.

“Uh, well, it’s possible, it seems…”

“As I thought…”

Liese muttered quietly but soon lifted her chin and looked up at the Duke, who was holding her.

“Marcus, would you mind leaving us alone for a moment? I have something I’d like to share with the Count and his wife.”

“What are you talking about? There’s still someone else I’d like to introduce you to.”

Marcus smiled thinly but clenched his teeth. He didn’t appreciate Liese deviating from the plan so suddenly.

Some physical contact was inevitable, as they had to act like lovers. However, he didn’t mean for them to stand there and engage in light-hearted banter, detached from the situation, while clinging to each other. Especially not while leaving her behind.

“I’ll only be a moment; really, it’s a boring story for you to hear.”

Liese held her ground, and the pressure on her back grew stronger.

“Then don’t do it at all.”

“I have a topic I want to talk about related to school work, so I definitely…”

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

He grabbed her body, which was less than a handful. Liese stopped talking.

“Miss Liselotte would like to speak with you, so please do not leave until the celebration is over.”

With a demand that bordered on threatening, Marcus defused the situation for the count and countess.

He tightened his grip on Liese’s waist and turned to walk away. She had no choice but to follow him, her body swaying gorgeously.

“Now I understand. Your acting skills are pitiful, but your judgment is even worse.”

A low, clenched-toothed bass scattered in her ear.

“You’ve forgotten that you need to make impressions on as many people as possible, haven’t you? Don’t let anyone monopolize you except me.”

“Well, I think I know the Count and his wife, and I’d like to have a word with them.”

“Never mind them. Are you attracted to a man with such messy tastes?”

The Duke furrowed his brow, as if he had taken this the wrong way. The Count of Smith was certainly not Liese’s cup of tea, and while he might be messy, he was by no means an uncle. Liese didn’t bother to correct him.

“But you told them not to leave.”

“For your sake of respect, don’t give meaning to each polite greeting.”

“…….”

“That scumbag is a rootless bastard who used to be too busy smuggling to pay his bills. He only inherited the title overnight because a distant relative whose name you don’t recognize died, and his wife was originally from a family of revelers, so don’t be so inquisitive.”

Liese opened her mouth to reply, but shut it tight. The couple who hurled all sorts of insults at Charlie and Lise, calling them vulgar people and things they had not learned, were dishonest people.

It was understandable that they would seek out and threaten a child who was only ten years old. That was all they had seen and learned.

Liese squinted at the retreating Count and Countess Smith. They seemed still perplexed by this unexpected encounter. Her resolve hardened.

She had to find them again before the banquet ended if she was to prevent anything from happening to Charlie.

But she had no intention of taking Marcus with her.

She didn’t want to go into detail about how it all started, with her younger brother being harassed and retaliating against the counts son, and how her lack of legal knowledge led her to seek refuge with the Duke out of concern for compensation.

She didn’t want to expose every detail of her desperate family situation, out of a stubborn pride that didn’t want to show even the smallest vulnerability to him.

It was something that could be done quietly and without involving Marcus. The Duke’s authority and the Countess’s mean-spiritedness varied depending on the person in question.

The way they treated the Duke was a far cry from their bossy behavior at school. Now that they had seen her with their own eyes a little while ago with the Duke by her side, they wouldn’t dare treat her maliciously. Even a mere suggestion to leave Charlie alone would be taken as a life-threatening warning.

Liese glanced down at the hand wrapped around her waist. She needed to escape this cruel grip, if only for a moment.

“Lieselotte!”

A few feet away, Claudia was sipping champagne and waving at her, and beside her, Eric was standing beside her, offering tissues and carrying a tray of drinks.

“Miss Fitzgold…no, Claudia.”

“Come join us. We were just talking about you.”

Liese looked up at Marcus at the suggestion, and he chuckled at the ridiculousness of the look on her face as she asked for permission after making such a sudden move.

Claudia, reading the mood, changed the subject.

“Marcus, the head of the cultural foundation was looking for you a little while ago.”

“Why that old man? ”

“I don’t know the story. But it’s clear that the patriarch needed you to check on something urgently. The wig on his head was flapping around, and he seemed too busy to keep it in place.”

“It’s none of my business whether the old man’s wig comes off or not.”

“But the chairman happened to be passing by over there? ”

Claudia’s voice drew everyone’s attention. In the distance, a well-heeled old man held onto his precariously swaying fake hair, searching desperately for someone.

Marcus was silent for a moment. He seemed to be weighing whether or not to leave Liese behind. Then a smile broke across his clean face.

“Lieselotte.”

“Yes.”

“Would you please be quiet and stop fussing while I’m away? I don’t want to go through the trouble of looking for you when you’re lost.”