Chapter 4 – Part 7

“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.”

This time, Liese looked dumbfounded. She wrapped her sternness in a soft tone.

“How rude of you to ask that of a lady, Marcus.”

Claudia pointed out, crunching on a slice of pear. Marcus looked at Eric and Claudia with an approving glance.

“I think we’d better keep things between us. I’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, you can join those scarecrows.”

“That doesn’t mean you can treat us like objects, Marcus.”

“You go on your way. I’ll be waiting.”

Liese shifted her feet to get out of his embrace as if to wait, but he subtlety grabbed her forearm.

“Don’t get into trouble.”

He sounded like he was scolding an unruly puppy. Liese shook her head, but her steady gaze refused to let go.

Marcus turned on his heel, and Liese, free of his grip, walked over to where Claudia and Eric were.

“Come on, Lieselotte. Finally, we’re alone.”

Claudia didn’t hide her delight at having Liese all to herself. Eric, sipping his drink beside her, seemed oblivious.

“How about a drink? Wine? Champagne? Or maybe strawberry juice?”

“I’ll take strawberry juice, thank you.”

The latter was a joke, but Liese didn’t get it, so she dutifully replied. Claudia laughed and called for the waiter to bring her a juice that wasn’t even on the menu.

Liese smiled brightly and slowly looked away. Her darting gaze sifted through the crowd, searching for Count Smith.

“Why did you decide to become Marcus’ partner? ”

A voice snapped to attention. Eric turned to look at Liese with rueful eyes.

“Are you asking for a specific reason? ”

“No. It’s not like that; it’s just…”

Eric scratched the underside of his chin, unable to finish his sentence. It was on the tip of his tongue to realize that since he was a child, the Duke had never been a good sport about everything he was often curious about.

“I was wondering why you accepted the offer, knowing Marcus’s nature.”

Liese smiled bitterly. It wasn’t unreasonable to ask, having known the duke for so long. But even a man dressed to the nines in the finest robes could never fully understand her situation.

“I had no other choice.”

Liese took the strawberry juice offered to her and gave him a nonchalant look.

“There have been situations where I’ve wondered what would have happened if it weren’t for the Duke, and I have nothing but gratitude for him.”

“I see.”

“He’s been unexpectedly good to me. He’s spoiled me beyond belief.”

As Marcus’s confidante, she provided an appropriate response, considering that her words might be relayed. Understanding her intention, Eric didn’t ask further questions. Instead, Claudia chimed in.

“Speaking ill of friends isn’t good, Eric.”

“When did I speak ill? It’s the truth.”

“The truth can be spoken ill of, too.”

“So, you admit that Marcus’s temperament is unbearable?”

“Yes.”

Claudia replied breezily and raised her glass in a toast. Liese and Eric raised their glasses, juice and champagne on the rocks, respectively. The three glasses clinked, a clear sound echoing through the room.

Liese took a sip of the sweet and sour juice and looked at Claudia fondly.

“The Duke told me you were a celibate; is that true?”

“Oh, yes, it’s no secret.”

Claudia shrugged playfully and smiled back.

“My father is a professor at the Royal University of Loheim, and I studied there, too, and that’s when I realized that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a professor, but I couldn’t do that without leaving my husband behind.”

“I see…. Your father must have been a great role model.”

“Yes, but I’m not blindly following in his footsteps; I’m just proud and happy to enlighten people.”

There was an intense passion behind her words. With a twinkle in her eye, Claudia continued.

“When I see a bright student with a budding mind, I don’t know if I could get any more excited than that. I want to lock myself in a lab with them and uncover the secrets of the universe, argue for days and days over unanswered philosophical theories… That desire is burning brightly.”

“Are you a pervert?”

Eric stared at Claudia in horror.

“I mean, you’re a bit of an academic, but do you really have to feel that need?”

“There is a certain degree of passion for learning. Do you really have to feel that desire? ”

“…I’d rather you hit me.”

“Anyway, if my life is split between marriage and my dreams, I’ll take the latter without fail. My father is furious that he shouldn’t have sent me to college if he’d known I would never marry, but I can’t help it; my heart is like this.”

Claudia shrugged and sipped her champagne. The golden bubbles in the tall glass caught Liese’s eye.

“What about you, Lieselotte? What dreams do you have?”

“I’m….”

Liese lowered her eyelashes and paused for a moment.

“I dream of living on my own, not needing anyone’s help. I want to be completely independent, so I can live without worrying about my family.”

It wasn’t a very appropriate statement for a noble lady to make. Claudia, who had similar dreams, responded with a warm smile.

“That’s wise. Our existence is too precious to live by building up the prestige of others. I will support you.”

“Thank you, and I’ll do the same.”

As the corners of her mouth twitched upward, she caught sight of the Count and Countess Smith leaving the ballroom at a brisk pace.

Are they leaving?

“Miss Claudia, Marquis Bryson. Will you excuse me for a moment?”

Liese slammed her empty glass down on the table, signaling her intentions. Then she leaned slightly toward Claudia.

“There’s someone I’d like to say hello to.”

“Of course.”

Though Eric wore a somewhat apprehensive expression, recalling Marcus’s strict orders to stay put, he remained silent as Claudia nodded enthusiastically.

Liese strode after the count and countess as they left the ballroom. Her high-heeled shoes were unaccustomed, and it was hard to keep up with them as she weaved her way through the crowd.

As she passed the door that led to the hallway, she saw two figures in the distance. Liese quickened her pace, but they disappeared. Her instinct to retrace her steps back the way she’d come with Marcus and look for a doorway kicked in.

It was a greeting, but they were leaving in defiance of the Duke’s warning not to leave until the celebration was over.

Liese was soon out of the building. In the darkness of the night, illuminated by the dim streetlights, she could see the count and countess descending the stairs, heading quickly toward a line of waiting carriages.

“Count Smith!”

Liese shouted loudly, seizing their ankles.

The count and countess turned around in surprise. By the looks on their faces, they were about to run away if they didn’t hurry.

Liese kept pacing to catch up to them. In her haste, she didn’t notice the drizzle that followed them.

“Why the rush when the banquet is in full swing?”

“Lady Brennan”

The count and countess, who were likewise without umbrellas, had pale complexions. Judging from the extreme titles that changed, like the flip of a palm and the glances over Liese’s shoulder, they were afraid of the Duke, who wasn’t even here.

“Given the circumstances, I will be brief.”

Liese spoke firmly, even as she shivered from the thin streams of rain that brushed her bare shoulders and back.

“I am truly sorry for the accident. I will take full responsibility for your son’s scars, so I’ll ask you again: please leave my brother out of this.”

“Well, of course… it’s not like our son wasn’t at fault at all either….”

Countess Smith huffed; her demeanor changed from before.

“What’s the use of all this bickering now?”

“That’s not the issue here. Please promise me. You won’t approach Charlie again, nor will you threaten or manipulate him.”

“…….”

“Then I’ll turn a blind eye to any injury you’ve done to me outside the school, and I promise you that I won’t tell anyone.”

Their eyes widened and they looked at each other to see if the deliberate emphasis had worked.

The countess, elbowing her husband as if to urge him to decide quickly, repeated the gesture. The Count Smith alternated between a frightened mouse-like expression and one suppressing anger. Eventually, he spoke up.

“…I suppose we’d better pretend it never happened and put it behind us. I’ll pledge you, on my life, that I will not lay a hand on you—no, on your family.”

After receiving the assurance, Lise breathed out a short sigh. While it was hardly believable and as untrustworthy as a serpent’s tongue, their genuine fear wasn’t a pretense.

They were afraid of the Duke’s authority, afraid that what they had done might reach his ears. It was a good thing they were so despicable.

“I believe that you will definitely keep that promise now. The cost of treatment will be delivered through the teacher, so I hope your son can recover without any problems.”

“No! No, that’s it. I don’t know what kind of trouble I’ll face if I receive it… Let’s pretend it never happened. Everything.”