Chapter 25

Ethan realized that his judgment was completely wrong when he faced Carlisle, whom he thought would never bother to visit him in person, no matter what he did.

He had never imagined that Carlisle would suddenly show up and start an argument.

“Well, we’ll find out in time. Relax your face a bit. Duke Pavron Polshared always smiled so well, but you’re so hard to see smile.”

The moment Ethan mentioned his father’s name, Carlisle’s expression hardened noticeably.

“And what about you? Has your taste changed? I thought you’d prefer glamorous beauty, like your mother, the Rose of Aerondo.”

“Well, you could say that, but Yvonne is different. Meeting a woman who goes against my taste isn’t so bad. Who knows, maybe it’ll become real?”

“You? Real feelings? You, son of Elaine Inglebert?”

Carlisle asked, his face full of scorn, as if he’d heard something absurd.

Ethan’s face twisted with anger. For anyone else, Ethan’s sudden change in expression would have been intimidating, but not for Carlisle, who found it unimpressive.

Seeing Ethan’s clenched fist, Carlisle provocatively lifted his chin.

“It’s funny that someone like you, who uses and discards people without blinking, especially being so much like Elaine Inglebert, would say something like that.”

“Hey, Carlisle. It’s not proper to bring the deceased into this conversation.”

“You were the one who brought up the deceased first.”

At Carlisle’s retort, Ethan drank his whiskey as if to cool his anger.

Mentioning the late Duke Polshared had not only failed to gain him anything, it had given Carlisle an excuse. All it did was make him angrier.

“Really, we’re terribly incompatible.”

“I think that’s my line.”

Ethan said with a bitter laugh.

“It’s funny. The world thinks we’re close friends, but in reality, it’s the opposite. Every time we meet, it’s so unpleasant.”

Carlisle’s face, now devoid of any smile, was cold as he stared at Ethan.

“You don’t need to be conscious of me. Just stay out of my business.”

“Duke, you always know how to ruin someone’s mood.”

Ethan took out a cigarette, lit it with a lighter handed by a staff member, and narrowed his eyes as he took a deep drag.

“Are you still obsessed with the idea that your misfortune is because of me?”

“Are you still intoxicated by the inferiority complex that you want to beat me?”

Carlisle’s voice became noticeably lower, as if it had no effect.

If Yvonne was now called Lily, then exactly twelve years ago, there was a woman known as Rose.

Once, Elaine Inglebert, Ethan’s mother, captivated countless men in Aerondo with her beauty. Her golden blonde hair left a fragrant scent wherever she walked. Many men fell for her, including Carlisle’s father.

Carlisle’s father, who had lived as a strict soldier all his life, fell for another man’s wife so deeply that he abandoned his family.

A loyal soldier who always followed the rules, he couldn’t forget that woman and eventually committed adultery, causing a huge scandal that ended in disaster.

Society hushed up the rumors, but Carlisle knew it was all rooted in a love affair, and so did Ethan.

As nobles, they pretended nothing had happened, but between the two, their relationship was never pleasant.

Carlisle emptied his glass, opened a silver case from his pocket, took out a cigar, and lit it calmly.

“Let’s just stop. I could overlook it as if nothing happened, just like I’ve done before.”

“What exactly have you overlooked for someone like me, Duke Polshared?”

“Bermingwell.”

At the low word, Ethan’s lips curled as if pretending not to know, but Carlisle, seeing Ethan’s eyes not smile at all, leisurely drew on his cigar and added,

“You’re quite diligent at sending rats around. I wonder how long I have to keep overlooking it. Do you really covet what I have that much?”

“Look, Carlisle. If we mix personal feelings into business, it gets complicated.”

“Who started it?”

Heavy tension settled between them.

Bang, bang.

As the music changed and the dancers’ movements became more intense, fireworks exploded in succession, but even the noisy sounds couldn’t disturb the two men.

Their eyes met in fierce psychological warfare.

“You quit being a soldier after only a few years and went into munitions… Fine, I can accept your confidence, but profiting from stolen information is where I draw the line.”

“It’s even stranger that you, Duke Polshared, pretend not to know, acting as usual, but become so passionate when it comes to your wife.”

Despite Ethan’s sharp comment, Carlisle’s face showed no reaction.

“Keep chasing any woman you want, but stop coveting mine just because she was once mine.”

“Hah…”

Ethan let out a laugh, feeling his mood sour. He hadn’t expected Carlisle to come after him over rumors with Yvonne, let alone say such things.

“What, are you feeling regret now? Is it bothering you that I’m trying to get close to the woman you liked?”

‘Liked.’

It was a foreign word to Carlisle. Yvonne had never had any feelings for him, except for the one time she confessed.

Ethan saw Carlisle’s jaw tighten and glanced at the attendant by the entrance before putting down his glass.

“Nothing is uglier than not accepting a breakup. On that note, I’ll excuse myself—I have a date with Lady Yvonne.”

Without waiting for Carlisle’s reply, Ethan stood, threw his coat over his shoulder, and dusted it off lightly.

“I’ll make it a hot one. The drinks are a gift, so enjoy.”

Carlisle watched Ethan’s retreating back through the lively crowd, his hand slowly tightening.

Carlisle exhaled and closed his eyes.

He seemed to be deep in thought for a while, then moved his index finger. Henry quickly approached and bowed.

“Arrange a meeting right now. Say it’s urgent.”

* * *

Bang! Bang!

“Lady Yvonne.”

Even after the doorbell rang, the visitor began knocking on the door. It was Ethan Inglebert’s voice.

“I know you’re inside, so let me see you for a moment.”

Yvonne, pacing the living room with her hands clasped, bit her lip.

She pretended not to be home, but Ethan was persistent tonight. As he knocked and called her name, Yvonne finally spoke quietly through the closed door.

“I told you, I haven’t been feeling well lately.”

“It’ll just take a moment. Please open the door.”

Yvonne looked at her face in the mirror. The bruises had faded somewhat after several days, but faint marks remained.

It was night, so if she went out wearing a hat, people wouldn’t notice, but if someone looked closely, they’d see the traces. It was hard to make up a convincing excuse.

Bang!

“Lady Yvonne.”

Ethan kept knocking.

Was he always this persistent?

Yvonne worried she might have dragged him into this mess unnecessarily, and Jane, frightened by the loud noise, anxiously shuffled her feet.

“What should we do, Miss? He doesn’t seem to want to leave.”

“I’ll go out and see him.”

Ignoring him any longer would mean staying up all night, so Yvonne put on the bonnet Jane brought. Jane lightly dabbed powder to cover the bruises, and Yvonne pulled her long hair forward to hide her face.

After making all these preparations, she finally opened the door just a crack.

“Ethan, it’s late. Is something urgent happening?”

Yvonne peeked her head through the gap in the door, eyes lowered as she asked.