Chapter 6 (Part 7)

The day of the ball arrived, and the Richard family’s carriage was heading toward the Imperial Palace.  

The late summer air brushed softly against their arms, carrying the fresh scent of apple blossoms.  

But silence filled the Richard family’s carriage on its way to the ballroom.  

Duke Richard was busy with palace security, so Therese had to accompany Maria Richard.  

It felt exactly like before, making Therese anxious.  

‘…It’s fine.’  

Gripping her gloved hand tightly on her thigh, Therese tried to calm her nerves.  

She prided herself on her varied experiences, having grown up in the bazaars since childhood.  

Yet, was she still just a naïve and foolish twenty-year-old girl?  

‘Can I really face and overcome Maria Richard?’  

Her opponent, who had once tried to poison her, sat unshaken even in the swaying carriage.  

The green dress adorned with delicate jewels made Maria Richard look much younger than her age, and the pearl-studded tiara highlighted her elegant beauty.  

Except for the occasional glare she shot at Therese, Maria appeared flawless.  

Was she curious whether the poison had been fully neutralized?  

Therese hid a bitter smile behind her handkerchief. Then, she deliberately coughed, prompting the expected reaction from her mother-in-law.  

“Oh, dear. Are you feeling unwell?”  

Maria spoke as if concerned, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.  

“I feel strangely nauseous.”  

Therese clenched her fist and pressed it against her chest, and Maria leaned forward slightly.  

“You should have rested. But since His Majesty the Emperor holds our family in such high regard, there’s no helping it.”  

Maria Richard had done everything she could to stop Therese from attending the ball. She wanted to attend alone with Duke Richard, the Empire’s pride, and bask in everyone’s attention.  

But since His Majesty had specifically requested the presence of Duchess Richard, there was no way around it.  

‘Well, it’s not bad to watch her waste away before my eyes.’  

Nothing would change moving forward.  

The Imperial Ball was not a place where someone with merchant blood could belong, and Maria intended to make that point perfectly clear.  

When the carriage carrying Therese arrived, it joined a line of carriages bearing the crests of various noble families.  

Maria stepped out first, followed by Therese, who held the footman’s hand.  

As she raised her head, she saw the endless staircase covered in white silk, with ladies and gentlemen ascending in a procession.  

“What are you standing there for!”  

Maria snapped sharply, and the dazed Therese hurried to climb the stairs.  

Holding the hem of her white dress, Therese felt her chest tighten with every step upward.  

‘Places filled with nobles are always uncomfortable.’  

They were the same people who had treated her as an outsider since childhood.  

While biting her lip, she reached the top of the stairs and stood at the entrance to the ballroom.  

Today’s ball was themed after the breathtaking scenery of Mount Alpi, a pride of the Caspian Empire.  

Mount Alpi, a snow-capped mountain in the north, had been chosen to provide a sense of coolness in the summer heat, at the Emperor’s suggestion.  

“The Duchess Richard and the Grand Madame Richard have arrived!”  

After the trumpet sounded, the attendant announced loudly, and the ballroom fell silent for a moment.  

This was the level of respect afforded to the most dignified noblewoman in the Empire.  

Maria bowed gracefully to the crowd and entered the ballroom slowly.  

“His Majesty’s aesthetic sense must be acknowledged.”  

Maria, completely indifferent to Therese’s feelings, was busy taking in the ballroom’s interior.  

Although it was summer outside, the ballroom had been decorated to resemble winter.  

The long chandeliers were adorned with fluffy white cotton balls, creating the illusion of snow falling from the sky.  

The white silk draped everywhere was so pristine and delicate that it seemed a shame to step on.  

‘What is all this?’  

The overwhelmingly white landscape made Therese feel uneasy, and her face turned pale.  

Soon, sharp gazes pierced her entire body.  

Behind fans, red lips whispered about her.  

‘Is that the infamous Duchess Richard?’  

‘For someone who bought her title with money, she’s not much to look at.’  

It was the familiar hostility directed at someone trying to stand on equal footing with those born into nobility.  

‘As if I came here because I wanted to.’  

Therese straightened her back to appear confident, but her fingers trembled slightly.  

The sadness of her past, which she thought she had forgotten, suddenly surged, making her legs feel weak.  

‘The Duchess Richard, abandoned by her husband.’  

That was the name that followed Therese Demori.  

“Can’t you straighten your back properly?”  

Her mother-in-law, standing beside her, struck Therese’s shoulder sharply with her fan.  

The sting made her gasp, but before she could react, a commotion arose from across the room.  

“My goodness! It’s His Grace, Duke Richard!”  

At someone’s small exclamation, Therese saw Jeremy Richard walking toward her.  

“……Ah.”  

She had known he would look good, but seeing the Duke himself wearing the clothes that had hung in the dressing room was a completely different experience.  

Duke Richard, dressed in a pure white suit with a cravat, draped a red coat with golden embellishments over his shoulders. He looked perfect, like a living sculpture. His golden hair shimmered under the chandelier, scattering into rays of light.  

“As expected of my son.”  

Maria reached out her hand toward the Duke, who was approaching to escort her.  

However, Duke Richard passed Maria with only a polite nod and stood in front of Therese.  

“…….”  

“Madame, will you embarrass my hand?”  

Therese, suppressing her complicated emotions, took the hand he offered.  

Maria, along with the other noblewomen watching the two, showed traces of jealousy and bewilderment on their faces.  

How much had the gossips talked about how the Duke had abandoned his Duchess immediately after their wedding?  

There were even those who had wagered money that the Duke would soon divorce and remarry Lady Volez. For the wealthy and carefree nobles, others’ personal lives were a great source of entertainment, and even more so if it involved Duke Richard.  

In front of everyone, the Duke lowered his head.  

“You look beautiful tonight.”  

“…….”  

At his whisper, Therese only blinked her eyes.  

It was a very strange feeling.  

Whenever she attended the ballroom, she would usually stand in a corner or against a wall, reflecting on how miserable she felt.  

But today, she felt like the main character.  

‘This is so unfamiliar.’  

Every time Therese walked, the pleats of her skirt rippled like gentle waves, and her slender wrists peeked out from under the short sleeves of her dress. Her silver hair, cascading down her back in soft waves, resembled a flowing galaxy.  

The overall elegance of the Duchess’s attire drew the attention of the noblewomen, who whispered behind their fans.  

“What’s this? I heard feather decorations were going to be in fashion for this ball.”  

“Find out immediately who designed Duchess Richard’s dress.”  

Wearing the dress that Maria had treated like trash and walking through the ballroom felt different. So Therese deliberately straightened her back even more.  

To show Maria Richard.  

When they reached the center of the ballroom, the music began to play.  

‘I might really have to dance with the Duke.’  

She absolutely hated dancing.  

Just as Therese, having snapped out of her daze, looked for an escape, the Duke tightened his grip on her hand and spoke first.  

“May I have the first dance?”  

“……Um.”  

Before she could even answer, Therese was led out by the Duke.  

As she moved her body in sync with Duke Richard’s hand, it felt as though the magic had started again.  

‘Is this what walking on clouds feels like?’  

It was hard to believe that she was being escorted and dancing with the Duke right now.  

As her cheeks began to flush, her head suddenly cooled as though cold water had been poured over her.  

Why was I so happy and excited?  

The Therese who would have bee pleased with Duke Richard’s kindness no longer existed.  

But being with him like this brought back vivid memories of the day they had danced at the street café.  

The day they danced to the wandering musician’s violin.  

She and Duke Richard had joined the passersby in a lively celebration.  

Back then, his expression had been a little softer than it was today.  

At the Imperial Palace, Duke Richard was his usual self. Though he appeared to be smiling, his face betrayed no discernible emotion.  

“Are you thinking of another man while standing before me?”  

“That’s not it……”  

“Don’t tell me you’re feeling unwell?”  

The Duke’s gaze, scanning Therese’s face and body, was sharp and persistent. If she said she was unwell, he looked ready to lift her up in his arms immediately.  

‘Goodness, just the thought is horrifying.’  

Her unfamiliar movements in the dance made her ankles ache, and her breathing was labored, but she refused to show it.  

Therese calmly replied, 

“I’m just not used to events like this.”  

At her words, the sharpness in the Duke’s eyes softened.  

“You’ll grow used to it if we attend together more often.”  

“…….”  

At the Duke’s kind response, Therese’s cheeks grew warm.