Chapter 11

Tap. Tap.

A small, rhythmic tapping sound echoed inside the carriage.  

Eric, sitting upright with his legs crossed, tapped his fingers against the inner wall of the carriage for a while before frowning.  

Uncrossing his legs, he stood and flung the carriage door open.  

“They’re late. I despise waiting.”  

His stiff face betrayed an undeniable tension.  

There was still plenty of time before the Imperial Palace ball was set to begin.  

However, Eric found it increasingly difficult to suppress his growing impatience, and his unsettled emotions soon turned into dissatisfaction with Euphrasia.  

Sensing Eric’s frustration, Demian tried to soothe him with a gentle expression.  

It was not that he didn’t like the time he had to wait for her—it was that he was looking forward to the time they would spend together at the ball.  

So much so that even the slightest delay was unbearable.  

The elderly butler, who had been standing silently like a shadow beside the carriage, bent his upper body respectfully and spoke.  

“I understand your eagerness to see her. Such tender feelings that cannot wait even a moment—how moving. I feel as though I might shed tears.”  

A faint smile played on his lips as he spoke.  

The fact that the head of the Herrington ducal household had such a keen interest in the illegitimate daughter of the Count Olden family was a secret known only to Demian within the estate.  

Even Eric himself was likely unaware of it.  

Demian was already looking forward to tonight’s victory banquet with great anticipation.  

“Enough nonsense.”  

“Yes. I must have misspoken because Lady Olden looked so stunning after her preparations.”  

However, at Eric’s curt reply, Demian quickly erased his smile and composed his expression.  

He had no desire to upset his prideful master, even slightly.  

The secret he alone knew would remain buried in his heart for the time being.  

Creak.  

At that moment, the tightly shut doors of the estate finally opened.  

And the person Eric had been waiting for appeared at last.  

She stepped out slowly and cautiously.  

Her movements were stiff, as though she wasn’t yet accustomed to her elaborate attire, but the elegance and beauty radiating from her entire being were unmistakable.  

It was Lady Olden’s grand entrance.  

**  

When the head maid had first led her to the bathroom, the sun was shining brightly.  

But after being whisked around under the pretext of grooming, Euphrasia realized that the sky had darkened, and the horizon was now painted with the colors of dusk.  

‘How much time has passed?’  

As she walked slowly toward the carriage, Euphrasia glanced at the sky, now entirely dyed in shades of red.  

While buried under the dresses that filled every wall of the dressing room and the piles of glittering jewelry, she had momentarily forgotten her nervousness.  

But as she approached the carriage, a creeping sense of tension began to rise within her.  

The closer she got, the more she felt herself stiffen, her entire body growing rigid.  

Her awkward, creaking steps felt so ridiculous that her face flushed with embarrassment.  

Fortunately, the crimson glow of the sunset concealed her expression.  

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize so much time had passed. Although the maids probably did their best, I’m not sure if it suits me. It feels a bit too extravagant…”  

Arriving in front of the carriage, Euphrasia lifted the sides of her dress slightly and greeted Eric.  

She tried to appear composed, but the hesitation in her voice was hard to hide.  

Silence followed.  

“Your Grace?”  

Waiting for a response, Euphrasia tilted her head and met Eric’s gaze.  

It seemed he hadn’t been idle while she was preparing. His neatly groomed hair and finely tailored evening attire gave him a polished, formal appearance.  

Seeing him, Euphrasia’s pupils trembled slightly.  

Unconsciously, her eyes scanned him from head to toe, and her face flushed again—but this time for a different reason.  

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Eric, dressed impeccably, looked not just handsome but breathtaking beyond words.  

“Among all the noble ladies attending tonight’s victory banquet, none will outshine you, Lady. Olden”  

It was a phrase Euphrasia had heard countless times from the head maid while preparing for the Imperial Palace ball.  

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she had thought the head maid’s words weren’t mere flattery.  

After all, the image staring back at her from the mirror had been radiant.  

But at this moment, imagining herself standing next to Eric at the banquet, Euphrasia couldn’t help but feel a bit deflated.  

No matter how extravagantly she dressed…  

Beside someone who seemed to embody noble bloodline itself, she feared she would look like nothing more than a wilted flower.  

‘Do I look that unimpressive?’  

Eric’s unyielding gaze and stiff expression only solidified her doubts.  

‘I didn’t expect a warm welcome, but still…’  

The Imperial Palace ball was merely a stage to confirm Louis’s parentage.  

She had anticipated Eric’s distant and formal demeanor and had steeled herself for it.  

But facing his cold expression now, she couldn’t help but feel disheartened.  

“I truly don’t know what words of praise would suffice. Even if I used every compliment in existence, it wouldn’t be enough. You are breathtakingly beautiful. Let us hurry now; the banquet will begin shortly.”  

“You’re flattering me. You can be honest…”  

“Would I dare offer empty compliments to the future lady of the Herrington ducal household? Now, shall we board the carriage? Allow me to assist you.”  

Noticing Euphrasia’s darkening expression, Demian spoke in a deliberately cheerful tone and gently took her hand to guide her.  

He pretended not to notice when Euphrasia stumbled slightly at the mention of “the future lady of the Herrington ducal household,” nor when Eric’s eyebrow twitched upward.  

Having witnessed countless events during his long years at the Herrington estate, the elderly butler found the current situation rather amusing.  

Euphrasia’s reaction—blushing at Eric one moment and sulking the next.  

And Eric’s—pretending to be composed but clearly flustered, his rigid demeanor betraying his unease.  

Their complicated emotions toward each other were evident.  

‘Perhaps the Duke’s interest… isn’t entirely one-sided.’  

Demian decided to revise the secret he had kept to himself—that the head of the Herrington ducal household had an intense interest in the illegitimate daughter of the Count Olden family.  

***

Despite Demian’s firm guidance, Euphrasia hesitated, glancing nervously at Eric.  

“Come now.”  

The kind-hearted Lady Olden was clearly intimidated by the Duke’s icy demeanor, which seemed to freeze the very air around him.  

With a touch of sympathy, Demian took her hand again and tried to lead her.  

Finally, Euphrasia began to move hesitantly. Just as she placed one foot on the carriage step—  

“Let go of her hand.”  

Eric’s chilling voice cut through the air like a blade to the back of Demian’s neck.  

Startled, the butler immediately released Euphrasia’s hand.  

For a brief moment, her hand hovered in the air before Eric’s hand naturally intertwined with hers.  

“Remember that from now on, you are my partner. I’d prefer it if you avoided physical contact with other men.”  

Even if that man happens to be a white-haired old butler.  

Demian, sensing the unspoken words, had to turn away to stifle a laugh.  

Euphrasia, startled by Eric’s unexpected actions and words, widened her eyes and stared at him.  

“This is simply a matter of mutual respect, don’t you think? Of course, I also promise not to even glance at any other woman but you.” 

“What?”  

Before she could question him further, Eric stepped into the carriage and gently helped her inside.  

Despite his gruff tone, his touch was surprisingly gentle.  

“Hyah!”  

The door closed, and with the coachman’s spirited shout, the carriage began to move at last.  

The interior of the carriage was spacious and comfortable.  

To exaggerate slightly, it was large enough for Eric, with his broad frame, to lie down and travel without any issue.  

However, Euphrasia, who had inadvertently ended up sitting close to Eric, missed the moment to shift and create some distance.  

Similarly, she missed the chance to withdraw her hand, which awkwardly remained caught in his grasp.  

‘This is too close…’  

The warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her dress made every hair on her body stand on end.  

Each time Eric exhaled, his warm breath brushed against her ear, making her neck flush with heat.  

The more she became aware of him, the more hypersensitive her senses grew.  

“There’s no need to be so tense. If you truly have nothing to hide under the heavens, then drinking the elixir will cause no trouble.”  

Eric’s voice broke the awkward silence.  

She couldn’t tell whether his words were meant to comfort or provoke her, but strangely, hearing his voice calmed the trembling in her body.  

It was an odd sensation.  

His words made her uneasy, yet at the same time, they brought her a sense of relief.  

The conflicting emotions caused Euphrasia’s expression to twist into something between a smile and a grimace as her tension slowly melted away.