Chapter 32

Catherine was supposed to take them for a walk outside, but instead, she led them around the banquet hall in circles.

“Catherine, how about putting that down while walking?”

Lillie looked anxiously at the champagne glass in Catherine’s hand.

Catherine, who had poured two glasses into one, walked around holding the champagne she didn’t even drink.

The champagne swayed every time she walked.

“No, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, you’re going to spill it!”

“Oh.”

What Lillie feared happened. Catherine spilled the champagne.

And it spilled on Riena’s dress!

“Oh dear, what should we do? It would be nice to have a handkerchief.

Catherine said loudly, which was unusual for her.

“It’s okay, Catherine. We can just go home quickly.”

Riena said, lightly brushing off the champagne.

“Not much got on it, Riena.”

Brooke said, inspecting Riena closely. Just as she said, the dress wasn’t very wet.

“Would you like some help?”

A man approached the four of them causing a commotion.

It was the second son of Earl Summer, whom Catherine had been eyeing.

Riena had plans to marry Baron Dictron.

However, at her first banquet, she couldn’t just wait indefinitely for Baron Dictron, who might not show up.

If he didn’t come, Riena wouldn’t be able to dance. That would be a huge blow to Riena.

In this situation, the second son of Earl Summer was a perfect first dance partner for Riena.

“We would gladly accept your help in aiding a lady in distress.”

Catherine didn’t hesitate to push Riena towards the second son of Earl Summer.

“Now that I think about it, I have champagne on my hand too. Brooke, Lillie. I was about to go to the lounge, would you like to come with me?”

And she took all the obstacles away with her.

Left alone in an instant, the second son of Earl Summer handed Riena a handkerchief, and Riena wiped the wet part with it and kept it carefully.

“Thank you, I don’t know how to repay you……”

Riena said shyly.

“Helping a lady is a gentleman’s pleasure. But if you insist on repaying me, would you dance with me?”

Riena, who had longed to dance, could now dance with a fine gentleman that Catherine approved of.

And on the way to the lounge, Brooke tripped.

No matter how she looked at it, it seemed someone had tripped her, but there was no one around to trip her, leaving her puzzled. She ended up dancing with the person who caught her from falling.

Now, among the residents of Catherine House, only Lillie hadn’t danced.

“Sir Brian is over there, Catherine. And could you tell me in advance what your plan is?”

“Plan? What are you talking about?”

“Dear Catherine, did you think we wouldn’t notice? That you spilled champagne and tripped us to pair us with the men you had your eyes on?”

Lillie was sharp.

“Hmm, you caught on? Since when?”

“Riena might not know, but I knew from the beginning.”

Catherine sighed lightly and dropped her shoulders.

“So, should I apologize?”

“Why? Thanks to you, we’re dancing with fine gentlemen. We should be grateful.”

“I thought so too. So could you stop interrogating me?”

“Of course, Catherine. I also have a request. Could you help me now?”

Catherine laughed at Lillie’s bold request.

Her lips, sticking out like cherries, and her cheeks puffed up as if displeased to hide her embarrassment were adorably cute.

Indeed, her friend had a stunning appearance that made even her brazenness seem lovable.

No man in the world could refuse Lillie. Except for Hugo, that is.

That’s why Catherine hadn’t schemed to make Lillie and Brian dance together.

She thought that just introducing them would make Brian ask her to dance.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well today.”

So when Brian, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, refused her subtle invitation, it was quite refreshing.

From Catherine’s perspective, that is.

“Sister-in-law, no, Lady Catherine. My brother is glaring at me as if he’ll kill me over there. Shouldn’t you go to him? Or should I leave?”

“Oh, Brian! That’s perfect. I should go to Hugo. I’ve left my fiancé alone for too long. But as you know, I’m not alone. Could you stay with Lillie? Like Brian, Lillie isn’t feeling well today.”

So she couldn’t leave her alone, Catherine made up an illness and brought Lillie close to Brian.

Brian frowned slightly, looked at Hugo once more, and then nodded.

“Understood, Sister-in-law. Ah, I keep making mistakes, I’m sorry.”

“It happens. But it sounds very natural. You used to be very awkward with it.”

Young Brian used to be awkward calling her Sister-in-law. He had even gotten scolded by Roek for calling her by her name during the few meals they had together.

“……A lot of time has passed, Lady Catherine.”

True, but it was amusing because it wasn’t time spent being Brian’s Sister-in-law.

“Catherine, Lord Hugo is waiting.”

Lillie, who wanted to be alone, told Catherine. Catherine asked Brian to take good care of Lillie and turned around.

Brian’s gaze as he watched her walk away was very affectionate.

Lillie, noticing his gaze, tilted her head in confusion, and Brian spoke.

“Is it okay for my brother and Lady Catherine to dance?”

Why are you asking me that?

Lillie’s eyes rolled around.

***

“It was absolutely, incredibly fun!”

As soon as she got into the carriage, Riena couldn’t hide her excitement and shouted.

Brooke, who was sitting in front, slapped her arm, but Riena didn’t care and kept talking about her impressions of the banquet.

“If this is what a banquet is like, I could do it all year round! Delicious food, high-quality music, and handsome gentlemen!”

“You’re happy because those handsome gentlemen showed interest in you, right, Riena?”

“That’s right, Brooke! That’s why I liked it. Catherine, did you see my dance card?”

Riena took out the dance card hanging on her wrist and handed it to Catherine.

Her dance card was filled with gentlemen’s names on both the front and back.

“If there was a queen of the night, it would have been you, Riena.”

Riena’s lips twitched.

She wanted to act modestly like a dignified lady, but she just couldn’t.

Catherine looked at Brooke. She wanted to hear Brooke’s thoughts too.

“It wasn’t bad, Lady Catherine. But I don’t really get it. How can you know anything about someone just by dancing once?”

It was certainly enjoyable. There was no reason not to enjoy it.

The attention from people was nice too. In her hometown, Brooke’s height was a source of ridicule, but here, everyone liked it.

However, she couldn’t understand how one could feel affection through the process of briefly greeting, giving cliché compliments, and then drifting apart after dancing.

‘Will I understand if I keep doing it?’

Brooke hoped that she would come to enjoy the banquets like Riena.

“Getting to know someone seriously comes after the banquet. Today was about showing off your charm to others.”

“Well, I’m not sure how charming I was.”

“You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Catherine said confidently.

Catherine’s gaze naturally turned to Lillie.

It was strange, too strange, that Lillie wasn’t joining in the conversation between Riena and Brooke.

“Lillie, was it okay with Brian?”

Lillie flinched and shrugged her shoulders.

“Lillie, did something happen?”

“No. Nothing at all. Sir Brian was very gentlemanly.”

Catherine found it suspicious that Lillie was saying things she wasn’t asked about, but she didn’t press further.

The mood was very good. Lillie might not know, but at least the debut of the two was successful.

And today, Catherine had gotten engaged, albeit by contract.

So she wanted to enjoy the peaceful and uplifting feeling of walking on clouds a little longer.

***

The news of their engagement turned the social circles of the capital upside down.

The disappointed sighs of the ladies, whose eyes had gleamed at the appearance of the young Duke, made the roof rattle, and Countess Bedwig, who could no longer manipulate Catherine as she pleased, was completely thrown off.

“Does this make any sense? Catherine and Hugo?”

Countess Bedwig, reading a gossip magazine about the capital’s social circles, burst into anger.

The maid, who was putting down a teacup, flinched and almost dropped the cup.

Seeing the maid’s mistake, Countess Bedwig slapped the back of her hand.

The maid quickly hid her hand behind her back and bowed her head.

“It’s surprising enough that Hugo became a Duke, but they met again and got engaged? Are you saying the act they put on at the last banquet wasn’t just a cute play?”

Countess Bedwig bombarded the air with questions. The maid, not knowing how to respond, mumbled.

After much thought, she finally opened her mouth.

“Isn’t it good that the young lady’s husband will be a Duke, Madam? After all, he’s a Duke.”

The maid should have kept quiet, even if she was punished for not answering.

A reasonable person would have been pleased to have a Duke as a son-in-law, but Countess Bedwig was not reasonable.

“What’s so good about a Duke? I can’t control him! How arrogant will he be as a Duke? And what about Catherine? Won’t she look down on me now that she’s going to be Duchess?”

What does it matter how much wealth or how high the rank is if she can’t control her daughter or son-in-law?

Countess Bedwig bit her nails. She couldn’t leave things as they were.

But what could she do now that the engagement was widely rumored?

Countess Bedwig spent the whole day locked in her room, plotting ways to disrupt Catherine and Hugo’s relationship.