3. Jealousy

Two weeks later, a ball was held. It was the regular banquet held annually in Duke Pruis’s castle.

Luxury carriages of nobles lined up in front of the ducal castle’s grand garden, and male and female nobles showing off their splendid appearances arrived one after another in the grand banquet hall.

That moment, Liana was being dressed surrounded by maids. When her makeup was finished, clothing store staff who had come and waited in advance helped her put on the light blue patterned dress she had fitted with Dain previously.

Liana wore a small tiara studded with jewels on her chignon hair and put on pearl necklaces and earrings.

When the time for the banquet to begin approached, the waiting room door opened and a tall man entered. He looked handsome with his hair neatly combed back and wearing black formal wear over a white shirt with lace at the neck.

Dain stood at the door entrance and looked at Liana for a long time. She was still beautiful like a fairy.

“You came?”

Liana, who rose from her seat, said while walking toward Dain.

“It’s fine.”

Liana’s face reddened with the praise that suddenly popped out of his mouth.

“You look handsome too.”

“Thank you. Shall we go?”

Dain extended his hand.

“Yes.”

Liana, who answered meekly, took his extended hand with a nervous expression. Her heart pounded because this was her first time attending a banquet.

“Duke Dain Pruis and Lady Liana Brian is entering!”

The announcer’s voice rang out loudly from the banquet hall entrance.

“How can Duke Pruis be so handsome?”

“Indeed.”

“Who is the lady next to him? I heard Duke Pruis has no mistress.”

“I don’t know either.”

“From the introduction, she’s Lady Brian.”

“Baron Brian…… I think I’ve heard of him. I can’t remember clearly.”

When Dain and Liana entered the hall, noble ladies covered their mouths with fans and shared information about the two.

“Thank you all for coming from far away. Let us toast to the prosperity and development of the Mancus Empire.”

A moment later, Dain, who went up to the head table, greeted the nobles gathered in the hall and raised his wine glass high.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The nobles also raised their wine glasses following him and shouted cheers. Liana, standing next to Dain, also shouted cheers and drank wine.

After the toast ended, nobles naturally gathered to greet Dain.

“Your Grace, it’s been a long time.”

Count and Countess Constance, who attended every annual ball and introduced their daughter to him, greeted him.

“This is my daughter Bella. She came of age this year.”

“I greet Your Grace.”

Bella curtsied while holding her skirt.

“Nice to meet you. Lady Constance.”

Other nobles also had their daughters who attended the banquet together greet Dain. Elaborately dressed ladies instantly surrounded him.

“Phew……”

Liana, who quietly slipped away from the crowded head table, sat at a table on one side of the hall and sighed.

Since this was her first banquet, standing before many nobles felt burdensome. She had read and memorized the book Philip gave her several times, but practice was different.

Glancing toward where Dain was, he seemed busy greeting nobles.

“Lady Brian.”

Then suddenly she heard a voice calling her from behind. It was a middle-aged man she had never seen before.

“I am Count Rex.”

“Your Grace, nice to meet you for the first time.”

Liana stood up and greeted him politely. The count came and sat across from her. When he sat down, she also sat back down.

“I know Baron Brian well. I heard he recently went on a trip to the eastern continent. Why didn’t you go with your parents?”

Liana’s expression darkened with the count’s words.

Since this was the north, far from the imperial capital, she had thought no one would know Baron Brian, but it seemed she thought wrong.

“……You know my father?”

Liana asked the count with an uncomfortable expression.

“Of course I do. I was close with the baron and his wife. He came to me a few months ago asking to do magic stone business together. When I refused because I had no funds, there was no news after that. When I looked into it, he had left for a trip to the eastern continent.”

That damn magic stone business. Just how many people did he swindle?

“I heard he had one daughter but he rarely showed her, so it seems the couple went to the eastern continent leaving their daughter behind.”

“That…… is correct.”

Meeting someone who knew the baron made her spine chill.

“When I asked then, he said his daughter hadn’t had her debutante yet. Is today your first banquet attendance?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The legitimate wife’s daughter was one year younger than Liana. Fortunately, she seemed not to have debuted in society yet. That’s why Count Rex mistook her for the legitimate wife’s daughter.

“When the baron returns, please give him my regards.”

“Yes, I will.”

Liana answered with an awkward smile. The count who finished speaking stood up and walked toward where Dain was. Cold sweat was flowing on her forehead.

It would be troublesome if someone appeared who would discover the fact that she was an illegitimate child.

The Mancus Empire despised illegitimate children. Liana smiled bitterly.

One day the baron might appear and spread the word that she was illegitimate. The situation was ironic—while she thought she could escape from the duke when the swindler returned since she was collateral, she had to hope he wouldn’t appear.

Since more nobles who knew Baron Brian might approach her if she stayed in the hall longer, she quickly left the ballroom.

Dain, who finished greeting the nobles, looked around the hall searching for Liana. Even during this time, he was surrounded by dozens of noble ladies.

“Lady Noren, would you step aside?”

“Pardon?”

“I need to go forward, but I can’t go because of you.”

Dain said with a stern expression to the lady blocking him.

“I’m, I’m sorry. Your Grace.”

The count’s daughter apologized with a reddened face. The other women also stepped aside like the sea parting.

Dain, who passed through the ladies, strode toward the table where Liana had been sitting. However, Liana was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did she go again?’

He urgently walked to the terrace. Then, his eyes caught a dazzling blonde woman strolling through the garden.

* * *

Liana, who came outside, headed to the grand garden. Even though it was night, the grand garden was brightly lit with lamps because of today’s banquet. She found the darkest spot and sat on a bench.

“Tessa?”

Not long after sitting on the bench, an unfamiliar voice came from behind. Tessa was her stage name when she was a theater actress.

Liana turned around slowly with a surprised face. A man she had never seen before stood a little distance from the bench.

“Sorry for startling you, Lady. I am Count Louis Stans.”

He was a nobleman type with light brown hair and blue eyes.

“Hello. Count. I am Liana Brian.”

Liana greeted him politely while trying to recall if she had met him before. Since he knew the name Tessa, he seemed to have either seen her theater performance or knew her well.

“You really resemble the actress Tessa very much. I’m a long-time fan of hers. I committed a discourtesy.”

“I see.”

Liana’s light blue eyes widened hearing he was her fan.

Her role in the theater company was a minor one, so she never imagined someone would like her. Her heart pounded.

“You resemble someone I’m looking for very much. I’m searching for the missing actress Miss Tessa. Do you happen to know her?”

Her body froze.

“No. It’s the first time I’ve heard that name. Why are you looking for her?”

Liana asked while pretending to talk about someone she didn’t know.

“Since she was a minor actress, you probably don’t know her. The reason I’m looking for Tessa is because I love her voice and singing. I wanted to become her patron to keep hearing the beautiful arias sung with her lovely voice. But one day she suddenly didn’t appear in performances, and when I asked the theater company, no one knew her whereabouts.”

The mystery was solved. He seemed to have been an audience of the plays she performed in.

Since she wore cat makeup during performances, he didn’t seem to recognize her face immediately.

‘Thank you for loving my singing.’

Liana thanked Count Stans in her heart. She was grateful that he liked her singing and had wanted to become her patron.

“Do you like theater?”

But Count Stans’s words, which she thought would end soon, continued.

“Not really……”

Liana trailed off. If she said she liked theater, they might share theater stories and her identity could be discovered.

“Oh, I see. If you have time, would you like to watch a theater performance with me? The Randell Theater Company’s ‘Viviana’s Day’ is popular these days.”

“……”

Liana hesitated hearing the count’s words. She also wanted to see a theater performance after a long time. Especially the Randell Theater Company’s performance—it was something she had wanted to see for a long time.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll have time.”

But unfortunately, she had to refuse.

“I see. It was enjoyable talking with you today. If you want to see a performance, please contact me anytime. And if you visit the Stans county, you’ll always be welcome.”

The count answered with a slight smile in a regretful voice.

“Yes, Count. Thank you for the offer.”

“Then I’ll see you again.”

The count bowed his head while smiling, then returned to the banquet hall. Liana also hesitated briefly before slowly walking toward the banquet hall.

She was anxious there might be another person who knew Baron Brian, but she felt she should stay in her position as the host duke’s partner anyway.