Chapter 3.1

On a clear day in May,  

Adrian stood in the hall of Hazel’s as Eloise’s partner. It had been half a month since he arrived in Melhem. During that time, the biggest topic in the Southern Social Circle was that the current Duke Bachelet’s brother would be staying long-term at Hazel’s. The fact that he had taken over the prime land in the south and volunteered to be the partner of the second daughter of the Earl of Hazel was enough to make the Earl’s shoulders soar high with pride.

The reason why the debut party of a noble lady, usually a small garden party, was so crowded today was because nobles gathered to see the rumors with their own eyes. Feeling a faint sense of déjà vu from the noise of the crowd beyond the closed door, Adrian looked at his partner for the day, who was holding his hand and waiting. Contrary to his expectations, the blonde lady in the white dress according to etiquette didn’t seem so nervous.

Of course, as for Adrian himself, he was even more indifferent. One of his main duties throughout the war was attending this kind of party, so he was more than familiar with it to the point of disgust. While the war was raging with blood and flesh splattering on the border, Adrian was at the center of luxury, pleasure, and decadence. It had been five years where he witnessed so many filthy and disgusting scenes that he came to hate the entire noble clan despite being a noble himself.

Anyway, based on his past experience, Adrian was confident in perfectly performing the role of today’s partner.  

“Miss Eloise.”  

Eloise, who was looking at him with a bright smile, returned his smile.  

“How do you feel? Nervous or anxious? You don’t seem like you would, but sometimes young ladies faint at debut balls.”  

He threw the words half-jokingly to ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere, and Eloise responded with a playful sparkle in her eyes.  

“Hmm… Can I be honest?”  

In the absence of the Earl and Countess Hazel, she was somewhat comfortable with Adrian. To Eloise, he was a friend of her sister whom she had seen since childhood, and he didn’t dislike the feeling of her being at ease with him.  

“Honesty is always welcome.”  

“Actually, I’m a bit bored. I was hoping it would end soon.”  

At the unexpected words, Adrian unknowingly let out a small laugh. Although she seemed to have nothing in common with Theodora, Eloise naturally reminded him of her sister at times like this.  

“Oh dear, the lady I’m escorting is having a boring time. That pains my heart.”  

“Oh, of course, Marquis, you are a very charming gentleman, and I honestly think you’re too good for my debut partner. Truly.”  

Eloise lightly responded to his jest, and until then, their conversation was not very serious.  

“Thinking of my sister’s partner… It’s really too much.”  

However, at the words Eloise brought up next, Adrian felt his mind calm down, and his attention, which had been somewhat distracted, became focused. Even after his commission, he and Theodora exchanged letters occasionally, but she never told him about her debut ball and partner. Knowing how important a debutante was to a noble lady of the Empire, Adrian regretted not seeing Theodora’s debut. Of course, thinking about her dancing her first dance with someone else and giving her first kiss according to custom made him feel very strange, but anyway, he knew nothing about Theodora’s debut, so Eloise’s story was very interesting.  

“Her partner was… a distant relative. It was a very terrible time for both of them. They weren’t that close since childhood. They danced the first dance formally, let alone the first kiss.”  

“Oh dear.”  

Without even having time to think about why he felt relieved at this point, Eloise widened her eyes and lowered her voice.  

“Of course, I don’t want to kiss my partner today either. It’s not that I dislike you, Marquis… You understand, right? You’ve been close to my sister for a long time, so you feel almost like a cousin to me.”  

Since Adrian had no such thought at all, they both agreed that nothing would happen after today’s first dance.  

After that, Eloise told him a few more stories about Theodora.  

“Do you know that my sister is into collecting rare tulip bulbs these days? It’s a world I can’t understand at all, but she seems to like it.”  

He unknowingly found himself deeply engrossed in her story. Although he couldn’t find out who Theodora’s first kiss was with, just knowing that her debut partner was not it was a big gain.  

…Then who was the first kiss with? 

With the curiosity resurfacing, his neck tensed stiffly, but now was not the time to worry about such things.  

“It seems it’s time to enter.”  

Watching Eloise shrug her shoulders and speak nonchalantly, Adrian smiled once more. Her cleverness in bringing up a topic he would be interested in, and her composure in not flinching at most things, were very impressive.  

‘She would make a great informant.’  

It was a thought that would make the conservative Earl Hazel jump up, but it was a world where female operatives were also active in the field. Anyway, in the social circle, which was like a kind of battlefield, Adrian had a feeling that Eloise would survive very well without anyone’s help.  

‘But not Theodora.’  

Kind and gentle, with a soft heart, she was just the type to become someone’s prey. So, Theodora had to be helped entirely by him. While stubbornly thinking so, finally, the sound of today’s main character being called from beyond the door was heard.  

“Shall we go?”  

It was time to head to the hall where Theodora would be waiting.

* * *

When the man and woman everyone had been waiting for finally appeared, the hall was instantly enveloped in silence. Theodora, too, held her breath as she watched the scene.  

Eloise, with her golden hair piled high in a snow-white dress, was as beautiful as a princess from any kingdom. There probably weren’t many people in the world who could shine so brightly with Adrian by their side.  

Beside her, wearing a dark navy formal suit as if to make the protagonist stand out, her partner stood like a knight guarding the princess.  

With his hair swept back to reveal his forehead, Adrian was strikingly handsome, and many men cast envious and admiring glances at him.  

Today, Hazel’s main hall was decorated more beautifully than ever. Thanks to the chiffon canopy draped from the ceiling and the decorations that spared no flowers, the banquet hall looked very splendid and lively.  

Perhaps because of the decorations reminiscent of a wedding and the bustling guests, Eloise in her white debutante dress looked just like Adrian’s bride, and Theodora had to clench her hands tightly against the rising anxiety.  

The servant who announced the entrance loudly called Eloise’s name, declaring that she had become a full-fledged adult and formally a member of the social circle.  

When the name of the Marquis of Devon was called next, Adrian raised his hand skillfully towards the crowd, and the nobles applauded enthusiastically as if they had fallen in love with him.

The speculation that Adrian had become Eloise’s partner merely out of courtesy, citing the vassal relationship between the Bachelet Ducal Family and the Hazel’s, seemed likely to vanish today. They were such a well-matched pair.

Of course, Theodora, watching them from afar, was in turmoil. It was more difficult to acknowledge her own distress than the fact that she was troubled.

‘I can’t believe I’m such a narrow-minded person.’

Most of it was self-reproach.

‘If I’m like this just over a dance partner, what will happen if Adrian actually gets married…’

The rest was worry about what was to come.

‘So rather than that, I should…’

Over the layers of dark emotions, the face of her father, who had urged her to make a request, came to mind. Initially, she thought he simply wanted to bask in the aura of the Bachelet Ducal Family, but today she suspected he might have painted a bigger picture.

Her father, like a seasoned businessman, was ambitious and knew how to make the most of his cards. To him, Theodora was a worthless card, but Eloise was his best card. Betting that best card to catch the Duke’s brother would be a profitable deal.

Lost in such thoughts, Theodora felt her mood sinking like a ship. She didn’t like her father using Eloise, deceiving Adrian, or herself being consumed by jealousy watching the two of them.

Perhaps her displeasure was showing on her face, as her partner, standing close by, suddenly spoke with concern.

“Miss Theodora, are you alright?”

When she looked up, warm amber eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses were looking at her.

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry, Mr. White. I’m alright. I just suddenly felt a bit dizzy…”

“Shouldn’t you sit down and rest for a while? Your face is very pale.”

The man with soft brunette hair and a handsome appearance was Andrew White, a lawyer at a law office in town. Seeing his very worried expression, Theodora gave a bitter smile and shook her head slightly.