Chapter 3.3

“I guarantee, once this song ends, a cartload of fools desperate to catch your eye will swarm over.”

At his certainty, Theodora sighed deeply. The relationship between the Hazel’s and the Bachelet Ducal Family wasn’t new, so it was unlikely that suitors would suddenly flock just because Adrian was openly friendly with her.

“So you’re saying that men will approach expecting something special from the woman who caught the Marquis of Devon’s interest?”

But there was nothing she could do right now but play along with her friend’s strange insistence. 

I don’t need such suitors. 

She barely swallowed the words that rose to her tongue. Of course, Adrian seemed prepared to counter even such a blind spot.

“Of course, you won’t be satisfied with those drawn in that way. But you know, the more samples you have, the easier it is to pick out the better ones.”

Walking arm in arm with Theodora and matching the rhythm, Adrian continued his speech with a voice full of confidence.

“When people begging for your attention line up, you can personally sort out a few decent ones. Then I’ll investigate everything about them down to the last thread in their pockets.”

His plan, more detailed than she had expected, left her momentarily speechless. No, it wasn’t that she was speechless; she just didn’t know how to respond. Theodora looked into Adrian’s eyes for a moment. They were sincere, unwavering eyes.

In their childhood, there was an unspoken rule between the two. It was one of their unwritten rules not to refuse any game the other proposed. Though they never promised, it was a rule they always kept…

“If I can pick out a flawless man to stand by your side, Theo, I won’t want anything more.”

Why did she think of that rule now, of all times? They were no longer children, and what he proposed wasn’t a game.

“So I hope you won’t refuse my help.”

With Adrian’s final words, the music ended. The face looking down at Theodora seemed almost solemn.

Even after the dance was over, he didn’t let go of her waist for a long time, and people’s gazes began to gather on them one by one.

What’s going on? He was clearly dancing with Miss Eloise, but that’s definitely… Miss Theodora. My goodness, why isn’t he letting go for so long? Does it mean he regrets the dance ending?

Theodora felt utterly overwhelmed.

* * *

About a month after Eloise’s debut ball, which had been a series of bewildering moments for her, Theodora was experiencing firsthand that Adrian’s words weren’t just bluster.

“Oh my! Thank you so much for attending the party today, Miss Theodora. And… the Marquis of Devon is with you too!”

Recently, within a fortnight, she received the most invitations since her debut, and even tonight, she attended her seventh ball. Considering it was still early in the season, it was an enormous number. 

Theodora also heard rumors that a peculiar bet was taking place among the nobles hosting parties these days. The bet was about whether the Marquis of Devon would accompany her to the party. Recently, he had been staying by her side at every party she attended, volunteering to be her partner and displaying his affection for her with frequent intimate gestures during the events.

Thanks to Adrian, who subtly vacated his spot after drawing attention, Theodora inadvertently became the center of attention and simultaneously the target of gentlemen. Her parents seemed displeased that the attention meant for Eloise was being diverted elsewhere, but on the other hand, they subtly showed signs of anticipation. Eloise herself, seemingly distracted by something, didn’t pay any mind to the chaos, leaving Theodora as the only one to handle it all.

Among the difficulties she faced, the most troubling was the fact that Adrian’s predictions were precisely accurate. For some unknown reason, bachelors from Melhem who had previously ignored her began to show great interest in her. Initially, she tried to dismiss it as coincidence or a temporary phenomenon, but as the same thing repeated at every event, she had no choice but to acknowledge Adrian’s words as true.

Today was no different. As soon as Adrian, who had been by her side after they entered together, disappeared for a moment, gentlemen began to swarm around her like ants drawn to sugar. Until then, Theodora, who had mainly played the role of a wallflower, found such intense attention overwhelming. In retrospect, she realized it wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing.

“Hello, Miss Hazel. I’m James from the Ashton family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m William Brown. Please remember me.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice such a beautiful lady until now. May I introduce myself?”

“Would you dance with me, Miss Hazel?”

Far more men than usual approached Theodora, not only speaking to her but also eager to catch her interest. Having never experienced this before, Theodora found it difficult to adapt. However, that evening, she encountered a situation that struck her much more severely than that chaos. It was fine when she met Adrian in a hidden spot away from the persistent men pecking at her like chickens at worms.

“Adrian Devon. Second son of the Bachelet Ducal House, and currently the head of the Marquis of Devon.” 

“He… He doesn’t suit you, Theodora.” 

But his concise and subtle rejection wasn’t fine. A familiar pain spread through her heart. It was time to step back to avoid deeper hurt.

“That was just a joke, Ian.”

“Theo, what I mean is…”

Adrian opened his mouth to say more, but afraid she might embarrassingly tear up, Theodora hastily turned away.

“I’ll go down to the first floor and look around more. Maybe I’ll luckily find a young bachelor who hasn’t caught my eye yet? See you later.”

She spoke in a bright voice and blended into the bustling crowd before he could stop her, but her spirits were too low to muster enthusiasm. In truth, she no longer had any reason to marry. She hadn’t yet figured out how to convey this to Adrian, but she wanted to stop this pointless search for a groom.

Unaware of her feelings, several gentlemen who spotted Theodora approached again to introduce themselves or ask for a dance. Unfortunately, she no longer had the energy to remember all their faces and names. 

Feeling utterly exhausted, Theodora soon hid near the terrace on the first floor again. She worried about what if Adrian found her and nagged again, but fortunately, she could enjoy some alone time for a while.

Someone approached Theodora as she was staring at a java plant pot drying up under excessive sunlight at the terrace entrance. 

“Hello, Miss Hazel.”

When she raised her head at the unfamiliar voice, a familiar figure stood there. The blond man who greeted her with a smile was Robert Huxley, the eldest son of the Huxley Earl family, which was quite reputable in the south.

Theodora was inwardly surprised that he spoke to her. It had been five years since her debut, and although she had encountered Robert Huxley several times during the social seasons, it was the first time he showed interest in her. In fact, in Melhem, where there was a chronic shortage of decent bachelors, young and handsome Robert was considered top-tier, often surrounded by women like a swarm at any event.

Since she thought there was no reason for such a man to be interested in her, Theodora had never paid him special attention either. Nonetheless, she found it curious that Robert Huxley initiated a conversation with her, and she began to fear the power of the name “Marquis of Devon.”

“Hello, Mr. Huxley. It seems this is the first time we are greeting each other.”

As she returned the greeting, he coughed awkwardly a few times. At one time, Theodora also thought Robert was the most dashing man around, but perhaps because she had just met Adrian, he seemed lacking today.

“I’ve actually wanted to talk to you for some time, but there hasn’t been an opportunity. If it’s alright, would you take a walk in the garden with me?”

His proposal, which broke the peace she had finally found, was not appealing. Moreover, having been harassed all evening, an unfamiliar stubbornness rose within her.

“Oh, have you suddenly felt the urge to talk to me recently?”

Unintentionally, Theodora asked a somewhat sarcastic question. It seemed her mood was quite off tonight. Fortunately, Robert didn’t seem to mind her words much.

“If you’re asking if it’s because of the Marquis of Devon, I can assure you it’s not. I swear on my father’s name.”

His strong denial made Theodora feel embarrassed instead.

“Oh… You didn’t have to go that far.”

To her, Robert showed a friendly smile once more.

“I genuinely wanted to have a conversation. Actually, Miss Hazel, ah, may I call you by your name?”

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

“Thank you. Please feel free to call me Robert as well. I’ve heard a few rumors about you, Miss Theodora.”

Rumors? 

Theodora frowned slightly. She had lived quietly and until Adrian appeared, most people didn’t even know her name.