Chapter 40

“Let’s go. The Royal Box tickets are too precious to simply throw away.”

She might not know, but Royal Box seats weren’t something you could get just by paying money.

In fact, you could buy the tickets, but you couldn’t get in so easily.

Those seats were reserved for nobles only.

Or, at the very least, for commoners accompanied by nobles.

Of course, Diane Lina wasn’t a noble, so she couldn’t enter alone.

But that was easily solved.

He was a noble.

First, though, Diane Lina had to say she wanted to go.

Adrian gave a faint nod and raised his eyebrows, urging her to accept.

‘Say it—say you’ll go, hurry.’

“But if I go with you, wouldn’t it be rude to the Earldom family?”

“If that’s your concern, there’s no need to worry.”

Diane Lina’s face grew even redder.

“But I don’t have anything suitable to wear…”

“There’s the dress I gifted you just earlier, isn’t there?”

“Oh!”

“Is there any other reason you can’t go?”

“I… I can’t sing…”

“You enjoy listening, don’t you?”

Diane Lina bit her lip, and Adrian smiled gently.

“Then I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Ah…”

He nodded as if he’d heard her answer and immediately headed for the West Wing.

“Teacher, you don’t need to play with me, so go get ready. Have fun and enjoy the show.”

Leon’s excited voice rang out, but Diane Lina’s reply couldn’t be heard.

Still, Adrian was certain she would come down wearing the dress James Wharton had brought.

She hadn’t refused to the end.

He felt sorry for her, but after all, he was the Duke.

It was disguised as a request, but in reality, it was nearly a command from the Duke, and as an employee, she couldn’t refuse.

Especially since Diane Lina was someone who never stepped outside her position or status, she would eventually obey his words.

❖

To make it to the opera on time, they needed to leave soon.

Adrian and Earl Lautrec had been waiting by the carriage for twenty minutes, but the Countess and Heina hadn’t come down yet.

“Women, you see, need as much time to prepare as the performance itself.”

The Earl shook his head.

Adrian didn’t reply, just nodded.

The Earl was waiting for his wife and daughter, but Adrian’s mind was elsewhere.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You must’ve waited a long time.”

Just as Adrian was about to take out his watch, the Countess and Heina appeared.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Heina blushed as she looked at Adrian in his semi-formal tuxedo.

“No, it’s fine. If we leave now, we’ll arrive just in time.”

Adrian took Heina’s hand and helped her into the carriage.

After helping the Countess in as well, he surprised them by heading to his own carriage instead of joining theirs.

“Earl Lautrec, please depart with your wife and Heina first. I’ll follow right behind.”

“We’re not riding together?”

“Yes. It’d be a bit crowded.”

At Adrian’s words, the Earl raised his eyebrows and tilted his head.

But he soon nodded.

It was a four-seater carriage, so they could’ve gone together, but perhaps the dignified Duke disliked crowds.

“Then I’ll head out first, Your Grace.”

The Earl heaved his heavy body into the carriage, and as soon as he boarded, it set off.

Watching the carriage leave, Adrian took out the watch he’d been about to check earlier and looked toward the fourth-floor East Wing, where the women’s quarters were.

Diane Lina, was she really not going to show up?

Considering the opera’s start time, even if he hurried the carriage, ten minutes was the absolute latest he could wait.

She must’ve heard the carriage being readied for the past twenty minutes.

Ten minutes left…

Adrian gazed once again at the fourth-floor East Wing window.

❖

Diane looked out the window.

She was already wearing the evening dress, necklace, and earrings the Duke had gifted her.

If she wanted to match the dress, she should probably do her hair in an upstyle, but she’d never tried that and didn’t feel like it, so she just half-tied her hair.

She’d prepared as the Duke requested, but if he happened to forget her and leave, that would be the best possible outcome. That’s why she’d been ready for the past twenty minutes, constantly watching the scene outside through the window.

‘Why wasn’t he getting in?’

When the Earl boarded the carriage, she’d expected the Duke to get in too, but instead, he closed the door for them.

After the Earldom family’s carriage departed, the Duke checked the time in front of his own carriage.

‘Please just go. Please.’

As she watched the Duke, she desperately wished he’d leave.

She was startled and stepped back from the window when she realized the Duke seemed to be looking up at her room.

As if he was waiting for her.

Her heart began to pound.

Was he really waiting for her?

There wasn’t much time left before the performance.

She couldn’t bring herself to approach the window again and look outside.

She glanced at the clock on the table.

She wished time would hurry up so the Duke would have to leave for the show, but time seemed to slow down, almost stop.

She checked the clock again after what felt like ages, but only five minutes had passed.

She still hadn’t heard the carriage depart.

She cautiously approached the window again.

The Duke was still standing outside the carriage.

It had been five minutes since the Earldom family left, and the performance start time was getting tight.

Yet he was just standing there.

Now she knew for sure.

The Duke was waiting for her.

“Haa.”

Diane sighed unconsciously.

It would be easier to muster the courage to go down.

She didn’t understand why he was waiting for her, but she couldn’t hold out any longer.

In the end, she picked up the clutch that matched her dress, put on the high heels that matched the dress’s length, and left her room.

Both the clutch and the shoes were things James had brought.

❖

“You look beautiful.”

Seated across from her in the rapidly moving carriage, Adrian spoke to Diane.

“Thank you, Your Grace. You’re beautiful too.”

“Hm… Is that so.”

The Duke smiled pleasantly at Diane’s words.

Watching his smile, Diane wondered what else she could possibly say besides ‘beautiful.’

If there was such a thing as a perfect man, surely this was the man before her.

Not just his looks, but the way he waited for her to the end, treating her as a precious guest and showing her such courtesy—how could he be so perfect?

So different from that impossible man.

Suddenly, thoughts of President Edward Wale made her frown.

“Is this your first opera?”

At the Duke’s question, Diane quickly brushed away thoughts of President Wale.

“No, I’ve seen one with my brother.”

“Your brother? You have a brother?”

“Yes. He’s currently living in the Wale Corporation’s staff residence.”

“He works for Wale Corporation?”

“Yes.”

Diane swallowed the fact that President Edward Wale had scouted Gale and Uncle Walt.

If she mentioned it, she’d have to talk about President Wale again, and she didn’t want that.

Still, she recalled being grateful to the President for offering jobs to the Tertz family and herself, even if it was only for a time.

Remembering how he’d treated her like a Professional Beauty soured her mood again.

“So your brother works for Wale Corporation, and that’s how you met Edward?”

Unlike Diane, who didn’t want to talk more, the Duke seemed even more curious.

“No. Ah… Well. I just happened to meet the President and got a job offer. I wouldn’t say I know him well. Actually, it’d be more accurate to say the President and I are complete strangers. I probably know you better than I know the President, Your Grace, considering how many times we’ve met and talked.”

As she spoke, childhood memories with the Prince came to mind, and Diane smiled.

“Oh!”

But then she realized the Duke was staring at her in silence, and her face flushed.

‘His Grace and I, us…’

She must’ve lost her mind for a moment.

She’d gotten lost in childhood memories the Duke didn’t even remember, and ended up speaking as though there was something between them.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Your Grace. I didn’t mean to imply we’re close. I just meant that I’ve probably spoken to you more than to the President.”

“Haha.”

The Duke even let out a small laugh.

“Miss, it’s fine. I don’t misunderstand. After all, it’s true that we’ve grown closer because of Leon. I’m grateful and sorry for many things. I’m also thankful you accepted my request and came to the opera with me today. It’s been years since I’ve watched an opera with such a lovely lady, so I’m excited too.”

“Ah, yes…”

Diane’s voice grew small.

‘Such a lovely lady.’

What was the Duke saying?

Surely he didn’t mean her.