Chapter 42

On their faces was a mixture of curiosity and disappointment.

Curiosity about Marquis Edward Wale’s commoner “mistress,” and disappointment that they would not get to ridicule Heina Lautrec.

“So that woman is Marquis Wale’s ‘Professional Beauty’—I can’t think of a better term, anyway, is that what she is?”

As expected, Lady Rose once again voiced everyone’s question directly.

At that, Heina hesitated a little.

Judging by Marquis Wale’s behavior and the fact that he’d bought such opera tickets for a mere tutor, anyone would think she was a ‘Professional Beauty,’ but she herself had never heard the man use words like ‘lover’ or anything similar, so it felt cautious to use the term herself.

She wasn’t afraid of the woman herself, but the woman’s backing was Marquis Wale.

“Well, you’ll see for yourselves.”

Heina thought she’d given the most appropriate answer possible.

She’d let everyone know, without having to say it herself.

Just then, the Duke, whom they had been waiting for, approached.

“Ladies, good evening.”

The Duke greeted the young ladies standing near Heina with a simple but elegant nod, making it clear he had no interest in them, and locked eyes with Heina.

“Heina, did you enjoy the first act?”

“Yes, Your Grace. Did you enjoy it as well?”

Heina straightened her back as she answered, feeling a sense of triumph as if she’d won over all the young ladies gathered here with just the Duke’s gaze and words.

She could feel the envy and jealousy in their eyes.

“Yes, thanks to your thoughtfulness. The second act will begin soon. I’ll go to the Earl and Countess now. Will you join me after chatting with your friends?”

“No! I was just about to go in.”

Heina took a step toward the Duke, smiling for all the young ladies to see.

Many of the young ladies were struggling to keep their faces neutral, and some were so captivated by the Duke’s face that they looked dazed.

Their feelings were obvious.

They had come to Heina Lautrec, delighted to see the Duke with a stunning woman, expecting to have a chance to ridicule her—but it turned out the woman was the Marquis’s, not the Duke’s, and Heina’s marriage to the Duke was proceeding smoothly, so jealousy was inevitable.

Heina felt a sense of satisfaction at the stares directed at the back of her head and the glances from nobles throughout the lounge as she walked with the Duke to the Royal Box entrance.

It felt as if all the misery of the first act had been compensated.

❖

The young ladies glared at Heina’s annoying back as she walked with the Duke toward the Royal Box entrance, and once they had entered, resumed their conversation.

Now that they had confirmed there was no trouble in the Duke and Heina’s marriage, the topic naturally shifted to other interesting rumors.

“Marquis Wale has taken a woman? What’s going on? He’s never had a scandal before, has he?”

“That’s right. The Duke is marrying, and the Marquis has a mistress. The quiet Wale Duchy is suddenly so lively.”

“Well, the Duke’s marriage was expected. He couldn’t leave the Duchess’s seat vacant forever, not when he’s so young.”

“Oh, let’s drop that subject.”

The conversation was about to drift back to the Duchess’s seat, but Lady Rose, sounding annoyed, changed the topic.

“Yes, anyway, if she’s the Marquis’s woman, why was she with the Duke?”

“They say he was just being considerate to a staff member. But honestly, it’s probably because she’s his brother’s woman.”

“I don’t know, but she must be unusual. Marquis Wale and a Professional Beauty? I never imagined it.”

“Why not? To handle the formidable Marquis, she’d have to be a Professional Beauty. She must have some spirit. I’ve only seen him a few times, but I couldn’t even get close. Ah! There was Lady Jude, wasn’t there?”

The young ladies nodded with ambiguous smiles at the mention of Lady Jude as a new topic.

“Do you think Kate Jude, Lady Jude, has heard about that woman?”

“Even if she hasn’t, she’ll find out soon.”

The young ladies raised their eyebrows and gestured somewhere with their eyes.

Their gaze was directed at a large man who stood out even from afar.

As they exchanged glances, it was clear they had found another piece of gossip.

The Wale Duchy was the oldest and most prestigious family in the Kingdom, wielding powerful influence in politics.

But the Jude Marquisate owned vast mines, and its wealth far surpassed even the Wale Duchy, including the Marquis’s personal fortune from Wale Corporation.

Of course, the Wale Corporation’s assets belonged to the Marquis personally, not the Duchy.

The Jude Marquisate’s constant issue was the youngest daughter.

After three sons, the much-desired daughter was born, but for some reason, after losing her, they adopted a daughter from an orphanage.

That was Kate Jude.

Naturally, the nobles had no intention of accepting an orphanage-born lady into their ranks.

So although she was called Lady Jude, the label “adopted” always followed her.

But the Jude Marquisate’s influence and wealth were so great that no one in society could openly ignore her.

In fact, Kate Jude’s presence in society was not just due to her family’s wealth.

She also had the powerful support of her three older brothers.

Their affection for Kate, adopted to replace their lost sister, was immense, and they openly showed their love for her, who was seen as disadvantaged because of her adoption.

Even though only the eldest son would inherit the title, the second and third sons would certainly inherit great wealth from the mines, so Kate Jude’s standing among unmarried ladies was strong.

And for various reasons, the famous Kate Jude’s heart was set on the famous second son of the Wale Duchy, Edward Wale.

The large man the young ladies were glancing at was Kate Jude’s eldest brother and heir to the Jude family.

He was as popular a bachelor as the Duke, since unlike the Duke, he was completely unmarried.

“We’ll find out soon enough. But will it change anything? That woman is only a Professional Beauty. Nothing will change. Lady Jude is, after all, the legal daughter of the Jude Marquisate.”

The young ladies nodded.

No matter how beautiful the woman was, she was a commoner.

A common woman might win the heart of the famous Marquis Wale for a while, but she could never enter noble society—she was only for show, or a diversion for men.

While the young ladies were deep in conversation about the Wale and Jude families, the bell signaling the start of the second act rang throughout the lounge.

Regretful at having so much left to say, the young ladies dispersed toward the entrances to their seats.

❖

Diane knew about box seats, but she hadn’t known there was such a thing as a Royal Box.

She had certainly never known there were status restrictions for entering a theater seat.

The embarrassment of being denied entry…

The performance began, but with the Duke right next to her, she couldn’t focus at all.

The Duke seemed to be enjoying the performance without a care, but Diane was embarrassed that only she was nervous.

She was grateful that the sound of her heart pounding was drowned out by the singing.

On top of that, because of the famous Duke Wale, she had to endure stares from all around throughout the performance.

No matter how much the Duke had requested it, she regretted coming to the theater.

Fortunately, the Duke barely spoke during the performance, and as time passed, her heart gradually calmed, and she began to focus on the show.

The famous singer’s clear high notes brought a twinge to her heart and made her feel so wistful she nearly cried.

She barely held back her tears, but at that moment, the Duke, who had been watching only the stage, somehow realized and silently handed her a handkerchief.

She hesitated to accept it, but since tears were already welling in her eyes, it was better to wipe them quickly than to let them fall, so she took the handkerchief.

She could have put a handkerchief in the clutch James Wharton had prepared, but for some reason, she had stopped carrying one.

After the first act, the Duke moved to the Earldom party’s box, and Diane actually felt relieved.

She wouldn’t be so nervous anymore, and the Duke’s overwhelming presence wouldn’t suffocate her.

Alone in the box, she became absorbed in the second act, dabbing away more tears with the handkerchief.

‘A.W.’

It was embroidered with the initials of Duke Adrian Wale.