Chapter 21

As expected, people began to gossip. It was impossible for a lady’s maid meeting alone with Cain’s servant to remain hidden. Though most of the attention was on Marian, a fair amount was directed at me.

Feigning calmness, I ate some chilled fruit and saw someone approach. I smiled.

“Lord Eriant, it’s a pleasure to see you.”

“The honor is mine, Grand Duchess Zan.”

Shuan carefully took my hand and kissed it respectfully. Thanks to Shuan, I was no longer a mistress and was ignored by her maid. Instead, I was a woman envied by many noble ladies.

However, Shuan’s kiss made me slightly uncomfortable. When I tried to pull my hand back, he held it momentarily.

He raised his head and looked at me.

“I wish I had met you before you were engaged or married.”

I wasn’t foolish enough to not understand the meaning behind those words. I quickly pulled my hand away.

“If you had met me before I was engaged, you would have remembered me as a pretty and somewhat strong girl.”

“But I would have known if the Grand Duchess had approached me first. Why didn’t you choose me?”

“What do you mean by that?”

As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t oblivious to his intention. However, Shuan and I were not close enough to converse. Our relationship was purely business.

Shuan smiled with his beautiful eyes and whispered softly enough for me to hear.

“Relax, Your Grace. I’m merely pretending to court you.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. My shoulders relaxed, and I felt embarrassed that I had been so tense. Being the Duchess and drawing people’s attention seemed to have led to unnecessary assumptions.

“Why bother with such an act?”

“I don’t want a beauty like you to be ridiculed.”

“I’m amazed at how well you speak so flatteringly, my lord.”

“I have a dear younger sister, so this is nothing.”

Shuan looked at me directly. It seemed he wanted to receive compensation for his help. But I shook my head slightly. It wasn’t the right time yet. Shuan’s face showed a hint of disappointment. I gently placed my hand on his arm to console him.

“When Marian moves to the imperial palace, Lady Eriant will have fewer opportunities to see the Second Prince. So, don’t worry too much.”

“It’s just sad that peace can only be achieved by sacrificing another woman.”

But he didn’t tell me to avoid using such methods. Blood is thicker than water, and one’s interests always come first. To ease his guilt, I repeated Marian’s words.

“She said that once this matter is resolved, she won’t want to touch another man with even her fingertips. She plans to live in the countryside alone with her mother.”

Only then did Shuan nod, seemingly accepting the conditions. With his help, things would be much easier.

“I also want to assist.”

“She will be pleased to hear that.”

We exchanged many unspoken words through our eyes. Then, I cautiously looked around and asked Shuan.

“Did Kazak not come to the party?”

“He is just arriving from the north. He took only a carriage there, so the news would be slow. Why did he even go to the north?”

“He didn’t enter. Julian didn’t let him in.”

“That means he sneaked in.”

I frowned. Indeed, if a noble passed through the northern entrance boldly, there would be ways to stop them, but if they crawled through a hole in the wall, there was no way to prevent them.

“Do you know why he would go to such lengths? Is it to retrieve Marian?”

“Even if that were the case, it’s not out of affection for Marian.”

“Why are you so sure? He kept her secretly as his mistress, after all.”

That’s because few girls were as beautiful and conveniently positioned as Marian to take as a mistress. Marian wasn’t a commoner but a lady from a fallen noble family, making her an easy target to manipulate with money.

Before the regression, I had seen Kazak slap Marian for a trivial reason. Marian had been in a good mood and talked back to him.

Kazak had slapped her right there and then looked at me, asking how to manage a mistress. Thinking about it now, it was an outrageous question.

“You were engaged to Kazak, weren’t you?”

I replied calmly, but Shuan’s gaze was peculiar. He swirled his champagne glass and asked,

“Are you close enough to call him by his name?”

I realized my mistake. It was hard to understand how I had forgotten something so simple.

“Do you mean Julian? We’ve been married for quite some time, so I can’t keep calling him ‘Your Grace’ forever.”

“Your Grace, you are not that foolish.”

I looked up at those words. Our eyes met in mid-air. Shuan’s gaze was probing as if trying to uncover something.

“I meant Marquis Amber.”

His words made it hard to breathe. Before the regression, I had been married to Kazak, but now we were estranged. I had even taken his mistress away, so it was difficult to say our relationship was good.

And yet, I had been thoughtlessly referring to him as Kazak because of my deep-seated anger towards him.

“Are you hiding something from me? You are ahead of many moves, even in anger towards someone.”

I tried to calm my racing heart and smiled bitterly. The long-standing habits and resentment from the past were genuinely frightening.

“I used to like him, but I only heard from a friend that Kazak is trashy. Since then, I seem to have forgotten to change how I refer to him.”

“A friend… Are you talking about someone other than Lethe?”

I observed Shuan’s expression. Should I tell him the truth about my return to the past? No, he and I were tied by business relations. I couldn’t afford to lose his trust. It was better to appear as someone with a hidden card rather than an incompetent person.

“I have many friends. Friends you don’t even know about…”

Well, whoever sent me back in time could also be called my friend. Though they’re closer to being my lifesaver.

I brushed my hair back as I spoke. Strangely, my hand was sweaty. It seemed I was breaking out in a cold sweat, as I’d felt short of breath.

Shuan seemed to notice, too; his sharp eyes gradually filled with concern.

“Your Grace, are you feeling unwell…?”

“No.”

I slightly retreated and then hurriedly left my seat. When I looked back briefly, Shuan watched me from afar but didn’t approach. I wiped my forehead with a handkerchief and headed towards the garden.

Why was this happening? Even before my return, I wasn’t in excellent health, but I didn’t get sick this often. I was well enough to conceive and give birth to a child. Although that child wasn’t healthy… Painful memories surfaced, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt nothing but guilt towards the baby I would never meet again.

Clutching my chest, I slowly moved deeper into the garden.

I didn’t want anyone to see me like this, so I tried to hide in the garden, clutching my chest. I intended to catch my breath in a secluded spot and then return to the party once I felt better.

However, as I tried to move a few steps further, someone grabbed my wrist firmly and pulled me forcefully into a corner.

“What are you doing!”

I glared at the person as I shook off their hand. It was none other than the second prince!

“Oh my, I knew the Grand Duchess was feisty, but…”

He laughed and shook his head. His demeanor was that of a playboy or a rogue, which was creepy. It was hard to see him as a prince.

Prince Cain’s neck was flushed, and his clothes were disheveled, indicating he had drunk quite a bit. Behind him, a woman half-dressed was smiling seductively.

It was apparent what Prince Cain had been doing with that woman in this place. How shameless to do such a disgraceful thing at someone else’s party!

But the person before me was the second prince.

“…I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness.”

I stiffly bowed with a stern expression. Prince Cain seemed pleased with my reaction and smiled slyly.

“Did the Duchess come to this secluded garden to secretly meet someone?”

“I just came out for a walk to clear my mind from the effects of the alcohol.”

“Don’t lie. You must have been unsatisfied with that monster. Oh, was it that sly Eriant?”

Prince Cain’s disdain for Shuan was evident. Kidnapping Shuan’s younger sister and then showing his face in front of him—how shameless.

Prince Cain leaned towards me, his breath reeking of alcohol.

“Or did you come to see me?”

His voice was so repulsive that I shuddered. Seeing my reaction, Prince Cain laughed loudly, seemingly enjoying himself. Then he grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away but couldn’t, probably because I wasn’t feeling well.

“Your Highness, please let go of me!”

I shouted, trying to forcefully pull my arm away, but Prince Cain did not intend to let go.

“This isn’t bad either.”

Filthy! Disgusting! Scoundrel! Trash!

I cursed him silently, struggling to get away.

“Who’s there!”

A loud voice called out. It was Shuan. He must have followed me out of concern. While Prince Cain turned his head towards the voice in surprise, I kicked him hard between his legs.

“Argh! You crazy woman!”

Prince Cain writhed in pain and collapsed to the ground. I wanted to stomp on his head with my heel, but I had to restrain myself to focus on his groin. It would hurt more, anyway.

“Laila! Over here!”

Shuan extended his hand towards me, and I ran without looking back. Once we were out of the garden, Shuan caught his breath and spoke. I nodded in agreement.

“The second prince is more trash than I imagined.”

I nodded again.

“I thought the same.”

Shuan’s expression twisted in disgust. Despite his frivolous side, at least he was a gentleman. Better to be with a probing gentleman than human trash.

I leaned against the building wall and exhaled deeply.

What now, after kicking the second prince there?