ETDO Chapter 16

The long-awaited day finally dawned. I was so excited that I barely slept the night before.

It was Arthur’s birthday, and the day I would receive my first evaluation as the Duchess, so I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Of course, thanks to the immense help of the veterans Mrs. Wilson and James, nothing major would likely go wrong.

This time, I wore a daring off-the-shoulder dress. The bodice, which boldly exposed my collarbone and shoulders, was studded with small pearls and diamonds, adding a simple yet glamorous touch. Below the waist, layers of thin chiffon were draped to resemble a blossoming rosebud. The color gradually darkened from bottom to top.

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I looked at myself in the mirror with satisfaction, pleased with the pale blue dress I had specially ordered. This time, I was even more pleased to see Arthur unable to take his eyes off me.

The invited guests began arriving in the early evening after all the preparations were perfectly completed. When the time came, I entered with Arthur, and Ethan entered with Lady Wellington. Whether I liked it or not, Lady Wellington was Ethan’s fiancée and they were soon to be married, so the encounter was inevitable.

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Champagne corks popped, laughter filled the air, and cheerful music was played. The birthday celebrants and I were very busy, going around greeting the guests. The Crown Prince attended in place of the Emperor, whose poor health had been the subject of increasing speculation lately.

After diligently fulfilling my duties as hostess, I took a moment to catch my breath and rest. Spotting Lady Wellington standing not far away, I slowly walked towards her. Lady Wellington’s eyes narrowed as she saw me approaching, but I decided to ignore it.

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“Thank you for coming, Lady Wellington.”

She pursed her lips in disapproval and replied.

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“Don’t get me wrong, I’m only here for Ethan.”

“Of course. I know.”

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I maintained a gentle smile despite her sharp response.

“Why don’t we try to get along from now on? We’ll soon be family.”

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“Well, I guess we’ll see.”

Though I was slightly troubled by her refusal to take the bait, an opportunity to save face that I had explicitly offered—I tried not to show it. I couldn’t understand why she was already showing such animosity towards me when we barely knew each other.

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In fact, it took a lot of courage for me to approach her like this. I would have preferred to live happily ever after with just Arthur, never encountering the two of them, but that was impossible.

“I know I have many shortcomings, but I hope we can get along. I want to have a good relationship with my future sister-in-law.”

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Lady Wellington’s lips twitched. In any case, it seemed she was, at the very least, pleased that I was humbling myself before her. I didn’t mind, as I had approached her to prevent unnecessary conflict.

“I love Arthur very much, and I want my husband to be happy. I don’t want him to suffer from unnecessary misunderstandings with other people. That’s my only reason.”

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Lady Wellington stared at me intently, then slowly nodded. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of having to face her for the rest of my life was already tiring, but I should try to avoid her as much as possible. I could ask Arthur for help with that.

We turned our heads simultaneously to look at the ballroom. The Duke’s ballroom, splendidly decorated with beautiful murals and mirrors, was packed with people, bustling with barely any room to move. It had been reopened after twenty-two years, since the death of the previous Duchess, so we had put a lot of effort into it, and it was worth the trouble.

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In the distance, Arthur and Ethan were talking with the Crown Prince, champagne glasses in hand. I looked at them and spoke softly to Lady Wellington.

“Their appearances are so identical that they’re indistinguishable, but their personalities seem quite different. One is introverted, and the other is the opposite… It’s fascinating, considering they’re twins.”

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“What? Different? Those two?”

Lady Wellington raised her eyebrows high as if she’d never heard such a thing before. She looked at me with a shocked expression and shook her head.

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“Are you serious? Those two aren’t different at all. They’re exactly the same!”

“What?”

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Now it was my turn to stare at her in bewilderment. I couldn’t imagine two people being more different internally. Sure, their appearances might be identical, but their speech, personalities, and everything else were vastly different. That was the only way I could even tell them apart.

To be honest, I still had difficulty distinguishing them based on appearance alone. Without the cane, I was highly likely to mistake Arthur and Ethan for each other. I still relied heavily on external factors.

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“People get confused by their outward personalities and behavior… but no. They’re the same. Their thoughts, values, likes, and dislikes – they’re identical as if they’re one person. Those two…”

Lady Wellington suddenly bit her lip. Then, as if reluctant, she blurted out the rest of her sentence.

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“They’re mentally conjoined twins.”

I stared at her for a moment, puzzled.

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Are they really that similar internally? 

Perhaps Lady Wellington, who had known them since childhood, knew them better than I did. The image of the two of them laughing together, saying they both disliked carrots, flashed through my mind.

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Could it be that their shared preferences, as she had mentioned, also apply to people? 

Was that why the Lady Wellington was anxious?

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Even if that were the case internally, what could Ethan do about the current situation alone? I was already Arthur’s wife, and Ethan was soon to marry Lady Wellington.

Just as I opened my mouth to ask her another question, a bell suddenly rang. Startled, I turned my head towards the sound.

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The Crown Prince was standing on the podium ahead, tapping his wine glass with a small spoon. As the murmuring of the crowd died down and everyone turned their attention to him, the Crown Prince smiled brightly and began to speak.

“Now, now, everyone! You might be wondering why someone who isn’t the birthday celebrant is making such a fuss at their cousins’ birthday party.”

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Laughter rippled through the crowd. The Crown Prince grinned playfully.

“But please bear with me just this once. Today is the birthday of Duke Berwick, the war hero of the Empire, and Arthur, the current Duke of the Beaufort family, one of the oldest and founding families of the Empire. I, Edward, the Crown Prince, would like to express my gratitude for the dedication of the Beaufort twins, who always stand at the forefront of the Empire, and together with all of you, I would like to express my respect for these two.”

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As the Crown Prince raised his glass high, the people followed suit, raising their glasses above their heads.

“To the twins!”

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“Cheers!”

Applause and cheers followed. As everyone toasted and drank merrily with those beside them, I made my way through the crowd towards Arthur. Arthur and Ethan were smiling and tilting their glasses back after toasting with the Crown Prince.

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“Lily!”

Seeing me, Arthur’s face lit up, and he reached out his hand. As I took his hand, he immediately pulled me towards him. Lady Wellington approached Ethan’s side.

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Then, a decorated three-tiered cake caught my eye. Thanks to the seamless leadership of the veterans Mrs. Wilson and James, everything was proceeding perfectly. The magnificent cake, placed on a wheeled table, stopped in front of us. Two candles were burning on top.

“Oh my! Are the two of you turning two years old today, or one year old each?”

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The Crown Prince’s joke sparked boisterous laughter in the hall. Arthur and Ethan also laughed heartily. In the cheerful atmosphere, the two of them held a knife together and cut the cake like a newlywed couple. Loud applause erupted.

The cake was soon wheeled to one side of the ballroom. As people flocked to taste the cake, the band began to play. Since the birthday celebrants were supposed to start the dance, Arthur and I went to the center of the hall.

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As we began to dance, the people surrounding us clapped. I was embarrassed, but I tried to focus only on Arthur’s face. This wasn’t for me but for Arthur. Arthur smiled gently.

“Lily, you… you are so beautiful today as well. You have no idea how happy I am to have you by my side right now.”

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“Me too. I’m happy too, thanks to you.”

I smiled, hugging him close. Since Arthur couldn’t dance vigorously like others, we simply swayed gently from side to side, holding each other tightly.

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Many couples lightly whirled around us, passing by. Like a separate space and time, we stood there, embraced, feeling only each other.

As a song ended and Arthur suddenly released his arms from me, the Crown Prince intervened, taking my hand. He winked playfully at Arthur.

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“So, cousin? Mind if I take the next dance?”

Before Arthur could even answer, another hand suddenly appeared and snatched my hand away. A cool, low voice cut in.

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“That’s not allowed, Edward. Don’t you know the birthday boy goes first?”

Surprised, I looked to my side to see a man, identical to Arthur, casting an imposing shadow as he playfully growled at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince burst out laughing in disbelief.

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“Wow, you sneaky bastard! If it weren’t your birthday today…! Alright, alright, I get it!”

Ethan bared his teeth, and the Crown Prince grumbled exaggeratedly and backed away. Arthur patted Ethan on the shoulder.

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“Right, you, my twin, and the birthday boy, dance with Lily for me. I’m sorry you can’t always enjoy a lively dance because of me. You know? I’m asking you, Ethan.”

“!”

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Before I could say anything, Arthur kissed me quickly on the cheek and left the ballroom floor. In that moment, I was already being led by Ethan to the center of the ballroom, my hand placed on his left hand and my waist held in his embrace. 

We soon began to whirl and dance.

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