ETDO Chapter 17

I was completely disoriented as Ethan spun me around, pulling me suddenly close and then pushing me away. Ethan had not been on my list of potential dance partners.

While being whirled around, I happened to glance towards the large doors at the back of the ballroom and my heart dropped when I saw Lady Wellington standing there, glaring at us with a furious expression.

Her face was flushed, her fists clenched, and she looked as if she were about to explode. 

What was going on? 

Did she not dance with Ethan earlier? 

Was she standing there, fuming, because of me?

I was so anxious, observing her, that I could barely follow Eden’s lead.

“Who are you so distracted by while dancing with me?”

A sharp voice pierced through the music above me. My heart raced.

“Lady Wellington over there… I think you should go to her. She looks very angry…!”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Eden cut me off indifferently. Confused, I looked up at his blue eyes, identical to Arthur’s.

“Don’t worry about it? She’s your fiancée!”

“Well, for how much longer, I wonder.”

“What?!”

My eyes widened.

What was he talking about? 

They were practically made for each other. Even their tendency to snap at each other was the same!

Ethan leaned down and whispered to me.

“Wouldn’t talking about us be more interesting than talking about her?”

“Us?! Is there anything for us to talk about?”

My nerves were on edge because Lady Wellington was watching us from afar, so my response came out sharper than intended. I was starting to resent him for seemingly ruining my budding chances of mending my relationship with her. But unlike my frustration, Ethan was rather relaxed.

“Have you thought about what Arthur and I said yesterday?”

“?”

I looked up at him, puzzled. At the same time, my mind raced as I tried to recall yesterday’s conversation, my feet still moving trying to keep up with the steps of the dance. I couldn’t remember anything significant. Nothing except the talk about picky eating and hunting dogs.

“Are you talking about how you both dislike carrots?”

Ethan laughed heartily at my words. It was a refreshing, boyish laugh.

For a moment, his joyful expression made him seem like a different person, and my heart skipped a beat. But soon, anxious about attracting the attention of others, I glanced around surreptitiously.

“That’s right. To put it simply, Arthur’s and my preferences are, and always have been, perfectly identical.”

“So?”

“That applies not only to food, but also to animals, objects, and… people.”

What was he getting at?!

As I stared at him with a sullen expression, a possibility dawned on me, and my face slowly hardened. Ethan confirmed my suspicion.

“In other words, I like the same women Arthur likes.”

With that, he suddenly released me from his embrace, extended his arm, and whirled me around. Startled, I twirled helplessly, then was pulled back towards him as he drew me in, collapsing into his arms. Catching me as lightly as a feather, Ethan pulled my waist against him and groaned softly.

“And with you dancing in such a sensual dress, how can my heart not be moved?”

“I didn’t wear this dress to provoke you!”

I retorted, aghast, but he just grinned leisurely and spun me around again, holding my hand.

“I know. But it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to tell you that I’m equally turned on by the same woman who arouses Arthur.”

Ethan held me tightly again, pressing his body against mine. I was dumbfounded. Just as I opened my mouth to protest his presumptuous words and actions, I suddenly noticed something pressing gently against my pelvis.

And in that instant, I realized what the hard, yet supple, elongated object was. My jaw dropped in shock and heat rushed to my face.

How could I not know? It was the same object that moved passionately inside me every night! The thought alone made me feel breathless.

‘Th-This… crazy…!’

I was so stunned that I couldn’t speak. Ethan leisurely observed the ever-changing expressions on my face as he pressed his body against mine and then pulled away. The right corner of his mouth lifted slightly, as if amused.

And he didn’t miss the opportunity to subtly rub and press against me whenever he could. With each increasing point of contact, it grew larger and harder.

Anxious, I glanced around nervously, with a cold sweat. Everyone was so engrossed in watching Ethan’s elegant dancing that no one seemed to have the slightest clue he was doing such an obscene thing.

To them, Ethan was simply leading me in a dazzling dance in Arthur’s stead. Moreover, thanks to his long formal coat that reached almost to his knees, there was no risk of our current situation being discovered.

I was the only one struggling to avoid being pressed against him. He chuckled as if finding my efforts amusing. And every time our lower bodies touched, he pressed more deliberately, teasing me.

Every time we spun, his large hands gripped my body tightly. His hot breath, along with an intense musk scent, washed over my face.

Ta-da! Ta-da! Ta-da!

The band drew out the last note, ending the song. I, dazed as if intoxicated, enveloped in Ethan’s scent in his arms, suddenly came to my senses.

I quickly pulled away from his hand, stepped back, and curtsied to end the dance. Then, forcing an awkward smile, I hurriedly left. 

Without looking back, I practically ran upstairs, seeking refuge on the second floor where there were fewer people. I burst into the nearest empty room and collapsed onto the sofa. My legs were trembling so much that I couldn’t stand.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my shaking hands. 

Was what he said about their shared preferences true? 

Lady Wellington’s sharp voice, echoing in the rose-filled garden, came to mind again.

I knew he was crazy, but I never imagined it would be to this extent. How could he do such a thing in the middle of the ballroom?

I sighed, pressing my burning cheeks with my hands. He was a man with a raw sexual magnetism that could consume me whole. It seemed like quite a few women would fall for such a dangerous and thrilling temptation. 

But wait, wasn’t he the one who was so incredibly displeased with me at the wedding?!

‘Wait a minute! The wedding?!’

I abruptly sat up. 

Lady Wellington! I had to see her. 

I recalled her face, fists clenched, trembling with fury. I quickly checked my appearance in the mirror and rushed downstairs.

I looked everywhere for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Just as I was heading towards the garden, hoping she might be there, I spotted her striding towards me from the opposite direction, rounding the corner. I stopped in surprise.

Her face was contorted and flushed, clearly indicating she was extremely agitated. Lady Wellington, surprised to see me, also seemed to hesitate for a moment. But then her face crumpled in a grimace.

With an expression as if she were barely suppressing what she wanted to say, she abruptly turned around and stomped away like a child deliberately making her displeasure known.

“Oh, Lady Wellington! Wait…!”

I called out after her, raising my voice belatedly, but it was no use. I could only watch helplessly at her retreating figure, ignoring me completely.

What had happened? The time I had spent hiding upstairs after finishing the dance with Ethan wasn’t that long. What could they have talked about in that short time?

I grew slightly anxious. I wanted to see Lady Wellington and explain that everything was all a misunderstanding, but would she believe me? I had no intention of pursuing the typical aristocratic life with an openly acknowledged mistress.

Just then, I heard hurried footsteps. I turned my head and saw Arthur. He rushed towards me, put his arms around my waist, and asked,

“Are you alright, Lily? I heard Lady Wellington went this way, so I was worried…”

“I’m fine. Thank you, Arthur.”

I smiled at him. Arthur looked around.

“Where’s Lady Wellington?”

“She left. Just now.”

“Really? Did she say anything to you?”

He looked puzzled.

“She just glared at me and didn’t say anything.”

I looked at Arthur with a worried expression.

“What happened, Arthur?”

He shrugged as if it were nothing.

“I don’t know. It seemed like they had a bit of an argument earlier.”

“They did? When?”

“After your dance with Ethan ended.”

I stared at his face, waiting for him to continue.

“I didn’t hear the details, but Lady Wellington seemed to accuse Ethan of something, and he retorted. Then she stormed off. That’s all.”

I could easily guess what they might have talked about. Arthur frowned slightly and continued,

“Actually, Ethan never really liked Lady Wellington. He just went along with it because it was arranged between the families when they were young. Perhaps it was even more so because she’s part of the old legacy inherited from his father.”

I stared at his face. Arthur’s expression seemed calm as if it were nothing serious. I sighed softly.

If even the people involved seemed unconcerned, why was my heart pounding? 

Pushing down my unease, I returned to the party with Arthur.