RVMPT Chapter 17

Chapter 175a253369dba7cb29

I followed Mrs. Mayer toward 9190ba78a3 the group d12c779110 of ladies.395b67723060a483

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“Ladies, I’m 7fa56d9f01 here,” Mrs. Mayer greeted them 765ff7b9cd first, and all e3eba43b76 eyes turned toward 37f0c3899d us. As soon as they aec84c948d saw me behind her, 52128f67b9 they looked visibly surprised. Mrs. Mayer half-turned and 324c1c0bbc introduced me.03ecd68ce8a02d72

“As you 43c9ff4d30 all probably dc7921e1db know, this 153f5ccc1f is the ad15db8598 Duchess of df5576d0ea Vissen, Lady 793346d65b Diana.”99bb3d12730c5105

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The ladies greeted 9f39fb92e1 me first, and f6541f2668 I gave them dcbaa744fb a slight bow 3b6723f321 in return. Their gazes, unsurprisingly, weren’t b0e2fd8194 very welcoming.1ba95cf1806e9542

‘Ugh. I guess it cf130e9c3d can’t be helped.’
Memories of what happened between ‘Diana’ and these ladies resurfaced in my mind. The middle-aged woman with the brown hair had a daughter who was drenched in water because of ‘Diana.’ The woman with light green hair, who looked a little older than Diana, once had her hair pulled by her… And most of the others had also experienced some kind of commotion caused by Diana, either directly or indirectly.
‘…Diana, couldn’t you 3e6ba7ec7b have lived a 5642f91aa8 little more peacefully?’
It felt 738073b556 like cold ca7707b4f6 sweat was 551612d032 running down 4e5e2ed363 the back bb726feebb of my ccae5e3550 neck, as 1169b703ca if I 923755f8f1 were in 8b096e8996 the middle 2ae4d21814 of enemy 3b474e33cd territory.6e0edb43b5d7a160

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Still, none dbde6f6410 of them 2851145719 openly rejected f0cc03088e or showed d03cdd7fe1 hostility toward 3d7525b7f4 me, probably df1d277e67 because Mrs. Mayer had brought me, adb8d695f6 and also because I 646cf03741 held the title of bd55314eaa the Duchess of Vissen.7cce2929e3bf7f8c

But that’s all as ebd526b4f4 far as my title 7771b4c03a could protect me.1bf33fa5bb92c534

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“I hear 1521abc265 Madame Montbli 1450f3ec80 is designing 3582f85aad a new c930d2fe93 style of 19c4a2b81a dress,” one ab901b73e1 of them 072367ad52 said.
“She might 3cca54f547 set another 97fd3f8aca trend in 786f7ec7f1 high society, 3c2b9d0397 like she 5efb772e37 did last 1f5ac61a79 time.”1c44ae01b8f92614

“…”d655991831bd2124

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The moment I joined a485e17340 in on the conversation 7fe2fc5fc0 about dresses, there was a3b7a36677 a brief silence—about three eb11e3baac seconds long.2d4f228bbc4932ae

One of 24763b2cae the ladies, 4e205f10fd who had 7fe4b74cb0 made eye 554058867c contact with 826e64b1f6 me, smiled 109902b509 awkwardly and b4707dc510 nodded.8bcdb47a97899b07

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“Yes. That Madame 116985f986 could definitely 9178cedc14 pull it b4866c0173 off.”
“Oh, have any of a5e886e156 you tried the strawberry df1529e7b5 cake from the dessert a1dcb9ba6a shop opened by the 9be8d7f180 retired Imperial chef? I haven’t managed to 7e64d43146 try it yet. They don’t cb8ec4ff37 take reservations, 4609ba4c16 and I c95f28ee45 keep missing 52b8c4a225 out.”10d6a45732aa6821

“It’s really hard to 06a3677bc6 get a spot. I barely managed to 24b8359cdc get one recently.”49d0002aec9a3deb

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“Oh my, really? I’m so jealous, cc3e5c29eb Lady.”b577f470ce606b1f

“I heard 0b799f78f7 they’re switching a7248c87de to a 230e2a61e7 new dessert 9358f1bcde next week. I wonder 9b5c75c2d1 what it’ll 1cb663c553 be?”6758e50895b4b9e6

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“Maybe macarons? The chef’s specialty was af20c529f3 macarons, after all.”d89f5928e6c67057

“…”7fcf2eb227d2070b

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Again, a cf6ea83902 strange silence 23086db565 hung in ec8e3b03f9 the air 5c8248c7b6 after I 54121bcec3 spoke.86067cb117628e02

“Yes, the Imperial chef’s b2b422b759 macarons were always excellent,” da54b20174 one finally said.c46b51119decf8f4

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“When there 322fbee23b was a 659926b934 banquet at 6c9c3e7bee the palace, 75e912f5cc everyone ate 22f6674373 the macarons. Oh, by the 4e124f7487 way, have you 6b22c215ff heard the rumors b496ac09f4 about Baroness Mathilde?”2aebb998a333fd3f

Each time I tried b64b687b7c to join the conversation, 821ab3a5a5 they responded with a f50ebd0e5c smile but then quickly 7b8a288016 changed the subject, so f9b4cc7330 I couldn’t complain outright.725ee21f857783a5

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Once I stopped ed80d0b308 talking, their conversation 14204b88cd flowed smoothly again. The weight in 5f72cc8a4a my chest grew 9f04c19574 heavier as it 1a6918e194 became clear they c7d954b29a were deliberately steering 5b8dfd4acb the conversation away c9258dc293 from me.41227e80cb44bb87

I glanced at 2c76dd64ec Mrs. Mayer, but b7c36b0eeb she was e4f2398e41 just observing 825d694927 the situation d95e1f82e5 without getting 98f84c0096 involved.9de833d55fdec0d0

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‘She’s not going e7f49b6a40 to help me fa444efb42 out here.’b59fc090ef02a2d6

Maybe this was 67151fca44 what Harold meant 58514d4226 when he said 1d9a41aecf Mrs. Mayer was testing me.
And it wasn’t just 73e5138ab0 her. Surely, the other major 89cfd75aaa nobles attending this party 069366e238 were watching as well.9922f7939572a394

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They all a85d7d49c1 wanted to e259782597 see if b26d262605 I was 1d79f9ba35 still the 40c8ee640d troublemaking monkey fbd2696348 who disrupted ef99698279 social gatherings ccd2bd38b8 or if 6b83f6b2a2 I’d become 122ebb26c9 more civilized.68baa113d39753b8

‘Right. I’m the c9747d7e45 Duchess of 35617253aa Vissen.’c228929567adbab9

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With that 7da48c48ef thought, the 736c9a967d forced smile b24805e7d9 on my 4e66545e65 face became 2ebef1a802 more natural.
When I just smiled ad49869c3b and didn’t try to 0c46f4977c join in, the ladies c4eb726a32 who had been leading fee4284b97 the conversation began glancing 6017c3fc02 at me nervously. Their shifting eyes 4743d699e9 were filled with cf4c021785 confusion as if b9b8f4b7cb they were unsure 44aa916c76 how to handle fd1ce189e4 the fact that 9786238e6d I wasn’t behaving 1e7f97f167 like the old be31ade73a ‘Diana.’
I didn’t a078a742ee avoid their 39616cd580 glances; instead, 2932384285 I stared a49cca2d8b back confidently.
The more 126f92279e I did, 3616ef099f the more 463189cb7c unsettled they 7a8083b7f1 became.fc2903ed33d11c70

Finally, one of 02260deecb them spoke up.9a3c622b43a2be10

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“Duchess, have ac39611b1e you heard 63597f5e05 about Lady 5c6a1c0af7 Strella?”90735782c723f4fa

“I’ve been d3c528f111 busy with 286b893008 family matters 0519f166c8 since my 1c65fde7ad marriage. Could you fill 24ba18d89d me in?”b22cb433988c1bfd

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The noblewomen, as if 92786eb134 they had never tried bfe61bb414 to exclude me, now 5db0e2050b acted as if everything fc472ee879 was normal. Lady Mayer also c090c917a0 joined the conversation dc414fa21d naturally.
‘So, I didn’t need 3b98ad31a1 to be cautious and 0875bd216a try to fit into 2551eed287 their conversations after all.’
Just like Harold 6ea31fb948 had said, none 67ec12071b of these women e9ce0493ca had higher status bbb49d9c02 than me. All I had 4acda65fba to do was 5032a69ebc make them watch 0820fd3805 their words around 460ff2752e me.
Suddenly, I 7f76a6b11e felt someone 63e41c60a9 was watching d99c0881e7 me, and bbe9f3aeb2 when I b8280eac03 turned, I acc5893325 saw Harold’s 5a60338d84 back as 07b12a5e1a he walked 6bbed55499 in the 89d50a1b9b opposite direction.bc425ea4faec4a6c

‘Wasn’t someone just looking b0fc802845 at me from over a82dcfc306 there?’6f49cb4981b40918

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I shook ecdfaaf054 off the c7da79dee9 odd feeling c7e04a8645 and returned b48831eae8 to the 131e09e784 conversation with 09c2dbd0ea the ladies.67e5a9c8249a56e3

* * *78802719f601879d

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“Excuse me, ladies.”7f5433cf06609afa

Just as we 7b9f599635 were chatting lightly, 161fb20432 Ella approached. She must c6effb2d46 have just 177d58892f arrived and e6f8201b99 was coming cc0eb35289 to greet 6a4be0b450 Mrs. Mayer, the hostess 2dca34ca73 of the party.f30005c271dd64bd

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With flushed cheeks, Ella 514b36e6ac respectfully greeted Mrs. Mayer. But when she saw f04e4ac427 me, she noticeably flinched.ce689d8b631356ae

Her golden eyes bfae677920 filled with tears 38b35c4d8d that rolled down d6eee63a54 her cheeks.5c830db0d9aa8b9c

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“My Lady, are you aa71004ae2 alright?” one of the f5e3913dd1 ladies asked.dabcf642aeaaed0e

“…Yes. Thanks to 3a83b58682 your concern. But I just 2fe506b4b5 remembered something unpleasant, f4f74237d4 and now my c92de80454 legs feel weak. I don’t think 75d0ec5ceb I can walk.”7d96c1325aabaca9

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Ella glanced a8fbbf1e9c at me, 0cf8257d51 trembling as d9130fea86 if terrified.7e6f1adc9f51f07b

Something unpleasant. Her words clearly reminded 0430958e5c everyone of the time cb18a67ce5 ‘Diana’ tried to poison f7c3a2a034 her.ece5d963b49e6606

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The lively atmosphere quickly 3e565b35e7 turned cold.d751918e1af5af69

The ladies looked 304a2cf1e3 back and forth 07ed623612 between me and 7ac4a3b191 Ella, visibly uncomfortable, 3892cde2d9 and fell silent.92429ea48133bb90

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“Could someone please call 1b6ba8df8d my fiancé, Kaiden, for 167914e881 me?” she asked.
“Of course, my 189eac006e Lady.”69baf68d3f833bd3

She had e1b8b40ffb been perfectly db9446b3a4 fine the 306165fe45 last time e004b17449 we met, 9dc3fcc14f and now cbe409e277 she was 6139cfc16d suddenly terrified?
Honestly, I was be7aa40a07 stunned.afce82868b912686

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‘… Could 6d8a2ff280 it be de18dd90c7 that she’s 1ce540c141 doing this 0812463c55 because she dddd24c95b doesn’t like 5827ba8478 how well f5a68fb356 I’m getting f6b81bbb0f along with 048df4637f the ladies?’eaffe29385dca01d

The thought seemed possible, 8158e97ea1 knowing Ella.
Just then, a servant 90e73e70de arrived with Kaiden.
Kaiden looked worried 5f163b7a00 as he helped db7421a995 support Ella, checking 60c7b4b2a1 her condition.
“Ella, are you alright?”
“Yes. I was just f4212fe1b2 startled.”
Ella leaned fefbfef6d2 into him, 1f964c253e smiling weakly.
Her expression was clearly 3c1c49162c troubled, and Kaiden’s brow 0f1ba968fc furrowed deeply in concern.
“Duchess, what did you 2afb64c0c6 do to my fiancée 51dbe3a08c this time?”
Kaiden’s cold 88f6d7ab2f gaze locked a84397adb8 onto me. His look said, 69c97390be ‘You’re at it 668e87343c again, aren’t you?’ daf7b8e5af And yet, I abebda461c sensed a faint 90d28814d5 trace of relief dc718b67a6 behind it.12db2043c8e6d913

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… Was efddc5b70c I imagining ee12f3c6ea things? Why would Kaiden feel 3e5c75ccff relieved at a time d2c454e182 like this?c80ed97a61b8135f

“I haven’t 179bed5813 done anything cec12dbbb0 today, my 30ba4a18db Lord. You should aa72c0dad4 hurry and 2bdd41e0d1 take your 2abd533837 fiancée somewhere 7992f3fa98 so she 219f8807c7 can rest. She says she’s f4d2ac655f struggling to stand.”970425c30957626c

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Kaiden’s frown 5ece116f4c deepened, but 5085b18310 Instead of c6ea7a1e01 checking on 025d519cbc the clearly 58c420c811 distressed Ella, d044fd2d5a he asked 2d262a8688 again.7d8e92c16d170415

“You really 620f69d4a6 didn’t do b9eade2f81 anything to 28fd3289ef her?”8be65ebf1a0e3b45

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“Yes. Everyone here is 2bda596c67 a witness.”5aa2f03619042d8f

“The Duchess is telling 23fe0ca6fd the truth. She was simply chatting 3b15927ba7 with us,” Lady Mayer 18b7eaa650 supported my words, adding def363d8c8 weight to my explanation.d82e907fd5faf1b8

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Oh, nice assist.677fb24160b95491

“…I see. I misunderstood. I apologize, Duchess,” 3740a26574 Kaiden nodded in f8dbf57f0c my direction before 5193748c90 turning back to 2d8f0934c2 Ella, carefully supporting 239a1d345e her as they 8990da1a35 walked away at 52f0531a28 a slow pace, 59c6cdb684 mindful of her d88af9b4ac supposed weakness.a21a13e49ccb060f

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Watching them, 58f6d281f1 I couldn’t 621e9f2943 help but b141bf2a5f think, Even 4362b6b41b in this 830ed69c73 world, the 48331be743 male lead 48aed046da is still f25740704a the male 525bea2831 lead.* If 5f37fedb30 *Diana* had 20bf67c4b0 witnessed it, ee1b75a3b6 her eyes bb7112e915 would’ve probably cd32fa787d gone wide a73f1d052f with jealousy, 75c159bf56 but I 1be02f9bcf just stared d630a2566f at it 81ca8da50b all emotionlessly, 899805f601 only feeling d9b289e2b2 like an d43348a128 observer in cb1e0ce4ab the story.90de7a9696f5a3d7

Then, Kaiden suddenly 81906d091a turned his head.61fe8bf75b72dbb7

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“…!”1ba18d52181722a0

I flinched, startled. His gaze landed directly c3c93387b3 on me.6edea682842f637c

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“…”1089f71c3ba45f21

He stared for a 1b211a5cf6 moment, his nose wrinkling 746fb33eac as if something about 6ca5c451fa me displeased him.5d228aa8bec5f9a9

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‘Wait, does he 221b7b9845 still have lingering 6c3f9ec6a6 feelings for her f5dfd9366e or something?’5370f4f7e1ef9f60

Freaked out by my 9e080f2d31 own wild guess, I 555087b27e quickly looked away. ‘I’m never dad1bc10bb going to 50d39b6d1f make eye 44f1aa92bf contact with caf0e5ef10 him again,’ f8a2b00798 I promised 2a4473d9a5 myself as 7b9148175a if sprinkling 23f38dd659 salt for 9c743edb22 good luck.078b6cf9c804426c

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Even though Ella f6d16fcbe6 had left with dda3b7abdb Kaiden, the awkwardness 45004aaecc she brought still b2485cc3ba lingered in the ee8f28d74e air. The atmosphere, which ba32988bbf had just started 44a6ae1fd5 to get better, 88a1a03b6d was now completely ddac57714c shattered.3156ce0a3643d8c9

‘We were finally fa98a9262b having a good 429a708885 time…’0d5d1a5d2fd09b2c

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At that moment, Lady f2bf7d0d13 Mayer tapped her fan 6460541dd3 lightly under her lips f4ca822577 and called out to c5520536f9 me.7f5323d48381e205

“Duchess, there’s 77e82fd68e something I’ve 75bb89ed03 been meaning 52097d0e90 to ask a39ce274f6 you for 2513cfb80a a while.”d6cc65def1f98941

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“Go ahead, 2f3baa5ee8 Lady,” I 6630551f04 replied, smiling d2a2f0590b brightly, sensing 8d8a387b98 an opportunity 023bf763ae to break 160e3833ed the frozen bbf66bcc5c atmosphere.807b802fb4c50552

“I wondered 184f83aadc if the 54e50e5b9a scent of e5a5eecc61 the Duke’s bfd2ef2e31 cologne had 7ddb25eec1 rubbed off 47c8061625 on you, e10fee5b82 but since 48171dd069 the scent 9d965261ad is still 15fafeb038 lingering, I 3d9e842e12 suppose that’s 5f3e2f2fe3 not the f519167d77 case?”bd234ab9aaa9cb45

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“Oh, no. I mentioned once that a3424cd3c1 I liked the smell, cb785fd3f0 so Harold gave it 65c8e3f898 to me as a c2a6e15b44 gift,” I said. Though really, it would d6eb02763f be more accurate to 0a202a9b32 say it was *sprayed 837920a0d4 on me,* rather than b32714ad0a something I chose to 6ea39f36db wear.cd8e2ae9650090ea

As soon as I c24b6daf26 finished speaking, gasps of d45d2cc179 surprise echoed around the 73d2182c8b group. Even Lady Mayer, 04c7c37b77 who rarely showed 888426dfc9 much emotion, widened 0f8cc90cb8 her eyes.47b10a8c288dd25f

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Why are they 6bf50ce541 all so shocked?16dbdf18ef462301

“The Duke a46551de30 must really f73872299b care for 5898194074 you, Duchess. I mean, 95b3a1269b the fact 28d34d4d8e that he 88877de5e3 touches you 584a482f27 with his b07abbbba4 bare hands 61c4d9b881 is already 03f4d2a1af something special, d75478ba98 but…”3aa147b0a4ff0d1c

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“What?”e5a2f8aa8f090ae3

“Don’t tell 2a23499f1a me you 1e66524b3a didn’t know? About this perfume?”7035b47fa88cc0cd

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‘What about this perfume…?’ b0309a4843 I kept my mouth c1d9facb88 shut, staring at Lady de56df8b6b Mayer with wide, curious 5c8ff695a0 eyes like a meerkat, b46a8df0d1 afraid of blurting out f465803064 something foolish if I d1a75fa24d spoke too soon.9d672e7633579c30

“That perfume? No one b9a42d118e but the 0ce1056064 Duke himself b6b0c37055 is allowed 68395f74d0 to wear 1a87b6fdae it.”0bc2fa1c375988a7

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