Chapter 46

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It was Arthur who noticed the deep gaze.

Arthur slowly hardened his expression, lowered his arm, and held Grace’s hand tightly. Then, with a slightly trembling hand, Grace intertwined her fingers with Arthur’s hand that was holding her.

After that, Grace smiled brightly at Arthur, who was looking down at her.

“Your Highness, you said you liked the tea from abroad today, right? If it’s okay with you, can I bring it to you when I visit the Palace?”

“……Ah, well, that will be nice.”

And looking at the friendly two, Owen with a bitterness was having a conversation with Duchess Alberton.

Owen smiled politely at Duchess Alberton, staring intently at Arthur and Grace, who were looking at each other as if they were the only one for each other in the world.

At that gaze, Marianne’s expression, which Owen had been avoiding since he came out here, was distorted sharply.

That persistent, strange gaze which has never been sent to her before. Marianne was so anxious and couldn’t stand it. So Marianne gently patted Duke Alberton’s arm, who was standing beside her, and gave him a hint.

Duke Alberton said to Owen, tapping Marianne’s arm as if he already knew it.

“Well, Your Highness. How about having a more in-depth conversation with us after taking a seat inside now?”

“…Oh, that’s right. We can’t keep the ladies standing like this. Then let’s move on.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“If possible, let’s drink tea in the drawing-room. I’m sorry to the other ladies, but since we’ve gathered like this after a long time, I just want to share tea with my ‘family’.”

“Yes, I understand. Your Highness.”

Owen readily agreed to the proposal of Duke Alberton to move inside.

After that, Owen naturally gave orders as if he were the owner of this place. Then the people gathered in the vacant lot in front of the main gate of the mansion moved in unison.

The gathered people, Duke Alberton, Duke and Duchess Felix, and the aristocratic wives, who were eavesdropping on the conversation, moved according to the guidance of the servants with a disappointing look. While Duchess Alberton and Marianne with doubtful expressions turned their backs with Owen and walked to the mansion.

And looking at them like that, Arthur and Grace exchanged glances on the spot.

If she could, she would like to get on Arthur’s horse and return to Felix Castle, where Leon is waiting. But she ended up spending time at Alberton Castle again due to the attitude of the powerful prince. Grace dropped her eyebrows as if she was sorry, and Arthur smiled and shook his head.

“What are you doing there, Duke Felix and Lady Grace? Aren’t you following along quickly?”

While the two were exchanging friendly gazes like that, Owen, who was walking a little away with Marianne, turned around and approached the two.

Only then did Arthur and Grace walk slowly behind them, still holding hands. Owen turned his head only after the two of them moved a little.

However, Owen’s gaze flickered at Arthur and Grace’s hand, who had been holding each other tightly. As if it bothers him more.

And Marianne, who was watching from the side, glared at Owen with a cold gaze and bit her lower lip.

───※ ·❆· ※───

As Duchess Alberton, Marianne, Owen, and Arthur and Grace entered the drawing-room one after another. The servants and maids served tea and dessert in front of them as if they were waiting.

Grace smiled bitterly as she saw luxurious desserts such as high-quality tea, eclair on a silver tray, and sugar-filled wafers, which are quite different from the tea offered by the servants and maids when she stepped here yesterday. She expected it, but she was upset again when she suffered explicit discrimination in this way.

At that moment Arthur noticed that Grace’s gaze remained on the tea and dessert all the time, and slightly bowed his head to her ear and whispered.

“Lady, do you have any dessert you like?”

“What? Oh, no. I just thought it was very different. …. When I came here alone yesterday, I was served just normal tea. And I didn’t even drink that properly.”

“So, are you very upset?”

“No. Anyway, I’m used to it.”

Thinking Arthur may get upset after hearing her, Grace answered as if nothing was wrong on purpose. And Arthur held Grace’s hand tightly without saying much.

Then he whispered in a barely audible voice, bringing his face closer to her ears.

“You don’t have to get used to that kind of treatment now.”

“Yes?”

“In that sense, if Duke Alberton visits my castle next time.”

“Hmm?”

“At that time, I’d like to pour milk into a teacup first and serve tea.”

[T/N: Ahem. Ahem. Let me explain: When you add cold milk beforehand, the temperature of the water lowers and the tea doesn’t brew so well.]

“Pooh- Haha!”

Grace stopped laughing out loud at the ensuing words.

In the Empire, where people enjoy drinking tea, they used to judge their class of origin by whether they poured milk into the teacup first or hot tea first. And pouring cold milk into the teacup first was a way for the “common people” who use cheap pottery to handle hot tea.

[T/N: Ahem. Ahem. Let me put more light into this: Hot tea could break that cheap pottery, so milk was used first to cool the tea and protect the cup.]

In other words, Arthur’s treatment was mainly used by the imperial family or aristocrats when the owner showed off that the person he was treated with was superior to him or her.

Grace burst into laughter without realising it at Arthur’s serious face as he proudly declared that he will take childish and humiliating revenge.

Arthur smiled affectionately at Grace, who suddenly burst into laughter, and Grace slightly blushed at the gaze and covered her smiling mouth with a fan she was hurriedly holding.

[T/N: Awww….. o(*////▽////*)q]

“May I dare to ask what you’re having so much fun talking about, Duke Felix?”

Then Marianne, who had been looking at it from the opposite side all the time, asked them as she knew it. Arthur replied with a polite smile on behalf of Grace, who was dealing with the smiling expression.

“It’s nothing. I just made some intimate jokes that only my wife and I knew.”

Simultaneously with those words, Arthur made eye contact with Grace, who was sitting next to him affectionately.

[T/N: Arthur nailed it. (oﾟvﾟ)ノ]

Grace also responded with a light eye smile to the appearance. Marianne glared at them with a sharp gaze at the friendly atmosphere created by the two, and Owen’s expression, who was sitting a little far from them, also hardened.

Duchess Alberton looked at the friendly two people, and then at Marianne and Owen who stared at them coldly, and, anxiously, glanced at her husband, Duke Alberton, who sat next to her. For her, it was impossible to see her precious eldest daughter Marianne’s heart grow raw.

However, no matter how much Duchess Alberton gave notice, Duke Alberton did not show any reaction. No, rather, he was delighted to see the friendly Arthur and Grace. Then, suddenly, he talked to Arthur.

“It’s good to see that you’re getting along very well, perhaps because you’re newly married, Duke Felix.”

“This is all thanks to Duke Alberton for marrying me to this precious Lady. Thank you for letting this person come to me, Duke Alberton.”

“I’m very grateful that you love my daughter so much, Duke Felix. I hope that your heart will not change.”

“As I swore by this empire, my feelings for this person will never change.”

[T/N: Awwwwww…… (❁´◡`❁)]

Arthur answered by clasping Grace’s hand, and Duke Alberton looked at it with a rare smile.

It’s an ideal conversation on the surface, but Grace, oddly enough, felt a sense of reluctance over and over again.

[T/N: Grace, we all are feeling like that. (⊙_⊙;)]

Somehow, she kept thinking that something she didn’t notice would be hidden in that gaze of Duke Alberton, who smiled happily at them.

‘I wish this ominous feeling was just a rainstorm.’

Grace tried to shake off the ominous feeling, but the more she did, the greater the anxiety and fear in her heart grew. So she squeezed Arthur’s hand tightly which was holding her hand.

“Oh my, Grace, before marriage, she said yes, no, no, and everyone looked dying, but I guess she was just reluctant.”

Meanwhile, Marianne, who was staring at Arthur and Grace’s tightly clasped hands, said with a sarcastic tone.

Grace laughed at the blatant jealousy contained in the tone and answered casually.

“Yes, well. I didn’t know that the Duke was such a good person.”

“Oh, my. How can you be in a politically arranged marriage and be more passionate than a romantic relationship? That’s great. After all, I think marriage should be done between people in similar circumstances.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well. People say that love has sprung up while the Duke and incompetent you took care of each other’s unfortunate situation.”

Grace burst into laughter before she was angry at Marianne’s blatant and stark disparaging.

Arthur, who had been listening to it, tried to part his lips that had been frozen all the time, but Grace tightened her grip on his hand and held it back.

After that, Grace deliberately smiled wider at Marianne, who smirked at her.

“Why? Are you jealous?”

“……What?”

“If you’re jealous, you can honestly say you’re jealous. My sister, you’re still very poor in your words and heart.”

“Ha, what? What rude…!”

“Yeah, I was rude about what I said a while ago. I apologize. However, before that, you should apologize to me, too. And also to my husband.”

Grace changed her smiling face to an expressionless expression and glared at Marianne, who was burning red with anger.

‘Do you think that I will still get afraid, cry and get hurt by your words like before?’

She was no longer the Grace Alberton she was back then. After dying and coming back to life, she abandoned her family love and abandoned the name of Alberton when she decided to marry Arthur.

To her, Marianne was no longer a fearful being. Even after she became the Crown Prince.

Grace wheezed in excitement and laughed at Marianne, who was feeling ridiculed.

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