Chapter 4

***

***

“What the hell are you doing now?” 

Ryan asked in an angry voice.

“Your husband returned home, but you didn’t even welcome me outside. Do you have responsibility as a wife or not?”

In the past, Ines would have shrunk whenever Ryan was so angry and she would try to please him somehow. 

But.

“Isn’t it the same for you?”

Ines answered indifferently. Ryan paused at the unexpected response. 

“What?” 

Ines retorted without raising an eyebrow. 

“How many times did someone come to notify you that I was sick?”

It was true. Mary, a maid close to Ines, was worried when Ines fainted. Mary kept sending people to Ryan, but Ines didn’t care. Because it wouldn’t make any difference if he knew she was sick or not.

“But you, even though your wife had been sick for days, you didn’t even show your face.” 

“No, that….”

“If you had a sense of responsibility as a husband, at least you wouldn’t have been so indifferent. Don’t you think so?” 

Ines returned what Ryan had said. Ryan’s face heated up red. Ryan, who had nothing to say, raised his voice for no reason. 

“Ha, it’s because I was busy working. You don’t understand that?!”

Liar. Ines laughed at her husband’s disorganized clothes. Perhaps there will be red kiss marks on the collar of that shirt. It was traces that Charlotte left as if she wanted to see her to see it. 

In the past, she would just ignore it. And now…

‘I’ll have to pretend I don’t know again this time.’

Ines gently bit her molars. If Ryan knew she was preparing for divorce, for sure he would try to appease Ines somehow.

But she couldn’t help but feel sick to her stomach.

After arranging the expression on her contorted expression, Ines asked a question.

“So what’s going on?”

“Oh yeah.”

As if it was good to have had the opportunity to change the subject, Ryan quickly opened his mouth. 

“Do you know that there is a New Year’s banquet this time?”

“New Year’s banquet?”

Ines knew it too.

It was a party held once a year by the royal family to celebrate the end of the past year and welcome the new year.

The nobles tried to attend with their eyes lit, even to get acquainted with the royal family.

“But what does that have anything to do with me?”

She was just going to lay the groundwork for Ryan anyway.

At that time, Ines had a rather sullen expression on her face.

“The Duke of Sussex is also attending.”

For a moment, Ines suddenly raised her head.

“Wait, the Duke of Sussex?”

She had been thinking about how to meet the Duke of Sussex, but this was the solution!

Ryan spoke again.

“Do you know how influential the Duke of Sussex is in the world of art?”

“I have to show the Duke well this time. So, Ines, you, too, have to pay attention…”

Ryan whispered more, but Ines couldn’t hear him at all.

‘I can meet him.’

Her heart was pounding, and Ines pressed her chest gently with her hand. 

‘Someone who can give me a chance to change my destiny.’

To do that, she had to somehow get the Duke of Sussex to be on her side.

Ines’ eyes lit up.

***

Click.

The door was closed.

‘…something strange.’

Ryan glanced back at the closed door with a questionable face.

Today’s Ines was a little different from before.

“Ryan, I missed you so much!”

If it had been the usual Ines, she would have looked full of affection as soon as she saw him.

“How are you today?”

She would have plunged into Ryan’s arms, saying she was so happy that she could die.

“Have you eaten? Are you tired? Do you want to wash up?”

She would have asked about his well-being as much as he was tired. But today was different.

‘Those eyes.’

There were no emotions left in Ines’ eyes, that gaze that was just indifferent. It was like she was dealing with a rolling stone on the side of the road…

‘No, I’m being sensitive for no reason.’

Ryan shook his head.

‘Even if that’s the case, she’s a woman who will spend her whole life loving him anyway. If I come back tomorrow and comfort her, she will smile with a stupid face that doesn’t know anything. Because she is such a woman.’

‘Then let’s go see Charlotte.’

Thinking like that, Ryan took a step forward.

The steps were very light.

***

A few days later.

Ines met an unwelcome person.

“Madam, Lady Jason has arrived.”

The maid told Ines with a bright face. It was because Ines had been feeling weak recently, so the maid thought the visit of Ines’ best friend Charlotte would cheer her up.

However, Ines’ reaction was a little different than expected.

“Without an appointment?”

Rather, Ines’ face had hardened.

“Did Lady Jason tell me in advance that she will be visiting today?”

“Uh, no.”

In fact, Ines’s point was valid.

It was a basic courtesy to make an appointment in advance and ask for their understanding before visiting someone’s house.

Above all, the Brierton was a considerable noble family.

This meant that it was not a place where anyone could come and go easily.

But.

“Ines!”

A woman poked her head into the room and called out to Ines with a lively voice.

She was a gorgeous woman with red hair and purple eyes.

Ines faced the woman with a stiff face.

“Charlotte.”

Charlotte Jason.

She was a close friend who had been friends with Ines since childhood.

When Ines’ parents died, it was Charlotte who was by her side and comforted her.

“I heard you had a bad headache. That’s why I came to visit you.”

Charlotte sat down next to Ines.

She said that she had to visit a sick person but didn’t bring anything as if it was natural.

‘It’s always been like that.’

Ines didn’t want gifts.

However, whenever Charlotte was sick, Ines would pack all kinds of healthy food and gifts.

It was funny thinking about it now.

‘The way we treat each other is different, but I, alone, believe that it is true friendship… ’

But then.

“Lady Jason is here?”

A voice filled with joy rang out.

Ryan suddenly entered the room.

“Hello, Count Brierton. I came to visit Ines because I heard she was sick.”

The two pretended to be casual but they had already met and slept with each other several times before today. 

Ryan smiled brightly.

“Ines has a really good friend. You came here like this.”

“Oh my, it’s no problem.”

The two burst into laughter as if they were very happy.

Ines observed the two of them silently.

‘I think I know now.’

Charlotte’s sweet gaze on Ryan. Ryan smiled sweetly at Charlotte. Until now, Ines didn’t know it.

‘Stupid.’

At the same time, Charlotte, who shared meaningful eyes with Ryan, turned to Ines. 

“You know, Ines. Can I ask you a favor?”

Charlotte put her hands on her chest and her eyes twinkled.

“The New Year’s ball is coming soon.”

“So?”

“I don’t have a carriage to go to the New Year’s ball….”

Charlotte drooped her shoulders as if she was pitiful.

“So, can I ride in the carriage with you?”

“…”

She looked so delicate that made people want to hug her tightly.

Maybe in the past, Ines’ heart would have already weakened by those moist eyes.

‘I don’t feel anything surprising.’

Meanwhile, facing the silent Ines, Charlotte felt a strange feeling.

‘Something is strange.’

If it had been the usual Ines, she would have already answered yes to her  earnest request. But now, Ines was just looking at Charlotte without saying anything.

“Ines, you and I are best friends.”

Impatient, Charlotte sweet-talked Inez. 

“Besides, I have a good relationship with Count Brierton. Yes?”

Charlotte, who had acted like that, slowly reached out and placed her hands on Ines’s.

Ines shuddered and stiffened her shoulders.

Charlotte spoke in a dreary voice.

“You know, I’m not like you.”

In fact, the Jason family was barony, it was close to a fallen aristocracy. Under normal circumstances, Charlotte couldn’t even communicate with the Brierton, one of the most prestigious families in the empire. However, due to an accidental relationship when they were young, Charlotte became Ines’ best friend.

With Ines as a stepping stone, Charlotte made her social debut and had the opportunity to interact with various influential people.

“If I were in the same carriage as the Brierton, people would be a little less ignorant of me…… ”

“Let go of my hand.”

At the same time, a terrifyingly cold voice rang out. Embarrassed, Charlotte opened her eyes wide.

“Ines?”

Ines pushed Charlotte’s hand as if brushing off dirt.

“You should know that touching a person’s body recklessly is an act of disrespect.”