CH 9

It was just then.

“H-huh?” One of the young ladies pointed behind Countess Cardell. “O-over there…!”

‘Over there?’ Countess Cardell slowly turned her head, immediately coming face to face with the person behind her.

“The Duchess… Ophelia?”

It was Ophelia Ryzen. 

“Oh my…” A sigh came out of the Countess’s lips.

Ophelia was wearing a dazzling white dress that complemented her beautiful silver hair, making her look colder than usual with her stunning face that betrayed no emotion.

“It’s been a while.” Ophelia looked at them and touched her chin upon seeing their shocked faces. “How have you all been?”

Not only the guests, Countess Cardell herself was also speechless for a moment, but she was the host—the owner of this house.

‘I have to come to my senses.’ 

Countess Cardell smiled as she lifted her teacup with her trembling hands. “W-what should I do, Duchess. I don’t think I can welcome the Duchess properly since I didn’t prepare another chair.”

‘So you’re saying I need to go back soon.’ 

Ophelia’s head tilted to one side, she inquired back in a quiet voice, “You want me to stand?”

The atmosphere cooled in an instant.

‘What do I do, what do I say?’ The ladies looked at Ophelia and put their heads together.

“Y-you can sit in my chair!” At that moment, Lady Jasmine jumped up and gave her chair to Ophelia. 

Ophelia smiled lightly. “Thank you.”

She sat on the chair as if it had been her seat since the beginning and looked down at the necklace on the table. “This must be the famous dragon necklace. I’ve only ever heard of it.”

Countess Cardell came to her senses again and shakily took a sip of her tea. “Yes, it’s very expensive and very rare.”

Her tone was a little conceited, but she had every right to show off—that’s how rare the necklace was. Ophelia looked up at the Countess of Cardell. “It’s pretty.” 

‘And I only said that because it was actually pretty.’

Unfortunately, everyone else interpreted it differently. The ladies thought she was saying, “Give it to me since it’s pretty.”

Countess Cardell swallowed nervously. She gathered up every bit of courage in her body and answered, “I- I can’t give it to you.” 

The other young ladies shouted back, “T-that’s right! It’s something the Count painstakingly obtained just for her!”

“No matter how well it would look on the Duchess, you can’t!”

Ophelia blinked slowly. ‘What are they talking about?’ She tried her hardest to think.

Her heart pounded hard when she first arrived, wondering if it was okay to walk into someone’s house uninvited. With this in mind, Ophelia went and showed her most sincere smile.

‘But now I’m suddenly someone who wants to rob a lady’s necklace.’

Ophelia believed that the misunderstanding must be resolved quickly, so she reached out her hand. “There must have been a misunderstanding—” As soon as she said that, Countess Cardell curled up immediately. 

The wind blew away the cup of tea I was holding.

Clank! 

Shards scattered across the floor and tea splashed everywhere. “This—” Ophelia clicked her tongue, looking down at her damp hands. “There’s tea on the necklace and on my hands.”

Ophelia gave a long sigh. “What a surprise.” 

She was going to ask for something to wipe with, but others seemed to have taken it differently. Countess Cardell stared blankly at Ophelia’s fine hand covered in tea water; the usual Ophelia would have raised her hand and slapped her on the cheek as soon as the liquid touched her skin.

But she didn’t.

‘Why?’

‘No way—’

‘Does she want a necklace?’

‘Is that why she’s holding her temper so desperately?’

“That’s enough—” Countess Cardell looked at Ophelia as if she was about to cry, but Ophelia still stared at her indifferently.

Hiik! 

Countess Cardell fell on her shoulders. Ophelia would never leave her alone if she kept insisting on keeping the necklace for herself. From what she heard, Ophelia’s curse was real, even with treatment from a high-ranking government official, you wouldn’t be able to escape from it so easily.

‘I don’t mind receiving the curse, but if it’s my husband—!’ Countess Cardell dropped her head down and pushed the box containing the necklace all the way to Ophelia. “Please have it,” she said weakly, “I’ll give it to you—”

Ophelia looked down at the necklace box in front of her. Everyone saw how despite receiving such a valuable item, there was no change in her facial expression. In their eyes, she was an incredibly powerful woman.

However.

‘What the hell is this.’

Ophelia was seriously flustered.