CH 41

As soon as I stepped into the hall, I was enveloped in a rustling commotion.

When Jeremiah appeared, many eyes turned towards us. My skin prickled and my stomach felt heavy. My plea for them not to stare so much didn’t reach their ears, and I could hear whispers of conversation.

“Who is that person? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“I know, right? And she’s so beautiful… Could it be related to the Marquess’s major announcement?”

“That could be possible. They look so good together, though.”

I could hear sighs of admiration.

It wasn’t just women who were looking at us. Men were too.

“Hey, who’s the person next to Lord Jeremiah? Did she just come here recently?”

“I don’t know, but with so many guests coming and going today, it’s possible. She’s so beautiful, though…”

“Ah, I’d love to dance with someone that beautiful.”

Beautiful? Gorgeous? Good together? Wanting to dance?

Those were words that had nothing to do with me, and there was no chance they were referring to me. Ha ha ha, if someone said that to me, I’d think they were joking or question their sanity. Or maybe it was a nasty prank.

If there was someone who said it for any other reason, they must be sick. It’s a pity. The best I can do is refer them to a doctor.

As he said that, the ice in the glass heheld made a clinking sound.

In front of the person with a melancholic expression, the master just polished the glass indifferently, and the cigarette left behind by the customer crumbled and burned out in the ashtray, making a faint sound…

Words that are so unlikely that they lead to strange fantasies in my mind are listed one after another.

I moved my feet in disbelief and looked for my family. I thought that if it was my family, I could hear their honest opinion.

Eventually, Jeremiah found my mother before I did.

As soon as my mother noticed us, she came over. Tonight, my mother was dressed in a gorgeous dress for the ball and was terrifyingly beautiful. My brother, dressed in formal attire, stood next to her.

As the focus of attention of the invited gentlemen and ladies, their gaze concentrated on us as they approached.

I involuntarily shrank back.

“Oh my! Lord Jeremiah, what a wonderful ball it is. It’s an honor to be invited.”

“No, I’m glad you could come. I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Of course. Such a ball is not something that can be done easily.”

“No, it’s being managed by my mother.”

After greeting Jeremiah, my mother and brother looked at me. At the same time.

“Well, Lorraine, you look absolutely stunning. It was worth looking forward to. No wonder people have been talking about you since earlier. Some people may have even realized that we are mother and daughter.”

“I, is that so? To tell you the truth, I can’t believe it. After all, I’ve always been in a place where such rumors didn’t exist.”

I thought my family would give me honest opinions, but contrary to my expectations, they kept praising me.

“What are you talking about? You look beautiful today. Right, Lord Jeremiah?”

“Well, yes, even without dressing up, I think Lorraine is cute.”

Jeremiah responds to my brother’s words. Then, my mother and brother give me meaningful looks.

“Oh my, you are loved. It’s worth coming just to see that. Now, you should go and greet the other guests, right? You can talk to us later. Go ahead.”

My mother pushes my back and tells me to go towards the other guests. I actually want to stay a little longer, but today is the day of the engagement announcement, so I can’t. I nod with a feeling of regret.

“Uh, yeah…then, see you later.”

“Excuse us.”

Jeremiah bows and returns a smile.

Then, my eyes met with a certain lady standing in front of me. She looked at me, then looked at my side, and looked back at me. I could tell that her originally pale face was now contorted in shock.

She stared at me intently for a while, then tightly pursed her lips.

I recognized this lady. She had stared at Jeremiah during various events we were invited to. I remembered it well because there were others who did similar things to me.

Her expression was that of a love-struck maiden.

As I recalled this, I opened my eyes wide, wondering if it was her.

As if reading my thoughts, Jeremiah whispered to me.

“She’s the lady who asked Lord Caldelara to trap you.”

“I see…she’s a lovely lady.”

I said quietly, then looked straight at the lady and smiled and nodded. The lady averted her gaze from me and seemed to be a little unsteady.

There were many other ladies around her who were of a similar age.

Perhaps these ladies had also come here to target Jeremiah. They supported the unsteady lady in a panic and looked at us, but as soon as they saw me, they quickly averted their eyes in fear.

Eventually, the lady who had somehow recovered walked towards me as if she had made up her mind. I stopped and waited for her to speak.

She opened her mouth to say something, but her lips trembled and she couldn’t seem to find the words.

Watching her, I felt the desire for revenge that had risen within me subside. Dorothea was right.

She had already received enough punishment for what she had done to me.

Even if her scheme had succeeded in making me a wounded person, Jeremiah would never turn his feelings towards her. Jeremiah, who had a somewhat fastidious nature, would never fall in love with someone who would deceive and manipulate others to get what they want.

Knowing that, everything about her seemed ridiculous and made me feel sad.

But she was unaware of my inner thoughts and, with a haughty expression, the lady looked at me with hatred in her eyes and said, “Nice to meet you, Lady Lorraine… I never thought I would see such a beautiful person. But I don’t regret what I did, and I won’t give up on my feelings.”

“Well, I’m glad you think so. But I have no idea why you would say such a thing to me, I’m sorry.”

When I spoke, the lady’s face was filled with humiliation.

“Well, if that’s what you want, then it’s fine. You seem to have a lot of confidence in yourself, but who knows how long that will last. No one knows what will happen and where.”

“Yes, that’s true. But I’m not so sure. I just know that with a tainted heart, no matter how lovely one’s appearance may be, a wonderful gentleman will never love you. I truly believe that from my own experience.”

As I spoke, I hoped that she would change.

“…! What do you know about me? Besides, for people of our rank, love has nothing to do with marriage. Isn’t that right, Jeremiah-sama?”

She looked at Jeremiah as if seeking salvation.

However, in response to the lady’s pleading gaze, he only gave her a cold stare that froze even her heart, with an expression that included contempt. Even I was chilled by the coldness in his eyes.

The lady completely lost her voice.

Without answering her question, he simply said, “Excuse me, I’m keeping other guests waiting.”

After that, we headed in a different direction. The face I saw just before she disappeared from my sight was filled with despair. I thought it was too cold, no matter what.

With his hand still on my waist, I said in a small voice, “I think a slightly softer attitude would have been better.”

Then he looked disappointed and said, “You’re kind, to speak so kindly to someone who tried to hurt you and ruin your life. Well, you’re the reason I wanted to marry you.”

“I don’t think I was kind. Besides, she liked you from the bottom of her heart.”

“That’s the punishment for trying to steal my fiancée. If she try to do anything else, I’ll report it to the police. I don’t want to go through that again.”

Jeremiah said with a grimace. The hand on my waist tightened. I thought it was a parallel line no matter what I said, so I didn’t say anything more.

Eventually, I saw the figure of the lady in the distance. Jeremiah said, “Let’s go see my mother,” and I nodded. The marquess seemed to be talking to some local dignitaries, but when she noticed Jeremiah and me, she nodded and clapped her hands twice.

“Everyone, I have some wonderful news to share today. My son Jeremiah and Lady Lorraine of the Baron Valcourt family are officially engaged. Please join us in celebrating.”

For a moment, silence enveloped the room. But soon, cheers erupted. Those holding wine glasses raised them high and shouted words of congratulations. At the same time, I felt like I heard screams from more than a few ladies and their mothers.