CH 12.2

On the day of the hunting tournament, Theobald was in a very good mood. In his dreams, a beautiful woman smiled at him.

This strange dream had been going on for two months now, and what used to be a few days apart was now a daily occurrence.

“Well, I don’t like it just because I got a little laugh.”

With a self-deprecating chuckle at his own behavior, Theobald thought of the Lila he would meet today.

“Coincidentally, they have the same name.”

In his dream, he had called her name himself. He remembered the woman in his dream who had smiled at him when he called her Lila.

“They smell the same, have the same hair color and eye color…”

He paused for a moment to contemplate the similarities between the two women, except for their appearance and body type.

There was no way to explain the overwhelming feeling of elation.

“It’s someone else, so don’t be mistaken.”

After muttering something he wasn’t sure if he was saying to himself or to someone else, Theobald climbed into the ready carriage.

Turning to the chamberlain at his side, he ordered.

“Let’s go, then.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The chamberlain sat down with the coachman and gave the order for departure. The carriage, covered in glittering gold, sped off without a sound.

By then, Lila and Lucas were in the carriage, headed for the imperial-owned mountain where the hunting tournament would be held.

After arriving in the capital, Lucas had been staring at Lila, whose complexion was unreasonable.

“Shall we just not go to the hunting tournament?”

Her cold response to his question left Lucas with only one conclusion.

A capital city social event that she shunned and avoided. Only the hunting tournament she was heading to right now could be the cause.

“No, I’m fine.”

Lila replied weakly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be honest with him, but she didn’t know where to start.

Perhaps she should tell him the whole truth from the beginning.

That she wasn’t the original Lila.

Who would believe her?

Even if he did believe her, Lucas is the only one who would accept it. Of course he’ll think she’s making it up.

Or maybe he’ll think she’s crazy.

In any case, Lila had no intention of telling him what happened in her dream. It was something only she could keep to herself.

“Then why do you look like you’re dying?”

“Just… I’m just not feeling well.”

“Since you’re not feeling well, surely we shouldn’t go today?”

He couldn’t turn down a direct invitation from the imperial family at will…

But he was glad to at least say it for her. With a faint smile, Lila shook her head slowly.

“There’s a difference between just not feeling well and not feeling well. I’m fine, so let’s go to the hunting tournament. I’ve been working on some embroidery for the Duke.”

Lila sounded deliberately cheerful. Though she couldn’t hide her unhinged eyes.

Lucas frowned, but nodded in affirmation.

“I don’t like the idea of the event itself, but it would be nice to give my wife some imperial prizes.”

The first through fifth place hunters, in order of how many game they caught, would be awarded prizes by the emperor himself. Naturally, first place would receive the best prize.

“Looks like we’ve arrived.”

The Imperial Palace was not far from the Duke of Montefeltra’s residence. As they were chatting, it didn’t take long to arrive.

“Well, then, let’s go.”

Lucas, muttering in a voice even more reluctant to go than Lila’s, stepped out of the carriage.

He stretched out his hand. Lila took his firm hand and slowly stepped out of the carriage.

Unlike Lucas, who was dressed for the hunt, Lila was wearing a dress.

She wore the fluffy harness Michael had given her, and her makeup was as ugly as ever.

Lucas had to turn his head for a moment to stifle a laugh at the sight of her face he hadn’t seen in so long.

Lila insisted, and Lucas, who received her make-up, radiated a radiance under her sunlight.

With just one freckle removed, his face looked like a completely different person. It was amazing to see again, so Lila gave him a pat on the back.

“Well, you look great.”

Lila said softly, looking up at him shyly. Lucas gave her a scowl.

“I don’t care.”

“It’s just that I don’t like it, and I don’t like that you’re being judged on something so insignificant.”

Lila hated the way he looked at her like he was keeping score. She put up with it for a reason, but she wished she didn’t have to go through it with Lucas.

Of course, she’d already been through it.

“I didn’t realize you cared so much about me.”

“Well, I’m glad you know now.”

“And here I thought you were only worried about Michael.”

“Aren’t you a little jealous of your nephew?”

The two exchanged glances as they walked away.

“Well, I was a little at first, too… I mean, you’re supposed to like him, I know, and I don’t tell you, so it’s kind of a shame.”

“I don’t blame you for feeling sorry for him, Lord Michael is a person who can’t help but be loved.”

“Now that we’re going to be a family, how long are you going to call him Lord Michael?”

“I’m not sure how long I’m going to…”

“I’m afraid Michael will be disappointed.”

They parked the carriage at the palace and made their way to where they were to board the carriage that had been set aside for them by the imperial family, greeting Vincent and Jessie who had come with them.

“Jessie, ask Vincent anything you don’t understand.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Jessie, already white with nerves from being new to the palace, nodded like a broken doll.

Seeing her, Lila gave a small, embarrassed laugh, then turned to Vincent.

“I know we can’t be in the same place, but I’m begging you. Vincent.”

“Don’t worry, my lady.”

“Well, I’ll see you later.”

Lucas said, watching the attendant wave impatiently. Lila took his hand and climbed into the carriage.

Riding in the palace carriage, which was less comfortable than the duke’s, Lila thought once again of the original Lila.

As she rode toward the men she so resented and hated.

* * *

The people who had already arrived at the place where the hunting tournament was being held were gathered in small groups and chattering.

Charlotte had arrived early, picked out a spot, and had finished all the preparations for her trick.

She waited and waited and waited for the hunt. She thought about getting back at Lucas for daring to ignore her, but she couldn’t resist stomping on Lila.

Charlotte woke up in the middle of the night when she thought of what happened at the coming-of-age ceremony and took out her anger on the maids.

The more she thought about it, the more motivated and angry she became.

Her pride was so bruised, she thought of Lucas every day, and cursed Lila.

The more she thought about it, the more she became motivated. She endured the insults and humiliation by imagining Lucas, who never gave her a second glance, kicking Lila to the curb and clinging to her.

She’d even gone to Theobald and Monaca’s meetings, hoping to attract Lucas, who never showed his face at normal social gatherings.

Even that was enough to make her skin crawl with pride.

Charlotte’s ego was already a well-known story in social circles, though there was more gossip about that than there was about her beauty, which meant that her ego was tolerated.

Charlotte strutted her stuff, showing off the dress she’d tailored for the occasion.

“I pity the ugly young lady. Not knowing that her husband is a sodomite, she must have been happy when a marriage proposal had come from the duchy.”

One of the young ladies blurted out Lila’s story. In the past, she would have had no qualms about sharing her story as a reassurance, but after that coming of age, she became cautious.

Not liking even that part of her, Charlotte smiled in satisfaction at her admirer.

“Are you sure he’s a sodomite?”

A lady showed her curiosity. Then Charlotte spoke up.

“Well, she might be a duchess though, so why won’t she turn a blind eye to her husband’s romance? Everyone knows…”

There’s not a noble in this room who doesn’t have a lover. Charlotte folded her eyes seductively and smiled.

Men of all ages grinned at her smile.

“Hehehe, young Lady Pinatelli is right, we should enjoy the romance, shouldn’t we?”

The middle-aged man in the boat let out a hearty laugh. He turned to Charlotte and smirked.

“Age and gender don’t matter when it comes to romance, does it? Isn’t that the privilege of us Vassium nobles?”

Charlotte unfurled her fan to cover her face before she could return the unpleasant smile. In her heart, she wanted to kick the middle-aged nobleman who was laughing unpleasantly at her.

‘Who do you dare to look down on? If you have eyes, look at your face?’

Charlotte, now in a foul mood, began to feel uneasy. Just last year, a middle-aged man wouldn’t have even spoken to her.

It was almost as if he was looking at her with those sinister eyes just because she’d barely passed her coming of age.

‘It’s either a prince or a duke, anything below that is unworthy of me.’

Originally, Charlotte thought she should be a princess, but after seeing Lucas recently, she changed her mind.

‘He’s actually quite handsome.’

The way he didn’t pay attention to her, didn’t even look at her, intrigued her.

‘It would be fun to see an ugly man cry. He’ll look even uglier when he cries, won’t he?’

Charlotte felt her heart fill with something that has been missing.

‘As expected, ugly people have to keep their place. It was unpleasant to get away with it.’

She was dissatisfied with the ugliness that had disappeared from the social world. At first, she was told that Baron Este had scolded her and grounded her, but one day she suddenly disappeared.

Charlotte, who had unknowingly listened to the rumors of the ugly lady, felt a little disappointed.

‘Maybe I should have just been friendly. I’m supposed to have kids who are uglier than me…’

Recently, Monaca had been excluded from her entourage. Rumors that she had dared to flirt with Charlotte’s former lover, the crown prince, and isolated her from her social circle.

‘That bitch needs to be taken care of.’

Gently smoothing back a stray strand of crimson hair, she glanced toward the entrance.

‘Anyway, being slow reminds me of someone.’

People were beginning to wonder about the Montefeltras, who hadn’t arrived yet, even though the Emperor would be here any minute.

“Surely they won’t come today?”

“Hehe, I have some news to share with the duke.”

“I’ve been thinking of a very good business idea myself.”

Lucas, ostracized by the Crown Prince, was a source of amusement for the nobles in the capital, but he was also a mystery.

“Not much is known about the Montefeltra family.”

“But you know the money rumors in the capital, that their elders are so fond of gambling houses…”