Chapter 19
“A modest affair, you say…”
It seemed Johannes Schultz and I had very different standards for what constituted modesty.
The banquet was the epitome of extravagance. Everyone’s repeated reassurances to “not feel pressured” felt more like teasing than comfort.
Not long after the banquet began, noise erupted outside. The garden had been decorated with fresh flowers and glowing lights, creating the illusion of a warm summer evening.
Of course, the air was still cold.
“As the main guest of the evening, you must make your entrance last. I imagine nearly every noble here is curious about Miss Prim.”
“I should fix your hair a bit more. There’s still some frizz,” said Marilyn, gently smoothing my hair with her fingers.
“You weren’t feeling well earlier. Are you okay now?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
In truth, I wasn’t fine at all.
I leaned out the window to catch the cold breeze. Several carriages were arriving in succession, and the servants bustled about.
Cheerful laughter filled the air.
Nobles seemed to treat such lavish banquets as a normal part of daily life. Must be nice to live so leisurely.
My head was already throbbing from a slight fever, and the overwhelming surroundings only made it worse.
As I closed the window, Marilyn spoke.
“If it’s too much, perhaps you should get some fresh air. If it’s the noise that’s bothering you, I know a quieter place I can show you.”
“Could you?”
“Yes, and since you’re not feeling well, please wear your shawl even if it’s a bit warm.”
That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
Marilyn showed me a quiet place to rest and handed me a pocket watch. As she wrapped the shawl around my shoulders, she reminded me to return by 8 o’clock.
I left the room and wandered down the corridor. Near a corner on the way to the place she mentioned, I heard voices chatting. It wasn’t so much chatting as it was gossip.
Instinctively, I knew they were talking about me, so I hid behind a pillar.
“Where could Duke Schultz have been all this time? Surely it has something to do with that commoner girl.”
The word “commoner” was spoken in a more hushed, conspiratorial tone.
Another voice chimed in.
“Of course. He arrived with her.”
“Maybe he was bewitched by that sly woman. I’ve heard commoners even sell their bodies to climb the social ladder.”
They clearly thought of commoners as beggars off the street.
But even among commoners, there are their own social circles—some of them hardworking, others wealthy.
The voices continued, this time sharper and more contemptuous.
“She must be a seductress. I heard she’s beautiful—maybe it’s not so far-fetched.”
That’s definitely a twisted rumor.
“Even so, would he go so far as to take her as his wife? He’s always been a model noble.”
Unfortunately, that part was true—dear unknown lady.
How could everything they said be so far off from the truth?
People like them should never gamble. They’d be terrible at it.
“Maybe he’s changed. Men do lose their senses when it comes to pretty women.”
A clueless woman giggled. I could feel the air grow cold even from behind the pillar.
“Lady Kelger has a point. But Duke Schultz wouldn’t do such a thing. He’s a Schultz, after all.”
A new voice joined in—calm, and younger than the others.
The women fell silent for a while. Then another voice echoed in agreement, aligning with the younger speaker.
“She’s right. Otherwise, why would he reject the royal marriage proposal?”
“Duke Schultz doesn’t seem like the type to fall for a woman so easily.”
“Just think of all the effort Lady Hatzfeld put into arranging that match…”
Hearing more of this conversation made me feel even more nauseous.
But if I turned the corner, I’d run straight into them.
They’d know I’d overheard everything, and it would be incredibly awkward.
Then again, they didn’t know who I was, so maybe it didn’t matter.
Still, it was best to avoid confrontation. With so many of them, I’d be overwhelmed by their relentless judgment.
If I couldn’t come up with clever answers, I’d have no choice but to flee.
So I quietly turned back. I could take another route.
‘Was it right from here…?’
I couldn’t remember if the corridor Marilyn told me about was on the right or the left.
But I usually had good instincts.
‘The lights are off on the right, unlike the left…’
Clearly, the right side was the less-traveled path.
After walking for a while, I found the corridor. Cold air clung to the milky marble floor.
I sat behind a column, and the pounding in my head eased a little.
But the moment I opened my eyes to check the pocket watch, I realized I had made a mistake.
Someone grabbed my wrist firmly. I was yanked up as if plucked like a radish and stared in shock at the man who had seized me.
Droopy eyes, a sharp nose. I didn’t know him, but he didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar either.
He looked me up and down with a leering interest. His gaze, heavy and unsettling, slid down to the skin exposed where the shawl had slipped off.
He smirked.
“A spring butterfly in the gentlemen’s corridor? It’s still winter here. Are you lost?”
“Let go of me. What are you doing—”
“Or is this a honey trap? Trying to lure someone into a scandal?”
He tightened his grip on my wrist.
“Hm… I haven’t seen you before. Which house are you from? Women aren’t allowed here. This place is invite-only, you know.”
“I didn’t know. I must’ve taken a wrong turn.”
It was dark, and he reeked of alcohol.
Even if I shouted, the noise of the banquet would drown it out.
It was best not to provoke him. Especially since I was the one who had entered a restricted area. If I made a scene, it would only make things worse.
I quickly wiped the fearful expression from my face.
The man, red-faced from drink, kept muttering to himself.
“If you’ve been invited here before, you’d know your way around. You’d also know this is the gentlemen’s corridor.”
I looked down at my feet.
Maybe I should run. My heels were high, but…
Anyway, if this man saw me standing next to Johannes, he probably wouldn’t even recognize me. That was the feeling I got.
What if I took off my shoes and ran?
Or maybe it was best to just stall until 8 o’clock. If I didn’t return, Marilyn would come looking for me, worried that I’d ruin the banquet.
“You’re a lovely young lady. Tell me—just between us.”
“Tell you what?”
I responded calmly. The man seemed briefly disinterested but then his eyes gleamed again.
“I didn’t hear of any royal invitations. Could it be the palace snuck in a spy during the castle’s open hours?”
“Of course not.”
I answered firmly, annoyed at such absurd speculation. But he clearly wasn’t listening.
“In that case, maybe I’ll keep quiet and take you as my partner for the evening. Surely, you’re not that commoner woman Duke Schultz brought with him.”
The air froze.
I didn’t reply, and the man’s expression twisted.
A sharp intuition told me something was very wrong. I had to run.
“Is that it? Are you?”
“…No.”
It happened in a flash. The man grabbed my neck with his other hand and shoved me against the pillar. His grip tightened, cutting off my air.
As I gasped and struggled, he tilted his head.
“Your face says otherwise.”
Breathing grew more difficult. His eyes said he had no intention of letting me go.
“What a shame. Because of you, my family’s about to lose a lot of money. The Navy launched an investigation, and now the trial’s going against us.”
“Wh… what…?”
“I’m saying we’re going bankrupt.”
His grip tightened. I had no idea what he was talking about.
That I’d cost him money? Was I really going to die here? Damn it.
Just as I was about to lose consciousness, a familiar voice echoed through the corridor.
“I didn’t realize the dignity of House Schultz had fallen this low.”
It was the same dry tone as always.
No, perhaps with a hint of anger.
