Chapter 3:
Reunion (3)
“You are the Countess of Malev and Lady Rosalie, correct? If you wait just a moment, one of our staff will guide you.”
“Thank you, Madame. But our clothes are wet from the rain—I’d like to go inside as soon as possible.”
The first to regain composure was neither him nor me.
It was my sister-in-law, Angela—who knew my past—who looked back and forth between us in shock before speaking to the Madame.
“Of course. Sophie! Show these ladies to a warm seat.”
Sensing the tense atmosphere inside the boutique, the Madame quickly called out.
And then—
My former lover… no.
The Duke of Vallière gave a light bow to Angela and me, exchanged no greetings whatsoever, and swiftly left the boutique.
“Ah…”
Left behind in the space he had just occupied, I could not believe what I had just seen.
That he had erased all traces of confusion from his eyes in an instant… that he had passed me with such a calm expression… and that I hadn’t been able to react at all.
“U-unnie, wait. I’ll just step outside for a moment—”
“No.”
Even just one minute would have been enough.
I wanted to stop him and speak with him. There were so many things I wanted to say—but in truth, I only wanted to ask one thing.
If he had been well.
There were so many things I was curious about. The crescent-shaped scar beneath his beautiful eye—was it from that day ten years ago?
He had lived in the warm southern continent, so why was his skin still so pale, like plaster? Did he still paint like before?
And… had he ever missed me?
But Angela firmly held me back as if I might run after him at any moment.
“You must never get involved with him again. You know that, Rosalie. I understand how you feel, but you must behave like a proper lady.”
“No… you don’t understand. You don’t know how I feel. I… I…”
My lips trembled. My eyes remained fixed on the glass door where the duke had disappeared.
Was this a dream… or reality?
I wanted to push Angela aside and chase after him immediately.
That was how desperate I felt.
But—
“…I’m sorry, sister. I’ve come to my senses now. Shall we go look at dresses? We don’t have much time to prepare.”
Forcing a smile, I turned toward Angela.
Now that I was an adult, I knew that the past had to remain buried in the past.
As I tried on the dresses that Countess Alua had selected in advance, my mind remained elsewhere.
Even Angela, who had stopped me so firmly before, seemed unwilling to interfere further and left me alone.
The Duke of Hestein de Vallière…
It felt like such an unfamiliar title.
Ten years ago, I used to call him “His.”
And he would call me “Rose,” saying I was a rose that bloomed only for him, showering me with kisses without hesitation.
Ah… how deeply we had loved each other.
Those feelings were far too deep to be dismissed as mere memories.
His normally cold expression would soften whenever he looked at me—and every time it did, my heart would flutter.
“Your chest fits tightly, but the waist is a bit loose. We’ll be quite busy with alterations before the ball.”
I blinked at the Madame’s voice, snapping out of my daze.
She lingered expectantly—it seemed she was hoping for a tip.
But we didn’t have the luxury for that.
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I glanced at Angela. She hurriedly searched through her purse.
“You’ve worked hard, Madame. We won’t forget your efforts.”
“Oh my, you didn’t have to!”
The Madame’s face brightened as she received two silver coins marked with the number 60.
In truth, that money had been saved to stop by a café on the way back and enjoy tea after a long time.
Though I couldn’t hide my bitterness, Angela and I left the boutique without showing it.
We had even skipped lunch, planning to have cake at the café…
“Maybe this is a sign to lose some weight before the ball. Don’t you think, sister?”
“Rosalie, what weight do you have to lose? You’re already as thin as a reed.”
Angela said regretfully.
In the Kingdom of Ifelda, a fuller figure was considered beautiful. Back when our family wasn’t struggling, I too had been plump.
But now—
I was past the ideal marriage age, thin to the point of frailty, financially lacking, and still burdened by old scandals.
Once again, I realized…
I was no longer a desirable bride.
The cold reality made me want to crawl into a hole and hide.
From that day on, I stayed inside the townhouse until the day of the ball.
Partly because… I didn’t want to run into the Duke of Vallière again in such a miserable state.
Two days later.
Angela, Gérard, and I arrived at the Alua family’s villa, located a short distance from Rodin.
Though it was called a villa, it was closer to a small palace—a wedding gift bestowed upon the countess by the former king.
A vivid red carpet woven with gold threads stretched across cream-colored marble floors. Brilliant chandeliers and even a champagne fountain adorned the hall.
It was dazzling.
“Welcome, Count Malev. Have you been well?”
“Thanks to you. You must have been very busy, Countess, to host such a splendid ball.”
Gérard smiled warmly as he lightly kissed the back of her hand.
After greeting Angela, the Countess finally turned her gaze toward me.
“Hmm. Lady Rosalie, you seem to have lost more weight since I last saw you.”
“The winters in the Malev territory are quite harsh. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Countess.”
It had been a long time since I had attended a ball.
Trying not to show my nervousness, I lifted and lowered the hem of my skirt casually.
The Countess examined me openly, as if evaluating me.
Then she smiled, her pale blue eyes narrowing.
“The dress I chose suits you well. I’m pleased.”
The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes only added to her elegance.
She was a beautiful woman with light blonde hair streaked with white.
Even with a grown son, she still shone—perhaps even more than I did in my dark green dress.
“…Thank you for your kindness. But… the gentleman beside you?”
I asked awkwardly, though I already knew.
From the beginning, a tall, thin man with a pale face had been standing beside her.
“Ah! You must mean my son. Let me introduce you. Jeremy, this lovely lady is Rosalie, the one you are to marry.”
It had been nearly seven years since I last saw him.
Jeremy had not appeared in society since that embarrassing incident long ago.
He resembled his mother—bright golden hair like honey, gentle eyes, and vivid blue irises that flickered with unease.
“…N-nice to… meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
I extended my hand out of courtesy.
But unlike other gentlemen, Jeremy did not kiss it.
Instead, he looked terrified, like he had seen a ghost, glancing helplessly at his mother. The cane in his hand shook uncontrollably.
“M-mother… is it over now? C-can I go back to my room?”
“What are you saying? You should talk with Lady Rosalie—and dance with her.”
Beside me, Angela tried her best to hide her disappointment.
Gérard was busy greeting other nobles.
The Countess kept glancing at me, smiling gracefully, clearly expecting me to approach Jeremy first.
“…May I call you by your name? Jeremy?”
“Ah… uh…”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Since he didn’t seem capable of holding a proper conversation, I decided for him.
Unable to endure the Countess’s gaze, I spoke again.
“Jeremy, I’m feeling a bit warm. Could you guide me somewhere quieter, where I can get some fresh air? Somewhere without too many people.”
From what Gérard had told me, Jeremy was extremely shy and easily overwhelmed.
So it would be better to take him somewhere quiet rather than keep him here among so many eyes.
As expected—
He couldn’t meet my gaze and simply nodded, looking past my shoulder.
“Ah… o-okay.”
Surprisingly, he offered his arm—without even relying on his cane.
I had heard his intelligence was lacking… but it seemed he had at least learned basic gentlemanly manners.
A small relief in an otherwise unfortunate situation.
