~Chapter 34~

Knock, knock.

I opened my eyes wide.
The last thing I remembered from last night was Baldwin’s playful violet eyes sparkling at me.

“……!”

By now, the morning sunlight was already slipping through the curtains into the room.

Baldwin?

I looked around, but I was alone. Hugging the blanket tightly to cover myself, I slid down from the bed.

A dull ache tapped lightly against my body, and I let out a small groan.

Knock, knock.

“Ah!”

The knock came again. Surprised, I gasped and quickly turned to the door, hurriedly gathering the clothes scattered on the floor.

Clutching the blanket and clothes in my arms, I glanced around in panic, not knowing where to run.

There were three doors in the room.
One led outside, another to the reception room, and the last one to the bathroom.

Should I run into the reception room?
Looking like this? No way. Anyone could come in there. That was impossible. Then the bathroom?
But it didn’t feel right to drag the blanket in there either.

As I stomped my feet nervously, the door opened.

I didn’t even know why I was so desperate to find a place to escape. I just felt like I had to.

Frozen in place, pale and stiff, I stared at the opening door.

It was Baldwin.

He knocked again on the door he had already opened.

Knock, knock.

The neat, deliberate sound finally brought me back to my senses.

“Bo… Baldwin.”

The name I had called countless times last night slipped out of my throat naturally.

Baldwin stood at the door casually, dressed in a loose white shirt. In his hand, he carried a tray of fruit, soft bread, jam, and milk.

His violet eyes curved the same way they had yesterday.

Facing that smile, I gripped the things in my hands tighter.

There was nowhere to run.
I was his captive now, caught in that gaze.

While I sat frozen, Baldwin moved smoothly. Closing the door, he came inside and set the tray down on the neatly cleaned table.

Then, Baldwin beckoned to me.

When I hesitated, Baldwin gently pulled me toward him. Still wrapped in the blanket like a bundle, I ended up awkwardly seated on a chair.

Baldwin looked at me and gave a quiet smile.

“……Am I funny to you?”

I muttered in complaint, pulling the blanket up under my chin.

“I can eat a little later, so—mmpf.”

The fruit touched my lips, and without realizing, I opened my mouth.
I chewed the soft flesh carefully and swallowed.

“Am I funny to you? You’re teasing me, right?”

Baldwin leaned down with his hands behind his back.
His face slowly came closer to mine.
Then, he kissed me, wrapped up tightly in the blanket.

This time too, my lips parted naturally, as if I had already learned it.
Baldwin brushed his fingers across my cheek.
I thought I heard him laugh.

It was probably just an illusion—something my enchanted mind created.
But it sounded exactly like the voice of Baldwin I had vaguely imagined.

Then, Baldwin’s fingers slipped between the blanket.

“Wait…!”

The blanket I had been clinging to desperately was pulled away by him.
He bent his knees and met my eyes directly.

“Uh… today, today we have the banquet… I need to prepare.”

Baldwin rubbed his lips against my cheek.

“E-everyone will… they’ll all find out!”

Baldwin kissed my collarbone, and I felt the edge of his teeth.

“They’ll be waiting… waiting outside….”

What kind of shameless act is this?

But the words I couldn’t speak out loud disappeared into Baldwin’s mouth.
He had a strange ability—speaking without saying anything at all.

The morning sunlight ripened, glowing hot.
My voice melted and scattered faintly into that morning.

We were shameless all throughout the morning,
and no one came to interrupt us.

At Constantine’s second wedding banquet, many nobles attended.
They wanted to show their faces to Baldwin at least once
and sought friendship with the Constantine family.

Of course, there were also those who came simply to see Baldwin and Anais.

“The Graham Bank is practically part of her dowry. You’ll see—soon the Constantine family will swallow it whole.”

“Proud Anais Barnaby is finished now.”

“The former Marquis of Graham could never have calculated this outcome. Tsk. Only the Graham family ended up pitiful.”

As they strolled around the lake, the noble ladies whispered.
Their eyes, glancing at Anais, were full of malice and jealousy.

Anais was not from a central noble family—she came from the fallen Baronet Barnaby house.
If not for the former Marquis of Graham, she would never have set foot in central society.

“A Cinderella covered in ashes was just lucky. From the Marquis family to now becoming the Duchess of a Duke’s house… you’d have to be born with that kind of fortune.”

“Fortune? Who knows—maybe it was careful planning.
Who can say if she wasn’t scheming and seducing the Marquis of Graham since childhood?”

“That’s true. With no proper education, her actions can only be vulgar.”

“She got the bank from divorcing the Marquis of Graham, so maybe she’s aiming for something else now—by approaching the Constantine family.”

“Are you saying she’ll get divorced again?”

“Divorce is hard the first time, but the second time is easy. I just hope the Duke realizes her true nature soon.”

The noble ladies fanned themselves busily, hiding their filthy words behind their fans. They believed that their small parasols and fans could cover their faces.

But every word brushed past Anais’s ears.

Her eyes gleamed brightly. Straightening her shoulders, Anais walked toward the ladies strolling by the lakeside.

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

Anais curved her lips into a painted smile.

“Oh my!”

The ladies shut their mouths tight in surprise. Their eyes rolled nervously above their fans—it made them look like startled geese.

“I just wanted to thank you all for attending today.”

Anais greeted them with a bright smile. The ladies secretly let out a sigh of relief.

She didn’t hear us, right?

Their eyes exchanged secret signals, and then they spoke to Anais warmly.

“Yes, what a beautiful evening party. To hold a banquet by the lake—such a brilliant idea.”

“The weather has been good lately, hasn’t it? Was all this prepared by the Duchess herself?”

“And tomorrow, it’s at the Constantine estate, yes? Truly a grand finale!”

Anais bit the tip of her tongue lightly. These women could change their faces so easily.

All they ever had were words spilling from their mouths. Nothing more.

And yet, they still couldn’t ignore the influence of the Graham Bank. Pitiful, if anything.

What are you afraid of, Anais?
Those useless mouths can do nothing but gossip. Flatten their pride.

Her grandfather’s voice echoed in her heart. Anais remembered everything she had learned from Cesares.

The sadder you are, the straighter you stand.
The more it hurts, the brighter you smile.
That way, in the end, you will always win.

“Will you be joining us again tomorrow?”

“Of course, Madam.”

The noble ladies giggled. They were sure Anais had heard nothing.

And even if she did, what could she do about it?

That unspoken contempt was hidden in their tones. But Anais caught every trace of it.

How could she not know how these ladies looked at her?
She had already experienced it when she was the Marchioness of Graham.

They never wanted to let her inside the wall of high society, measuring everything by birth.

“This time,” Anais opened her lips, as if the cold wind inside her chest was nothing.
“I heard Count Archina is starting a new business.”

The Countess of Archina, who reigned like a queen among these ladies, smiled brightly.

“Yes, that’s right. My husband found a new business item—importing a salt called Blue Salt. It’s supposed to be good for baths. My daughter and I have been bathing with Blue Salt for some time now. I feel like our skin has gotten clearer.”

Anais smiled gently at the Countess of Archina.

“It reminds me of last year, when Count Archina came to see me.”

The Countess froze.

Last year, after failing to secure investment from a major bank, Count Archina had been forced to find a smaller investor. After struggling for a year, he barely managed to start his business.

By mentioning that time, Anais was also saying she had rejected his investment request back then.

“……Is that so.”

“I heard it was difficult, finding an investor?”

“What does it matter now?”

The Countess laughed sharply.

Anais took one step closer to her.

“If I wanted to, I could make it matter.”

If these women envied what Anais had, then she would use it to press them down.

Anais knew exactly how to wield the weapons in her hands.