CHAPTER 20
‘Of course, she’ll refuse.’
There was no way Lady Cyrillege, who so openly disliked Etisha, would agree to dance with her. But if she refused, Etisha could always dance the first dance with Cayenne instead—after all, he would soon be her family too.
Either way, Etisha would clearly establish to all the guests that she was marrying Cayenne and would soon become the Duchess of Wintel.
‘If Lady Cyrillege turns me down, it’ll just become another juicy piece of gossip. People will talk about me even more.’
Becoming famous.
Etisha planned to make her name known far and wide—to become a Duchess no one could deny as the rightful lady of Wintel.
‘And once that happens… the Duke will be pleased.’
Because the more famous the fake duchess became, the easier it would be to protect the existence of his mistress.
‘Speaking of which… where is Lady Dithe?’
She had promised to meet her at the banquet, yet Dithe was nowhere in sight.
Cayenne didn’t seem to be looking for her, either.
“…Etisha, Baroness El.”
Lady Cyrillege finally opened her tight lips and called out to her. She was about to respond to Etisha’s dance proposal.
“Forgive the delay. I’m rather… stunned. For me to dance the first dance with you is truly—”
Clunk.
Just then, the closed doors of the banquet hall opened.
And in walked a fairy-like young woman, wearing a modest dress.
Golden hair, golden eyes—Dithe.
“Wait, isn’t that girl…?”
The nobles who had been watching the exchange between Etisha and Lady Cyrillege turned their attention to Dithe. One of them blurted something by mistake.
“Isn’t she Duke Cayenne’s mistress?”
While Dithe’s presence was less known in the distant capital, in the north, it was common gossip that she was the Duke’s mistress.
“What is a mistress doing at an event like this…?”
The murmurs grew louder.
A mistress appearing at a banquet celebrating the Duke’s engagement? That alone was shocking—but it didn’t stop there.
Dithe walked gracefully to the center of the hall—directly before Etisha, Cayenne, and Lady Cyrillege.
“Milady, thank you for inviting me to such an occasion.”
She bowed to Lady Cyrillege, who responded naturally.
“Yes, Yudithe. I’m glad to see your face again.”
All the guests widened their eyes in disbelief.
Lady Cyrillege had invited the mistress herself.
And while she had refused even to acknowledge Etisha’s greeting, she immediately accepted Dithe’s.
It was almost as if… she was favoring the mistress over the rightful duchess.
The nobles could no longer hold their tongues.
“Looks like Lady Cyrillege intends to completely cast Baroness Etisha aside.”
“Indeed. Why else would she host a celebratory banquet for the Duke’s engagement and then deliberately invite his rumored mistress?”
“She’d rather accept the mistress than approve of this marriage.”
“There’ve been rumors for years that the Duke had a secret mistress—and even a child with her. Maybe she’s finally being legitimized.”
The entire atmosphere of the banquet shifted.
Now everyone seemed convinced that Etisha would never be acknowledged as the proper Duchess of Wintel.
“Poor thing… Look at the Baroness’s face. She came north dreaming of becoming the Duke’s wife, and now she may be sent home empty-handed…”
The guests looked at Etisha like a lonely island adrift in a wide sea—far off and unreachable.
Their quiet whispers turned to murmurs, spreading like wildfire.
‘Ah…’
Etisha blinked slowly as she watched Lady Cyrillege and Dithe exchange greetings.
‘So Lady Cyrillege really did invite her. She must’ve even provided that dress…’
Etisha looked at Dithe’s soft green gown. Its simple design made her stand out like a delicate wildflower among the extravagantly dressed noblewomen.
‘So that’s how it is…’
Her marriage to Cayenne had always been just a transaction.
A way to escape the Heinz family.
A fake marriage that wouldn’t interfere with the Duke’s love for his mistress.
‘Then… is it over now?’
Etisha had already broken free from the Heinz family. And Cayenne’s mistress—clearly—had been accepted by Lady Cyrillege.
‘If Lady Cyrillege approves of Dithe, the Duke has no reason to marry me anymore. I’ve outlived my usefulness.’
Was she now a woman the Duke no longer needed?
That meant she wouldn’t be able to stay by his side any longer…
Etisha slowly withdrew the hand she had extended to Lady Cyrillege. She felt foolish for trying to play the social game using scraps of knowledge she had picked up from Larienne.
‘My role ends here.’
She covered the wedding ring on her left hand with her other. At that moment, even showing the ring felt inappropriate.
‘What is the Duke thinking right now…?’
Would he ask her to return the ring?
Now that Dithe had been accepted by his mother, maybe he no longer needed a stand-in wife…
Etisha exhaled shakily, her eyes trembling.
If she had known it would come to this, she would never have made that silly wish. After savoring a sweet dream, reality now tasted bitter and harsh.
Then, Cayenne’s deep, captivating voice echoed through the hall.
“Mother. That’s enough.”
His face remained calm—unshaken, as if this whole situation weren’t threatening to unravel his marriage.
“Summoning Yudithe so suddenly is bound to startle Baroness Etisha. Our guests deserve a proper explanation as well.”
“Cayenne…”
“But since you’re the host of this banquet, I’ll let you speak first.”
“…”
“Please, clear up the misunderstanding.”
Misunderstanding…?
What misunderstanding?
Etisha looked up at Cayenne in a daze. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist, lightly brushing her back—offering silent reassurance.
‘Duke…?’
Then he whispered, just for her to hear.
“It’s nothing. My mother is just very shy.”
Shy…?
Lady Cyrillege? Shy?
What was he even talking about? Etisha stared at him in confusion, her lips parting slightly.
That’s when Lady Cyrillege’s stern voice rang out again from the front.
“…Yes. I admit it. I’ve been lacking in explanation. No wonder our guests have misunderstood.”
She placed a light hand on Dithe’s shoulder and continued.
“Yudithe. This child has been like a daughter to me for many years.”
“……?!”
“Though she’s of humble birth and I’ve kept her out of the public eye, I’ve always regarded her as a daughter. And Cayenne has looked after her kindly as well.”
What… was she saying?
Dithe was someone Lady Cyrillege had raised like a daughter?
“When I heard of Cayenne’s engagement, I immediately thought I must invite Yudithe to the banquet. Cayenne is my son. Yudithe is my foster daughter. It’s only right that family celebrates together.”
“…”
“And… Baroness Etisha?”
Lady Cyrillege stepped a little closer. The expression she wore while addressing the room had been composed—but up close, it turned red again, just as before.
Her hand began to tremble once more.
“Ahem… ahem.”
“…?”
“Baroness Etisha… if I caused any misunderstanding, I apologize. I—I…”
She whispered, barely audible. Beside her, Cayenne let out a deep sigh.
“I was… simply so thrilled by the news of Cayenne’s engagement…”
“…Pardon?”
“I couldn’t help myself. That’s why I threw this banquet so hastily. There was no time to explain—especially after Cayenne arrived a day later than expected. My heart was all in a flutter…”
“Lady Cyrillege…?”
“Oh, I’m being silly. I tried to hide it, but my hands are still shaking.”
She held out a trembling hand. And now it was clear—her flushed face wasn’t from anger, but from embarrassment.
The queen of the northern social scene.
Lady Cyrillege Wintel, former Duchess of Wintel, was cold and merciless to outsiders—but when it came to her own family, she was a fiercely loving woman of the north.
“Baroness El. Thank you, truly, for marrying my son.”
“…”
“To dance the first dance with you will be a great honor.”
It felt as if the world had flipped upside down.
Etisha slowly took Lady Cyrillege’s hand. The music in the hall changed, and a stage opened up just for the two of them—soon to be family.
The moment seemed to symbolize a new beginning for House Wintel.
The former Duchess and the future Duchess dancing together—it was undeniable proof of their familial bond.
The nobles whispered among themselves, stunned.
“I still can’t make sense of it. The mistress—no, I mean, the Duke’s so-called mistress—was actually Lady Cyrillege’s foster daughter?”
“And look at Lady Cyrillege! I thought she detested Baroness Etisha, but she accepted the dance. Maybe that’s not the case after all.”
“Sigh… who can guess what the Lady is thinking? People like us couldn’t possibly understand the depth of her intentions.”
None of the nobles had overheard the words Lady Cyrillege had whispered to Etisha. So they couldn’t understand how the dance came about so suddenly.
Even if they had heard it, they probably would’ve thought they misheard. After all, to northerners, Lady Cyrillege Wintel was seen as cold, sharp, and calculating.
Merciless to enemies—but warm to her own.
Only her family truly understood her.
Naturally, Cayenne understood her well. That’s why he’d been so calm, even with a sudden banquet announcement.
“Baroness Etisha… please take good care of my son, Cayenne.”
Lady Cyrillege spoke as she danced with Etisha.
“…Pardon? Oh, yes—of course, my lady.”
“You must have a proper wedding soon. I’ll help however I can. Don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, truly. I’ll do that.”
“And… that title of yours feels a little, hmm… inappropriate.”
“…?”
“I mean… ahem. If you don’t mind, perhaps you could call me Mother instead.”
I was wondering when it kept using so many descriptions of that nature. XD