I had already noticed Masera’s signals that he wanted to speak informally all night long.
But I had to become Helene’s strength, who would arrive soon, and fulfill my duty to society…
I subtly raised my gaze and looked at Masera, who was wearing a black coat instead of a uniform.
He looked quite like a flashy chaebol psycho (with the pain of being a bastard but living in a penthouse) or a notoriously promiscuous Duke of the North (who actually never even held a woman’s hand)…
As he quietly stared at me, who was caught in a dilemma, he bit the leather glove with his teeth and took it off.
“Are you cold? You’re shivering.”
His fingertips, which caressed my flushed cheeks, brushed against my earlobe.
“Ah.”
It was as if I would melt even with just the slightest touch.
A man with all the highly stimulating elements is irresistible…
His lips curved beautifully at my trembling figure. The boundary between the purple and blue in his eyes faded, and they were tinged with a sensual color.
“Or, do you not want to go home?”
He swept back his platinum blonde hair and said with loosely relaxed eyes.
“I want to go. With you.”
My judgment collapsed helplessly in the face of the devastatingly handsome man’s dangerous seduction.
“Home right now.”
Helene, I trust you’ll do well without me. Because you are strong.
As soon as my approval fell, he immediately took my hand and left the banquet hall.
“Oh, where are you going in such a hurry? Did something happen?”
Everyone looked at us with puzzled eyes as we quickly walked through the crowd.
Even the Princesses of the Lumantis Empire, who had monopolized the cake, widened their eyes.
“Princess Cynthia! I saved some strawberry cake and blueberry cake for you, where are you going?”
The situation of the party’s protagonists running away was a little funny.
But strawberry cake was not important to us, who had discovered a sweeter taste.
It was our honeymoon.
Duke Rukanosa, who attended the social party, watched Masera leisurely leaving the banquet hall.
He was now at the point where he didn’t even feel the sense of defeat of having lost to a commoner-born war orphan.
Even the pride of being a high-ranking aristocrat, which he had used to comfort himself that he was superior to Masera, was in a precarious situation.
He deeply regretted his marriage to Helene.
He thought that if he had chosen Cynthia instead of Helene from the beginning, he, not Masera, would have been the one to receive people’s recognition.
“Isn’t there more than one way to maintain your current position? Marriage using bloodline is the only solution.”
His mother, the Dowager Duchess, treated him like an incompetent man who had nothing left but his bloodline.
“If that doesn’t work, apologize to Helene and reunite.”
Of course, she didn’t mean it sincerely. It was like a whip to make her son come to his senses.
The Duke felt hurt and rebellious, but in the end, he had no choice but to wander around the social circles in search of a remarriage partner.
Just as the Duke was swallowing bitter alcohol, everyone’s attention was focused on the appearance of someone.
“Oh my gosh, I heard she received an invitation, but I didn’t think she would actually come…”
When Helene appeared in a wheelchair, the murmuring of the people stopped abruptly.
Unlike before, when she only wore fancy dresses like a noble lady, she was wearing a white tailored suit with a black belt.
In a shocking appearance that broke the formula of ‘dresses for social parties,’ people felt a subtle admiration while feeling unfamiliar.
“Representative Helene, do you know how long we’ve been waiting?”
“I heard the story of Princess Cynthia and rushed to enter the country to meet Representative Helene.”
The Princesses of the Lumantis Empire welcomed her as if they had been waiting.
“Princesses. The former Duchess is so successful that you probably don’t know much about her past…”
“If she’s a businesswoman, she’s a representative, what do you mean former Duchess?”
As soon as someone tried to spread malicious rumors about Helene, the first Princess firmly cut them off.
“There’s no need to say it again. We’ve already heard everything through Princess Cynthia.”
The Princesses had heard many stories, including ‘Helene falling for a bad man and going to trial.’
Of course, they knew Helene’s sins, but they were in a position to support a woman who was at least repenting of her sins and trying to stand up again.
“I heard she suffered a lot because of her indulgent and despicable husband, right?”
The Duke, who suddenly became the topic of conversation, looked embarrassed.
The second Princess put her hand on her cheek and joked.
“Ah, even I would have been drawn to a cool and kind man in the underworld.”
The youngest Princess then joined in.
“He took all the credit for his wife’s achievements and even framed her for stealing her sister’s wedding dress. I heard he lost most of the rights to his business and is now penniless? How could he treat the benefactor who saved his failing company like that?”
“Let’s get the facts straight. It wasn’t stolen, it was taken back, and the ex-husband is pretending to be the victim?”
As leaders of the Lumantis Empire’s social circles, they were skilled at using their influence and public opinion.
They knew that courtesy was the responsibility of subordinates.
“To lose a woman who has succeeded so much on her own, whoever it is, is really stupid.”
No one dared to refute the Princesses’ opinions, who threw sharp words without specifying who they were talking about and laughed.
Hearing the Princesses’ words, the Duke had to stand like a stone, feeling the injustice, as leaving would look like running away.
Meanwhile, the Princesses, who had been venomous until just now, looked at Helene with affectionate faces.
“Representative Helene, is the outfit you’re wearing now new?”
“I tried the peppermint water you gave me before, and my whole body became smooth. What’s the principle?”
As Helene explained in her unique calm tone, the Princesses nodded and began to concentrate.
The Duke, who was out of the sight of the powerful, let out a suppressed sigh.
‘Princess Cynthia must have won over the Princesses.’
The two women, who he thought would completely turn their backs on him, had joined hands.
Whether it was pity or human affection, he didn’t know.
In any case, it was nothing to do with him, who was divorced and finished.
That’s what he thought.
“You are as beautiful as I’ve heard.”
“I would like to talk about your business success.”
Until other men from foreign countries started talking to her.
“Representative Helene, hello. I wanted to meet you.”
Even the Empire’s handsome youngest Prince was showing interest in her.
Helene felt unfamiliar and somewhat overwhelmed by the kindness that was pouring out on her, not as a Princess or Duchess, but solely on herself.
Was it because she was being recognized for the life she had worked hard to create, not the status she was born with or the position she gained through marriage?
She recalled her past self, who thought there was no place for her to stand.
She hesitated a lot to come to this place because she knew she would be hated.
“It’s not like you’re hated by the whole world, right? Sister.”
She smiled, recalling Cynthia, who had told her that was absolutely not the case.
‘But where did Cynthia go?’
Helene, who had a greater desire to congratulate Cynthia, although it was also an opportunity to expand her network, looked around with bewildered eyes.
“I want to ask you to dance, um.”
The youngest Prince, with warm light brown hair and green eyes, smiled brightly.
“Prince Lucien. As you can see, my body is uncomfortable, so…”
Seeing Helene’s awkward face, he stroked his chin and made a troubled expression before opening his mouth.
“It’s not impossible, is it? I’ve come up with a good idea. Feel free to tell me if you want to refuse.”
“That’s not it.”
“That’s a relief.”
As she looked at the Prince’s boyish smile and thought of someone, Prince Lucien said something unexpected.
“Shall I give you a piggyback ride, or shall I carry you like a Princess?”
“Yes?”
The Princesses burst into laughter at Helene’s flushed face.
“Younger men are originally bold, aren’t they?”
“He’s just a pebble, but he’s all grown up.”
Helene looked up at the handsome young man standing in front of her.
‘He’s too big to be a pebble.’
Helene refused people’s help and went out to the garden alone in her wheelchair.
She wanted to get some fresh air.
Whose idea was it to prepare a ramp so that wheelchairs could pass?
“You told me to come, but the protagonist is not here…”
She’s really a funny kid. Helene was laughing as she thought of Cynthia when she felt someone pushing her wheelchair. She was startled and turned around.
“…Duke?”
Duke Rukanosa was looking down at her with eyes mixed with annoyance and resentment.
“Why are you wandering around alone? Did the great Prince say he couldn’t do it because of his reputation?”
“I can do it alone. I don’t need you, so leave.”
The Duke let go of the wheelchair handle and stood in front of her, sighing deeply.
“I want to ask if you couldn’t have been as kind to me as you were to the Prince.”
“What are you talking about now? Don’t tell me you’re regretting it now?”
Helene made a very unpleasant expression.
The Duke ruffled his hair nervously and frowned.
“I just regret it. The marriage, the divorce. Everything related to you.”
Seeing her succeed and be recognized as soon as they separated, his heart twisted.
It seemed to be all because of his incompetence.
