Chapter 92
The music continued to swell as Claude made his entrance, escorting Lea Lintu by the hand. Yuls appeared visibly perturbed by their arrival, sensing the calculated nature of their public display, though Adi remained largely indifferent to the spectacle.
As the final notes faded, the orchestra began a brief intermission. The crowd drifted toward the edges of the ballroom, clearing the floor. Claude caught Yuls’s eye and gave a subtle jerk of his head toward the balcony—a masculine sanctuary where women were not permitted to tread.
Before departing, Claude threw a casual glance toward Adi. He asked if she would be alright on her own, though he didn’t wait for a reply. He moved with the practiced ease of a man who knew her answer would be affirmative. Adi recognized the maneuver; the Crown Prince possessed a certain manipulative streak that was often impossible to ignore.
Left behind as the men ascended the stairs, Adi took up a sentinel-like position against the wall. Lea Lintu approached her almost immediately.
The noblewoman suggested they share a few words, and Adi gave a silent nod of consent.
Lea studied her, mentioning that she recalled seeing Adi at the Duke’s estate. She noted that Adi had recently been knighted and questioned whether she should adopt a formal title when addressing her. It was clear that Lea had no memory of their previous crossing in Pallesa. When Adi offered no immediate response, Lea pressed further, asking if she preferred to be called by her name instead.
Adi told her to use whichever she liked.
Accepting the dismissal, Lea pivoted to her true agenda. She mentioned that the Duke had informed her it was time for her to depart.
Adi was already aware of this. She knew Yuls had practically ordered her to leave, though rumors suggested Marchioness Connolly had intervened to complicate his plans. Beyond that, the trail of gossip had gone cold.
Lea then asked if Adi was particularly close with the Duke.
Adi paused, reflecting on the question before turning it back on the girl. She asked if the inquiry was Lea’s own or if it had been scripted by Marchioness Connolly.
The girl hesitated before admitting the Marchioness believed Adi was hunting for a more significant prize.
Adi asked if that prize was similar to the one Lea herself was after.
The bluntness of the question momentarily robbed Lea of her poise. She quickly recovered, however, asking if there was something inherently wrong with such an ambition.
Adi assured her there wasn’t. She added that her own presence by the Duke’s side was just as valid.
It was a hard truth to contest. Lea Lintu had spent a great deal of time trying to bridge the distance between herself and Duke Woodpecker, only to be repeatedly rebuffed. While he might occasionally indulge her with a dinner, she was never truly part of his inner circle. In contrast, Adrina Dean had appeared from nowhere and settled into a permanent position at his side, even if it was under the guise of a protector.
Lea wondered if that was a path she could have taken, though she knew she would never have the courage to try such a thing. She eventually asked Adi if she harbored feelings for the Duke.
The question seemed to startle Adi, but Lea merely offered a radiant, practiced smile. She confessed that she did like him, of course.
Adi felt a faint, cynical tug at the corners of her mouth. She had seen through Lea back in Pallesa; it was obvious the girl was infatuated with the Duke’s status. Adi remarked that he certainly possessed a great many assets.
Lea seemed confused by the phrasing, so Adi clarified. She noted that while the Duke was handsome, his actual character seemed irrelevant to Lea’s interests. She suggested that even if he were a mere child, Lea would feel the same.
Lea confirmed this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, wondering why Adi would even question it. Then, a look of realization dawned on her face as she spoke Adrina Dean’s name aloud.
She recalled that Adrina was the niece of Sir Bert Dean. While Bert was a celebrated warrior, his origins were common. Lea assumed that Adi must have been raised far from the complexities of high society. Since she had only recently acquired a noble surname, Lea concluded that the girl simply didn’t understand how their world functioned.
In a tone of gentle condescension, Lea explained that for people of their standing, marriage was never a matter of the heart. She felt a sense of pity, believing she had to educate this commoner on the realities of life. She couldn’t fathom a life built on something as flimsy as affection. To her, the lives of commoners and nobles were dictated by the same cold requirements, even if the specific stakes differed.
She explained that family prestige and mutual benefit were the only true metrics. A union was judged by how much it elevated one’s house and the specific role a woman could play within her new family.
Adi watched her, looking unimpressed. The demands Spencer Grimaldi had placed upon her were worlds away from Lea’s pragmatic philosophy.
Lea added that her ultimate goal was to live beneath a high ceiling. Adi understood the metaphor. The great houses of the wealthy featured soaring, ornate architecture. The Woodpecker and Grimaldi estates were no different. She wondered if the Lintu household lacked such grandeur.
When Lea asked if Adi didn’t desire the same, Adi admitted she wasn’t sure. She didn’t know if a high ceiling was the secret to a meaningful life. In her experience, those who lived under such roofs were often the most miserable people she knew.
Adi then asked why Lea had fixed her sights specifically on the Duke, pointing out that the Crown Prince also lived under a very high ceiling.
Lea noted that competition for the Prince was far too fierce. Adi found the idea amusing; she couldn’t imagine why so many women would be interested in a man like Claude, though she supposed his crown made him a glittering prize.
Lea pointed out that becoming a Queen was an nearly impossible hurdle. A woman’s lineage was dissected under a microscope for such a role. Even with the Marchioness as her patron, Lea’s roots in a minor Southern barony wouldn’t be enough. She would need the backing of a powerful Earldom at the very least.
Becoming a Duchess was also a daunting task, but Lea believed it was a more attainable goal. She glanced toward the upper level where Yuls and Claude were standing. Adi followed her gaze.
Yuls looked utterly bored by whatever conversation was taking place. Claude, noticing they were being watched, offered a cheerful wave. Lea returned the gesture with a meaningless, polite smile. It was a social performance that Adi found entirely alien.
Lea lowered her head slightly, whispering that the landscape was about to change. She predicted that once the world realized the Duke had reached maturity, the number of women vying for him would explode.
Adi realized that the intense stares she had felt on the dance floor weren’t just about her. People were reacting to the new figure at the center of the room. If that figure was indeed the Duke, the scrutiny would only intensify.
Lea remarked that they at least had the advantage of being the first to know. She smiled at Adi’s surprised expression, acting as though they were now conspirators in a shared game. She suggested they deserved that much of a head start.
Adi offered a noncommittal response.
Lea claimed this was simply the reality of a noblewoman’s life. Adi had some understanding of that world through her mother, but her mother had always been an outcast, shunned by her peers for reasons Adi never understood. Her only window into the lives of noblewomen had been a woman who oscillated between tears, tobacco, and sudden, fleeting smiles. Seeing Lea, she realized these women were just as driven and strategic as the men, carving out their own paths in a restricted world.
Sensing Adi’s silence, Lea’s expression sharpened. She asked if Adi was judging her.
Adi shook her head, stating it was actually a form of respect. She explained that she had never had anyone to teach her these rules.
Lea privately attributed this to Adi’s commoner upbringing, though she kept the thought to herself. She decided she actually liked the girl, in her own way.
Adi was confused by the sudden declaration of friendship, as she hadn’t done anything to earn it.
Lea clarified that while she liked Adi, she had no intention of losing. She reminded her that she had the full weight of Marchioness Connolly’s influence behind her.
Adi told her to do as she pleased, still unsure if she was even a participant in this supposed contest. Her relationship with the Duke was… complicated, but she didn’t feel like she was competing for a prize.
The ballroom was growing more crowded. Viscount Carver began making his way toward them. Though he held a lower rank, his lineage was ancient and respected in the capital.
Lea observed that people were finally starting to approach the Duke. Soon, everyone on the balcony would be aware of his presence. She predicted a flood of daughters being pushed toward him as families scrambled to forge a connection with the House of Woodpecker. The Duke’s power was immense, and it reached far beyond the borders of the South.
She noted that Spencer Grimaldi was already positioning himself. Looking at Adi, she remarked that many people would begin preparing for the “winter” now. While the summer was for the political maneuvers of men, the winter social season was the battlefield for women. Lea intended to enter that fray under the Connolly name.
The two women locked eyes.
Lea decided it would be useful to keep this naive knight close. If she did become the Duchess, having a female knight as her personal escort would be a significant status symbol. She looked Adi over, acknowledging her beauty, but remained confident. In her mind, the Duke was a nobleman, and a nobleman would never choose a commoner for a wife.
She suggested they should try to get along.
As she spoke, Marchioness Connolly approached. Adi gave a polite bow. Lea turned to introduce her new acquaintance, but the Marchioness cut her off. She identified Adi as Bert Dean’s niece and suggested they could speak later when the knight himself was present.
Lea looked embarrassed by the blunt dismissal. It was a glaring insult, but Adi’s expression remained perfectly neutral. The Marchioness took this lack of reaction as further proof of the girl’s low breeding.
The Marchioness announced they were leaving and placed a hand on Lea’s shoulder. However, she suddenly froze. She turned back to stare at Adi, her eyes searching the girl’s face. Adi met her gaze with calm indifference.
A flicker of shock and disbelief crossed the Marchioness’s features. She whispered a name—Malvina.
It was a name Adi had never heard. Seeing Adi’s confusion, the Marchioness’s composure cracked for a split second before she dismissed the thought as impossible. She offered a curt apology and hurried away, with Lea Lintu trailing behind her in silence.
