The Duke of Hermont’s Male Mistress
Chapter 24
The day had finally arrived.
The day of the ball at Baron Ribelt’s estate.
Roy wrapped up her duties early and changed into the formal suit she had bought for the banquet.
Thinking her shaggy wig looked mismatched with the attire, she had Hailey help slick it back neatly.
Harper was already off in dreamland after drinking the fine wine Vitor had sent over.
Feeling a twinge of guilt toward him, Roy stood before the mirror, firmly adjusting the silver wig as she steeled her resolve.
“He said it might all be over once I get through today.”
The anxiety of being discovered at any moment, the guilt of playing a false life.
Yet the price for Harper’s debts and medicine would be settled if she pulled this off one last time today.
If she safely played Vitor’s ‘male lover’ to the very end, her long-awaited daily life would return.
Without having to walk on eggshells anymore, just like before.
Ordinary days where she could live quietly in the small cabin with Harper.
That simple dream was what kept Roy going today.
Roy waited for Vitor at the edge of the forest, a short distance from Elysia Mansion. As twilight fell and dusk settled around her, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from afar.
She slowly rose to her feet as the carriage came into view.
“You’re out early?”
The moment the door opened and she saw Vitor sitting leisurely to greet her, Roy froze.
His hair was swept back, revealing a clean forehead and sharp, sculpted features.
The uniform embroidered with gold thread elegantly framed his broad shoulders and solid frame, while a navy cravat was tied neatly beneath the soft collar of his shirt.
Wearing a faint smile, his face seemed to glow singularly even in the darkening evening.
“Yes. I didn’t want us to miss each other on such an important day.”
Roy replied, barely managing to tear her gaze away, and carefully took a seat opposite him inside the carriage.
Once Vitor saw that she was seated, he gave the signal, and the carriage set off.
Vitor’s gaze fell upon Roy. Feeling burdened by his look, Roy abruptly brought up a new topic.
“What should I say if someone asks what I do today?”
Until now, amid all the commotion, no one had asked about Roy in detail. Nor had the situation called for it.
But today was different. Vitor intended to officially introduce Roy as his partner.
A banquet was, after all, a place for socializing. If someone asked, even out of mere courtesy, they needed to have their stories aligned beforehand to prevent any awkward situations.
“Roy-ssi, today you are my probationary secretary. You can say you came to the banquet as my partner and attendant. Worded like that, everyone will assume what our relationship really is.”
“Is this kind of thing… common?”
Roy asked, sounding surprised.
“Quite common. It’s a method frequently used when someone wants to bring their male lover to a banquet. If the lover is an artist, they might bring them along as an author they’re currently sponsoring.”
“I see….”
She had thought only a madman like Vitor would pull a stunt like bringing a male lover to a banquet.
It seemed the world quietly functioned in far more decadent ways than appeared on the surface.
‘Come to think of it, it’s been a while.’
Roy glanced out the window, stealing a look at Vitor.
This was their first time seeing each other since the day he had invited her to breakfast.
Since then, she had gone for the fitting alone, and a week had passed without word from him.
She had planned on refusing if he asked to accompany her to the fitting, but he hadn’t contacted her at all.
When the man who used to appear out of nowhere like magic vanished for a while, it had felt strange at first.
Wondering if he had left the estate on other business, she subtly asked Hailey about his whereabouts, only to hear that he was spending his days as usual.
Thinking on it, there was nothing unusual about it.
There were no matchmaking dates scheduled, nor any hunting trips.
Even though Roy was a servant of Elysia Mansion, the cabin where she stayed was far from the main house, meaning they were unlikely to cross paths unless one deliberately sought the other out.
Still, it felt strange somehow. A corner of her heart felt inexplicably empty, leaving her with an odd sensation.
After all, Vitor was the one who had told her not to be so distant.
Had he not said such things, she wouldn’t have felt so preoccupied.
In the end, Roy was no different to Vitor than the young ladies he had met on marriage meetings.
It was only natural. It was obvious, yet that fact felt strangely hollow.
‘This is why I didn’t want to get used to him. Why did I have to drink with him all night back then…?’
While she was lost in troubled thoughts, Vitor suddenly spoke up.
“The clothes suit you well. And you tied the cravat nicely all by yourself.”
He swept his gaze over Roy’s attire and smiled gently. Roy looked at that teasing face before casually bowing her head.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Who styled your hair? It doesn’t look like your own handiwork.”
“Hailey….”
Having blurted out the name without thinking, Roy paused.
She had remembered the clause in their contract forbidding them from divulging their arrangement to any third party.
“Your girlfriend is quite skilled. And generous of heart, too, letting you go even knowing you’re off to pretend to be another man’s lover.”
“I didn’t tell her about the contract. I just told her I had some important business.”
“It’s all right. She’s your girlfriend, so she’d keep a secret. That’s the kind of relationship you have, isn’t it?”
“I suppose, but….”
Vitor seemed to view it as just a contractual technicality, with no intention of picking a fight over it.
That was a relief, but why did his calculated gentleness bother her so much today?
“More importantly, let’s coordinate a few details. When should we say we first met?”
“The first time….”
Roy tried to ignore the discomfort prickling like a thorn in a corner of her heart as she quietly conversed with Vitor.
By the time they finished piecing together a plausible lovers’ backstory, light broke outside the window. The lanterns of the outdoor ballroom were studding the dark night like stars.
The glow of the banquet washed over the two of them. Vitor was the first to step down from the carriage, extending a hand clad in a white silk glove.
Roy hesitated for a moment before placing her hand tentatively on his. Vitor naturally hooked her hand onto his arm and began walking forward with composed strides.
“Are you nervous?”
“……A little.”
He smiled faintly.
Decorated for the banquet, the gardens of Baron Ribelt’s estate were dazzlingly bright.
Crystal lights rested like silver snow across every tree branch. Beneath them, the gathered nobles bloomed brilliantly like flowers in their respective places.
Roy swallowed dryly.
Though she had anticipated it, this place felt alien and unfamiliar. It was too sparkling, too radiant.
Feeling countless gazes gathering upon them one by one, her shoulders stiffened automatically.
Would they notice something strange? Would they sneer at her for wearing clothes beyond her station? Among these stars pouring out dazzling light, wouldn’t she look like nothing more than a shard of glass mimicking their sparkle?
She grew anxious and self-conscious. Moreover, at the thought that she would soon be introduced as the Duke of Hermont’s male lover, she was genuinely afraid of how this crowd would look at her.
Even among commoners, sodomy was scandalous. She had seen people beaten in the streets more than once for engaging in what was called filthy degeneracy.
As Roy’s grip on Vitor’s arm tightened, he tilted his head slightly and whispered in her ear.
“There’s no need to be so nervous. It won’t be as scary as you think, and it’ll be easy.”
“You always speak as if it’s nothing, Your Grace. But to me, every single thing has been a big deal.”
“Is that so? You handled everything so well each time that I didn’t realize you were trembling.”
Letting go of Roy’s hand, Vitor draped an arm naturally around her shoulders.
“Keep your back straight and don’t let your eyes dart around too much. Just meet my eyes every now and then and murmur something. It’s even better if you smile.”
“I can’t possibly bring myself to smile here….”
“Shall I tickle you, then?”
“Just you try. I’ll make you the Duke who gets dumped by his male lover right in the banquet hall.”
“Ah, we can’t have that. Not when we swore eternity by the shores of Lake Phorn.”
Vitor chuckled, reciting the background story they had concocted in the carriage. At his playful laughter, Roy couldn’t help but laugh along.
Thanks to that, her tension eased significantly. It helped that the people were merely watching Roy and Vitor from a distance, without approaching.
But that relief was short-lived. Soon, a portly middle-aged man walked toward them with a welcoming smile.
“Duke of Hermont. It is an honor to have you grace us with your presence. Meeting the hero of the Rostrian waters—I won’t be able to sleep tonight!”
“Baron Ribelt. Thank you for inviting me to such a wonderful banquet. I believe I will make fond memories tonight thanks to you.”
Baron Ribelt. He was the host of the banquet.
Before long, Baron Ribelt’s attention shifted to Roy, whom Vitor held by the shoulder.
“And who might this be…?”
The Duke of Hermont’s male lover.
