"Why are you standing here like this? The star of today."
"It must be Catherine."
His cold, clear gaze turned toward somewhere in the grand garden, brilliantly lit. His weary, indifferent expression made him look languid.
"In terms of buzz, you're overwhelming, brother."
Mikhail leaned against the terrace railing, flicking the match that had lit his cigarette in the air.
The crimson light flickered before disappearing.
"I should reflect on that."
A monotonous voice flowed through the rising smoke like mist.
"Sure, you will."
Mikhail scoffed and beckoned to a servant beyond the glass of the terrace.
The servant approached, bearing a Champagne glass on a silver tray, and bowed respectfully.
Mikhail, with a cigarette in his mouth, took two glasses and handed one to Yohan.
"To the future Duchess!"
Mikhail raised his glass slightly and winked at Yohan.
As always, Yohan showed no particular reaction and turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Shouldn't you go take care of your fiancée? Anyone would think you were engaged to Christian."
Yohan, his bored gaze fixed on the landscape blooming with spring roses, took a sip of Champagne.
"Am I the only one who finds this suspicious?"
"If you're curious, go inside and ask."
Yohan said dryly, placing the half-empty glass on the railing. Light flickered on the crystal glass.
Mikhail, met with Yohan's lukewarm response, changed the subject.
"I saw the Duchess. Ah, no. Miss Blanchet. Yes, Miss Blanchet, I mean."
Yohan, who had been looking straight ahead, finally turned to slowly gaze at Mikhail.
"She didn't recognize me. Isn't that too much?"
Mikhail clutched his chest and pretended to cry.
"Where."
A low voice rang out briefly.
"Dumblin Club."
Mikhail said, glancing at Yohan.
"Ed seemed to be creating a strange atmosphere with her?"
Ashes that he hadn't brushed off fell between his white gloves.
Yohan Leopold was an imposing man by his very existence, and as arrogant as the imposing aura he exuded.
Because he had no particular expression, the emotions that occasionally surfaced were interesting to watch. Like now.
Mikhail grinned.
Perhaps it was a small pleasure enjoyed by one of the few acquaintances who knew about the relationship between Yohan and Edgar.
"Miss Blanchet was smiling too. I don't think I've ever seen that before. Did she often smile in front of you, brother?"
Yohan was about to say something but closed his lips.
She had shown him smiles in the early days of their marriage, but well. It was different from the smile he had seen in the photos.
There was a subtle difference. Was it because the smile came from a different emotion? Or was it because the person she was smiling at was different?
"She changed her hairstyle."
"Yeah."
Yohan replied nonchalantly, and Mikhail's eyes widened in shock.
"Y-yeah? You said yeah, just now? You knew?"
Yohan didn't have anything to say, so he picked up his glass.
No, look at this guy. Mikhail asked, looking dumbfounded.
How could such a cynical man know even the trivial changes of his divorced wife so thoroughly? He felt like he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly tonight without knowing the reason.
"How did you know? Did you meet her?"
"No."
"Then? Are you perhaps watching her?"
Yohan put down his empty glass and rubbed his temples as if he were tired.
"Is it lingering feelings?"
Yohan tilted his head slightly and said.
"How about this. Should I go, or will you go?"
The low voice was very sweet, but in the end, it meant to get lost.
"I'll go inside. After getting an answer. Don't tell me it's lingering feelings-."
"It was worth it. That's all."
Yohan cut off Mikhail's words mercilessly and glared at him.
It was definitely lingering feelings. Mikhail subtly changed the subject at the fierce look.
"By the way, since when have you been playing tennis? You just crushed Russell Junior, who's been playing for ten years?"
While watching Yohan's reaction, Mikhail didn't forget to observe him. Without any particular expression, Yohan took a deep drag of his cigarette.
"You wouldn't have played when you were at the Count's estate. Did you play together?"
"No."
Yohan exhaled bluish smoke and denied it briefly. He didn't know anything about Olivia's tennis skills either.
"Did she always have a knack for sports?"
His cold, gray eyes narrowed. Yohan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
Come to think of it, he didn't know much about Olivia. That she was pretty, and that her body, as pretty as her face, gave him quite a bit of satisfaction, perhaps.
"Anyway, I bet on Miss Blanchet in this tournament. Her approval rating is high even within the club. Oh! Oh dear. I should stop talking about my ex-wife."
Mikhail, who had been excitedly chattering, suddenly put on a gentlemanly smile.
"It's time for someone who hasn't even been married once to disappear while someone else is getting married for the second time."
"It's still once."
Yohan's face, turned toward where Mikhail was looking, became expressionless again.
"Here comes the fiancée."
The sound of music, which had changed to a calm atmosphere along with Mikhail's cheerful voice, flowed out onto the terrace.
It was at the same time that Princess Kranz came out onto the terrace.
"You don't hate me, do you?"
Mikhail was being playful.
"No, I don't."
Princess Kranz looked at Mikhail with a faint smile before turning her gaze to Yohan.
"If you don't mind, I would like you to accompany me. My grandmother has arrived."
Yohan nodded, buttoned his jacket, and offered his arm to the princess. The princess lightly placed her hand on his arm.
"See you later."
Yohan bid farewell to Mikhail and turned away with the princess.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
Yohan greeted the old woman with a polite attitude.
Her eyes, full of pride in having made a daughter of a humble rural family a Grand Duchess, quickly scanned Yohan.
The young man, the third son of the Duke of Edinburgh and the holder of the Leopold Duke title, was perfect for marrying off her precious granddaughter.
Except for one thing.
"It seems you need to keep your ex-wife in check."
"Grandmother."
Irene quietly called out to her maternal grandmother.
"Did I say something I shouldn't have? When I go to gatherings these days, that's all they talk about. My heart is like this. What about you... what about you?"
The old woman couldn't bring herself to continue.
Irene was a granddaughter to whom she gave affection out of longing for her daughter, who had passed away early.
Irene, wearing a lilac evening dress, was both pure and elegant.
To think that such a lovely child would have to be talked about in the same breath as such a lowly bastard in the future.
Her heart was breaking, and she lamented that she had lived too long.
"I apologize for causing you concern."
Yohan's voice was polite, but the most important thing, sincerity, was not felt. The old woman clicked her tongue inwardly at his arrogant attitude.
Even if a star shines, it does not shine with the sun. But the young Duke before her did not seem to be any different even in front of the highest authority in the country.
How wonderful it would have been if he didn't have a divorce history. The old woman was sorry about that.
Just because a gold nugget has a scratch doesn't mean it becomes copper. But in the first place, diamonds don't even get scratched.
"This old woman just hopes that our child will be married with the full blessings of the world."
"Yes."
Yohan replied briefly.
"She was a mature child from a young age. She's like an angel who grew up without causing any trouble."
The noblewoman said proudly.
"In this degenerate world, there is no lady as chaste as Irene."
Yohan somehow felt like he was facing the Margaret sisters.
It was then that the name of a woman named Josephine came to mind. That lady who only dances the quadrille is also said to be chaste.
"Grandmother."
Princess Kranz, who whispered softly, gently pulled on the old woman's arm.
"It's not because she's my granddaughter that I'm saying this. Irene is really."
She had so many things to praise her for. As the endless stream of good deeds flowed out, Yohan glanced at Princess Kranz beside the old woman.
The only person who could stop this story. But her interest seemed to be directed elsewhere. Yohan stared at where the chaste lady's gaze was directed.
Christian.
The princess was looking at the Crown Prince.
"Isn't that right, dear? ...Irene?"
"Ah! Yes, Grandmother."
The gaze that had been hastily withdrawn met Yohan's. It didn't take a few seconds for the princess's expression to change naturally.
He was reminded of a woman who was not good at hiding her expression.
Olivia was also entangled with Christian.
Yohan raised his arm to check the time.
It was rude to do in front of the other person, but he decided not to care since they had started it first.
He had been keeping this position for this long, so he had fulfilled his role as a fiancé.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, madam."
He bowed politely and gave the princess a short nod.
The princess also replaced the unspoken greeting that he was leaving with a slight bow.
Yohan turned around without regret.
A moderately unpleasant and moderately annoying night was deepening.
***
"What should we do now, Miss?"
Anne asked, looking at Olivia with a gloomy expression. It was like sitting on pins and needles.
The Rose Ball scandal, and even the master's raid.
In the confusion, the Duke's birthday present, which Anne had forgotten, had become a time bomb and dropped in front of the two.
It wasn't like Olivia had any other way either. She was just at a loss.
The Carriage carrying the two started with a clatter. The largest and most historic Halo Department Store in Litten was getting farther and farther away.
'It seems difficult to stop the delivery.'
The words of the Patek store employee came to mind. The answer was not much different from what she had expected.
Patek's 'New Watch', which had been ordered three months ago, was scheduled to be delivered exactly on Yohan's birthday, and it was too late to return it.
Yohan's birthday was tomorrow.
Olivia's gaze reached the newspaper in the Carriage.
In the black and white photo, Yohan and Princess Kranz, getting out of the Carriage and entering the banquet hall of Rondos Royal Palace, looked like a perfect couple.
In this situation, a birthday present from his ex-wife.
It really couldn't be worse.
