100 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 100
100
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A moment of silence hung in the air. In the brief lull, the noble ladies exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with curiosity.
The ladies gathered here were all aware of the rumors that had circulated before the wedding, the whispers that Aileen hadn't received a proposal ring. Ornella was the source of those rumors.
The rumors, which everyone had doubted, wondering if they could possibly be true, had now been officially confirmed. The noble ladies turned their gazes towards the Grand Duchess, their eyes filled with anticipation, eager to hear her response.
They held some goodwill towards Aileen, but it was merely a slight fondness for the title of Grand Duchess. They weren't the type to actively take Aileen's side. If it meant obtaining an amusing piece of gossip, they would gladly watch Aileen be humiliated.
Winning these noble ladies over to her side was what Aileen needed to do in society from now on. Aileen forced a smile, pulling up the corners of her mouth that were stiffening with tension. Still, this was nothing compared to the various situations she had imagined.
If she made strange excuses, they would only pick at her words. Besides, those gathered here probably weren't expecting her to handle this skillfully anyway. Aileen chose to be honest.
"He's not heartless."
Under the barrage of gazes, Aileen gestured to the wedding ring on her left ring finger. She glanced at the uniquely designed ring before speaking again.
"Perhaps he wanted to give me… a meaningful ring. He's a man of few words and doesn't express his feelings well, but still."
Aileen hesitated for a moment before answering.
"He's always kind."
As soon as Aileen's answer fell, Ornella nodded lightly and chimed in.
"Indeed, he is kind."
Ornella felt the gazes turning towards her and nodded slightly. Her glossy hair cascaded beautifully with the small movement. Her eyes were lost in reminiscence.
"He even put his coat over me at the Imperial Palace once. The weather was a bit chilly that day, and as soon as I showed signs of being cold, he immediately took off his coat and gave it to me."
The other noble ladies widened their eyes and exclaimed in admiration.
"Really, him? Goodness."
"Everyone is surprised when I tell them this story. But he really is a kind person. I suppose I've seen him often at the Imperial Palace since I was young. So I get to see a different side of him."
Ornella spoke of her connection with Cesare since childhood. Aileen, listening to her boasting, was left speechless.
It was Aileen, not Ornella, whom Cesare had covered with his coat at the Imperial Palace. Having witnessed the scene with her own eyes, Ornella told a lie without a change in her expression.
She spoke so naturally that even Aileen momentarily wondered if that was how it had been.
But it would be ridiculous to point out her lie in this setting. Aileen didn't know everything about Cesare. It was possible that he had genuinely put his coat over Ornella in a place she hadn't seen.
Ornella was likely saying this because she knew Aileen wouldn't dare to point it out rashly.
Before she knew it, the Tea Party's attention had completely shifted to Ornella. She smiled as she recounted the story of how she had personally seen Cesare off when he went to conquer Kalpen. She was glad he had returned safely, and smiled, saying that she felt even more special because they would become family.
"Isn't that right, Aileen?"
Ornella spoke to Aileen as if bestowing a favor.
"I'm concerned about Aileen. She doesn't know much, and it must be a difficult position, but seeing her handle it so bravely makes me feel a certain way. I want to help her in any way I can as family."
Ornella glanced subtly around the Tea Party venue and added as if to herself.
"It must have been hard to prepare today's Tea Party too. She did so well for her first time."
She openly pointed out Aileen's inexperience, clearly establishing her superiority in this relationship.
Aileen straightened her shoulders, which were constantly shrinking. She suppressed the urge to run away and opened her mouth.
"I'm also grateful for your concern. I'm glad that you, Ornella, are having a good time at the Tea Party."
She stuttered a little in the middle due to nervousness, but it didn't seem too obvious. Aileen said with a small smile.
"Cesare also helped me a lot."
The noble ladies' eyes were filled with unfamiliarity at the use of his name instead of Grand Duke. Aileen hesitated before adding one more word.
"Thanks to Cesare's… help in many ways, I was able to prepare well."
There was something that Sonio had repeatedly drilled into her, as if brainwashing her.
"Everyone knows that the Grand Duchess is inexperienced. There is no need to try to handle things skillfully."
"If you feel disadvantaged, just mention the Grand Duke, no matter what. You should be able to get through most situations."
She had been repeatedly taught that it was okay to say something out of the blue, even if it didn't fit the context, and to mention the Grand Duke no matter what if she was in trouble. She didn't understand it well at the time, but now that she was actually experiencing it, she felt like she understood a little.
After all, those gathered here had come to meet 'the wife of Grand Duke Erzeht', not 'Aileen'. So, no matter what the topic was, mentioning Cesare's name was the most effective way to sway the atmosphere.
The ultimate goal was to make the noble ladies come to meet 'Aileen', but now that she had just taken her first step into society, she had no choice but to borrow Cesare's fame. As her thoughts reached this point, Aileen naturally gained enlightenment.
'So that's why Ornella mentioned Cesare.'
That was why she had emphasized her close relationship with Cesare, even to the point of lying. In any other gathering, it might be different, but the most interesting topic here right now was Cesare.
While the attitude of suppressing the other person by not hesitating to lie if necessary was not morally right, it was an indispensable element for reigning in society.
As Aileen was learning a lesson from Ornella's actions, the noble lady next to her leaned towards Aileen and asked.
"But is the Grand Duke kind at night too?"
"Th, that's."
The mischievous noble lady's eyes sparkled with interest. Sonio had warned her in advance that she might be asked about sexual matters. She had prepared herself thoroughly, preparing answers to various expected questions.
But when she actually heard the question, she couldn't help but be flustered. Redness spread across her white cheeks. Aileen's face turned red as she answered softly.
"He seems a little mischievous."
The noble ladies burst into laughter at the young Grand Duchess's innocent reaction. Ornella was the only one who didn't laugh. She stiffened her lips, which had been smiling until just now, into a straight line and glared at Aileen.
Aileen's heart pounded with fear that Ornella would dissect her with more words. She was racking her brain, wondering if she should do something first before she took the topic away with strange words.
"Was I that mischievous?"
A leisurely baritone voice cut through the garden filled with the noble ladies' laughter. The giggles that had been rolling like marbles stopped at once. Everyone gathered at the Tea Party gasped and opened their lips.
A man with hair as dark and deep as the shadows entered the garden, which was bright with the midday sun. Dressed in the Imperial Army uniform, he held a large bouquet of flowers in his arms. It was a bouquet of mixed flowers, including lilies.
Cesare, who had crossed the garden with a relaxed gait, handed the bouquet to Aileen. Aileen, who had been blankly looking up at him, was startled and stood up from her seat.
As she awkwardly received the bouquet, Cesare followed by lightly kissing Aileen on the cheek. He curved his eyes slightly and said.
"I'll have to be more careful from now on."
