Chapter 52
I was supposed to be the one to seduce him! Why was he dressed like he was seducing me?
What did he mean by not having time to change, he was the main character!
He shook his hand, raised his body and extended his arm toward me.
“It’s only once or twice that I go. I’m sorry about the clothes.”
I see. You don’t want me to go to the banquet alone, so you don’t change clothes…Who are you really? Is this an a.s.sa.s.sin disguised as Izek?
“No, it’s rather new to me.…so cool. It’s like a dream to attend a party with you.”
It was a great improvement, considering that he left me alone at the other banquet.
My eyes kept turning towards his abs, so I just grabbed his extended hand.
Oh, why are you grabbing so tightly? Do I really look like a chick?
It didn’t seem unreasonable to say that. He was pretty tall compared to me.
I was very concerned about how we would look as we walked down the stairs leading to the banquet hall, with me hostage in the hands of my giant, rough-looking husband.
“Oh my lord, look at that, Lord Izek…….”
“You’re Lord Izek, aren’t you?
“Isn’t that the uniform? I’ve seen my brother wear it before, how can it feel so different…”
“I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“Oh my….”
Everyone, I’m drooling too. I understand.
The response other Paladins gave meanwhile, was very different.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He didn’t change clothes.”
“But why is he showing up like that? He has no conscience.”
“So shameless.”
It was not surprising, but a stark disapproving reaction.
Anyway, overall, it was not an atmosphere of discourtesy. Indeed, since he was on a mission, it couldn’t be helped. As long as they’re paladin, I guessed everything was forgiven. I wanted to be like them too.
“Next to him…”
“I heard he was having a banquet for his wife. I guess it was right.”
“Why…”
“I don’t care if she…….”
Of course, there were also murmurs about me.
Hahaha. Of course I expected it. It’s understandable.
Besides, it felt like only yesterday when he left me at the banquet and suddenly, he did this…
My arrogant husband seemed to have no qualms about the topic countless people chattered of, in the banquet hall.
Look at his arrogant figure.
“That was close, brother.”
“Hey, if you have a conscience, don’t you need to change? No matter how hastily you came.”
When we reached the banquet hall, we were greeted first by Ellenia and Sir Ivan.
Come to think of it, this time Lord Ivan has escorted Ellenia… Hmm, these two. Hmm?
“Long time no see, my lady. Wow, I almost didn’t recognize you. You look so lovely.”
“Thank you, Sir Ivan, you look great too.”
As always, I was sweating when I greeted him casually. I couldn’t help getting nervous, not only around Sir Ivan but around those who were there at the time.
After all, I didn’t know when and how they’d change.….
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you dressed like that.”
“Frey.”
My ears p.r.i.c.ked up automatically.
“Long time no see, my lady. I’ve been worried a lot since I heard you’ve been through a lot, but fortunately, you look healthy.”
It was the first time I saw Freya since then.
She recovered without a hitch. I thought it would take a long while, so I didn’t think she would show up today.
Freya, wearing a green dress that matched her slender frame, looked as elegant and beautiful as ever, but at the same time somewhat pale and frail.
Instead of her usual freshness and liveliness, she was full of alluring melancholy.
Seems like she recovered quickly. Were there any aftereffects?
It looked like I was not the one who’d been sick for 10 days, but her. Anyone could tell..
“Even Lady Furiana… I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so shocked.”
“It could have been a disaster. Anyway, we’re all fine, so I want to thank G.o.d.”
She didn’t know what I had been through, but there was no fear or reluctance in the purple eyes that smiled kindly at me.
She may not be the type to show that, but she was more relaxed than before.
Haha, at that time, Izek ran ahead of everyone else and pushed me away… yes, she was good, I keow. In the end, I knew who the most important were– bratty protagonists.
Who was that next to her? I was glad it was not Lorenzo.
Appearing with Freya, she was a middle-aged lady I’d never seen before.
Her pale blonde hair and cool eyes were just like Freya’s.
She looked a little more strict and colder than her. A family member?
“Long time no see, Mrs. Furiana.”
“I just stopped by to say h.e.l.lo because the Duke was going to hold a banquet. I won’t distract young people from playing.”
She seemed to be Freya’s mother. The lady, who spoke in an elegant and outspoken manner, turned her eyes to me immediately.
Her sharp silver eyes quickly swept up and down.
I suddenly remembered my mother. Not Rudbeckia’s mother whose face I didn’t remember, but my foster mother in my previous life.
“It seems your treatment postponed the greeting, Lady Rudbeckia.”
It was a perfunctory tone with no warmth. There was no malice. Her personality was just like that.
More than that, she was making it obvious that she was here to see me.
Trying to see if I was the poisoner of her daughter.
“Nice to meet you here. I see that Lady Furiana’s beauty was outstanding because of her mother.”
I smiled as innocently as possible. Mrs. Furiana raised one eyebrow slightly as if she were observing, and glanced at my hand, which was tightly held by her husband.
Hmm?
“You’re as lovely as I’ve ever heard. All the southern women are like nymphs. Isn’t that right?”
Nymphs. That was an overstatement, but it sounded very formal with that dry tone.
But at the next words, I straightened up.
“You seem quite liberal compared to the strict North. I heard you’ve been through a lot lately.….”
That was surprisingly provocative, ma’am. But why did I feel that I was not the one she provoked?
“The conversation is getting longer. You didn’t just come to say h.e.l.lo.”
Hubby, don’t you think that’s a bad way to talk to your friend’s mother? That’s also the Marquis’ wife.
But Mrs. Furiana didn’t seem to mind Izek’s att.i.tude of being a jerk.
Rather, the corners of her mouth pursed up, as if it was understandable.
“Excuse me. Maybe because I’m older, I talk more.”
“Take care on your way, madam.”
“It’s alright, princess. Let’s meet separately next time.”
“Are you leaving already, Mother?”
“Didn’t I tell you before? More than that, do something about your hair.”
Freya’s mouth was slightly stiff with a smile lingering on them. Her hair looked good. I felt embarra.s.sed for some reason.
Not only me, but also Ellenia and Sir Ivan seemed very embarra.s.sed.
“I’m still here. Are you sure it’s okay? You’re quite pale today.”
“I’m good now. Well, I’m doing even better today. Sir Ivan, does my hair look weird?”
“It doesn’t look bad at all.”
“Really? Phew, Iz, what do you think?”
“Your mother is right. Next time, wear a wig.”
“What? That’s too much.”
I thought I was embarra.s.sed for nothing, with the cheerful atmosphere remade. They’d be laughing on their own anyway.
“That’s why your cute and nice wife ran away from home.”
“A fight between a couple is nothing unusual.”
“What are you talking about, idiot? Anyway, madam, you’d rather have him out next time. It’s a good thing you got away. What if you had any trouble? Vigilante is not the only thing….”
What was that? I knew what he wanted to say, but it didn’t matter.
Because that was what my husband made up for me.
“Why don’t you stop messing?”
“What?”
My head moved up when he pulled my hand.
Izek was looking at me with that indifferent look on his face.
Was he talking to me?
“Your hair.”
“Oh….”
“It’s fine as it is.”
A strange silence hovered for a moment.
I let go of my hand that was secretly touching my hair.
Oh, that was not because of what Mrs. Furiana said to Freya. I thought of my previous life’s mother, and I didn’t know that…
“Thank you. Your hair looks good too.”
“…….”
“D-Do you want to dance?”
Izek did not answer. Was he too shocked? Or did I have something on my face?
Of course, he wasn’t going to dance, but no matter what, he had to answer me.
In the end, Ellenia answered instead of my husband.
“Don’t look forward to it. My brother probably forgot the basic steps a long time ago.”
“That’s right. He’s very boring, and I’m sure you’d be devastated….”
“There’s nothing I can’t do.”
What? What did you just say?