MILWTG 84

~Chapter 84~

‘Why is she lying?’

Riden quietly watched Mari, a strange unease settling over her.

‘And mentioning the Count in front of Rosalie is not a good idea.’

While Riden blinked rapidly, Mari continued speaking.

“I met the Duchess through Riden, and she must have liked me because she offered to be my chaperone if I didn’t have one. But I felt I could manage on my own, so I declined—didn’t want to trouble her.”

“Is that true, Lady Mari?”

“The Duchess Kenwolf herself?”

“Yes.”

At that, shocked eyes turned toward the flustered Riden.

“So the rumors about you being close with the Count were true.”

“….”

Recently, Riden had grown a little more familiar with the Duchess, but she was still a very difficult person to deal with.

Even Riden herself was always careful in her presence—yet now she was dragged into this.

‘Haah…’

It didn’t feel good.

But in this situation, she couldn’t flatly deny it.

Silently cursing Mari for lying so confidently, Riden forced a polite smile.

“…Yes. Because I received help from the Count, I happened to meet the Duchess as well.”

“Then will the Duchess be your chaperone, Riden?”

“No. I won’t have one either.”

Once the Duchess was mentioned, the young ladies became lively.

“The Duchess hosted the opening ball for this season, right? We couldn’t go because we haven’t debuted yet. I heard it was magnificent—such a shame we missed it.”

“They say she replaced flowers with jewels for decoration. The Kenwolf family really goes beyond imagination.”

“Lady Rosalie, you attended, didn’t you? I’m curious what it was like.”

Rosalie’s expression softened for the first time.

“The Duchess truly has exceptional taste. I’d never seen such a beautifully arranged ball before. But…”

Rosalie circled back to the earlier subject.

“If you really know the Duchess, I wonder why you didn’t ask her to be your chaperone.”

Mari reacted strongly.

“Are you implying we’re lying?”

“If I offended you, I apologize. But isn’t it natural to question? The Kenwolf heir doesn’t usually accept outside requests…”

That was something Rosalie knew well.

As the second daughter of the White Count’s family who debuted last year, she was engaged to Count Karencia.

She was still engaged for two reasons—one being that if Marik Kenwolf ever appeared in society, she’d want to drop her current fiancé and go after him.

She had tried to commission Marik for various things to build a connection, but he refused them all. That’s why Riden’s claim was hard for her to believe.

“The Duchess’s taste is famous, but…”

Rosalie glanced pointedly at the dresses Riden and Mari were wearing and shook her head.

“With dresses that don’t even have a boutique’s name attached, I wonder if the Duchess would think well of you.”

Riden looked over the dresses the others wore.

Prestigious boutiques often stitched the designer’s name inside the sleeve or at the back of the neck.

While she couldn’t check them all, they were likely from the capital’s top boutiques.

Rosalie herself was wearing something from Laria.

Riden clenched her teeth inwardly.

‘Don’t you people have eyes?’

Mari’s dress was borrowed from Riden, one that Sera Wang had made for her to wear comfortably.

Anyone could see Sera Wang’s clothes were elegant and high-quality.

‘Even without a boutique label, can’t you tell? Clueless people.’

She was already irritated from Mari’s lie, and now they were nitpicking her clothes.

Still, she held back.

If it became known that she got everyday dresses from the Duchess’s personal tailor, it would cause trouble.

Riden forced a smile.

“I’ll remember to dress to match the young ladies’ standards next time I attend. Thank you for the advice.”

Leaving the Duchess part out, she answered politely. Rosalie stared at her for a moment before turning toward the garden entrance.

“Rosalie!”

A handsome man with red hair crossed the garden, making Rosalie’s face light up.

The young ladies whispered.

“That’s Count Karencia?”

“Lady Rosalie said she’d bring him today, to give us some tips.”

Under the white parasol, Count Karencia stood before the tea table, brushing back his slightly messy hair with a gentle smile.

“Good day, young ladies.”

Tall, well-dressed, and handsome, Count Lucien Karencia had an easy, charming smile.

Mari leaned toward Riden and whispered,

“He’s handsome, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

‘Handsome, sure… but I’ve seen better.’

Still, Riden was grateful—his arrival might help her escape this situation.

“Welcome, my lord,” the ladies chorused.

He bowed politely, meeting each of their eyes.

When he reached Riden and Mari, his gaze lingered longer.

“There are new faces here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucien Karencia, head of the Karencia County.”

Riden and Mari curtsied smoothly.

“Riden McCreary.”

“Mari Hern.”

“A pleasure to know your names.”

Rosalie stepped in front of him, blocking his view, and linked her arm with his.

“The important thing is real-life examples. Lucien and I will tell you how we got engaged. Ask him anything, and he’ll answer. Right, Lucien?”

“Of course.”

They looked like a loving couple, but in truth, it was a cold, political engagement—both ready to switch partners if a better match appeared.

Vienne raised her hand.

“My lord, what should I do if I accidentally step on my partner’s foot while dancing?”

“Yes, I worry about that too.”

Lucien smiled warmly.

“No need to worry. A gentleman’s foot is not so fragile—and to have it stepped on by a lovely lady is an honor.”

“Kya, you’re so charming.”

The ladies laughed while Riden sighed inwardly.

‘First no servants, then mocked for my dress… is this over yet? I just want to go home.’

Then Count Karencia called for a servant.

“This place is popular lately, so I bought something for you to try.”

Servants bustled in, replacing the tea and setting out new desserts.

They were from Sunset Cream.

‘Oh? He bought from my shop?’

Count Karencia, are you trying to win points?

Riden’s smile returned as she popped a bite of the new apple pie into her mouth.

Lucien caught her eye and smiled warmly.

“I’m glad I brought it.”

“It’s delicious. I’ve been wanting more since last time.”

“How lucky Lady Rosalie is to have you as her fiancé.”

Rosalie smiled at him.

“And I’m lucky to have a handsome fiancé admired by all.”

Then Lucien looked at Mari.

“Mari?”

He addressed her by name—surprising everyone.

He gave an awkward smile.

“My apologies, I forgot your family name for a moment.”

Mari blushed.

“I’m Mari Hern of the Hern Barony, my lord.”

“I noticed you haven’t touched your dessert.”

He pointed at her untouched plate.

Mari looked shy.

“It’s so pretty, I was afraid to ruin it by cutting it. Silly, right?”

Lucien shook his head.

“Not at all. Let me cut it for you.”

“No, I can—”

As they fussed over the plate, it slipped from their hands, and cream muffin spilled onto Mari’s dress.

“My apologies, my lady…”

Rosalie’s expression froze.

“What are you doing, Lucien?”

Mari stood quickly.

“It’s my fault—I should have accepted your help. I’ll go fix my dress.”

A servant led her toward the house.

Lucien stood as well.

“I made the mess, so I should check on her. Excuse me.”

He bowed to the ladies and hurried after Mari.

Some time later, Riden stood.

“They’re late. I’ll go check.”

“All right, then.”

A servant told her they had gone to a small washroom next to the parlor.

Riden felt uneasy.

‘The way Count Karencia looked at Mari was strange—full of obvious interest.’

A heroine’s charm was powerful enough to draw in anyone, but if she charmed the wrong people, it would only cause her trouble.

‘If he tries anything improper, I’ll put a stop to it.’

She reached the parlor and quieted her footsteps—just in time to hear the two of them talking from across the way.