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The servant approached Marquis Moldovan, handed him a coat, and said something.
Even without listening, I could tell what it was. He must have been relaying what Ains had just said: “Don’t do anything unnecessary.”
Marquis Moldovan looked greatly flustered, glanced at me, and gave an awkward smile. Then he bowed slightly toward us and left the ballroom.
I watched the back of Marquis Moldovan as he walked away, then turned to Ains.
“What exactly is this?”
My voice naturally grew sharp.
“Lower your voice. Can’t you see people are staring?”
At Ains’s words, I looked around.
The surrounding crowd was already watching intently, and as I asked Ains sharply, I could feel the conversations gradually quieting.
If we kept talking here, strange rumors were bound to start again.
“Let’s move somewhere else for now.”
With that, Ains turned and walked ahead.
I started following him, catching up with his long strides.
When we reached the terrace, Ains took off his coat and handed it to me. I stared at the coat he offered before lifting my gaze.
“What is this?”
“If you’re going to come dressed lightly, at least wear a shawl. Don’t accept a coat from Marquis Moldovan.”
“You’ve been acting strangely all this time. Why are you doing this?”
When I only asked and didn’t take the coat, Ains draped it over my shoulders without permission. Then he let out a sigh.
“It’s because you’re far too careless.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Don’t you realize your situation?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m just the head of a minor marquis house, divorced from you.”
“The alimony you received…”
I clamped my mouth shut at his words.
Now I remembered hearing the word “alimony” in the gossip circulating among the crowd.
Of course, nobody would know the exact amount. But at least the rumor that I walked away from Duke Graham with a hefty sum must have spread.
I finally understood what Ains was implying. He wanted to say that Marquis Moldovan was a freeloader, after the alimony I had received from him.
Indeed, I had been suspicious of Marquis Moldovan’s intentions myself.
Even if his feelings were genuine, it was only natural that such suspicion would arise given the circumstances.
“Look into Marquis Moldovan and his circle. Then you’ll understand why I’m acting this way.”
Ains said this and tried to leave the terrace.
I watched his actions closely and spoke as he reached for the door.
“Wait.”
“What is it?”
“I understand what you’re worried about. But why are you suddenly acting like this toward me? I told you, let’s cut off all interest in each other… Are you assuming I’d fall for Marquis Moldovan and hand over all my fortune?”
Ains remained silent.
His silence made the answer obvious.
I suppressed a bitter laugh and exhaled deeply.
“No matter who tries to seduce me, that will never happen.”
Even if Marquis Moldovan’s confession was a lie and merely an attempt to seize the alimony Ains had given me, I would never hand that money to him.
That money was meant to save my life. I was not foolish enough to waste it before ensuring my survival.
Nor did I have the emotional bandwidth to be swayed by love anymore.
“You have no reason to worry, so I hope nothing like this happens again. And consider how your actions inside the ballroom just now might look to others.”
I cast a glance at the noisy, murmuring ballroom.
Some people were watching us, and when our eyes met, they quickly averted their gaze and continued their conversations, pretending nothing had happened.
What Ains had just done would seem strange to others—approaching me, taking off Marquis Moldovan’s coat from my shoulders and returning it, walking with me to the terrace…
If we hadn’t divorced, none of it would be odd. But now, in our divorced state, it could be misinterpreted. They might even think I was using Marquis Moldovan to lure Ains back.
“We’re divorced. The divorce you so desperately wanted.”
I reminded him again of the fact of our divorce.
“Let’s just consider each other strangers and live our lives that way.”
Saying this to him felt absurd, as if I were the one clinging for a divorce. It had been Ains all along pestering me for it…
“Thanks for your concern. But I hope there won’t be any more interference from you.”
I finished speaking and handed Ains back his coat, then turned and left the terrace.
Ains remained silent, staring at the coat in his hands.
As I entered the ballroom, all eyes followed me. They looked similar to the gaze when I first entered.
Everyone must have seen what happened with Ains, so standing quietly in the corner seemed impossible. Today, I’d have to return to the marquis house.
I crossed the ballroom and headed for the exit.
“Are you going back?”
“Yes. Call the carriage.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
I closed my eyes as the servant went to prepare the carriage.
Attending this ball had been pointless. I only came and ended up with a headache.
I thought that after appearing at a few balls, I’d stop drawing attention, but it seemed the opposite. Many families, eager to win over the newly single Ains, might have seen me unfavorably… I sat in the waiting room, holding my head.
As soon as I thought this, a headache struck. My eyes ached as if they would burst, followed by nausea.
I raised my hand to tap my chest but found my fist trembling.
I looked again and saw my fingertips shaking slightly.
“My goodness.”
The early symptoms of Trints disease.
I prayed for the carriage to arrive quickly, holding my trembling hands to my chest.
If delayed, I could lose consciousness.
I closed my eyes tightly to steady my dizzying head.
“Marquis Marves, your carriage has arrived.”
Fortunately, the carriage came soon after.
Rivet approached to assist me, but seeing my condition, her face went pale.
“Master! Are you alright?”
“Rivet. Quickly, the mana stones…”
“W-wait just a moment!”
She hurried to the carriage and retrieved the mana stones I had prepared.
I took them into both hands and focused. The stones began to glow faintly, their light gradually absorbed into me.
The headache pressing down on my head and the nausea in my stomach disappeared. Sensation slowly returned to my fingertips.
Once all the light was absorbed, I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
I was glad I had decided to leave the ballroom early. Had I delayed, my body would have stiffened and I wouldn’t have been able to move. Acting quickly allowed me to recover in time.
“Master, are you alright?”
Rivet asked, her voice trembling.
I handed her the now-dim mana stones and smiled.
“Yes. I’m fine, thanks to you.”
“Thank goodness.”
Even though I was fine, moving remained difficult for a while. With Rivet’s help, I slowly made my way to the carriage.
Once seated, I finally relaxed.
“Depart.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
I closed my eyes in the moving carriage, fatigue overtaking me from the earlier symptoms.
After returning from the ball, I didn’t step outside the mansion for a while. There was no special need to, as no mana stones were up for auction.
I finally took a break. Rivet, seeing the symptoms when I returned from the ball, was very attentive in serving me.
Sometimes, it was nice to just do nothing and escape complicated thoughts.
As the Duchess of Graham, I had once constantly hosted salons and mingled with people. Back then, it hadn’t felt difficult, but now I wondered how I managed it.
Perhaps at the time, I hadn’t even considered it hard. I thought meeting people helped both my grandfather and Ains.
Indeed, I had contributed somewhat to Ains’s business. Those meetings helped close deals and start new ventures.
But thinking those interactions were genuine was all my illusion.
Since divorcing Ains, no one contacted me, not even at the ball. They only whispered about me.
Some may have benefited from me before or entered high society, but realizing that everything I achieved as Duchess of Graham was essentially meaningless left me hollow.
Maybe I had lived wrongly, or perhaps people had disliked me.
Still, I thought I had done my best…
I raised my hands to my face. The cold touch of my fingertips slightly eased my racing thoughts.
“Master! It’s Rivet.”
While doing nothing on the bed, I heard a knock.
“Come in.”
“Yes.”
Rivet entered, holding a letter.
“What’s that?”
Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked. Rivet politely offered the letter.
“It’s from the Moldovan Marquis family.”
