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Chapter: 08
I had already chosen the restaurant for lunch today. Yet, even after deciding on the destination, leaving the house wasn’t easy.
“Are they all planning to make me miss lunch?”
It was almost lunchtime, but I still couldn’t step outside the mansion.
“Milady, it would still be better if you went out after your condition has improved,” the servants insisted.
“The head chef hasn’t even gone back into the kitchen yet because of being dragged away by my husband yesterday. She was shocked.”
“Th-That may be true, but… someone else could at least be ordered to prepare the food,” they replied hesitantly.
“All the dishes in the kitchen were inspected just yesterday. I’d feel more at ease eating outside for a while.”
I used yesterday’s incident as an excuse.
“If you put it that way, that does make sense….”
The servants couldn’t change my stubborn mind in the end.
“In that case, to be prepared for any unforeseen emergencies, we servants will stay right by your side. Please bear with us even if it’s slightly inconvenient. And please return directly to the dukedom after the meal.”
“I don’t mind you staying by my side. Don’t worry.”
Having successfully overcome their opposition, I boarded the carriage heading for the restaurant.
I had no intention of lying around at home just because I was unwell. I had already lived that way in my previous life. I wasn’t going to do it twice.
The restaurant was in a hotel not far from the dukedom, so we arrived quickly. Luckily, we arrived before my starving stomach started protesting.
“Welcome, Duchess.”
Three hotel staff members simultaneously bent in a deep bow to greet my carriage.
“It’s an honor that you have chosen our hotel restaurant.”
From the hotel entrance, I was treated with exceptional courtesy as I entered.
“Welcome, Duchess.”
The staff who had been standing along the way to the restaurant all bowed in unison as soon as I stepped inside.
“Table on the terrace, please.”
“Yes, Madam.”
I followed their guidance.
The terrace was enclosed like a glass greenhouse, so I didn’t have to worry about the wind blowing in during the meal, and it was warm. Moreover, the view of the river flowing through the center of the capital was stunning.
Yes, this is it. This is exactly what I wanted.
The waiter poured water with perfectly controlled movements, the beautiful tableware could only be seen in this hotel restaurant—this was the luxurious life I wanted to enjoy.
“We have prepared flowers for you, Madam.”
The waiter placed a few flowers in a vase on the table—light pink, remarkably similar to the color of my eyes.
What excellent service!
For my main course, I had chosen rigatoni with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.
“Khh…”
With every bite, a sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
Even our duke’s head chef was excellent, but he couldn’t compare to this place.
When I returned to the castle later, I must praise Lia for finding such a wonderful restaurant.
“Is the food to your liking?”
The polite waiter didn’t forget to check my satisfaction. Top-notch service.
“It’s perfect. Absolutely excellent.”
“Thank you. Please enjoy your meal.”
I enjoyed the terrace as if I had it entirely to myself—at least until an intruder appeared.
“Oh my, it’s the Duchess.”
“You came alone, I see.”
Some voices shattered my peace.
Two noblewomen spoke as if my presence didn’t matter at all. It seemed they intended to sit on the terrace as well.
I had assumed other guests might come since there were empty tables, but I hadn’t expected them to openly gossip about me.
Even after taking seats nearby, the two women whispered among themselves.
“Where is the Duke, leaving her all alone like that… pitiful, really.”
Don’t they realize I’m right next to them?
I was shocked by their audacity to gossip so openly.
They probably felt safe mocking me because they knew Ekket had a gentle personality. Furthermore, I was a duchess with no presence, ignored by the Duke.
It was an open secret that the Duke was indifferent to me. People often whispered that I was just a placeholder, and that once the Duke found a woman he truly liked, I would be discarded.
“Since she comes to the restaurant alone, will she attend the upcoming royal banquet by herself too?”
There were only the two of them and me on the terrace, so their conversation carried clearly. Annoyingly clear.
“Oh, she can’t possibly go alone. She won’t.”
“Of course, she has a husband, so what shame could be greater than attending alone? She also can’t persuade the Duke to join her.”
“The Duke isn’t interested in the banquet, and he doesn’t love his wife either, so he wouldn’t agree to it.”
“Indeed, one shouldn’t try to reach above their status, tsk tsk.”
Who would go groveling to their husband just to attend a banquet?
They had made it seem as if I had been hopelessly infatuated with the Duke, married only after pleading, and yet was treated coldly.
I’m not interested in my husband!
“At this banquet, His Majesty the Emperor will choose the Best Couple Award. One couple is already out of the running… Ah, can we even call them a couple?”
“Thanks to that, we’re one step closer to winning the prize.”
They chuckled.
Banquet? Best Couple Award? Prize?
I soon remembered the event they were referring to.
A royal banquet hosted by the palace was scheduled soon. Only a few days left.
Thanks to the Emperor’s peculiar tastes, each year the banquet included a Best Couple award. The elderly Emperor enjoyed watching romance dramas in theaters, and apparently liked observing other people’s love.
Of course, the winners were chosen entirely subjectively.
The Emperor had watched so many romance dramas that ordinary stimuli no longer impressed him. Couples with stories close to melodrama or affairs often won the Best Couple award.
Last year, a couple who had openly fought with their parents at the banquet won the award. There were rumors that it was all an act for the prize.
Such an award had nothing to do with me.
I had no intention of attending the banquet in the first place. With Kyron gone, what was I supposed to do there alone? I’d rather come to this restaurant again than go to that event.
Some might gossip about the Duke and Duchess skipping the banquet, especially women like the two on this terrace.
I didn’t care. Social reputations were trivial. What mattered was the food entering my mouth and the clothes on my body.
Deciding there was no need to heed the two noblewomen’s conversation, I returned to my meal.
After dessert—madeleines and tea—my luxurious meal came to an end.
To aid digestion, I decided to take a walk through the hotel gallery.
“But… isn’t it late…?”
“It won’t take long, Lia.”
I appreciated her concern, but I didn’t want to restrict myself to the point that I couldn’t even take a short walk. Yet Lia followed, worried.
“If you were to collapse here like yesterday… we wouldn’t be able to handle it properly since this isn’t the dukedom…”
Even as I leisurely admired the paintings in the gallery, Lia fidgeted anxiously. She clearly wanted to convince me.
“The Duke should be returning soon as well…”
Wait, what did she just say?
I stopped in my tracks, unable to believe my ears.
“What did you just say, Lia?”
Though unintended, my voice came out low and sharp.
“L-Lia?”
She looked flustered. I had failed to control my tone.
After a brief pause, Lia hurriedly spoke.
“I-I meant that the Duke will return soon, Milady.”
She didn’t know whether she had misspoken.
“…Why is my husband coming back?”
He left earlier.
The feeling of walking on air, thanks to the splendid service and meal at the restaurant, vanished instantly. My feet sank as if I had fallen onto the hard floor below.
“Y-You didn’t know, Milady?”
I’d have known if he told me. Did Kyron ever properly inform me of anything?
“…I have to return immediately.”
I needed to see with my own eyes whether Kyron was really coming back.
It couldn’t be. Lia must be mistaken. The Kyron I know would never return to the dukedom after just half a day.
“Lia, you must be wrong.”
“I-I hope you’re right, Milady…”
Lia’s voice shrank in fright. She was clearly surprised by my uncharacteristic reaction.
I decided to end the gallery visit immediately. I headed straight to the hotel entrance where the carriage awaited.
Then it happened.
“…Cough!”
As I walked toward the entrance, I reflexively covered my mouth with my arm. The cough escaped uncontrollably.
“Cough!”
Ah, damn.
Here? Again?
