Chapter 4

As I was reflecting on yesterday’s events, the door to my room was suddenly thrown open.

"Amalia! What on earth were you thinking yesterday! Give me an explanation I can accept!"

It was my mother who burst in, her voice raised and her face flushed with anger. My mother, who always cared about appearances, even tried to maintain the demeanor of a lady at home. In fact, when she heard about my sister and her fiancé’s misdeeds, she didn’t even change her expression and told me, “If he’s willing to marry you, pretend you didn’t see anything.”

So, it was surprising to see my mother so flustered. On one hand, I felt a bit resentful, but on the other, it was somewhat satisfying.

"Good morning, Mother. What exactly do you mean by ‘yesterday’s that’?"

Ignoring the sharp pain in my head, I put on a puzzled face. I couldn’t help but smile at my mother’s irritated expression, but I hid it by pretending to press my temples.

"Trying to weasel out of it, are you!? You didn’t forget about the disgrace you caused at yesterday’s party, did you!?"

"Disgrace? I only remember having a few drinks."

I wasn’t lying. I had indeed had several drinks, but I had fallen asleep in the carriage on the way home last night. As a result, I had no idea what Ilvys had said when he brought me home. While I didn’t think he had deviated much from the “plan,” it would be disastrous if any details slipped out.

"Just a few!? Don’t joke with me! You were in such a state…"

"I’m really sorry, but I don’t remember anything."

"If you don’t remember, I’ll tell you! You went to the party alone, even though you have a fiancé named William!"

Why would I need to go to a party with a fiancé who had slept with my sister? Attending yesterday’s party was partly an escape from reality. Being alone, I could drink quietly in a corner without drawing attention. If I had brought a fiancé, I would have been a prime target. The rumors hadn’t spread yet, but society was sensitive to scandals.

"Drinking so many glasses of wine and passing out—how shameless! And to top it off, you even troubled the Duke!"

"…What?"

Did I mishear because of the headache? It seemed like my mother had just said something outrageous.

"You have a fiancé! And yet, you tried to seduce the Duke! Oh, William was willing to marry you, but now you’re consorting with other men at a time like this… The Duke, who is known for hating women, would never have anything to do with you!"

My mother’s hysteria showed no signs of stopping. I wanted to point out that it was fine for my sister to sleep with my fiancé, and why she assumed I had seduced the Duke, but my thoughts were too scattered.

(Duke… the Duke? That Duke?)

There are four dukes in this country, but except for one, they are all middle-aged men or women with families. Moreover, my mother had mentioned that he was “known for hating women.”

(A woman-hating Duke who hasn’t married yet… It must be him.)

Even I, who had been blind to my fiancé, knew this famous person. But why would he be involved? I don’t remember interacting with him while I was conscious, so if there’s any possibility, it must have happened after I fell asleep.

But I fell asleep in the carriage.

A Duke could stop another carriage, but it seemed unlikely he would do so just to bring an unknown person home. However, it was even less likely that my mother would lie.

…No acquaintance?

Come to think of it, the Duke’s name is…

"If William doesn’t marry you, this house will be gone!"

Shaken violently, I felt a wave of nausea. My thoughts were interrupted, and I pushed my mother’s hands away, waiting for the headache to subside. I was about to remember something, but it was interrupted.

"Amalia! What do you mean by—"

"Lady! The Duke has arrived!"

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