Chapter 8

The tailor and jeweler from the high-end store, whom Fiona thought she would never have any dealings with, came to the Roseblade Duke's residence. It seemed they were regular customers. They were to make Fiona's dress in a hurry.

However, Fiona couldn't decide on even a single piece of fabric. Each one was of such high quality and beautiful, and she was only worried about the price, which must have been very high.

Then, Marie said, "I have instructions from Sir Aloysius on what to do when Lady Fiona can't decide," and she made the decisions efficiently.

Fiona tilted her head, wondering what kind of instructions Aloysius had given.

On the day of the ball, Fiona was dressed in a light blue, lustrous, and fluffy dress, and she wore a sapphire necklace and matching earrings. Aria had styled her hair in an updo, adorned with a silver hair ornament studded with sapphires.

"The sapphires and the blue of the dress really bring out the color of Fiona's eyes," Aloysius complimented. Fiona blushed with delight.

Aloysius was wearing a sapphire on his cuff that matched Fiona's. She realized he had chosen everything to match the color of her eyes, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.

However, her excitement was short-lived. With Aloysius's permission, she practiced her foreign language greetings for the king, queen, and foreign guests on the way to the ball in the carriage. As they approached the palace, her heart began to race, and her lips felt dry from nervousness. Aloysius's hand gently overlapped with hers, as if to reassure her.

"It's okay, Fiona. You've practiced hard, so you can do it," he said with a smile.

Upon entering the venue, they immediately greeted the royal couple. Next, they greeted the guests, and Fiona managed to greet them without making a mistake, though her smile might have been a bit strained.

As the most important task of the evening, the greetings, was coming to an end, and Fiona was taking a breath, it happened.

"Oh, Aloysius, calling you 'Your Highness' is too formal. Just call me Elizabeth as you used to."

The one who said this was the third princess and Aloysius's former fiancée, Elizabeth. She leaned on Aloysius's arm.

Fiona was stunned. There was a dense atmosphere between them, and she felt like she couldn't intrude. It was strangely vivid.

Aloysius usually wore a mask-like smile, giving an otherworldly impression. As a result, he seemed to be someone who had nothing to do with romantic affairs. Realizing that he was indeed a man, Fiona's heart ached. After all, it was Elizabeth who had broken off the engagement with him...

"You're quite a charming lady. She doesn't suit you at all," Elizabeth said, sizing Fiona up from the moment she entered the venue. Fiona felt as if her most painful spot had been hit, and she almost stopped breathing.

Then, Aloysius, with a polite but unceremonious gesture, shook off Elizabeth's hand.

"Yes, Fiona is such a wonderful lady that she's almost too good for me," he said, giving Elizabeth a smile devoid of any emotion.

He took Fiona's hand as if nothing had happened and said, "Excuse us," before calmly concluding the greetings to the VIPs and heading into the party. Fiona was taken aback by Aloysius's bold rudeness to the princess. When she glanced back, Elizabeth's cheeks were flushed with anger, and she was being comforted by another princess.

Feeling out of place and intimidated, Fiona almost lowered her head.

"Fiona, don't look down," Aloysius said. Fiona looked up at him, and he smiled.

"Shall we dance a waltz?"

The moment they joined the dance, it turned into a difficult waltz. Fiona, who was not yet confident in her dancing, turned pale.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall. Try to lift the corners of your mouth; it will make you look like you're smiling," Aloysius reassured her.

Fiona focused on the steps and Aloysius's instructions. When they finished the dance, she let out a soft, relieved smile. Aloysius was smiling wryly, though she didn't notice.

After the dance, Aloysius took care of the drinks and food for her. It felt like they were a happily married couple, which was hard to believe given their short time together. Fiona tried her best to match his efforts.

Since Aloysius had been rejected by the third princess, Fiona acted as if she was having a good time to avoid embarrassing him. In reality, the curious gazes that pierced her from the moment she entered the venue were painful and scary, making her face tense, but she forced herself to smile.

After a while, a well-dressed servant came to call Aloysius.

Fiona wondered if she had to go with him, but Aloysius introduced her to Baron Hessler's son Claude and daughter Zacharia.

"I'll be back in a bit. Claude, Zacharia, take care of Fiona," he said before leaving.

The siblings were tall, beautiful, and had brown hair and blue eyes. Fiona felt a bit lonely being left alone with strangers, but they were friendly and approached her easily. Zacharia was close to Fiona's age, 18 years old.

Claude was one of Aloysius's subordinates, which surprised Fiona, as she hadn't known he had any.

"I heard you work on compiling historical books," Fiona said.

Claude stiffened, and Zacharia looked puzzled.

"Who told you that?" Claude asked.

"My sister, Eides," Fiona replied.

"No, no, that's not correct. His Excellency's job is translation and interpretation of foreign languages," Zacharia corrected her.

Fiona's eyes widened at this new information.

"Really?" she asked.

"Look, he's working on it right now," Zacharia pointed out.

Turning around, Fiona saw Aloysius talking to the royal couple and foreign guests. He looked very distinguished and capable.

Since seeing him napping in the library, she had felt closer to him, but now he seemed distant again. He was like a kaleidoscope, always changing and unpredictable.

Suddenly, Eides's sharp voice cut through the air.

"Fiona, what are you doing? You didn't even come to greet me."

She approached with Robert.

"Who are these two? Can you introduce them?"

The couple pushed their way through. Fiona disliked Eides, and she found Robert, the Marquis of Muahed, difficult to deal with. He was very arrogant and condescending. His attitude became even more pronounced after the introductions.

"Really, you're getting along with the Hessler family? They're not much different from commoners. But perhaps they suit your lack of refinement," Eides said, causing the atmosphere to freeze. Claude's smile remained, but Zacharia's eyes flashed sharply.

Just as Claude was about to speak, a calm voice came from behind Fiona.

"Fiona, you look so lively and happy. Can I join you? Oh, what's wrong? Claude and Zacharia, my dear friends, look upset."

Aloysius, who had been talking with the royal couple, was suddenly there. His usual smile was in place, and his tone was playful, but his eyes were cold and unsmiling.

Fiona had sometimes felt a sense of pressure from him, but this time, she found him genuinely intimidating.

The moment Aloysius arrived, Robert's arrogance vanished, and he put on a fake smile. His quick departure was almost comical. Eides looked very displeased with her husband and glared at Fiona with hatred. She was eventually dragged away by Robert, who had lost his composure.

On the way back in the carriage, the romantic atmosphere of the first ball was completely absent, and a debriefing took place.

"Protecting those below you is also the duty of a higher-ranking noble. So, first, greet them. Etiquette is important. If they approach you suddenly next time, either ignore them or apologize for any rudeness," Aloysius said, his usual smile in place, calmly explaining the responsibilities of a high-ranking noble. There was no trace of the intimidating presence from earlier.

However, he told Fiona to apologize to her sister if the same thing happened again. Fiona was at a loss. To that arrogant and condescending sister... She felt discouraged, wondering if she was suitable for the duchy, but resolved to improve as his wife.

As if reading her thoughts, Aloysius said, "Fiona, there's no need to rush. Take your time."

He was sensitive to her feelings. Despite his outward appearance, he might be delicate. Fiona replied, "Yes."

After that, Aloysius praised her dancing and manners, which made her smile with joy.

When they arrived at the mansion, Aloysius left, despite the late hour. It was usual, so Fiona didn't worry.

When the princess touched him, it felt unpleasant. Why, she wondered...

Thinking about the ball, Fiona fell into a peaceful sleep.

♢♢♢♢♢

After that, she attended one ball and two tea parties.

She had seen Aloysius over ten times, enough to count on both hands. She decided to stop counting after that.

Since the ball at the palace, her sister and brother-in-law had started to greet her. They would leave after a brief conversation. Robert would pull Eides away, and she would look dissatisfied. Sometimes, Eides would shoot Fiona a sharp glance, and when their eyes met, she would direct her hatred at her.

Another strange thing was that she hadn't seen her parents at any of the balls or tea parties. Melissa, who was good at dancing, had always wanted to attend balls even when they were in debt. She wondered what had happened.

Chester told her that her father was currently in the territory alone, and her mother was managing the household. She must be leading a boring life.

For a while, the days were peaceful and uneventful. She rarely saw Aloysius in the mansion.

♢♢♢♢♢

Then, the signs came suddenly.

One morning, the mansion was in an uproar.

Fiona got out of bed, wondering what was happening. She put on a robe over her nightgown, opened the door, and peeked into the hallway. A servant hurried over to her.

"Lady Fiona, please return to your room. Please wait a moment. I will fetch Marie or Aria for you."

Fiona obediently returned to her room but couldn't settle down. She pulled back the curtains, which were usually opened by her maids, and the fresh morning light flooded the room.

Looking out at the garden, Fiona froze.

"There are no trees for birds or squirrels to come to."

The lush garden had changed. About a third of it was devastated and burned. Stunned, she watched as a strong arm reached out from the side and quickly closed the curtains with a swish.

Fiona looked up in surprise to see Aloysius standing there. For a moment, his expression was stern, making her heart race. However, he quickly resumed his usual unreadable smile.

"The tutor won't come today. Fiona, please stay in your room and do some embroidery."

His tone was calm and gentle. Fiona gaped up at the tall man.

He was dressed less formally than usual, with his sleeves rolled up and his shirt slightly open. His usually neat bangs were falling over his forehead.

"Fiona, close your mouth. If you understand, please respond."

His voice was calm but clearly a command. Fiona was brought back to reality and replied, "Yes."

"Wait a moment. The garden is in a terrible state. Something is wrong. What happened? Please tell me."

Fiona, shaken, bombarded Aloysius with questions. He paused for a moment before speaking.

"Is that all you want to say? We agreed not to pry."

Fiona was taken aback by his sharp tone, which was different from his usual demeanor. She replied, "Yes."

He turned and left the room. This was the first time he had entered her room.

Fiona, facing the closed door, said indignantly, "It's strange to tell me not to pry."

Thank you for reading. I apologize for the length. (;^_^A