Chapter 63

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Discipline at the Engagement Party
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The nobles who followed her gaze were utterly shocked. The female nobles hid their faces behind their fans, while the male nobles grimaced as if they knew that pain all too well.

“That day, I kicked him to escape from him. If he’s the family physician of the viscount’s house, then he must have treated that man on the day it happened, so if you ask him, he’ll serve as a witness.”

“Then that means you lost something you should never lose for the rest of your life...”

Christine, who had been trembling in fear off to the side, muttered dazedly to herself.

The surroundings were so quiet that the nobles who heard her all nodded in agreement.

“D-Duke... Y-Your... Gr-Grace... s-spare...”

Gebium’s eyes were gradually losing focus.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right here.”

Gerald brought his face close to Gebium’s and whispered in a venomously low voice.

Up until the moment he’d overheard their conversation from afar, he’d only been angry at this scum for mocking Marin’s poverty. That was why he’d forced him to kneel and beg in front of her.

But what crime from the past had he committed?

An unbearable rage exploded within him in an instant, dyeing his unseeing vision bright red.

Gerald ground his teeth and forcibly released the strength that had pinned Gebium face-down. If he hadn’t, he would have crushed him into the floor and killed him.

If this weren’t an engagement celebration party, he would have done just that.

He had restrained himself according to protocol in the south, but this was the west. Even the emperor yielded a step to him here in the west.

He wanted to snap the neck of the wretch in his grasp right now.

Was it truly impossible?

Meanwhile, amid his fading consciousness, Gebium thought only of his desperate desire to live.

In his determination to escape this moment somehow, he spat out words he absolutely should never reveal.

“Marin... tricked... her father...”

The whisper from his dimming mind could only be heard by the duke standing closest. Gebium soon trailed off without finishing and fainted.

Gerald’s lips tightened into a hard line.

Did that mean there was another reason House Schwenz had fallen? Fortunately, Marin hadn’t heard. It seemed an investigation was in order.

What a tenacious life.

The duke tossed him onto the marble floor.

“Butler. Get rid of him.”

“Yes.”

Sebas the butler, who had been glaring at Gebium with eyes blazing in fury, bowed his head.

The butler grabbed Gebium by the scruff of the neck and dragged him away. No trace of a noble’s dignity remained in the fainted man as he was hauled across the floor.

The nobles’ gazes now turned to Christine.

They had never seen the usually indifferent Western Duke publicly punish a noble like this. It meant his fiancée was an important person to him.

The nobles thought to themselves that no one would dare mention the duke’s fiancée’s scandal once they left this party hall.

The duke’s head turned toward Christine. She trembled, her face on the verge of tears.

“Y-Your Grace the Duke. I’m sorry. Lady Schwenz, I’m sorry. I misunderstood. I had no idea Sir Gebium was that kind of person.”

Christine finally shed tears and sniffled.

“But spilling the wine on purpose doesn’t seem like a misunderstanding?”

Zeromian, who had been watching the situation from the side with his arms crossed, sneered.

“I-It was an accident, an accident!”

Christine hurriedly wiped her tears and made excuses.

“An accident, you say, my lady?”

Zeromian gave her a chilling look and flashed a smile as sharp as a blade.

“Y-Yes.”

Terrified by the unfamiliar man interrogating her in the duke’s stead, Christine answered quickly.

When the man waved his hand, she saw the transparent barrier protecting the duke’s fiancée disappear.

***

Whoever this man was, he was no ordinary person.

Why were these two impressive men so desperate to protect that woman?

“You even announce your accidents in advance?”

The duke, who had been listening from the side, added his words slowly.

Startled, Christine looked at the duke. He was clearly far away. There was no way he could have heard their conversation.

“I-I...”

Christine couldn’t continue. The duke, with his eyes closed, seemed to pierce right through her.

Her vision spun dizzily. Her chest tightened, and her breath caught in her throat.

Suddenly feeling as if her neck were being strangled, Christine clawed at her own throat. Someone, please help. Please.

As Christine’s face drained white under the duke’s killing intent, a desperate voice burst from her lips.

“Su...”

“Your Grace the Duke!”

Susan burst out from among the watching nobles.

Christine was startled. Just as she was about to say Susan’s name, Susan had come to help her.

“Lady Susan!”

In that instant, the suffocating pressure vanished.

Christine collapsed to the floor, gasping raggedly for the breath she lacked.

Gazing at her friend who had come to her aid with grateful eyes,

Susan averted her cool gaze and soon spoke to the duke in a gentle voice.

“Lady Wares has committed a grave error, but it stemmed from a misunderstanding of her fiancé’s past. Please have mercy on her.”

Christine looked at Susan with confused eyes.

She had thought Susan was stepping forward for her sake, but her title had reverted to “lady,” and the brief eye contact they made was astonishingly cold.

Could it be... she had stepped in to silence her just as she was about to say her name?

As the duke stood silently, Susan’s gaze turned to Marin.

“Lady Schwenz, surely you’ll show Lady Wares some pity? Her beautiful dress is intact, after all.”

Marin inwardly admired Susan’s innocent demeanor as she clasped her hands together and spoke so mildly.

If she pressed Christine further here, she’d end up as the villain who wouldn’t cover for the innocent lady who hadn’t known about her fiancé’s past.

Marin met the eyes of Susan, who was staring straight at her with a challenging gaze. Her skill at leading with words as she wished was impressive.

Marin lightly placed her hand on the duke’s arm.

“Thanks to Sir Gerald and Sir Zeromian, I’m fine. So let’s let this one slide.”

At that, Viscount Wares, who had been cowering silently in the back until now, stepped forward and bowed his head.

“Your Grace the Duke, please forgive my foolish daughter.”

“Father...”

“I don’t want to see you for a while.”

A cold command fell from the duke.

Viscount Wares’ dismayed face turned ashen. It was a warning not to show his face in society until forgiven.

The viscount roughly pulled Christine to her feet and bowed so deeply his head nearly touched the floor.

“I will keep it in mind.”

Soon, he dragged Christine out.

At that sight, the nobles shut their mouths like honeyed mutes.

Two nobles had been dragged out of the party hall.

Such a bizarre scene at an engagement celebration was something no one had ever seen before. Unsure how to act, everyone hesitated in place.

Marin scanned her surroundings and inwardly sighed deeply.

This is bad, so bad. What are we going to do about this atmosphere?

With a sense of duty, she lightly gripped her dress.

Still, she had to salvage it somehow!

“Sir Gerald.”

Marin approached the duke and whispered.

“Why?”

“Would you like to dance with me? Our party’s ruined right now.”

***

“...Very well.”

Marin linked her arm with the duke’s and led him to the central dance floor.

As she passed Susan, she caught a glimpse of her eerie glare.

Startled, she looked back, but Susan had already turned her head and was walking away.

Why was this woman she was seeing for the first time looking at her with such eyes? Had it not simply been to help a friend?

As the engaged couple moved amiably to the dance floor, the orchestra hurriedly began playing a piece.

Soon, a beautiful melody enveloped the arena hall.