HBL 8

Chapter 8

Vivian felt a little dazed. It was because those calm, blue eyes—seen from a subtle angle—kept lingering in her mind. They were captivating enough to make her forget all about Diego Lois.

‘What’s wrong with me…’

Vivian placed a hand over her fluttering heart as she watched Leobint walk away. Even when all the guests had arrived and the social gathering was in full swing, she was no different.

She continued to gaze at Leobint as though she were under a spell. When their eyes met, she responded with a shy smile.

‘If I could make that man my ally…’

Aside from his reputation, there was hardly anything lacking about him. He was of royal blood, possessed stunning looks that effortlessly drew every gaze in the room, and was even the heir to one of the few ducal houses in the kingdom.

In every measurable way, he was untouchable—a man born with everything, save for the goodwill of polite society.

The only flaw people ever mentioned was his notorious reputation for being a womanizer. But Vivian rather liked that part.

If he liked women, it would make approaching him easier—and with her level of charm, she was confident she could win his heart completely.

Vivian was well aware that her delicate and pretty appearance had the power to sway others with ease.

Hadn’t Leobint just approached her earlier and shown kindness unprompted?

‘And perhaps… he could help me take back the life that woman stole from me, perfectly.’

While mingling with the crowd, Vivian slowly rose from her seat and addressed the guests. It was time to get to the point.

“I’m sure many of you have been waiting to hear the story I’m about to tell. Now that all the guests have arrived, I’d like to share it with you.”

Drawing everyone’s attention, Vivian put on a slightly worried expression.

What she was about to begin now was a tragedy—one laced with the kind of scandalous twists everyone had been hoping for.

“Lady Saronne is unable to attend today due to certain circumstances. It’s nothing too serious, but it happened while she was trying to drive me off the estate. She’s therefore currently unable to participate in social events…”

As expected, a murmur swept through the room the moment Vivian spoke. Someone cleared their throat loudly.

“Still, that’s going too far. Isn’t Madam Benit the one who solved the long-standing issue of the successor that had been vacant for years? Trying to kick out someone like that…”

“Are they trying to sever the ducal line completely?”

Support for Vivian began to rise already.

Honestly, one could easily have viewed Saronne as the pitiful victim here. But the fact that Vivian had resolved the successor issue had done more than enough to solidify her standing.

With a face full of hesitation and concern, Vivian continued her story.

“I was a bit afraid to ask His Grace for this opportunity, but… I hoped many of you could learn the truth…”

‘The truth.’

At that single word, the guests’ expressions began to change. Hollow faces, hungry with expectation, as if they had known this moment would come.

Why had the Duchess of Lois come between a pair said to have shared such a devoted first love?

‘By now, they must all be wondering that.’

Vivian smiled inwardly, as if everything was unfolding exactly as she had planned. After all, she had already removed the greatest obstacle in her path—the child.

And tonight, it was time to bring Saronne Lois’s reputation crashing to the ground.

“Many people say she’s someone who took my place beside His Grace but I don’t see it that way.”

The story could no longer be corrected. There was no one left to determine what was true or false.

Vivian furrowed her brows weakly, as if the mere act of recalling it caused her pain.

“I parted ways with His Grace a few years ago because I was forced into a marriage I never wanted. It was as if I’d been sold off.”

“There was a time when the two of you were the talk of the town, and then suddenly… everything went quiet.”

“And the ones who imposed that pressure on me, were none other than the elder of the ducal house at the time… and Lady Saronne.”

“What? Then you mean to say the Duchess Lois deliberately approached him and stole your place?”

It was back when Diego Lois shocked the capital by announcing his intention to marry his first love, who was of low birth.

Everyone knew that the ducal elders were trying desperately to stop the union.

Vivian nodded faintly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears; she looked pitiful and tragic.

“It’s not exactly a lie, is it?”

Half of it was true, and there was no one left who could deny it with certainty.

The elderly woman mentioned in the story — Diego’s grandmother — had passed away.

She adored her grandson so much that she couldn’t bear the thought of him marrying someone of a lower social status.

So, she schemed behind his back to send Vivian away.

The only living witness to this now lay in a sealed coffin, rotting into silence.

Vivian’s husband, Viscount Benit, was also dead.

Diego, who believe her every word without the faintest hint of doubt, was not the kind of man to question her easily.

‘The only one who knows the truth is Saronne Lois, and she must still be reeling from the shock of the inheritance loss…’

Even if Saronne later realised what was happening and tried to set the record straight, it would be far too late as long as Diego continued to believe everything she said. No one would listen to her.

“Each day without His Grace felt like hell, whenever I saw Duchess Lois beside him in the newspapers,
I was consumed with rage at how powerless I was…”

She paused for a moment, as though trying to suppress her sorrow and anger. Someone took this opportunity to murmur in shock.

“So you’re saying that Duchess Lois maliciously sabotaged your relationship? My goodness!”

“Yes. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I couldn’t forgive the ruin that became of my life. I felt I had to reveal her true nature—one that so many of you have been deceived by.”

“Come to think of it, Duchess Lois, despite being the daughter of the influential Count of Dale,
stayed hidden away at home for years before her debut—without any clear reason.”

“Maybe she’s always been a troubled woman. Now that I think about it, Lord Dale was always strangely secretive about his daughter!”

The murmurs quickly grew into ripples of unrest. Gasps, murmurs, the rising tide of shock and scandal filled the room.

Satisfied by how things were unfolding, Vivian let her gaze drift and landed her eyes subtly on Leobint.

She wanted him to pity her. To see her as the woman wronged, the one who had suffered in silence.

She deliberately widened her eyes like a startled rabbit, then forced a smile with sorrow-filled eyes as if to say she was alright.

In response, Leobint slowly raised his hand above his head. The eyes of the crowd naturally turned to him. It was a somewhat out-of-place gesture, but Vivian softened her expression, thinking he was reacting out of sympathy.

And then he spoke.

“So what? In the end, the fact remains that you’re the mistress, doesn’t it?”

A heavy silence fell over the room. But Leobint continued without the slightest hesitation.

“This isn’t a session for spreading rumours. Summoning everyone just to disparage Duchess Lois makes it seem like you’re encouraging slander. What era do you think this is? You’re airing your family drama without a hint of shame.”

“…Pardon?”

Completely blindsided, Vivian was left speechless. As the attention shifted to him, Leobint lowered his hand and let out a sigh, as if genuinely exasperated.

He looked at Vivian with clear disdain.

“Even if the Duchess did once come between two lovers, as you say, you’re the one interfering in a marriage now. That’s an entirely different matter. Do you think they would split up just because someone brought an illegitimate child into the relationship?”

“I-It was me who was originally promised to the Duke…! I’m not interfering—I’m just—”

“Oh dear, so that wasn’t your intention? Then it seems you’ve made a mistake. Because to me, it looked painfully obvious.”

He smiled again—but there wasn’t a shred of warmth in his eyes.

Perhaps it was because he, too, was always at the center of attention. Leobint’s eyes showed clear disdain, as though he was sick and tired of this kind of gossip.

“W-Why, why are you being like this, Lord Hethrian?”

“We don’t know the full circumstances. There’s no need to be so harsh.”

The reaction from the surrounding guests was strange. Though Leobint had made a clear rebuttal, the crowd’s expressions leaned more toward interest in Vivian’s story than in defending the truth.

Leobint’s brow furrowed ever so slightly as he looked at them.

It was then that someone else jumped into the conversation.

“Indeed. Lord Hethrian, your reaction feels oddly excessive. Miss Vivian has only spoken the truth, hasn’t she?”

There was only one fool who would refer to a married woman as “Miss Vivian.” Leobint turned to look toward the man who had just arrived in the garden.

Diego Lois.

At his appearance, Leobint adjusted his stance with a smirk—his expression amused, but his gaze was sharp and biting.

“‘Truth,’ you say? Surely Lord Lois has his dignity. Yet here you are, completely disregarding your own wife.”

“…This is hardly a matter Lord Hethrian needs to concern himself with.”

Diego’s expression hardened at the unpleasant sarcasm. Their gazes locked in a brief standoff until Leobint casually raised both hands.

With a seemingly affable smile, he changed the subject.

“Actually, I became acquainted with the Duchess recently and was invited over just a few days ago. And the day before yesterday, we even exchanged letters.”

“…”

“I wasn’t told anything about her being unable to attend today.”

Smiling with a brazenness that made it hard to believe he’d been so cutting just moments ago, Leobint shifted his gaze toward the garden’s entrance.

A seductive gleam touched his eyes.

“Ah, it seems she’s arriving just now.”

“What…?”

“If we’re looking for the truth, wouldn’t it be best to hear it from the Duchess herself?”