Chapter: 80
The Duchess snapped at me, who had been left speechless.
“Really, this is partly Lari’s fault, too.”
“Me?”
“Of course. You always say, ‘You mustn’t inconvenience other people,’ like it’s a habit.”
Me?
At those completely unexpected words, I simply blinked.
The Duchess continued with a sullen expression.
“Can’t you just accept someone else’s kindness sometimes?”
“……Eva.”
“People usually act by considering their own position first.”
The Duchess shrugged and drove her point home once more.
“Lari, you’re allowed to do that, too.”
“……”
At that moment.
I found myself thinking of the Duke.
‘Am I really allowed to do that?’
The male lead of this world, Seraphina’s destined man.
Putting all of those facts aside.
‘……Am I really allowed to have feelings for the Duke?’
Just then, the Duchess continued speaking.
“Anyway, tomorrow, let’s go have dinner together—you, my brother, and me.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes. It’s nice that you and my brother get along so well, but…… I’ve been a little bored lately, too.”
The Duchess urged me again, her eyes sparkling.
“I heard our family recently invested in Restaurant Bailey. Do you know it?”
“Of course I do.”
I nodded.
Restaurant Bailey.
It was one of the most famous restaurants in the capital, and also a popular destination that people visiting the capital never failed to stop by.
“I heard the bluefin tuna steak they’re selling as a summer special is incredibly delicious. Let’s go together, okay?”
“……”
As I faced the Duchess, I felt strangely moved.
Actually, I had already noticed.
Whenever there was a famous or nice place, the Duchess always tried to visit it together with me.
And the reason was probably……
‘She’s being considerate of me.’
She had been like that ever since we first signed the friendship contract.
Through the Duchess, I had visited countless places I had never been able to go to before.
I had also experienced all kinds of special things.
Perhaps she was taking into consideration how I had been treated poorly in various ways when I served as Seraphina’s maid.
“Eva.”
Without realizing it, I suddenly spoke.
“Do you know that I’m always grateful to you, Eva?”
“……”
At my question, the Duchess stared at me for a moment.
“Me too.”
She answered with a bright smile.
For some reason, my heart felt warm.
At the Restaurant
Before entering the restaurant.
The ladies sitting together in the waiting room chatted among themselves.
“I’m really looking forward to this.”
“Me too. It was incredibly difficult to get a reservation.”
Meanwhile, Seraphina was showing off for the first time in a while.
“The food at Restaurant Bailey is excellent, isn’t it?”
At that moment.
The ladies subtly exchanged glances.
‘She’s practically been dead to high society lately…….’
‘She visits a place she knows after all this time and suddenly acts so high and mighty.’
But Seraphina seemed to have no intention of stopping her bragging.
“I came here with Gregor once before, and every course felt incredibly carefully prepared.”
Seraphina continued with a wistful look in her eyes.
“It reminds me of those memories. The chef himself came out and greeted me, thanking me for visiting the restaurant……”
“Oh, really?”
“So Lady Lopes has been here before.”
The ladies responded with somewhat displeased expressions.
Just then.
Another lady spoke up.
“Did you hear? Apparently, the Claudius Ducal Family invested in this restaurant recently.”
What?
At that moment, Seraphina’s insides turned cold, as though she had swallowed a huge chunk of ice whole.
Why Claudius all of a sudden?
‘Surely they won’t ban me from entering again, will they?’
Meanwhile, the ladies resumed their conversation.
“I heard they invested quite a lot of money in developing this summer-exclusive menu.”
“They put bluefin tuna with a special sauce on it, right? I heard it’s incredibly delicious. I’m looking forward to it.”
But then.
A waiter approached them.
“Are you perhaps Lady Lopes?”
“……”
Seraphina looked at the waiter with eyes full of suspicion.
The waiter carefully continued.
“I’m terribly sorry, but it would be difficult for you to dine at our establishment.”
“What?!”
Seraphina’s face immediately flushed.
“I’ve dined here several times before, so why can’t I this time?!”
“Our restaurant’s operating policy has recently changed. We ask for your kind understanding.”
After arguing back and forth for quite some time.
The ladies, who had been looking at Seraphina with mocking eyes, each rose from their seats.
“Well, Lady Lopes, we’ll go inside first.”
“We’ll be waiting inside.”
“Come in once you’ve finished your conversation. All right?”
After the ladies entered the restaurant.
Seraphina was left standing there alone, looking utterly devastated.
At the same time, the waiter urged Seraphina in an awkward voice.
“Would you please leave now?”
“……”
Seraphina bit her lips until they nearly bled and stood up.
There was no point in continuing to stubbornly remain there, since it seemed unlikely that she would be allowed inside.
“My goodness, what happened?”
“Isn’t that Lady Lopes?”
The other guests waiting there kept sneaking glances in her direction.
Seraphina fled outside as though running away.
But Seraphina’s ordeal was not over yet.
‘That’s…….’
Right in front of the restaurant stood a carriage bearing the Claudius crest.
Seraphina instinctively hurriedly hid herself.
At the same time, the carriage door opened, and the Duke of Claudius emerged.
“All right, Eva.”
After escorting his younger sister out first, the Duke smiled and held out his hand to Laritte.
Laritte took his hand and stepped down from the carriage.
“Thank you, Duke.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Seraphina stared at the scene as though hypnotized.
Laritte, elegantly dressed, was beautiful enough to stand out anywhere.
And the Duke’s gentle gaze was fixed solely on Laritte.
“Oh, come on. Hurry up.”
The Duchess, who had walked ahead, chided them.
The three of them looked so warm and happy together that it seemed as though they lived in an entirely different world from Seraphina.
A world Seraphina would never be able to reach……
“……”
The three of them disappeared inside the restaurant.
Unable to overcome the humiliation surging through her, Seraphina tightly clenched the hem of her dress.
What brought Seraphina out of her daze were the admiring whispers of the people around her.
“My goodness, the Duke of Claudius, the Duchess, and Lady Ancia together. I never imagined I’d see that.”
“They must be close if they’re having dinner together.”
From admiration for the warm relationship between the three,
“I heard there’s a saying in high society these days that if you want to invite the Duchess somewhere, you should win over Lady Ancia first.”
“It can’t be helped. The Duchess refuses to attend any gathering unless Lady Ancia accompanies her.”
The special affection the Duchess of Claudius showed Laritte,
“Is that all? Recently, there have even been rumors that Lady Ancia and the Duke have a rather unusual relationship.”
……even the romantic feelings flowing between the Duke and Laritte.
People were gossiping about them to such an extent.
The Claudius siblings treated Laritte with extraordinary affection.
At that moment, Seraphina’s eyes trembled.
‘That place…… I should have been standing there.’
A life in which she was escorted by the Duke, the most desirable bachelor in the empire, meeting his beautiful blue eyes with her own and smiling elegantly.
A life in which she sparkled brightly, admired by everyone.
But hadn’t Laritte already snatched that life away?
A strange anger surged within her, as though something that belonged to her had been stolen.
“Laritte.”
Seraphina murmured quietly.
“……I’ll never forgive you.”
Her usual melodious voice was nowhere to be heard. Instead, her voice had sunk into something dark and ominous.
