Adeline unconsciously spoke in a cold tone, cutting her words short.

“That doesn’t make sense since we never even had an engagement ceremony.”

The duke was now telling Adeline that since they never had an engagement ceremony, there was no fiancée.

“So you’re saying there was no political marriage intention, and thus no fiancée? What a convenient way of thinking.”

Adeline’s coy gaze and reddened eyes kept tickling Casius’s heart.

Adeline, who had always been busy running away from Casius, was now openly showing jealousy over a fiancée he had never cared about, one simply arranged by the family. What should he do with this lovely woman?

Casius couldn’t hide his rising smile.

“Are you finding this funny? Don’t laugh.”

Glaring with her coy eyes, Adeline unconsciously raised her hand as if Casius was terribly annoying.

‘What’s so funny about this?’

Adeline forcibly pulled down Casius’s annoyingly upturned lips.

“Hahaha.”

Casius burst into hearty laughter, clutching his stomach.

Startled, Adeline quickly lowered her hand that had touched his lips.

Even to herself, this behavior was embarrassing, and her face began to flush hot.

Knowing she would clearly become a laughingstock if her reddened face was seen, Adeline tried to get up and leave the reception room.

Just as she was about to pass by Casius, a large hand wrapped around her slender waist.

Casius gradually tightened his grip and pulled her in forcefully.

Adeline, who had been trying to leave the reception room, found herself settled in Casius’s arms.

“Adeline.”

The duke still couldn’t erase the smile from his face.

Thinking of how close he was, Adeline quickly covered her face with both hands.

He shifted his gaze to Adeline’s lips, which were as red as her face. Her pressed lips looked moist, as if holding water.

Finally, he impulsively devoured her lips.

Adeline staggered at the sudden kiss.

As she removed her hands from her eyes, she saw a man with a seductive gaze, licking his lower lip.

He approached again, slowly and gently exploring her mouth.

What a foxy man.

Clearly, they had things to discuss, but was the conversation going to be derailed like this again?

Adeline pushed Casius away forcefully.

“Why did you marry me instead of the Estillen Count’s family?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know the reason?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know. Please answer me.”

In response to Adeline’s urging question, one corner of his mouth curled up slightly.

“Well, because it’s you, Adeline. Didn’t I tell you?”

Then he slowly tilted his head and approached her.

He stopped just before their lips met and whispered in her ear.

“I need you.”

Since the Marquis, her father, had visited, Adeline had not left the townhouse.

The Duchess, known to be a commoner, turned out to be the daughter of Marquis Credion. It was enough to cause quite a stir in society.

Even before becoming the Duchess, she had been reclusive in social circles, with only rumors abounding.

Moreover, for the daughter of the clearly opposing Credion Marquis family to marry into the Duke’s family.

Rumors were rampant in society that now Marquis Severus was trying to control the Duke’s family, not content with just the Empress’s faction.

From invitation cards to tea parties from noble ladies who loved gossip for their own amusement, to invitations from ladies trying to form connections with the Duchess due to their husbands’ insistence on knowing the details of the incident.

Adeline was consistently ignoring the numerous accumulating letters.

‘How bothersome.’

Despite the continued seclusion and ignoring, the townhouse was bustling with maids and servants delivering invitations from various families.

These annoying behaviors were truly futile.

She was just resting her chin on the tea table, listlessly watching the servants coming and going, wearing out their shoe soles.

Adeline’s rest time, which she had hoped would last forever, was instantly shattered with Becky’s appearance.

“My lady!”

“Becky, I told you not to bring me invitation cards.”

“This is an invitation from the Imperial Palace.”

The invitation card Becky handed over was decorated with lavish gold embossing.

The golden seal of the Empress clearly stamped in the center. It was an invitation that could not be ignored.

Every year, as the harvest season approached, there was a tea party hosted by the Empress at the Imperial Palace.

Depending on the circumstances, there were cases where the Imperial Princess hosted, but the current Empress never shared even a bit of authority with the Imperial Princesses who were not of her own bloodline.

As befitting an event held at the Imperial Palace, the tea party hosted by the Empress mostly invited high-ranking nobles from the central aristocracy.

It was natural for an invitation to arrive for Adeline, who was now the Duchess of Torpeo and the daughter of a Marquis family.

It was the beginning of another bothersome affair.

The date of the tea party written on the invitation was tomorrow.

‘Tomorrow?’

Invitations for events hosted by the Imperial family usually arrived at least a week in advance, and the higher the nobility, the earlier the invitation should arrive.

For the Empress’s tea party invitation to show such lack of consideration for the schedule. Adeline began to fear if this was a warning to her.

However, the reason for such a short notice on the invitation was due to the unexpected identity of the Duchess.

The Empress had not paid much attention to the daughter of a Marquis before, so she didn’t have much information about Adeline.

Therefore, she hastily organized a semi-formal tea party inviting only a small number before holding a full-scale tea party.

The next day, the Duke’s residence was incredibly busy from early morning.

It was because they were preoccupied with preparations for the tea party at the Imperial Palace.

Adeline, who had felt uneasy from the invitation, was also paying a lot of attention not to be caught at fault by the Empress.

Although the Crown Prince born to the Empress openly engaged in reckless behavior, the Empress was always someone who achieved what she wanted without putting herself at the forefront.

Adeline was able to perfect her appearance from head to toe.

Currently, only the servants who had no major complaints even when they thought she was of common birth remained in the Duke’s residence.

The fact that the Duchess, who they thought was an ordinary commoner, was actually the golden-haired daughter of a Marquis was enough to ignite the servants’ enthusiasm.

As if welcoming a fairy tale protagonist, the servants unleashed their romantic fantasies and helped with the preparations.

Thanks to that, Adeline’s beauty was further enhanced, becoming an elegant and pure lady.

The Duke’s carriage arrived in front of the Imperial Palace, carrying the beautiful Adeline.

Except for the imperial family, no one was allowed to ride in carriages inside the Imperial Palace.

Adeline, who gracefully alighted with the escort of the knight guarding the carriage, swallowed hard at the sight of the towering Imperial Palace.

As she was about to take a step towards the Imperial Palace after composing herself, it happened.

“I greet the Duchess of Torpeo.”

A woman quietly approached Adeline’s side and politely greeted her.

“Her Majesty the Empress values the Duchess highly and has sent a carriage. She wished for your journey to be even slightly more comfortable.”

Following the guidance, Adeline arrived in front of the tea party venue riding an open carriage.

The tea party hosted in the Imperial Palace garden was set up to allow everyone to see Adeline’s entire journey as she arrived by carriage.

Unintentionally becoming the center of attention, Adeline gracefully walked into the tea party venue. She immediately approached the Empress and paid her respects.

“I greet the Moon of the Empire. Adeline, Duchess of Torpeo, pays her respects.”

As Adeline lightly lifted her skirt to greet, the Empress smiled benevolently and immediately offered the seat next to her.

“Welcome. I’ve only seen the young lady when she was little, but you’ve grown so beautiful. Ah, now you’re a proper Duchess. I’m truly relieved that the daughter of the Marquis family, with whom I have deep ties, is by the Duke’s side.”

“Come, come, sit here.”

From the Empress’s hospitable behavior to the act of arriving by carriage.

It was enough to catch the attention of the noble ladies and young ladies who were already seated.

Everyone looked at Adeline with favorable eyes, seemingly following the Empress’s will, but among them, only one young lady in the middle of the table was sending a gaze full of hostility.

The woman who seemed displeased that it was Adeline, not herself, who occupied the seat next to the Empress.

The woman glaring at Adeline with sharp eyes was none other than Larie Estillen, who had been called the Duke’s former fiancée.