My Vengeful Former Lover - Chapter 83

After the short conversation, a large divider was placed in the room again and Lucius waited for Deatrice to finish as he thumbed through the papers on his desk.

Servants scurried around, holding small trinkets and trays of food. Others carried pearl necklaces, thin bamboo fans, long silk gloves, or bejeweled shoes.

As he watched this bustling scene, Lucius couldn’t help but wonder how all those clothes and accessories would look on Deatrice.

With bated breath, he marked the time, expecting her to wear something dazzling to the eye. But after she stepped out of the changing screen, Deatrice was clad in nothing but a modest white dress with lavender chiffon in addition to the delicate pearls lining her hair.

Still, she looked very lovely.

Lucius placed her hand on his arm and escorted her slowly along the long hallway. Sometimes, their bodies touched each other briefly, reminding them of the other’s presence. As far as he could recall, this was the first time the two of them had attended a banquet officially as partners.

Before and during their engagement, Lucius always had to exercise caution when he was with her because he knew he still had to win the duke’s favor. There was no room for error, him getting caught just holding her hand would’ve labeled him as a brazen man in her father’s eyes.

“Our first banquet as a married couple…” Deatrice stated as if she’d unwittingly read his thoughts. “And holding hands in front of society six years later—it feels surreal.”

“Mm.”

Although he answered dryly, Lucius recalled the feeling of being envious of other lovers who could freely express their affections, holding hands to show that they belong to each other.

Now though, he was married, but it was one that was bound to fail so he had never really seen Deatrice as someone who belonged to him.

Lucius once again looked at Deatrice’s exquisite side profile and thought.

Can I think of her as mine just this once?

As his gaze remained fixed on her for longer, Deatrice felt some tingling sensation that she was being watched and saw that he was staring at her. Her gray eyes looked at him questioningly.

Before Lucius could speak, they had already arrived by the entrance of the banquet where their names were announced.

“I present to you, the Elliots of Northum!”

Whispers ensued.

Having their names attached to a territory indicated that the emperor had trusted them enough to give them power and authority by granting them land to govern. This was surprising, given their numerous scandals, but not at all completely unexpected.

Ladies covered their mouths with their fans and gossiped in their respective cliques, while the gentlemen weren’t so thoughtful and blatantly expressed displeasure on their faces.

“If it’s getting too hard for you to handle, just tell me.”

Lucius whispered, but Deatrice responded with a grin. “I should be the one saying that.”

With a smile on his face, Lucius kissed the back of her hand and escorted her down the steps.

***

The emperor was just being particularly animated in talking about his hunting trips when he received news that his newly appointed lord had arrived.

Summoning him to his side, the emperor’s close friend, the Duke of Zamora, took a step back to give way to the couple. After their formal greetings, he turned to Deatrice and lit a cigar.

“I heard that Duke Louisen could not attend because he is currently indisposed? How bad could his condition be to not even show up for my awarding of territory to his son-in-law?”

Deatrice’s painted smile almost cracked at the astuteness of his eyes veiled by the cheery tone of his voice.

It was disappointing to learn news about her father coming from other people’s mouths. Although he had sent her a letter stating that he would at least try to show himself for the sake of his position, she knew her father still wouldn’t come.

But he wasn’t the only irresponsible person in society. Dixie was also unable to attend, but it was due to her mother’s objection. Although her presence carried a different weight as compared to a duke, an absence is still considered an affront to the emperor.

Deatrice smiled awkwardly, “My father must deeply regret it.”

A lousy lie, but then she subsequently thought about how the duke was one of Lucius’ reasons for annulling their marriage.

“The duke’s position isn’t what it used to be and he’s aware of it. Sooner or later, he would remarry and have a son, and after that, he would cut ties with us completely. It’s obvious that the only benefit I gain from being married to you ends with this one estate.”

Judging by the fact that he didn’t even show his face today, Lucius had pinpointed his plans accurately.

The real reason why the duke hadn’t remarried yet was due to Deatrice.

No, it wasn’t because of guilt towards his darling daughter that he held on for six years, but because Deatrice, who had just lost her engagement with Lucius, requested him to not remarry until she herself was married first.

Many are unaware as they only saw the duke as a man who never remarried, showing just how much sincerity he held for his wife. They had also speculated that Lucius might even inherit the title, after all, since he was married to his only daughter.

Deatrice also had reason to believe that he intentionally delayed it so he could further weigh his ‘bride’ options on who could give him the most benefit once Fredhi was crowned king.

Anyhow, all of that planning had already gone to waste, and he now had to hasten his plans to remarry for the recovery of his family.