Chapter 1 : I Got Caught by A Villain (5)
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She could feel the surrounding noise. Their eyes, which were talking to each other, naturally followed.
At the end of it was, Arsene. He had just entered the banquet hall and was greeting the host, Marquis Bellov.
“It’s the Duke of Greroy”
Said Isota in shaky words.
It was because at the last meeting, he pretended to know Regina and made remarks that seemed to be some kind of relationship.
She had a habit of being wary of people approaching Regina.
Regina took a deep breath and tried to calm the seemingly unstable condition. Kai gazed at her as she took a deep breath.
After a while, Arsene, who finished greeting, turned his head. She made eye contact with him who looked at her.
He walked straight towards her without any hesitation. He arrives in front of him when people try to approach him hesitatingly as he steps relentlessly.
“Hello, lady Blois”
“Hello...”
Raising the corner of his mouth and smiling, Arsene gave her a pretty smile.
“You’re wearing the Necklace,”
He said, adding to the feeling of the surroundings.
When she was a little embarrassed because she didn’t know why he was doing this all of a sudden, a sentence pierced her ear.
“Is it a gift for the young girl that the Duke of Greroy bought it at the jeweler?”
After a brief moment, understanding the words, her pupils dilated. He remained calm even though her facial expression would have changed.
The low voice was calm.
“After much thought, I bought a diamond....look like it was a wise decision.”
Her heart sank. Suddenly, the necklace felt heavy. Not long ago, she remembered what she said at the party.
[“I saw Duke Greroy that day, and he went into a jewelry store.”]
She looked up at him with trembling eyes, and underneath chandelier, Arsene curled his eyes and laughed.
“It’s pretty.”
Shining in the light, he was like a holy devil. She was used for his alibi. She got goosebumps that she knew every word he said.
People who were briefly embroiled in silence began to murmur again as if they were bursting.
They looked at Regina’s shining necklace on her neck, and at Arsene with confused face.
“Is that why Duke Greroy gave Lady Blois necklace as a gift?”
Arsene nodded when the person who doubted his eyes held the person next to him and asked.
Not long ago, rumors spread among people that he had bought an expensive diamond necklace.
Of course, some people took it as a lie. Why would Duke Greroy bought a necklace, but the rumor increasing credibility.
Some even said they heard that he had visited a jewelry store, and in the meantime, Regina appeared wearing a noticeable diamond necklace, and Arsene approached her and spoke out as if he had chosen it.
It looked like he gave her a present. Some of Arsene’s lovers were shocked and hardened on the spot.
He was a gentle and good-natured man. He’ve never shown such favor to anyone before, and he’ve never looked at them with warm eyes while giving them gifts.
After a while Arsene left to meet the others, but some eyes still looked at her.
“Did Duke Greroy give you that necklace?”
Isota stared at Arsene’s distant back and aggressively at the necklace Regina was wearing.
“Did something happen while I hadn’t seen it?”
Kai questioned the mysterious atmosphere between Arsene and Regina.
He knew they didn’t know each other until a while ago, but now they seem pretty close. There was something different about it.
“Until last time, you said there was nothing going on.”
Isota looked at her, bringing up what Regina had said not long ago.
‘It’s crazy, I thought I should explain the situation, but it was not possible to tell how far I should lie and how far I should go.’
“We didn’t really know each other back then.”
When she said something like an excuse, all eyes turned back to her.
“A few days ago, the Duke suddenly sent me a present. He added, make sure to wear it tonight.”
“Why?”
“It’s… I don’t know.”
She knew it was actually meant to be used as an alibi.
She lied that Arsene stopped by a jewelry store that day. And he actually turned it into a fact by buying things from a jewelry store.
To spread the word more effectively, he bought women’s accessories. As many young lady were interested in him, and then such stories happens.
Many people were curious about him, who was a celebrity in society. But she didn’t know what would happen if Arsene started the rumors.
It was difficult to give a necklace to any young lady and misunderstand that he liked her.
So he sent a gift to Regina. It was because he was confident that she would not misunderstand anything because she was an eye witness.
It was a perfect situation for him. She can’t even tell it to Isota and Kai, so she chose to say she doesn’t know.
Looking at the necklace for a moment, Isota frowned and looked at Arsene standing far away. Kai also glanced at him with a disapproving look.
Eventually she left the banquet hall before the party was end. Their eyes staring at her, it felt uncomfortable, and she wanted to rest quickly because she was exhausted from meeting him.
‘I helped
prove your alibi, so it has nothing to do with me anymore.’
For now, she thought it would be better to stay at home to avoid rumors. Returning home, Regina took off her necklace and put it deep inside the drawer. Diamond was beautiful, but it was like a rope around a prisoner's neck.
Regina locked herself in the mansion again, and Edwin came to her room.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Usually, she often attended parties and didn’t mind showing her face to society, but when she suddenly refused all the invitations, her parents were worried again.
“Just let it slide for a while.”
Regina, who was eating cake in the room, sighed suddenly. She can’t believe she can’t eat this delicious food if she died.
“Is it because of the Duke Greroy?”
When Edwin say that, she is surprised by the name, he looked at her with a mixed look on his face.
‘What should I say? Really? Then I had to explain why I was doing this for him.'
“No.”
Is it
because she hesitated for a while or because she was surprised? Edwin seemed
doubt her. Moreover, what happened at the party that day spread to society.
“If anything happens, let me know. I’m your family, so you can share your concerns.”
“Yes, I see.”
She answered, but she couldn’t say it. Even though they’re family.
She couldn’t say that she came in from outside the book and that she was avoiding Duke Greroy because he would kill her.
If Edwin had heard such a thing, he would have asked what dream she had. And if she was serious, he’d take her to a mental hospital.
She picked up a fork to take a bite of the cake, and Edwin, who sighed a little, uttered a bolt out of the blue.
“Do you know it’s the Emperor’s birthday soon?”
“Huh? …… When is it?”
“Next week. You forget it every time.”
Arsene was the one to kill her, and the emperor was the one to make him do it. And of course the Emperor’s banquet was held in the Imperial City.
'Oh no, I can't think of anything right now.'
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