Chapter 14
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The parlor of the Duke of Karnus’s residence was the only warm spot in the sprawling mansion. Except for the pale pink walls covered in portraits of nameless people. It made Aubrey feel like she was being watched by dozens of pairs of eyes.
"I knew early on that Emily was going to be a pretty young lady."
The Duchess of Karnus was a thin woman. She had the impression of being a little cold, but whenever she saw Barbara and Emily, she blossomed. She seemed genuinely fond of them.
"You're being flattering. We still have a lot to work on."
Barbara said it, but inwardly she was proud of her daughter. At the Duchess's praise, Emily tensed her back and held her posture even straighter.
"Madam, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course. Tell me anything, Lady Ravant."
Emily asked very pleadingly, her eyes sparkling from earlier.
"Do you happen to know if the Count......."
"Kuck!"
Aubrey squeaked in response to the slurred question. She hadn't even eaten the dainty little dessert, but the spit she'd been swallowing caught in her throat.
"Aubrey, are you okay?"
Barbara hurriedly offered her tea. Aubrey took the tea, barely able to soothe the sting in her throat. When she calmed down, she saw the Duchess looking at her with narrowed brows.
"I apologize, Madam."
The Duchess responded to the apology with a smile. It was the same smile she had always worn, but it was different for Aubrey. The Duchess's gaze was subtle, as she'd grown up eating far more snacks than meals.
She didn’t like Aubrey, it was obvious. There was nothing to be hurt by. Aubrey hated herself and hoped she would never be called to this manor again.
"She must be nervous. She’s not used to being here."
The Duchess said, looking at Barbara, not Aubrey.
"Nevertheless, she seemed quite bored earlier, and if you don't mind, I was wondering if she could get some fresh air......."
It was clear that she wanted to get her out of here somehow. Aubrey recalled the Duchess's unwanted glance at her in the corner of her eye.
"Would you prefer that, Aubrey?"
At Barbara's question, Aubrey stood up as if she had been waiting. She hadn't wanted to be here in the first place; she'd been dragged, almost forced, but she'd had enough of being the uninvited guest, sitting there unnoticed.
Besides, she was afraid of running into the man. The Duchess was about to call for her servant when the owner of the vacated seat appeared.
"I’m late, Mother."
The sound of his voice almost made Aubrey bite her tongue. When Aubrey barely clenched her teeth to avoid the disaster of biting it, Khaled sat down on the empty one-seater couch.
Neatly swept-back black hair, a sharply defined forehead, and large, sharp eyes. He was handsome and flashed a dashing smile.
"I beg your pardon, ma'am. And Lady Ravant."
With a polite bow, his gaze shifted to Aubrey, who was now standing.
“Were you going to go first, or did you get bored waiting?"
"Of course not!"
At his joke, Emily nudged Aubrey with her elbow. She glared at her for not sitting down sooner, and she hesitantly plopped her bottom back down on the couch.
The Duchess hurriedly prepared the tea, the mood to dismiss Aubrey gone and all eyes focused on Khaled.
"Count Lavonne, you seem to have gotten even more handsome since then."
Emily nodded eagerly as Barbara started the conversation.
"How is it to be back home? I've heard that Count Lavonne has experienced an unprecedented boom thanks to the Count's bounty."
Aubrey couldn't hear a word they were saying. Her hands were sweating on her lap, and she had a feeling the man was going to tell them a story about a slave turned lady at any moment.
"Oh, I'm late with my congratulations. Lady Emily made her debutante this year."
What the hell was that voice saying? Aubrey couldn't believe the soft bass in her ear. It was a far cry from the sultry voice that had whispered in her ear at the party last night.
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and the smile on his face was almost too good to be true. He was looking at Emily with those eyes. Emily, who had been waiting for him to talk to her with a twinkle in her eye, even clasped her hands when he mentioned her.
"The last time I saw you, you were a little girl, and now you're a young woman.........."
He continued to speak neatly and without interruption, but then he looked away. Inevitably, their eyes locked. Aubrey quickly ducked her head.
"I'm sure the Countess is delighted."
"I am both pleased and anxious, for in my eyes she still has much to offer, and I wonder if she will find a good match."
The Duchess, who had been watching her son with a wry smile, interrupted the conversation.
"Madame, I share your concern."
"You have nothing to worry about, Count Lavonne does not lack for anything."
Ah.
Aubrey suddenly realized the true meaning of the occasion. These ladies, laughing nonstop and discussing their children's marriages, were quite blatantly saying that they had no doubt that they would be a good match for each other.
It was all strange. Trin had told her that he was the Duke's illegitimate son, and yet here, in this room, she could not sense any contempt for the illegitimate son.
She wondered if it was just a rumor. Just then, a servant approached, taking away the first cup of tea and preparing a new one. Aubrey stared at the opaque black tea and reached for it. Her throat was burning.
"How did Miss Sandalwood fare that day?"
The question flew out without warning. The warm tea that had been flowing in her mouth hit her throat. The unpleasant coughing began again, followed by the clatter of a hurriedly set down cup. As tears pooled in her throat, a white handkerchief appeared out of nowhere.
"Get me some lukewarm water."
"Yes, Master."
Khaled ordered, holding out his handkerchief. His gaze never left hers. The blue eyes staring right back at her made Aubrey want to scream and run out of there.
Aubrey pressed down on her twitching limbs and straightened up. If she acted suspiciously, the man would open his mouth at a moment's notice. A faintly trembling hand slowly accepted his handkerchief.
Aubrey glanced at the refreshments and tea still set out on the table. She pretended to wipe the corner of her mouth with the folded handkerchief. The white handkerchief had a faint scent.
The lukewarm water brought by the servant stopped her coughing perfectly. When she came to, she saw Barbara looking at her wistfully, Emily glaring, and the Duchess shaking her head.
"You must be very nervous."
Only Khaled Karnus had a shockingly affectionate smile on his face.
* * *
Aubrey rode back to the manor in the carriage, dazed as a madwoman. In her mind, she replayed the moments she'd spent at the duke's mansion in quick, fleeting flashes.
Aubrey's nerves were frayed, and she was making mistake after mistake, until she realized that all she had to do was keep her mouth shut and sit still, and she couldn't do that easy thing, and she developed hiccups.
So uncharacteristically so that the Duchess had to hurry to clear the table. To Emily's credit, Khaled Karnus was quite polite to his guest, who had picked up some strange drug somewhere and was acting like a raving lunatic.
He even offered his handkerchief to a woman who couldn't stop hiccupping until she stood up. The ladies in attendance appreciated his character, and the evening ended with a round of praise for him.
‘What a .......’
The meal may have been over, but her troubles were multiplied. Despite knowing nothing about Khaled Karnus, Emily had taken a liking to him, and not only her, but the ladies of both houses had taken a liking to him.
The man who knew her secret. Buried deep in her bed, Aubrey jerked awake. Whether it was the black tea she'd been drinking to quell her anxiety or her fear, her thirst was intensifying.
Aubrey grabbed a lamp from her desk and left the room. Before she knew it, night had fallen and the mansion was still asleep.
‘It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay.’
Aubrey kept muttering to herself as she headed for the kitchen, that the worst she could think of wouldn't happen, that nothing terrible would happen.
‘It'll be okay.......’
Aubrey stopped dead in her tracks. It couldn't be okay. He'd already mentioned her past and asked how she was doing. He'd even approached and spoken to her in the presence of other people. As if to tease her.
Aubrey could still remember the look in his eyes as he taunted her. Like he'd found an interesting toy. The thought of those damned blue eyes made her grip on the lamp slacken. Helplessness took over her body.
It felt like someone else was holding her breath. As she turned to go back the way she came, someone blocked her path. Unable to scream, Aubrey froze in place as the person waved a hand in front of her.
"Miss, it's me."
It was Trin, her voice hushed. Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief as she held the lamp up to see her face.
"Why are you out here at this time of night?"
"The two of them are talking about Count Lavonne."
Jeffrik’s voice came from the direction of the parlor, barely above Trin's whisper.
"Ah, miss......!"
She had to know something. She couldn't just sit here shivering and not know anything about him. Aubrey turned toward the sound with a shuffling step. Trin, running after her, pulled her to one side.
As they ducked behind the massive pillar that stood just outside the parlor entrance, they could hear Jeffrik’s stern voice.
"I told you, no."
Trin gestured with her hands to indicate the situation over there. Master and the Madam had been arguing the whole time. Cautiously, they craned their necks to look, and a few sleepless servants stood by in the corner. They were usually loyal and loudmouthed.
"I'm not asking you to marry Emily off to Count Lavonne right now."
"No matter what, I say no, why him!"
Even Aubrey and Trin flinched at the shout.
"She likes him, and you know it, and your only daughter likes him, so you can organize a cup of tea together."
"Emily is your only daughter, too, and it's your job to make sure she doesn't go crazy with some weirdo bastard!"
"Honey, please. Don't talk like that."
Jeffrik was the angriest Aubrey had ever seen him. Unable to contain his anger, he stood up and paced the parlor, waving his hands nervously.
Garder rushed over and handed him a cigar. The first person Jeffrik disapproved. The first person he'd ever disliked for sharing an afternoon tea with.
Aubrey realized that maybe she'd found what she needed most. A man who knew her secrets.
She needed his weaknesses.
Aubrey swallowed dryly and pricked up her ears.
***
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