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Chapter 13




Chapter 13: I Stole Yeuju's First Love
“I think I understand why you dislike the duchess so much.”
“Ha, I really can’t understand. What on earth is she thinking?”
Aster skillfully led me through my confusion. When I stumbled, he patted my back and whispered,
“Can you focus on me for a moment? I may look like this, but I’m quite a jealous person.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”
“I know. From now on, let’s focus on our dance.”
He smiled charmingly and took a gentle step forward.
The music was already heading towards the middle.
I marveled at his proficient dancing skills.
It wasn’t easy to lead someone who was so flustered, but he managed it with ease.
“You dance well.”
“This is also a form of exercise. It’s similar to using a sword. With a sense of rhythm and practice, you can learn it quickly.”
The rumor that he didn’t know how to dance because he spent most of his life on the battlefield and thus left the first dance to the duke and duchess would now be dispelled.
As the music ended, he bowed to me.
I returned the bow and linked my arm with his.
The nobles, who had been taken aback by the unexpected dance, soon began to murmur and disperse.
“This way.”
I followed Aster’s escort towards the head table.
I couldn’t see my father, who I thought would be waiting there.
“Looking for the duke?”
“Ah, yes. We definitely agreed to dance the second dance together, but I can’t see him anywhere.”
“He’s probably with the head of the mage tower.”
At Aster’s words, I almost shouted.
“Mother is here?”
“Of course. The head of the mage tower attending a ball is only natural. I don’t understand why everyone is so surprised.”
“That’s... because Aster doesn’t know.”
Freya Oldman, the former Duchess of Pionea, was truly an extraordinary person.
I wasn’t saying this just because she was my mother.
The reason Raymond, known as a prodigy, still held the second-in-command position in the mage tower was because my mother was still alive and well.
However, that wasn’t the only reason why my father and I feared her.
“Could there be some hidden story behind their divorce that I don’t know?”
“No, it’s not that.”
They divorced due to conflicting interests, but they still had feelings for each other.
What I was worried about wasn’t their relationship.
I hurriedly searched for Tatiana.
If she was dancing with the duke, she would be more noticeable, so it was important to find her quickly and hide her.
“Screeech!”
A woman’s scream echoed through the beautiful orchestral melody.
I let go of Aster’s hand and ran in the direction of the scream.
“Dare you flirt with my daughter’s man again, you wretch!”
My mother, with the same black hair twisted up, was gripping Tatiana’s hair with her red eyes flashing.
The pearls and jewels that adorned her beautiful silver hair were scattered by my mother’s rough hands, rolling on the floor.
Tatiana’s face was a mess of tears, and the duke, who had just realized the situation, was trying to separate them.
“Stop it, Head of the Mage Tower. She is my fiancĂ©e!”
The duke roughly pulled my mother’s hand away and hid Tatiana behind him.
My mother, without a single hair out of place, sneered at Andrew, who was much larger than her.
“You should keep a better eye on your daughter-in-law. How pathetic must a man be for her to flirt with every man she sees?”
Although it was a familiar line, I stepped in to stop her.
“Mother!”
“Karin? I didn’t expect you to come to the ball.”
My mother’s expression softened when she saw me.
The duke was speechless at her sudden change in attitude.
“What are you doing here?”
“What does it look like? I’m teaching that crazy woman a lesson.”
“Mother!”
“Oh, this isn’t the mage tower. I was just scolding that crazy woman.”
I shook my head at my mother’s crude words.
It seemed my father had fled, fearing he would be scolded for his poor judgment in choosing a son-in-law.
“Please come this way. Getting angry over such things is not worth it.”
“She’s worse than an animal. If she doesn’t understand, she needs to be taught a lesson, even if it means hitting her.”
“Why should you care about that, Mother! Just let her live as she pleases.”
I grabbed my mother’s hand and pulled her towards Aster.
She seemed reluctant, looking back and muttering.
She still seemed angry.
“It’s been a while. Head of the Mage Tower.”
At Aster’s call, my mother slowly turned her head to look at him. Her scrutinizing gaze was like someone checking a fruit for bruises.
Her overtly scrutinizing look made me feel embarrassed.
But Aster just smiled as if it didn’t bother him.
“Well, we’ll see how it goes.”
“Mother, are you not going back immediately?”
“No, I want to see what you’re doing and observe the emperor a bit.”
My mother’s smile felt eerie.
What on earth was she planning to do?
My mother bombarded Aster with questions.
The range of her questions was broad, from his favorite food to his values and family plans.
Aster broke a sweat answering my mother’s questions, and she smiled in satisfaction.
Once the questions were over, I wondered where my mother would stay.
My mother’s family had given their townhouse in the capital to their eldest son and moved to their estate.
“By the way, Mother, where do you plan to stay?”
“I’m thinking about it now.”
“You came without any plans?”
Surprised, I pressed her, and my mother shrank back, looking at me cautiously.
“Well, I thought it was obvious...”
“Then where do you plan to stay? If you have nowhere to go, you can stay in the imperial city.”
Aster’s offer made my mother shake her head. Then she said confidently,
“I plan to stay at the duke’s residence for a while.”
I had never heard that my mother would stay at the duke’s residence.
I tilted my head and asked her.
“Did you talk to Father?”
“No. It’s my home, so why should I go live somewhere else?”
Her confident demeanor made me nod involuntarily.
After asking Aster a few more questions, my mother left to find my father.
‘No wonder Father was so surprised earlier. He must have seen Mother.’
I felt a bit of sympathy for my father, who would soon be caught and scolded by my mother.
“She’s quite an interesting person. I thought the duchess looked like you, but you seem more like the head of the mage tower.”
“Ha ha. Is that a compliment?”
“Of course.”
Aster smiled and pulled me by the hand. The firm touch between our fingers made my cheeks burn.
“Then let’s enjoy our date more.”
“D, date?”
“Yes. This is our first proper meeting since we decided to be together, so it’s a date.”
His reasonable words made me feel good.
I smiled at Aster.
This was the first time I felt a sense of security at a ball since coming to this world.
I was always on edge, worried about being attacked by Tatiana and her followers.
But with Aster by my side, it was different.
It felt as if a huge protective shield had formed around me, making me feel at ease.
I looked into his eyes, full of kindness, and gently pulled his hand.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“I’m sure you’ll like it.”
His bright smile stood out even in the grand hall, making my heart flutter.
His kind face made even those who called him a tyrant seem insignificant.
People seemed to envy and admire him, despite appearing to dislike him.
At least, the envious glances directed at me, holding his hand, suggested that.
Feeling the people’s gazes, we calmly left the ballroom.