Chapter 31

Chapter 31: I took away Yeju's first love.

Tatiana and Daniel were already in love, but rumors spread that I had used my family's influence to force an engagement with Daniel, harboring inferiority towards Tatiana.

Daniel pretended not to know about the rumors for Tatiana's sake.

“I asked you to stop the rumors, didn’t I?”

“I, I...”

Daniel's smooth face crumbled miserably. The rumors, which I thought would die down quickly, spread uncontrollably.

My parents fought over my engagement, and when they started living separately, I felt cornered.

So much so that I had to beg Daniel to deny all of it, even at the cost of my pride.

Then he said...

“You don’t seem to remember. Back then, you said it was my fault that those rumors spread.”

I felt wronged.

I couldn’t understand why I had to be the villain when I was the victim.

Buried memories flooded out like a dam breaking. They were the worst moments, which I had forcibly buried.

“No, I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“I believed you were my friend. And the one who betrayed me was you.”

He turned pale and couldn’t say another word.

I muttered, looking at Tatiana behind him.

“You’re a coward, Daniel. You still act as if you’re not the perpetrator.”

Guilt appeared in Daniel’s eyes.

It was absurd how he felt estranged from Tatiana while being friendly with me.

The relationship with Tatiana aside, the breakdown in our relationship was solely Daniel’s fault.

“Please don’t treat me like this anymore, Duke.”

I slightly bowed and tried to leave.

The ball had already reached its climax.

‘His Majesty hasn’t arrived yet.’

I thought he wouldn’t come, but now that he really didn’t, I felt down.

I really had to go now.

“Ah.”

As I was about to turn, Tatiana roughly turned me back.

Was it because she thought I had taken Daniel?

Tatiana’s usually composed face was now different.

“You, that perfume.”

“Yes.”

“How did you make it? Was it really made by Nivea?”

I tilted my head, confused by Tatiana’s words.

“What do you mean? Are you saying it wasn’t made by Nivea?”

“I heard a rumor. About a famous perfumer who lost their sense of smell in the past.”

Tatiana looked around and deliberately spoke loudly.

She seemed quite confident.

The atmosphere around me changed. The friendly gazes began to carry a faint malice.

In the past, everything changed with a single word from Tatiana.

The perpetrator and the victim could switch, and what others did could become Tatiana’s credit.

‘Has it changed a bit now?’

After Tatiana saw the ending by marrying Andrew, I felt the original work’s constraints loosening.

I didn’t expect her to test me like this, but it was worth trying.

“Why do you think that? Can I ask for the reason?”

“The perfume shop that was about to go bankrupt caught fire, right? There was a rumor that the perfumer lost their sense of smell due to the aftermath. I wondered if someone else might have made it, not Nivea.”

I tilted my head again. Most of what Tatiana said was true, but it was a bit strange.

Especially, the fact that the legendary perfumer’s work was flawless despite losing their sense of smell.

It could even pique people’s interest and curiosity.

“I won’t deny it. The perfumer did have a problem with their sense of smell, and it’s true that someone else helped complete the perfume.”

“Of course, how could you be so shameless...!”

“But there’s something the Duchess doesn’t know.”

I raised my voice slightly, as if performing a play.

“Did you know that the perfumer who helped is Nivea’s daughter?”

“Daughter?”

Tatiana looked quite flustered. She probably didn’t know Nivea had a daughter.

I asked her, genuinely curious.

“But how did you know that Nivea lost her sense of smell?”

It was my mistake to tell her.

But I didn’t expect her to expose Nivea’s weakness in such a public setting.

“I, I just heard it somewhere.”

Her large eyes were clouded with unease.

She would find it difficult to reveal in front of everyone that she had shared a private conversation.

If it became known that she had revealed a private conversation based on her mood, her credibility would drop.

Seeing her long eyelashes tremble, I asked again.

“Nivea only had check-ups with the Duke’s personal physician. How did you know this?”

People would think the Duke’s personal physician wouldn’t leak internal information carelessly.

It would mean the end of their career in the industry. This implied that the Duchess might have obtained the information through improper means.

“I’ll ask you again.”

The atmosphere changed once more.

Distrust began to appear in the gazes directed at Tatiana.

She stepped back slightly, at a loss.

This must be the first time for her.

I stepped forward as she retreated and asked.

“Where did you get the information that Nivea lost her sense of smell? And what was your intention in bringing up someone’s painful past in a crowded place?”

“I, I...!”

Tatiana nervously fiddled with her bracelet.

Even though I’m not the one she’s trying to win over, would fiddling with a bracelet change anything?

Her easily crumbling demeanor was a bit disappointing.

Then, someone intervened. A man wearing a black raven mask stood in front of her, as if protecting her.

“Calm down, Lady.”

Our eyes met, his deep purple gaze locking with mine.

“Andrew...”

Tatiana clung to his arm, tears welling up in her eyes, as if to show everyone.

The tense atmosphere softened instantly, like a spell had been broken.

She easily escaped the position of the perpetrator just by shedding a few tears.

I bowed slightly, hiding my bitterness.

“Your Highness.”

He looked down at me silently for a moment. I turned my head to avoid his gaze.

If I didn’t, I felt my pent-up anger would burst.

Unexpectedly, I heard a voice.

“Tatiana. Apologize.”

“Andy?”

Tatiana’s voice trembled, as if she couldn’t believe it.

I slowly turned my head to look at the two of them.

Andrew’s face was surprisingly cold, staring at her, who looked so pitiful and lovely to everyone.

‘What’s going on?’

It was strange. Even Daniel, who found her repulsive, wouldn’t be this cold after three years of marriage.

“Tatiana.”

At his low, urging voice, Tatiana’s face contorted miserably.

“I, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Tatiana.”

Rebuking her endless excuses, Tatiana closed her eyes tightly.

“I’m sorry. I crossed the line.”

Her trembling voice made me chuckle. To receive an apology so easily.

But her glare, which still looked like she wanted to kill me, made me laugh involuntarily.

It was clear that her apology was forced.

“I’ll accept your apology, but I hope this doesn’t happen again.”

I said this and bowed lightly. I was tired of this drama.

I gracefully slipped away from the protagonists.

I ignored the persistent gazes that followed me and opened the terrace door to hide from them.

The fresh air filled my lungs, slightly improving my mood. I closed the door and drew the curtains to completely block out the gazes.

“Phew... This is really tiring.”

I leaned against the railing and looked down at the sparkling garden.

Elegantly dressed couples were strolling around. Laughter mixed with the music, decorating the air pleasantly.

I watched them blankly.

“Miss Butterfly.”

A clear voice reached the terrace, slightly elevated from the ground.

I leaned down to look below.

A man with bright blonde hair, shining even in the darkness, was looking up at me, wearing a gray wolf mask.

“Your...!”

“Shh. If you speak so loudly, everyone will notice right away.”

I covered my mouth at his playful tone.

He lightly jumped up to the terrace where I was.

“I tried to come quickly, but I’m sorry for being late.”

His fresh smile swept away the complicated thoughts in my head.