Finally, the morning of the birthday banquet had arrived.
Normally, the estate would be bustling in preparation for such a grand event hosted by the Duke and Duchess, but today was different.
A few days ago, rumors of a heated argument between the Duke and Duchess in the study had spread, and yesterday, a noble lady had taken over the eastern annex.
As a result of these events, it had become widely accepted that Clayton had taken a mistress.
The Duke of Seyer, master of the estate, had allegedly brought his mistress into the house, leading to a heated fight with the Duchess that had left the study in shambles. That incident had long been deemed a fierce marital dispute.
Perhaps that was why the maids assisting with Dahlia's preparations today had an unusual look in their eyes.
It was like the gaze of a hairdresser preparing a woman for her ex-boyfriend's wedding.
The maids worked silently, their lips tightly pressed together.
"If the mood is like this now, imagine the uproar if they find out I'm not going to the banquet.'
Last night, Jason had already come to Dahlia to inform her that Clayton would be attending the banquet with Lloyd.
Judging by how cautiously he had delivered the news, the butler seemed very concerned about hurting Dahlia.
Little did he know how relieved she was to hear it.
'Still, it's a relief. Things are going according to plan.'
Thus, Dahlia was deliberately dressing herself up to emphasize the pitiful image of the neglected Duchess.
She needed to make it clear to the male lead how much she had wanted to attend the banquet, ensuring she left a lasting impression on him.
After what felt like an eternity of preparation, the maids finally stepped back, exclaiming in unison.
Among them, Samantha's awestruck voice rang out.
"My Lady, you look absolutely stunning!"
Madame Louise's dress shop was said to be the most famous in the empire.
There was indeed a reason for its reputation.
The dress had a simple design, with no elaborate patterns, falling effortlessly below a subtly accentuated neckline, yet it felt anything but plain.
While past trends of exaggerated silhouettes and excessive embellishments often overshadowed a woman's figure, the dress Dahlia wore subtly accentuated her natural curves.
It was the very image of a single lily, evoking a protective instinct with its delicate elegance.
'Wow. This is beyond my expectations.'
Dahlia turned to inspect her reflection in the mirror.
The sky-blue dress, adorned with subtle crystals, resembled morning dew.
She felt that just standing silently in this dress would achieve half of her plan.
She silently sent her overwhelming gratitude to Madame Louise for creating the dress.
"This is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen! With this dress, you'll easily outshine that redhead!"
Samantha's eyes burned with fiery determination.
Thanks to that enthusiasm, preparation that began during the day only finished as dusk approached, but the result was flawless.
'This is exactly the look I wanted.'
Perhaps her private practice of forlorn poses in front of the mirror had paid off; her reflection now resembled a woman devastated by heartbreak.
"Everyone at the imperial palace will kneel before your beauty, My Lady."
Samantha clenched her fists, repeatedly declaring, "The star of tonight's banquet will be our Lady!"
Watching Samantha, Dahlia silently apologized in her heart.
'I'm sorry, Samantha. I don't think I'll meet your expectations.'
Imagining Samantha venting about the Duke and Lloyd's actions later was already giving her a headache.
'But Samantha, bear with it a little longer.'
After a few more incidents like this, that man would fall completely for her, and these tiresome theatrics would finally end.
Once the male lead was hers, she would enjoy wealth and a peaceful life forever.
'This is a small price to pay for such a future.'
Adjusting her dress with a confident expression, Dahlia suddenly felt a sense of doubt.
'Why was it, in the original story, that the male lead went with the mistress instead of me?'
Thinking back, all she remembered was that it was an important event that caused the male lead to take an interest in the female lead and was connected to the family curse.
She rolled her eyes, trying to recall, but no plausible reason came to mind.
'Oh well. I'll remember it later.'
However, it wasn't the most pressing issue right now, so she quickly shifted her focus.
"This isn't the time for that."
Soon, Clayton and Lloyd would board the carriage. She needed to get outside and wait before they did.
With that thought, Dahlia hastened her preparations.
* * *
When Dahlia descended to the first floor, the waiting maids began murmuring among themselves.
Amidst their chatter were praises for Dahlia's beauty and pity for her predicament caused by the sudden appearance of the mistress.
'Perfect. Keep gossiping like that!'
It was obvious how she would appear: a lonely wife forlornly waiting for her husband amidst the maids' whispers.
'That's exactly why I came out early.'
As Dahlia approached the waiting carriage with her lips pressed together, the butler, Jason, hurried over with an awkward expression.
Though he had clearly delivered the news yesterday, he hadn't expected Dahlia to show up so elaborately dressed.
"M-My Lady. What are you doing here…?"
Jason's pupils darted nervously from side to side.
With Dahlia coming down to the first floor dressed like this, he had no choice but to repeat what he'd told her yesterday.
"My Lady, as I mentioned yesterday… His Grace will be attending the banquet with someone else, not you."
At those words, the maids following Dahlia turned pale.
Dahlia nearly smirked at how everything was unfolding as expected but managed to suppress it.
Instead, she adopted a sorrowful expression and murmured softly.
"I know."
"Then why…"
"As the Duke's wife, I can't not see my husband off to such an important event. And most of all…"
Dahlia glanced down at her dress before continuing.
"…It feels like such a waste not to wear the dress I prepared for today."
"My Lady…"
Her final remark drove the point home, and the pity in the eyes of Jason and everyone around her deepened.
As Jason hesitated, choosing his words carefully, the main characters of the moment finally arrived.
"I believe I told you to deliver my message, Jason."
Clayton appeared with Lloyd at his side, and a heavy silence settled over the estate.
Lloyd kept his head down, unable to bring himself to meet Dahlia's gaze.
Dahlia said nothing, merely glancing between the two men.
She didn't forget to occasionally tremble her eyebrows, as if holding back her emotions.
As though she were trying to come to terms with an unbelievable situation.
"…Don't blame the butler. I've already been informed of the situation. I only came out to see you off today, Your Grace."
She deliberately kept her tone calm. Tears weren't to be wasted—one perfect drop at the right moment would suffice.
Her performance seemed to work; Jason and the maids' expressions grew even darker.
"This actually works out well. Truthfully, I haven't been feeling well since yesterday. I'd be grateful if Lady Hertz could accompany you in my stead."
Dahlia intentionally paused mid-sentence and replied in a calm tone, further deepening the solemn atmosphere in the mansion.
Anyone with functioning eyes would know her words were a lie.
Anyone could see the Duchess had dressed up, clearly excited to go to the palace.
'Even I think that line was brilliant.'
The dozens of gazes filled with pity bore down on her back—exactly what she had wanted.
Now, all she had to do was shed a single tear as the two departed, and everything would be perfect.
As Dahlia waited for the two to walk past, preparing to discreetly pinch her thigh for the tear,
"This won't do."
Huh?
Lloyd, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
"The Duchess, not I, should go to the palace."
Hey, hey, what are you doing all of a sudden?
No one was more shocked by Lloyd's sudden outburst than Dahlia herself.
She kept sending Lloyd signals to stop, but unfortunately, he didn't pick up on them.
"If the Duchess doesn't go, I won't go either!"
"N-no, Lady Hertz… We can't both…"
"The Duchess was looking forward to attending the banquet!"
"T-that's not what I…"
Having dropped his bombshell, he looked at Dahlia and gave her a faint smile.
It was as if he was silently telling her to trust him, that he would make sure she could go to the palace.
Ha, Lloyd.
Dahlia looked at Lloyd with an expression that was somewhere between crying and laughing, at a loss for how to respond to his massive misunderstanding.
Please, just shut up.