BXBX NOVEL Chapter side2: Side Story 2
“Duchess, Your Excellency! Nice to see you here.”
“I didn’t expect you to come to the party.”
“You two always look great together.”
I didn’t even walk a few steps inside the party, but people swarmed around.
It was a familiar sight. But it’s still distracting.
In the past, when I was with Ash, people were more interested in him, so I felt relatively comfortable.
It’s all in the past now. This is how it feels to share the same share of attention with Ash. I’m all over the place.
“Your Excellency, the Duke.”
By then, when I was trying to accept the pouring greeting, a person came to see Ash.
The middle-aged man, who had his moustache polished, bowed politely in front of Ash.
“This is Count Donizoa. I’d like to say something else, but if you could spare a moment…….”
(T/N : It’s the romanization of 도니조아 but why do I feel like it’s combined for 돈 for money and 좋아 for like, so his name literally means ‘I like money’)
I caught a glimpse of his shiny moustache.
The smell of money.
Come to think of it, it seemed like Ash had just said that there was a business he was trying to clean up.
I looked closely at the moustache Count, and when his gaze came toward me, I raised my hand and glued my thumb and index finger.
The moustache Count, who seemed to stop for a moment, soon nodded enthusiastically.
I see I looked up at Ash.
Then I cleared my throat with a cough and said.
“Bye, my dear.”
I’ll explain one thing here.
For me and Ash, there is an external tone.
In short, it’s a ‘generally formal way of speaking’ that is used only in public places like now.
So what is a formal way of speaking between a husband and wife in general?
“I will be back soon, my wife.”
…….this is what it is.
“Ahhh!”
I was startled for a moment. Because I thought my inner scream had leaked out.
Fortunately, I could see a young man hurriedly covering his mouth. Phew, it’s not me.
Ash left a kiss on the back of my hand and moved with the moustache Count.
As soon as the two disappeared from their seats, the surrounding area was filled with noise in an instant.
“Did everyone see it?”
“Well, I can tell just by hearing the voice. How sweet……..”
“Is the Duke always like that? Duchess, I envy you so much.”
I remained silent between the exclamations and the questions.
There was no other reason.
Just as soon as I opened my mouth, I thought that an uncontrollable scream would pop out.
“Ahhhh!”
Screaming or shrieking. I think it’s closer to a roar.
I swallowed an indescribable roar in my heart and smashed the invisible structure to my heart’s content.
My heart pounded.
‘Oh, God.’
Now that I’ve come all the way here, to confess, it was all because of this that I suddenly started going to parties that I didn’t have any hobbies after marriage.
Duchess.
Honorific.
‘How could this be?’
Can I do this?
Really such a harmful combination could exist in the world?
No matter how much I think about it, isn’t it fatally bad for heart health, which is the core of the human body?
I managed to hold back by holding my chest and take a deep breath.
‘I’m gonna die because of arrhythmia first.’
No, no, no. I need to live a long life in this good world.
I calmed down my mind by recalling the way I had learned to breathe Lamaze breathing method in my previous life.
My first goal in this life is to live a long life no matter what anyone says. It became especially firm when I got married.
No one can ruin my plan to live with Ash until I’m 100.
It was then.
“…….be careful.”
What? Be careful of arrhythmia?
No, it seems like I only thought about arrhythmia in my mind.
I turned my eyes in the direction of the voice, wondering what the person was talking about.
“Be careful?”
Seems like I wasn’t the only one who heard the thin voice, someone asked.
In the place where the eyes gathered, there was a small young lady who I wondered if maybe she was in her late teens.
She blushed her cheeks at the sudden rush of attention and spoke firmly.
“That’s exactly what I said. I hope you’re to be careful.”
“What the hell do you want me to be careful of?”
“…..lice.”
Huh? What?
As soon as I listened to a smaller voice, the lady continued.
“Alice Danekier. Be careful of her.”
“Lady!”
Oh my.
Someone screamed in a shriek. Thanks to her, I was both surprised and puzzled.
Why are you screaming?
However, it seems that I was the only one who had doubts about the scream.
Instead of finding the source of the scream, people began to criticize the lady with a small voice.
“Lady, what are you doing? What do you mean by mentioning that name here?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“I only….. for the Duchess’s sake…… Honestly, that’s what everyone here thought.”
“Hey, Lady. Do you say everything out of your mouth just because you think of it? There are things in the world that you can say and things you shouldn’t.”
‘…..…?’
What is it?
‘Was that a name she shouldn’t have said?’
The atmosphere passed strangely. In a flash.
I couldn’t get used to the atmosphere that suddenly turned upside down, so I just blinked.
“There’s really nothing more to say about the lady’s frivolity”
“How dare you say that name in front of the Duchess ….”
“Even though you lack thought, there’s a degree…..”
“Although you didn’t mean to ruin this position.”
In the meantime, the criticism of the small lady has been heightened.
I rolled my head in confusion, upon hearing the ladies pound their tongue with their fan open.
However, no matter how much I searched my memory, the name that the small lady mentioned was unfamiliar to me.
Alice……Danekier?
‘Who is that?’
“……… I’m sorry. I made a mistake because I was short-thinking. Please forgive me with a generous heart.”
In the meantime, the small lady, who was eventually pushed back, spat out an apology with a face that seemed like she was about to cry.
Then I turned around in a hurry and looked at the disappearing little body, with an indescribable look.
The surrounding area still hung on after the small lady left.
“What bad luck.”
“Oh, why did she have to mention that bold name?”
‘Voldemort? The name that can’t be said.’’
(T/N : bold and volde (as in voldemort) have a same pronounciation)
No, who’s that?
That should have been considered a curse or a plague, not a human name.
What on earth does he get treated like Voldemort with just one name?
I was the only one who didn’t even know such a famous name. I couldn’t hold back my curiosity and spoke to the lady who was standing close.
“Excuse me, ma’am, Alice…….”
However, it was before I could finish the sentence.
The crowd of people around me chattered as if they had promised at the same time.
“Don’t bother about it, Duchess.”
“That’s right. You must have been offended, but just forget it.”
“She made a slip of the tongue because she didn’t know anything.”
“Just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
“Yes, the Duchess didn’t hear that name. So do we.”
No, hold on.
Excuse me? Thank you for your heart. I know what you’re trying to do, so I appreciate it……
“That’s not–”
At that time, the performance of the heresy decorating the party venue changed.
This change in melody meant it was obvious.
Dance time.
The ladies and women who were filling the area hurriedly took their partner’s hand and scattered in all directions.
People who were not with their partners left quickly to find someone to dance with.
“…….”
Thanks to it, I was left alone in an instant. Without being able to solve any curiosity about the character named Alice Danekier.
‘……no!’
What is this? The whole thing disappeared at the perfect timing.
It was when I was left alone at the party venue and enjoying the absurdity.
“your majestic beautiful Duchess.”
“……..?”
“I’ve prepared a red wine that burns like a red glow in my heart, although it’s not enough to catch you. Would you like a drink?”
What is it?
I turned to a remarkable line that made me instinctively want to call the guard.
A man with a glass of wine in one hand winked at me.
“I’d like to greet you, I’m Count Coultershe.”
“Count Kulddokswi?”
“Count Coultershe, Duchess.”
Well, it is. I looked at him for no more than two seconds and looked away.
“That’s enough.”
If there is a law of conservation of mass in the world, then every party has a law of conservation of womanizer.
What a strange thing. Where on earth does that sort of thing gets copied and appear everywhere?
‘Is there a training school for that?’
Come to think of it, I think there was something like a training school for that in my previous life. What was the name again? I think it’s ‘something’ artist if I’m not wrong.
“You don’t like wine? If you tell me what kind of alcohol you prefer, I’ll change it to that.”
As I turned around and started to walk, Count Coultershe followed closely and started chatting.
I looked for a servant who passed by, trying to ignore him.
I’ll catch anyone who I can see and hand this man over quickly. This useless…..
‘Hold on, useless?’
I stopped stomping. Count Coultershe managed to recover the wine that was almost spilt by, who stopped his feet suddenly.
“Duchess, you’re finally ready to talk to me……..”
“Hey, Count Kulddokswi.”
“It’s Count Coultershe, Duchess.”
“Do you know someone named Alice Danekier?”
“What?”
“Alice Danekier. I ask you if you know her.”
Count Coultershe blinked foolishly at my sudden question.
Surprisingly, at this moment, the only thing that was useful from this womanizer came to mind. It was a one-time event.
“……uh, do you mean, Lady Danekier?”
“You know her. What kind of person is she?”
“Lady Danekier…….”
Although he seemed embarrassed by the unexpected question, he answered the question without hesitantly.
“She’s a beautiful woman. Like a black rose.”
Really? Black rose.
Looks like your hair or eyes are black.
It’s obvious how that type compares people. That’s what I thought and waited for the next words.
However, even if I waited in silence, Count Coultershe did not show any signs of adding more words.
I narrowed my eyes in doubt.
“Is that it?”.