In contrast, Ariella Bedford, who lost her name and fiancé to the maid, maintained her noble elegance and dignity.
The nobles began to compare the two princesses with entirely different perspectives than when they arrived at the party.
The biggest reason for this shift in viewpoint was that one of them left without being able to handle the situation she had caused, while the other remained until the end to wrap up the party.
Before it was known that Lizzy was the real one, that is, when she was still Ariella’s maid, the noblewomen spread all sorts of negative rumors about her affair with Aaron.
Given that many had experienced their husbands’ infidelity, and that in any era, a maid cherished by a husband was the most dangerous rival for a wife, it seemed they could empathize even more.
Meanwhile, the gentlemen praised Ariella’s beauty and wondered about her relationship with the Grand Duke.
If there was nothing special between them, it seemed they were ready to approach her immediately, but Ariella deflected their intentions with vague answers.
Just as she thought she had answered sufficiently, Ariella excused herself and slipped away through the crowd.
Before she knew it, more than ten minutes had passed. Considering the number of people gathered, it wasn’t a long time, but it was long enough to leave the Grand Duke standing alone on the balcony.
To avoid the gazes of others, she hurriedly walked behind a pillar and caught sight of the tightly closed curtains of the balcony.
Thinking that Nobert must be waiting for her anxiously beyond those curtains, she swallowed hard for no reason. It was the memory of dancing with him and locking eyes just moments ago that made her feel this way.
“I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long? It must have been cold.”
However, Ariella’s demeanor as she entered through the curtains was nothing but confident. To hide her embarrassment, she pretended to be more at ease.
Nobert, who was standing by the balcony railing and gazing at the moon hanging in the sky, slowly turned to face her.
“I haven’t waited long. …But aren’t you cold?”
As his gaze, devoid of selfishness, swept over her bare shoulders and arms, she unconsciously bit her lip.
Maintaining her false composure became precarious.
Ariella was truly not immune to such tenderness.
“Oh, I forgot to bring a shawl. It’s fine; I’m used to the cold.”
Unlike the warm Ashbon, Bingham was generally cool in all seasons except summer.
However, these days, as spring was fading, the weather had become quite mild. It was still too cold to expose her bare skin to the evening breeze.
Nobert raised one eyebrow slightly and then began to take off his outer garment. Ariella, who was not used to such gestures, realized late what he was trying to do.
“I’m really fine, though…”
“I’m not fine. Put it on.”
He forcibly placed the garment in her hands. Imagining him draping the clothing over her shoulders, Ariella stifled a laugh at his unexpectedly neat demeanor.
He had once shamelessly grabbed her dirty ankle, yet now he was refraining from even draping a garment over her. While it was comfortable for her not to feel burdened, her opinion that he was a peculiar person remained unchanged.
“Then, I’ll gratefully wear it.”
As she draped the soft outer garment over her shoulders, warmth enveloped her skin, which had been exposed to the cold air and was covered in goosebumps. She hadn’t realized how cold she was until she put on the clothing.
At the same time, a familiar scent lingered in her nostrils. It was a refreshing yet strangely alluring fragrance—his scent.
“It seems I always receive help from the Grand Duke.”
As she smiled and spoke, Nobert seemed to have something to say, opening his lips.
However, at that moment, someone passing beyond the curtains interrupted their conversation.
“Damn it, I should have recognized that figure sooner. Don’t you think?”
“If you had recognized it, what would you have done? Do you think Aaron would have just stood by if someone touched the woman who was the prospective crown princess until recently? That guy’s temper.”
Ariella recognized the voice. It was the Baron Rupert MacDonald and the Baron Ronny Griffith, acquaintances of Aaron. They were of a much lower quality than Catalina’s group and had hardly interacted with Ariella.
“That guy wasn’t interested anyway, so what does it matter? Ah! I should have checked earlier! The moment the real princess was revealed, if I had approached her when she was in a vulnerable state, she would have already had a child.”
“Hahaha! How would you handle the aftermath? If she had a child, she would have clung to you, demanding responsibility.”
“With that face, I could make her my mistress. Wouldn’t that make me even more like a brother to Aaron? Hahaha!”
