Chapter 115
His arrival instantly thickened the already tense atmosphere, as his tone was laced with mockery. When Macy remained silent, Eren seemed to lose interest and redirected the conversation.
“Lady Werfel. There are many gentlemen and ladies you should greet. Let’s move on.”
“Yes, yes! Macy, I hope you have a wonderful time!”
Eren and Lady Werfel walked away together, her hand now wrapped around the Duke’s arm.
“They truly make a perfect pair. They’ve hardly left each other’s side all day. I always feel they have such a great relationship.”
“Given that she’s his fiance, you can imagine how much Duke Krygen has been looking forward to today.”
The onlookers observed the couple with delight. Macy understood better than anyone how well they suited each other—she had painted them herself. Not just once, but twice.
She should have realized then that he was someone destined to remain a distant figure in her life. Eren was a person she could only meet in the shadows, someone who could never become her reality. This was particularly evident in this moment.
“Macy, let’s move to another spot.”
Baron Shearton spoke to Macy, who had been staring blankly at the couple. He raised his arm as if to invite her to link arms.
“Okay.”
Macy smiled gently and took his arm, returning to the spacious Great Hall.
* * *
The more Macy interacted with him, the more she surprised Rubens. Initially, he had thought her a boring and dull girl, but now she had his attention so completely that his hair almost stood on end.
‘Such an event isn’t good for her.’
Her elegantly styled neck was fully exposed, accentuated by the way her light-colored dress flowed gracefully along her figure. Dressed like this, she seemed every bit the refined lady.
If she was simply beautiful, he wouldn’t have felt so unsettled. However, while she draped a shawl over her shoulders, the deep neckline of her dress left the center of her chest tantalizingly exposed.
If she removed the shawl, her name would certainly be partially visible. As he got closer, he noticed her skin was unusually translucent and thin, revealing even the faintest veins beneath.
It drove him nearly mad. She inadvertently stirred the basest desires within him. What on earth was she doing, dressed so lightly?
Unaware of Rubens’ heightened emotions, Macy lowered her thickly lashed eyes and congratulated him on the engagement.
‘How could I have underestimated you all this time?’
How could the once-timid Macy, who trembled at the thought of being in the same space as his fiance, have turned into someone so utterly captivating?
How daring of Macy to attend Rubens’ engagement banquet. Yet, despite her boldness, she remained surprisingly composed. Instead of exposing their relationship in a fit of rage, she quietly enjoyed the festivities, enduring Rubens’ subtle insults.
‘There must be some intention behind this…’
Was she simply trying to provoke Rubens by looking so lovely at the banquet? Did she hope he would be uneasy, anticipating some action? The latter thought barely registered as significant, but if it was the former, she had achieved a meaningful result.
Since discovering her presence at the banquet, Rubens had been unable to take his eyes off her, despite mingling with guests and attending to Isabella.
“So, when will the wedding take place?”
“I suppose next spring, if the Duke isn’t too busy.”
If he had known this would happen, he would have left some noticeable marks on her body last night to prevent her from pulling such a sly stunt.
Ever since Isabella revealed that Macy was the one who painted the engagement portrait, the crowd had slowly begun to approach her. Even Baron Shearton, who had been standing close by, appeared flustered at the swelling number of onlookers as they spotted Macy.
Most seemed to have gathered to commission portraits, but a few men cast furtive glances at Macy, their eyes filled with ulterior motives. Rubens felt the blood vessels in his forehead throb.
“Will you be painting portraits at the wedding?”
“That hasn’t been decided yet.”
“The portraits of Duke Krygen and Lady Werfel should be plentiful! It’s refreshing just to see them, you know?”
Though her dress was relatively simple, Macy shone brightly, her skin almost luminescent. Yes, it was her pale complexion that drew attention—Rubens had been captivated by it from the start.
Or was it the way she beamed when she laughed at light-hearted jokes? Perhaps it was her slender waist, delicate wrists, or the blush on her cheeks from just a bit of champagne. Now, whenever he caught sight of that peachy hue, Rubens felt a tightening in his loins.
“Haha, you flatter me too much. But with the Duke’s busy schedule, I’m not sure he’ll have time.”
“Duke Krygen, please do paint portraits at the wedding. You will, won’t you?”
“…”
“Duke Krygen?”
Isabella tightened her grip on Rubens’ arm.
“What were you looking at?”
Only then did Rubens’ attention return to them, but it seemed the crowd had noticed his momentary distraction.
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