What I Gained by Giving My Body - Chapter 1.13

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“Goodness, how shameless…….”

“She’s the sister of a baronet; does she have no sense of shame?”

“I suppose she’s thick-skinned enough to keep attending balls in that same dress in the first place.”

“That’s actually better. Just because Miss Sabina dressed her up doesn’t mean her dirty body becomes clean.”

Caitlyn wasn’t surprised by the murmurs that erupted the moment she stepped into the ballroom, but she was a little disappointed. Since she had shown such a pathetic display, it was only natural for the servants to blabber unless the Archduke had gagged them. And quite naturally, it seemed Archduke Akbar had not bothered with such a thing.

the simple fact that others were gossiping about what happened between the Archduke and herself vividly showed her how little weight she carried for him. Of course, it was obvious she held no value to him, so Caitlyn accepted that fact obediently. There was no need to be disappointed by something as natural as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening.

“Still, I see why His Grace the Archduke chose a woman like that. Her face is quite a sight.”

“Her body looks like a sight to behold, too. Haha!”

Caitlyn showed no reaction. The content had changed, but they had been hostile toward her before, anyway. Then and now, ignoring them was enough.

The only difference was that she had attended for her brother in the past, and now she attended due to Archduke Akbar’s compulsion. She picked up a glass of champagne from a tray carried by a servant and took a sip.

‘How long do I have to stay?’

The Archduke had not even appeared yet. According to the butler who had delivered a polite apology, he was delayed by an urgent matter. Naturally, the nobles whose main purpose was to flatter the Archduke had no choice but to remain, exchanging superficial greetings. It was just as Caitlyn was moving further into a corner. A voice full of concern came from behind her.

“Oh my, Miss Hardick!”

She swallowed a sigh and turned around. The broad meddling peculiar to “kind people” was truly burdensome at times like this. Leslie Sufferd was looking at her with a worried face.

“Are you alright? You look pale.”

“…….”

Caitlyn was silent for a moment. Normally, she would have given a short reply of “I’m fine” and quickly moved to a gloomy corner where Leslie wouldn’t follow. But was it because of the slight intoxication? Or was it because of the anger that she had ended up attending due to coercion? Driven by an unknown impulse, she spat out the words she had been holding inside—words that were sharpened to an excessive degree.

“Can’t you tell? I’m not fine at all. If you want to play at being kind, find someone else.”

“……Miss Hardick.”

Leslie’s voice trembled.

“I didn’t…… approach you with that intention.”

Caitlyn tilted her head mockingly.

“If you’re not trying to act kind, then why do you keep approaching me? There’s nothing to be gained.”

She added after a brief thought.

“Ah, if you’re thinking of getting something out of His Grace the Archduke, give it up. We aren’t in that kind of relationship.”

Leslie blinked. Her large, soft light-green eyes held only bewilderment.

“Why would I want something like that? My mother and father grant me everything I want.”

It was frustrating, but it was true. The Sufferd Count family was wealthy, and the Count was a famous “daughter fool” in the capital who granted Leslie everything she desired.

“……Then tell me. Why are you approaching me?”

“Because there is something I want from Miss Hardick.”

“I just told you, I’m not trying to get something from His Grace…….”

“Not the Archduke.”

Leslie spoke in a tone of blatant frustration.

“Miss Hardick. You must remember that I approached you last week as well; was Miss Hardick in a close relationship with the Archduke then? At least, I didn’t know about it.”

“…….”

Caitlyn swallowed hard. Hearing that, Leslie was right. At that time, she was a stranger to the Archduke. Although, according to Archduke Akbar’s claim, she wasn’t.

“……What do you want from me?”

“Finally!”

Leslie smiled brightly.

“Let’s be friends.”

“Pardon……?”

At the completely unexpected words, Caitlyn stared blankly at Leslie. There were always many people around her, and she lacked the enemies typical of popular people. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that everyone liked Leslie.

Although she didn’t have a fixed fiancé yet, there were so many suitors that she could take her pick of any man she liked. In short, there was no reason for her to want to be friends with someone like her.

Leslie seemed unable to understand her reaction at all.

“I mean friends. A close relationship! Not just acquaintances, but friends who share each other’s worries, sorrows, and joys.”

“Why me, of all people?”