Chapter 016. A Mistake at the Evening Banquet
“Hey, Deborah. Are you feeling unwell?”
In the dim evening light—with the banquet just around the corner—the servants in the Elfengrin mansion were all bustling about frantically.
While memorizing the order of dishes to be served at the dining table before the food was brought up from the kitchen, one parlor maid, startled by Deborah’s unusual complexion, asked with concern.
Deborah, who had been sweating coldly on her forehead and seemed momentarily lost in thought, snapped back to attention at the sound of her name being called and wiped the sweat from her brow.
“Oh, no… I just felt dizzy for a moment.”
“Your complexion looks really bad… Are you sure you can handle preparing for tonight’s banquet in that state?”
In response to the worried question, Deborah forced a smile and nodded.
“By the way, earlier today, Hannah was looking for you and ran out shouting… Is that related to this?”
While double-checking the already arranged cutlery and water pitchers, Deborah turned her head.
“Hannah was looking for me?”
“Yeah. Out of nowhere, she asked Kitty if you’d gone to the hospital. She said she was going to do Miss Cecilia’s hair, but then she screamed and bolted down the hallway… What’s that about?”
The maid asked with a face full of curiosity, probing Deborah, but Deborah couldn’t say anything.
The thought of returning to the attic tonight, where Hannah might be waiting with a ghostly appearance, weighed heavily on her heart.
* * *
The guests invited to the Cheister ducal family’s banquet gathered in the main reception room on the first floor, their faces brimming with excitement.
Shortly after, when Butler Greig announced that the banquet was fully prepared, the duke and his mother, Eleonora von Cheister, led the procession into the dining hall.
The dining hall, which had been bustling with preparations for the main dish before the arrival of the host family and guests, was now ready and waiting in a calm atmosphere.
As the elegantly dressed ladies in vibrant gowns and the well-dressed gentlemen entered the dining hall, footmen standing by each chair quietly pulled them out to ensure the guests could sit comfortably.
Once everyone was seated, a line of pretty parlor maids, dressed in ornate frilled maid uniforms, entered with water glasses in hand.
The curious gazes of the guests, which had been fixed on the handsome footmen pulling out the chairs, quickly shifted to the faces of the pretty parlor maids entering the dining hall.
Whispers and occasional giggles could be heard as people murmured to those seated next to them, but the parlor maids, with doll-like serene expressions, gracefully moved around the table, pouring water into the glasses without the slightest hint of disturbance.
Raymond, seated at the head of the long dining table, propped his chin on his hand, observing the scene before him with an impassive, emotionless expression.
His blue eyes, which had seemed faintly bored, began to take on a spark of color the moment he noticed a strikingly pale face entering his field of vision.
Raymond spotted Deborah and slowly blinked once.
Perhaps due to the lamplight illuminating the dim evening interior, or perhaps not, the maid’s already pale face appeared so ghostly white that Raymond’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
His gaze unconsciously followed Deborah as she slowly moved toward him, pouring water into glasses while switching places with the others from the opposite end of the table.
When the maid ahead of Deborah, as if it were her turn, reached to pour water into the glass in front of Raymond, he quietly raised his hand to stop her.
A flicker of confusion crossed the expressionless face of the parlor maid attempting to pour the water, but she quickly composed herself and stepped aside.
Then, seeing the empty water glass in front of the Duke of Cheister, Deborah, who was next in line, also looked flustered, just like the maid before her.
Could the maid before her have mistaken the order and skipped the duke’s glass? In that brief moment, complex thoughts swirled in her mind.
However, she couldn’t just pass by the duke’s empty glass, so she stepped closer to his side.
*Chrrrr—*
As the transparent crystal glass filled with water, all of Raymond’s senses were focused on the fragrance emanating from Deborah, who stood beside him.
It was the fresh, crisp citrus scent he had noticed yesterday when she poured tea in the reception room.
As the glass filled to an appropriate level, the white hand tilting the water pitcher gradually moved out of his sight.
The moment Deborah finished her task and passed by, an even stronger citrus scent brushed past Raymond’s nose.
* * *
The atmosphere of the banquet was generally quiet yet moderately lively.
Each time the seven-course dishes, skillfully prepared by a male chef, were served, the guests were captivated by the visual delight and the exquisite flavors, exclaiming in admiration.
Around the midpoint of the banquet’s courses, a lady in a deep green velvet dress looked at Eleonora von Cheister with a face full of curiosity.
“By the way, I’ve heard rumors that the Cheister and Constant families are set to form a fine alliance. Is that truly the case?”
At the lady’s question, which touched on the greatest topic of interest that no one had dared to ask directly, all eyes instantly turned to Eleonora.
Eleonora von Cheister seemed slightly taken aback by the question but soon gave a gentle smile.
“It’s a bit premature to say anything definitive, but we are working toward forming a good alliance.”
“Oh my, so it’s true then! If the marriage comes to fruition, wouldn’t it be the most prominent union of families in the Rubake Kingdom?”
People began to murmur among themselves about the marriage between the two most prominent families in Rubake.
However, Raymond, the person in question, wore an utterly bored expression, as if listening to someone else’s story.
“I’ve heard that Lady Olivia, the daughter of Marquis Constant, is quite a beauty. Of course, she may not compare to Lady Cecilia, but they say she closely resembles the marquis, who was quite handsome in his youth. Oh, and—hasn’t Your Grace already met the lady?”
When a gentleman seated next to the lady directed the question at Raymond, all eyes turned to him.
Raymond, with a languid expression, slowly raised an eyebrow.
“Well—it’s an old story, but I did briefly see her at her debutante ball.”
Though his response was devoid of enthusiasm, the listeners’ eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Particularly, the ladies began whispering among themselves, as if trying to find something romantic in that encounter.
“I’m well aware of Lady Olivia’s reputation in social circles. She’s praised as a lovely and charming young lady, so I’ve been thinking of inviting her to a tea party soon.”
When the beautiful Cecilia, who had been sitting regally like a queen, finally spoke, the ladies’ gazes immediately turned to her.
“Oh my, standing side by side with Lady Cecilia, Lady Olivia might feel intimidated.”
As the ladies laughed and flattered Cecilia, she subtly raised the corners of her mouth without saying a word, and Raymond let out a faint chuckle at the spectacle.
At that moment, Robin, who had briefly stepped away after asking for permission, returned to his seat with a dark expression.
Seeing the somber emotion on Robin’s face, which had been perfectly fine before the banquet began, Raymond felt a fleeting sense of curiosity.
But that curiosity quickly faded from his attention.
As the conversation grew lively, it was time for the fourth course to be served, and a footman and parlor maid entered the dining hall again, carrying a large domed dish on a gleaming silver tray.
As the footmen took their places by the guests’ sides, the parlor maids standing nearby took the silver trays from their hands.
It was time to place the trays on the table.
As the silver trays were set on the table one by one—
“Kyaaa—!”
A piercing scream suddenly tore through the air.
Startled by the sharp cry of a woman, some guests jumped to their feet, and all eyes turned toward the source of the scream.
Everyone was dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before them.
Somehow, the food that was supposed to be transferred from the parlor maid’s hands to the table had spilled onto a lady’s dress.
Brown sauce and chunks of meat had trickled stickily from her chest to her thighs, completely ruining the lady’s dress.
And standing beside her, trembling with a ghostly pale face, was the parlor maid who appeared to be responsible for the mistake.
It was Deborah.
Lady Eleonora, the hostess of the banquet, and Cecilia, shocked by the astonishing scene, hurriedly stood and rushed to the lady’s side.
“Madam! Are you alright?”
“Does this look alright to you?!”
Normally, the countess wouldn’t have dared to lose her temper like this in response to Lady Eleonora’s concerned words.
But the countess, whose expensive, high-end dress was ruined, was already in a state of utter agitation.
She had spent a fortune and waited months to acquire that precious dress, which she had carefully saved for this occasion, only for a foolish parlor maid to spill a meat dish all over it.
As the countess’s face grew redder, other parlor maids nearby rushed to wipe the sauce and meat off her dress, trying to salvage the situation, but she forcefully pushed them away with her thick arms.
Then, she stood up abruptly and strode toward Deborah, who had caused the mess.
Facing the countess’s furious, red face, Deborah, who had been frozen pale by her mistake, finally snapped out of it and stammered.
“I’m s-sorry…”
But Deborah’s apology was never completed.
*Slap—!*
The countess put her full force into striking Deborah’s right cheek.
As the hefty countess hit her with all her strength, Deborah’s body staggered and fell to the floor.
“Ugh—”
As she fell, her wrist twisted involuntarily, causing excruciating pain in her already injured wrist, and Deborah let out a sharp cry.
The piercing cry made everyone’s shoulders flinch.
But that cry seemed to further fuel the countess’s anger.
To her, it was outrageous that this sly girl would scream so dramatically in front of everyone after just one slap.
The countess took another step forward, grabbed the fallen Deborah by one arm, and yanked her up.
Pulled up like a reed by the rough force, Deborah staggered as she was hoisted upright.
Before she could regain her senses, another powerful blow struck her cheek.
*Slap—Slap—*
The resounding sound echoed through the dining hall, causing the shoulders of the other parlor maids nearby to tremble.
Even as the furious countess unleashed relentless violence on the housemaid, no one intervened.
After a brief, heavy silence, just as Robin was about to step forward, Raymond was seen rising from his seat and walking slowly toward them.
The guests, who had seen the Duke of Cheister lounging lazily since the banquet began, watched in curiosity as he suddenly stood and approached.
Even the countess, who had been fuming and unable to contain her anger, instinctively flinched under the imposing presence of the tall Raymond.
“……”
Raymond’s gaze, as he approached the countess, flowed slowly toward Deborah, sprawled on the floor.
As the tense atmosphere lingered and Eleonora was about to call out to her son, Raymond’s cold sneer broke the silence first.
“Are you feeling a bit better now, Madam?”
The banquet hall fell deathly silent at the chilling tone and icy expression directed at the countess.
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By Anna 💓
