Chapter 022. The Evening Banquet
Raymond’s gaze, as he adjusted his cufflinks, slowly shifted toward the wall clock.
It was already time for the banquet to begin.
In other words, most of the invited guests would have arrived at the estate by now.
Yet, there wasn’t the slightest hint of haste in Raymond’s expression.
His leisurely and composed demeanor hardly seemed like that of someone preparing to host guests.
Knock, knock.
Just as he had nearly perfected his attire, a knock sounded, and Greig stepped through the slightly opened door.
“Your Grace, everyone is waiting in the parlor.”
Typically, in such situations, it was customary for the host to personally greet the guests, but that wasn’t a strict rule.
Most of those invited to tonight’s banquet were personal acquaintances of Raymond, and given that he, as the host, held a higher status, it wasn’t exactly a breach of etiquette.
Raymond gave a brief nod.
“Understood.”
The deep blue frock, reminiscent of a starry night sky, shimmered faintly in the study.
The young master standing beneath it seemed almost like the “Archangel Gabriel” from a sacred painting.
For a fleeting moment, Greig had such a thought.
* * *
An intricately crafted chandelier.
Beneath it, men and women dressed in vibrant, peacock-like attire sat facing each other across a long table.
These were the guests invited to tonight’s banquet.
Engaging in lively conversation with a cheerful atmosphere, behind them stood figures who seemed almost like decorations, present yet unobtrusive.
Parlor maids dressed in black.
Positioned at a distance that wouldn’t interrupt the guests’ conversations but close enough to respond swiftly to their requests.
At the very end of this orderly line stood Deborah.
‘Don’t make a mistake… Today, I absolutely cannot make a mistake.’
‘Don’t make a mistake… Today, I absolutely cannot make a mistake.’
With a visibly tense expression, Deborah repeated the mantra-like words over and over in her mind.
In truth, it wasn’t supposed to be Deborah attending the banquet tonight but Anz, who had been covering her duties.
There had been concerns from Mrs. Charlotte that it might be too much to throw Deborah back into work on her first day of recovery, and the other parlor maids had agreed.
As such, it had been decided that Deborah would assist until the banquet was over.
That is, until just before the banquet began, when Anz, who had been perfectly fine, suddenly collapsed, clutching her stomach.
Sweating profusely and complaining of abdominal pain, she was clearly in no condition to work, and in the ensuing chaos, Deborah was thrust into the banquet hall.
Of course, in terms of pure ability to perform the tasks, it wasn’t an issue.
Though she had rested while her wrist healed, it hadn’t been long enough to completely forget the training she had received.
However, the memory of the previous incident still lingered in her mind, making her body stiffen involuntarily.
And there was one more thing—
Her golden eyes, which had been fixed straight ahead, subtly shifted to the side.
“…….”
Neatly combed golden hair, a refined nose visible beneath it. A jawline both soft and strong.
The moment she saw the man leaning back in his chair, tilting his wine glass, the shock she had felt just minutes ago came rushing back vividly.
The moment when people began entering the fully prepared dining room.
Spotting the Duke entering at the back of the group, Deborah instinctively caught her breath.
Spotting the Duke entering at the back of the group, Deborah instinctively caught her breath.
No, she wasn’t the only one whose attention was stolen in that moment.
Everyone in the dining room felt all eyes drawn to one point.
Deborah, who had been entranced for a while, only snapped out of it when her gaze met those slowly moving blue eyes.
The moment those cold, water-like eyes landed on her face, Deborah instinctively turned her head away.
As people moved to their seats guided by the footmen, Deborah prayed fervently in her heart.
Please, let the Duke not be in the section I’m assigned to—
But unfortunately, her desperate prayer went unanswered.
Of all places, she was stationed right next to where the Duke was seated.
‘Deborah, you must take extra care with every action, especially in front of the Duke.’
Mrs. Charlotte’s earlier warning echoed in her mind, and a soft sigh escaped her.
‘Don’t make a mistake… Stay sharp…’
She was repeating her earlier resolve in her mind when—
“Here.”
At the low, resonant voice, Deborah’s shoulders flinched.
Seeing his face turned slightly away, her mind went blank in an instant.
Swallowing hard, Deborah quickly stepped to his left side.
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
Her trembling voice barely steadied as she spoke, but for some reason, no response came despite her waiting.
Enduring the suffocating silence, she waited endlessly until, at some point, a fresh, grassy scent filled her senses.
That familiar fragrance, the man’s natural scent, made her oblivious heart start racing wildly.
‘Stupid Deborah… Please, stop…’
Her palms began to sweat, fearing he might hear the thunderous pounding of her heart so close by.
Praying desperately for him to speak soon, the awaited voice finally came.
“The water glass.”
His gesture pointed to the glass, and Deborah’s gaze briefly followed.
The transparent glass still had about half its water, but Deborah didn’t find it odd.
It was a servant’s place to do as instructed, but more than that, one thought dominated her mind.
To quickly carry out his order and return to her place.
Deborah swiftly grabbed the water pitcher from the table behind and returned to the Duke’s side
As she tilted the silver pitcher to pour into the glass, a sharp gaze briefly pierced the back of her hand.
It lingered persistently, as if observing something, but only for a moment.
Once Deborah finished pouring, bowed her head, and retreated to her place, the situation was quickly resolved.
The tense moment passed, and the paused clock began ticking again.
The Duke, now naturally blending into the table’s conversation, seemed to have completely lost interest in her.
Or perhaps he had never been interested to begin with, merely instructing her to fill the water glass—
Realizing how absurd her own thoughts were, a faint smile crept onto her lips.
Perhaps it was the wave of relief loosening her nerves, but Deborah didn’t notice.
Until the banquet’s final moment, the Duke’s water glass remained untouched, still full.
* * *
After the meal, under Cecilia’s lead, the women moved to the parlor.
The remaining men also rose and headed to the smoking room.
While the banquet itself was a formal event where everyone dined together, it was an old aristocratic custom to strictly separate spaces by gender afterward.
Not that particularly meaningful conversations took place.
In the parlor, light topics like social gossip or fashion dominated, much like the smoking room’s atmosphere.
They might claim to discuss politics or economics while smoking cigars, but in reality, it was mostly silly jokes or crude stories.
Just like now.
“Lawrence, it seemed like something was going on with you and Baroness Evitz.”
At someone’s casual remark amid puffs of white smoke, all eyes turned to one man.
To the brown-haired man called “Lawrence.”
So startled, Lawrence let out a series of dry coughs.
“W-What nonsense is that—?”
“Oh, look at him panicking. It must be true.”
“Baroness Evitz, you mean that red-haired woman? The widow we saw at the Brown family’s ball?”
“Well, he says it’s not true—.”
Despite Lawrence’s vehement denials, his face flushed red, no one seemed convinced.
They were all eager to hear details of an improper scandal with the captivating widow who became single at a young age.
For a while, frivolous remarks and teasing jokes continued.
Who had sparks with a housemaid, or who saw a young lady from some family having a secret rendezvous.
Raymond, listening to the pathetic, laughable stories, was about to stub out his half-burned cigar on the metal ashtray when—
Knock, knock—
A sudden knock sounded.
Thinking it was someone bringing wine or drinks, Raymond turned his gaze to the door.
His expectation wasn’t wrong. The person entering carried a tray with a wine bottle and glasses.
The problem was who was carrying it.
Deborah.
The woman who constantly grated on Raymond’s nerves. An orphan and a housemaid.
The moment he saw that strikingly white face, Raymond’s brow twitched fiercely.
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By Anna 💓
